Speech Competition

We began our day with a math lesson. Today students solved division problems with 3-digit dividends. They composed their own word problems and then used division to solve these problems.

Students then worked on their pioneer projects. I am seeing some improvements in research skills. Tomorrow will be the last day that students have class time to work on their projects. Presentations have been moved to Tuesday, March 4, and Wednesday, March 5, next week.

After lunch we went to listen to the Grade 4 - 9 finalist students participate in the SJA Annual Oral Competition. All students can be very proud of their speeches and the audience is commended for their support of their fellow students. Congratulations especially to Braeden for first place, Carter for second place, and Maria for third place. Following the awards, students listened to the judges' talks. Students had the opportunity to ask questions of the judges.

 

 

 

 

 

Homework & Reminders

·         MMS p. 176 & 177, MMS test on Wed., Mar. 5

·         Look out for a letter about Pioneer Day coming home today. Pioneer Day is on Thursday, March 6

·         Pioneer project resources due daily

·         Maple Syrup Time trip forms are past due  

·         Scholastic forms are due tomorrow for those who would like to order.

·         March lunch forms are due March 7

·         Pioneer project presentations on Tuesday, March 4, and Wednesday, March 5

·         Next week is Spirit Week (Monday = Crazy Hair Day, Tuesday = PJ Day/Pancake Eating Contest, Wednesday = Backward Day, Thursday = Pioneer/House Colours Day, Friday = St. Patrick's Day)

Division with Remainders

We began our day with a math lesson. Today we examined patterns in division with remainders. Students solved word problems involving division and created their own word problems.

In arithmetic, we learned about the basis of the metric unit for weight - the gram. Students related other units like milligrams, centigrams, decigrams, decagrams, hectograms, and kilograms to the gram.

In language, students wrote their list 27  spelling test.  Spelling tests are coming home today. Also in language, we worked on the format of a picture dictionary. Students used this time to work on their Pioneer A-Z picture dictionary book.

Students continued working on their pioneer projects in our Pioneer inquiry time. We did another flip with the resources that students used in class today.

 

Students attended French, art, and gym class today.

 We are excited to announce the commencement of our recorder program as part of the SJA Arts Curriculum for grades 1 through 6.  Recorders will be used as a means to explore, practice and showcase the musicality of the students at St. Jude’s.  The recorder program will begin in Term 3, and will be a large part of the Term 3 Art assessments.

Students may choose to bring in their own recorders from home if they are already in possession of the instrument in the soprano range.  Families also have the option of buying a recorder directly from St. Jude’s for $10.00.  These recorders will become the possession of the student to be used throughout Term 3 and will be taken home with them to keep at the end of the program.

We look forward to the enjoyment and education that is sure to follow this exciting musical program!

 

Homework & Reminders

·         MMS p. 174 & 175, MMS test on Wed., Mar. 5

·         Arithmetic p. 127 & 128

·         Pioneer project resources due daily

·         Maple Syrup Time trip forms are due Thursday, Feb. 27.

·         Scholastic forms are due on Friday for those who would like to order.

·         March lunch forms are due March 7

·         Sign all tests coming home today

·         Tomorrow is the Annual SJA Oral Competition - All are welcome

·         Pioneer project presentations on Wed. Mar 5 & Fri. Mar 7

·         Pioneer Day is on Thurs., Mar 6.

·         Recorder letter

 

Strategies

We began our day with a math lesson. Today we practiced strategies such as using models, drawing a picture, and drawing a table to solve word problems. Students chose to work independently or in groups to solve these problems. There is no new MMS homework for today, instead, students should take time to correct all MMS pages for this unit - unit 10.

In arithmetic, students wrote a test. There is no arithmetic homework assigned today.

In language, students completed work on list 27  spelling words. This week's spelling test has been moved to tomorrow instead of Friday. Also in language, we examined list poems. Students used a word web to brainstorm ideas for a topic. They used the words to write a list poem consisting of two words on each line. The two words had to be an adjective and a noun. Good copies of the poems were written.

