Hi Parents!
For a short week, it was a full one. We enjoyed an in school experience coding micro:bits and went out of the school for a wetland visit! Important Dates: Monday, Nov. 19: Report Cards go home, sign up for student led conference time. Thursday, Nov. 22 (4pm-8pm) & Friday, Nov. 23 (8am-1pm): Student Led Conferences (no School on Friday)Conference registration will open Monday. Watch for an email from the office for specifics. Home conferencing is also possible if that works better for your circumstances. Thursday Nov.22: Scholastic book orders due. 5.4 can order online through Gail’s account, 5.3 can order online through Erin’s account. If you are ordering Christmas gifts, let us know and we can hold on to them when they arrive to keep it a surprise! Science (and more!): This week we launched a long-term interdisciplinary (humanities and math/science) study focusing on the question: “What is Beautiful?”. This essential question will be explored through the year. We will examine the beauty that can be found in the grade 5 curricular topics. Students will build their critical thinking skills as we build a multifaceted definition of the concept of beautiful. We will then look for beauty in geography/landscapes, historical stories, weather/climate, and mathematics (think patterns, Fibonacci, symmetry). Our first experience was to look for beauty at the constructed wetland in North Glenmore Park, as we will be using this a test site for a citizen science project in the spring (check out: Call of the Wetland). Students used a new app, called “Clips” on their iPads to document beautiful things they saw in the wetland and will share these with you at student-led conferences. We also generated ‘thick’ questions that will guide us into our weather inquiry as we observed interesting things about the changing of the seasons during our visit. Thanks to Sam C. and Layla’s moms, as well as our dear former superintendent Ms. Chomistek for joining us on our walk. Stay tuned for more volunteer opportunities! Math: This week in math we wrapped up the rectangle problem from last week. Next week we will begin to explore strategies for multiplying beginning by analyzing a unique representation of a multiplication table as we build our understanding of what it means to multiply. Students can continue to build fluency in their multiplication facts up to 9 by practicing at home. Parent Math Corner: Check out this great resource: 6 Ways to Support your Child’s Mathematical Development Humanities: This week we wrapped up our novel study. Students completed an activity that assessed their understanding of the book’s mood, theme and events. Most students found the end of the book quite sad and we had a good discussion about why books like, “Refugee,” are important. We agreed that we developed increased empathy for those that are forced to flee their homes because of war. Most of the students enjoyed the genre of historical fiction. Coming up we will begin a new social studies focus that is embedded in our larger inquiry.
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We’ve had another busy week in grade 5.
Here’s a look ahead: Monday, Nov. 12: No School Thursday, Nov. 15: Walk to North Glenmore Park Wetland - Parent volunteers needed 10:30-1:00pm (see more details under “Science”) Monday, Nov. 19: Report Cards go home Thursday, Nov. 22 (evening) & Friday, Nov. 23 (morning): Student Led Conferences (no School on Friday) Science: We are in between science topics right now. On Thursday, students completed a ‘blank paper test. In groups, they created a visual (small poster) that depicted everything they knew about wetlands. This task gives me an idea of their existing knowledge. Next week we will begin to link wetlands with our next inquiry into weather. Part of this will be a walk to the constructed wetland in North Glenmore Park (near the Canoe Club) on Thursday morning. Please let us know if you can join us for our adventure. We will be leaving at 10:35am and walking to the school back by 1:00pm. The plan will be to have our lunch there, as long as the weather cooperates. Math: This week in math we began to explore patterns in multiples and ways of approaching our times tables to help with our fluency. In addition, we started a “Week of Inspirational Math.” We are using rich problems to spark our curiosity and engagement in all of the ways that math is beautiful and interesting. You can try out our first problem at home (students got a start on it, but we ran out of time to explore all of the possibilities...the lowest number that a student came up with was 6!). Using grid paper, draw a rectangle that is 13x11 units. Within that rectangle, try and draw the fewest number of squares that will take up the entire rectangle (note: you can’t split any units in half and the entire rectangle must be made up of squares when you are finished). Humanities: This week we presented our TED talks that show our understanding of Canadian identity. They were recorded and can be viewed on Seesaw. When we weren’t watching TED talks, we were reading,“Refugee.” We anticipate wrapping the novel up next week. Students will complete one final project that will show their overall understanding. These will be shared at Student Led Conferences. Term 2, which begins on Nov. 19, will usher in a new unit in Social Studies and a focus on writing in Language Arts. Students will continue to read a choice book daily, we just won’t be studying a novel as a class. Have a wonderful long weekend! As always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Important Dates and Reminders
