Embedded Files
This group was a great help with clean up on the last day. We followed our cleaning up with a team "Minute to Win It" Challenge. The girls were the clear winners!
June 30th - As the end of the year clean up and paperwork wraps up, I wanted to take a moment to do a final note to all of you. This Grade 8 group has had a great year and I'm so proud of the growth they have shown in so many ways. We are looking forward to having this group be the leaders of our school this fall. We know this enthusiastic bunch are up for the challenge and responsibilities this brings! Thank you to all of you for your support this year. Wishing you all the best and hope everyone has a happy and safe summer.
See you in September!
Final student of the month
for Grade 8
June 13th - So many great activities and fun going on these last few weeks of school. This past week Grade 8 helped the Grade 2s create decorations for our spring concert, band students had two great performances, track and field events were hard fought, and the girls once again won bronze in flag football! On top of this we've been having a great time in class learning about cells...check out these great pics of learning to use microscopes, and creating our 2D and 3D models of plant and animals cells.
Here's what to look for over the next week as we wrap up our final assignments:
Wednesday - Cell organelle functions quiz
Friday - Feature articles due
Monday - Body systems poster due
Just a reminder that next Friday, June 23rd is the Grade 5-9 field trip to CARI. Students will be swimming in the morning. They will be provided with pizza for lunch. Following lunch, they will have a choice of games in the UPEI gym or a free skate at the rink. Note: gym shoes are required for the gym and helmets are required for everyone on the ice.
Tuesday, June 27th is the Grade 9 graduation. All are welcome.
Wednesday, June 28th is the last day of school. Student of the Month for June will be at 2:15
Well done band students and athletes!
(left and below)
Check out the great pics from our STEM project this past week!
June 4th - Looking ahead this week we will be working on our Feature Articles in LA, working on Cells unit in Science, and wrapping up our work with WWII. It's going to be a busy one with concert prep and theme days! End of year field trips are being finalized and we will have info and dates out this week.
Reminders:
Don't forget to check out the Home & School facebook page for Flag Football updates/schedules.
The Spring Concert is Thursday, June 8th (1:00 and 6:30)
Check out these upcoming theme days for the Grade 9 class fundraising:
Monday, June 5th - Hawaii Day
Tuesday, June 6th - Hat Day & Gr 9 Bake Sale
Wednesday, June 7th - Summer Sports Day
Thursday, June 8th - Dress as your fav teacher day
Friday, June 9th - PJ Day
May 29th - In June, we often hear people talk about how "things are winding down" at school. But, teachers and parents all know that June is the opposite of that! Flag football is going strong, theme days are ahead next week, end of year trips are in planning, curriculum is still being covered, and students are still working hard and being assessed! Here is what's on this week:
Language Arts - we are diving in deep with non-fiction text structures. Each day we have been looking at a different structure and completing a speed write of a draft to get a feel for what writing that structure is like for an author. Students will be choosing a topic and structure of their own to publish a feature article in the week ahead. Their final reading response is due this Wednesday.
Science - this week we are wrapping up our fluids unit by using our knowledge of mass, density, gravity, and buoyancy for a STEM challenge. Next week, we move on to Cells!
Social Studies - By the end of next week, we will be completing our unit on Canada's involvement in WWII. This week we look at Canada's Homefront and next week we turn our attention to D-Day and the Holocaust.
Reminders:
Don't forget to check out the Home & School facebook page for Flag Football updates/schedules.
The Spring Concert is Thursday, June 8th (1:00 and 6:30)
Check out these upcoming theme days next week for the Grade 9 class fundraising:
Monday, June 5th - Hawaii Day
Tuesday, June 6th - Hat Day & Gr 9 Bake Sale
Wednesday, June 7th - Summer Sports Day
Thursday, June 8th - Dress as your fav teacher day
Friday, June 9th - PJ Day
STEM Challenge - This past week, Grade 8 students have been working to design, construct, evaluate, and improve upon a prototype of an object that floats and can carry the greatest amount of cargo. On Tuesday, they will have 30 minutes to build their design and then we test to see which design was most effective! More pics to come...