Students continued working on their pioneer projects in our Pioneer inquiry time. Students that used the Think Pads yesterday had to use the library resources in the class for their research today, while those that used books yesterday got to use the Think Pads to search the internet today. Students should remember to bring in any materials they need to complete their pioneer projects in class.

Students attended French and gym class today.

 Homework & Reminders

·         MMS Corrections, MMS test on Wed., Mar. 5

·         Review spelling list 27 - test is on tomorrow

·         Pioneer project resources due daily

·         Maple Syrup Time trip forms are due Thursday, Feb. 27.

·         Scholastic forms are due on Friday for those who would like to order.

·         March lunch forms are due March 7

·         Tomorrow is Casual Day

·         Thursday the Annual SJA Oral Competition

·         Pioneer project presentations on Wed. Mar 5 & Fri. Mar 7

·         Pioneer Day is on Thurs., Mar 6.

Changing-Step Growing Patterns

We began our day with a math lesson. Today we investigated changing-step growing patterns. Students drew pictures to show how the pattern grew in later frames, or used a table to predict what would happen in later frames. One challenging area for students was to write a pattern rule for a changing-step growing pattern. One way to write the pattern rule for the following pattern, 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 16, ..., is: Start at 1. Add 1. Increase the adding number by 1 each time.

In arithmetic, students reviewed changing improper fractions to mixed numbers or whole numbers.

In language, students began work on list 27  spelling words - Spell plural forms of irregular nouns and nouns that end in f or fe: teeth, mice, women, knives, leaves, halves, loaves, lives, calves, moose, sheep, oxen, yourselves, geese, chiefs, buffaloes, handkerchiefs, scarves, hoofs, bison. Due to the Annual SJA Oral Competition this Thursday, students did a double portion of spelling work today.

Students began their Pioneer inquiry time by writing a unit test to show what they have learned so far this unit. The remainder of class time was used for researching their chosen topic. Half the class worked with Think Pads while the other half worked out of library books. One of the project requirements is to add a bibliography. We discussed how to write a MLA-Style Bibliography for books and websites. If you would like additional information visit http://www.library.mun.ca/guides/howto/mla.php. The remainder of this week's inquiry time will be used for research and project time. Students should come to school with any materials they may need.

Students attended French, art, and gym class today.

 Homework & Reminders

·         MMS p. 172 & 173

·         Arithmetic p. 125, 126

·         |Review spelling list 27 - test is on Friday

·         Pioneer project resources due daily

·         Maple Syrup Time trip forms are due Thursday, Feb. 27.

·         Maple Syrup order forms are coming home today for those that would like to order.

·         Scholastic forms are coming home today. Order forms are due on Friday for those who would like to order.

·         March lunch forms are coming home today.

·         Wednesday is Casual Day

·         Thursday the Annual SJA Oral Competition

The Oral Presentations event is this Thursday, February 27th.  JKA-Grade 3 poetry starting at 9:00am.  Grade 4-9 speeches starting at 12:15pm.  ALL families and friends are encouraged to attend this event to support the SJA students and to hear from/interact with three very exciting judges. 

1) Lesley Kenny- Writer and Co-Editor for Descant (Canadian Literacy Magazine)

2) Bruce Hunt- Founder of Toronto Speakers Academy, President of Downtown Toronto Toastmasters Club and Chief Organizer of Fear of Public Speaking (meet up group)

3) Brianna Locke- Youth and Student Engagement Provincial Leader

Ms. DaCosta's Grade 2 class along with Brianna will be having a final Rainbow Loom rings ($.50) and bracelets ($1.00-$2.00) sale in support of school supplies for World Vision.  All SJA students, teachers and families are encouraged to show school spirit and reflect on how much we can and are making a difference for children around the world.  The sale will be from 11:30-11:50 in Ms. DaCosta's classroom (right across from the gym).  Thank you!

We look forward to having you all at SJA for this exciting event and Congratulations to ALL SJA students!

Please email Ms. Farmer at kfarmer@stjudesacademy.com if you have any questions.

 

It was wonderful to see everyone at the Gala on Saturday night. Here is a picture of some of the grade 4s performing.

