A couple of important things went home with your child today:
-strike notice.
The current situation with the job action is that the MRTA is withdrawing services Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
As a result, some parents are wondering about homework for next week on days where job action is scheduled. Mrs. Kollen asked me to pass on to you that the science test will be postponed until after Spring Break, so students need to bring home their duo tangs and textbooks and study over the break.
-Art Cards
All art cards must be returned to the school by next Thursday, as I am grading them as part of their art marks. All orders must be back by Friday. I think the butterflies turned out very well, and that they will copy well.
Mrs. Kollen asked me also to pass on to you that it would be very beneficial during students' time away from school next week and Spring Break if students who have not mastered their times table yet practiced it. Most of the fours are still working on their facts, and speed/accuracy in this area is so helpful down the road in math. For my math, we're doing fractions, so working this into your conversations would be helpful. Also, there are some great apps/websites that help kids practice their facts/fractions.
I have received and marked all but one Nanowrimo story now, and I have to say how impressed I am with the efforts the students have put into them. We're on to the next step starting tomorrow (publishing!) and after Spring Break we will have our authors' celebration. Details to come on that!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
The other blog
Hello again... time for an update.
I want to take some time to encourage you to remind your child to blog regularly. It is usually the only homework I give (aside from perhaps finishing some unfinished math), and I am impressed with the progress the students are making in writing.
We took the month of December off of the Nanowrimo novels, and then in January we went back to them, focusing on our writing lessons on revision and editing. Revision is the hardest part of writing, especially for children, and I am proud of how many took my lessons to heart and really thought about how to make improvements in their stories. This Thursday the "good copy" of the novel is due, and I will be marking it and doing some more editing so that they can publish their story in hard copy.
As we're finishing this up, we are also moving on to speech writing. I am doing this a bit early, as the district speeches will not be until early May, but I prefer that they have extra time to practice their speeches than to feel rushed. Because we only have writing a couple of times a week, they will need to work hard to finish their speeches before Spring Break.
In Socials, we have moved on to studying New France. We may do a small project with this unit, but nothing that will require the time and focus the Aboriginal project did. I do need to say how pleased I was by how well the groups worked together--group work was a new thing for many of them, and they flourished.
I hope your children told you about the Maple Man presentation we had on Thursday. What a great presentation! The students learned about the Quebec maple syrup cottage industry, got to play wooden spoons, and ate wonderful maple syrup taffy. Thanks to Ms. Ramsay for organizing this speaker to come present to the intermediate classes.
I want to take some time to encourage you to remind your child to blog regularly. It is usually the only homework I give (aside from perhaps finishing some unfinished math), and I am impressed with the progress the students are making in writing.
We took the month of December off of the Nanowrimo novels, and then in January we went back to them, focusing on our writing lessons on revision and editing. Revision is the hardest part of writing, especially for children, and I am proud of how many took my lessons to heart and really thought about how to make improvements in their stories. This Thursday the "good copy" of the novel is due, and I will be marking it and doing some more editing so that they can publish their story in hard copy.
As we're finishing this up, we are also moving on to speech writing. I am doing this a bit early, as the district speeches will not be until early May, but I prefer that they have extra time to practice their speeches than to feel rushed. Because we only have writing a couple of times a week, they will need to work hard to finish their speeches before Spring Break.
In Socials, we have moved on to studying New France. We may do a small project with this unit, but nothing that will require the time and focus the Aboriginal project did. I do need to say how pleased I was by how well the groups worked together--group work was a new thing for many of them, and they flourished.
I hope your children told you about the Maple Man presentation we had on Thursday. What a great presentation! The students learned about the Quebec maple syrup cottage industry, got to play wooden spoons, and ate wonderful maple syrup taffy. Thanks to Ms. Ramsay for organizing this speaker to come present to the intermediate classes.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Socials Studies Projects
Students presented their socials projects last week, and I wanted to share some highlights:
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Busy week next week
Hi Parents/Guardians,
We have a busy week in Div. 7 next week, and while the students are keeping track in their planners, I wanted to ensure that you had all the due dates handy so you can plan accordingly.
