Outdoor School Information
The grade 3's will be going to Outdoor School in early June. Consequently we will be having an information meeting to discuss any concerns you may have. This meeting will be on Wednesday May 16 at 1:50 in the gym. If you are unable to attend we will be sending home an information package with your child the following day.
Story Writing
We have now completed all the story writing lessons, all of the children have brought home their story folders with their rough drafts, this happened on Monday May 15. Included in their folders is a letter explaining how you can assist them at home. As well, the criteria list on how they will be marked in the folder. Everything is due back at school on Tuesday May 22.
Science
The grade 3's have begun their unit on Plants. We have been growing "grassheads" to demonstrate our knowledge on the needs of a plant. I will post photos to show how well these plants are growing later in the week!
Social Studies
The grade 4's are currently working through stations about Early Explorers. The grade 3's have made maps of the Provinces and Territories of Canada, as well as their capital cities. Now, each grade 3 has been assigned a Province or Territory, and has began making a brochure on their topic.
As promised, here is the link to the hip-hop dance performed by Division 5 at the Dance Assembly last Friday! Enjoy!
http://vimeo.com/user11530305/videos
(You have to copy and paste the link into your web browser)
May Information Math - the grade 3 children have just completed their unit on Fractions and will be starting Unit 3 the first week of May, Addition and Subtraction adding and subtracting 2-digit and 3-digit numbers. - the grade 4 children are almost finished learning about fractions and will be making a transition to decimals in the next week. Fractions and decimals are both included in Unit 5, however since it is such a long unit, it will be broken into two. We wil have the fractions exam on Wednesday May 2nd, and the students will be reminded on Monday, as well as complete a review on Monday and Tuesday. -both the grade 3 and 4 students will be invited to be involved in a Fraction Snack Potluck next Wednesday, May 2nd. The students will know more about this on Monday. The goal of this potluck is for each student to make up a fraction word problem about their food (or any food they choose), and we will solve the math problems before we eat! Science - the grade 3's have just completed their unit on Space and will be bringing home their marked Space Folders soon. The grade 3's will begin a Plant Unit this week. - the grade 4's are just fininshing off their unit on Light and Sound and have their final quiz on Thursday May 3rd. Social Studies - Miss Gardner, our Student Teacher, will be doing a combined unit on Explorers, Pioneers, and Orienteering and both the grade 3's and 4's will take part in it. Career and Health All of you should have received a letter home regarding the Friends Program that I am giving to all of our grade 4's on Fridays. If you haven't, please ask your child about this program due to the fact that some of the homework requires parent involvement. PE We have just completed our Dance Unit and our class have done an amazing job. Our dance video should be on our Web Page by next week. Remember please drop by, or email, if you have any concerns.
Welcome Back. It sounds like everyone had an enjoyable break.
Student Led Conferences
Only a few families were able to attend prior to the break, so I would like to invite any of you who would like to attend Tuesday April 3, or Wednesday April 4. The classroom will be open until 4:30 on Tuesday, and on Wednesday from 2:30 until 3:30. There will be a list in the classroom for you and your child to follow and I will be available for any questions. Please take the time, it is important for your child to share their work and set some goals for Term 3.
UBC Practicum Student Teacher
We are fortunate to have Miss Kathryn Gardner with us for the next nine weeks. She will be teaching a variety of subjects with the children. Please take the time to introduce yourselves and let her know who you are connected with in our class.
Math
Both grades have just started Fractions (Unit 5 in both textbooks). Remember to be aware of what homework is coming home and help guide your child's success.
Science
Grade 3 - continuing with Space
Grade 4 - Will be starting Light and Sound the beginning of April
Language Arts
We have been working on refining Paragraph Writing since January and are continuing with a few more writes. Next, we will begin the process of Story Writing, so please watch for work coming home, I would appreciate your assistance with your child.
Information from Division 5
Heart and Stroke Foundation
Our class would like to raise extra money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. To accomplish this Kylie and Miranda are organizing a Bake Sale. We would appreciate any parent and/or child baking a goody for this event. The sale will be held on Friday March 2, right after school.
