Thank you to all of the parents who came to Curriculum night last night. I hope you all now have a better idea of what is in store for your child's school year. For parents who were unable to attend last night, I sent home copies of my curriculum outline with your children today.
We continued our Novel Study this morning, and students summarized what happened in chapters 15 and 16 of Tuck Everlasting, and listed the 3 main points from what they read. Students are now reading chapters 17 and 18, and are listing any unfamiliar words they come across, and writing their meanings.
Students finished their CASI reading diagnostic tests today, and continued working on their descriptive paragraphs about the things they are thankful for, using the Four Square Writing Method. We also continued working on our Ripped Paper Art, to illustrate our paragraphs.
In Math, the Grade 5 and 6 students continued their Numeracy units, and will both have short quizzes at the end of next week. In Gym, we participated in different soccer drills and activities, and we ended our day with our Grade 2 Reading Buddies, reading them picture books, and having them retell what happened as we wrote it down.
Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving weekend, and remember to take a moment to reflect on all of the things you are thankful for... like long weekends!
Homework Assigned Friday October 5, 2007:
Grade 5
-Read 20 minutes per day
-Read Tuck Everlasting chapters 17 and 18, list unfamiliar words and their meanings
-Math Textbook page 35 # 4, 6, 7
-Music written test October 9th
Grade 6
-Read 20 minutes per day
-Read Tuck Everlasting chapters 17 and 18, list unfamiliar words and their meanings
-Reading Response Journal entry due Tuesday
-Music written test October 9th
Friday, October 5, 2007
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Testing, testing...
We started our day in the Library for our Media Literacy study. Students finished their activities about the different types of messages and media forms that we encounter every day. Print media is the text we read, Oral media is the words we hear, and electronic media uses technology to deliver messages. Tomorrow, students will be assigned a Media Literacy activity for homework, which will involve watching a commercial on television at home and reflecting on the message and media form delivering it.
Grade 5 and 6 students did a CASI reading diagnostic test this morning, and are completing their responses to the questions about the text they read. Grade 6 students had a Math unit test today. We also started our Social Studies units, with the Grade 5 students learning about the three levels of Goverment (Federal, Provincial, and Municipal), and their responsibilities, while the Grade 6 students examined maps of the world, and made connections about the countries they are already familiar with.
The Vradenburg Cross Country Team participated in a competition this afternoon, and I was proud to hear that our school finished FIRST overall. Way to go runners! That Kilometre Club participation sure paid off! Congratulations!
TOMORROW NIGHT is CURRICULUM NIGHT FOR PARENTS, from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Please meet in the Vradenburg Gym at 6:30pm for a brief word from our Principal, Paul Grogan, after which, I look forward to meeting all of my students' parents in our clasromm, Room 201. See you there!
Homework Assigned Wednesday October 3, 2007:
Grade 5
-Read 20 minutes, update log
-Spelling Unit 4 due Friday, Spelling test Friday
-Problem of the Week due Friday
-Social Studies pages due tomorrow
-Music Written tests on October 9th and 16th
-Book Orders due tomorrow
Grade 6
-Read 20 minutes, update log
-Reading Response Journal due Tuesday
-Spelling Unit 4 due Friday, Spelling test Friday
-Problem of the Week due Friday
-Social Studies pages due tomorrow
-Music Written tests on October 9th and 16th
-Book Orders due tomorrow
Grade 5 and 6 students did a CASI reading diagnostic test this morning, and are completing their responses to the questions about the text they read. Grade 6 students had a Math unit test today. We also started our Social Studies units, with the Grade 5 students learning about the three levels of Goverment (Federal, Provincial, and Municipal), and their responsibilities, while the Grade 6 students examined maps of the world, and made connections about the countries they are already familiar with.
The Vradenburg Cross Country Team participated in a competition this afternoon, and I was proud to hear that our school finished FIRST overall. Way to go runners! That Kilometre Club participation sure paid off! Congratulations!
TOMORROW NIGHT is CURRICULUM NIGHT FOR PARENTS, from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Please meet in the Vradenburg Gym at 6:30pm for a brief word from our Principal, Paul Grogan, after which, I look forward to meeting all of my students' parents in our clasromm, Room 201. See you there!
