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Showing posts from November, 2019

Friday 11/29/19

This morning, we had Circle and dealt with some concerns in our classroom. I was very impressed with the solutions students came up with to address these! We had some time to work on work and we continued our Monet-inspired birch tree art. We got as far as painting the sky and will finish these another class. We had a bit of time to continue our Cordillera brochures and then we Decked the Halls with our Grade 2 buddies. Overdue Work: - Maze of Bones VJ - Plant/Animal Research - Identity Hand - October Quote - La Météo - Les couleurs, les mois, les saisons - Mon Monstre - Metric Monsters - November Quote - Save the Wetlands presentation **French quiz on Wednesday, December 4

Thursday 11/28/19

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Today in Math we had a check-in about patterns, giving students a chance to demonstrate their ability to identify and extend patterns, write pattern rules, solve problems using patterns, and write an expression with a variable to represent a pattern. In French we reviewed and practiced our school vocabulary and students took home a study guide for our upcoming quiz. We also worked more on l'heure (time).  In Language Arts, we added a drawing and summary of chapter two to our storyboard for  The Boundless , and made moustaches with Ms. Spelay's Grade 1 class. In Social Studies we continued creating our Cordillera region travel brochures. These brochures are looking great so far, and would definitely convince travelers to come visit this westernmost region of Canada! In Art we began working on birch tree art inspired by the work of Claude Monet. We got our pages set up with masking tape for our trees, and will begin painting another day soon! Stay tuned for the finished p

Wednesday 11/27/19

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This morning in Math, we marked p. 11-12 and students had time to work on p. 15-16 in preparation for their check-in tomorrow. The answers to those questions are posted below, for studying purposes. Students also had time to finish their Separating Mixtures lab. In Language Arts, we continued our work examining and fixing sentence fragments and run-on sentences. Students had more time to work on their Cordillera brochures. This afternoon, we had a guest speaker, Mr. Metge, share about his childhood in France and his elementary school. We got to read more of The Boundless to end the day. Due Dates: - P. 15-16 in Math should be finished before tomorrow's check in Overdue Work: - Maze of Bones VJ - Plant/Animal Research - Identity Hand - October Quote - La Météo - Les couleurs, les mois, les saisons - Mon Monstre - Metric Monsters - November Quote - Save the Wetlands presentation Important Dates: - Math: Pattern check in tomorrow (Thursday) - Fre

Tuesday 11/26/19

Today in Math, we reviewed how to find a general expression with a variable when the pattern is decreasing. We also marked the page 8 textbook questions. In French, we started learning about "l'heure" (time) and created a study guide for the upcoming quiz on December 4. In LA, we continued looking at sentence fragments and how to fix them. In Social, we shared our jot notes on the Cordillera region and students started working on a brochure to highlight the unique features of the Cordillera. Due Dates: - p. 11-12 questions (Math) due tomorrow (November 27) - Boundless Ch. 1 summary/picture due Thursday, November 28 Overdue Work: - Maze of Bones VJ - Plant/Animal research - Identity Hand - October Quote - La météo - Les couleurs/mois/saisons - Metric Monster - Mon Monstre - November Quote - Save the Wetlands Dates to Remember: - Math: Pattern check in on Thursday, November 28 - French: L'école/review quiz on Wednesday, December 4

Monday 11/25/19

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This morning, we reviewed the Hexagon problem that students started on Thursday. This helped to solidify their understanding of general expressions with variables. We will continue to work on this concept tomorrow. In French, we played "Qui-Es?" and reviewed for our upcoming quiz, which will be on Wednesday, December 4. We worked on breaking down what makes a complete sentence (requires a subject and verb, as well as a complete thought). Students began learning about mixtures and how to separate them. They will have time to finish their work on this on Wednesday. Due Dates: - Page 8 (Math textbook) due tomorrow (Nov. 26) - Page 11-12 (Math textbook) due Wednesday, November 27 - French quiz on Wednesday, December 4 Overdue Work: - Maze of Bones VJ page - Plant/Animal Research - Identity Hand - October Quote - November Quote - La Météo - Les couleurs, les mois et les saisons - Mon Monstre - Metric Monster Facial Hair Friday is coming up on Friday!

Thursday 11/21/19

Students started their morning with some time to catch up on work. In Math, we worked on the relationship/pattern rule for the term number and term value. We reviewed misconceptions about states of matter and discussed the processes to change state (melting, evaporation, condensation, and solidification). You can re-watch the video her e. Students reflected on their 2 Stars and 1 Wish - what they're good at and what they would like to continue improving. Due Dates: - Save the Wetlands projects should be shared/handed in by Monday, November 25.  If they are in Google, please share with mlwilliamson@educbe.ca. - Stress management plans should be completed by Wednesday, November 27. Overdue Work: - Maze of Bones VJ - Plant/Animal Research - October Quote - Orange Shirt Day Writing - Identity Hand - November Quote - Mon Monstre - Metric Monsters - Les saisons/les mois/les couleurs - Les saisons: La météo There is no school for students tomorrow (Friday, November 22) d

