Thursday, March 31, 2011

Thursday Update March 31

The students made Viking helmets, weapons, shields and boats during group time.

Notices:
Keep those Purdy's chocolate fundraiser forms coming in.

The students began the day working on their mini-books, assigned yesterday, about a modern remake of a fairy tale or story. Then we switched to math and the students were given all the handouts for their math duo tang on their new math unit on fractions. The students completed the first two pages of the book.

After recess until lunch we worked in small groups on making three dimentional models of viking ships, swords, axes and shields.

After lunch we read for 35 minutes then were treated to the first of four lessons on tennis from a local tennis pro. After this special presentation we watched a vido by Bill Nye the science guy, on light and color and the students were assigned a title page for the unit on Light.

Friday Test
spelling unit 24
multiplication of two digit by three digit numbers (12 x 248)

In 1778, two English ships, lead by Captain James Cook, arrived at the coast of British Columbia. Cook and his crew were trying to find the Northwest Passage from the Pacific side. It had been a long journey. On his journey around the world Cook made maps of many areas not known to Europeans.


It is thought that the Vikings were the first European people to settle in North America, about 500 years before Columbus. A small archeological site near L'Anse aux Meadows at the northern tip of the province of Newfoundland. The Vikings called the new land Vinland, talked about in Norse sagas.


Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Wednesday update March 30

The clay art tiles continue to be made.
Notices
-Food 4 Fun due Monday April 4
-April Calendar
-Envelope with your child's FSA results
-Notice for Spring X-country team
Bring proper Gym shoes tomorrow for Tennis tomorrow

We started the day writing Similes on a variety of themes. One student wrote "Children are like monkeys always jumping around." After Language arts we continued with math multiplication like yesterday with questions like 11 x 234, 12 x 222.

After recess the students had music then we began to write a new mini-book based on a fairy tale or story like little red riding hood, the 3 pigs or beauty and the beast. The students have to add different characters, change the plot of the story or tell the story from a different perspective. The students have two weeks to complete this mini-book, which makes it due on April 12th.

After Lunch the students went to choir. Those students not in choir listened to and did a one page report on the famous children's singer Raffi. This was followed by socials where we watched a couple of videos. one an add by the Newfoundland tourist bureau suggesting that the first Europeans to settle in America were actually the vikings. Viking sagas talk of a land they called Vineland. The students worked on a one page report on the Vikings coming to America.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Tuesday Update March 29th

Rene works with the students to make our round tiles for the school mural project.

Notices:
The times for your parent/student/teacher interviews went home today
(if there is a problem feel free to ask for a different time)

Today was a very interesting day. We began with library and computers. The students first picked a library book for silent reading then we went to the computer and researched images for the tile art project, practiced proper typing form then had about 10 min of free time.

From recess to lunch we took our drawings and research ideas to the music room and completed the first step in the school Tile Art project, the making of the tile. For this week the music room has been converted into an art room, so all the students in the school can build and design their clay tiles. In three or four weeks, after our tiles are dried and fired we will apply the glazes and complete our individual tiles.

In the afternoon we read for 35 min then went to P.E. with Mr. V's class and ended the day doing multiplication in math with questions like 11 x 234, 12 x 222. Multiplying two digit numbers was new for some and a refresher for others. The last 15 min of the day we watched clay-mation movies made by one of the students at tech camp over spring break.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Welcome Back

Drawings by students for Tile mural art project

Notices:

PAC notice of coming events and activities
(the next PAC meeting March 30/ spring family dance April 4/ the Tillicum spring fair June 9)

Keep getting your Purdy's chocolate fundraiser forms filled in.

Please make sure to get your Parent teacher interview times in to me immediately.
(choices Tuesday April 5th 2 -7 pm or Wed April 6 2pm-5pm)
Those families who do not hand in forms will be assigned a random time on the above days


Welcome back. It was great to read all the exciting things the students did over the spring break in there ME (morning exercise). I was way too busy working around the house and yard. OK I did manage to read 4 novels, however, I have looked forward to being back at school where the students have to work harder than me.

Today

Before recess the students began the day with a pre-test for unit 24 of our weekly spelling words then they wrote a one page report about their Spring break.

