Revision

We began our day with a long assembly. We got to see the JKs and the SKs perform their very cute Anti-Bullying message. We then heard from one of Ms. Chin's grade 6 exhibition groups. They shared that their exhibition topic is about gender inequality. They hosted an army-style obstacle course house game. Students were great participants and a great audience. Well done to Zeta for winning this game.

In class we worked on review work to prepare us for tomorrow's unit test on probability. Review packages are coning home in the test duo-tang. Please review this with your child tonight if possible.

We continued with our Please and Thank You Who We Are inquiry unit. All groups finished up writing their anti-bullying script.  Students practiced their performances in class and then performed for each other in class and on stage. Groups received feedback on how to improve their performance for Friday's assembly.

Students met up in their literature circle groups for their fifth group meeting. After discussions, students used class time to read chapter 5. Students also received new role assignments for today. It is important that The Secret Garden books and reading duo-tangs be brought to school daily as we will be having daily group meetings as well as time allocated in class for reading.

For science fair remember to take pictures and record data as you go. Make time in the next week or so to purchase a tri-fold display board for the science fair.

Plants and Soils duo-tangs  and review sheets are coming home today so students can prepare for the unit test on Friday.

Students attended French today.

Homework & Reminders

• MMS test tomorrow - study, review sheet in test duo-tang
• Plants & Soils test on Friday - study
• Sign arithmetic test coming home today
• Science Fair: Begin testing, record data & observations in qualitative and quantitative data collection tables, take photos as you go. Make time to buy a tri-fold display board in the next week or so.
• Novel Study - complete chapter 6 reading and response
• French test on Friday

Vignettes

We began our day with math. We completed the practice questions from yesterday's lesson on predictions and actual results. Students began by understanding the problem, recording all possible outcomes, making predictions based on outcomes and number of trials, writing probabilities, and creating a tally chart. Students then conducted the experiment with a partner by spinning a spinner 50 times and by rolling a die 50 times. They had a lot of fun doing this. They compared their actual results to their predicted results and discovered that they were a match or were quite close. Great predictions grade 4s! We used the remaining class time to begin review work for Thursday's unit test on probability.

We did not do arithmetic today.

We continued with our Please and Thank You Who We Are inquiry unit. We picked up from yesterday's two questions. "What is bullying?" and "What kinds of bullying are there?" Students worked in pairs to conduct an internet search for answers to these questions. Students shared what they found with the class. Grade 4s were presented with a challenge today. They placed themselves in groups of a specified number. Each group received a vignette about a bullying scenario. Students had to work together to complete the vignette in a way that solved the bullying problem. Students were so enthusiastic about this work that they convinced me to allow them to keep working on it instead of having an arithmetic lesson. There's a first for everything. :-)

Students met up in their literature circle groups for their fourth group meeting. I heard a very good discussion with the group I sat in with today. After discussions, students used class time to read chapter 5. Students also received new role assignments for today. It is important that The Secret Garden books and reading duo-tangs be brought to school daily as we will be having daily group meetings as well as time allocated in class for reading.

For science fair remember to take pictures and record data as you go. Make time in the next week or so to purchase a tri-fold display board for the science fair.

Plants and Soils duo-tangs are coming home today so students can begin preparing for the unit test on Friday.

Look out for a letter about Carrassauga's Brazil Pavilion which will be happening at the Grace Centre/SJA soon.

Homework & Reminders

• MMS p. 186 & 187
• MMS test on Thursday - study
• Plants & Soils test on Friday - study
• Science Fair: Begin testing, record data & observations in qualitative and quantitative data collection tables, take photos as you go. Make time to buy a tri-fold display board in the next week or so.
• Novel Study - complete chapter 5 reading and response
• French test on Friday
• Carrassauga letter coming home today
• Tomorrow is Casual Day

What is bullying?

We began our day with language. Students were inquirers as they were challenged to discover what it means to diagram a sentence and how to diagram a sentence. Students shared their ideas with each other. Two brave volunteers came to the board and taught the class how to do this.

 

 

Parents, please ask your child to explain how to diagram a sentence to you. Also, ask them why we learn to do this. We will not do a spelling list this week due to time we will spend on anti-bullying activities.

Students met up in their literature circle groups for their third group meeting. After discussions, students used class time to read chapter 4. Students also received new role assignments for today. It is important that The Secret Garden books and reading duo-tangs be brought to school daily as we will be having daily group meetings as well as time allocated in class for reading.

