Getting down there!
LA - Biographies are due for everyone on Monday, June 3. All students have had lots of time to find information, conference with me and other students, and get their piece written.
Math - We have a fairly big test coming on Thursday and Friday of next week. Keep practicing your number skills - adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, working with decimals and really big numbers, ratios, fractions, etc.
SS - We should be finishing up our Creating a Culture project. These will be due June 12, to be presented later that week.
Health - Students have been given a "puberty interview" that they are meant to discuss with a trusted adult. It can be anyone older than them who has finished puberty :)
Please also try to send in a magazine for next week, anything that the "average" pre-teen or teen would be interested in. If you do not have one, we will likely have extras.
May 21 - 24
Wow, so, poorly managed homework blog. My apologies.
LA - everyone should be on their way to finished their biographies. We wrote about someone well-known, famous, so that there would be lots of information. Try to find magazines, books, internet sites, interviews, etc.
Math - we'll be having a big-ish test on all of our numeracy outcomes on June 4-5. Please try to have your student to school, well rested and fed on those days (as well as all the other days, for that matter!)
A reminder about Sumdog. This is a super fun math games website, that actually practices math skills (unlike most other "math" websites). Students all have a login, and the site tracks what they have mastered and what they need to work on. Very useful!
Science - we are working on our last unit - SPACE!
SS - keep working on your "Create a Culture" project
Health - we've gone over the puberty / development part of the curriculum, and everybody was quite giggly and uncomfortable. Now that's over with, we'll just be discussing general healthy living stuff again.
Other - the end of the year is creeping up quickly! Please have a look around for school and class library books that have been hiding out at home.
We still have quite a bit of learning to do, let's keep the press on!
There will be a "fun photo shoot" tomorrow, Thursday, at break times. Photos are $1 each, and fun props will be provided. This is a fundraiser for the Spring Sprint.
There is a "Mom's Movie Night" Monday, May 27th at 7:30. We'll be showing "Bridesmaids", and the cost is $5. Proceeds go toward the Care for KVMS Committee.
Phewf! I think that's all!
23 school days left...
LA - everyone should be on their way to finished their biographies. We wrote about someone well-known, famous, so that there would be lots of information. Try to find magazines, books, internet sites, interviews, etc.
Math - we'll be having a big-ish test on all of our numeracy outcomes on June 4-5. Please try to have your student to school, well rested and fed on those days (as well as all the other days, for that matter!)
A reminder about Sumdog. This is a super fun math games website, that actually practices math skills (unlike most other "math" websites). Students all have a login, and the site tracks what they have mastered and what they need to work on. Very useful!
Science - we are working on our last unit - SPACE!
SS - keep working on your "Create a Culture" project
Health - we've gone over the puberty / development part of the curriculum, and everybody was quite giggly and uncomfortable. Now that's over with, we'll just be discussing general healthy living stuff again.
Other - the end of the year is creeping up quickly! Please have a look around for school and class library books that have been hiding out at home.
We still have quite a bit of learning to do, let's keep the press on!
There will be a "fun photo shoot" tomorrow, Thursday, at break times. Photos are $1 each, and fun props will be provided. This is a fundraiser for the Spring Sprint.
There is a "Mom's Movie Night" Monday, May 27th at 7:30. We'll be showing "Bridesmaids", and the cost is $5. Proceeds go toward the Care for KVMS Committee.
Phewf! I think that's all!
23 school days left...
April 15 - 18
MOVIE DAY!
All KVMS students are invited to a movie field trip this Monday, April 22nd. The cost is $5 for those students who have paid their student fees, and it covers admission and bussing. Students who wish to pre-order a 'snack pack' can do so for an additional $5. They will also have the option (although not a huge amount of time) to buy regular priced snacks at the theatre when we arrive.
Busses will leave at 9am sharp, and will be back shortly after 12. Please send in permission slips and money by Thursday, as we need to let the theatre know how many are planning to go (and students are not at school on Friday).
Thanks!
All KVMS students are invited to a movie field trip this Monday, April 22nd. The cost is $5 for those students who have paid their student fees, and it covers admission and bussing. Students who wish to pre-order a 'snack pack' can do so for an additional $5. They will also have the option (although not a huge amount of time) to buy regular priced snacks at the theatre when we arrive.