Unit 24: action fiction mission divide division attend attention pollute pollution express expression educate education music musician magic magician physician (Bonus: fractions)

After recess the students did a one page report on Captain Cook as part of our ongoing series on famous people connected to Canada. (The new unit we are starting in Socials is on the coming of Europeans to North America) This was followed up with 30-40 min of reading from 'Highlights' magazines to take them up to lunch time.

This is an exciting day for the grade 4's as they are now allowed to be lunch monitors. (See the separate blog entry in the student newspaper for a writeup and picture of the new lunch monitors)

In the afternoon half the class (all the girls) went to choir and the other half (all the boys) did a musical appreciation listening and a one page report on Stevie Wonder. This was followed by an art class where we talked about and designed a tile for stage one or the school mural project (see the connecting blog entries at the right to http://tillicummural.blogspot.com) . The students ended the day in Music with Mrs. Awalt.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Friday Update March 11

Mr. D and Ms. Burgess tear up the center of the basket ball court

Notices
:

Purdy's chocolate fundraiser forms
Spring Fair notice (June 9th)

Today we started the day with our weekly Friday test which today was Spelling, math x-tables, and Science (the four properties of air)

After recess we watched the Movie "How to Train a Dragon," a favorite library book series in our school. The students paid $15.00/student for the movie using our class money. The students earn money by completing their daily assignments and projects. Assignments are marked out of 10 with 10+ for outstanding work. [6-9 out of 10 earn $1.00] [10 out of 10 earns $2.00] [10+ earns $3.00]. Other ways students can spend the money is for things they need in the classroom like pencils and supplies, extra computer, P.E. or art periods. Of course they can buy their way out of detentions and other personal things they need.

Lunch time the winning student intramural team played against the staff in a close game that saw the teachers emerge as the winners for the 5th year in a row.

In the afternoon we had buddies and P.E. followed by a desk clean and watching the recap of the Read 4 the Top finals that was shown on the 'A' news last night.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Thursday March 10 update

Notices:
food for fun
Tomorrow is the last day before spring break.

Today we started with the students doing "the perfect one page report" using any topic of their choice on one of the chapters we have already covered in our Socials studies text. After spring break we begin the part of the Socials text on the Unit that covers the coming of the Europeans to North America.


After recess we had the amazing finals in our Read for the Top. The event was covered by 'A' news and will probably be on tv tonight. Our class team of grade 4s competed hard against the grade 5 team and ended up coming in second place. I am proud of the outstanding effort and work these four hard working students put into this reading effort.


In the afternoon we read for 35 minutes, talked about and tried to sort out a rock throwing incident involving several of our students. We ended the day by doing a 'walk through' two chapters in the Science text on Light. The students then started a small poster size report showing what they already know about light. (we will finish it in class tomorrow)

Friday's test:

Science: The four properties of air

Air temperature is determined by the sun. The sun's energy heats up the earth and the surface warms the air above it.

Air pressure is the amount of force that air is pushing on something. Warm air is lighter and gives less pressure. The air particles in warm air are farther apart than in cool air.

Wind is air in motion. It is caused when the surface of the earth heats unevenly. The air will move from high pressure to low pressure. This results in the movement of air, or wind.

Humidity is how much water vapor is in the air. The presence of water vapor depends on location. If you are near a large body of water you may experience more humid air.

Air pressure is measured using a barometer
Temperature is measured using a thermometer.
Wind speed is measured using an anemometer.
Humidity is measured using a hygrometer.

Math: 4x 5x 6x 7x tables and determining elapsed time.


Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Recongition Assembly


Two students were recognized today. One for 'Striving for excellence' in all she does and the other for his creativity and writing stories. Well done.

Wednesday Update March 9

Making life sized skeletons

Notices:
Wednesday Express will come home tomorrow.
Read 4 the Top finals tomorrow

To start the day we did Morning Exercise (ME) the students wrote their own report card to be put in the folder with my report card Thursday. After that the students worked on completing the last of their work in advance of report cards.