We began our last inquiry unit today. We are beginning it a bit early to have it coincide with SJA's Anti-Bullying Week. This unit falls under the transdisciplinary theme Who We Are and has the central idea: Our well being is influenced by our attitudes, actions and words.

We will explore this unit through 3 lines of inquiry:

·         How words and actions can be interpreted

·         Keeping safe

·         Manners and etiquette of our school family

We started off the unit with two questions. "What is bullying?" and "What kinds of bullying are there?" Students generated great definitions of bullying. We will continue this conversation tomorrow.

 

We continued with our MMS probability unit today. Today we finished up practice problems on Friday's lesson about making predictions after an experiment. We conducted experiments with spinners, coins, and number cubes after we made predictions and then compared them to the actual results.

 

We then started today's lesson on predictions and actual results. We did not have time to get to the practice questions. We will complete the problems tomorrow. Students may attempt to complete today's MMS homework if they would like, or they can try tomorrow after we finish the practice questions.

In arithmetic, students wrote a test.

For science fair remember to take pictures and record data as you go. Make time in the next week or so to purchase a tri-fold display board for the science fair.

Homework & Reminders

• MMS p. 186 & 187 - if you want to try the problems
• MMS test on Thursday
• Plants & Soils test on Friday
• Science Fair: Begin testing, record data & observations in qualitative and quantitative data collection tables, take photos as you go. Make time to buy a tri-fold display board in the next week or so.
• Novel Study - complete chapter 4 reading and response
• French test on Friday
• After-school programs letter coming home today

Predictions

We continued with our MMS probability unit today. Today we practised making predictions after an experiment. Don't worry if that sounds confusing. It makes sense after you hear an explanation. Students drew coloured objects out of an envelope without looking. They replaced the objects each time. They kept a tally of how many of each colour they drew in 20 trials. They knew the total number of objects. Once the experiment was over, they predicted how many of each colour was in the envelope using the evidence of the tallies. They then compared their prediction to what was actually in the envelope.

 

In arithmetic, we continued practising finding the least common multiples of given numbers.

In language. students wrote their list 34 spelling test. Tests are coming home today. Please take time to review the test with your child. We had our second literature circles group meetings to discuss chapter 2 of The Secret Garden today. I got to enjoy listening to the discussions of a second group today. Once discussions were completed, chapter 3 and new roles were assigned. We discussed a new role that was introduced today - summariser. The remainder of class time was used to read chapter 3. Chapter 3 reading and the new role must be completed for Monday. It is important that The Secret Garden books and reading duo-tangs be brought to school daily as we will be having daily group meetings as well as time allocated in class for reading.

In our plants and soils unit, students continued working on their erosion awareness poster that informs the audience about what erosion is and what we can do to prevent it. Good copies were due today. Some students had to use their recess time to finish up their good copies.

For science fair remember to take pictures and record data as you go. Make time in the next week or so to purchase a tri-fold display board for the science fair.

Homework & Reminders

• Review and sign list 34 test
• MMS p. 184 & 185
• Arithmetic p. 141 & 142
• Next week is anti-bullying week at SJA. Wear pink on Monday to support anti-bullying
• Science Fair: Begin testing, record data & observations in qualitative and quantitative data collection tables, take photos as you go. Make time to buy a tri-fold display board in the next week or so.
• Novel Study - complete chapter 3 reading and response
• Bring in photos for French class

Erosion

We continued with our MMS probability unit today. Today we practised drawing tree diagrams as a way to solve probability problems. Students used tree diagrams to find all the possible outcomes for an experiment and then wrote the probability of one event as a fraction. Ask your child to describe some of the problems we did in class today.

In arithmetic, we reviewed how to find the least common multiples of given numbers.

In language, students reviewed subjects, verbs, kinds of sentences, correcting run-together sentences, punctuating parts of a letter, the writing process, and abbreviations . They also finished up working on list 34 spelling words.

We had our first literature circles group meetings to discuss chapter 1 of The Secret Garden today. It was great to hear student-led discussions in the groups. Once discussions were completed, chapter 2 and new roles were assigned. We discussed a new role that was introduced today. The remainder of class time was used to read chapter 2. Chapter 2 reading and the new role must be completed for tomorrow. It is important that The Secret Garden books and reading duo-tangs be brought to school daily as we will be having daily group meetings as well as time allocated in class for reading.

