I will be responsible for teaching
your child their core subjects of English Language, Math, and 6 Units of
Inquiry (UOI). The bulk of your child's school day will be around these three
areas. The inquiry units are usually structured around social studies and
science concepts. In this year's inquiry units we will be learning about electricity,
air and flight, Canada’s First Nations and early European explorers, Canada’s
place in the world (including trade), and Personal Health on the World Wide Web.
Most of our English language learning (oral & listening, reading, and
writing) and art expectations will be learned through the UOI. We are always
looking for guest speakers that will visit the classroom. Please let me know if
you have a connection to a specialist that would be able to visit our class to
talk about this year’s UOIs, e.g. an electrician, a pilot, etc.
|
Who we are
|
Where we are in
place and time
|
How we express
ourselves
|
How the world works
|
How we organize ourselves
|
Sharing the planet
|
|
The Exhibition
|
Title:
To
Bravely Go Where No One Has Gone Before
Central
Idea: Exploration has changed
and will continue to change people’s lives.
Concepts:
Causation,
Change
Lines
of Inquiry:
· First Peoples and
their interaction with the environment
· Early explorers
· The interaction
between First Peoples and early explorers
|
Title:
Personal
Health on the World Wide Web
Central
Idea: Being
knowledgeable and engaging in safe practices will enable you to deal with
challenging social situations.
Concepts: Perspective,
Reflection
Lines
of Inquiry:
·
Digital literacy
and ethics
·
Personal and
inter-personal skills that promote positive interaction
·
Personal safety
|
Title:
Flight
Central
Idea: Air
has many properties that can be used for flight and for other purposes.
Concepts: Function, Responsibility
Lines
of Inquiry:
· The properties of
air
· Flying devices that
use the properties of air
· Societal and
environmental impacts of flying devices that make use of the properties of
air
|
Title:
Canada in the World
Central
Idea: A nation’s
foreign policies influences how it interacts on the international stage.
Key Concepts: Causation, Connection
Lines
of Inquiry:
·
Our country’s economic, political, social, and
physical links with other countries
·
The role and impact of our significant people
and leaders in the world
·
Our role in the international community
|
Title:
How
Shocking!
Central
Idea: Society
is responsible for how energy is used to sustain life.
Concepts: Form, Change, Responsibility
Lines
of Inquiry:
· Characteristics of
current and static electricity
· Transformation of
energy
· The impact of energy
production on society and the environment
|
Your child’s specialist teachers
for this year are Mme. Stella for French, Mr. Slyk for Gym, and Mr. Andrei for
music.
Grade 6 is the culminating year
of the IB (International Baccalaureate) PYP (Primary Years Programme). This
year provides students the opportunity to showcase their learning, skills, and
actions from JK to this year through a big group project called "The
Exhibition". The Exhibition takes place on Friday, May 5, 2017. All
students and families at SJA are invited to attend and celebrate this day with
the Grade 6 class. Be sure to mark your calendars for this exciting event as
your child will value your attendance and support during the day and evening
presentations. Many of the tasks students do in our inquiry units during the
year will be geared towards equipping them with the skills needed to do well in
The Exhibition.
This is the second year that
students will not be purchasing their own school supplies. There are a few
things that SJA will not provide but
that your child will need this year.
1. Devices, such as a laptop,
tablet, or smart phone/camera for research, communication, and presentation purposes.
We do have computers at SJA, however the Grade 6 class will be using devices
more intensively. Students and parents will be notified through agendas and the
blog about when we will need devices in the classroom and how they will be used.
Laptops should ideally have software such as Microsoft Office as we often use
Word, Publisher, Power Point, and Excel in class. Students will also need
access to video creating software such as Movie Maker or iMovie.
2. Gmail account. Parents, please
help your child set up an account, and watch your child practice signing in and
out of the account to ensure they can do this successfully. Have them record
their username and password in a safe place in case they forget these. We will
be using Google docs in class to work on assignments (spreadsheets, word
processors, slideshows, etc.) and to share and collaborate on tasks.
3. USB (Please label it)
4. Prezi account (Visit https://prezi.com/ to sign up for
a free account). Keep the username and password in a safe place.
5. YouTube account to post videos
6. 3-ring pencil pouch (to store
stationery in binder)
As an IB school we value
character development, an attitude of being a life-long learner, and showing
action as a result of learning. The IB Learner Profile Attributes represent
some of the traits we value at SJA. We strive to provoke our students to ask
Big Questions - the kind you cannot Google the answer to. We encourage students
and families to celebrate stories of action with us. If you see your child
taking the initiative to ask questions and find answers on their own, please
let me know. Send me an email or a picture that describes what your child is
doing.
There are
some changes happening at SJA this year. The first is that families will need a
FOB to gain access to the school building. Questions you have regarding this
will be answered at the orientation night. Another change is that our daily
routines will be regulated by a 10-day cycle. Following the class blog and
checking your child’s agenda will help you keep track of this cycle.
The first week of school is
Neophyte Week. We will take some time to get organised in our classroom, get to
know each other, become familiar with the layout of the building and boundaries
during recess, the new schedule, and play some house games. We end the week
with Spirit Day where students come to school dressed in their house colours.
We will also get working right
away, because the year will fly by as it always does. Students should expect to
have math homework every day. They will be assigned a Math Make Sense Textbook.
Students will store all classwork in a binder with sections for UOI, Math, and
Language. The MMS textbook, class binder, and agenda must be returned to school
each day. It is my goal that all work (except Math) be completed in class.
Students who do not complete work during class time will be asked to use their
recess time to get caught up. If the work is still incomplete, students will
need to complete it as homework.
SJA will not be offering our
traditional HOT LUNCH program during the first week of school (September 7th
– 9th). Pizza slices may be purchased at $2.00 a slice daily in the
first week only.
Grade 6s will come to school in
uniform each day. They will change into their black dress shoes in the
building. They will change into gym clothes for gym class, and then back into
their uniform for the remainder of the academic day. Students may wear their
polo shirts up until Thanksgiving. After Thanksgiving, students are required to
wear their Oxford shirts, ties, jersey, and blazer.
Please find the SJA Student
Handbook attached to this email. Take time to review it with your child. Once
you are done, please print out, sign, and return the last page of the handbook
by September 9th.
On Tuesday, August 30, families of
students in Grade 1 to 6 are invited to attend an SJA Orientation Night at 6 pm
in the auditorium. This would be a good opportunity to ask questions that you
may have. I also invite you to visit my class blog at http://haagsja.blogspot.ca/ and sign up
as a follower. As a follower you will receive the daily class blog as an email.
The blog will tell you the units we are working on, what we do in class daily,
homework and other assignments, test dates, school events, and other important
information.
Mark Thursday, September 15th, from 4-7pm, on your calendars
when SJA will be holding a Welcome BBQ for all families to attend. Pre-order
forms for food will be provided.
Please respond to this email with
a "Got it" to let me know the email contact I have for you is correct.
You are welcome to use this email address to correspond with me.
I look
forward to seeing you at the Orientation Night on Tuesday, August 30th
at 6 pm and at the first day of school, Wednesday, September 7th.
Enjoy the last few days of summer until then.
Mrs. Haag
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