6th Grade Newsletter

The 6th grade team wishes you and your family a relaxing fall break!

We hope everyone enjoys some quality family time, delicious food, and a well-deserved chance to recharge.

Thank you families for the many food donations and gift cards you supplied during the Nichols Holiday Food Drive. 6th grade collected the most & won the competition!! As a reward, 6th graders will enjoy a Hot Chocolate treat the week they return from Fall Break. Donations were packed up and received by 7 Nichols families!

• Thanksgiving was almost in October! 🦃 Originally, many states celebrated it on different days before Lincoln set it for November.
• Pumpkin pie wasn’t always pie. 🎃 Early recipes baked the pumpkin whole and scooped it like pudding!
• Leaves fall because trees “seal off” their stems. 🍂 A cork-like layer forms, letting the leaf drop safely before winter.
• Popcorn was part of early American harvest festivals. 🌽 Families decorated tables with popcorn strings.
• Fall sunsets look more colorful. 🌅 Cooler air = fewer particles = brighter reds and oranges.

Dec 3 – School Improvement - Early Dismissal

Dec 22 - Jan 2 – Winter Recess

Jan 5 – School Improvement Day – No School

Jan 6 – Students Return

This week in ELA, students had the opportunity to partner with their peers to review, support, and guide one another as they revised their narratives. Students did an amazing job giving productive feedback and collaborating thoughtfully to strengthen their writing.

In addition to writing workshop, students also completed the first read of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Read the Excerpt Here

Written by Mildred D. Taylor (b. 1943), Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the gripping story of the Logans, a land-owning black family in the Deep South struggling to keep things together during a tumultuous year in the 1930s. Largely insulated from the injustices of the world around her, but raised with a strong sense of fairness, nine-year-old Cassie is only beginning to understand the realities of racism and the everyday terror it brings to the grown-ups in her community. In the excerpt here, neighbors bring bad news for her father. Published in 1976, Taylor’s novel won the Newbery Medal the following year.

“First Chapter Friday” is a weekly routine where students read or listen to the first chapter of a new book. The goal is to spark interest in different texts, introduce them to new authors and genres, and build excitement for independent reading. It’s a simple way for students to sample a story and decide if it’s a book they might want to continue reading on their own.

Below is a list of books students were exposed to this trimester. If your student isn’t sure what to read over fall break, this is a great place to start!

This week in our Spanish Language Arts class, we reviewed key vocabulary from the excerpt of Cuando Era Puertorriqueña. We discussed the location of Puerto Rico and explored interesting facts about the island. Students also conducted a mini-research project on the Taínos and presented their findings to the class. In addition, we reviewed grammar concepts to prepare for our first grammar quiz.

Upon returning from fall break, students will engage in reading activities and respond to comprehension questions related to the text.

As the trimester wrapped up, so did our first Book Challenge of the year. We are so proud of the 15 sixth graders who completed it!

Students were challenged to explore a wide variety of reading experiences, including:

• Starting a new-to-you series

• Trying a new genre

• Reading a mystery, horror, or scary story

• Reading a book from the Caudill or Lincoln list

• Reading a novel in verse

• Re-reading a favorite book

• Reading a book from the Nichols Library

• Reading a book recommended by someone who works at Nichols

• Reading a banned book

• Listening to an audiobook or podcast

• Reading a graphic novel or manga

• Reading a nonfiction book

We are thrilled to celebrate their commitment to growing as readers. As a sweet treat, our challenge winners enjoyed specialty donuts to celebrate their hard work. Here are just a few of our amazing readers!

This week, our students became savvy shoppers as we dove into the practical applications of percentages. We began by building a strong conceptual understanding of benchmark percentages—learning to quickly calculate 50%, 25%, 20%, 10%, 5%, and 75% of a given price.

To solidify this skill, students in Ms. Bullock and TK’s classes completed the "Outfit Percentage" project. Using a budget of $1,000, students curated their own outfits using realistic name-brand prices and coupons. This activity required them to calculate the exact discount amount, find the final price of multiple items, and finally, calculate the total cost after tax. This hands-on project demonstrated how to manage discounts and calculate taxes, making math immediately relevant to their lives.