Lastly, job well done to our Track and Field athletes who bared the crazy cold last week and did such a great job of representing VRCS (both in character and on the field).
Go Mustangs!
May 14th - Short weeks are always busy weeks as we try to pack in 5 days worth of learning and activity into 4! Congrats to the girls flag football team on their first big win of the season. And, check out the action in the kitchen with the "Farm to Table" elective with Ms. Kelly. I've got lots of assessing to do this week with reading responses and labs now passed in...keep an eye on PowerSchool later this week for updated marks! This week we are continuing on with Fluid Density and Canada's involvement in WWII.
As with last week, please continue to watch the Home & School site for Ms. Adam's updates re: flag football. Students are also preparing for their upcoming Track & Field meet. These practices are outside at lunch time so students need to come prepared for the weather. Homework club will be available until the end of May. Students can stay both Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays.
Upcoming Days:
Wednesday, May 17th - Track & Field Meet @UPEI
Friday, May 19th - Professional Learning Day (no classes)
Monday, May 22nd - Victoria Day (no classes)
Have a great week!
May 7th - This week we are continuing with our work as outlined last week. Once exception...our rate of flow labs will now be due this week (Wednesday). Our class got hit hard with the virus making its rounds last week and our flow rate testing took longer than expected! This means we have reading responses and labs now both due Wednesday. Homework club is still available after school both Tuesdays and Wednesdays for students who would like the extra time, space, and support. Just send me an email or note if your child plans to stay.
Please continue to watch the Home & School site for Ms. Adam's updates re: flag football. Students are also preparting for their upcoming Track & Field Day at UPEI May 17th with the support of Ms. Visser and Ms. Richards. These practices are outside at lunch time so students need to come prepared for the weather.
Upcoming Days:
Friday, May 19th - Professional Learning Day (no classes)
Monday, May 22nd - Victoria Day (no classes)
The Grade 8s have completed their flow rate tests! All groups encountered challenges with their process/procedure and they did an amazing job of thinking critically to problem solve, consider different variables and make adjustments.
This week with the Grade 8s supported the Grade 2s with learning about time. Well done, Grade 8!
April 30th - Welcome May! We have so many great things on the go this week:
Science - Students have written their lab procedures for their "Flow Rate of Liquids" lab. They will be running their tests tomorrow(Monday). They have gone over their materials list and some may be bringing in a few needed materials from home. Following their testing, they will be using their data to create a graph and write their conclusions. Lab reports will be due Wednesday, May 3rd.
Social Studies - This week we are getting into the causes of WWII and Canada's involvement. We have also begun watching CNN10 for international news updates. Students write a personal reflection on the day's events, which is followed by sharing and discussion opportunities. Already they have made such great connections with what we are learning in Soc. Studies with what is going on in current events (eg. Ukraine and Sudan). All students have also chosen a text (fiction or non-fiction) that is related to WWII. They will be responsible for writing reading responses based on their chosen texts. Their response prompts and criteria can all be found on their Language Arts Google classroom. Their first reading response will be due Wednesday, May 10th
Dates to remember:
Wednesday, May 3rd - Band students to go MRHS 9:30-11:30 for the music festival
Friday, May 5th - Annual meeting day for teachers - no classes
Flag Football - Tues, Wed, Thursdays 3:00-4:15
Track and Field - practices starting this Monday at lunch time
Our new lunch time obsession
Last Thursday (above) we decided to "kick it old school" with the Grade 2s and teach them some old relics including hopscotch, skipping, and "What time is it, Mr Wolf". The Grade 8s were amazing and the Grade 2s had a blast!
April 23rd - This week is the first full week we have had in a while! There one key event to note for this week...
The Grade 8 class is one of many across PEI that have been randomly selected to take part in PCAP 2023. Please see the information poster to the right. We will be completing this online assessment this Tuesday. It is a 2 part assessment that will take up most of our morning with a break in between. It is important to note that any students with adaptations to their programming/needs will continue to be adapted in the same manner for this assessment.
More information on this project is available at: https://www.cmec.ca/240/PanCanadian_Assessment_Program_(PCAP).html
Have a great week!
