November 2024

November 28th, 2024

It's already the end of November! The winter break is fast approaching and we are hard at work in 5A wrapping up assignments and completing units of study. Here's what we got up to this week:

Language

Most plays were finalized this week; I will read them and offer feedback. Once they are completed, students will receive copies to practice their parts. Some groups have already started creating props at home. Over the coming weeks, we will have class time to build. 

This week we set up classroom Scratch accounts and introduced students to the different blocks and how they might be used. We started animating our names and will continue using Scratch for an upcoming Science project. 

Media is everywhere! We've started a McDonald's Innovation Project and the students are deepening their understanding of how media influences our food choices. This work will continue over the next few weeks before the winter break.  

Science

Most students have almost finished their projects on natural phenomena. We will have one more period next week to work on them and then students will present their work in small groups.

As a wrap-up of our Forces Acting on Structures unit, we worked towards understanding how the physical characteristics of various animal and plant species help to protect them from the potentially harmful effects of forces. The armadillo and the Hyperion tree were among some of the plants and animals we explored. We also discussed different types of protective equipment and how they help to protect humans from the potentially harmful effects of forces.

Next week, we will move on to energy conservation. Students will use Scratch to demonstrate their learning about the different types of energy and how we can be even better stewards of the environment. 

Health

As we prepare for our Kids Help Phone Counsellor session next week, we have had several discussions around mental health and well-being. Specifically, we discussed body image and the invisible backpack that we all carry around with us. In groups, students have prepared questions they would like to ask the counsellor as we build our mental health toolkits. 

Physical Education

We played Bench Ball again this week and added some variety by playing Bench Ball Tag. Next week we will be starting our Hockey unit. 

The Arts

Our work this week was all about textures and landscapes. Using rubbing plates, students created a variety of textures for different elements of their landscapes. Many have very creative ways to demonstrate the texture of clouds or their trees. They're coming along nicely and we can't wait to share them with you. 

The Wrap-Up

A reminder that tomorrow is a P.A. Day and there is no school for students.

On Monday afternoon, we will have a Counsellor in the Classroom Session with Kids Help Phone.

Every Wednesday I will be posting additional practice in our Google Classroom for students and families who are interested. 

Scholastic orders have been placed and the final set of books should arrive early next week. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

November 22nd, 2024

This week we received several 1-to-1 devices. The remaining devices should be delivered in the coming weeks. Until then, students without a device have one to borrow for classroom use.  I set up our Google Classroom. Almost all students have been added and it was used this week for some of our online activities. You'll notice in the Wrap-Up that I mention additional practice for interested students and families. 

Here's what we got up to this week:

Language

This week, we continued with plays. Students were given feedback on their storylines and the actual writing of their plays, including capitalization, punctuation, verb tense, and spelling. Each group is almost done with their writing and next week we will move into practice and prop creation. 

We also participated in two activities: 

• What's Going On in This Picture - Given a picture, students were asked to consider 3 questions and to write their thoughts. The questions are:

  1. What is going on in this picture?

  2. What do you see that makes you say that?

  3. What more can you find?

Once finished, they were asked to share their ideas with their table group to see what they might collectively gather. This helps students build their inference skills.

• Fun with Letters - Given a topic and Scrabble tiles, students were tasked with spelling as many words as they could related to the topic. Along the way, they were asked to calculate the total value of their words spelled. 

Math

Our Algebra unit is in full swing. We started with a readiness task on Monday to see where students are in their understanding. From there, we started working on algebra puzzles. We capped off the week with students considering the "stories" behind algebra equations and how to write them. Next week the work continues and we will connect some of the equations to our next unit, Measurement.  

Science

Another busy week of learning in Science. As they worked on their projects, students continued to read, research, and learn about natural phenomena. Today we had a visit from the Dairy Farmers, so on Thursday we prepared ourselves by starting our new unit on the Conservation of Energy. Students learned about non-renewable and renewable forms of energy. They also had a chance to understand more about energy transfers. This work continues next week. 

Health

This week we explored ingredient labels. From allergies to making healthy food choices, there are many reasons why they are essential. Next week we will consider the role of media in healthy food choices. 

