Don't blink, because if you do, you might miss the last two months of school which are going to whizz by. Here is a list of upcoming important dates:
May 14- Pizza
May 16- Jump Rope for Heart
May 19- No School-Victoria Day
May 20- Leave for MacSkimming
May 21- Back from MacSkimming (6:00pm)
May 23- Garden Sale
May 28- Pizza
June 2 to June 6- EQAO
June 13- School of Rock
June 16- Chalk Festival
June 19- Alternative Sports Day at Summit
June 23- Leaving Ceremony and Picnic in the Park
June 24- Visit new classrooms
June 25- Last day for students
Whew...just typing it all makes me tired. On top of all of this, we will also be doing school work and covering curriculum! Right now, we are wrapping up our unit on fractions, decimals, percents, and ratios. We will be looking at probability next. In Social Studies, we are doing an in-house research project and presenting them by building website using Dreamweaver. In LA, we are hoping to complete two big writing projects before the end of the year and we are working on "accountable talk". This is teaching the students about how to actively participate in discussions. We are also working on a major art project with the help of Michelle (Paisley's mom). It involves print making and the results will blow you away.
I also heard back from Trevor Finlay, our resident Blues in Schools artist. He will be available to perform with our class at Bluesfest. The is scheduled for July 13th at 12:15pm.
The overnight is next week! The kids need to be prepared upon returning from the long weekend. Stephanie (our class coordinator) is making calls for food donations. These should be packaged separately from the students' luggage and dropped off in the foyer on Tuesday morning. If possible, please limit the students' luggage to two bundles: one bag for their clothing and one bag for their sleeping bags. Labelling their belongings is always a great idea. All parents are welcome to come by. Even if you cannot stay for the night, you are welcome to drop in on us. Please note that we will not be back until 6:00pm on Wednesday. You will have to make arrangements for pick up at this time. If you have any other questions regarding the overnight, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thanks!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Links
It's been a while since I've posted anything...
Here are some interesting links.
This is a search engine. It actually uses Yahoo to search but for every 1000 searches, they will grow 2 trees.
http://www.ecocho.com/
This website has a vocabulary quiz that will donate 20 grains of rice for every correct answer.
www.freerice.com
This is the website for Alain's guitar shop. Alain was was of our in house artists for Blues in the Schools.
www.adlibb.com
This is Trevor's site. Trevor was our other artist for Blues in the Schools.
http://www.trevorfinlay.com/
Here are some interesting links.
This is a search engine. It actually uses Yahoo to search but for every 1000 searches, they will grow 2 trees.
http://www.ecocho.com/
This website has a vocabulary quiz that will donate 20 grains of rice for every correct answer.
www.freerice.com
This is the website for Alain's guitar shop. Alain was was of our in house artists for Blues in the Schools.
www.adlibb.com
This is Trevor's site. Trevor was our other artist for Blues in the Schools.
http://www.trevorfinlay.com/
Monday, March 17, 2008
March Madness
March is here and it will be over before you know it. We only have 7 more teaching days left in March! Here are some things to know...
The play is set. We will be doing a daytime and nighttime performance on Wednesday, April 2. Seating will be limited. Please encourage your actors to practice projecting their lines at home. We are also looking for any appropriate 60s and 90s costumes. For the 60s, I'm looking for your old hippie garb. Think leather vests with fringe, bandanas and floral scarves, bell bottoms, peace patches and the like. For the 90s, I'm looking for any appropriate concert t-shirts from the decade, plaid shirts, baby doll dress, and doc martens.
I handed our a science project outline today. They should have it in their agendas. There will not be a regular homework book/reading response for the next two weeks. For homework tonight, I have asked them to read the outline and to write out the steps that they will have to follow in order to complete the project. We will discuss these steps and time management tomorrow.
I am renewing our use of agendas. I've asked everyone to make a concerted effort to have them here tomorrow. Some are worried that they have lost them. I've asked them to take another look or to see if they have something else at home that could work. Otherwise, I will replace it with a notebook tomorrow. Please remember that they should be writing down their 20 mintues of reading and getting it signed by one of you.
Thanks!
The play is set. We will be doing a daytime and nighttime performance on Wednesday, April 2. Seating will be limited. Please encourage your actors to practice projecting their lines at home. We are also looking for any appropriate 60s and 90s costumes. For the 60s, I'm looking for your old hippie garb. Think leather vests with fringe, bandanas and floral scarves, bell bottoms, peace patches and the like. For the 90s, I'm looking for any appropriate concert t-shirts from the decade, plaid shirts, baby doll dress, and doc martens.