April 16th - As promised, check out the images of last week...from some of our biographies in a box, to science labs, presentations, and Easter Seals, we packed it in. This week we will be continuing our unit on fluids with a focus on understanding viscosity (a fluid's resistance to flow), we will be continuing our look at the effects of the Depression throughout the 1930s, and we will be creating digital posters that identify the major Canadian political leaders of that era and what their proposed solutions for the Depression were.
Reminder: No classes Friday, April 21st as it is a School Goals Day
Preparing a welcome banner for our Easter Seals Ambassadors with our Gr. 2 Buddies
Mini - lab reviewing particle theory: is it a liquid or a solid?
Social Studies Presentations: Technological Innovations of the 1920s
Thursday, April 13th - Easter Seals Ambassador visit 8:50. Don't forget your donations!
Check out the pics below...can you find the butterflies? As a "Fun Friday" activity Grade 8 (and then later with their grade 2 buddies) and Grade 9 found sneaky places around the school to camouflage some butterflies. Here's a few to keep an eye out for, but there's so many more to try to find...
Katelyn Rogers & Meghan Rogers
PEI’s 2023 Easter Seals Ambassadors
For the first time in our 66-year history, Easter Seals PEI is proud to have two Ambassadors representing our organization! Twin sisters Katelyn Rogers and Meghan Rogers live in Cornwall with their parents Andrea and Kevin Rogers – and their Golden Retriever, Max.
Grade 5 students at Eliot River School, the girls enjoy extra-curricular activities that include dancing, singing, wheelchair basketball and riding their go-karts. Both were born with cerebral palsy, and have conquered many challenges in their young lives, including corrective spinal surgery in 2019 that involved many months of post-operative recovery and extensive physical therapy.
We know it will be an exciting year ahead #UnstoppABLE young Islanders as we work to create more awareness and meet more fundraising goals on behalf of people across our province living with disabilities.
Meghan and Katelyn’s motto: “Believe in yourself and don’t give up.“
April 10th - A short week, but a busy one as usual. Tomorrow, Grade 8 will present their expert slide shows to a small group of students. Not only are their slide shows being assessed for their research/content, students will be evaluated on their speaking and listening skills as well. Our biographies in a box are complete and I will make sure to send pictures next week. The remainder of this week will be looking into the stock market crash of the 1920s and doing lots of exploring and lab work with our Fluids unit. Have a great week!
April 2nd - These last few weeks have been super busy and this week ahead will be more of the same. We have A LOT on the go..
1.) The first is our "Biographies in a Box". Grade 8 has been working hard on researching and writing a biography about a Canadian who made great contributions around the 1920s. The biographies are in their final stages and we are putting together our display boxes this week.
2.) The second is our group slide show project that focuses on an innovation in technology from the 1920s. Students did individual research, are now working in groups of three to put together a presentation, and will then will represent their "expert group" in a presentation of their slideshow to a group of other experts. These will be presented early next week.
3.) Lastly, we put our slide show presentations on a slight hold last week so we could do a little learning around the upcoming provincial election through a program called "Student Vote" offered to Canadian schools. This past week we learned about what democracy means and what a democratic government looks like, and the three levels of government in Canada and what each are responsible for. Tomorrow we will spend the day learning about the 4 major political parties in PEI, who the leaders of these parties are, hear about their platforms and views on specific questions and concerns, learn about the voting process, and take part in our own class mock vote. Large day.
Have a great week!
Check out the 8s in action this past week...looking forward to another one of great fun and engagement. Super proud of how far this group has come!
Upcoming Days to Note:
Monday, April 3rd - Bantam & Intermediate Badminton Meets
Wednesday, April 5th - Grade 7-9 Homework Club, Grade 9 Bake Sale
Friday, April 7th - Good Friday (no school)
Monday, April 10th - Easter Monday (no school)
Thursday, April 13th - Easter Seals Ambassador visit 8:50
Friday, April 21st - School Goals Day (no school for students)
Grade 2/8 Buddies - "Springing it up" a little with some painted flowers
March 26th - Just a few things to mention for this week:
It was great to connect with many of you during Parent/Teacher interviews. If we haven't yet had the chance, please send me an email with days/times that work for you, or if you'd like to connect via phone or google meet.
