This Week in School: January 24 - 28

 Our first full week back in school was a busy one!  We started the week off evaluating movie posters in Media.  This week we used the persuasive strategies we learned about last week to evaluate the poster for the movie Finding Nemo:

Our shared reading this week was the text Dear Bully of Mine by Vicki Fraser:

Our writing focus continues to be on report writing.  This week the students began working in pairs to practice their report writing skills.  They are working on writing a report about the animal of their choice.

The students had some opportunities to practice and present their mini-speeches this week.  They are reminded to continue practicing, as all students are expected to present several mini-speeches to help build their skills and confidence.  We are working toward confidently presenting a full-length speech soon!

We also continued working on our Happiness Project, discussing the importance of social connections, and thinking about the people we have in our lives who can support us.

In Math this week both Grades learned how to divide three-digit whole numbers by two-digit whole numbers.  They also learned how to multiply and divide whole numbers by 10, 100, and 1000.  The Grade Fives also learned about rates and ratios, and how to multiply whole numbers by decimal tenths (0.1) and decimal hundredths (0.01).  The Grade Sixes learned about divisibility rules and how to multiply three digit whole numbers by decimal tenths.

The Grade Fives researched different natural forces, such as tornados and earthquakes, in Science.  The Grade Sixes explored the varying perspectives different groups of people might take on different issues related to flight.  For example, what opinions might farmers, environmental groups, and medical professionals have about the use of planes for crop dusting, allowing the chemicals to spread quickly over large crop areas, which is critical to pest control and crop protection. However, the planes cannot direct the chemicals onto the target crop with precision, so the chemicals spread where they are not wanted.

In Art this week, the students explored sand art, using the website This Is Sand.  

This week the students were finally able to present their fitness routines in Gym.  On Friday, we also had fun using the scoops to play catch!

This Week In School: January 17 - 21

Our week got off to an interesting start with a major snowstorm that closed our school for two days.

On Monday, students were able to choose from a variety of asynchronous learning activities.  I hope that they also took some time to help out with snow shoveling efforts!

On Tuesday, we continued our learning online for an extra day.  The students read a text about how drones are used for deliveries and answered some follow up questions.  They also had time to play a game of Boggle, work on their coding skills, and choose various STEAM activities from the Virtual Maker Space Choice Board.

We were FINALLY able to get back to school on Wednesday!

In Literacy, the students wrote journals about a blizzard, for which they were able to use their own lived experiences, or make up a fictional story.  We were also able to continue our read aloud of the novel The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

In Math, the students learned how to divide two- and three-digit numbers by one-digit numbers.  On Friday they completed a 'Mini-Quiz' to check that they understand all the skills they have learned so far in the unit on multiplication and division.  Students are responsible for seeking help from the teacher for any concepts or skills they are struggling with.

The Grade Fives got to test out their engineering skills in Science this week, as they constructed and then tested bridges.  The Grade Sixes discussed and evaluated the benefits and drawbacks of human-made flying machines and devices.  They also had an opportunity to test out the different paper airplanes that they made at home during the online learning period.

On Wednesday, we got out to enjoy the snow for Gym.  On Friday, students worked on making any final adjustments needed for their fitness routines.  They will present these routines to the class, with their groups, next week.

Accessing the Google Classroom

 To access the Google Drive or Google Classroom from home, follow these steps:

1 - Go to the board website: http://www.yrdsb.ca/Pages/default.aspx

2 - Click on the "Student Support" tab on the right hand side of the page.

3 - Then click on the "Online Student Tools" tab (It should be the first tab on the list).

4 - Next, scroll down and click on "Google Classroom" for the Google Classroom, or "GSuite" for the Google Drive.

5 - Students will then be prompted to enter their username and password.  This is the same username and password that they use on the school computers. 

This Week in School: November 29 - December 3

This week we continued working on creating infographics.  Students are using data about food insecurity to create an infographic using Google Documents.  We will continue to work on this assignment next week.