Homework Assigned Wednesday October 3, 2007:
Grade 5
-Read 20 minutes, update log
-Spelling Unit 4 due Friday, Spelling test Friday
-Problem of the Week due Friday
-Social Studies pages due tomorrow
-Music Written tests on October 9th and 16th
-Book Orders due tomorrow
Grade 6
-Read 20 minutes, update log
-Reading Response Journal due Tuesday
-Spelling Unit 4 due Friday, Spelling test Friday
-Problem of the Week due Friday
-Social Studies pages due tomorrow
-Music Written tests on October 9th and 16th
-Book Orders due tomorrow
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
2sday
Daily Physical Activity student group number one lead the class in a Chair Aerobics workout to get the day started. Group two is responsible for tomorrow's workout, and should remember to be fully prepared with their music and exercise sheets.
I taught a Problem Solving lesson today, to help students with their Problem of the Week.
The 4 step problem solving method consists of:
1. FIND OUT
-Look at the Problem
-Have you seen a similar problem before?
-If so, how is this problem similar? How is it different?
-What facts do you have?
-What do you know that is not stated in the problem?
2. CHOOSE A STRATEGY
-How have you solved similar problems in the past?
-What strategies do you know?
-Try a strategy that seems as if it will work.
-If it doesn't, it may lead you to one that will.
3. SOLVE IT
-Use the strategy you selected and work the problem.
4. LOOK BACK
-Reread the question.
-Did you answer the question asked?
-Is your answer in the correct units?
-Does your answer seem reasonable?
Students will have a lot of practise with this method over the year, and should be encouraged to use these problem solving skills at home.
I read chapter 13 of Tuck Everlasting to the class today, an ddiscussed the other 6 Literature Circle task requirements with the class. Students were asked to read chapter 14 on their own, and complete the Connector task sheet. This involves reading the text, and making connections to their own lives, other stories they have read or watched, or things that happen in the real world. Students should always be encouraged to make these types of connections everytime they read something new, in order to build their reading comprehension level. I also recommend that parents ask their children to make connections between what they watch on television or in movies, with their own lives or things that they are reading.
The Grade 5 and 6 students spent some more time with their Writing Folders today, and I began havign one-on-one Reading Conferences with students, in order to track what they are currently reading, and set goals with them individually as to how they can choose books that will help them improve their reading levels. We will be doing our CASI Reading Diagnostic testing this week, in order to get a baseline for each student as to what reading level they are currently at, so I can recommend books that will be appropriate for each student.
In Math, the Grade Fives and I took up their homework, and had to take time working with base-ten blocks in order to understand whole number place values. The Grade Sixes and I took up the Patterning chapter review questions, and went over the trickier ones that they will encounter on their unit test tomorrow. The Test Yourself pages of their workbook were assigned for studying purposes tonight.
TOMORROW is BLUE & WHITE DAY at Vradenburg. Students can wear blue & white clothing to support the Toronto Maple Leafs for their season opener against the dreaded Ottawa Senators. Maybe this year!!! For more information about the Leafs, visit: http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/
GO LEAFS GO!!!
Homework Assigned Tuseday October 2, 2007:
Grade 5
-Read 20 minutes, update log
-Read chapter 14 of Tuck Everlasting and complete Connector sheet
-Spelling Unit 4 due Friday
-Problem of the Week due Friday
-Music Written Tests with Ms. Lee October 9 and October 16
-October Book Order due Thursday
Grade 6
-Read 20 minutes, update log
-Read chapter 14 of Tuck Everlasting and complete Connector sheet
-Spelling Unit 4 due Friday
-Reading Response Journal due Tuesday
-Problem of the Week due Friday
-Math Unit Test tomorrow - Patterning (Study Workbook Test Yourself pages)
-Music Written Tests with Ms. Lee October 9 and October 16
-October Book Order due Thursday
I taught a Problem Solving lesson today, to help students with their Problem of the Week.
The 4 step problem solving method consists of:
1. FIND OUT
-Look at the Problem
-Have you seen a similar problem before?