Friday, Nov. 9 No School Monday, Nov. 12 No School Monday, Nov. 19 Report Cards go home Thursday, Nov. 22 & Friday, Nov.23 Student Led Conferences Math In math we worked on 2 estimation strategies, front end estimation and rounding. Estimation is a skill that helps with mental math and evaluating if answers are reasonable. Looking ahead: multiplication! Your child should be well versed in their multiplication facts before heading into more complex calculations and problem-solving questions. You can support them at home by talking about numbers and playing math card games such as multiplication war with them (rules to cards games can be found in the Oct 5th post on our grade 5 blog). Science Students reviewed wetlands and completed a check-in on the concepts we have been working on so far this year. We will discuss the results of this check-in next week. Next week we will be investigating how humans have affected wetlands in both positive and negative ways. Humanities We completed part 2 of our read aloud novel and students completed an “AEIOU” as a quick assessment of understanding. This can be viewed on Seesaw. Students started the research for their Canadian Identity TED talk. They are collecting information on a google doc. Feel free to ask them to see it and talk to them about their topic. We will wrap up the research phase on Tuesday, Oct 30th. Students will use their research to write a script. We will begin presenting TED talks in class on Nov. 6th. Important Dates and Reminders
Thursday, Oct. 25 Book orders due (5.3 will bring them home Monday, online orders are placed with Mrs. Stevenson until Mrs. Piper is back) Friday, Oct. 26 No School Friday, Nov.2 Mrs. Piper is back full time Friday, Nov. 9 No School Monday, Nov. 12 No School Monday, Nov. 19 Report Cards Humanities: This week we started our Global Read Aloud novel study. We introduced ourselves to our partner classes using flipgrid (5.4) or padlet (5.3). We completed the week 1 readings. Students are sketching and writing headlines as we follow the stories of 3 different refugees, in 3 different time periods. In Social Studies we learned about the Famous 5 and were introduced to some of the requirements of the first independent guided inquiry. Coming up, students will choose an event, person or group and begin their inquiry and we will continue reading, “Refugee." Science: This week in science we explored how energy is transferred in the ecosystem through food chains and food webs. We also looked at what niche an organism has in its food chain. Students have been working on making a food chain for their adaptations research organism. This assignment will be due on Monday afternoon. Students will have a couple more periods to complete this work however your child may have taken their iPad home this weekend to do a little extra work on this. Looking ahead to next week there will be a Wetlands check-in on Thursday. We will be working together in class to prepare for this. Math: This week we looked at regrouping. Students have been challenged to write a number in more that one way using regrouping. This challenge has been posted in Seesaw and is due on Monday. They will have class time on Monday to work on it. Our next topic of study will be estimation and rounding. Important Dates and Reminders Oct 8-12: Fall Break Oct 15: Balzac Meat Orders Due It was wonderful meeting with so many of you at parent teacher interviews. We hope you have an amazing fall break. Humanities: We had a fantastic day at Fort Calgary. We practiced some sketching skills that will help us over the course of the year. We also worked as archeologists and uncovered artifacts from groups that lived in Calgary over 100 years ago. In the classroom we continued to look at events that impacted Canadian identity and examined WWI. Coming up after the break we will begin our read aloud novel study and participate in this year’s Global Read Aloud. We will be reading, “Refugee.” We have a couple more events to cover in post confederation Canadian history. After this, students will begin an inquiry into an event, group of people, or individual that they feel made an impact on our current Canadian identity. Science: Students worked hard this week to finish up their Wetlands Research Project. Please take some time with them over the break and have them share their hard work, and understandings of wetlands and adaptation. Math: This week in math we completed our final check-in on place value and number forms. Looking forward to after break, we will be looking at regrouping. We have included a resource of "War" card game variations that will help build math fluency in a fun way.