Physical Education

We learned Bench Ball this week and it was fun watching as teams worked together to achieve a goal. Next week we will be starting a unit on Hockey.

The Arts

This week we started exploring texture in Art and learning about the foreground, middle ground and background in landscapes. Next week we will take this learning further by creating textured landscapes. Stay tuned!

The Wrap-Up

Thank you again to all families for participating in interviews and discussing student progress. Many families stated that they were interested in additional practice at home. I've heard you and have created a topic in our Google Classroom. I will upload practice work weekly that students can participate in, should they have time. This practice will not be assessed.

Next week we have:

• Photo Retake Day on Wednesday, November 27th.

• Online Scholastic orders are due on Friday, November 29th. 

• PA Day on Friday, November 29th. 

On Monday, December 2nd, we will have a Counsellor in the Classroom Session with Kids Help Phone, part of our next Health unit. 

Have a wonderful weekend.

November 14th, 2024

Report cards went home on Wednesday and I am honoured to have the opportunity to meet with all families in 5A. The students have been hard at work so far this year and it's great to connect with each family to understand how I can better support students in their learning. Thank you. That said, here's what we got up to this week:

Language

This week the students received the final marks for their Book Talks. They all did a great job reading their novels and completing the assignments. From incredible drawings of their favourite settings and infographics to insightful reading responses and character maps, the students demonstrated their knowledge of the themes in each of their novels. We will do another set of Book Talks in the Spring with different novels.

We explored features of scripts and the students got to work on creating original plays in small groups. We discussed the following elements:

• Plot - Their plays must have a clear beginning, middle, and end, along with a problem and solution. 

• Punctuation and writing style 

• Setting - Where will your play take place and how might you communicate this to the audience so they can visualize your scenes?

• Props - What key elements might enhance the presentation of your play?

• Character Development - How might the characters change over time?

• Genre - What type of play might you write? Mystery? Comedy?

We will be working on this assignment for several weeks and all students know this is to be completed in their groups during class time only. Once written, they will have an opportunity to create props and time to practice before they present. I've already heard so many interesting ideas. I can't wait to see what they come up with. 

Math

We concluded our Patterning unit this week with students getting back their independent tasks and quizzes. Next week we start a new unit on Algebra. We will start with a readiness task to see where students are at and then we will be moving into Algebra Puzzles. Are you looking to get a head start? Below are 3 puzzles to get you started.

Science

We completed our bridge presentations and tests this week! I was blown away by the incredible bridge designs and presentations. I hope that you had a chance to check them out when you came by for interviews. 

We started investigating natural phenomena by watching a video. Next week students will read about different natural phenomena and have the opportunity to pick one they would like to research further and create a presentation about. Presentations can take the form of a poster, Slides, a song, a skit, or anything else that they can imagine as long as they help others learn about their natural phenomena. 

Physical Education

We only had one period this week because of the PA Day on Friday. We continued with a larger game with scoops and the competition was fierce. Next week we will be starting with a Bench Ball tournament. 

Health

This week we finally finished our work on nutrition labels with students justifying their choice for healthier rice and cereal options. Next week we will be taking a look at ingredient lists and hopefully, we will gain a deeper understanding of why they are so important. 

The Arts

You may have noticed that some of our warm and cool fall trees are up on the walls in the classroom. They are stunning. The students were hard at work creating their patterns and I'm proud.  As more students finish their work, I will be adding them to our walls. Next week, we will be exploring texture and working on a new work of Art. 

The Wrap-Up

This is a reminder that we have a PA Day on Friday, November 15th for parent-teacher interviews.

Scholastic Flyers went home this week and online orders are due on November 29th, 2024. I will be placing all orders on that day and they will hopefully arrive early the following week. 

Picture orders are due today. Photo re-take day will be on November 27th, 2024. 

Short weeks always pack in so much. This week was no exception. Have a restful weekend!

