Embedded Files
February 5th, 2021
February 5th, 2021
Happy February! It's week 5 of virtual learning and once again, the Grade 5s were amazing at showing up and getting things done. I'm proud of their hard work and commitment to learning! This week, it was announced that we will be returning to in-person learning on Tuesday, February 16th. The board will be sending out information shortly, offering more details.
In Literacy this week, students continued to complete their social issues stories in Pixton. Many have already turned them in and they are fantastic. On Thursday, students had the opportunity to share their stories in small groups using breakout rooms in Zoom. We continued to also tie this in with the work we are doing in Social Studies as students this week learned the format for writing a business letter and wrote good copies of their letters to government officials. They focused on getting specific Ministers or Councillors to act with specific plans and received feedback from peers during peer reviews. I'll be reading shortly to offer my feedback and then they'll be in the mail!
In Math, we continued to work on patterns. Through the investigation of different patterns, we learned terminology that will help us in our explanation of what is happening. Here is some of the vocabulary we are learning about:
A pattern is a group of numbers, shapes, or objects that follow a rule while repeating or changing.
A term number is the number that tells the position of an item in a pattern.
For example, in the pattern 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, … the 3rd term is 6.
A recursive pattern rule is a pattern rule that tells you the start number of a pattern and how the pattern continues.
A common difference is the difference between any two consecutive terms in a pattern.
An explicit pattern rule is a pattern rule that tells you how to get any term in the pattern without listing all the terms before it.
A variable is a letter or symbol that is used to show a quantity. This quantity can have different values.
As we continue to investigate patterns, we will be identifying some of the terms listed above in our patterns. Next Thursday, we will be having a short quiz to see where we are at in our learning.
In Dance this week, we have been learning to tell stories through movement. Students were tasked with reading an article about the Covid-19 vaccine. We spoke about the variety of feelings that may be associated with this and how we might use music and dance to tell the story without words. In small groups, students are creating their own dances to share with the rest of the class and I can't wait to see what they come up with!
In Music this week, we continued to learn about musical notation, with an emphasis on the length of sounds in music. We also continued with learning our song, Sorida, and things to consider when performing. This term will be about performances and students are encouraged to take risks! We're all learning together and there's so much fun in making mistakes as we learn to create and perform.
For Art this week, we went on virtual field trips to the AGO once again!
On Tuesday, we learned about Art and the Environment. We were able to discover how artists have creatively interpreted Canada’s diverse regions, including flora and fauna in an exploration of urban and rural environments. We looked at Emily Carr's Landscape with Forest and Lake and Tom Thomson's Autumn Foliage, Fall or Winter. Students were then tasked to create their own landscapes using shapes and colours.
On Wednesday, we looked at Art and the Science of Conservation. In this conversation, students explored the connection between Science and Art while taking a close look at Art in the AGO Collection -- how it is taken care of, fixed, or restored. This week we learned more about rocks and minerals and some of the amazing pieces created right out of materials from the earth!
On Friday, we learned about Black Creatives. After looking at Sandra Brewster's Blur, students listened to an original song by I.M.F. and Raffiki reminding us of the power of music in response to Art we see. Students were also asked to consider creating their own works of art in a similar blurred pattern and to write words that they thought of when they heard the song, Little Black Girl.
Next week is a short week as we have parent-teacher interviews on Friday morning and it is a PA Day where students don't have school. Term 1 interviews are scheduled if there are concerns with student progress. I have already touched base with families with whom I would like to discuss their child's progress to-date. Information regarding report cards will be sent directly from the board or school. Once you have had a chance to look at the report card, if you wish to discuss your child's progress, I ask that you email me with information on times that are suitable for you on Thursday evening (February 11th) or Friday morning (February 12th) and I will schedule a time for us to speak.
I hope that you have a happy and restful weekend!
February 11th, 2021
February 11th, 2021
We're almost there, folx! A few more days and we will be back in the classroom, learning together. Thank you so much for all that you have done to support your child's learning over the last 7 weeks. I know that it hasn't been easy and I'm so grateful that we've been so successful. Thank you!