Important Dates and Reminders Friday, Sept. 28: No School Monday, Oct. 1: Fort Calgary Trip ( return forms) Tuesday, Oct. 2: Orange Shirt Day at Connect (please see the attached info) Thursday, Oct. 4 & Friday, Oct. 5: Parent teacher interviews and book fair Oct 8-12: Fall Break Oct 15: Balzac Meat Orders Due Our trip to Camp Impeesa was a big part of this week, and the activities we did Thursday in the classroom pale in comparison. Camp was a wonderful experience and we enjoyed the extended opportunity to get to know your child better. The students participated in many activities. They made bear dens and microparks, shot arrows, lost their sense of sight and followed a map in an orienteering activity. They explored wetlands and participated in the animal game. They may have saw bats and owl pellets or come across an old plane. There were many highlights, and by now you may have heard about Oatmeal’s poor acting skills or Yeti’s ability to teach us a new song. Please check the website for photos of our adventures. Coming up next week in Humanities we will enjoy a trip to Fort Calgary. Students will begin researching and event, person or group they feel impacted Canadian identity. In math they will be discussing the deca tree problem and will be completing a check-in mid-next week. This check-in will be assessing students understanding of place value and number forms. I have attached some additional practice if your child would like to do some extra preparation. In science we will be completing our adaptations research.
Important Dates
Monday, Sept. 24 - Wednesday, Sept. 26: Camp! All classes depart at 9:00ish AM for Impeesa. We return Wednesday at 3:00PM Friday, Sept. 28: No School Monday, Oct. 1: Fort Calgary Trip (seeking volunteers return forms) Thursday, Oct. 4 & Friday, Oct. 5: Parent teacher interviews Oct 8-12: Fall Break Camp Info: Here is some important information regarding Camp Impeesa next week.
Please do not hesitate to email your child’s homeroom teacher if you have any additional questions. We are excited to be going to camp together and are looking forward to creating a memorable experience with your children. Humanities: This week we worked on reading strategies. We have been looking for aha moments, tough questions and words of the wiser in stories we read and view. These signposts in our reading help us interact with the story and make personal connections. They guide us as readers and we are learning to recognize their importance. We also had the opportunity to try to put them into stories we are writing. We used a new writing platform, called Write About to craft a “mission impossible” story. Students can share their stories with you by using their google log in information to access this platform on any device. We also explored Canada’s beginnings as a country and learned about confederation. Next week is camp, and we only have 1 day in the classroom. This day will be spent reflecting on camp and preparing for our field trip to Fort Calgary. Please return the Fort Calgary Field trip forms on Monday. October seems far away, but we aren’t in class a lot before this trip. Math: The students had the opportunity to tackle a problem that we requires perseverance and build their growth mindset. Both classes worked on the deca tree problem. Science: This week the students began their wetland adaptations project. Each student is researching the adaptations of a wetland organism. Important Dates
Monday, Sept. 24 - Wednesday, Sept. 26: Camp! All classes depart at 9:00ish AM for Impeeza. Friday, Sept. 28: No School Monday, Oct. 1: Fort Calgary Trip (seeking volunteers) Thursday, Oct. 4 & Friday, Oct. 5: Parent teacher interviews Oct 8-12: Fall Break Camp update: All grade 5 students are now attending camp at Camp Impeeza. This large facility was able to accommodate us on short notice when the Waterton camp was cancelled, due to bed bugs. We are excited for the opportunity to have all the students together and enjoying the same experience. Additional information was sent to the 5.4 parents. The camp booklet will go home Monday, and a new consent needs to be returned ASAP. Humanities: The students examined the history of the flag this week, as we began digging deeper in to elements of our collective identity as Canadians. We finished our autobiographical poems. We also wrote in the opinion journals, and 5.4 started a read aloud. Book talks will start next week. Each Wednesday 2 students will share a book, they think others should read, with the class. This is an informal 2-5 minutes presentation about a book they liked. The book doesn’t need to be a recent read, just one they can speak about. Students have an assigned date and an organizer to guide them. Next week we will learn about Confederation and how it impacts our identity. Science: This week we looked at the types of wetlands, and their role in the environment. Moving forward students will learn about the wetland adaptations of plants and animals. Math: Students used based 10 blocks this week, as we continued looking at the number system, place value and large numbers. We continue to use daily math talks to support the building of numeracy concepts. Parent Math Corner: Here is a blog that outlines some ways you can support mathematical growth at home with your children utilizing games: https://blog.mindresearch.org/blog/big-list-mathematical-board-games PE: Students in 5.3 need helmet for class on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next week. Seesaw: An email was sent with links and information for sign up. Many parents have already signed up to access their students portfolios. You need to join each class by using the separate links. If you require the links again or would like support please contact us, we are hoping all parents sign up. Important Dates
