SIXTH GRADE ACTIVITIES
MOST VALUABLE VIKING
A sixth-grade program that recognizes students (quarterly) who consistently demonstrate characteristics of good citizenship. Their respective team of teachers and counselor selects students each marking period.
Teachers look for students who exhibit the following characteristics:
Responsibility
Honesty
Effort
Respect
Citizenship
Empathy
Kindness
Students receive certificates and letters are sent home to parents. A bulletin board display highlights the students.
MORNING MEETINGS
Morning meetings are bi-monthly meetings in which our Character Education curriculum is presented. Sixth-grade morning meetings focus on team building, being positive citizens, getting to know one another, and being an upstander.
CHARACTER EDUCATION DAY
The day before Thanksgiving has become the annual Character Education Day for sixth graders. Students work in groups on team building activities and tasks that require them to work together to reach a common goal.
SEVENTH GRADE ACTIVITIES
Character Education: 7th Grade Viking VIPs
The 7th-grade teams honor students who exemplify character every marking period. Each team of teachers nominates and votes on students based on their dedication to our "Be Statements". The four "Be Statements" are: Be responsible, Be respectful, Be positive, and Be kind. Students who win the VIP award display the courage to do the right thing when no one is watching, serve as role models, treat others with respect and kindness, demonstrate responsibility, and act with integrity. This award recognizes the actions of the true VIPs at William Annin. The seventh-grade teachers are proud of these students and their accomplishments and recognize their efforts at making our community a better place.
Holocaust Remembrance Day
Each year the students learn about a dark time in our world’s history in order to understand the importance of respect, acceptance, tolerance, and preventing social injustices. In Social Studies students are introduced to historical events leading to the World Wars and the rise of Nazi Germany, with the key goal of helping students realize the importance of protecting basic human rights for all humanity. Students will learn about the economic and social factors in Europe and Nazi Germany that created a climate capable of carrying out a genocide. In English, students are involved in a historical fiction literature circle during which they read selections, such as Soldier X and Milkweed, demonstrating different aspects of World War II and the Holocaust. In Language Arts, students read nonfiction texts to learn about multiple perspectives of the Holocaust and read I Never Saw Another Butterfly. Finally, the seventh grade honors those lost and affected by hosting a Holocaust Remembrance Day during which students focus on activities that focus on bullying prevention, acceptance, and advocacy. Holocaust survivor Tova Friedman speaks to the students about her experiences in the ghettos and liberation from Auschwitz. In 2017 our Holocaust Remembrance Day was awarded as a Promising Practice by Character.org.
Field Day
William Annin hosts 7th Grade Field Day, a day designed to encourage camaraderie, teamwork, friendly competition, and fun. Students will participate in outdoor activities such as volleyball, speedball, and relay races, and indoor activities such as Brain Bowl. Students will also participate in team building and character education activities throughout the day in order to build a sense of unity among our seventh-grade teams. Of course, a barbeque lunch and team tee-shirt always add to the spirit of the day!
EIGHTH GRADE ACTIVITIES
Washington, DC
Each year, eighth graders at William Annin are invited on a two-day trip to Washington, DC in the spring. The trip is an extension of many parts of the middle school curriculum and it is also a special culminating experience for the middle school years.
STUDENT STAR AWARD
Each month, the 8th grade team teachers recognize students as a "Student Star." The criteria for this recognition are good moral character, evidence of school contributions, concern for others, a cooperative spirit, respect for school and others, and a demonstrated sense of responsibility. The award is not academically based, but intended to recognize those students who serve as a role model for their peers.
Recipients of the award are recognized in the following ways:
1. The students are invited to a team meeting to receive the award and a letter to their parents. All team teachers are present as well as the guidance counselor and an administrator (when available).
2. The students are asked to create a poster which celebrates who they are and it is displayed on the bulletin board in the middle stairwell for the month they are selected.
3. The students' names are announced via morning or afternoon announcements.
4. The student names appear in the Viking Voice.