In Upper Elementary, we’re wrapping up some exciting topics and preparing for new ones! In history, students have been exploring California history and ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia, Kush, and Egypt, with the Gold Rush coming up next month. In science, we’re finishing our Earth Science unit, covering energy concepts and the rock cycle, and 6th graders will soon begin studying cells. In ELA, we’ll start narrative essays, using graphic organizers for planning, while also continuing our novel study. In math, we’re focused on fractions, building understanding through hands-on practice. 

Thank you for your continued support!

Math

1. Real-World Budgeting: Give your child a “budget” to plan a meal, small event, or outing. Have them look up prices, make choices within their budget, and calculate total costs. This helps with practical math skills like addition, multiplication, and understanding decimals.
2. Geometry with Tangrams or Pattern Blocks: Use tangrams or create your own with colored paper to explore shapes, symmetry, and angles. Let your child create designs or try to replicate specific figures, helping them understand spatial reasoning and geometry.
3. Prime Numbers and Factors: Use objects like beads, pasta, or buttons to find factors of various numbers. For prime numbers, challenge your child to identify which numbers can’t be divided into equal groups, sparking discussions about prime versus composite numbers.
4. Math in Nature – Fibonacci Sequence: Explore the Fibonacci sequence in nature by finding examples like pine cones, sunflowers, or shells. Discuss patterns, sequences, and ratios, helping them see the connection between math and the natural world.

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Science

1. Build a Simple Circuit: Use a battery, wires, and a small light bulb to build a basic circuit. Experiment with adding or removing parts to see what completes or breaks the circuit, introducing concepts of electricity and circuitry.
2. Nature Journal and Classification: Encourage your child to keep a nature journal where they record observations of plants, animals, weather, and other natural elements. They can draw what they see, write down observations, and classify plants or animals using field guides.
3. Water Filtration Experiment: Set up a simple water filtration experiment with sand, gravel, and cotton. Discuss water purification and pollution, as they observe how different materials filter out particles from water.
4. Modeling the Rock Cycle: Use clay to model the stages of the rock cycle (sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic). Show how heat and pressure affect “rocks” by warming the clay in warm water or pressing it under a heavy book, demonstrating Earth’s processes on a small scale.

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Social Studies

1. Timeline of Early Civilizations: Create a visual timeline to compare early civilizations (e.g., Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, the Indus Valley). Include major events, inventions, and influential leaders to give a sense of each culture's contributions to history.
2. Family Migration Map: Research family history and map where ancestors came from. This helps students understand migration, cultural diversity, and family roots. They can add labels with historical events that may have influenced migration patterns.
3. Current Events Journal: Choose a current event or social issue each week. Have your child research it, summarize it in their own words, and write their opinion on the topic. This builds awareness of global events and encourages critical thinking.
4. Model of Government Systems: Discuss different government systems (democracy, monarchy, etc.), then create a “government” for the household or a small group activity. Assign roles, write rules, and debate “policies,” helping them understand structure and the importance of governance.

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ELA (English Language Arts)

1. Book Discussion and Analysis: After reading a book, have a discussion using prompts like “What would you change about the story?” or “What was the main character’s biggest challenge?” Encourage critical thinking, summarization, and interpretation.
2. Journal Prompt Challenges: Give creative prompts like “Describe a day in the life of a pioneer child,” or “Imagine life 100 years in the future.” This builds narrative skills and helps students expand vocabulary and writing fluency.
3. Research Project with Visual Presentation: Let your child choose a topic they’re passionate about, research it, and create a poster, slide show, or model to present to the family. This strengthens research, summarizing, and presentation skills.
4. Figurative Language Scavenger Hunt: Have your child find examples of metaphors, similes, idioms, and personification in books, online articles, or even commercials. They can record each one and then write their own examples using this figurative language.

In Habit 3: Put First Things First, students learn essential time-management skills to help them stay focused and productive. Through the Time Matrix, they identify and prioritize tasks by sorting them into four categories based on urgency and importance, aiming to focus more on proactive, meaningful activities (Quadrant 2). In Planning Every Week, students set weekly goals and organize their tasks, creating a balanced schedule that aligns with their personal and academic goals. Finally, Staying True in the Moment teaches them to manage distractions, maintain focus, and apply self-discipline to stay on track with their priorities, helping them make thoughtful choices and stay productive.

Upper elementary students are delving into the history of California and the United States, with a focus on the cultures, traditions, and contributions of Native American tribes. Through this research, students are gaining a deeper understanding of Native American history, especially as it relates to the regions of California and the broader U.S.

To showcase their learning, students are creating Native American-inspired art pieces that reflect the cultural practices and artistic styles they’ve studied. These pieces will be displayed at the school’s Winter Spectacular event, where they’ll also be available for purchase. This project not only allows students to explore historical and cultural themes but also gives them a platform to share their work with the community, fostering both creativity and entrepreneurial skills.

Reminders with important dates/events:

When your child is absent from school, enroll them in Independent Study. We are here to support them with the classwork that they are missing. This will prevent them from falling behind. It's an easy straightforward process, and assignments can be completed either at home or upon their return to school. Please send your request via email to: IS@bellamentecharter.org.

Grade 6th: Turn in donation/permission slips

Upcoming Dates to Remember

• 11/7-12/6 Toy Drive
• 12/9-12/19 Book Fair
• 12/11 Minimum Day for Staff Development
• 12/12 Coffee Mingle
• 12/19 Spirit Day: PJ Day
• 12/19 Winter Spectacular (5-7PM)
• 12/20 Monthly Dine-Out (Panda Express)
• 12/20-1/7/25 Winter Break