6th Grade

Sixth grade students at Hope Partnership School focus on building a caring community. Students are expected to take responsibility for their own actions. Ms. Dyson teaches them to become lifelong learners who understand that education is the key to their future.

Ms. Dyson has been in the education field since 1993. She has worn many hats: a teacher, administrator, city wide program coordinator, and back into the classroom again. Her specialties and areas of focus are math and science. She integrates the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum into her lessons with traditional math skills. Her science curriculum includes Physical Science, Earth Science, and the Space Sciences.

Interesting projects for her students include researching African American inventors and hiking at the Morris Arboretum. Students learn by building models, watching informational videos, and engaging in classroom discussions. Using incentives like the ‘treasure chest’, 6th graders are rewarded for completing their assignments, achieving perfect attendance, and following Hope’s Core Values.

This is a pivotal year for students to gain learning independence. They are encouraged to become more inquisitive and self-sufficient in their studies to prepare for the more rigorous curriculum of 7th grade. Every student works to improve productivity and knowledge of basic skills building a strong foundation for future learning. Ms. Dyson reflects on her students' individuality and learns from their trial and errors.