In our plants and soils unit, our question was, "What is erosion?" Students shared their thoughts on this topic. We the watched a Bill Nye DVD called Erosion. Then we read about erosion in a few non-fiction texts. Each time we made notes to show what we had learned.

 

Students were challenged to design a poster that informs the audience about what erosion is and what we can do to prevent it. Students chose to work in a group or independently to brainstorm and ideas for this assignment.

For science fair, I met with students who have not yet begun testing to check on their progress. Remember to take pictures and record data as you go. Make time in the next week or so to purchase a tri-fold display board for the science fair.

Homework & Reminders

• Review list 34 spelling words for tomorrow's spelling test
• Arithmetic p. 139 & 140
• Science Fair: Begin testing, record data & observations in qualitative and quantitative data collection tables, take photos as you go. Make time to buy a tri-fold display board in the next week or so.
• Inquirers - have sinkholes resulted in human casualties?
• Novel Study - complete chapter 2 reading and response
• Bring in photos for French class

 

Probability

We continued with our MMS probability unit today. Today we predicted and listed the probability of possible outcomes in an experiment. Students designed and constructed their own spinner with 4 colours. They listed all possible outcomes constructed a tally chart and predicted the most likely colour. They tested their predictions by spinning the spinner 20 times. Students then compared their results to their predictions. We learned how to write the probability of an event as a fraction. Students spent the rest of class time solving problems related to probability of outcomes.

In arithmetic, we learned how to find the least common multiples of given numbers. Students did this by first listing all the multiples of the given numbers, then finding all common multiples, and then the least of all the common multiples

In language, students continued working on List 34 spelling words. We began our The Secret Garden Literature Circles today. Students were placed into 3 groups of 4 students. We had a quick run through of the roles in literature circles. Students have a schedule of the required reading and role that needs to be completed today. They had time tin class to read chapter 1 and to complete today's role. Unfinished work needs to be done as homework. Chapter 1 response is due tomorrow. It is important that The Secret Garden books and reading duo-tangs be brought to school daily as we will be having daily group meetings as well as time allocated in class for reading.

In our plants and soils unit, our question was, "How plants and animals need each other?" Students worked in groups to examine pictures that depict how animals and plants depend on each other. Students worked together to identify the topic the pictures portrayed and described their topic.

For science fair, I met with students who have not yet begun testing to check on their progress. Remember to take pictures and record data as you go. Make time in the next week or so to purchase a tri-fold display board for the science fair.

Homework & Reminders

• Review list 34 spelling words for Friday's spelling test
• MMS p. 182 & 183
• Arithmetic p. 137 & 138
• Sign math tests coming home today
• Science Fair: Begin testing, record data & observations in qualitative and quantitative data collection tables, take photos as you go. Make time to buy a tri-fold display board in the next week or so.
• Novel Study - complete chapter 1 reading and response
• After-School Care invoices are now overdue. please send in payments tomorrow as late fees will begin to incur
• Bring in photos for French class

Photosynthesis

We began our final MMS unit on probability this morning. First we began by reviewing concepts learned in grade 3 by discussing the likelihood of winning a carnival game. We then focused on the language of probability. We made a class chart where students generated examples of events that were certain, possible and likely, possible but unlikely, and impossible. The class had a lot of fun discussing these events. We considered a coins in the pocket scenario, and described the likelihood of drawing a particular coin out the pocket based on knowing how many of each coin there were. Students used the words probable and improbable to describe likelihood. The rest of class time was used to describe the probability of scenarios using appropriate vocabulary as well as depict described scenarios in pictures.

In arithmetic, we reviewed how to write equivalent fractions by multiplying numerator and denominator by the same number or by drawing pictures.

In language, students are working on reviewing subjects, verbs, kinds of sentences, correcting run-together sentences, punctuating parts of a letter, the writing process, and abbreviations. In spelling we began working on List 34 words - Spell and identify antonyms and synonyms: difficult, tender, lengthy, sturdy, expensive, repaired, enormous, journey, weary, tense, cautious, sorrow, vague, ancient, courage, drowsy, disbelief, current, descend, rapidly.