Busses will leave at 9am sharp, and will be back shortly after 12. Please send in permission slips and money by Thursday, as we need to let the theatre know how many are planning to go (and students are not at school on Friday).
Thanks!
Week of April 2
GAH! In the end of day rush (we were cleaning out desks to try to convince parents that they're always that neat) I forgot about report cards. I managed to catch a few before the busses rolled, but for those students who did not bring one home, they'll have it tomorrow.
I have also sent back all of the student-led conference sheets that were brought in, with times highlighted. Official times are 6-8 tomorrow and 8:30-12 Friday. I'll be here from around 5:00 on tomorrow (Thursday) evening.
A reminder that science fair projects are due tomorrow. We'll set up right after lunch, and classes will have a chance to come by and check out all of our work. The projects will remain set up until after student-led conferences on Friday morning, at which time they can head home. We also have 2 SS projects that can go now.
I have also sent back all of the student-led conference sheets that were brought in, with times highlighted. Official times are 6-8 tomorrow and 8:30-12 Friday. I'll be here from around 5:00 on tomorrow (Thursday) evening.
A reminder that science fair projects are due tomorrow. We'll set up right after lunch, and classes will have a chance to come by and check out all of our work. The projects will remain set up until after student-led conferences on Friday morning, at which time they can head home. We also have 2 SS projects that can go now.
Week of March 25
LA - Students should be well on their way with their writing. Our topic this time is the most ______ thing that's ever happened to me. They can talk about happy, sad, scary, surprising, exciting, etc. We're focusing on just telling about that moment, not everything that happened in the hours before and after.
Keep reading every night, and writing in your journals at least twice a week (about 2 pages per week). Our next book talk will be a very short summary, and a "blurb" for the back of the book that is written by the student.
Math - We've just started a new unit on fractions. We're working on going back and forth between improper (where the numerator is bigger than the denominator) and mixed (where there is a whole number with the fraction). Click here for a practice sheet we started in class. Students should remember that the denominator is always how many pieces make up one whole thing. Is it split into 4, or 5, or 8, or ...?
Science - Science fair is just around the corner! Students should be finishing up their experiments, and filling in all of their information, data, observations etc. in their booklet, which will be handed in with the project. We will have a block of time on Tuesday morning to finish up, so students need to have everything they need to work away during that time.
Student-led conference sheets have gone home. Please check your top 3 times and send those in as soon as possible. I'll make a schedule and let you know! Official times run from 6-8 Thursday and 8:30-12 Friday, but I'll be here by 5 on Thursday evening. Report cards go out this Wednesday.
I will be in the building but out of the classroom Tuesday morning, and back for the afternoon to address any last-minute concerns.
Have a FANTASTIC long weekend.
Keep reading every night, and writing in your journals at least twice a week (about 2 pages per week). Our next book talk will be a very short summary, and a "blurb" for the back of the book that is written by the student.
Math - We've just started a new unit on fractions. We're working on going back and forth between improper (where the numerator is bigger than the denominator) and mixed (where there is a whole number with the fraction). Click here for a practice sheet we started in class. Students should remember that the denominator is always how many pieces make up one whole thing. Is it split into 4, or 5, or 8, or ...?
Science - Science fair is just around the corner! Students should be finishing up their experiments, and filling in all of their information, data, observations etc. in their booklet, which will be handed in with the project. We will have a block of time on Tuesday morning to finish up, so students need to have everything they need to work away during that time.
Student-led conference sheets have gone home. Please check your top 3 times and send those in as soon as possible. I'll make a schedule and let you know! Official times run from 6-8 Thursday and 8:30-12 Friday, but I'll be here by 5 on Thursday evening. Report cards go out this Wednesday.
I will be in the building but out of the classroom Tuesday morning, and back for the afternoon to address any last-minute concerns.
Have a FANTASTIC long weekend.
March 11 - 15
Welcome back! Hopefully everyone had a restful March Break!
LA - a few students have still not handed in their descriptive reports. Get those in, please!
