Friday April 8

First thing in the morning the students focused in and worked hard to complete their Friday Test

Apparently the district thinks I am irreplaceable as I was absent yesterday and the district did not send anyone in to replace me. So recess to Lunch Mrs. Whithers working on mini-books and took the students to the computer lab to create a comic book on a web site Pixton. From Recess to Lunch Mrs. Holt did a reading workshop on the story hiccup champion. In the afternoon Mr. Duyndam did a special presentation on recycling and took the students to the Gym for their Tennis lesson.

Notices:

Div 1. Mr. Duyndam's class is having a coin drive for Japan

nickels Monday / dimes Tuesday / Quarters wed / Loonies Thursday / Toonie Friday

Scholastic book forms

We started the day with our weekly test. Regular tests give the students practice with study skills, and let the student overcome their fear of tests.

After Recess we did our weekly graph. Today we graphed the students favorite type of pizza. Graphs are a great way to talk about fractions and percents in a fun and creative way. Graphing was followed by group work where the students compared 50 facts about bees and fifty facts about ants and then did a poster to show how they are the same. Group work helps students develop community skills through conversation. Having to compromise and work together is an important skill and not always present in grade 4 students.

After lunch all but four of the students went to buddies with Mrs. Dagg's grade one class to read and do math with them. After buddies we did 30 min of reading then a silhouette art project.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Friday Test

Friday Test

Spelling: Unit 25

Math: Comparing and ordering fractions

multiplication of three digit numbers by 21 (21 x 223, 21 x 312, 2;1 x 544) questions that will show an understanding of the process rather than challenge them on times table facts.

Socials:

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, hoping to find a route to India. Columbus sailed for King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain. On his first trip, Columbus led an expedition with three ships, the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. His crew thought the world was flat and were thinking throwing him overboard. He talked them into waiting another week then on October 11, 1492, spotted the Caribbean islands off southeastern North America. They were met by the local Taino natives. Columbus thought he had made it to Asia, and called this area the Indies, and called its inhabitants Indians.

Thursday Update April 7

Rocks painted for students who finished their animal projects

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I was absent today but here is the information I left the Sub

Before recess

Language arts two handouts. Comparing and contrasting a Bee and an Ant The students read through the facts and make a table of things related only to ants, only to bees and things related to both bees and ants. Have the students put the handout form in their Language arts Books.

Handwriting: In their Social studies books. Using the handout Two points of view. The students, in their best printing, write out the paragraph on the words of the Explorer Samuel Hearne. Then in their best handwriting they write out the second paragraph of the Inuit woman’s description of the same area she calls the tundra. (They can put them on two separate pages for two separate marks (2x the reward) Both pages need a picture, color, border… they know the drill)

After Recess:

Group Work. The students like group work. Today they can work by themselves or in small groups of two or three to Invent an animal. The criteria for students to design their project is on the back of the handout. (appearance/ Locomotion/ Diet/ Habitat/ Adaptations/ Life cycle/ Behavior/ defense / Survival/ Special information) The students need to do one page per category. IE one page on their defenses, one page on their habitat etc. If the groups seem to be wandering or loosing track, use the last half hour for them to present their new animal to the class. [Discuss the idea that animals develop and adapt to different environments so if the want to take an existing animal and simply adapt it for another environment that is ok… An underwater elephant… need flippers… gills etc… Or they can create a mythical animal like the Griffin.

After Lunch: 12:45 30 min silent Reading in their desks.

1:15 : The students can work on their mini-books due Friday or can continue to present their animals from the morning.

1:45 Tennis in the Gym. A visiting pro runs the event, help out as needed.

For the last period have the students make a poster on our school virtue of the month, generosity. There is an information sheet on generosity to read over with the students to understand this important virtue and generate talk about it… if you feel tie it in with what is happening in our community (the students collected juice containers for a local boy, and our world (japan)

Wednesday Update April 6th

Students at the bank collecting their pay for work completed.

Notices: Friday is Food 4 Fun

(only snack needed for students getting hot dogs or taco's)

Wednesday Express for those that did not indicate they would rather have an electronic version.