November 8th, 2024

We're moving along and unpacking the curriculum in 5A. Here's what we got up to this week:

Language

This week we discussed reviews - where they're found and why they are important. Students were then tasked with writing their reviews, including a recommendation for the Six Minutes Podcast and their novel for their Book Talks. It was great to see students explain their thoughts and feelings regarding both types of texts, helping them realize that it isn't just about the rating but the explanation of why is just as important. 

This week we concluded Book Talks. Along with their reviews, students were tasked with creating an infographic for their novel and writing a reading response. Over the last few weeks, as we have worked through Book Talks, I have noticed that students are becoming more fluent in reading aloud. Practice does help to make perfect. I would love to keep this going with students reading aloud at home each night for at least 20 minutes and then discussing what they read with a family member. 

Math

This week our work around patterns has continued. In groups, students continued to work on the extension of last weekend's homework assignment, connecting it to other areas in Math: perimeter and area. Also, we worked through a couple of other patterns for which we determined pattern rules. We looked at input and output tables and started to work on creating expressions for pattern rules. Next week we will have a quiz to see where the students are in their learning of the material in the unit so far. 

Science

We have some mighty engineers in our class! This week we tested many bridges to see whether or not they could withstand a load - Math textbooks. With varying designs, many bridges could withstand at least 8 textbooks which is incredible. Not only did we test the strength of the bridges, but during their presentations, students were tasked with also sharing:

• their choices for materials;

• the reason behind their designs;

• and the forces acting on their bridges. 

We have a few more bridges to text early next week and then we will discuss more about natural phenomena and their impact on the environment. Some groups got a glimpse of the power of natural phenomena through a STOP Disasters online activity. 

November 1st, 2024

Welcome to November! Judging by the changing weather and the falling leaves, fall is here!  Time is passing quickly and a lot is going on this month. Be sure to check out our What's On at Dublin Heights EMS page to keep up-to-date with what's happening in our classroom and in our school. Here's what we got up to this week:

Language

We made it to episode 100 of the Six Minutes podcast this week! Season 1 is in the bag and the Anders family is onto a new adventure. While listening, we learned to use information from the text and prior knowledge to make predictions.  Along the way, we checked for understanding and improved our writing by responding to questions. We've had a long run of the podcast over the last couple of months. Students wanting to listen to additional seasons and episodes click on this link. Happy listening!

Book Talks were on again this week. After reading aloud in their groups, students were tasked with:

• Drawing their favourite setting thus far. Including elements from the text, students were asked to bring to life one of the settings they read about in their books.

• Creating a Character Map. Using a graphic organizer, students were asked to consider different elements of their chosen character's appearance and/or traits in hopes of understanding their character a little better.

• Completing a Reading Response, answering a question of their choice. 

Next week is the last week of our Book Talks. I can't wait to read the book reviews that students will create. 

Math

This week we continued with geometric patterns and started working on number patterns. 

Last weekend a task was sent home for students to try and return on Wednesday. We had a great time investigating the different patterns students identified while we were taking up the homework.  We extended the homework activity with an additional pattern that students worked on in groups. This new pattern allowed us to review perimeter and area and it was great to see how understanding the original pattern helped us with the second pattern.

On Thursday we spent some time in a breakout using Minecraft Education. Students were tasked with moving around a spooky mansion and solving coding problems along the way. As the year progresses, we will continue to use Minecraft Education to support our continued learning of coding concepts. 

We wrapped up the week with a pattern breakout that was challenging for many groups. With perseverance and a little support from peers, all groups broke out.  Our unit will continue for another couple of weeks as we dig into further exploring number patterns. 

Science

The bridges have been built and are ready for testing. Students also took the time this week to focus on determining the different external and internal forces acting on their bridges. Some groups spent time creating fantastic slideshows about bridges. The official testing and presentations about bridge features will be happening on Monday. 

Physical Education

We only had one period of Physical Education this week because of the changes due to picture day. We used scoops and balls to practice sending and receiving an object safely. After some practice, we then played a game utilizing these skills. 

The Arts

This week we started a new piece of art with warm and cool colours, reflective of fall. 

The Wrap-Up

Scholastic orders were placed yesterday. Hopefully, the books will arrive early next week. I will send them home as soon as they arrive.

Have a wonderful weekend!