Gala Tomorrow

We were back to our usual routine of beginning our day with math. In today's lesson, we examined geometric growing patterns. Students drew pictures to show what frames 4 to 6 would look like based on what was happening in frames 1 to 3. They wrote pattern rules to describe the pattern. They drew and completed tables to predict what would happen in later frames, such as frames 12 or 14.

In language, students wrote the Ontario Writing Assessment, which tests their writing skills. We finished up our novel study of Little House in the Big Woods. We discussed why the it was okay for Pa to go hunting again, and why he came home without any meat. The grade 4 students agreed that they would have been happy to eat bread and butter for supper too.

Next up was our inquiry work on the Wendat and the Anishinabe. Today was the last day for students to use internet sources to research information that helps us to understand the way of life for these two First Nation groups during the 1800s. Starting Monday, students will use their inquiry class time to work on their final projects for this unit. They should come to school with any materials they may need. Pioneer Duo-tangs are coming home today as students are writing a unit test on Monday to show what they have learned about Pioneers.

We ended the day reading with our Kindergarten Reading Buddies.

Students attended French class today.

 Homework & Reminders

·         MMS p. 170 & 171

·         The Gala is tomorrow at 6 pm. Looking forward to enjoying the student performances

·         Maple Syrup Time trip forms are due Feb. 27

·         Pioneer test on Monday

Gala Rehearsal

Due to the Gala rehearsal today, our day ran a bit differently than usual. We began our day with our inquiry unit. Students have been researching the way of life of the Anishinabe on the anishinabenation.ca website. They have been searching for information about beliefs, food, clothing, dwellings, transportation, and language of the Anishinabe people. Some students have completed their research on the Anishinabe  and have begun their research of the Wendat on the saintmarieamongthehurons.on.ca website. Ask your child what they have discovered so far.

Pioneer project topics are almost finalised. Here are the topics so far:

Abel - Farmer

Carter - Blacksmith

Angela - Carpenter

Calvin - Miller

Maria - Algonquians

Zain - Dentist

Rachel - Baker

Adam - Tinsmith

Clara - Midwife

Braeden - Storekeeper

Lukas - Wood Carver

Titus - Doctor

We will begin working on these projects on Monday.

After recess, we joined the rest of the school body in the gym for the Gala rehearsal. In between enjoying the performances of other students, the grade 4s worked on their math lesson. Today they multiplied a 3-digit number by a 1-digit number. Fraction and Decimal unit tests are coming home today. Please review the test with your child.

We ended the day with our novel study of Little House in the Big Woods. We had a good discussion of the ways in which Laura and Mary helped Ma during this time of gathering up food for the winter. We appreciated how hard it was to thresh the grain and how pioneers must have appreciated machines that could do this work for them in a fraction of the time. Students had time in class to read the final chapter - chapter 13. The response page for chapter 13 is due tomorrow.

Students attended French and Art class today.

Message from Ms. Pattenick:
Grade 3-4: Those who are joining us need to wear something as if they were going camping i.e. khaki coloured shorts and shirts/pants, bring pack backs, hats etc. Uniforms from Girl Guides, Scouts, Cubs etc. would do well with this outdoor camping scene for the play.

 Homework & Reminders

·         Look out for a letter about the Gala coming home today

·         MMS p. 168 & 169

·         SJA reregistration forms are due

·         Chapter 13 of Little House in the Big Woods and complete reader response pages for tomorrow

·         Mark Saturday, February 22, on your calendars as the SJA Annual Gala - Gala tickets are for sale now ($75/adult & $10/child)

·         Maple Syrup Time trip forms are due Feb. 27

·         Pioneer test on Monday

·         Fraction & Decimal tests are coming home today

Speech Competition Semi-Finals

This morning, Ms. Chin and her grade 6s joined our class for the semi-final speech competition. The grade 4s looked smart and were prepared. The larger audience had everyone feeling a bit more nervous than usual, but it was valuable experience. Students were well prepared and did the best. The decision was a difficult one, but was weighed in on by teachers and students. Congratulations to all who presented today.