Homework club is Wednesday 3:00-4:15 for any 7-9 students.
Badminton club (non-competitive/all levels) is every Friday afterschool for anyone interested!
Upcoming dates to note in April:
Friday, April 7th - Good Friday (no school)
Monday, April 10th - Easter Monday (no school)
Friday, April 21st - Schools Goals day (no school)
March 19th - Tomorrow is the first day of spring...and that means we have 14 weeks of school left. I've been so impressed with this group this year, they have grown and matured so much and now the final push is on before they officially become Grade 9s!
This week in Language Arts/Social Studies, we are drafting our biographies of important Canadians from the 1920's, learning about the impact of new technology in the 1920's and the causes of the Great Depression. In Science, we are starting our unit on Fluids with lots of hands on activities to develop an understanding of fluid viscosity.
Some items to note:
Report cards go home Monday, March 20th
Parent Teacher Interviews are March 23rd and 24th - Make sure to check your email for the Sign Up Genious that was just sent out
Homework Club is back! Every Wednesday, Grade 7-9 students may come to the library for the extra time, space and support they might need to complete their assigned work. If your child is staying, they will need a note for their homeroom teacher and parents will be responsible for pick up at 4:15
Just chillin' at lunch time/free time
March 5th - Well, what a break that was! Whether you were somewhere tropical, around your house or maybe taking in some of the games, I hope you had a chance to get some rest and relaxation! And, now we are back at it!!
Here's what to expect in Grade 8 these next couple of weeks...
We are moving into Unit 3 in Social Studies,"Decades of Change", and will be starting with a look at the 1920s and 1930s. This will be an integrated unit with Language Arts as students will be doing lots of research, biography writing, and learning how to properly cite sources in their writing. In Science, we are finishing up our Optics unit this week with a closer look at the Human Eye. Then, we are onto our Fluids unit.
Over the next two weeks, I will be meeting with each student 1-1 to take a closer look at their results in all subjects together and discuss/set some goals for their growth and achievement over the next term.
Report cards go home the 20th and I'm looking forward to seeing you for Parent Teacher interviews the 23rd/24th. Be on the lookout for the sign up link to be sent out in the next week or so.
Have a great week!
Feb 12th - Last week before the break and it's going to be a busy one!
This week were are wrapping up our Outsiders novel study. We have our last quiz (ch 9-12) tomorrow and will be finalizing some writing and work around theme and symbolism. This week we will also have the chance to do some learning related to Black History Month, the Canada Games, and end with Winter Wellness Day on Friday!
This is a Spirit Week, so check out what to wear for each day (right) and come watch the Bronze medal game in girls basketball happening this week as well!
This past week, the Grade 8s had a guest from STEAM PEI in Math class to introduce them to basic coding skills, we did lots of investigating into population density and why Canadians live where they do, and we helped our Grade 2 buddies complete our Chinese Dragon as part of the Chinese New Year Celebrations (all pictured in the carousel above).
The Chinese dragon is now hanging in the main hall along with Chinese lanterns made by the Grade 2s. This project could not be down without the awesome mentoring and support of the Grade 8s!
Feb 5th - What a week! Vernon River has a lot going on this month. Check out the carousel to the left for a glimpse of what the Grade 8s were up to last week...
Here's what to expect this week:
Language Arts - We will be wrapping up our Outsiders novel study with our last quiz (ch 9-12) on Friday as well as a few other writing assignments that we will be working on in class.
Science/Social Studies - In Science, students will be finishing up an assignment on electromagnetic radiation this Monday. The remainder of our week will be Social Studies with a focus on understanding the factors that influence settlement in our country. Their assignment work and self evaluation for this outcome will be due Friday as well. You can check more info on the Science and Social Studies assignment/work, by having your child show you their Google classroom.
Have a great week!
What a "TSN worthy" buzzer beater that was! Check out the time on the clock and look at where the ball is! Amazing job, girls!
Next up, the semi finals Tuesday at Birchwood @ 4:30
Go Mustangs!
Jan. 29th - Hard to believe it's February this week, and it's going to be a fast and furious month!
