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.

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.

Spring Break March 12 to March 27th

Happy spring break everyone.... see you in two weeks

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 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.

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.