For our weekly reading discussion, we read the story The Tree by Dana Lyons.

This week, to continue learning about reports, students reviewed the success criteria of different sections of a report and evaluated a sample body and conclusion of a report.

In Math, we continued practicing our addition and subtraction skills.  Students worked on solving word problems involving the addition and subtraction of whole numbers.

In Science, the Grade Fives learned about heart disease and began making trading cards of important organs in the body.  The Grade Sixes learned about plant classification and began making trading cards of living things.

On Friday, the students learned about complementary colours in Art.

This Week in School: November 22 - 26

This week we got started on creating our very own infographics.  Students are using data about food insecurity to create an infographic using Google Documents.  We will continue to work on this assignment next week.

For our weekly reading discussion, we read the story The Curious Garden by Peter Brown.

The students have almost all finished publishing their biographies, so this week we started learning about a new writing form: reports!  Over the next several weeks we will read and evaluate different parts a of reports and practice writing different report sections before beginning to write our own reports.

In Math, we wrapped up our unit on 2D and 3D geometry and began a new unit on addition and subtraction.

In Science, the Grade Fives learned about the excretory system and how we keep our bodies healthy with good food choices.  The Grade Sixes spent time comparing different invertebrates and learning about some of the things that threaten biodiversity, including invasive species and certain human behaviours.

On Friday, the students made sun catchers to hang in the windows for Hanukkah.

This Week in School: November 15 - 18

This week we spent some time reflecting on what we have learned about infographics over the past several weeks.  We will use this information when we begin creating our own infographics next week!

The text we read for our weekly discussions and reading responses was The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.

We also spent more time working on publishing our Biographies.  We are just about done!

In Math this week we reviewed what we have learned about 2D shapes and then shifted our focus to 3D shapes.  We quickly reviewed what we know about the faces, edges, and vertices of different 3D solids, such as cubes, pyramids, and cylinders.  We also learned about drawing different 3D shapes from a top, front, and side view.

In Science, the Grade Fives learned about the respiratory system, the nervous system, the muscular system, and the skeletal system.  The Grade Sixes compared different vertebrates and invertebrates.  

This Week in School: November 8 - 12

 We started this week with another new infographic and spent some time comparing it to the infographic we looked at last week.  

Next week we will reflect on what we have learned about infographics after all of our investigations and begin creating our own infographics.

In honour of Remembrance Day, we read the story Terrible Things by Eve Bunting:

The students engaged in a great discussion about why the author chose to write this allegory and what we should learn from it.

We also had fun practicing our listening and speaking skills as we discussed whether we would prefer to be able to shrink to the size of an ant or grow to the size of two story building, whether we would prefer to eat broccoli flavoured ice cream or meat flavoured cookies, and whether we would prefer to randomly turn into a bird once a week or a frog once a month.  It was very interesting to hear everyone's different ideas.

Most students have finished writing their biographies and autobiographies, so this week they started publishing their work.  I am looking forward to reading their final products soon!

In Math, the Grade Sixes started the week by learning about the geometric properties of different quadrilaterals, including equal and or parallel sides, vertices, diagonals, internal angles, and lines of symmetry.  The Grade Fives started the week by learning about how to classify triangles by side lengths and angles.

Next, the Grade Sixes learned about rotational symmetry, while the Grade Fives learned how to draw triangles given different different side lengths and angles.

To end the week, both grades learned about congruent and similar shapes.  

Next week, we will begin focusing on 3D shapes.

In Science, the Grade Fives learned about the circulatory system and the digestive system, while the Grade Sixes learned about scientific classification of living things, including the Five Kingdoms (Plant, Animal, Fungi, Monera, and Protist).  They began diving deeper into the Animal Kingdom by learning about vertebrates and invertebrates).

On Monday, we took a break from working on our fitness routines in Gym to spend some time outside playing shadow tag.  It was a great way to enjoy the beautiful late fall weather!