Upcoming dates to note:
Thursday, Feb 2nd - Zone 4 gymnastics meet in Montague. Participating students will be leaving @ 9:00 am.
Friday, Feb 17th - Winter Wellness Day (info on the activities planned for that day to come) and this is the last day before the students' winter break due to the Canada Games.
What to expect this week:
This week students in Grade 8 will be working on assignments on electromagnetic waves in Science and population density in Social Studies. We are continuing our work in Language Arts with The Outsiders. Students will be finishing up a poster assignment that focuses on understanding a specific character from the text and quiz #2 (ch. 5-8) will be Wednesday.
February is also Black History Month and we are leading up to the Canada Games, so we will be doing variety of activities and learning connected to both of these areas over the next few weeks!
This month the Grade 8s are helping their Grade 2 buddies create a Chinese Dragon to help celebrate the Chinese New Year. This is the first step in the process. Keep an eye out for the final product!
Grade 2/8 buddies - Math games and Canada Games research
Jan 23 - A busy week ahead...most fictional narratives have been complete and passed in on Friday. For those that are not quite finished, they should be taking advantage of this storm day and get caught up on any late work. If they do not have a copy of the assignment criteria home with them, a copy of "What matters in a grade 8/9 fictional narrative" has been posted in the Understanding Narratives section of their Language Arts Google classroom,
Here's what else to expect this week:
Tuesday - Outsiders quiz (chapters 1-4) - If students need catching up and don't have their novel at home, a copy of the text has been posted on the Language Arts Google classroom.
Thursday - Optics quiz - we will be doing an in class review tomorrow so students will know what to expect and make sure they have the resources they need to prepare.
Next Thursday, Feb 2nd is the Zone 4 gymnastics meet for grades 4-9 students in Montague. More info to come on this for students who will be attending...
Have a great week!
Jan 15th - Well, that was a crazy weekend of weather (and, for many of us, hockey)! Not a whole lot new to update you on since the last posting, but there are a few things of note:
Please ensure your child has both indoor and outdoor footwear. Now that the weather is wet and muddy, we are noticing many of the junior high students are not changing their footwear and are tracking in a lot of water and mud into their classrooms.
Students have their Fictional Narrative due Friday. We have been working on them daily in class, and they will have some class time this week as well. However, if your child knows that they may need more time, they should be working on it at home this week as well.
Working on 1960s slideshow assignment in preparation for reading The Outsiders. (above)
Developing our understanding of reflection in Science (right)
Jan 1st - Hello 2023! Hope everyone had a great break, enjoyed time with family and friends, and got a little rest as well. I wanted to thank you all for the thoughtful gifts before the break--they were certainly very much appreciated, and in some cases well utilized over the break ;)
We have a busy month ahead...
Language Arts - we will be continuing our work with understanding identity and fictional narratives through the novel study The Outsiders. We will be putting our own writing skills to use as we write our own narratives, focusing on developing characters, plot and theme.
Science - this month we are starting our unit on Optics. Key outcomes will focus on examining properties of visible light, analyzing types of electromagnetic radiation, and understanding how human vision works.
Social Studies - we will be continuing with our geography unit this month looking at the climatic regions of Canada, understanding factors in settlement, regional prosperity and stereotypes across Canada, as well as the nature of migration/immigration and its impact on post 1920 Canada.
With the start of the new year, it's always good to do a reset. This is a great one to talk to your teen about...which of these might they practice more in the months ahead?
Secret Santa exchange
The Grade 8s were an essential,and greatly appreciated, part of our Candy Cane fun day before the break. They helped run stations and were great role models during our Christmas sing/dance along(below)
Big thank you to the Grade 8s who stepped up to the plate this last Thursday to help make the Grade 9 Turkey Dinner happen. They did the ice cream sales, delivered the milk and lunch orders and were great peer helpers outside so that the Grade 9s, teachers and EAs could gather for the the dinner. Way to go, Grade 8. Your turn next year!
Dec 18th - The final countdown...Two days, but lots going on!
