Friday March 30

Notices:

Keep those student led interview forms coming in

We began the day with our weekly spelling test. At the start of the week all students are given a couple of work sheets to go along with the spelling words that are due on Friday before the test. The sheets give the students time to look at the words and think about the words to help them remember how to spell them. It must be after spring break as none, yes none, of the students had the sheets finished. So they are due Monday. The only exception are the students who achieved 20 out of 20 as, apparently, they do not need to study.

After spelling the students went with Mr. D to the computer lab to fill out a district satisfaction survey which asks children about their learning and attitudes about learning at school, at home, and in the community. there were 42 questions and took the students up to recess to complete.

After recess we did a drawing and writing assignment on seeing different sides of a story (perspective) today they had to visualize themselves as a dragon approaching a castle with someone watching the dragon approach. At the point in the visualization where they see the castle in detail the students were told to open their eyes and draw on the top half of a page in their L. A. books what they (the dragon) saw. Next period they will draw and write the same scene but from the perspective of the person standing in the castle.

In Math we began a quick unit on reading and making graphs. The students completed one question on page 171 making sure that when they answer a question the answer with a sentence and underline the answer part. (This is a grade 5+ expectation)

After lunch we had an active buddy period as we had missed buddies for the last couple of weeks due to spring break and myself being away on jury duty. This period extended until 1:45 when the students were supposed to have a bonus 20 minute recess period because the school has reached its home reading goal. (This recess has been moved until Monday because of Rain)

We ended the day with p.e. doing relays which promote skills and endurance and working together.

Have a great weekend and don't forget your Family Mini book due on Monday.

Wednesday March 27

In the morning the students had a sub as we are waiting to hear who will be Mrs. O's replacement.

They started the day doing writing from two different points of view. The statement was "should school go 12 months of the year." The students had to look at the statement from their perspective, the perspective of their parents and their teachers. This lead to many thoughtful and creative ideas.
This was followed by math where the students had to choice of doing one of three different math sheets.

After recess the sub took the students for their Daily Physical Activity outside then Language arts where the students were shown different pictures and had to predict what was going to happen next. I think this is a great idea for writing.

In the afternoon we had a 15 min reading period followed by computers until 2:00. The students were shown how to make a "Newspaper" looking page on one the arrival of aliens from space. Tomorrow we will talk about and extend this to what it was like for the first Europeans to come to America and how alien that was.

We ended the day with Mrs. Awalt and music. The students continued on with their recorder practice.

Tuesday March 27th

Notices sent home:
After school sports fun for Wed's April 4, 11, 18, 25, and May 2, 9, 16

Our class read for the top team

We started with hand writing practice and and thought for the Day:

Treat the earth well.

It was not given to you by your parents,

it was loaned to you by your children.

We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors,

we borrow it from our Children.

Ancient First Nation Proverb

It was hard for some of the student to understand the idea at first but by the end most of the students understood the main idea. That we are to protect the earth for the future.

After recess we had a quick library period followed up by a reading period of 30 minutes. After Reading we worked on 4 pages of math that cover the work we have been learning before spring break. This is to give me a good idea of what the students have learned, what they have remembered so I will know what to review and what to reteach.

With the document camera hooked up to the projector:

Students working on their animation pictures:

After Lunch PE we did hockey skills then had a game. True to real hockey there were crashes and spills and penalties and that is why it is our main Canadian sport.

For the last block we looked at the document camera and talked about features that will let us use it to capture stills to make moving stop image animations. The students then began working on making a stop animation scene using a nursery rhyme or children's story. We will move the pictures onto the computer to make mini movies.

Welcome Back from Spring Break

Homework:
Spelling study sheets due Friday
Writing assignment: What I liked about Spring Break

Welcome back everyone, hope you all had a happy, productive and safe spring break.

Our weekly spelling words were dictated and spelling practice sheets given to the students.

Spelling words:

fact, began, clasp, rapid, able, rapid, able, later, space, stranger, grade, display main, explain, freight, neighbor, weigh, vein, April, ankle, weather positive.

The students then wrote about 'What they liked about Spring Break.' Writing about what they liked seemed to be better than writing about "what they did" as they had lots of ideas.


After recess we had music, reviewed recorder work they had been doing, had time to do a recorder game and a few students had a turn at playing solo. It is amazing how quickly our students learn music when they try. Music is in the individual classrooms this week as the Kinders have been moved to the music room while their floor is being recovered.


After music I gave the students a reading comprehension test and we began to make name name tags for the substitute teacher and the replacement teacher for Mrs. O'connor who was successful in getting a full time teaching position at Campus View. We wish her the best and look forward to meeting her replacement next week.

After lunch those students who are in Choir went to choir in the gym as the music room is being used this week by the Kinders who are having the floor in their classroom redone. Those students not in choir listened to and did a report on Cat Stevens who became a household name as a force in music in the peace movement during the early seventies.

We had a quick library period before Socials as the students need a book to read during reading periods. We read the book 'The Family Book' by Todd Parr then began the first mini book of the new term. The new book is called "My Family Book." The students brainstromed things to consider things like size, looks like, who is in, where is their home and what does it look like.

Again welcome back and I look forward to a great final term

See you all bright and eager after Spring Break...

Where I was in Thailand with my brother two years ago when I took the year off to travel
around the world with my daughter Aja.

This spring break I am staying home but hope to go skiing for a day or two next week.
I hope you all have a happy and safe spring break. See you on the 26th. Take care Mr. W