-If so, how is this problem similar? How is it different?
-What facts do you have?
-What do you know that is not stated in the problem?
2. CHOOSE A STRATEGY
-How have you solved similar problems in the past?
-What strategies do you know?
-Try a strategy that seems as if it will work.
-If it doesn't, it may lead you to one that will.
3. SOLVE IT
-Use the strategy you selected and work the problem.
4. LOOK BACK
-Reread the question.
-Did you answer the question asked?
-Is your answer in the correct units?
-Does your answer seem reasonable?
Students will have a lot of practise with this method over the year, and should be encouraged to use these problem solving skills at home.
I read chapter 13 of Tuck Everlasting to the class today, an ddiscussed the other 6 Literature Circle task requirements with the class. Students were asked to read chapter 14 on their own, and complete the Connector task sheet. This involves reading the text, and making connections to their own lives, other stories they have read or watched, or things that happen in the real world. Students should always be encouraged to make these types of connections everytime they read something new, in order to build their reading comprehension level. I also recommend that parents ask their children to make connections between what they watch on television or in movies, with their own lives or things that they are reading.
The Grade 5 and 6 students spent some more time with their Writing Folders today, and I began havign one-on-one Reading Conferences with students, in order to track what they are currently reading, and set goals with them individually as to how they can choose books that will help them improve their reading levels. We will be doing our CASI Reading Diagnostic testing this week, in order to get a baseline for each student as to what reading level they are currently at, so I can recommend books that will be appropriate for each student.
In Math, the Grade Fives and I took up their homework, and had to take time working with base-ten blocks in order to understand whole number place values. The Grade Sixes and I took up the Patterning chapter review questions, and went over the trickier ones that they will encounter on their unit test tomorrow. The Test Yourself pages of their workbook were assigned for studying purposes tonight.
TOMORROW is BLUE & WHITE DAY at Vradenburg. Students can wear blue & white clothing to support the Toronto Maple Leafs for their season opener against the dreaded Ottawa Senators. Maybe this year!!! For more information about the Leafs, visit: http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/
GO LEAFS GO!!!
Homework Assigned Tuseday October 2, 2007:
Grade 5
-Read 20 minutes, update log
-Read chapter 14 of Tuck Everlasting and complete Connector sheet
-Spelling Unit 4 due Friday
-Problem of the Week due Friday
-Music Written Tests with Ms. Lee October 9 and October 16
-October Book Order due Thursday
Grade 6
-Read 20 minutes, update log
-Read chapter 14 of Tuck Everlasting and complete Connector sheet
-Spelling Unit 4 due Friday
-Reading Response Journal due Tuesday
-Problem of the Week due Friday
-Math Unit Test tomorrow - Patterning (Study Workbook Test Yourself pages)
-Music Written Tests with Ms. Lee October 9 and October 16
-October Book Order due Thursday
Monday, October 1, 2007
Doth thou know what is thine homework?
Shakespeare?! Thou dost protest too much me thinks! This morning I introduced a shortened kid-friendly version of William Shakespeare's King Lear to my students during Drama class. We talked about theatres during the 1600s and how they compare to entertainment venues of today. While reading the different parts of scene 1, students began asking questions about unfamiliar words such as, "doth", "thou", "thine", and "thee". I explained that this was the language of that time period, and compared it to giving someone from the 1600s a cell phone or MSN Messenger, and sending them a text message with language of today like, "lol", "ttyl", "bff", and "brb". This also came in handy when describing the dramatic symbols of the comedy and tragedy masks, which could be represented in text messages as :) and :( respectively. We discussed stage directions as they appeared in the script in parantheses (brackets), as well as the use of "(aside)" in scripts to indicate what a character should mutter under their breath, so the audience hears it, but the other characters do not.
Spelling Unit 4 was assigned today, followed by our continued Novel Study of Tuck Everlasting. Students worked in their groups to make connections and comment on each others' illustrations based on chapters 10-12. Grade 5 and 6 students also received time to continue working independently on their writing folders, and some students are starting to reach the editing phase for some of their works.