Here's what this week looks like:
Grade 8 Class Secret Santa - Students are exchanging gifts Monday! ($20)
Christmas Concert - Monday. Dec. 19th @ 1:00 and 6:30
Student of the Month - Tuesday, Dec. 20th @ 2:15
Christmas Spirit Days:
Monday, December 19th – No theme due to Christmas Concert
Tuesday, December 20th – Red and Green Day!
Have a great Christmas and New Years!
Dec 11th - Looks like winter is coming this week...fingers crossed it doesn't impact our Christmas Concert too badly!
Here's what this week looks like:
Christmas Concert date is Tues. Dec. 13th @ 1:00 and 6:30 (Storm date is Dec 14th)
Christmas Spirit Days:
Monday, December 12th – Santa Hat/Crazy Hat/Crazy Hair Day
Tuesday, December 13th – No theme due to Christmas Concert
Wednesday, December 14th – Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
Thursday, December 15 th – Candy Cane Day – Wear Red & White
Friday, December 16 th – P.J. Day
Monday, December 19th – Red and Green Day
This week we are finalizing our book assignments (plot summary and 2 page spread), drafting our fictional narratives, and looking at the climate regions of Canada...no storm days allowed!
Make sure to check out the pictures above...erosion design projects, Canadian landforms assignment and a peek into French class!
Dec 4th - Another busy week ahead...there's a few things to be on the look out for:
School picture retake proofs are due back tomorrow
COVID test kits are available at the school. Your student will be taking home a box Monday, but reach out if you need more
Don't forget, if you have questions about anything upcoming in VRCS Athletics, you can find out what you need on the VRCS Mustangs link: https://sites.google.com/cloud.edu.pe.ca/vrcs-pe/home
Christmas Concert date is Tues. Dec. 13th @ 1:00 and 6:30 (Storm date is Dec 14th)
Pictures (left) - book club meetings and discussions/collecting info that we think we already know about physical landscape, settlement, and immigration in Canada.
This next 2 and 1/2 weeks we have a busy Grade 8 room. We will be finishing up our erosion projects and our Water Systems unit. We will be continuing work on our Canadian Geography unit looking at landforms, climate, and the human landscape of Canada. We will also be wrapping up our book clubs(including our final plot summary and 2 page spread assignments) and we will be writing our own short stories using the knowledge we have gained as readers on plot, theme, conflict and characters.
Note: Students need to be prepared with any extra materials they want/need for their erosion projects for Wednesday.
Nov. 27th - Looking ahead to this week, we will be building and testing our erosion design projects. Heads up...students will be getting an overview of this project tomorrow and may come home searching for materials. I will ensure there is lots here if need be, but if they are looking, here is a list of possible things they might want:
To build: Popsicle sticks, various recycled pieces of plastic, rocks, twigs, recycled metals
To hold together: Wire, zip ties, mesh, screws, string, elastic bands
We are continuing with our Book Clubs, and if your are wondering what we are working on, it is on the Language Arts google classroom so you can ask to see the overview of what this looks like!
Lastly, in Social Studies, we are taking a look at the geographic landforms...be on the lookout for an assignment due Wednesday!
This past week we had Constable Kim and Constable Lucas (our VRCS liaison) visit and give a very informative presentation to all Junior Highs on internet safety and cyber-bullying. Make sure to ask your student about it! We did have a few students out sick, but Ms. Heather is hoping to re-do the presentation for students who missed it!
This past week students did a lot of background work to prepare for their erosion design projects...they learned about the erosion challenges in communities around PEI, explored climate change maps of PEI, watched videos and read recent articles about how climate change is affecting Canadian and PEI communities. As always, lots of discussion time was built in to share, discuss, and question their findings!
Nov 20th - Well, let me first start with our trip to the Confederation Centre of the Arts this past week...what a jam-packed day! The were able to take part in 4 workshops related to our Canadian Identity unit in Social Studies:
They started in the theatre learning some aspect of stage instruction and character development, and then created and performed short skits based on what they imagined Canada to be if it were not part of the British Dominion
They then went to the dance studio to learn about dance as a reflection of a culture's identity
Next was the chamber where they had the opportunity to meet one of the Fathers of Confederation and bring forth some laws that they felt would be important to include in a reimagined country
They went to the art studio to create some representations of both their own identity and Canada's identity and culture
They acted, they danced, they created laws and created art...all the while leading with kindness and respect and being amazing representatives of Vernon River School. Way to go, Grade 8! Check out all the great pics from the day below.
