Do you like lima beans?

We read "A Bad Case of Stripes" today as our read aloud and had a reading response about the main idea of the story. A student had a great idea about a website we could use and we ended up having Sean Astin (from Lord of the Rings) read the book to us as we watched on the Smart Board. Below is the link where you can hear the story again or take part in some of the extra activities available.

http://www.storylineonline.net/

Also, students are working on their "Crayon Crackdown" posters that are about the dangers of drinking and driving. These are due on Friday. On the back they need to include their first name only, grade, teacher and school.

It's library day tomorrow, so please remember any books you may have at home that need to come back and be renewed or returned.

Finally, the Character Education Assembly has been resheduled to Monday morning from Friday.

Saying good-bye to November . . .

As we end our first month together, we have started working on our Canada board game in Social Studies and we will be able to play these games on Friday when they are complete. Next Tuesday, we will finish up with the unit test.
During math today we braved the cold weather and measured distances on the school ground. Next we will be looking at perimter and area.
We will continue to work on finding the main idea of our readings during language and we have started to look at how to edit our work as well.
This week:
- Monday Mission and Dinner Dazzle have been sent home as well as this weeks spelling words.
- As always, Independent Reading Journals are due on Friday
- Mad Minutes continue  . . .
- Character Education Assembly on Friday.

Blog Updates

Just a few changes I've made to the blog. You can now sign up for email notices when new posts are made and anyone can leave comments now. There is a survey posted that you can participate in for fun also along the side, below where you can feed the fish :)

New Math Unit

We had our patterning math test this week and although some did very well, some students might like to bump up their grade.  Once you complete the self-monitoring review while looking back over the test with someone at home, you can take the re-test on Monday, Nov 28th during the recess time. This is recommended for anyone getting below a level 3-.I always have high expectations for my students and it always pays off in the end because I try and give many opportunities for students to succeed.
(The tests have been sent home to be signed and returned. )
You may have noticed more math homework coming home. Sometimes in math we just need to practice, practice, practice! Also, we need remember to use our class time for completion of text book work appropriately. Usually the last 30 minutes of math class is dedicated to this, after which there should only be a few, if any, questions for homework. When you complete work in class it also gives you the opportunity to ask questions for anything you don't understand.

We have now started our new math unit in measurement and are looking at measuring length using different units such as centimetres, metres, millimetres and kilometres. Try and measure some things around the house this weekend and if you go for a drive, see if you can keep track of the distance you travel to get an idea about the length of a kilometre. (Also, having a ruler in class now would be beneficial, so if you don't have one, try and pick one up this weekend to bring to school.)

Hope everyone has a great weekend and see you back at school on Monday when we will start our exciting new Social Studies project . . .

Giraffe and Bird

We read a book today called "Giraffe and Bird" as a read aloud in class. We discussed the main idea of this book. See if you can retell the main idea of the book to someone at home tonight. Remember that the main idea is like the moral of the story.

Also, you can go to the link below to read an interview with the author, Rebecca Bender, about the creation of this book:

http://www.openbookontario.com/news/writing_rebecca_bender

Canada - our very diverse country!

As we prepare for the culminating activity and test in social studies, I found this website that is a good summary of the different resources and industries in each province and territory. It's worth a look over at home for interest or review and to encourage some discussion around the dinner table as well!

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/discover/section-13.asp

Remember our "Big Question" is How do Canada's landforms and resources shape our culture and economy?

Coming this week . . .