In our plants and soils unit, our question was, "What is photosynthesis?" Students shared their understanding of this process and we got some excellent information. The class took notes of the ideas their friends shared. We then used the index of a few books to find information about photosynthesis. Students drew a plant and labelled it with arrows to show where water and carbon dioxide is taken up, where sugar is produced, and where oxygen is released. Ask your child to describe photosynthesis to you. We watched a DVD titled Plant Parts.

For science fair, I met with students to track their progress. I am happy that many students have begun the testing phase of their projects. Remember to take pictures and record data as you go. Make time in the next week or so to purchase a tri-fold display board for the science fair.

We are making preparations to begin our final novel study for the year. This study will be done in the form of literature circles with each group member performing a different role. Students are bringing our novel home with them today as well as a letter for parents. Please take time to read and sign the letter, and have a look at the book, The Secret Garden. No reading has been assigned for today.

Homework & Reminders

• Review list 34 spelling words for Friday's spelling test
• MMS p. 180 & 181
• Arithmetic p. 135 & 136
• Science Fair: Begin testing, record data & observations in qualitative and quantitative data collection tables, take photos as you go. Make time to buy a tri-fold display board in the next week or so.
• Novel Study - sign letter
• Bring in photos for French class

Reminders

I am looking forward to getting back to school and into our rhythm of work tomorrow after a very long weekend.
Students are reminded that:

• tomorrow is Earth Day - they may come to school wearing "earth" colours
• they may begin wearing summer uniforms tomorrow

Scooter's Roller Palace

We began the day with a spelling test. Tests are coming home today. Please take time to review the test with your child. In the time we had before we headed off to Scooter's Roller Palace, students corrected their language work that they have been working on this week. Students conferenced with me individually to get this done.

It was then time to head out to Scooter's. Students had fun skating and blading with fellow SJA students, as well as students from Oakwood and the Maples.

When we got back to class, we discussed to how to create qualitative and quantitative data tables for our science fair projects. Students took time to construct at least 2 tables in their science journals where they will record any data they collect. Students who completed all this work began typing up the different components of their science project to be ready for their display board. Remember that materials lists are due Monday. Science fair homework for the weekend is to collect/purchase any materials needed for the science fair projects. Some students have expressed a desire to conduct their testing at home. I am fine with students doing this. Remember to have a chart ready in your journals to collect data in. Students who are ready are encouraged to begin the testing process. Remember to take before, during, and after photographs for your display board.

We ended the day meeting as a school to find out which class is in the lead for the spring fundraiser. SJA students met all fundraising goals and we saw Ms. Rossi get spaghetti stringed, Mr. Sawatsky shaved his beard, Mr. Browning wore make-up for the day, and Mr. Monaghan dyed his hair blue. Because students raised over $6000 in all, today's top fundraiser chose to pie Mme. Stella in the face. Well done to Mme. Stella for being a good sport.

Homework & Reminders

• Sign list 33 spelling words coming home today
• Science Fair: Materials list for Tuesday, Collect/purchase supplies, begin testing if you can, prepare a qualitative and quantitative data collection table if you begin testing, take photos as you go
• Bring in photos for French class
• No school on Friday - Good Friday
• No school on Monday, April 21 - Easter Monday

Have a wonderful long weekend everyone.

Transplanting

Today we finished off our MMS unit on length, perimeter, and area with a unit test. Tests will come home next week.

In language, students finished working on list 33 spelling words. They also continued working on compound nouns and verbs.

In our inquiry time, we learned students read about an apple tree's life cycle through the seasons. They used labelled diagrams and notes to show their understanding. We spent time on our seedling journals today. We had a wonderful opportunity to see a seedling displaying a root, root hairs, stem, leaves, shed seed coat, and cotyledons. We transplanted our seedlings into soil today.

In our science fair time, I met with all students to check their variables, hypothesis, and experimental procedure. We took time to discuss how to write a materials list that is sufficiently detailed. Students had time in class to complete their materials list. Science fair homework for the weekend is to collect/purchase any materials needed for the science fair projects. Some students have expressed a desire to conduct their testing at home. I am fine with students doing this. Please remember to have a chart ready in your journals to collect data in. Students who are ready are encouraged to begin the testing process. Remember to take before, during, and after photographs for your display board. We ended the day meeting as a school to find out which class is in the lead for the spring fundraiser. Students are encouraged to bring in their pledge forms and money collected daily. They could be the top earner for a day and be eligible for a prize.

Students attended French and gym class today.

