6th+Grade+Full+Version

6th Girls Prepped ** Girls Prepped: Sixth Grade--Explorer/Citizen  ** || “What Should I Know About Myself, About Others, and About the World around Me?” ** The SHAPE Program in Physical Education **. Along with traditional physical education activities, the SHAPE program begins the process of educating our youngest members of GPS about **personal hygiene** and **care**. Going beyond the basics, the teachers have the opportunity to discuss the relationship between good health and a good personal **body image**. Cooperative games offer opportunities for **communication and problem solving** with peers. Interactive behavior in activities provides avenues through which **character education traits** are addressed and developed. By definition of the discipline, the girls also learn the **ethics of team and individual performance**, focusing on sportsmanship. ** Curriculum Choices in English and Global Studies **. The humanities provide the perfect arena for beginning discussions about **relationships**. Careful selection of novels and non-fiction along with the relaxed atmosphere of our classes allow for easy **exchanges of ideas**. At this early level, we begin talk of the **choices** we make, using the literature and history as springboards. We focus on effective **communication techniques** and broach carefully the issues of bullying and other inappropriate methods of discourse. In **Global Studies** class, the girls learn about **other regions of the world** and begin to see themselves as a part of something bigger. During the fourth quarter, the 6th grade holds an **interdisciplinary** **Global Culture Fair**. In preparation, the girls choose and research a country and then display various cultural aspects of their region. ** Science **. In science class our 6th graders begin to learn **team work**, adding another dimension to the area of **personal responsibility**. Now the results of their efforts are shared among other members of the group so that “dropping the ball” no longer penalizes just the individual but the other members as well. During Science in the 6th and 7th grades and Science and Changes and Choices in the 8th grade, the girls are involved in our **Sex, Drugs, Alcohol, and Character Education Program**. Parent education through letters, group meetings, and recommended readings occurs before these classes begin. Curriculum topics include the following:    The study of the human body and the reproductive system    Hormones in adolescent development    The menstrual cycle    Male and female anatomical structures    Fertilization/fetal development ** Fine Arts. ** The girls in the middle school are exposed to the diversity of our Fine Arts program and are able to take art, dance, music, orchestra and drama. From these classes our girls gain performance savvy: they learn **to create**; they **perform individually** and **within a group**; they gain **public speaking** knowledge; and they understand the value of **practice and repetition**. The Fine Arts also work with the other disciplines. ** Learning Center/Skills Class **. Taken by all 6th graders, this class teaches, among other areas, **effective organizational skills** including **goal setting**, **time management**, and **personal responsibility**. || ** Middle School Assembly. ** This break in the day provides another opportunity for communication. The assembly is opened with the **Pledge of Allegiance** and a **“motivational moment,”** a time of **sharing**, **caring,** and **coming together**. ** The Advisory System. ** Every teacher in grades 6 – 12 has a group of advisees for whom he or she is responsible. These groups meet weekly in the middle school to provide opportunities for informal conversation. Topics already explored in the classroom find themselves revisited during advisories. Because the group is small and the time less structured, the advisory session is perfect for reinforcing character issues, including the honor code and the pillars of our school. Also, during advisory time, the girls and their teachers explore and read together from **Junior Scholastic** magazine, beginning the process of **looking outward**, of seeing **how other children live in other parts of the world**. During this time, the school **recycles** together, every advisory group being responsible for at least one area of the school. Along with the ACT of recycling are discussions on being **good stewards of the environment.** ** The Extracurricular Program **. Every Friday is club day. Both **individual and team opportunities** are available, providing practice in **personal responsibility**, **group interaction**, and all the **skills** introduced in the Learning Center. An outgrowth of these organizations is the Going Green club, a group of middle schoolers who educate their classmates by introducing chapel with brief but informative Power Point presentations on being environmentally responsible. There is also a **Character Club,** whose goals are to assist 6th graders in their beginning **transitions to middle school** and to discuss **positive choices** and habits **to develop relationships and self-esteem**. ** Lunch and Learn Time. ** New to the 6th grade and identified as a **Girls Prepped initiative**, this program is offered during the third quarter. Topics include age-appropriate **human development skills** such as identifying gender roles, **communication skills**, **self**-**awareness**, successful **friendships**, **conflict resolution** skills, and **self-responsibility**. ** Retreats and Field Trips **. Because the 6th grade year is one of transition, GPS offers retreats at the beginning and end of the school year and various field trips throughout the year. The retreat is intended to begin the process of unifying the class. The field trips begin the process of introducing the girls to experiences outside of their comfort zones. The 6th grade team investigates and plans activities and field trips that link to the curriculum and mission. ** Winterim. ** Offered to grades 6 – 12, Winterim is a 2 to 5 day break in February during which our students participate in local and travel programs ranging from cooking to touring the nation’s capital. Within each activity are opportunities for **leadership** and **responsibility**. Travel programs require learning to operate within a group and to follow and respect rules and guidelines. ** Robin Hood. ** Another all-school event, Robin Hood is a week-long fund raiser, designed and implemented by the girls. Last year $60,000 was raised to build a girls’ school in Afghanistan through the Central Asia Institute. ||   One Special Period per month is designated “Girls Prepped” time and will be scheduled a quarter in advance. In conjunction with the Middle School guidance counselor, the advisors will conduct the first Girls Prepped session which will deal with the transition from elementary to middle school. Also included at this level is the already mentioned Lunch and Learn Time. See the list on page one for other topics. ||
 * In the Classroom **
 * Outside the Classroom **
 * Outside the Classroom **
 * “Girls Prepped” Time **
 * “Girls Prepped” Time **