I handed our a science project outline today. They should have it in their agendas. There will not be a regular homework book/reading response for the next two weeks. For homework tonight, I have asked them to read the outline and to write out the steps that they will have to follow in order to complete the project. We will discuss these steps and time management tomorrow.
I am renewing our use of agendas. I've asked everyone to make a concerted effort to have them here tomorrow. Some are worried that they have lost them. I've asked them to take another look or to see if they have something else at home that could work. Otherwise, I will replace it with a notebook tomorrow. Please remember that they should be writing down their 20 mintues of reading and getting it signed by one of you.
Thanks!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Pen Pals
A few weeks ago, the staff from Lady Evelyn Alternative came over here for a collaborative meeting. We met in our grade groups to share ideas. One of those ideas was to connect and do pen pals. The kids in our class received letters yesterday from the students in Mr. Huniu's class. They were really excited. Today, we started our letters back. It is our goal to keep this up and hopefully meet at some point before the school year ends.
There is a regular homework duotang and reading response this week.
This week's snack schedule is as follows: Darius, Declan, Emily, Eric, and Hailey.
We are going skating this Friday to Dulude.
We continue to read and enjoy the Giver.
There is a regular homework duotang and reading response this week.
This week's snack schedule is as follows: Darius, Declan, Emily, Eric, and Hailey.
We are going skating this Friday to Dulude.
We continue to read and enjoy the Giver.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Fibonacci
If you are looking for some extra stuff to research at home...
We took a brief look at Fibonacci this morning. I would like to discuss it again but I don't want to go in to too much detail. If you have some math experts, have them do a search on Fibonacci and what his pattern has to do with nature. It's pretty neat stuff. I would love to have some experts in the class when we talk about it next.
I hope some of you were able to check out the eclipse last night. In class, we talked about it and the rogue satellite by looking at an article from yesterday's Citizen while practicing the reading strategy of "asking questions".
In math today, we also looked at interpretation of data. Using some scoring sheets from the "School of Rock's" song preference vote, we are working on averaging scores. Ray's class and a third group interpreted the data differently. When everyone has finished, we are going to compare results and see if different interpretations yield the same results.
The students are also beginning to read music. They did an excellent job at clapping out rhythms today.
We took a brief look at Fibonacci this morning. I would like to discuss it again but I don't want to go in to too much detail. If you have some math experts, have them do a search on Fibonacci and what his pattern has to do with nature. It's pretty neat stuff. I would love to have some experts in the class when we talk about it next.
I hope some of you were able to check out the eclipse last night. In class, we talked about it and the rogue satellite by looking at an article from yesterday's Citizen while practicing the reading strategy of "asking questions".
In math today, we also looked at interpretation of data. Using some scoring sheets from the "School of Rock's" song preference vote, we are working on averaging scores. Ray's class and a third group interpreted the data differently. When everyone has finished, we are going to compare results and see if different interpretations yield the same results.
The students are also beginning to read music. They did an excellent job at clapping out rhythms today.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Back in Business
Whoa...it's good to be back. I hate being sick and boy, was I sick. I'm back now and rearin' to go. Here are some updates for you.
We have postponed the play. We just weren't ready. Instead of setting a new date, we've decided to keep working and when we feel ready, we will pick a date. It's the more humane way to move forward we think. We are moving ahead though. Thanks to Colleen who has been working with our "Writing Experts".
In class we've been reading "The Giver" as our read-a-loud. The kids LOVE it. Ask them about "Sameness" and if they'd like to live in the "Community".
We've moved on to some new units in class as well. In math, we are looking at patterning. The unit is mostly about input and output of numbers into a "function machine". They need to create patterns, extend patterns, and decipher patterns. They will also be doing problem solving with patterns and graphing their patterns.
In Science, we are looking at the Human Body in grade 5 and Diversity of Living Things in grade 6. This unit ends off with an exciting culminating activity called the New Life Convention. More news to come on this.