Wednesday 11/20/19

We had some DEAR and Book Fair time to start the day today. In Math, we learned about relating the term to the term value and inserting variables. We're working more on this tomorrow! Students had time to read together and to catch up on unfinished work. Students had their final period to explore the textbook chapter and we will discuss their Cordillera findings next class. In Science, we looked at properties of matter and the 3 common states we find it in here on Earth. Due Dates: - Please share your Save the Wetlands projects with mlwilliamson@educbe.ca ASAP! Overdue Work: - Maze of Bones VJ - Plant and Animal Research - Orange Shirt Day Writing - October quote - Cultural Artifact Museum reflection - Identity Hand - Diversity Venn diagram - Aurora pastel art - Metric Monsters - Les saisons, les mois, les couleurs - Les saisons: La météo - Mon Monstre - November Quote Students have an early dismissal tomorrow at 1:20 and there is no school on Friday, as Student Led Confere

Tuesday 11/19/19

This morning in Math, students worked on organizing terms and term values into tables. In French, we continued working on Les endroits dans l'école (places in the school). We started Chapter 2 of The Boundless. Students had lots of time to work on unfinished work and we started our Chemistry unit with a mind map (in groups) and a great "Elephant Toothpaste" demonstration by Mr. R. Due Dates: - November Quote due tomorrow (November 20) Overdue Work: - Maze of Bones VJ - Plant and Animal Research - Orange Shirt Day Writing - October quote - Cultural Artifact Museum reflection - Identity Hand - Diversity Venn diagram - Aurora pastel art - Metric Monsters - Les saisons, les mois, les couleurs - Les saisons: La météo - Mon Monstre **We have our Book Fair buying time tomorrow from 9:20-9:40 if you are interested in bringing money. The Book Fair will also be open during Conferences. **Science Fair forms and money are due tomorrow - to Mrs. Drummond or Ms.

Monday 11/18/19

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Today we started our day off with some math, where we learned about pattern rules and predicting numbers in a pattern sequence. In French, we continued working on people and places in the school. C'était bon! The students finished the first chapter of our novel study (The Boundless) and began working on a storyboard. They were tasked with remembering the most important part of the chapter and drawing it with a brief caption. After lunch, we had an assembly in which the teachers performed our student-inspired opera "Mystery of the Stars". Lastly, we finished off the day with social studies, in which the students continued to gather information on the Cordillera region. Due Dates: - Mon Monstre due tomorrow (November 19) - November quote due November 20 Overdue Work: - Maze of Bones VJ - Plant and Animal Research - Orange Shirt Day Writing - October quote - Cultural Artifact Museum reflection - Identity Hand - Diversity Venn diagram - Aurora pastel art - Metr

Friday 11/15/19

This morning, we had circle/compliment circle and then students had more time to work on their Wetlands assessment (show what you know). We read more of The Boundless and worked on a Mental Health activity about different feelings, where students got to act out a feeling of their choice. We will create a collage of these next week. Due Dates: - Metric Monsters due Nov 18 - Mon Monstre due Nov 19 - November quote due Nov 20 Overdue Work: - Maze of Bones VJ - Plant/Animal Research - Orange Shirt Day writing - Cultural Artifact Museum reflection - Identity Hand - October Quote - Diversity Venn Diagram - Aurora pastel art Important Dates: Inline Skating Forms:  *Please complete and return ASAP* Science Fair Form and Trifold money ( for interested students only ):  *Due Wednesday, November 20*

Thursday 11/14/19

Students started the day by working on a Stress Management plan in Health. They considered their stressors, strategies for dealing with stress, why stress management is important and how they could support others. In Math, they looked at patterns and pattern rules. We will work more on this tomorrow. In Science, interested students shared their Save the Wetlands presentations. We continued reading The Boundless to end the day. Due Dates: - Aurora pastel art is due tomorrow (Nov 15) - Metric Monsters due Nov 18 - Mon Monstre due Nov 19 - November quote due Nov 20 Overdue Work: - Maze of Bones VJ - Plant/Animal Research - Orange Shirt Day writing - Cultural Artifact Museum reflection - Identity Hand - October Quote - Diversity Venn Diagram Important Dates: Inline Skating Forms:  *Please complete and return ASAP* Save the Wetlands Project:  *If you want to share with the class, be finished by Thursday, November 14* Science Fair Form and Trifold money ( for intereste

Wednesday 11/13/19

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Today in Math we reviewed and continued working on the tree farm estimation problem that Mr. Risdon started with the class on Friday. One of the students shared a strategy that had worked well for him, and then everyone had a chance to try the problem again with a new approach. In French we continued learning the names of places in the school and began working on a map. We'll continue next class. In Language Arts we continued our work with elaborating on boring skeleton sentences by replacing jail words with strong verbs, adding descriptive details, and trying to incorporate all five senses. We also continued reading and discussing  The Boundless. In Science, students had an opportunity to review their wetland work and then to create a title page for the unit that communicated their understanding of and learning from the unit. This summative assessment is instead of a unit test, and students will have more class time to work on it later this week. They have been encourage