Homework & Reminders

• Keep fundraising and bring in any money raised daily
• Review list 33 spelling words for tomorrow's spelling test
• Science Fair: Materials list for tomorrow. Collect/purchase supplies over the weekend, begin testing if you can, prepare a data collection table if you begin testing, take photos as you go
• Bring in photos for French class
• Scooter Roller Palace trip is tomorrow. Students are able to come to school dressed in Easter colours tomorrow in celebration of Easter Spirit Day.  Students are not required to wear their uniforms on the trip. Lunch will take place prior to our departure to Scooters.  The second lunch period will occur upon our arrival back to school. There is a concession stand at Scooters Roller Palace where students may choose to purchase snacks and drinks
• No school on Friday - Good Friday
• No school on Monday, April 21 - Easter Monday

 

 

Flowers

Today we again spent our math time reviewing linear dimensions, perimeter, and area. All students have completed and corrected the review package. These packages are in the test folders if you would like to further review them with your child today. Students will write the unit test tomorrow.

In language, students continued working on list 33 spelling words. Language quizzes on nouns, subjects, and verbs are coming home today.

In our inquiry time, we learned about the parts of a flower and the process of pollination. Students considered the implications on the world if pollination did not occur. We watched a very entertaining Bill Nye the Science Guy DVD titled Flowers.

In our science fair time, I met with most students to check their variables and hypothesis. I will meet with the remaining students tomorrow. We are back on track with our science fair schedule. Well done grade 4s! We discussed how to design a fair test and how to write up an experimental procedure that is detailed enough to allow someone else to repeat the procedure by following our instructions. Experimental procedures are due tomorrow. Students used class time to work on their experimental procedures write up in their science journals. We will work on the materials list tomorrow.

We ended the day meeting as a school to find out which class is in the lead for the spring fundraiser. Students are encouraged to bring in their pledge forms and money collected daily. They could be the top earner for a day and be eligible for a prize.

Students attended art and gym class today.

Homework & Reminders

• Keep fundraising and bring in any money raised daily
• Review list 33 spelling words for Thursday's spelling test
• MMS - study for tomorrow's unit test
• Science Fair: Experimental procedure due tomorrow
• Bring in photos for French class
• Scooter Roller Palace trip forms due tomorrow
• Scooter Roller Palace trip on Thursday, April 17. Students are able to come to school dressed in Easter colours on Thursday, April 17th in celebration of Easter Spirit Day.  Students are not required to wear their uniforms on the trip. Lunch will take place prior to our departure to Scooters.  The second lunch period will occur upon our arrival back to school. There is a concession stand at Scooters Roller Palace where students may choose to purchase snacks and drinks. 
• Please note, there will be no school offered on Thursday for students who opt out of the event.
• No school on Friday - Good Friday
• No school on Monday, April 21 - Easter Monday

Plant Adaptations

We spent today's math time reviewing linear dimensions, perimeter, and area. We will continue doing this tomorrow and students should be ready for their unit test on Wednesday.

In language, students were confronted with the question, "What are compound nouns?' They used the sentences they were given to identify compound nouns and generate a definition for compound nouns. They compared the class definitions to that definition in our language books. Students used the rest of class time to practice identifying compound nouns in sentences. We began working on list 33 spelling words - Spell compound words: northwest, outdoors, everybody, teaspoon, waterfall, downtown, schoolhouse, southeast, supermarket, therefore, homework, sidewalk, breakfast, outstanding, overcoat, typewriter, horseshoes, toothache, aircraft, knapsack

In our inquiry time, we practiced our research skills to learn about plant survival tactics. Students read non-fiction texts to find information. They made notes to record their learning in bullet form. Students wrote fragments as a way to avoid plagiarism. We began a new investigation with soils. We were wondering how well plants will grow in different soils. We planted squash seeds in sand, clay, and black soil. Students made a hypothesis stating which plant would grow the best and the worst. Ask your child how we ensured this experiment was a fair test.

Students used class time to work on their hypothesis for their science fair project. We discussed independent, dependent, and controlled variables today. The "Variables and Hypothesis" worksheet in the science fair duo-tang is due tomorrow.

 

We ended the day meeting as a school to find out which class is in the lead for the spring fundraiser. Students are encouraged to bring in their pledge forms and money collected daily. They could be the top earner for a day and be eligible for a prize.

Students attended French and gym class today.

