SIXTH GRADE OVERVIEW

Sixth Grade is the culminating year for the students of the Academy. The rigorous curriculum continues stressing academic preparedness, time management, and leadership skills. The students have unique opportunities to build upon the solid foundation initiated in the earlier grades. Sixth graders adopt Pillars: Respect, Responsibility, Leadership, and Scholarship at the beginning of the year to set the tone as the Academy’s leaders. Armed with strong academic skills, leadership ability, creative minds, and a strong foundation in their Catholic faith, they are positive role models for each other and their younger schoolmates.

CURRICULUM

Religion

With the focus on The Old Testament, students study the story of God’s people and the fulfillment of God’s covenant in and through Jesus Christ. Students have opportunities for prayer and reflections. Held in the MAA Chapel, Friday’s class is dedicated to the Readings and the Gospel of Sunday’s Liturgy.  This preparation helps them to participate more fully in the Eucharistic celebration.

Language Arts

Building on prior years, the sixth grade students expand their language arts skills through exposure to quality literature, to thinking and writing critically, to increasing their vocabulary development, and to presenting work orally, digitally, or verbally.  Many opportunities for independent work, class discussion, and collaborative experience exist.  Time management skills are cultivated through the utilization of language arts class work and homework assignments’ calendar. 

Mathematics

Students learn, understand, solve, and compute math concepts and problems with the goal of a solid preparation for grade seven.  Exposure to problems posed on entrance exams are emphasized in the first half of the school year and practiced throughout the year. They study mathematical operations with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, as well as number theory, data, graphing, ratios, percent, probability, geometry, algebra, and measurement. Higher-level thinking is developed as the students review and expand their ability to deal with the concepts of numbers and relationships, operations, probability and statistics, fractions and decimals, ration, proportion, and percent, and geometry and measurement.  Using technology to augment the learning allows the students to be ready for the future.

Science

STEM, an interdisciplinary and applied approach in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering, uses hands-on, problem-based learning. Integrating STEM into authentic application has sixth grade students formulating hypotheses, creating experiments, using appropriate tools and technology to present and explain findings with graphs, models, and demonstrations as well as the use of scientific and technological language.  This is done through the study of these four scientific domains: life, physical, earth, and the human body.  During the annual Science Fair, the students present exhibitions based on their inquiry-based learning.   

Social Studies

Understanding and using the Five Themes of Geography, the students travel the world, past and present.   Studying ancient history and cultures, they understand their influence and connections to today’s civilizations.  They refine their map skills while examining the geographic characteristics of various continents as well as understanding better the area’s development.  Text book instruction is heavily complemented by technology, collaborative work, class discussions, and varied projects.