By Tyler Betlow ’24, Julia Polen ’24, Anirudh Chakravarthy ’24, Lily Sternlieb ’24

Tyler Betlow

This year during sixth grade, I have had many fun experiences. One of those experiences was our field trip to Sandy Hook. It was our first field trip as a grade, and we were all excited. When at Sandy hook, we went seining. Seining is a type of fishing that involves a big net with weights on the bottom and floats on the top. 4 people maneuver the net on the bottom of the bay floor, and you catch tons of little shrimp, seaweed, and fish! It is so much fun. After that, we went to have lunch and we learned about shells. Our guide showed us her shell collection and it had lots of different shells with different colors.

Another more recent experience in sixth grade is the math movie. We each choose a television show or cartoon. My group is doing Jurassic Park. So far, we have filmed 3 scenes and are having so much fun. My favorite part is all of the bloopers we will have for an extra video. Each scene takes like ten times to film, and only one of the takes will actually be in the movie, and in the end we will have an actual movie. Then on the last day of math class, we all watch each others movies and have a great time.

Julia Polen

Another one of the fun times in 6th grade is the pond study. In the pond study you got into a boat and rowed around until you were in the middle our close to the middle. After that you do you test there are about 10 tests ranging from Ph to fish inventory.In the PH test you got a bottle a test tube and a cap you first scooped up water to the line on the bottle. Next you added 5 drops then shake it slowly after that you should get a color. Then compare it to the PH chart then record your results. I had so much fun with this because I got to hang out with my friends and we had to try not to run into bushes and trees. What our studies showed in the pond studies was that the pond was healthy.  

Ani

Sixth grade is like a crash course for what happens at NA. This is the year to mess up, to make the mistakes. Because from here on, it gets tough. Me myself, it’s been different. My stress level went from low to sky high. But through all of the stress and projects, I still had some great experiences.

#1 The Math Song

Since I’m in Algebra 1 Honors with only one other sixth grader in my class, only one sixth grader knows what I’m talking about. The math song is where we had to teach an entire subject in one song. Sebastian and I chose a Coldplay song because the lyrics are easy to make up off that beat. We also made a poster about “Systems of Equations” or “Seasons of Equations” which is what our poster was themed. It was fun, and I also learned something: I’m trash at singing.

#2 Proyecto Precolombino

I’m not sure about the future of this project because Señor Gomez is leaving, but he made it one of my favorite projects of sixth grade. I did a project on the city of Tulum. It was lots of fun to learn about other civilizations that people researched. Senor made this project really fun, making this my favorite project.

#3 Social Science Fair

This project was about a famous person who had an effect on society. I made mine about Malcolm X, a leader in African-American rights that not many people see due to the large shadow of Martin Luther King Jr. I made my poster, and even though it took me a while to do it, it was worth the work. My project, and others, were shown at the Fair, and parents came. This experience was very memorable.

Lily Sternlieb

At the end of 5th grade I constantly created hypotheticals about what my experience in 6th grade would be. I had heard from my brother that middle school changed who you were completely and that he didn’t recognize himself after his 6th grade year was over. I didn’t want to evolve, I wanted to stay the same because the person who I was felt comfortable and safe. I had no desire to become a spin off of Mean Girls, with meaningless drama and stupid vendettas. So, when I began 6th grade there was a subtle undercurrent of fear, that I would transform into a moody overly sensitive 12 year old. But I didn’t, well I don’t think I did. At Newark Academy I discovered emotions and stories from myself and other people I had no idea were conceivable a year ago. I think that when you’re on the brink of advancement you see everything you encountered in the past as small or trivial and that the next part of your life defines who you are. Yet I am still the same person, I accomplished a lot academically and emotionally, however, the core foundation never disappears.