Homework & Reminders

• Keep fundraising and bring in any money raised daily
• Review list 33 spelling words for Thursday's spelling test
• MMS - study for Wednesday's unit test
• Science Fair: Hypothesis due tomorrow
• Bring in photos for French class
• Pancake breakfast tomorrow for those that ordered
• Scooter Roller Palace trip forms due Wednesday, April 16
• Scooter Roller Palace trip on Thursday, April 17, Let us know of your shoe size by Tuesday
• No school on Friday - Good Friday
• No school on Monday, April 21 - Easter Monday

Leaf Characteristics

 

In today's math lesson we explored figures that have the same area but different perimeters. Students worked on a word problem where a figure had to be a rectangle of a certain area. They used congruent squares to find and model all the possible rectangles with this area. They also calculated the perimeters of each rectangle. Students represented all the possible rectangles on grid paper. We worked in a systematic and organised way to ensure we found all possible answers.

 

In language students wrote list 32 spelling test. Tests are coming home today. Please review them with your child.

In our inquiry time, we took up the reading that students did on composting. Students shared their ideas with the class. We have also decided as a class to try composting our left over lunch scraps. Today we learned about the importance of leaves in the classification of plants. Ask your child about the leaf types we learned about.

Students used class time to work on their background research for their science fair project. We discussed the research paper today. Students are to write 3 to 5 paragraphs. We used the following word web to direct our writing. This paper is due on Monday. It should be written directly in the science fair journals.

 

We enjoyed watching a DVD titled "How Plants Grow". Students were encouraged to take notes and use the DVD as one of their sources.

We ended the day meeting as a school to find out which class is in the lead for the spring fundraiser. Students are encouraged to bring in their pledge forms and money collected daily. They could be the top earner for a day and be eligible for a prize.

Students attended French and art class today.

Homework & Reminders

• Keep fundraising and bring in any money raised daily
• Sign and review spelling test
• MMS p. 162 & 16
• MMS test on Wednesday, April 16
• Science Fair: Research paper due Monday
• Bring in photos for French class
• Pancake order forms are due Monday, April 14
• Scooter Roller Palace trip forms due Wednesday, April 16
• Scooter Roller Palace trip on Thursday, April 17, Let us know of your shoe size by Tuesday

Soccer Tournament

It was a very quiet day in grade 4 today. Most students were off participating in the U10 soccer tournament. Congratulations to these players for their performance.

Students who remained behind spent the day working on their science fair project. They finished up their background research and began writing their research paper. Research papers are due on Monday.

We ended the day meeting as a school to find out which class is in the lead for the spring fundraiser. Congratulations to Ms. Chin's class! Students are encouraged to bring in their pledge forms and money collected daily. They could be the top earner for a day and be eligible for a prize.

Students attended French and gym class today.

Homework & Reminders

• Keep fundraising and bring in any money raised daily
• Review list 32 spelling words for tomorrow's spelling test
• Plants & Soils test postponed for now
• Science Fair: Research paper due Monday
• Bring in photos for French class
• Pancake order forms are due Monday, April 14
• Scooter Roller Palace trip forms due Wednesday, April 16
• Scooter Roller Palace trip on Thursday, April 17
• Some students need to purchase pencils, erasers, and glue sticks as they have run out of supplies

Drainage

In today's math lesson we continued exploring figures that have the same perimeter but different areas. We kicked off the lesson with a word problem where students were given a perimeter and challenged to find all the possible rectangles with that perimeter. They used geoboards to help them, grid paper to show their solutions and a table to work in a systematic and organised way. They then had to choose the dimensions that gave the greatest area. Student noticed that the narrower and longer the rectangles, the smaller the area. The closer the rectangles came to being a square, the larger the areas. Students used the remainder of class time to construct as many possible figures of a given perimeter and calculate area for each.

In language students worked on their list words.

In our inquiry time, we repeated yesterday's investigation to determine the drainage of different soil samples. We worked with sand, loam, and clay samples. Ask your child which soil was best at draining water and which was best at holding water. Students were inquirers as they read about composting to discover what this process is about. We will take up these lessons on Friday. We ended our inquiry time by watching a DVD titled What is Soil?

Students used class time to work on their background research for their science fair project. I quickly met with each student today to ensure that they were making progress in their note-taking. There is a supply of books available for students to use in class for their background research.

We ended the day meeting as a school to find out which class is in the lead for the spring fundraiser. Students are encouraged to bring in their pledge forms and money collected daily. They could be the top earner for a day and be eligible for a prize.