We've had lots of sickness this past week in our class, so I hope everyone is on the other side of it. This week we continue with book clubs, start erosion projects, and begin a new unit in Social Studies (geography).
Please don't forget to sign up for parent teacher interviews this Thurs/Fri. The sign up link was sent out last week.
Lastly, the week of Dec 5-9 students are asked to bring in non-perishable items for the food drive. The class with the most items wins an ice cream party!
Nov. 13th - Lots going on this week as it's our first full week in a while.
Tomorrow you will see the forms go home for our field trip to the Confederation Centre of the Arts this Thursday, Nov. 17th. This is a form that the Centre requests to be signed.
The Poinsettia Fundraiser orders on due tomorrow (Monday, Nov. 14th)
And, this week is Book Fair week. Each class has time booked for viewing and I've included the purchasing schedule below.
This week we will be completing reading assessments, practicing our presenting skills with short presentations of our artist projects, and beginning our erosion prevention design projects.
Grade 8 and 9 creating this amazing artwork for the Remembrance Day Assembly
Job well done to this guy who was an amazing peer leader for some of our students at a Special Olympics event this past week!
Congratulations to this motivated, collaborative, hardworking crew who can now call themselves provincial champs. Amazing work, girls!
Another short week, but here's what's on the go...
In LA we are looking at the elements of plot and practicing writing effective plot summaries. Next week, we get going on our book clubs. In Science over the next couple of weeks, we are learning about tides, currents, temperature, climate change and erosion. And, we will be moving into our geography unit in Social Studies. This week, we'll also have time to reflect and remember as well as create some Remembrance artwork for the assembly.
Nov 6th - What a weekend of weather! Hope you were able to take some of it in. First off, some upcoming items:
Monday, Nov. 7th - retake day for school pictures
Thursday, Nov. 10th - Remembrance assembly at 11:00. All are welcome to attend
Friday, Nov. 11th - Remembrance Day (no school)
Also, please look for the following items to go home this week:
Home & School Poinsettia fundraiser form
Permission slip for an upcoming gr 8 field trip to Confederation Centre of the Arts on Nov. 17th
***On this day, the Grade 8s will experience workshops in movement, drama, and visual arts. These “hands-on” sessions will be tied into the grade 8 Social Studies curriculum, focusing on the concept of Canadian Identity.
Oct 30th - It's a short week, but a lot on the go! This week we are finalizing our Personal Narratives (due tomorrow), finishing our Canadian Identity/Artist projects, and starting our book clubs! Reminder there will be no classes Thursday and Friday as teachers are attending their annual PEITF conference.
So great to be able to celebrate student success with our Student of the Month assemblies again. Great to see all the family and friends that were able to attend on Friday!
Check out the amazing focus and motivation on their artist projects! (Right)
Oct 21st - Another busy week is ahead. We are continuing to work on memoirs and personal narratives. We'll have these done by the end of the week and will begin looking at fictional narratives and character development. We'll be starting book clubs shortly to look at our novels from a writer's perspective in order to support our own writing. We will be wrapping up our Canadian Identity unit this week as well in Social Studies. Right now, we are working on a project that focuses on various Canadian artists.
Here's what to expect this week...
Student of the Month Assembly - Friday Oct 28th beginning at 2:00pm (This will be for both September and October)
This Week's Athletics -
This week students spent time with Adam Joyce from the Dept of Education. Adam spent time showing the students various aspects of assistive technology that could support them in their work.
Upcoming Theme Days for Gr. 9
Monday, October 24th – PJ Day
Tuesday, October 25th – Crazy Hair/Hat Day
Wednesday, October 26th – Anything But a Back-Pack Day
Thursday, October 27th – Disney Day
Friday, October 28th – Orange and Black Day Monday,
October 31st – Costume Day (No Masks)
*$1.00 for each theme day, or whatever donation students make
*.50 cents for Candy grams. Being sold on Oct 27th and 28th
Oct 16th - Another short week ahead, but these weeks always seem busier as we try to pack everything in with one less day.
