The JW (Johnson and Wendt) 6th Grade Gibush (Advisory) is off to a great start this school year! Not only are we getting to know each other in Gibush through our greetings, shares, and activities every morning, but we are also having lots of fun getting to know each other in the classes that we teach: Reading/Writing with Ms. Wendt and PE with Ms. Johnson. 

In Writing Workshop, the sixth graders are working hard on writing personal narratives about small moments that matter to them. We have spent time generating ideas by thinking about places and people who matter to us as well as small moments in our lives when we learned a lesson about ourselves, other people, or life. This week, the sixth graders chose one small moment story from their list of generated ideas that they want to work on drafting and revising. This will be a personal narrative that they take through the writing process over the next few weeks. They have been very eager to tell their powerful, true stories, and they love having time at the end of class to share their daily writing with their peers!

The sixth-grade physical education curriculum began the year with a focus on fostering teamwork skills, laying a solid foundation for a collaborative school year. Within this unit, students engage in efforts to accomplish tasks and aim for victory as a cohesive team. 

One notable activity is "Moon Ball," where each team is equipped with a beach ball and must cooperate to transport it to the opposite end of the gym or field. Different rounds of the game present distinct challenges; initially, teams cannot hit the ball twice, followed by a round where every team member must hit it before a repeat hit is allowed, and ending in a round where only nonverbal communication is permitted. The students exhibited creativity by devising effective strategies, highlighting the essence of teamwork—an essential aspect applicable to nearly every lesson in sixth grade!