Quist Middle School

Our mission at Rodger Quist Middle School is to Develop the Hearts and Minds of our students and that starts in 6th grade! 

Quist staff are committed to ensuring students begin this year with supportive coaching on our values, expectations, and norms.  To help students develop their hearts, all Royals begin each morning in a Pathways class with one of their core teachers where they participate in a social/emotional learning “Life Skills” curriculum. [Due to COVID-19, students attending in-person will remain in their Pathways classroom cohort all day, except during lunch/recess, while their core teachers rotate in and out].   

6th graders also receive advice and connection throughout the year from our 7th and 8th grade WEB leaders, a team of dedicated, teacher-selected students that use their leadership skills to assist 6th graders with the transition to middle school.  One of the biggest heart and mind-building experiences 6th grade students have is the privilege to attend outdoor education, a trip we usually take for 3 days and 2 nights to build character, develop relationships with staff and peers, and learn in our Rocky Mountains! [Outdoor Ed is TBD for the 2020-2021 school year due to COVID-19.] 

To further develop the mind, students have each of their four core content classes (English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies) in the C neighborhood [either upstairs or downstairs] where their locker is also conveniently located [Due to COVID-19, no students have access to lockers beginning the 2020-21 school year. Also due to COVID-19, all Quist students will be taking social studies and science every other quarter in longer block periods. This means your child, regardless of in-person or remote status, will begin 1st quarter with either social studies OR science, not both, and alternate for the 2nd quarter].

Our 6th grade curriculum is aligned with state and national standards that includes the following general topics:  

• In ELA, students will participate in reading and writing instruction to become effective communicators, read and listen for understanding, write and speak for a range of purposes and audiences, and to understand and be understood by others. 6th grade writers are challenged to broaden and deepen their writing skills through study and creation of informational, narrative, argumentative, compare/contrast, and poetic writing. Finding and using relevant evidence in writing is key at the 6th grade level as well. Students can expect to dive into pieces of text to teach them to identify their central idea/theme and author’s point of view as well as analyze the craft/structure of writing. In grammar instruction, we focus on strategies to understand the meaning of words and figurative language as well as using proper conventions of standard English grammar/usage.
• In math, with the Common Core Standards, the emphasis is on mathematical thinking and reasoning, in addition to correct answers.  Being able to explain HOW a student got an answer and WHY it works is more important than correct answers without understanding.  In addition, there are eight Mathematical Practice Standards that will guide students’ learning through the following topics: understanding fractions and ratios, measuring perimeter, area and volume, probability and number sense with positive and negative numbers (integers).  
• In science, our units traditionally focus on the following topics: matter and its states, measuring matter, water on Earth, renewable and non-renewable resources, ecosystems and populations, and why Earth looks the way it does. Please be aware that as Colorado shifts to the Next Generation Science Standards these topics may change. The course information guide that comes home in the fall from your child’s teacher will have the most up to date information.  
• In social studies, students are exposed to a variety of topics including geography/map skills, economics, earliest humans & ancient civilizations, the age of exploration, current events, and types of government/civics. The overarching goal of social studies in 6th grade is to help students grasp how where you live influences how you live. Students are taught how to analyze and discern primary and secondary sources through DBQs [Document-Based Questions] and think like historians. 
• Students also have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of exploratory classes, including physical education, band, choir, Spanish, art, coding, drama, health, leadership, multimedia, and STEAM. [Beginning the 2020-2021 school year, all Quist students will be taking exploratory classes remotely due to COVID-19].

We know the transition to middle school can be a scary and stressful time for both students and parents, especially during a pandemic!  Your Rodger Quist 6th Grade Team hopes to make it as positive and stress-free as possible.  As a parent, you can best support your 6th grader by ensuring they have their own individual supplies they need for class (check the supply list in August and restock in January!), encouraging a growth mindset, staying on top of communication (Google Classroom, Infinite Campus, email/phone calls), and reaching out to your child’s teachers via e-mail or Google Voice # (below) if either of you needs anything.  6th grade is the year our ROYALS lay the foundation for their success in middle school, and beyond.

We are so excited to begin the journey with you!