Remembrance Day

 

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day.  While we are still unable to have our usual school assemblies, as a school, we will be honouring the day with a moment of science and a playing of O Canada and The Last Post at 11:00.

As a class, we will be displaying our Remembrance Day art, reading Terrible Things by Eve Bunting, and watching a few short videos explaining the importance of Remembrance Day and the meaning behind the poppy.  We listened to this reading of Why We Wear A Poppy today.

Students will receive a poppy to wear for the day, and are encouraged to bring in a donation in support of our Canadian veterans.

This Week in School: November 1 - 5

 Once again, we started our week with a new infographic to read.  Soon, students will use what they have learned by investigating all these infographics to create an infographic of their own.

In preparation for Remembrance Day next week, we read the story A Bear in War by Stephanie Innes and Harry Endrulat.

We had a great discussion about the sacrifices soldiers make, and the importance of showing our gratitude!  On Friday, students wrote postcards to be sent to veterans for Remembrance Day.

Students are just about finished writing and editing the first draft of their biographies and autobiographies.  Next week we hope to start publishing our work.

In Math we finished up our unit on Graphing with a test, and began working on a new unit on 2D and 3D Geometry.  This week we reviewed the names and attributes of various 2D shapes, and practiced measuring and naming angles (i.e., acute, right, obtuse).  The Grade Six students also practiced calculating the value of missing angles in complimentary angles, supplementary angles, triangles, and quadrilaterals. 

We began our first Science unit this week, too!  The Grade Fives will be learning about the human body, while the Grade Sixes will be learning about biodiversity.  This week the Grade Fives learned about cells, and the Grade sixes learned about classifying.

We worked on some 'yarn painting' in Art this week, as we created pieces honouring Remembrance Day.

Items Requested

 

This week we are getting ready for Remembrance Day.  On Thursday, we will be using our Art period to create some pieces in honour of this important day.  To help us create these pieces, we will need some light cardboard boxes, such as cereal boxes.  If you have any empty boxes at home that you can spare, please have students bring them in on Thursday.

On Friday, we will be writing postcards to send to local veterans through the mail.  If you have an extra stamp that your child can use, please send it with him/her on Friday.  A stamp will be provided for any student that doesn't have one.  

This Week in School: Oct. 25 - 29

 We started our week with a new infographic to examine in Media:

We also read a new book called Vote For Me! by Ben Clanton.

Students continued working on writing their autobiography or biography, and are almost ready to begin editing and publishing their work.

In Math, students learned about Stem and Leaf Plots and how data in graphs can be used.  We finished the week with a unit review, and will complete a unit test on Tuesday.

This week students also continued working on their fitness routines, and finishing up the report cards they are writing evaluating the response of the Canadian government to various national and international issues.

We had fun preparing our pumpkin for the annual pumpkin decorating contest.

 

This Week in School: October 18 - 22

 We started this week by examining a new infographic in Media.  This week our infographic provided information about education around the world:

We also started a read aloud of The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

For our weekly book discussion, we read What do you do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada.

In Literacy, we also continued writing our biographies and autobiographies.  Students have had time to brainstorm and collect information about their subjects, and should be working on using that information to write their first draft in class.

This week the students began their read aloud presentations.  It has been great to hear them reading different stories with fluency and expression.  These presentations will continue over the next couple of weeks.  The schedule for presentations can be found in the Google Classroom.

Our Math unit on Graphing continued this week with students learning about creating and reading intervals in graphs, and about measures of central tendency in data (i.e., mean, median and mode).  Next week we will be wrapping up this unit and preparing for a unit test which will likely take place the following week.

We are also working on wrapping up our Social Studies unit.  After spending several weeks researching the Canadian government's response to various national and international issues, students have begun evaluating these actions.  Next week they will share their findings and evaluations with their peers.

In Gym, students began working with their groups to develop and practice a fitness routine that they will eventually be presenting to the class.  

In Health, students learned how to use calorie counts provided on restaurant menus to make healthier choices when dining out. 