Burnaby Art Gallery
Gallery representatives will be in our class on Tuesday February 28th doing an Outreach Art Workshop called What do Ecosystems and Artwork Have in Common. I do need two parent volunteers for this activity, it would require you spending the afternoon in our class. Please contact me if you are interested.
Burnaby Village
Just a reminder that the grade 3 children will be going on their all day Fieldtrip this Friday March 2nd. Please send them dressed appropriately, they will be having their lunch there too.
The Snakeman
This amazing gentlemen was at our school on Friday teaching the children about holding snakes. Please do ask them about this activity.
Math
Recently I finished marking Math exams, overall the class is doing well in Math. However, there is one area that most of the class could use some review and practice with, and that is solving problems and writing problems.
Parents please practice some problems with your child. They may be as simple as asking them to divide the fruit bowl up into groups and tell you an equation, or division sentence, for their groups. Or have them give you a problem and you demonstrate how you go about coming up with the equation and answer. It is important to explain the thought process outloud, this will help guide them to solving problem with more success.
Student Conferences
We will be having these conferences on Tuesday March 6 between 2 - 3 and Thursday March 8 between 2 - 3. There will be a sign-up sheet outside our classroom next week. Please take the time to sign you and your child up for a session. Each conference will be about 15 minutes long, which will give me a brief opportunity to informally discuss any concerns.
More February Information
Vancouver Giants
Each child has brought home a Read to Succeed recording sheet. Please read the inside of the card for the Parent Program Overview. The challenge begins today, Wednesday February 8,and goes for two weeks. Please encourage your child to read for 15 minutes per day and to exercise, outside of school hours, for 30 minutes per day. If they accomplish this, fill in their forms, and have you initial each day they will get a free ticket to a game.
Eat Well Play Well
Each child in the class has been eating at least one serving from the Fruit and Vegetable and Milk and Milk Products daily, hence they have all been getting a point. As well, most of the class has been exercising (moving) for at least 30 minutes per day. Yes, they can use the same 30 minutes for this program and the Vancouver Giants Challenge.
In class we have been exploring the Canada Food Guide and learning about how many servings they should each have for their age group and how big or small a serving size is.
As well, each child has been given a Physical Activity Guide. This booklet has a variety of activities explaining the importance of being active.
Having your child read a portion, or portions, of this booklet outloud would be beneficial and could be part of their 15 minutes of reading. The booklet was sent home on Thursday February 9.
Social Studies / Science
Grade 4 - we are just completing the chapter on the Inuit and their duotangs are due on Friday February 10. We will be switching to Science next week and starting a unit on the Human Body.
Grade 3 - we will be completing our Government and History components next week and also switching to Science. Our next unit will be on the Solar System.
Social Studies Time Line, for Grade 3, is due on Monday February 13. The instructions can be found on page 58 of their text.
Math - we will be starting a new unit in both grades this week. It is Unit 4 in both textbooks and we will be exploring Measurement. Some of this unit will be taught to both grades at the same time, other parts will be grade specific.
The math exams from our previous unit on Multilication and Division should be marked and handed back by next week.
Language Arts - we have had several lessons on Paragraph Writing and by next week rough drafts should be coming home for you to assist with.
Home Reading
As you already know we now have new laminated folders, I guess I should have laminated them at the beginning of the year. Anyway, just a reminder that your child should be reading at least 20 minutes per day. Then, it is their responsibility to have you initial the Home Reading Sheet. The children hand these folders in daily. I enjoy seeing what they are reading and they get a mark for completing 5 days of reading per week.
Planners - some children are forgetting to bring their planners to school each day. If you could encourage them to bring it daily, we do write in it daily and I often write notes to stay in touch with you.
Remember, never hesitate to contact me if you have a question or a concern.