Friday 11/8/19

Great job on your performance and model behaviour throughout our assembly! We are so proud of you! In Math, Mr. Risdon posed a challenge to find an estimation strategy for a large number of new and old trees. We will talk more about this problem next week. Inline skating forms came home today. Please sign and return these to Ms. Williamson - this unit will begin the week of November 18. Overdue Work: - Maze of Bones VJ - Cultural Artifact Museum Reflection - Orange Shirt Day writing - Plant/Animal Research - October Quote - Identity Hand - Diversity Venn Diagram Important Dates: - No school on Monday, November 11 - Math test on Tuesday, November 12 - Pajama/stuffy/blanket/dance party reward on Tuesday, November 12 - Book orders are due November 29 Have a wonderful long weekend! See you Tuesday morning!

Thursday 11/7/19

Today we started the day off with a stress management activity. The students were encouraged to anonymously open up about a time they felt stressed in the form of a letter to a friend. Each student then chose a random letter to respond to in which they offered support, relaxation techniques, and advice in coping with their stress. In Science, students had their last class dedicated to the Save the Wetlands project. They will have more time in QR/WOW. In Math, we spent some time looking at patterns and students also had more time to work on their Show What You Know to prepare for Tuesday's test. In Social, we did a check in about their understanding of diversity, quality of life, and regions. Please see the previous post for information on the Science Fair.  Math links from today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbrxTrRpsfk https://portal.ddsb.ca/public/nfugkxdimjsxa5dforqtsnbrgy/Documents/Patterning%20and%20Algebra%20Vocabulary.pdf https://sites.google.com/site/meredi

Science Fair

Interested students will be bringing home information about the science fair today. Each   student   has a letter with important dates and a list of safety regulations, and each   group   has one shared consent form/proposal sheet. The first two pages are for you to keep at home as a reference, and the third sheet needs to be completed and returned to either Ms. Swinton or Ms. Drummond by Wednesday, November 20, along with $14 for the trifold. (One trifold per project.) Students have asked if they can bring their own trifold; the answer is yes,   as long as it meets the city science fair guidelines . Trifold measurements, along with other important information and tips, can be found on the city science fair website, which all participating students are encouraged to check out ( http://cysf.org/students/   ). The frequently asked questions section ( http://cysf.org/students/project-faq/   ) will be particularly helpful. If you have any science fair related questions, please direct them

Wednesday 11/6/19

In Math, students had more time to review and practice for their upcoming test. Please see yesterday's post for the study guide and helpful links. In French, we took a "field trip" around the school to learn the names of each place. Our recitation of In Flanders Fields sounds great, but students should still be practicing each night. They had more time to work on their Save the Wetlands project and will have one more class tomorrow with the computers. We ended the day acting out strong verbs. Overdue Work: - Maze of Bones VJ - Cultural Artifact Museum Reflection - Orange Shirt Day writing - Identity Hand - Plant/Animal Research - October Quote - Diversity Venn Diagram - French: la météo, les couleurs, les mois, les saisons Dates to Remember: - Remembrance Day assembly on Friday at 10:30 - No school on Monday, November 11 - Math test on Tuesday, November 12

Tuesday 11/5/19

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Today in Math we spent time preparing for our Number unit test by working on the Show What You Know review pages in the textbook. Students will be bringing home a study guide today; please support them in reviewing and practicing for this test, which is next  Tuesday, November 12 . Students are permitted to sign out textbooks overnight to aid in this preparation, provided that they return them to school the next day. Here is a link that also might be helpful, listing the  Sheppard Software Place Value Games . (Please note: some of these games include decimals - students are only working with whole numbers at this point in the year, and Tuesday's test is only using whole numbers, but we will be spending time on decimals later this year.) The  Top Marks website  also has some fun games; they generally use smaller numbers than grade 5 students need to (we work with numbers up to one million in grade 5), but can still help reinforce some of the relevant vocabulary and concepts. Same wi

Quote of the Month - November

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Monday 11/4/19

Today we welcomed our new student teacher, Mr. Risdon, to our classroom! Students had time to work on their Save the Wetlands projects - we are hoping the research is finished and that they are starting the projects next class (Wednesday). In Math, we began reviewing our Number concepts and students will have a test on Tuesday, November 12 . We practiced In Flanders Fields and it is sounding great! Thanks for your hard work memorizing the words and please keep practicing each night, pausing for the punctuation and emphasized words. In Social, we talked more about quality of life and how our environment shapes our quality of life. Due Dates: - Les couleurs, les mois, et les saisons (French) due tomorrow (Nov. 5) - Idea Builder: Identity due Nov. 6 Overdue Work: - Maze of Bones VJ - Cultural Artifact Museum Reflection - Orange Shirt Day Writing - Plant/Animal Research - October Quote - Worry Drawing - Identity Hand - Diversity Venn Diagram Important Dates: - Remembrance