It was great to see the fabulous and creative pictures and designs students came up with for our leaf art activity this week!

This Week In School: October 12 - 15

This week we read the story After the Fall by Dan Santat.  We continued to work on our discussion skills, and it was great to see a few more students gaining the confidence to participate!

We also continued working on our biographies and autobiographies, and practicing our picture book read aloud presentations.

In Math students learned about reading and creating misleading graphs.  They also learned about conducting surveys and practiced their skills in using Google Sheets to create graphs.

In Social Studies, students examined cause and consequence while investigating their chosen national and international issues.

We began a new unit on fitness in Gym.  The students learned about different elements of fitness and began working on improving their own fitness levels.  Over the next few weeks, students will be working in small groups to develop fitness routines.

The students enjoyed creating zentangle pumpkins in Art this week.  Next week we will be creating pictures using leaves found outside.  Students have each been given a ziplock bag to collect leaves at home and/or on the school yard.

  

This Week in School: October 4 - 8

 In Literacy this week, we read the story An A From Ms. Kellar by Patricia Polacco.  We also worked on our discussion skills as we talked about the story.

We continued evaluating infographics as well.  First students evaluated a new infographic, and then they compared it with the infographic we looked at last week.

Students have also begun preparing for their first public speaking performance.  They will be reading a picture book of their choosing to the class.  Students will have time to practice in class, but are encouraged to practice at home as well.  This will help them with fluency and expression in their presentation.  

On Friday, students began working on their first big writing project: biographies and autobiographies!  The Grade Fives will be writing autobiographies, while the Grade Sixes will be writing biographies.  Students should have shared the writing assignment expectations with parents this week.

In Math, we began a new unit in Graphing!  Students learned about populations, sampling techniques, and different kinds of data.  They also practiced reading different kinds of graphs, including broken line graphs, bar graphs, double bar graphs, stacked bar graphs, and histograms.  Over the next couple of weeks we will continue learning about how to create and read different types of graphs.

The students began researching their chosen national and international issues.  This week they first developed some questions about their chosen issue, and then began reading through the information provided to them to determine if they would be able to answer their questions.  They also evaluated the significance of various details related to the issue they are investigating.

On Wednesday, we painted our rocks for our rock art installation.  Once the rocks have been sealed with a shellac, they will be placed outside.  We hope they will help spread positivity to our community!

On Thursday, we started another little art project all about ourselves.  Students are creating self-portraits to show who they are behind their masks.  They will soon be displayed in the school.

The students enjoyed playing a new game called "Crazy Chefs" outside for Gym this week.  We are also starting up a new unit all about fitness.

We hope everyone enjoys a wonderful long weekend...Happy Thanksgiving!

Painting Project Ahead!

 

On Wednesday October 6th we are planning to start painting our rocks that we began designing during our last Art period.  While the paint we are using SHOULD wash out of any clothing, it is still recommended that students do not dress in their favourite outfits for this activity.  Consider having your child wear or bring some older clothing for Art on Wednesday.

This Week in School: September 27 - October 1

 This week we started learning about infographics in Media.  The students learned what infographics are, what they are used for, and began reading and evaluating infographics.  

Here is the first infographic they evaluated:

In honour of the first Truth and Reconciliation day, we read Stolen Words by Melanie Florence.  We discussed what it meant to have your words "stolen,"  why the events of the past might still be painful today, and how important it is for us to know about residential schools.

We also read about the recent discoveries of undocumented graves at various residential schools, and what we can do to help indigenous community heal.

This year we will be working on our public speaking skills.  On Friday students read about why this skills is so important and completed a reflection on their skills and feelings about public speaking at this time, as well as what we can do to improve.  Stay tuned for information about different activities we will be doing to work on those skills, and hopefully develop more positive feelings about public speaking for those that are feeling quite hesitant right now.

In Math, we continued practicing how to round numbers and then finished up our Place Value unit with a short test.  Next week we will begin a new unit on graphing.