Just some reminders about what's coming up this week:

• Eva Olsson is giving her presentation on Thursday at 7:00 pm for those of you who are attending.
• Muffin Mornings have started. On Tuesday and Wednesday mornings muffins will be for sale for $1 or add a juice box for $1.50. Money is being raised for the Build a Brick Campaign. We will be having a review on Tuesday and a math test involving number patterns on Wednesday Nov 23rd. Spelling test will be on Friday as well as Monday Mission, Dinner Dazzle and Independent Reading Journals will be due Friday as well.
• The Monday Mission is "Monster Math" it requires the use of dried beans, but you can use any type of small item for it.
• As always - practice those multiplication facts!
• Raffle tickets will be sent home to win 2 Senator Tickets. Proceeds will help fund the grade 8 trip.
• If you haven't already sent back signed progress reports, you can do so now :)

Critical Pathway -SUMMARIZE

We have come to the end of our critical pathway where we were working with summarizing. I'm happy to say that 65% of the class was able to increase their scores from the initial results and we have raised the amount of students getting a level 3 or above from 23% to 56%. Also, initially 54% of the class scored below level 2 and now 0% of the class scored below level 2. Good work everyone!
Our new pathway in Language will be determined following our CASI assessment next week! After this we will be able to set a new language goal as well. Have a great weekend everyone!

Pink Day

It is Pink Day on Nov 17th. This day was created after a boy was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Bystanders wanted to show their support and show they are taking a stand against bullying by wearing a pink also. Please show you say no to bullying and wear something pink!

Bullying Awareness Week

This week is Bullying Awareness week. Bullying is a big issue facing boys and girls of all ages. We want to raise awareness about this in hope of prevention. All students should know that teachers are here to talk to if they have any type of problem, including bullying. The one rule in our classroom revolves around respect: Treat others like you would want to be treated.
Below are the school quotes of the week. We will be looking at them each day and discussing what they mean. Feel free to discuss them at home as well and talk about what they mean to you.

“The only people you should try to get even with are those who have helped you”

“We all have a built in warning system that is called a conscience.  It tells us what to do when something is wrong and it can keep us from doing the wrong thing.  Don’t be upset when your conscience bothers you – that’s just the warning bell”

“If you witness an act of disrespect toward another person, don’t be silent!  You have an obligation to ask the disrespectful person to stop, or tell an adult.  It will make you feel better about yourself”

“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.  Find ways to enjoy the people around you.”

In summary . . .

We are continuing to work on summarizing in language so I just wanted to "summarize" the week for everyone.
We have set our math goal which is: To create and solve number patterns that grow, shrink, or repeat. Patterns are all around us, see if you can find some this weekend.
Mad Minutes has taken off and some are still on their 2 x's so you can practice them this weekend.
We are learning about Canada's geographical regions and have discussed the Atlantic/Appalachian region, the St. Laurence Lowlands and started to look at the Canadian Shield. Our big question is "How do Canada's landforms and resources shape our culture and economy?" See if you can find some food at home or in the grocery store that was grown somewhere in Canada.
Finally, today we had our Remembrance Day assembly and our visit from Captian Mark.Thanks to all who showed their respect for our soldiers and veterans today.
Have a great weekend!

Remembrance Day

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day, a time to reflect on all who have served and continue to serve our country. It is a time to remember what they have given up for our freedom and the freedom of others. Please wear a poppy in honour of all soldiers. If you need a poppy, we have them here at school and a donation if possible would be appreciated. In the morning we will have our Remembrance Day Assembly and in the afternoon we also have a speaker from the military coming into our class.

New Independent Reading Journals

We have started using our independent reading journals. Students have been given the instructions on how to use these and it is a way of them being accountable for what they are reading during independent reading time in class. As well, it helps them to practice their writing skills and to work on developing higher level thinking and assessing their own learning. These journals are due in at the end of the day every Friday. I will read them over the weekend and respond to each student individually. The ideas of what they can write about are posted inside the front cover of their journals.

NTIP Workshop

I was away today at a New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) workshop where I was able to work with other new teachers and experienced teachers in the areas of assessment and evaluation. We talked about how we as teachers need to be aware of all the opportunities to assess students, not just with your standard "test". I will be doing my best to work with students to help them understand their own learning and how to assess their own work, looking at what they know and what their next learning steps are going to be. It was a very informative and worthwhile workshop and I am glad I was able to attend.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent teacher interviews are coming up on Nov. 17 and 18th. I am excited to meet everyone and discus any questions you might have.