Dear Sixth Grade Parents,

Our Quest for knowledge and fun is in full swing! We have some wonderful activities planned between now and Spring Break that I wanted to make you aware of, in order to help you and your children plan ahead. (Students should always bring their lunches unless otherwise noted).

Monday, February 25^th :  We will be visiting the main library uptown where we will see Mama Beehive Honey! Sally Adams will talk to us about bee-keeping and products from the hive such as pollen, honey, and candles. She will also have an observation hive for us to see!

Monday, March 3^rd :  Since the students are studying about nutrition in Health, we are going to visit the Health and Wellness Center at UNCC! The students will learn from nutritionists and dieticians the proper way to nourish their growing bodies for optimum health!

Monday, March 10^th : Get ready football fans…we will be touring Bank of America Stadium, Home of the Carolina Panthers! This is a great window into the world of Sports Marketing as a possible career. We can accommodate 12 extra people on this trip (for only $2.50 per person). If you are interested in joining us, please let me know ASAP! (We can only take 7 extra people on the bus, the rest will have to drive or carpool with one another). Our tour time is scheduled for 11:30AM and will last for about an hour or so. We are planning to go out for a fast food lunch afterwards (if you are not joining us for lunch, please be sure your student has money, however they can always bring their lunch, if they prefer.)

Monday, March 17^th : We will be seeing the play Surviving the Applewhites, performed by the Children’s Theater of Charlotte at Imaginon! This experience will serve to enhance the book that the students have been (or will be) reading in their Language Arts class. We will be going out to lunch after the play; please be sure your child has money for a fast food lunch.

Monday, March 24^th : No school/ Easter Monday holiday

Monday, March 31^st :  We are hoping to visit Loaves & Fishes to perform community service on this day (I am waiting on confirmation) If this opportunity does not work out, we will plan to make our Brown Bags of Hope (more information will come home on this later)!

I also would like to take this opportunity to let you know (on a sad note) that we will not be able to tour Johnson & Wales University this year! They are no longer doing tours for middle school students. When I checked with them a couple of months ago to see if we could perhaps come as a church group, they said that would be okay, however, they were already booked for the year! I am hoping to try and schedule something with them early in the next school year.

Please remember to let me know as soon as possible if you would like to join us for the Bank of America Stadium Tour.

I hope you find this information helpful, and as always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.

Sincerely,

Kristi Pinkston

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature,
 and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52

Providence Christian School students participate in a curriculum that promotes a Biblical world view, promotes a healthy self-image, provides a social learning environment, and emphasizes problem-solving and higher order thinking.  Most adolescents today are focused on materialism and social woes, but as a young adolescent Jesus was “about his father’s business.” Luke 2:49  PCS strives to provide an environment that is safe for young adolescents while at the same time challenging them to be God’s person in this world, to serve others, and to bring glory to their heavenly father in their daily lives.

Middle school students meet for academic classes four days a week, and on the fifth day they participate in Quest.  Quest is an innovative day of mostly off campus activities centered around curriculum enrichment and community service.  For example, when students study cell structure in Science class, they will have a Quest day at a Microbiology laboratory to observe medical technologists in action. When they study fine arts, they will observe a professional dance company or symphony.  Another purpose of Quest is to enable students to see a place for themselves in this world.  Students will volunteer at nursing homes, Samaritan’s Purse, and other community organizations.  Finally, students will visit professionals in the workplace to investigate and participate in career development.

If you would like to learn more about our middle school program and/or a Quest activity, please contact Dr. Fern Dallas at PCS 704-364-0824.  We have spaces available for enrollment.  We look forward to helping young adolescents explore what it means to be about the Father’s business!

Language Arts
Listening	Reading Skills	Reading of Literature	Writing
Oral presentations Note taking Following oral directions Group activities	Making predictions Compare/contrast Fact/opinion Main idea Text structures Symbolism Vocabulary/word study Generalizations Characterization Drawing conclusions Author’s purpose/style Context clues Figurative language Literary elements Locating information	Literary genres Novels (fiction and nonfiction) Short stories Poetry Biographies Drama Folk literature	The writing process Writing as an interdisciplinary process Outlining Letters Journals Narratives Autobiographies Essays: Persuasive writing, Problem-solution, Cause and effect Research Grammar in context
Speaking	Presenting
Public speaking Readers’ theater Group activities	Book reports Power point Products Oral presentations
Suggested Author List (Note: not all works by these authors are acceptable for PCS middle students.)
Jane Yolen Gary Soto Yoshiko Uchida Cynthia Rylant Jerry Spinelli Langston Hughes Isaac Asimov Paul Zindel Martin Luther King, Jr. Jackie Torrence Avi Louis Sachar	William Shakespeare Robert Frost Walter Dean Myers F. Scott Fitzgerald Edgar Alan Poe Patricia McKissack O. Henry Sir Arthur Conan Doyle E.E. Cummings Walt Whitman Davy Crockett Lois Lowry	Zlata Filipovic Mark Twain Gary Paulsen James Herriot Jean George Alice Walker John Steinbeck Daniel Keyes Colin Powell Alfred Lord Tennison Ann Frank Stephen Crane Mary Shelly	Ray Bradbury Laurence Yep Jack London Clark Gesner Helen Keller C. S. Lewis Saki Mary C. Curtis Susan B. Anthony Emily Dickenson Carl Sandburg John Grisham Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

6th	7th  Pre-Algebra	8th Algebra
Number skills Measurement Stats / Probability Geometry Patterns & functions Logic Pre-algebra Calculator skills Computation	Real and rational numbers Integers and exponents Collecting, displaying, and analyzing data Perimeter, area, volumn Percents Ratio & proportion Probability Plane Geometry Equations and inequalities Polynomials Logic and discrete math	Algebraic equations Linear & quadratic equations Equations Inequalities Absolute values Graphing Factoring Rational expression Radicals Problem solving skills
Science
Earth Science	Life Science	Physical Science
Plants Invertebrates Earthquakes & volcanoes Rocks & minerals Soil properties Solar system Space exploration Science investigation Atoms Elements Compounds	Plants Experimental procedures Lab safety Variables Classification Microscope Creation Human body Atmosphere Weather Insects and arthropods	Introduction to physical science Man and the Universe Solid matter Fluids Heat Motion Birds Creation vs. Evolution Magnets and magnetism Electrons and electricity
Social Studies World History Ancient times Rome Egypt Greece Renaissance	Europe and Russia Physical Geography History/Culture Countries Asia and the Pacific Physical Geography History/Culture Countries Latin America Physical Geography History/Culture Countries	American History The Constitution Slavery & Civil War Native Americans Immigration 20th Century Events
Bible Association of Christian Schools International Bible Curriculum taught by church ministers	Spanish Level 1 and 2	Health Social, mental, emotional, and physical health Hygiene Substance abuse
Fine Arts Music History Acoustic Guitar Theater Speech	Physical Education Personal fitness	Computer Curriculum integration Microsoft Word Power Point Excel Web design