After a well-deserved fall break, we will shift our focus to efficient calculation strategies. Students already know how to use ratio tables and other models like double number lines or tape diagrams to find percentages, but we will now focus on utilizing more realistic calculation methods: converting percentages to fractions or decimals. This will give students the flexible skills needed to solve any percentage problem quickly and accurately, preparing them for higher-level mathematics.

How to Practice at Home: This is the perfect topic to practice over fall break!

When you are out shopping and see items discounted, ask your student to calculate the savings:

• Ask for the Discount: "If this shirt is 20% off, how much money are we saving?"

• Ask for the Final Price: "If we are taking 20% off, what percent are we actually paying? 80%. Use that percentage to find the final price!"

Please mark your calendars: Our Unit 3 Test on Rates and Percentages is scheduled for Friday, December 5th. We will have two full days of intensive practice and one day of comprehensive review leading up to the assessment.

Unit 3 Guide

Character Strong: Our Character Strong lesson focused on the importance of Meeting New People and breaking down social barriers to feel less anxious in new situations.

As the Mesopotamia unit winds down, students have been learning about daily life in ancient Mesopotamia and exploring the different components of GRAPES—Geography, Religion, Achievements, Politics, Economics, and Social Structure.

After fall break, students will finish up the Mesopotamia. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of Mesopotamia by completing a final project.

Also, as Mr. Sommer stated in an email from 11/13, he will be on medical leave from December 4th through January 5th. Students will have a substitute during this time, but will progress through the social studies curriculum.

Mr. Sommer's Science Class

Last week, students ended the first unit of science (6.1 in Open SciEd) with the final assessment on why we see things sometimes but not others. At the end of the week, Ms. D was in class and discussed Erin’s Law. This lesson is mandated by the State of Illinois.

Attached is a letter from District 65 with more information.

Erin’s Law Letter (English & Spanish)

After fall break, students will start a research project. Students will pick a scientist to research and create a presentation to share with the class. Students will be working on this project until Winter Break.

Also, as I stated in my email from 11/13, I will be on medical leave from December 4th through January 5th. Students will have a substitute during this time, but will progress through the science curriculum.

Ms. Stone's Science Class

In Ms. Stone’s class, students have two mini-projects to complete over break if they did not finish them in class.

• Mini Project 1: Cow’s Eye Dissection Slideshow or iMovie is due on December 1st (all periods).
• Mini Project 2: All About the Eye Question Final Project is due on December 4th.

On those same dates, we will host a virtual parent showcase with improved sharing capabilities.

• Thursday, December 4th
• Blue Periods:
• Period 2, 8:30-9:15 am, Meeting LINK
• Period 4, 9:45-10:15 am, Meeting LINK
• Friday, December 5th
• Red Periods:
• Periods 1, 8:30-9:15 am, Meeting LINK
• Period 3, 9:45-10:15 am, Meeting LINK

Students have been working on EMPATHY...what is it and how can we encourage empathy at Nichols?

Students created a list of ways to encourage empathy:

🧡 Make an Empathy Announcement at the end of the day.

💛 AVID students can show empathy to anyone new to D65 by including them in their games.

💚 Search up an empathy quote and find a student who is living up to that quote.

💙 Make an empathy box and put it in the lunchroom. Students can submit names of people who are showing empathy and get their name submitted in a raffle for a prize!

💜 Students can vote for other students who are showing empathy.

Field Trip to Oakton Community College, which supports AVID's college and career readiness curriculum. Students will tour the campus, learn about the offerings at Oakton and gain additional general knowledge about postsecondary education.

Please send your 6th grader to school with a sack lunch in a disposable bag, OR request a sack lunch from school on the permission slip

Here is a copy of the permission slip: Oakton Permission Slip

As we return from Fall Break, we will begin the Winter Testing Window. Please take note of the assessment dates below:

📚 ELA Assessment:

• Thursday, 12/4

• Friday, 12/5

➗ Math Assessment:

• Wednesday, 12/9

• Thursday, 12/10

Thank you for helping ensure students are rested, prepared, and ready to do their best!