We began the day working on our mini-write a book (due Friday) followed by correcting Math from yesterday on Ordering and Comparing fractions. Today we assigned pages 258-259-260 (Fractions as part of a set of objects)

After recess the class went to music with Mrs. Awalt followed by Science where we continued on our new Science unit on Light. The students were assigned a one page report on "What is Light"

Today is early dismissal at 1:45. After lunch the students bought an extra 30 minute computer period for $80.00 to work on their Socials Power Point presentation. After computers we read for 30 minutes, cleaned up for 5 minutes then ending the day with a 10 min game of silent ball.

The students were dismissed at 1:45 to make time for parent teacher interviews (student led conferences.

Tuesday update April 5

Parent teacher interviews are a great time to share your work with your parents and of course a time let the teacher meet your family.

Notices:

Parent Teacher (student led conferences) today and tomorrow

1:45 early dismissal both days

Pink Eye

is going around some of the classes in the school. I have seen a few red eyes from lack of sleep Monday mornings, but no pink eye yet. However, if your child is complaining about their eyes please get them to the clinic or apply any home made remedies you have and keep them home during the active contagious period.

Today

Today we started with Library and Computers. The students began a power point project on "Is the World Round or Flat and Why?"

After recess we talked about the coming of Christopher Columbus to North America (the Caribbean) in 1492 and the students filled in a response sheet based on pages 118 - 119 of the text then began a one page report on Columbus.

In Science we talked a a lot about the brain and light and how light is seen and understood by the brain. No assignments were given as the talking and sharing part of the lesson went on too long.

In the afternoon we had a 30 min reading / catchup / get ready for parent teacher interviews period followed by a 25 min Gym period where we played bench ball.

Monday April 4th

Modeling Clay designs from our Social Studies Units

Notices:

Parent teacher Interviews Tue and Wed (student led conferences)

School dismissed at 1:45 on Tuesday and Wednesday
(If your child has not brought home the form with your interview time, come when you can during the interview times as the conferences are student led)

Food for Fun Friday

We began the week, and day as always, with our weekly spelling pre-test. This week is Unit 25.
[lazy volcano flavor piano recent really item pilot triangle climate gigantic program obey puny prepare vacant pulley menu (Bonus: mistake)]

After recess we had a discussion in Socials on the belief that the world is flat rather than round. (Still believed by the Flat Earth Society). The students then worked on a title page for our new Socials unit, Exploring the New World, the coming of Europeans to North America.

In math we corrected the two pages assigned on Friday and Assigned pages 256 and 257. These pages are on ordering and comparing fractions. Most students have the concept of writing fractions, and ordering fractions with like denominators and most students easily finished the two pages of work.

After lunch those students not in choir listened to and did a one page report on the Victoria born Nelly Furtado. This was followed by a reading period then Music with Mrs. Awalt.

Friday Update April 1st

Students with their flat clay images of First Nations, Inuit and Viking images

We started the day trying not to be fooled on this day of fun, April 1st. I managed to get the students to all line up outside again in the rain when the bell went, even though they were already in the school because of the rain buzzer. As well Mr D.. Mrs. Crystal, Mrs. Ireton and Mrs. Wilson had some students from other classes mixed in with theirs. I did not hang around long enought to see if they were noticed. Some said a few extra students in my class would probably go unnoticed by me for days, or is it if a few were missing.... except for some suspicious interest in making sure I had a cup of tea I managed to remain fool free...

Before recess we had our regular Friday test, which has been marked and sent home. The rest of the time before recess was used for catching up on all the work assigned this week.

After recess we corrected the math from yesterday and the students were assigned another two pages on fractions. In Art, following math, the students used modeling clay to make scenes from the Viking settelers to North America or from the First Nations People.

In the afternoon we had Buddies with Mrs. Dagg's grade one class where the students did math with our buddies followed by 30 min of silent reading in our class. Because it was an indoor lunch period and so many of our class are lunch monitors and gave up their lunch, we ended the day playing Literary Bingo.

Have a great weekend.... Mr W