Grade 6
Sixth grade is an important milestone in your child’s life. Your child is transitioning from an elementary scholar to a middle school scholar. This guide provides an overview of the academic standards and social-emotional milestones that your child will experience this year. Academic standards are important because they help ensure that all scholars are prepared for success. Your child understands more complex ideas. This guide is meant to support you in understanding what your child is learning, and provide ways you can speak with your child’s teacher about their progress and growth over the year. |
A Guide to Your Scholar's Success
SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL - Sixth Grade Milestones
- Often behave best when away from home
- Love challenge of competition; prefer team sports and getting better at playing as a team
- Need adult empathy, humor, and sensitivity to help them cope with changing minds and bodies
- Moody, self-absorbed, and sensitive
- Like to challenge rules, argue, and test limits; may be cruel; sometimes physically aggressive
- Desire to test limits and rules is important developmental milestone
- Worry more about who’s “in” and who’s “out” than when they were younger
- Need lots of time to talk with peers; heavy use of cell phone and social media
- Impulsive—often talk before thinking
- Have trouble making decisions
- “Saving face” is important; not necessary for adults to “win” arguments—giving children private, physical space to think things over helps resolve problems peacefully
QUESTION & ANSWER
Q: Who do I contact if I have a concern about my child?
Q: How do I stay informed about my child's progress in every class they take?
OUR COMMITMENT TO SCHOLARS AND FAMILIES
All scholars learn best when they experience physical and emotional safety in classrooms and schools. Scholars and families should expect to see the following adult actions:
- Provide a welcoming environment to support building trusting, encouraging relationships with all families.
- Prioritize scholar voice and participation in shaping the learning and classroom culture.
- Teach for understanding to assure scholars have high expectations and academic supports to grow intellectually.
- Focus on scholar cooperation to encourage scholars to learn from and help others.
- Implement school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports so that all scholars and adults live out their shared beliefs and actions that make school a safe and fun place to learn.
- Teach social and emotional learning skills and strategies during morning meetings and reinforce SEL skills throughout the school day.
Getting Ready for College & Career
The ABC's for College & Career Readiness
Attendance
Scholars who maintain good attendance through all years of school:
- Achieve grade level standard at a higher rate
- Graduate from high school at a higher rate
- Develop good habits that contribute to success in school and in future careers
- For each day a scholar is absent it takes an average of three days to catch up.
Behavior & Social Emotional Learning
The purpose behind Culturally-Responsive Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (CR-PBIS) is to make schools more effective, efficient, and equitable learning environments for all scholars. By teaching scholars expectations and acknowledging positive behavior, adults increase the predictability, consistency, positive climate, and safety of all at school. Social emotional learning lessons are taught and embedded throughout the school year. To learn more about CR-PBIS and social emotional learning at your school, contact your scholar's teacher or principal.
Course Performance
- Grades K–2: Learning how to read
- Grade 3: Reading on grade level
- Grade 6–7: Passing ELA and math courses
- Grades 8–9: Passing Algebra 1
- Grade 9: Passing grade 9 courses earning 6 credits
- Grades 10–12: Passing an advanced course (AP, IB, CAMBRIDGE)
High School & Beyond Plan
Scholars should begin mapping out their High School & Beyond Plans and find out about what courses to take that will lead to specific post-secondary education, training and college plans. Grade level specific High School & Beyond Checklists can be found at www.fwps.org/CCR. Scholars can also use their www.MaiaLearning.com account to plan and discover more using interest surveys, academic planning tools and scholarships, and college and career searches. Go to MaiaLearning.com, select “Sign In with Google” and use your P12 Gmail account and password.
College Bound Scholarship
The College Bound Scholarship is an early commitment of state financial aid to eligible students who enroll in middle school and meet the pledge requirements. The College Bound Scholarship covers average tuition at public college rates, some fees, and a small book allowance at over 65 colleges, universities, and technical schools in Washington.