Students attended French and gym class today.

Homework & Reminders

• Keep fundraising and bring in any money raised daily
• Review list 32 spelling words
• MMS p. 160 & 161
• Plants & Soils test moved to Monday
• Science Fair: Continue working on your background research reading and note-taking
• Bake Sale on tomorrow  $1
• Coffee Sale for parents during tomorrow's drop-off - $2
• Bring in photos for French class
• Pancake order forms are due Monday, April 14
• Scooter Roller Palace trip forms due Wednesday, April 16
• Scooter Roller Palace trip on Thursday, April 17
• Some students need to purchase pencils, erasers, and glue sticks as they have run out of supplies
• U10 soccer team is heading out for a tournament tomorrow

Plant Life Cycles

In today's math lesson we continued exploring the area of larger regions. We discussed the impracticality of using 1-cm grid paper to find the area of our classroom. Students paired off to construct a 1 square metre out of newspapers. We used these large squares to find the area of the hallways in the main building. Ask your child to explain how we did this. Students then used the rest of class time to find areas of larger regions and also to draw models of a larger regions.

In language we continued learning about verbs and subjects. We took up our last lesson's work. Today we examined interrogative and imperative sentences. We discovered that there is an implied subject in an imperative sentence that is always the word "you". We also discovered that in an interrogative sentence the subject is sandwiched between verbs.

In our inquiry time, we began an investigation to determine the drainage of different soil samples. We used this as a practice run as we knew it was not a fair test. Ask your child to explain to you why today's experiment was not a fair test. We read about plant life cycles, and compared and contrasted the life cycle of an oak and pumpkin. Ask your child how the life cycles of these two plants are the same and different.

 

Students used class time to work on their background research for their science fair project. Today I met with students who had to change their science fair question to discuss their progress. There is a supply of books available for students to use in class for their background research.

We ended the day meeting as a school to find out which class is in the lead for the spring fundraiser. Students are encouraged to bring in their pledge forms and money collected daily. They could be the top earner for a day and be eligible for a prize.

Students attended gym class today.

Homework & Reminders

• Begin fundraising and bring in any money raised daily
• Review list 32 spelling words
• MMS p. 158 & 159
• Plants & Soils test on Friday
• Science Fair: Continue working on your background research reading and note-taking
• Bake Sale on tomorrow and Thursday - $1
• Coffee Sale for parents during tomorrow and Thursday's drop-off - $2
• Pancake order forms are due Monday, April 14
• Scooter Roller Palace trip forms due April 16

Area of Polygons

In today's math lesson we continued exploring area, this time using polygons instead of quadrilaterals. We used 1-cm grid paper to find area in square centimetres (cm²⁾. Students traced the figures onto the grid paper and counted squares to find area. If a part of the figure covered less than half a square, they ignored that part of the figure. If a part of the figure covered half a square, they joined the half with another half to make a whole square. If the figure covered more than half a square, they counted it as one whole square. The rest of math class time was used to solve problems involving finding area of polygons in cm² as well as constructing polygons with a particular area.

Today's math lesson cut into a chunk of our inquiry time. Students paired up with a buddy. Buddies then answered the quiz their friends had generated last week. Students continued making observations about their bean seed growth.

I took time to meet with each student today to check on their science fair project progress. Ask your child to tell you about our discussion.

In language we began working on List 32 spelling words - Spell words with prefixes ex, de, dis, un and ad: express, design, unknown, admit, unclear, explore, disagree, defend, unreal, adventure, unwise, disclose, advice, excuse, disinterested, dishonest, unprepared, unpleasant, advance, adverb.

We ended the day meeting as a school to find out which class is in the lead for the spring fundraiser. Congratulations to Ms. Da Costa's grade 2 class for being in the lead on the first day. Students are encouraged to bring in their pledge forms and money collected daily. They could be the top earner for a day and be eligible for a prize.

If you haven't already, please make time to visit the library to find 3 sources for your science fair project this week. Students who have their sources should begin reading and taking notes in their science journals. Remember to complete the bibliography page in your science fair duo-tang for each source you use.

Students attended French, art, and gym class today.