After recess the students had music with Mrs. Awalt followed by reading and completing work. After lunch 8 of our class members went off to the Basketball Jamboree with Mr. V and Mr. D. look to the student newspaper in the next day or two for news about the event. Those students left behind joined with the students left behind in Mr. D's room where we rolled newspaper into tubes, to act as bones, as the students tried to make life size skeletons. It was a fun way to explore the human skeletal system and to learn to work with unknown students as productive members of a group.

We ended the day with our recognition assembly.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

$ 10.00 Dollar Bills Released

The new money.

The students have been earning so much money, with the changes in the payment rates for their work assignments, that the bank of Wilson has had to release the long awaited $10.00 bill. The ten dollar bill, like the ones, twos and fives will have the students faces on them. Due to inflation, the bank of Wilson has also had to raise the cost of extra gym, art and reading periods and of course movie afternoons.

Old Rates:
(7-9 out of ten earned $1.00, 10 out of ten and 10+ earned $2.00)
New Rates:
(6-9 out of ten earns $1.00, 10 out of ten earns $2.00, 10+ earns $3.00)

Tuesday update March 8

Mr. V reffing at intramural finals

Notices:
"After school sport fun" a sports program Form for signing
This program promotes fitness and runs on Wednesdays for 5 weeks
March 30, April 13, 20, 27 and May 4

The exciting finals of our Intramural Basketball league were played at lunch.
See the student newspaper blog tomorrow for the final results.
(To get to the student newspaper blog click on the link just to the top right)

Today:
At 9 o'clock the choir (just over half of our class) went to U. Vic to practice for this evenings performance. They returned at noon. Those students not in choir started the day with Library and Computers. After recess they worked on catching up on incomplete work with report cards going home this week. Other worked on their mini books, their classic novel reports (which are now due)

After lunch the students read for 35 min then we did a Science worksheet and one page report on "the Properties of Air" (temperature, humidity, wind and pressure. This will be on Friday's test.) We finished the day off with a P.E. period against Ms. Burridge's class.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Week of March 7 to March 11

In the Gym with the golf pro.

Notices


Parent teacher interview sign up forms went home today

Parent teacher interviews Tuesday April 5th and 6th


Wed March 8th Choir to UVic

Thursday March 10: Read for the Top Finals. One of our class teams has made it to the finals

Thursday March 10: Report cards home

Friday March 11 last day before Spring Break

Week Overview:


Math: This week we will wrap up our measurement unit on time. It is expected that all students will be able to tell time using an analog clock. There will be a large test on analog and digital time Friday this week.

Socials: This week we will continue to explore the First nations Beliefs and Ceremonies, text pages 85 - 89. As a member of the Tagish-Tlingit first nations and am a member of the wolf clan. I will guide the students through the concepts of the responsibilities that go along with earning a name and becoming a contributing member of a clan. We will learn about the potlatch, totems and spirit guides and getting an ancestral name.

Science: We will wrap up our 'Weather' theme with a look at Erosion (page 57 of the text) After spring break when we will switch to a unit on 'Light.'


Today:

Spelling pre-test given and corrected. Spelling pages for students to work on, as an aid in thinking about spelling words, handed out and students worked on them.

Words this week Unit 23: calf walked ghost gnawed climber wreath listen island scent wrench judge fasten wrist doubt knock answer knelt sign (Bonus neighbour)

After recess Mrs. Withers took the 8 read for the top students and read and made questions for semi-final round. The students remaining worked on their Classic Novel reports (due Wed.)

Instead of our famous Canadian report we were treated to a special one hour golf program in the gym presented by the BC GA golf school.

After lunch those students not in choir listened to the music and did a one page report on music of Aaron Copland. Then we worked on Math pages 211 and 212, solving problems on how much time has elapsed.

The students finished the day in Music where they sang, practiced their recorder and a dance that they are going to perform at one of the assemblies.


Friday, March 4, 2011

Friday Update


We began the day with our regular Friday test which were corrected and put on the back table for students to collect and take home. After recess we watched the Velveteen Rabbit, a tear-jerker of a movie, to set the theme for the student's new mini book due next Friday. This is a story of a lonely boy who wins over his distant father and strict grandmother with help from a brave velveteen rabbit whose one wish is to become a real rabbit someday. The students new mini-book is to be on an inanimate object that comes to life for some reason, love, compassion, wanting to be played with again, revenge. In the afternoon we had buddies, did gym and then those students who handed in their Math booklets were given a free time on the computer while those students who did not hand in their booklets were given an extra work period to finish.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Thursday Update


Notices:
Math history of time due tomorrow:
The students started the day with 30 minutes to work on their Math history of time mini book.