Continue reading nightly and doing journal responses 2-3 times each week (not summaries, but your opinions, thoughts, feelings etc. about what you've read)
Math - we are well into our geometry unit. We've covered polygons (regular and irregular) and perimeter. Next is area, wooh!
SS - we will present our Heritage Fair projects this coming Wednesday. We have been working on these in class for several weeks now. Students chose their own topics, and should be able to answer the following questions on their projects:
· understand and be able to talk about your topic
· explain what happened – some background info
· why was it important to Canada or NB then?
· why it’s important to us (Canada or NB) now
· why you chose it
· any evidence you can have to go with it, explain it, show it
Science - We have started planning our science fair! All middle level classes will take part, and projects are due April 3rd. They will be on display for student-led conferences, which are April 4th and 5th. When planning, help your student to choose a topic that will work, not just something that looks cool.
The steps we've gone over are these: Choose a question that you would like to find an answer to. Can you personally do a test / experiment to find the answer to that question? Can you measure and report the results? If your idea meets all 3 criteria, it's a good one! We will have one full week of science classes to work on these, and then students will be responsible to finish on their own time.
Other: The results from the grade 5 math assessment have finally been released and will be sent home with your student Tuesday. We, unfortunately, do not get the actual assessments back, just the results!
LA - a few students have still not handed in their descriptive reports. Get those in, please!
Continue reading nightly and doing journal responses 2-3 times each week (not summaries, but your opinions, thoughts, feelings etc. about what you've read)
Math - we are well into our geometry unit. We've covered polygons (regular and irregular) and perimeter. Next is area, wooh!
SS - we will present our Heritage Fair projects this coming Wednesday. We have been working on these in class for several weeks now. Students chose their own topics, and should be able to answer the following questions on their projects:
· understand and be able to talk about your topic
· explain what happened – some background info
· why was it important to Canada or NB then?
· why it’s important to us (Canada or NB) now
· why you chose it
· any evidence you can have to go with it, explain it, show it
Science - We have started planning our science fair! All middle level classes will take part, and projects are due April 3rd. They will be on display for student-led conferences, which are April 4th and 5th. When planning, help your student to choose a topic that will work, not just something that looks cool.
The steps we've gone over are these: Choose a question that you would like to find an answer to. Can you personally do a test / experiment to find the answer to that question? Can you measure and report the results? If your idea meets all 3 criteria, it's a good one! We will have one full week of science classes to work on these, and then students will be responsible to finish on their own time.
Other: The results from the grade 5 math assessment have finally been released and will be sent home with your student Tuesday. We, unfortunately, do not get the actual assessments back, just the results!
Feb 11 - 15
LA - We are still working on our descriptive reports. Those who have not yet presented their book commercials will do so Monday or Tuesday. Keep reading every day / night and journaling, at least two 1-page entries every week.
Math - New unit on geometry: we'll learn all about classifying triangles and polygons.
SS - Heritage fair projects continue. Please bring in whatever materials you need to make your presentation / poster etc. Present Feb 27th.
Other - Valentine's Day dinner will be served Feb 13 (Wednesday). Tickets are on sale until the 12th, no other meals will be served that day.
Ski forms! These need to come in! If you're not planning on coming, please return the form with the "no" box checked, or send in a note so that we know for sure.
Skating continues this Thursday and for the month of February. Students MUST wear helmets (any type), gloves or mitts, and skates (of course). No exceptions, please come prepared.
We will be having a very small celebration on Valentine's Day (Thursday) afternoon. Students are not at all required to bring in valentines, but if they do, please bring in enough for the whole class! We have 23 students.
Math - New unit on geometry: we'll learn all about classifying triangles and polygons.
SS - Heritage fair projects continue. Please bring in whatever materials you need to make your presentation / poster etc. Present Feb 27th.
Other - Valentine's Day dinner will be served Feb 13 (Wednesday). Tickets are on sale until the 12th, no other meals will be served that day.
Ski forms! These need to come in! If you're not planning on coming, please return the form with the "no" box checked, or send in a note so that we know for sure.
Skating continues this Thursday and for the month of February. Students MUST wear helmets (any type), gloves or mitts, and skates (of course). No exceptions, please come prepared.
