September 2017

September 8th, 2017

We had an amazing first week in Room 206 at Shaughnessy Public School. While we all started off the week a little nervous and unsure of where the year would take us, we finished the week with smiles and the feeling of accomplishment.

This week we participated in STE(A)M challenges that demanded that we problem solve in order to succeed. From the name tag challenge to the cup tower challenge, students were engaged and searched for the skills necessary to succeed this year. We determined that this year we would need: collaboration, perseverance, respectful speech, compromise and resilience. 

We also dove into the Engineering Design Process when we investigated the flooding on the Toronto Islands and possible solutions. After a discussion on the safe use of tools and materials in our classroom Makerspace, we got down to building and have almost completed our prototypes. Next week we'll check in with peers for feedback and see what improvements can be made.

In Math, we had the chance to look at composing and decomposing the number 120. Students were given the following question and identified a variety solutions: The answer is 120. What is the question? As a class, we discussed their solutions and organized them according to the strategies we used to solve the problem. 

In French, we started the week with greetings and moved into Bioglyphs - symbolic representations of ourselves. Next week we'll continue with greetings, the alphabet and writing following a model. 

In Language, we started I Am Poems which was a way for students to share about themselves through some of their experiences. Using descriptive language, students were asked to write about: their favourite food; a summer memory; a family saying; their safe place; and more. In groups next week we will begin to write a collective story about our class as a whole.

It's been a busy week and I can't wait to get back to learning with my students again next week!

September 15th, 2017

Week 2 was another great success!

Orange Shirt Day is coming soon - Celebrated on September 29th, 2017 at Shaughnessy Public School. This week, we started to explore contributions of Indigenous people in Canada and their stories as we began reading I AM NOT A NUMBER by Jenny Kay Dupuis. Students were asked to consider the experiences of Indigenous children in the first pages of the book and to record questions that they had as we read. We will continue to read this text over the next couple of weeks as we look to remembering survivors of Residential Schools and declaring that every child matters.

In Language, we worked on word choice as we worked on Pi Poems. Students worked in groups to try and create poems by finding words that had the number of letters related to each of the digits of Pi. It was a tough task but students used their creativity to write poems that made me both laugh and smile. We also started looking at the New York Times' What's Going On in This Picture and will be using this as a tool to further develop our inference skills.

In Science, we are gearing up for another Design Project. Grade 5 students were tasked with investigating the recent hurricanes and were asked the following questions:

1. What is a hurricane?

2. Where does the force of a hurricane come from?

3. What kinds of damage does a hurricane inflict on the built environment (e.g., on structures such as houses and shopping malls)?

4. What is the impact of a hurricane on the natural environment (e.g., on trees, on animals such as fish and birds)?

5. How can humans protect themselves from the forces of a hurricane?

As Hurricane Maria approaches, students will begin a building task related to this problem starting next week.

In French, we went back to the basics and focused on the alphabet this week. Through oral activities and Lotto - French Bingo - we practiced our pronunciation and worked collaboratively in order to improve.  Next week, we'll begin working on numbers from 1 to 20 and looking at following a pattern from numbers 21 to 100!

September 22nd, 2017

Can you believe that we have already completed 3 weeks of school? WOW! This week we were hard at work completing a variety of tasks and trying a few new ones.

In Language, we continued with this week's What's Happening in This Picture. Students were asked once again to use their inference skills and some of the descriptive feedback provided from last week's task in order to once again try to determine what is going on in this picture. Students were asked to consider the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when and why) and How as they wrote about what they inferred. On Monday, we'll see if they were right. We also finished adding visuals to our Pi Poems and they are up for other classes to see some of our creativity. Take a look if you stop by in the next couple of weeks.

In Math we started to talk about ways in which we solve problems. What strategies do we use? Are there some that are more effective? Why? Next week, we'll start generating an area in the class for students to refer to when they are looking for Math problem solving strategies. On Friday, students started to code in Scratch. Our first task was to try and code a square and it was a challenge. It took us some time to get going but we managed to code a square and this weekend's challenge - if we were able to - was to try and code a hexagon. We'll see what code we'll come up with.

I'm loving the rich dialogue that is going on in Social Studies. This week we finished reading I AM NOT A NUMBER and a couple of students even had a quick chat with the author in Google Hangouts. It was a great opportunity for them to ask questions that they had while reading the book and to talk about what action they would like to take for Orange Shirt Day. While some of the ideas are huge, there are some that we can work on at school like announcements, posters and websites. We'll be working on those as we continue our courageous conversations around bias, stereotypes and generalizations.

Numbers were this week's subject in French. We're learning to say and spell numbers from 1 to 20 and the patterns that we see in numbers from 21 to 100. Next week, we will be combining our work with numbers with an Art activity. So please stay tuned!

Grade 5 Science is moving along nicely. Students have started the planning phase of their solutions after working to generate ideas and a little "speed dating" activity where they had the chance to quickly share their ideas, get some feedback and possibly pair-up with a partner with a similar idea. While the grade 5s in my class have already gone over our safety contract, I have not done so with the 5s in Ms Beneventano's class so next week, we'll be going over it again and learning about some of the tools available to use as we prototype.

This week we also started working on Zones Of Regulation. Students were asked to reflect on emotions for each of the zones, our triggers & what we can do to get ourselves back to green. As we continue in the year, students will be asked to be cognisant of which zone they are in and to use the strategies that we will be working to develop for self-regulation.

This week is a busy one for us. Please be sure to check out the What's On At Shaughnessy page for all of the info. 

In French this week, we continued with our numbers from 1 to 100 and practicing them through a game - pamplemousse - and in a Pixel Art activity. Students were asked to say a number and colour in French and their partner was to find that square on their page and colour it in with the appropriate colour. It was great to see students trying to practice their pronunciation. Students are encouraged to continue to practice as we move on to the next unit - food.

In Math this week, we continued to look at strategies for solving Math Problems. Students participated in a variety of tasks and were asked to consider how they approach different problems and we created a space in the class where they can consider different ways to problem solve. Those ways included:

• Simplify the problem

• Guess and check

• Draw a diagram

• Act it out

• Use computation

• Make a list

• Use concrete materials

• Find a pattern

As we continue our work in Math this year, students are encouraged to find and use different strategies for approaching and solving problems. Next week, we move on to a unit on Data Management. Many students enjoy using IXL at home for Math practice. This week, I also introduced students to a TVO tool called mPower. The online activities connect different strands of Math as students work through a variety of STEM tasks. Students have been given their login information so that they can use the program at home. 

In Language we have been looking at the elements of a narrative and have been identifying them in texts read aloud and online. Next week, we will begin our own writing of short texts that use these elements.

In Science, the grade 5s started building! They had the chance to finish their plans, get feedback from peers and start building their hurricane solutions. Next week, we'll take a bit of a pause and reflect on features of buildings and how they help buildings to withstand forces that act upon them such as wind. Stay tuned as we continue to create amazing solutions.

It was so fantastic to have had the chance to meet so many parents this week during our Curriculum Night! Please remember to take a look at our This Year's Learning Journey page to find out a little more about what we will be working on in each term. Next week is a shorter week with a PA Day on Friday, October 6th and there is also no school on Monday, October 9th for Thanksgiving. It's been an amazing month and I look forward to the journey!