February 2018

February 2, 2018

We started the week by working with our Kindergarten Buddies, trying to identify what bugs them and trying to come up with possible solutions. Many were excited to consider how they may make their lives easier through the creation of some simple solutions. Stay tuned as we continue our Engineering Design work with them.

In Literacy, we continued our work on novels and started the sequel to the Mealworm Diaries - Better Than Weird. We made predictions about the book based on the cover and blurb and realized that when we use our background knowledge and information through pictures and texts, we are able to make incredible inferences. In a couple of weeks, we'll begin our Literature Circles and I'm certain they will involve rich conversations about new texts with interesting themes.

In Math, we are learning to solve word problems involving the addition and subtraction of decimals - money - which often involves regrouping. Students have been working on pen and paper tasks as well as assignments in Google Classroom as we try to see real-world applications to solving problems related to money.

In Science, the Grade 5s have been creating amazing websites, posters and plays demonstrating their knowledge of our unit on Conservation of Energy. Next week, they'll be ready to present.

In French, we are learning the parts of the body. Next week we'll continue our learning with our online activities and games as well as starting to create our own robot and learning to write descriptive sentences.

Next week, Mr. Goudreau - our Teacher Candidate - will start a new unit for us in Social Studies. He will be beginning his 6-week block in our classroom very soon and we look forward to learning from and with him.

February 9, 2018

This week, we started Fable Fridays by taking a look at some of my favourite Anansi stories as a part of Black History Month. Students had the opportunity to explore fables, determining their elements and making connections amongst fables from different cultures. On Friday, they also started the planning of their own fable that they will work on writing. As the month progresses, we'll continue to explore fables from parts of Africa and China as it is also Chinese Heritage Month.

In Math, we continued to explore a variety of open tasks involving the addition, subtraction, and comparing of decimal numbers involving regrouping. Students have been working collaboratively to explore the uses of these skills - through money - in real life. Next week, we will wrap up our unit and we will be moving into fractions as we look to explore the relationship between fractions and decimals.

In Science, we have finally finished working on our Conservation of Energy unit and students submitted their artifacts of learning today. Our next unit will be on Human Organ Systems, which ties into the work that we have been doing in French by naming the parts of the body and learning to write descriptive sentences. As we continue in French next week, we will be looking at using descriptive language as a form of communication.

Mr. Goudreau started our Social Studies unit this week by getting students to take a deeper look at the word interaction. Students were asked to consider the meaning of the word and the ways in which we can describe interactions. Next week, we will be continuing with a drama activity based on some of our wonders about the first interactions between Indigenous Peoples and Europeans in New France.

Victoria was amazing this week as she led us in an Art activity asking us to consider thinking of the world and images that we see in 3 dimensions rather than 2. She asked us to see forms in pictures and we took 2D pictures and using Google Drawings, tried to turn them into 3D pictures. Next week, she'll continue to guide us in being able to draw forms from different angles.

Next week Term 1 Report Cards are going home on Tuesday and Parent-Teacher Interviews are on Thursday and Friday. I look forward to meeting with those parents who wish to speak with me about their child's progress. The next 2 weeks are short weeks. Please take a look at the What's On At Shaughnessy page for what's happening this month in our school.

February 15, 2018

Thank you for the opportunity to connect with so many families this week during Parent-Teacher interviews. I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me and discuss your child's progress. I can hardly believe that there are only 4 more months left to the year. I look forward to them being filled with great learning opportunities for all students.

We started the week designing with our Kindergarten STEM Buddies and it was fantastic! Already, we have groups that are collaborating to create even better solutions to their bugs. After much research, next week, we will be paper prototyping to see if the designs we've created and the materials listed are detailed enough to start building. I can't wait to see the solutions come to life!

In Literacy, we continued to read and to ourselves and aloud with peers. We also started to work on creating recorded book reviews using Screencastify. Our books are close to being complete and this is probably the final step before we being out Literature Circles next week. Before we begin, we'll take some time to reflect on the last few weeks with our novels and to see how the work we have done has served to help us improve as readers.

In Math, we continued our work on adding and subtracting decimals with our Catering Gig and Uber Eats assignments. Our goal over the past few weeks has been to practice these skills in real contexts. Next week, we will be looking at the connection between decimals and fractions as we move into a new unit. We also took some time to code Valentine's Day Google Doodles. Yet another great activity to connect shape & coding through Math!

In Science, we are completing presentations for our Conservation of Energy Unit. Next week we will begin looking at Human Body Systems.

Victoria led us in another amazing Art lesson on forms. She asked us to consider looking at and drawing forms from different angles. It was amazing to see students get excited as they considered the connections between attributes for the forms and how those attributes might help as they draw the forms. From parallel lines to the interior angles of shapes, they wondered how this knowledge might help as we were drawing.

Mr. Goudreau begins his 6 week block with us next week. He will be continuing to work on Social Studies and Math with us.

Monday is Family Day! I hope that you have a fantastic day, spent having fun with family. We'll see you on Tuesday!

February 23, 2018

Our paper prototypes are almost finished! This week, we worked with our Kindergarten buddies and completed our detailed diagrams as well as created paper prototypes for the solutions to our bugs. Stay tuned as we start building next week!

In Literacy, students worked to complete their book reviews and recommendations using Screencastify. They used the digital tool to communicate who might enjoy reading their novels and to give their audience a brief summary of some of the events of the book. The challenge was not to give away too much but to leave the reader in suspense and eager to pick up their next read. Next week, we begin our Book Talks. We have 5 books that students will choose from and form groups to read aloud together as well as complete activities that will help to deepen their understanding of the text.

In Math, we continued to look through flyers as we planned menus for our pop-up restaurants. This coming week, Mr. Goudreau will begin to help us make the connection between the decimals that we have been learning about and fractions.

In Science we have almost finished our presentations and on Friday, we began to investigate some of the human body systems. As we progress through the unit, our goal is to understand how the systems function as well as how they interact with one another.

Next week, we will be continuing our unit in Social Studies, focusing on the interaction between Indigenous Peoples and Europeans in New France. Mr. Goudreau will be helping us to understand what was happening in Europe in the Early 1700s and how this may have influenced those interactions.