Math: Exploring lapsed time. The students, on their own or in pairs, were to plan a day at Fun-land Park. The park opens at 9:30 am and is open until 9:30 pm. They were to pick 4 or 5 activities and plan their day estimating how long they spend at each activity, include food and bathroom breaks. They are to think of a way to record and schedule their time.

Today the winners of who can keep their desk clean for a week were announced by the Cleaning Crew and all received a reward. See the class newspaper for the full story.

After recess until lunch the students did group work. The project today was to pick a dance or ceremony of one of the First Nations groups and produce a 11 x 17 poster.

We started after lunch with 40 min of reading.

We ended the day with Science: Continuing on our weather theme, which will continue until spring break. Today we talked about the importance of water to living things, including themselves. Then we watched video's on drought in Africa, talked about drought and worked one page report on drought using page 68 of the text book and information we learned from the video.

Friday's test:
Spelling unit 22

Science: A blizzard is a snowstorm that has very high winds. These winds blow the snow which makes it hard to see outside. The winds make the temperature seem much colder than it really is. This is called wind chill.

Math: analog to digital time, time durations, and times tables.

Sudoku

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Wednesday update


Notices:
If your child has an old ball cap, that is not precious please send it in to attach to the dragon masks.
The class have begun a school newspaper Blog click on the link to the right to read the news.


The day began with reading then the whole class watched the semi-final rounds where two teams from our class were competing. Both teams did amazing but only one can move on to the finals. For personal reflection please stay tuned for the article in the Class Newspaper.

After recess, to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday, we watched The Sneetches one of Dr Seuss's most under-rated stories and for some inexplicable reason it is not as widely known as many of his other books.

The Sneetches is a superb tale of two groups of creatures, some who think they are better than others because of how they simply look and dress. Differing only by a star on the belly or not. The star-belly Sneetches control all the best stuff and think they are better than the others, more popular, and more important than those without stars.

Into this backdrop comes Sylvester McMonkey-McBean an entrepreneur with a message and high technology to take advantage of the ridiculous divide that the Sneetches have made for themselves.

Fortunately, despite being taken advantage of to the last dollar, the Sneetches are able to come together in unity. This story is really how advertising and the fashion and make up industry manipulate us.

The afternoon began with choir: those students not in choir listened to the music of Michael McDonald originally of the Doobie Brothers and completed a one page report.

After choir the class skipped for 40 min as part of our Jump-Rope for Heart program to promote fitness, good eating and living and to raise some money for research. Our class brought in loonies and toonies. The students can bring in a loonie or toonie all week.

Last period was devoted to Social studies and our search for spirit animals and the responsibilities that go with having a spirit animal. When this report is done the students will get a painted rock with their totem animal. If the report is done on time the students get a painted rock with the animal. If the report is not done to the students best quality or if the report is not done on time, the student will get a rock with the name of the animal painted on it. The rest of the students will simply get a shiny rock. The students voted and the project will be due the second day after spring break.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Tuesday update


Notices:
Food for Fun due Monday 4th
Tomorrow is Jump for Heart Skipping... Bring in a loonie or a toonie
.
We started the day with Science and a one page report on blizzards in three parts. A) about blizzards B) a blizzard story C) a blizzard joke . Then we had a quick library and computer period

After recess we had a catch up work period then Art drawing images of the Inuit using white pencils on blue and/or black construction paper. These will be on display in the class and in the hall tomorrow.

In the afternoon the students read for 30 min then worked on news stories, for a soon to come Class Newspaper blog. After that the students, in small groups, tried to solve math problems (page r177 ) to answer questions like: 4) Christopher Columbus landed in America in 1492. How may centuries ago was that? or 6) If an artifact is 2346 years old, how many milleniums, centuries, decades, and years old is it? Some students not finished may bring this home.

We finished the day in the gym with a rousing game of Slimers Island against Mrs. Burridge's class