We will be having a very small celebration on Valentine's Day (Thursday) afternoon. Students are not at all required to bring in valentines, but if they do, please bring in enough for the whole class! We have 23 students.
Feb 4 - 8
Math - we finished our newest unit on decimals, so we'll have the end of unit test on Thursday. Practice estimating, multiplying and long division!
LA - keep reading and writing in your journals. We've started working on a descriptive report - basically telling 'everything you ever wanted to know about ___'. Not about a person, and not explaining why or how, just telling about. Everyone has chosen a topic, and we've had a good chunk of time to begin researching.
Anyone who hasn't done their book commercial will do them on Monday.
Science - we've started a new unit - Flight!
SS - keep working on Heritage Fair projects. We'll be presenting in a couple of weeks, so students should have a good plan by now as far as their final project: what it will look like, what they will need to complete it, etc. Power Point presentations are nice, but not enough of a display for a project. Try to find some other visuals - a poster, things for people to look at and explore, evidence of what you're talking about in your project.
LA - keep reading and writing in your journals. We've started working on a descriptive report - basically telling 'everything you ever wanted to know about ___'. Not about a person, and not explaining why or how, just telling about. Everyone has chosen a topic, and we've had a good chunk of time to begin researching.
Anyone who hasn't done their book commercial will do them on Monday.
Science - we've started a new unit - Flight!
SS - keep working on Heritage Fair projects. We'll be presenting in a couple of weeks, so students should have a good plan by now as far as their final project: what it will look like, what they will need to complete it, etc. Power Point presentations are nice, but not enough of a display for a project. Try to find some other visuals - a poster, things for people to look at and explore, evidence of what you're talking about in your project.
January 21 - 25
LA - keep reading 20min each night and writing in your journal about what you've read. At least 2 full pages per week, please!
Math - we've started to multiply and divide decimals. We use estimation quite a bit with this unit, so practice making numbers "friendlier" to work with them more easily.
Science - electricity comic on BitStrips. Make sure it shows something that we learned in class about electricity: current, static, circuits, batteries, conductors, insulators, electromagnets...
Social Studies - choose a topic for Heritage Fair. It must be something that was important in NB's history.
Other - Have a look at home for class books, quite a few have wandered off!
This is the last week to buy tickets for Girls' Night Out on Monday, January 28th. It's a steal of a deal at $10 for a manicure, pedicure and more, as well as some tasty treats!
Math - we've started to multiply and divide decimals. We use estimation quite a bit with this unit, so practice making numbers "friendlier" to work with them more easily.
Science - electricity comic on BitStrips. Make sure it shows something that we learned in class about electricity: current, static, circuits, batteries, conductors, insulators, electromagnets...
Social Studies - choose a topic for Heritage Fair. It must be something that was important in NB's history.
Other - Have a look at home for class books, quite a few have wandered off!
This is the last week to buy tickets for Girls' Night Out on Monday, January 28th. It's a steal of a deal at $10 for a manicure, pedicure and more, as well as some tasty treats!
BitStrips
We've started using a new cool learning tool called BitStrips. It lets students create comic strips to show their understanding of any number of things in a fun way.
Right now, we are working to show our understanding of electricity - currents, batteries, circuits, etc. Students can log in from home using the class code 6Roach and their own password.
A friendly reminder that the electricity comic has to show what you know about electricity, not just be funny!
You can feel free to make other comics on your own time, keeping in mind that they go through me and *must* be school appropriate.
Have fun!
Right now, we are working to show our understanding of electricity - currents, batteries, circuits, etc. Students can log in from home using the class code 6Roach and their own password.
A friendly reminder that the electricity comic has to show what you know about electricity, not just be funny!
You can feel free to make other comics on your own time, keeping in mind that they go through me and *must* be school appropriate.
Have fun!
January 14 - 18
Math - we have started a new unit: decimals. We will be talking about place value, reviewing adding and subtracting, and learning how to multiply and divide them.
LA - read 20 minutes each night. Write at least 2 one-page entries in your journal. Update "librarything.com" site, if you like!
SS - we have started talking about the Heritage Fair. This is a project that we'll dedicate some class time to, and it will be presented around the middle of February. Projects can be on anything that is important to New Brunswick History.