On Monday the students are having a music test on the notes and their values. This is not anything new, but work they've been doing for months but which some are still struggling a bit with. Hopefully this extra practice will help them in reading music.
On Tuesday the students are having a unit test in subtraction.
On Wednesday there will be a small quiz in science on the parts of the skeleton, and the students will have class time to review for it next week.
Grade fives have DARE again next Thursday, and they need to bring their permission forms back then.
Students need to be ready to COMPLETE their group projects in Socials next THursday so please make sure they remember to bring anything from home they need (print-outs, drawings, models, puppet show theatres, etc.) They will present them on Friday.
Oh, one more thing... we are having art tomorrow and many students do not have Sharpies at school. If your child would like, I have some I picked up at Costco. .75 will cover the cost!
We have a busy week in Div. 7 next week, and while the students are keeping track in their planners, I wanted to ensure that you had all the due dates handy so you can plan accordingly.
On Monday the students are having a music test on the notes and their values. This is not anything new, but work they've been doing for months but which some are still struggling a bit with. Hopefully this extra practice will help them in reading music.
On Tuesday the students are having a unit test in subtraction.
On Wednesday there will be a small quiz in science on the parts of the skeleton, and the students will have class time to review for it next week.
Grade fives have DARE again next Thursday, and they need to bring their permission forms back then.
Students need to be ready to COMPLETE their group projects in Socials next THursday so please make sure they remember to bring anything from home they need (print-outs, drawings, models, puppet show theatres, etc.) They will present them on Friday.
Oh, one more thing... we are having art tomorrow and many students do not have Sharpies at school. If your child would like, I have some I picked up at Costco. .75 will cover the cost!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
This and that...
Tomorrow the grade five students will begin the DARE program, which is being taught by an RCMP constable. The grade four students will work on other Health and Career activities during this time with me.
On Friday the grade four students will be having a quiz on time. They did their review today, so in order to have time to review their answers tomorrow, I moved the quiz back a day. They need to know how to read an analog clock, the difference between am and pm, how to tell time on a 24-hour clock and how to solve some word problems involving time.
The written portion for Social Studies is due tomorrow. This is based on the notes the students completed before Christmas. It is not a huge amount of writing, and students have had several blocks of time to work on this and the visual part of the project. The visual part and the written part must be ready in combination next week (so, if it's a poster, that is due. If it's a puppet show, students must be ready to present next Thursday). The class will have at least one more block of time to work on this, and then groups need to look at coordinating outside of class. Please contact me if this is a concern.
My apologies on the quick turn-around for the spelling bee. I received the information on Friday, and we need to have names in to the school for this Friday, but some students will be away on the ski trip, so we are having our class bee tomorrow. I hope that I have emphasized to the students that this is not meant to be a stressful experience, but that they should review their words tonight so they'll feel ready tomorrow.
On Friday the grade four students will be having a quiz on time. They did their review today, so in order to have time to review their answers tomorrow, I moved the quiz back a day. They need to know how to read an analog clock, the difference between am and pm, how to tell time on a 24-hour clock and how to solve some word problems involving time.
The written portion for Social Studies is due tomorrow. This is based on the notes the students completed before Christmas. It is not a huge amount of writing, and students have had several blocks of time to work on this and the visual part of the project. The visual part and the written part must be ready in combination next week (so, if it's a poster, that is due. If it's a puppet show, students must be ready to present next Thursday). The class will have at least one more block of time to work on this, and then groups need to look at coordinating outside of class. Please contact me if this is a concern.
My apologies on the quick turn-around for the spelling bee. I received the information on Friday, and we need to have names in to the school for this Friday, but some students will be away on the ski trip, so we are having our class bee tomorrow. I hope that I have emphasized to the students that this is not meant to be a stressful experience, but that they should review their words tonight so they'll feel ready tomorrow.