- Some February Highlights
- Language Arts Grade 3 and 4
- Starting this week we will begin to explore the puzzle pieces of a paragraph. Over the next few weeks I will require your assistance with these lessons. Each child in our class has a Reading Writing booklet, this is where we will be doing the rough drafts of our paragraphs. Then, they will be coming home for you to proofread and edit with your child, please sign or initial each rough draft. Next, they must neatly print a good copy, on the page directly beside their rough draft, and return the booklet to school for marking.
- Glued into each booklet will be a Paragraph Criteria Sheet, you may find this helpful when you are proofreading.
- Health and Career
- Recently we have been discussing the different types of friends one may have, for instance what is the difference between a good friend and just an aquaintance at school. As well, we will be exploring the difference between thoughts and feeling and how to best treat our friends.
- HELP IS NEEDED!! During the second week of February Monday February 6, to Friday February10 our class will be participating in a Eat Well Play Well Challenge. A letter from Vancouver Coastal Health, explaining this challenge, will be sent home with your child on Thursday February 2.
Your responsiblilty will be to see that your child is bringing food to school that fits into the Vegetable and Fruit or Milk and Alternatives food group. They will be given a point a day for bringing and eating these foods.
As well, they will be given a point per day for being involved in 1/2 hour of physical activity outside of school time.
This challenge is designed to help support healthy lives. I will be discussing the Canada Food Guide with the class and doing a series of lessons related to healthy food choices.
Math
There will be a unit exam next Tuesday February 7 for both grades. You may want to do some of the review questions, with your child, at the end of each chapter. Grade 3 Chapter #8 and Grade 4 Chapter # 3.
Next week I will post information on what unit we will be covering next.
Science
Overall the posters and presentations were amazing.
Remember if you ever have and questions, comments, or concerns about your child never hesitate to contact me.
January Curriculum Highlights Math In December both grades were exploring and working with Multiplication. For the month of January we will be learning about Geometry. However, if you could continue to practice multiplication with your child it would be appreciated. For instance, you could practice while you are driving in the car, you could each take a turn asking each other a multiplication question like 3 X 5 = 15 and so on. While we are studying Geometry the grade 3’s will be using Unit # 6 in their textbooks. The children will be learning about polygons, vertexes, vertices, prisms, triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and octagons. In grade 4, using Unit # 6, the children will be learning about triangular prisms, rectangular prisms, nets, and lines of symmetry. Language Arts During early January we will be reading and writing poetry with a focus on similes, metaphors and onomatopoeia. Next, we will be doing a unit on paragraph writing. More information will be coming regarding this unit closer to the time. Science As you know all the students, with your guidance, are working on their projects which are due next Thursday January 12. I will be reviewing with them how to give a presentation early next week. Social Studies During January the grade 3's will be working out of their text Chapter # 4 studying Government and the grade 4's will also be working out of their text, Chapter # 4 studying the Inuit. P.E.
Parent information for Science Projects
In class the children have learned and practiced how not to plagiarize, how to put text into their own words. Now it's your turn to assist with their projects. Project information will be sent home on Tuesday, January 3, you will have over a week to completed this assignment. The information can be collected from the internet and or books.
Grade 3- If you could scribe for you child, for this project, it would be appreciated.
First, find information related to their skyscraper and have them tell you how to paraphrase it onto the fact sheet.
Next, take the fact sheet information and with your child, you can still be the scribe, transfer this information into paragraph format. The paragraph can be typed or handwritten.
Finally, glue onto their poster board with their illustration or picture.
Have your child practice their presentation at home. The presentations are on Thursday, January 12, 2012.
Grade 4-
First, assist you child finding information about their animal. Then, help guide them as they convert the information onto their fact sheets, a half of each fact sheet for each sub-topic.
Next, assist them in converting the fact sheet info into paragraphs for their poster paper. This could be typed or printed neatly.
Finally, Attach the paragraph and illustration, or picture, onto the poster board.
Have your child practice their presentation at home. The presentations are on Thursday, January 12, 2012.
If you have any questions or comments about the project do not hesitate to contact me.
Thanking you in advance,
Carol Mitchell