In the Computer Lab today, students worked on a new 4 Square Writing box, with a topic of their choice, and began typing their paragraphs using Apple Works software. Students have saved their work, and we will continue building on our basic paragpahs over the next few weeks to increase their use of detail in their writing.
In Math, the Grade 5 students coninued their Numeration unit, having a new lesson and working on problems involving reading and writing 5-digit numbers. The Grade 6 students began their Patterning unit review, as they will be having their unit test on Wednesday. 11 review questions were assigned, which we will go over tomorrow, and I will provide extra help to any students who are still having difficulty. A shorter review will be assigned Tuesday for homework, in order to help students study the night before the test.
REMINDER: Grade 5 students should come to room 201 Wednesday at lunch for our Math Club if they are interestin gin bringing their marks up from their Patterning tests.
CURRICULUM NIGHT FOR PARENTS is this Thursday October 4, 2007 from 6:30pm - 7:30pm. Parents should meet in the Gym for a brief word from our Principal, Paul Grogan, followed by 15 minute presentations by their childrens' teachers in the classrooms. I hope to meet all of my students' parents there, and ensure we are all on the same page with respect to what will be covered in class each term this school year.
Homework Assigned Monday October 1, 2007:
Grade 5
-Read 20 minutes, update log
-Spelling Unit 4 due Friday
-Math Textbook page 30, #4-7 (if not finished during class time)
-Math Workbook page 9, #1-4 (assigned for homework)
-Book orders for October are due Thursday October 4, 2007
Grade 6
-Read 20 minutes, update log
-Spelling Unit 4 due Friday
-Math Textbook page 28-29, Skills Bank # 4, 7, 8, 12
-Math Textbook page 30-31, Problem Bank # 4, 6, 7, 10
-Math Textbook page 33, Chapter Review #2, 6, 7
-MATH TEST WEDNESDAY - Patterning
-Reading Response Journal entry due Monday
-Book orders for October are due Thursday October 4, 2007
Spelling Unit 4 was assigned today, followed by our continued Novel Study of Tuck Everlasting. Students worked in their groups to make connections and comment on each others' illustrations based on chapters 10-12. Grade 5 and 6 students also received time to continue working independently on their writing folders, and some students are starting to reach the editing phase for some of their works.
In the Computer Lab today, students worked on a new 4 Square Writing box, with a topic of their choice, and began typing their paragraphs using Apple Works software. Students have saved their work, and we will continue building on our basic paragpahs over the next few weeks to increase their use of detail in their writing.
In Math, the Grade 5 students coninued their Numeration unit, having a new lesson and working on problems involving reading and writing 5-digit numbers. The Grade 6 students began their Patterning unit review, as they will be having their unit test on Wednesday. 11 review questions were assigned, which we will go over tomorrow, and I will provide extra help to any students who are still having difficulty. A shorter review will be assigned Tuesday for homework, in order to help students study the night before the test.
REMINDER: Grade 5 students should come to room 201 Wednesday at lunch for our Math Club if they are interestin gin bringing their marks up from their Patterning tests.
CURRICULUM NIGHT FOR PARENTS is this Thursday October 4, 2007 from 6:30pm - 7:30pm. Parents should meet in the Gym for a brief word from our Principal, Paul Grogan, followed by 15 minute presentations by their childrens' teachers in the classrooms. I hope to meet all of my students' parents there, and ensure we are all on the same page with respect to what will be covered in class each term this school year.
Homework Assigned Monday October 1, 2007:
Grade 5
-Read 20 minutes, update log
-Spelling Unit 4 due Friday
-Math Textbook page 30, #4-7 (if not finished during class time)
-Math Workbook page 9, #1-4 (assigned for homework)
-Book orders for October are due Thursday October 4, 2007
Grade 6
-Read 20 minutes, update log
-Spelling Unit 4 due Friday
-Math Textbook page 28-29, Skills Bank # 4, 7, 8, 12
-Math Textbook page 30-31, Problem Bank # 4, 6, 7, 10
-Math Textbook page 33, Chapter Review #2, 6, 7
-MATH TEST WEDNESDAY - Patterning
-Reading Response Journal entry due Monday
-Book orders for October are due Thursday October 4, 2007
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