The following 3 students have been selected to move on to the final competition next week Thursday, Feb. 27.

Maria, Braeden, Carter

These s students will need to practice rehearsing their speeches for the final competition. Everyone else gets a well deserved break from speech work.

In math, we examined patterns in multiplication. This was an easy peasy lesson for the grade 4 class.

In our pioneer unit, we continued learning about the way of life of the Anishinabe. Students paired up with a partner and used a Thin Pad to practice their research skills. They were challenged to find details about Anishinabe beliefs, clothing, food, dwellings, language, and transportation.

 

We ended the day with our novel study of Little House in the Big Woods. It has been interesting to make connections between the book and what we have been learning about in class in our pioneer unit. There were many such connections today. Students shared their thoughts on Charley's behaviour and his punishment. Students had time in class to read chapter 12. The response page for chapter 12 is due tomorrow.

Students attended gym class today.

 Homework & Reminders

·         MMS p. 166 & 167

·         SJA reregistration forms are due

·         Chapter 12 of Little House in the Big Woods and complete reader response pages for tomorrow

·         Choose a pioneer project topic if you haven't already

·         Mark Saturday, February 22, on your calendars as the SJA Annual Gala - Gala tickets are for sale now ($75/adult & $10/child)

·         Maple Syrup Time trip forms are due Feb. 27

Pioneer test on Monday

The Anishinabe

We began a new math unit this morning - Patterns in Number and Geometry. In today's lesson we examined repeating patterns. Students practiced describing the attributes of a geometric pattern using words. They identified the core of a pattern, extended a pattern, and named various terms in a pattern.

In our pioneer unit, we have begun to learn about the way of life of the Anishinabe, a First Nations groups that lived in Upper Canada before and alongside the pioneers. Students described activities and foods that they enjoy during our four seasons. They then discovered different activities and food that the Anishinabe enjoyed during the seasons. Ask your child to tell you what they learned. Some students have not chosen their pioneer project ideas. Be sure to get that done to avoid disappointment with project ideas.

We ended the day with our last in-class speech rehearsal. The competition to choose 3 students to represent our class takes place tomorrow. Give speeches a priority tonight.

Students attended French, art, and gym class today.

We did not have time for spelling today and may not do a list this week.

 

Homework & Reminders

·         Focus on your speeches tonight. The in-class competition takes place tomorrow.

·         MMS p. 164 & 165

·         SJA reregistration forms are due

·         Chapter 11 of Little House in the Big Woods and complete reader response pages for tomorrow - we did not have time in class today

·         Choose a pioneer project topic if you haven't already

·         Mark Saturday, February 22, on your calendars as the SJA Annual Gala - Gala tickets are for sale now ($75/adult & $10/child)

·         Maple Syrup Time trip forms are due Feb. 27

Valentine's Spirit Day

Valentine's Spirit Day started with a bang! The children were in high spirits and dressed colourfully. Kappa leaders led the school in game of picking up cinnamon hearts with forceps. In honour of the winter Olympics, Mr. Browning had a speed skating race for students to participate in around the gym. The last game was an Olympic trivia game for teachers.

Once back in class, students wrote their spelling test and then their Fractions and Decimals unit test. Spelling tests are coming home today. In our pioneer unit, students were challenged to use their inquiry skills to discover how First Nations Peoples helped the pioneers. We took up this work and students worked on their Pioneer A-Z Book. Ask your child to tell you what they learned. Some students have not chosen their pioneer project ideas. Be sure to get that done this weekend and have your parents read and sign the project letter.

Next up was our novel study, we discussed the way of life for members of a pioneer family during the summer time, such as visiting and making cheese. Normally, students would have 30 minutes of class time to read the next chapter, but with the in-class speech competition happening next week Wednesday, we opted for speech rehearsal. A couple of students chose to read while the rest of us listened to speeches and gave valuable feedback to students.

Students attended French and gym class today.

Carter treated the class to a homemade sugar cookie treat for Valentine's Day. Thanks Carter.