In Literacy this week, we learned more about the story of Africville. Students had the opportunity to read about and reflect on the injustices that have and in some cases continue to exist here in Canada.
February is Chinese Heritage Month. This week we learned by viewing a slideshow from the TDSB and we began asking questions together, with the hopes of learning more. I would like to wish a Happy New Year to those celebrating Lunar New Year, which begins tomorrow.
Fables - short stories, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral - can be found in many cultures and are a common form of storytelling. This week, we started exploring fables with roots in Africa and China. Next week, we'll start to consider what lessons we might like to tell through fables.
In Math, we continued learning about patterns and we had a quiz today. Students are encouraged to continue to reflect on all of the patterns that we see in the world around us, whether they are through shapes or numbers. Quizzes will be returned next week.
In Social Studies we learned about rights and responsibilities. We spent some time considering the difference between the two and came up with a right as being something that we have and a responsibility is something that we should do. We also realized that our responsibilities are very much connected to the rights that we have. After learning about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, students went on a scavenger hunt to find out more and to help define each right.
In Dance, students continued to collaborate in their groups to create a dance, telling the story of the covid vaccine. Many are excited to get back to the classroom so that they can have the chance to work on their dances together, in the same space.
For the last couple of weeks, we have been working on Passion Projects - sharing something about ourselves that brings us joy and excitement. Let me tell you, today I was blown away by the amazing talent in our classroom! From passions centering around sports, make-up, and the Arts, it was great to pop into breakout rooms and hear as students shared about what excites them most. I'm so proud of them!
In Visual Arts, students had the opportunity to reflect on some of the different works of art that we have seen on our numerous field trips. From there, they used Google's Autodraw to create their own work of art. Take a look at some of their works below. They are incredible!
As we have been learning virtually, field trips have been a great way to break up the long days online. This week, we went on a field trip to the Science Center where we had the chance to explore physical and chemical changes. It was a great opportunity to learn more about matter and energy, through some really cool experiments.
From what I understand, report cards were sent electronically on Monday. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to me via email. Tomorrow is a PA Day for interviews and Monday is the Family Day holiday. Tuesday, we'll be meeting again at Sloane bright and early when the bell rings at 8:45 am! I can't wait to see you all then!
Have a happy and safe long weekend!
February 19, 2021
February 19, 2021
We were back in the classroom this week and it was great seeing everyone in person and settling back into our routines. With the snow, we managed to jump right back into the swing of things and enjoyed some fun with friends outside.
In Literacy, we continued to work on understanding the elements of fables by reading a couple in Epic! and watching a few online. Students were also tasked with completing a graphic organizer which will help as they begin writing their own fables next week. We all have a lesson or moral we might like to help others learn. This will be a creative way for us to share this lesson with others.
In Math, we jumped into our Geometry unit looking at triangles. We learned that we can classify triangles both by side length and angles. We also started learning how to draw triangles given different measurements. Interested in getting some additional practice this weekend? Here's a triangle scavenger hunt activity and here's a link to practice in IXL. Next week we will continue to look at other 2 dimensional shapes as we reflect on their attributes and how we might describe and sort them.
In Dance, it was great to see students collaborating in their groups to tell the story of finally having a Covid-19 vaccine. We will have more time next week to continue practicing and hopefully well be ready for presentations soon!
In Physical Education, we started a unit on Volleyball. Students learned how to volley, bump and serve. Over the next couple of weeks, we will continue to learn and improve on our skills and we'll be playing a few games against each other.
In Science, students jumped right back into their Design Thinking projects we're almost ready to present our designs to our peers. On Monday, students will be pitching their ideas to each other and offering some feedback based. Next week we will be starting a new unit on Conservation of Energy.
In Music this week we learned yet another song from Ghana. Students are encouraged to practice their songs at home so that they feel confident in their ability to perform them before an audience.
The week was jam-packed and it was definitely refreshing to be back together again in the building. Next week we are back to our regular full week of school. Please enjoy a safe and restful weekend!
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