Friday, Sept. 14: No School Thursday, Sept. 20 Walk to MRU for Beakerhead (more details soon, and we’ll need volunteers) Monday, Sept. 24 - Wednesday, Sept. 26: Camp! 5.1 and 5.4 depart at 7:45AM. Please email your child’s teacher(s) if you are able to volunteer! Camp Handbooks were sent home. Friday, Sept. 28: No School Math: This week we continued to use our dice game to review place value and large numbers. We also used this as an opportunity look at writing large numbers. We finished the week off by completing the, “My Favourite Not Yet,” activity, where we searched for and corrected errors that are common when writing a large number. Science: We started the week by reflecting on what we learned during our Ralph Klein Park trip. Students were asked, "What purpose they thought a wetland has in an ecosystem? They reflected on how humans impact wetlands and to shared a couple ideas about what sparked their curiosity during our trip. These reflections have been submitted to Seesaw. If your child has not completed all of the questions they have been asked to complete them at home over the weekend. Humanities: This week we continued our work on identity. Students wrote an autobiographical poem that included many elements of “who they are”. We enjoyed a day at the Glenbow Museum. Students had a guided tour of some exhibits and worked on their exploration skills. In the “Letter Zed,” program students were introduced to several elements of Canadian identity, and learned how historical events and people shaped this identity. This is our next focus in Humanities, and the trip served as an introduction. Coming up students will explore historical people and events that are important to Canada’s post-confederation history and will chose to defend the group, person or event they feel is most important to Canadian Identity. Seesaw and Agenda: If you are not able to access the student agenda document please reply to [email protected] and the link will be sent to you. Parents should expect to receive an email invite shortly. You are welcome to download the Seesaw Family App from the Apple App Store or Google Play store in preparation. Seesaw can also be accessed as a web based program. Each student’s portfolio has several different classes. When we send the email please follow the instructions so you have access to math, science, humanities and the specialty classes. If you are curious, student’s can access their portfolios on any device and can share with you. They just log in as students and use the log in with email/google prompt. Important Dates
Monday, Sept. 3: No School Wednesday, Sept 5: Glenbow - we require 2 more volunteers for this trip. Friday, Sept 7 PM: Dragonboating for PE - contact PE teachers if you can volunteer and Better Impact isn’t working for you. [email protected] or [email protected] Friday, Sept. 14: No School Monday, Sept. 24 - Wednesday, Sept. 26: Camp! Please email your child’s teacher(s) if you are able to volunteer! Camp Handbooks will be sent home next week. Friday, Sept. 28: No School Math: This week we continued to learn about our math starters that we begin each class with. We also continued to sharpen our cribbage skills. In addition, we did a review of place value from last year using a dice game. Thanks to all the parents who dusted off the cribbage boards and challenged your child to a game. Science: In addition to our trip to the Ralph Klein constructed wetland where students had the opportunity to pond dip for invertebrates as well as learn about the differences between stormwater and wastewater (and how we care for our watershed in different ways), we also began to explore the different types of wetlands and why they may be important. Humanities: This week we continued our work on identity. Students completed an activity that focused on their name. We also focused on building our geographical knowledge of Canada. We completed 2 mapping activities, and a reading about Canada. Next we students will do an activity that examines their personal history, and we will begin an inquiry into Canadian Identity. Seesaw and Agenda: The students were able to use their digital agenda this week. They shared the document with their parents through email. It is our hope that you all have access to your child’s agenda. If you are not able to access the document please reply to [email protected] and the link will be sent to you. The students also set up their Seesaw accounts this week. Parents should expect to receive an email invite next week. You are welcome to download the Seesaw Family App from the Apple App Store or Google Play store in preparation. Seesaw can also be accessed as a web based program. Each student’s portfolio has several different classes. When we send the email please follow the instructions so you have access to math, science, humanities and the specialty classes. A always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns |
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