Welcome to 6B! My name is Ms. Hayes, and I am very happy and excited to begin my seventh year here at St. Mary Magdalen. This is my 10th year in education, and I am looking forward to another great year!  I teach Language Arts for 6B and 8th grade, as well as Religion for 6B and 7A.

Welcome to 6th Grade!  We are grateful for all of your help and support as we navigate this year together as a team!

Upcoming Dates
(see 'Language Arts'/'Religion' for subject-specific tests)
Thursday, October 22nd - Parent/Teacher Conferences (via Zoom, 4-8PM)
Monday, October 26th - Parent/Teacher Conferences (via Zoom, 1-5PM)

Mondays – Music in 6B
Tuesdays – Media in the Learning Commons
Wednesdays – Art in the Art Room
Thursdays – Spanish in 6B
Fridays – Gym in the Gym

Upcoming Test Dates
Friday, October 23rd - Unit 3 Vocabulary Test (A Group)
Wednesday, October 28th - Unit 3 Vocabulary Test (B Group)

Friday, October 30th - Unit 3, Lessons 1-4 Grammar Test (B Group)
Tuesday, November 2nd - Unit 3, Lessons 1-4 Grammar Test (A Group)

Reading
We will be continuing with the Journeys series that the children are familiar with since first grade.
There are some changes in 6th grade, as we are a bridge year to the Middle School program.
We will be focusing on Reading skills, as well as the selection in the text. We do not use the workbook or the spelling words in the Journeys series. 
The Journeys series is available in an online version, with access to a suite of support material, such as the Write-in Reader, which we use occasionally as a supplement.

Vocabulary/Spelling
In 6th grade, we use the Vocabulary Workshop series that begins in the 6th-grade level and is also used in 7th and 8th grade, as well as many of the surrounding high school programs. The focus is on improving vocabulary and building a robust base for writing. 
The tests will focus on Vocabulary usage, rather than Spelling. As the students increase their vocabulary skills, they also increase their reading comprehension. 
This book is NOT available in an online series, so it is important that it be taken home for "click" week work.

English/Grammar
In 6th grade, we use a separate text called English, although we often refer to the book as Grammar.
It is a familiar series in its format of examples for the practice exercises. We do have separate English tests for grammar; they are not part of the Reading tests.
This book is also NOT available in an online series, so it is important that it be taken home for "click" week work.

Writing
We see writing as a skill that needs to be reinforced, developed, and practiced throughout the curriculum. Some writing assignments will be cross-curricular. For example, the students may do a writing assignment or research in Religion and it will receive a grade that counts both in Religion and in Writing. We stress the need for the students to use their skills in an integrated manner as they become more independent students. 

Important Dates
Friday, October 30th - Religion Saint Flipgrid Project Due
(written saint information is due Friday, 10/30 for the B Cohort and Monday, 11/2 for the A Cohort)

6th-grade Religion is still using the We Believe series.
This year's focus is on Old Testament leaders.  We also work on the Diocesean theme which is Called To Serve, with the Corporal Works of Mercy as the focus. 
This text is NOT available online, so it is important for the children to take this book home for their "click" weeks.