In Language, we've been looking at some more strategies that good readers use and ones that good writers use. For reading, we looked at asking questions. We talked about asking questions about how you are reading, what you are reading, and questions to deepen your understanding or to learn more about what you are reading. In writing, we've been looking at sentence fluency: writing sentences that are rhythmic and that sound good. The kids wrote some really great poems about their neighbourhoods. So good in fact that we are going to show off to each other. We've planned our very own Coffee House. On Thursday, the kids will read their poems out loud while the rest of us listen while sipping our hot chocolate. Instead of clapping, we'll probably snap to show you how cool and fluent your poem is. In class, we talked about the following criteria for oral presentations:
tone (the mood of your poem)
pace (not too fast, not too slow)
volume (can you be heard)
pitch (robotic)
gestures (body movements can distract but they can also help)
eye contact
That's all I can think of now. If there's more, I'll let you know!
ps Because of the short week, there is only a reading response for homework. I've also asked the kids to practice saying their poems at home. They were asked to bring them home today.
We have postponed the play. We just weren't ready. Instead of setting a new date, we've decided to keep working and when we feel ready, we will pick a date. It's the more humane way to move forward we think. We are moving ahead though. Thanks to Colleen who has been working with our "Writing Experts".
In class we've been reading "The Giver" as our read-a-loud. The kids LOVE it. Ask them about "Sameness" and if they'd like to live in the "Community".
We've moved on to some new units in class as well. In math, we are looking at patterning. The unit is mostly about input and output of numbers into a "function machine". They need to create patterns, extend patterns, and decipher patterns. They will also be doing problem solving with patterns and graphing their patterns.
In Science, we are looking at the Human Body in grade 5 and Diversity of Living Things in grade 6. This unit ends off with an exciting culminating activity called the New Life Convention. More news to come on this.
In Language, we've been looking at some more strategies that good readers use and ones that good writers use. For reading, we looked at asking questions. We talked about asking questions about how you are reading, what you are reading, and questions to deepen your understanding or to learn more about what you are reading. In writing, we've been looking at sentence fluency: writing sentences that are rhythmic and that sound good. The kids wrote some really great poems about their neighbourhoods. So good in fact that we are going to show off to each other. We've planned our very own Coffee House. On Thursday, the kids will read their poems out loud while the rest of us listen while sipping our hot chocolate. Instead of clapping, we'll probably snap to show you how cool and fluent your poem is. In class, we talked about the following criteria for oral presentations:
tone (the mood of your poem)
pace (not too fast, not too slow)
volume (can you be heard)
pitch (robotic)
gestures (body movements can distract but they can also help)
eye contact
That's all I can think of now. If there's more, I'll let you know!
ps Because of the short week, there is only a reading response for homework. I've also asked the kids to practice saying their poems at home. They were asked to bring them home today.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Gong Xi Fa Cai
Happy New Year! Chinese New Year that is. We will be learning about and celebrating the year of the rat and the Chinese culture this week. To cap off the celebrations, my parents will be coming in on Thursday. Thank you to Bronte who called my dad and invited him (because if I had, he'd definitely feel more comfortable to refuse).
The canal trip has been re-scheduled for February 15th. A new permission form will have to be signed. Those will be going home today. That means that during the week of February 11th, there will be two field trips: the NAC on the 12th, and the canal on the 15th.
This week is a short week because of the PD Day on Friday. I have decided to only hand out a reading response for homework this week.
After some initial photocopying disasters on my end, the math test has finally been completed. I will do my best to mark those over the next coming days. Once we have taken it up as a class, I will send it home to be signed by you. Our next math unit will be on patterning. In Language, we are working on sentence fluency and some guided and shared reading about China. We are wrapping up our science unit on structures and will be focusing on the play as that is coming up very soon. Yikes!
This week's snack schedule is: Martha, Nathan, Nick K, and Nick P.
Ask your kids if they can count to ten in Mandarin!
The canal trip has been re-scheduled for February 15th. A new permission form will have to be signed. Those will be going home today. That means that during the week of February 11th, there will be two field trips: the NAC on the 12th, and the canal on the 15th.
This week is a short week because of the PD Day on Friday. I have decided to only hand out a reading response for homework this week.
After some initial photocopying disasters on my end, the math test has finally been completed. I will do my best to mark those over the next coming days. Once we have taken it up as a class, I will send it home to be signed by you. Our next math unit will be on patterning. In Language, we are working on sentence fluency and some guided and shared reading about China. We are wrapping up our science unit on structures and will be focusing on the play as that is coming up very soon. Yikes!
This week's snack schedule is: Martha, Nathan, Nick K, and Nick P.
Ask your kids if they can count to ten in Mandarin!
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