 

Homework & Reminders

·         SJA reregistration forms are due

·         REALLY focus on your speeches this weekend. Think about the feedback you got yesterday and today.

·         In-class speech competition on Wednesday, Feb. Only 3 students will be selected to move to the finals.

·         Read chapter 11 of Little House in the Big Woods and complete reader response pages for Tuesday

·         Choose pioneer project topic

·         Mark Saturday, February 22, on your calendars as the SJA Annual Gala - Gala tickets are for sale now ($75/adult & $10/child)

·         Tomorrow is a Professional Development Day for teachers - there is no school for students

·         Monday is Family Day - there is no school

Working Hard

We were back to our normal routine today. In math, we finished up our fractions and decimals review. Review pages are coming home today in test Duo-tangs.

In arithmetic, students learned to change improper fractions to mixed numbers by dividing the numerator by the denominator.

In our pioneer unit, we reflected on what we learned on our trip to Black Creek Pioneer Village yesterday. Students wrote and illustrated their learning by creating a post card about the trip. Students were asking if we could have another trip and were so surprised that another one was already planned. The picture below shows their happy reaction.

 

Please look out for a trip letter coming home today. Also, please read and sign the letter outlining the final project for the pioneer unit. This letter is coming home today too.

Mr. Browning was away today, and we wisely used gym time to work on speeches. Students worked on memorising their speech and saying it to a friend. Some had the opportunity to say the speech in front of the class and received feedback on what they were doing well and what they need to improve on.

 

Lunch order forms are coming today and are due Feb. 21.

Look out for a letter coming home today that is for parents' eyes only.

Homework & Reminders

·         SJA reregistration forms are due tomorrow

·         Review spelling list 26 words, spelling test will be on Thursday

·         MMS - study, Unit test tomorrow

·         Memorise entire speech

·         Read chapter 10 of Little House in the Big Woods and complete reader response pages for tomorrow

·         Mark Saturday, February 22, on your calendars as the SJA Annual Gala - Gala tickets are for sale now ($75/adult & $10/child)

·         Tomorrow is Spirit Day - wear much pink, red, and white

·         Scholastic orders are due tomorrow for those who would like to order

·         Friday is a Professional Development Day for teachers - there is no school for students

·         Monday is Family Day - there is no school

Black Creek Pioneer Village

We had a wonderful time at Black Creek Pioneer Village today. We spent the morning in a one-room school house with Ms. De Graff as our teacher. She was very strict. We began our pioneer school day by singing "God Save the Queen". Ms. DeGraff had students work on their penmanship on chalkboards. They practised their reading from a  reader. They recited the multiplication tables. Because it was so cold, we had an indoor recess. The students played with spinning tops, spinning buttons, building blocks, and a Jacob's Ladder to name a few. Once recess was over, we heard that one of the older students was not sharing, and was subjected to wearing the Dunce cap.

 

We learned that it was important not to be idle, but to develop skills that would help us in our lives.

After lunch, Ms. DeGraff led us on a guided tour of the village. We spent time in the seamstress's home (mother to Major MacKenzie), town hall (where someone was accused of stealing a cow), and the doctors home. The last stop had many feeling a bit green, and thankful for advances in medicine.
 

Thanks to all the volunteers who spent the day with us and to students for representing our school well.

Back at school, we had little class time before the end of the day, but grade 4s did not waste a moment. We finished up the week's spelling week, which helps with such a short week.

 Homework & Reminders

·         SJA reregistration forms are due this Thursday

·         Review spelling list 26 words, spelling test will be on Thursday

·         MMS - study, Unit test on Thursday

·         Memorise entire speech

·         Read chapter 10 of Little House in the Big Woods and complete reader response pages for Thursday

·         Mark Saturday, February 22, on your calendars as the SJA Annual Gala - Gala tickets are for sale now ($75/adult & $10/child)

·         Thursday is Spirit Day - wear as much pink, red, and white as you can

·         Scholastic orders are due Thursday for those who would like to order

·         Friday is a Professional Development Day for teachers - there is no school for students

·         Monday is Family Day - there is no school