Science - Lab Tuesday, bring some things from home that you would like to test for conductivity.
Exploratory: Test on the parts of a sewing machine Friday
Other: Girls' night out is January 28th, the cost is $10. This is a super fun night out of pampering and treats, for girls in grades 4-8, and is also a great fundraiser for the Care for Keswick committe! A pedicure is part of the pampering, so girls are asked to bring flip flops or something similar so that the pretty piggies can dry before being stuffed back into boots.
We will be participating in the "ski in school" program through Crabbe Mountain. It will be a full day trip on February 18th, with the weather / cancellation day of March 1. Cost is $25 and includes equipment rental and 2 hours of lessons.
An information packet has been sent home with all the nitty-gritty details. Please send back the permission slips (one for our records and one for the mountain) as soon as possible, and make a note of your student's height and weight, as Crabbe needs this information to have the gear ready. Helmets are included in the rental but students can bring their own. Goggles are not provided, but we should be able to locate a few extras, and a well-fitting pair of sunglasses works well also.
Students who are not going skiing / snowboarding are expected to attend school as usual that day; it will be business (almost) as usual.
We will also be going skating each Thursday in February. More infomation to come on this, but it's looking like middle level will be going from 9-10am. All skaters need skates (of course), helmets, and gloves or mitts. We are there just to skate. As this is a part of the phys ed curriculum, all students are expected to participate. There are extra skates available, please check in with the school if you need a pair. Any students choosing not to participate will work on a health / phys ed assignment at the school during skating time.
LA - read 20 minutes each night. Write at least 2 one-page entries in your journal. Update "librarything.com" site, if you like!
SS - we have started talking about the Heritage Fair. This is a project that we'll dedicate some class time to, and it will be presented around the middle of February. Projects can be on anything that is important to New Brunswick History.
Science - Lab Tuesday, bring some things from home that you would like to test for conductivity.
Exploratory: Test on the parts of a sewing machine Friday
Other: Girls' night out is January 28th, the cost is $10. This is a super fun night out of pampering and treats, for girls in grades 4-8, and is also a great fundraiser for the Care for Keswick committe! A pedicure is part of the pampering, so girls are asked to bring flip flops or something similar so that the pretty piggies can dry before being stuffed back into boots.
We will be participating in the "ski in school" program through Crabbe Mountain. It will be a full day trip on February 18th, with the weather / cancellation day of March 1. Cost is $25 and includes equipment rental and 2 hours of lessons.
An information packet has been sent home with all the nitty-gritty details. Please send back the permission slips (one for our records and one for the mountain) as soon as possible, and make a note of your student's height and weight, as Crabbe needs this information to have the gear ready. Helmets are included in the rental but students can bring their own. Goggles are not provided, but we should be able to locate a few extras, and a well-fitting pair of sunglasses works well also.
Students who are not going skiing / snowboarding are expected to attend school as usual that day; it will be business (almost) as usual.
We will also be going skating each Thursday in February. More infomation to come on this, but it's looking like middle level will be going from 9-10am. All skaters need skates (of course), helmets, and gloves or mitts. We are there just to skate. As this is a part of the phys ed curriculum, all students are expected to participate. There are extra skates available, please check in with the school if you need a pair. Any students choosing not to participate will work on a health / phys ed assignment at the school during skating time.
January 9 - 11
Welcome back!
The last few health classes, we've been learning about stress - what causes it, how to recognize and manage it. Today we did some activities with deep breathing and muscle relaxation. I told the kids that these would be excellent to try if ever they are having a hard time getting to sleep!
Here is the link to the video - I can't link to
it specifically but it's on this page and it's the video for lesson 3 - deep
breathing. Worth trying again, I
think! The video is long, we covered the
first and second sections which are 16 and 4 minutes each, but didn't get to
the 3rd part this week.
LA - Read 20 minutes
Math - we've finished our unit on angles, we'll have our quiz Monday
SS - those who haven't presented their world culture projects will do so on Monday
Science - bring in for Tuesday some items to test in our electricity lab
Exploratory - test on parts of the sewing machine
Girls' night out will be January 28th, the cost is $10 and a notice went home Friday.
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