Sixth grade
Competent and eager to join the Middle School
The mystery of ancient cultures lures students into a study of human cultures from the Neolithic to the Roman Empire. They work in clay, make paper, and simulate cave drawing. Learning is spirited, hands on, and action based from science experiments to debate team. Education takes a leap into the community at large with performances around the Long Beach area, competitive debates, and exploration of energy production with local engineers and other experts. Literature, while world class and varied, takes on a particularly personal slant as these pre-teens begin to discover their place in the world along with their own unique identities. Many students participate in competitive sports outside of school in addition to discovering their talents in campus sports and fitness programs. Continuing the curriculum of the arts in performance, appreciation, and production, they take a larger role in planning as they refine their skills in reading music and learning about master artists and their techniques and art media. Students are free to progress at an accelerated pace in math as they demonstrate proficiency that bridges into skill application from the foundation levels of arithmetic. Specialists, a rigorous curriculum, and multiple instructors require time, energy, and materials management—all addressed in a comprehensive preparation for middle school success.