Our Social Students unit on Canadian government and interactions with the global community continued with students learning a little bit about Syrian refugees.  We are learning as a class about this issue as students prepare to begin their own investigations into various national and international issues.  This week students worked on using videos, texts, and infographics to find answers to their questions, and practiced using their critical thinking skills to determine significance.

In Health, students learned about reading food labels and practiced comparing different food labels to determine which snack might be a better choice.

On Wednesday, students participated in the Terry Fox Run.  A huge thank you to our leaders who worked with Ms. Connolly to organize the run, and to all those who donated to this very worthy cause!

This Week in School: September 20 - 24

 I am so glad to have finally been able to join the class this week!  It has been a great week getting to know everyone and engaging in some fun learning activities.

We used much of our literacy time this week to complete the ABC's of Mental Health modules planned by the York Region District School Board.  You can learn more about this initiative at https://www2.yrdsb.ca/student-support/mental-health/abcs-mental-health.  

In addition, we started taking a few quick moments at the beginning of each literacy period to quickly read and correct a morning message.  This is a quick daily activity to work on our spelling, punctuation, and word choice skills.

In Math, we continued our unit in Place Value.  The Grade Fives continued to work with whole numbers.  They compared whole numbers, and found different ways to compose and represent whole numbers.  For example, the number 21 can be made with 2 tens and a one, but it can also be made with 1 ten and 12 ones, or 21 ones.  

Meanwhile the Grade Sixes began learning about integers.  This week they learned how to place integers on a number line, and how to compare integers.  Later in the year, they will learn how to add and subtract integers.

We also took some time this week to review how to round numbers, as this skill will be used in various tasks throughout the year.  Next week, we will spend a little more time practicing how to round numbers.

In Social Studies, we took advantage of the Federal Election to learn a little bit about the different political parties, their leaders, and the election process.  Students used their learning to participate in the Student Vote program. You can see the results of our vote here: https://studentvote.ca/results/school_results/38/33261653.

Students also learned about the responsibilities of the different levels of government and discussed who can address various national and international issues.

We continued training for both Cross Country and the Terry Fox Run in Gym.

For Art, we started planning for our very own Rock Art display.  We took inspiration from other similar displays in the area.

Scholastic Book Orders

 

This week students will receive their first Scholastic Book Club catalogue.  If you would like to place any orders, you may do so online at www.scholastic.ca/readingclub using class code: RC206082.  There is NO pressure to make any purchases using this catalogue.

WELCOME BACK!

 

I hope everyone had a fun, restful, revitalizing summer break!  I'm looking forward to getting to know the students and working with you to help ensure they have an engaging and successful school year.

Please stay tuned to this blog, as it will be used to provide you with regular updates about what is happening in our classroom.  Parents are also encouraged to regularly review the Google Classroom with their children.  We will be using the Google Classroom for the majority of our learning activities, so reviewing it with your child will give you an opportunity to see how they are doing.

As we continue navigating the ever evolving learning conditions and safety protocols of our current global situation, there are bound to be some bumps along the road, but with patience, compassion, and understanding, I am certain that we can work together to overcome them!

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at school.

Accessing Google Classroom and Google Drive at Home

If students are having difficulty accessing their Google Drive or Google Classroom from home, follow these steps:

1 - Go to the board website: http://www.yrdsb.ca/Pages/default.aspx

2 - Click on the "Student Tools and Resources" icon on the right hand side of the page.

3 - Then scroll down to the "Google Apps" icon and click on it.

4 - Students will then be prompted to enter their username and password.  This is the same username and password that they use on the school computers. 

5 - Students will then be directed into their Google Drive.  From here they can access all of their Google Documents.

6 - To access the Google Classroom, once students have logged into the Google Drive, they can click on the "Google Apps" icon near the top right of the page.  It is a 3 x 3 square of squares.  When they click on it, a list of different icons will appear.  They can click on the "Classroom" icon to enter the Google Classroom.