What did we do today?

This morning students wrote Spelling Pre-Test 12, started an artistic response to Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner, continued with our novel study on Survival by highlighting words they were unsure of in the text and finding the definitions in the dictionary, and practed making equations that = 78 [for example: (25x2) + 10 + 10+ 5 + 3 = 78], which students seem to love.

This afternoon was a library book exchange, 2 Science experiements with light (Does Light Bend Around Corners Through the Air? and Does Light Bend In Water?) and mini-games of Hoop Ball (a modified version of basketball without dribbling where they scored into a hoola hoop) in Gym, which worked up a sweat and was a lot of fun!

Reminders:

Several notices went home today. Please ask your child if they are in his/her backpack!

On Wednesday, our class is going on a field trip to watch the Naden Band Concert. I've been several times, and it is always fantastic and entertaining for students. Please return permission forms tomorrow if you have not already.

Tomorrow R.D., E.S., T.T, and T.T. from our class will receive recognition awards at our school's monthly assembly at 2 pm. Parents and guests are welcome to attend.

Guess Who Was In the Times Colonist Yesterday?

Congratulations T. for having your art selected by the Times Colonist and published in yesterday's paper!

Mrs. S

Multiplication, Reflection, the Hobbit Computers, Music and P.E.

Notices:

The December Home reading chart was put in mailboxes yesterday so ask or remind your child to bring it home.  As well please bring in November's reading charts.

In math we have been doing addition tricks and ways of making students understand numbers to make addition easy.  The next step is multiplication, or as I like to call it, 'fast adding'  We worked with the ... 0x 1x and 2x tables quickly jumping to 1 by 2 digit using a table as a tool. 

Through out the day we did Chief challenges.  This one was to see if they could keep a candy in their mouth's for 15 minutes

After Math in ME the students wrote about "What they thought of our 'Who will be chief" day yesterday.  Many of the students used words like awesome and fantastic, which show me the importance of breaking up the regular routine from time to time to find other ways of engaging the students.

After recess I began to read aloud the Hobbit.  The students listen and take notes before drawing a response to what they heard.    I have started the Hobbit because the movie is coming out on the 14 the of December and it is one of those books that magically captures the imagination of students and makes them readers.  If you have an old copy hanging around the house send it in so your child can read along.

Throughout the day we continued with chief challenges.  This one was for the students to race to see who could drink a drink box the fastest.  Actually it was also a test to see how many would recycle their box and how many would throw it away.  As you can see a few students failed the last part and did not get chief points.

This was followed by a work period and catch up time as students went off to reading and math groups.  Students worked on masks and other work they needed to finish.  Those finished everything started to design their trading posts as part of our Social Studies program and the fur trade.

Judging the Chief coloring contest

After lunch we went to computers where the students tried to complete an acrostic poem with their name.   Students accessed the interned to search for an animal, breed of dog, type of flower, famous artists, or some other topic of their choice to match the letters of their names to.  They then finished by importing a picture of one of their choices.

After computers we went to music where we continued with our play practice and sing seasonal songs.  We were going to head off to the gym but at the last moment had to switch plans as the gym was being used for the student gift buy.  Instead I read a little more from the first chapter of the Hobbit and the students took notes in their new Hobbit workbook.  Great day everyone, stay healthy and see you all tomorrow.

The evening child buy a gift for a family member in the gym

The test tomorrow is just spelling. No Socials, Science or anything else.... so study your Spelling and make this a 20 out of 20 day.

So you want to be chief

Notices:

Recognition Assembly is next TUESDAY not Wednesday

4 members of our class will be recognized ...

we will  let your child know Monday if they are getting an award

We have just added a 5th box car to the train as the other 4 cars are filling up quickly.  Keep those granola bars coming in.  It is great to see the generosity of our Tillicum Families.

Today we spent the day with over half of the class competing, speaking, singing, dancing, drawing and coloring trying to decide who will become the chief.  We will have the results in next week, after a few more contest events and elimination challenges.   The running, strength and throwing competitions were held outside.  Those students not competing to be the chief kept score or worked on filming and documenting the whole process.  We will be making our own reality tv show to announce the winner. 

The games and activities took all day and except for choir and the choir students going to Tillicum mall to sing the students were focused, engaged and well behaved through the whole process.  Yes there were tears and arguments but that is all part of finding out who would make the best chief.

A giving her speach

 

Some sang some rapped

Mirrors, Prisms, and Rainbows

This morning students practiced handwriting; found as many little words in Fluorescence as they could (students easily found over 40 words!!); and, in Science, experimented with mirrors, flashlights, prisms, lenses, see-through colour swatches, and tin foil. Afterward their free experimentation time, students shared and wrote about what they discovered. They had an awesome time discovering properties of light on their own and a lot of learning took place.

After recess, students finished writing about their Science observations. Choir students went on a field trip with Mrs. Awalt to sing at City Hall and they even met the mayor! Students from Mrs. Carlton’s class who were not in Choir joined the remaining students in our class and we completed oil pastel winter silhouettes. They are beautiful and are on the bulletin board by the office, behind the fish tank.

Monet Summaries and Monet-Inspired Art

Choir students came back after lunch, when the other students were silent reading. Students had Music and then finished their Monet art and other unfinished work (2 things for Science) for the rest of the day. The Monet art is stunning and is displayed outside of our classroom beside the students’ summaries of Monet’s life.

Reminder: Please return your Nights of Home Reading forms. Students are working towards earning an extra recess time, so please remind the students to do their part by reading each night (and it will improve their reading skills too, which will also help them do better in school!) and returning the forms.

Mrs. S

Someone from our class was published in the newspaper

Look whose artwork was chosen by the Times Colonist and published in Saturday's paper edition.

Congratulations L!

I am still collecting weather pictures if you want to submit your art to the Times Colonist.

Mrs. S

Book Recommendation for December

Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book

by Julia Donaldson

This picture book is a fractured fairy tale, meaning that it has fairy tale elements like “once upon a time” and sets of 3 (3 bears) but it is a modern fairy tale with unexpected twists in the story. The story is also a frame story, with a story within a story within a story. The bright and colourful illustrations help the reader keep track of what is happening and there are hints on each page about what is going to happen next. There are lots of twists and turns, and funny things that happen.

Like many of Julia Donaldson’s other books, this story is written as a poem with a rhyming pattern. The story’s rhyme and rhythm are fun to read, and pieces of many fairy tales are included in this modern tale.

This book is in our classroom and I will check to see if the school's library has other Julia Donaldson books.

I rate this story 5 Stars out of 5.

Thank you to J. who wrote a raving review for The Secret World of Og. We have this book in our classroom and he read it over the summer. We’ve made a “We Recommend” book area where I’ve put copies of the book reviews and books that I have recommended on our class’s blog onto a shelf and bulletin board. I’ve encouraged students to recommend books that they have enjoyed too. J. is the first to finish a recommendation and put it up, although I know of 2 other students working on their own recommendations. Since putting up J.’s review, another student in the class is already reading this fantastic book. What a great way to share really good books that are interesting to grade 4s and to encourage a love of reading.

Mrs. S