Here's what to expect this week:
Tuesday, Oct 18th - Home & School Meeting @6:00
Thursday, Oct 20th - Adam Joyce from the Dept of Ed presents to the Grade 8s. He will be continuing his work with our students (gr 3-9) on developing their use of assistive technology
Friday, Oct 21st - Joint Staff Day (No school for students)
In athletics... check out the next two weeks below or click on this link for more info
Oct 11th - Well, that weekend flew by. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend. I know I was thankful to get my power back for the weekend. And, I hope you've all had it restored by now as well. If not, please don't hesitate to reach out to us here at the school for anything you might need...showers? water? laundry?
Here's a few reminders about this week:
Tuesday, Oct 11th -- Cross Country Meet at Southern Kings
Friday, Oct 14th -- Terry Fox Run @ 1:45. Families and community are invited. Don't forget your "Toonies for Terry". Friday is a Day 3, so the junior high students are going to MIS, but they will join in with the run as soon as they get back (approx 2:20)
*You can get all the latest information about VRCS athletics at Ms. Adam's site!
Photos above: students performing their first lab on salinity and density of water
Helping our Gr 2 buddies with their leaf art before Fiona blows all the leaves away..
Oct 3rd - I hope everyone is safe and sound and managed to fare out ok with minimal damage from Hurricane Fiona. We are becoming experts at going from one historical event to the next, but it certainly doesn't make it all any easier does it? Our children are definitely building their ability to deal with adversity, but let's hope for a reprieve and a chance to get back to some more normalcy and consistency (along with some power and water).
Some items to note this week:
Being that we missed the entire Truth and Reconciliation week we had planned last week, we feel it's very important to continue with this learning this week and we will have our school wide orange shirt day this Friday, Oct 7th
Please note that the scheduled PD day for Oct 7th has been cancelled and that day will be a regular school day for students.
Our annual Terry Fox run is also being rescheduled and will let you know when the date/time is finalized.
What's happening in class?
Language Arts - Developing Personal Narratives/Memoirs in writing and our first Reading Responses are due Tuesday
Science - This week we are completing a Water Density lab and identifying factors that affect polar ice caps and glaciers
Social Studies - We will be reflecting on some iconic symbols of Canadian identity (art, music, etc.)
Sept 19-23 - We have our first full week in the books and the Grade 8s are off to a fantastic start. Here's a few things to note this week:
Tuesday, Sept 20th -- Meet the Teacher and Home & School Social starts at 6:30 in the gym. This is followed by a Welcome to Junior High meeting at 7:00 in the library. Looking forward to seeing all of you and sharing some of the great things happening in Junior High this year.
Wednesday, Sept 21st -- Picture Day
Friday, Sept 23rd -- Terry Fox Run @ 1:45. Families and community members welcome! Don't forget your Toonies for Terry.
Junior High morning fitness circuits start this Wednesday for those interested. It will be M/W/F mornings @ 8:15 and run until Christmas.
Students use their chromebooks a fair bit for project work that often uses sound, voice to text, etc. Headphones or ear buds are a great thing for the junior high's to have access to while at school. Though I do have a few sets available, I do not have a class set. You can find good, but cheap, headphones at the dollar store for around $4!
Here's what we are working on:
Language Arts - We have been getting our routine of daily independent reading and daily notebook writing on the go. One of our big themes this year is understanding identity and we will be kicking this off with studying writer's memoirs and developing our own.
Science - Our first unit is focused on understanding water systems on Earth. This week we are wrapping up our look at the water cycle.
Social Studies - Our first unit is understanding Canadian identity. We kicked off this unit with looking at our own personal identities and are now working on a digital group project to show our understanding of PEI identity.
It's so great this year to be able to get back to the collaboration that makes VRCS the awesome community of learners that it is. Many of the 8s have chosen Peer Mentorship as their elective. But, if they didn't, they still have an opportunity to shine as role models and leaders. We have partnered with the Grade 2 class an hour out of our 6 day cycle. So far the 8s have been amazing book buddies and have also created a fantastic outdoor activity and movement hunt for the Grade 2s. They did an amazing job.
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