Seasons Greetings Sixth Grade Families. We hope you all enjoyed your extra time off for the fall break. The sixth graders have been working hard the last few weeks on many different projects that they are excited to share with you when they are complete including their children's book and the websites they created.

Important Dates & Reminders

• Winter Break: December 19-Jan 2
• FLE Preview Night

Language Arts

What are we learning?

In language arts we just finished up our unit on narrative nonfiction. The students created children's books giving nonfiction information but written in a fictional format. This coming month students will be learning about critical literacy in reading and investigative journalism in writing. Students will be looking at many different news articles as well as analyzing different commercials, flyers, and advertisements.

Home/School Connection

Questions to ask your student:

• What’s in the news?
• Take a look at current events going on around the world.
• Ask your student what facts they wrote their children's book on?

Math

What are we learning?

In math this month students worked on rational numbers and exponents. Students learned that rational numbers can be fractions, decimals and percents. Students also learned that integers are positive and negative whole numbers. We will be taking a closer look at integer operations (adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing).

Home/School Connection

Questions to ask your students:

• What is a ratio?
• When can you use decimals in real life? (hint is with money). 
• What is the opposite of -5?

Science

What are we learning?

In science we focused on patterns of weather. Students researched different types of weather that happens in Fairfax County. They created their own Google Site to share with others 5 types of severe weather and how to prepare for them.

Home/School Connection

Questions to ask your students:

• What extreme weather can occur in Fairfax County?
• What extreme weather did you enjoy studying most?

Social Studies

What are we learning?

In social studies we will be learning about European Exploration, Colonial America and the American Revolution.

Home/School Connection

Questions to ask your students:

• Name a European Explorer who explored the United States?