6th Grade Newsletter
SEPTEMBER 2024
6th Grade Teachers
Ms. Amber Altheide (Math)
Ms. Nikki Gehrke (Math)
Mr. Nicholas Dunn (Language Arts)
Ms. Sorcha Vikter (Language Arts)
Ms. Natalie Bohnert (Social Studies)
Ms. Barbara Wendt (Science)
Ms. Laura Moorse (FACS)
Ms. Chandler Link (Media Arts)
Ms. Tami Tolk (Reading Interventionist)
Mr. Joseph Schmitt (Math Interventionist)
Mr. Christian Witherow (Band)
Mr. Eric Novosad (General Music)
Mr. Wes Meyers (Orchestra)
Mr. Blaine Schnaible, PE HealthMath
For this month, students will be working on Number Theory and Fraction Operations. It is important that students finish their practice problems and spiral reviews daily. If a student is struggling with knowing their math facts, please have your student work on them for 10 minutes daily on XtraMath on Clever. Also, if students are gone, they are expected to go to Schoology, watch the video for that lesson, and complete the practice problems and spiral review (in their notebook first).
Retakes: Students need to have a conversation with their teacher to figure out what must be accomplished before a retake is given.
Ms. Amber Altheide
Welcome back! My name is Amber Altheide and I teach 6th grade math. My husband and I, along with our two kids, are from Marshall. We love to be outside and go four-wheeling. We also enjoyed going to the Omaha Zoo this summer and seeing all the animals.
Ms. Nikki Gehrke
Hello 6th grade families! My name is Nikki Gehrke and I teach 6th grade math. My family and I live in Marshall and love to go on road trips, especially to the mountains. My husband and I love going to our kids' activities, traveling, and doing family movie nights with our dog, Emmy. I'm looking forward to the new school year!
Language Arts
Mr. Nicholas Dunn
Hello! I am Mr. Dunn, and I will be teaching 6th Grade English/Language Arts as well as being a 6th grade advisory. Over the summer, I stayed busy with various outdoor activities such as enjoying the lake and hiking trails at various state parks in Minnesota. I am so excited to get to know all of your learners throughout this school year!
Ms. Sorcha Vikter
Welcome to 6th grade language arts! This year we will explore writing, grammar, and read various stories throughout the year to apply our MN State standards. This is my 9th year teaching and my 7th year with MPS. I am very excited to meet all of you!
Social Studies
Ms. Natalie Bohnert
Hi everyone! My name is Miss Bohnert (Miss B), and I am the 6th grade Social Studies teacher. I am excited to get to know everyone and learn more about Minnesota with you all. Outside of school I love to play pickleball, swim, and golf while being around friends and family. Let have a great year and Go Tigers!
Science
Welcome to 6th grade Science! We will be learning about the rocks, landforms, water, air, and more that make up planet Earth. Then we will end the semester with a bit of astronomy to help us see how Earth fits into the larger universe. We will do many hands-on activities and computer simulations to help us answer questions and make new questions of our own.
Ms. Barbara Wendt
My name is Barbara Wendt, and this is my 3rd year teaching at Marshall Middle School. I have 20 years experience teaching 6-12th grade science, and I am excited to be teaching Earth Science again this year. I am also the advisor for the Conservation Crew, which is a student group that has been working on projects like the pollinator garden behind the school.
I live in Wabasso with my husband, 10-year-old son, and dog. This school year we are hosting an exchange student from Brazil! I like hiking, playing board games, watching sports, and going to concerts and plays. I have a big garden in the summer, a big pile of craft things that I will get to someday, and a big pile of library books that I read from almost every night.
Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS)
Ms. Laura Moorse
Hi everyone, my name is Laura Moorse, and I am the 6th/7th grade Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) teacher. This is my 3rd year teaching at Marshall Middle School, and I am so excited to be teaching 6th grade FACS for the first time this year! I will be going on maternity leave at the end of September and will plan to return in January. Your student will be learning all about different life skills such as cooking, sewing, money management, and personal relationships. I am super excited for the year & cannot wait to meet all of you 😊
Media Arts
Ms. Chandler Link
Hello everyone! I'm Chandler Link, the Media Arts teacher for 5th and 6th grade. This year, we'll be working on merging art and technology together. We will explore various technologies and discover how they connect with artistic expression. Media Arts is a quarter-long course, and every student will have the class at some point throughout the year. I look forward to sharing more as the year unfolds. I'm excited to meet all of you and it's going to be a wonderful year!
Reading Interventionist
Ms. Tami Tolk
Hi, my name is Tami Tolk. I teach 6th grade Reading Intervention and Enrichment. I am excited to get to know the students and to have a great 2024-2025 year at MMS!
My husband Bob and I live in Minneota and have 8 children and 14 grandchildren. In my free time I love spending time with family and friends!
Math Interventionist
Mr. Joseph Schmitt
My name is Mr. Schmitt and I’ll be teaching 5th and 6th grade Math E&I which stands for Enrichment and Intervention. It is a new course offering this year where students will have time to ask more questions, practice math skills, and complete homework if needed. I look forward to working with your student making this course work best for them.
Physical Education
Mr. Blaine Schnaible
Welcome to 6th grade Physical Education. My name is Blaine Schnaible, and I will be your child’s Physical Education teacher. I am looking forward to providing your child with an exciting and rewarding physical education experience. P.E. classes will prove to be an integral phase in their physical and social development. We take pride in our program, and we are committed to giving the students the best instruction possible.
Band, General Music, and Orchestra
Mr. Christian Witherow, Mr. Eric Novosad, Mr. Wes Meyers
Welcome back band students! I am looking forward to another year of making music together. I am excited to get started and hope you are ready for another great year.
Orchestra is working on getting back into the routine, getting instruments checked, and preparing for our first concert on November 26th.