Spirit Week was full of fun and excitement, and the 6th grade teaching team took it to a whole new level with a day of fun on Homecoming T-Shirt Day. In fact, having fun was the first goal of the day. The other two were to focus on teamwork and collaboration and to take time for personal and advisory reflection.
The day included watching movie clips about what makes good collaboration and teamwork, and then discussing how to work better with others. They talked about ideas such as “I want to listen better in group discussion and not shout out” and “I want to speak up in larger groups because I am usually quiet.”
A scavenger hunt sent our intrepid 6th graders all over campus to compete in challenges. They used LEGO bricks to build an entree and two sides, completed a series of math problems, solved riddles and word scrambles, assembled puzzles, wrote and sang jingles, answered trivia questions, and, blindfolded, drew a variety of objects. Laughter and creativity were in abundance. After, they gathered to talk about which activities were most challenging and why, where they found success, and strategies and tips they can share with others.
For the STEM challenge, students paired up to build a 12-inch tall structure that could hold five pounds using cardboard and other makerspace materials. The catch? Each pair was separated and could communicate only via Zoom (one partner was in the maker space and one was in a science classroom, and they changed places every eight minutes).
The weather was a willing participant in the outdoor games segment, and students had a blast under the trees in front of Danforth Hall. They played survivor sea, centipede cross, ball toss, and blindfold minefield, where they verbally led partners through a minefield obstacle course.
What a great day of bonding, collaboration, and fun for our 6th graders!