Homework & Reminders

• Begin fundraising and bring in any money raised daily
• Review list 32 spelling words
• MMS p. 156 & 157
• Science Fair: Visit the library if you can to find 3 written sources on your topic. Begin your background research reading and note-taking
• Bake Sale on Wednesday and Thursday - $1
• Coffee Sale on Wednesday and Thursday for parents - $2
• Pancake order forms are due Monday, April 14
• Scooter Roller Palace trip forms due April 16

International Day

Mrs. nelson made an exciting announcement during convocation this morning:

 

St. Jude’s Academy is hosting its first Spring Fundraiser to raise funds to support our IB program!!

The fundraiser will take place during the period of April 7^th to April 17^th!

Some of the big events that are taking place are:

April 9^th and 10^th Bake Sale!

April 9^th and 10^th Coffee Sale for parents during morning drop-off!

April 15^th Pancake breakfast!

April 17^th Scooters Roller Palace Trip!

PRIZES can be won for students who participate! Daily prizes awarded!

GRAND PRIZES include a PS4 party, a ‘Frozen’ lunch party, and movie days!

All students who collect $30 in donations or more will be treated to a Scooters Roller Palace trip!

 

Your child is coming home with a package containing a flyer with more information about this fund raiser, a pledge form to track the money they collect, a pancake order form, and a Scooter Roller Palace Trip Form.

Several classes performed songs and dances from the countries they are representing for International Day today. Their performance was enjoyed by all.

We ended our convocation a fun house game. Each house selected students to form a crocodile that raced other crocodiles across the gym.

Once we got back to class, we had just enough time to write this week's spelling test before Mme. Blanco arrived for French.

In our inquiry unit on plants and soils, we continued making observations of our germinating bean seeds. Today we continued with the experiment we began yesterday to separate soil into its different particles. Students drew labelled diagrams to show what had happened. Ask your child to tell you the order of the soil particle layers that they observed. Students read about a plant and a product that they are very familiar with - maple trees and maple syrup. They used the information to generate a quiz which we will use later.

In today's math lesson we continued exploring area. We used 1-cm grid paper to find area in square centimetres (cm²⁾. First we estimated before using the grid paper to find actual area in cm^2. The rest of math class time was used to solve problems involving finding area of figures in cm².

It was then time to set up our "Canada" Display for International Day. Our class looked fantastic in their red and white. Students enjoyed sharing what they had learned with fellow students and family members who came to visit our display.

If you haven't already, please make time to visit the library to find 3 sources for your science fair project this week. Students who have their sources should begin reading and taking notes in their science journals. Remember to complete the bibliography page in your science fair duo-tang for each source you use.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Homework & Reminders

• Look out for the Spring Fundraiser Package coming home today
• Begin fundraising and bring in any money raised daily
• Sign spelling test
• MMS p. 154 & 155
• Science Fair: Visit the library if you can to find 3 written sources on your topic. Begin your background research reading and note-taking

Area

We began our day with a math lesson. Today's lesson was about finding area. We took time to understand that area is like covering a surface, e.g. covering the floor with carpet or tiles or painting a wall. We chose 3 objects in our class room to cover with congruent squares. Students first estimated area in square units before covering the surface to get a measurement in square units. We discussed that formula for area of a square or rectangle  as Area = length x width. The rest of math class time was used to solve problems involving finding area of figures in square units.

 

In language students finished up working on List 31 spelling words.

In our inquiry unit on plants and soils, we examined our bean seeds. More students are seeing germination beginning to take place. Today we learned why roots are important to soils and plants. We also learned about two types of roots and examples of plants with these root types. We learned that there are 3 types of rock particles that make up soil. Ask your child to tell you what they are, how big they are relative to each other, what they feel like, and how well the hold water. We began an investigation to separate the particles of rock in a soil sample from each other.

 

 

If you haven't already, please make time to visit the library to find 3 sources for your science fair project this week. Students who have their sources should begin reading and taking notes in their science journals. Remember to complete the bibliography page in your science fair duo-tang for each source you use.

We ended our day working on our International Day presentation of Canada. Parents are welcome to visit this Friday between 3 pm and 3:30 pm.

Students attended art and gym class today.

Homework & Reminders

• Review list 30 spelling words for tomorrow's test
• MMS p. 152 & 153
• Term 2 Report cards comment pages are due tomorrow.
• Portfolios and storage binders are due tomorrow.
• Science Fair: Visit the library if you can to find 3 written sources on your topic. Begin your background research reading and note-taking
• Bring in a box of maple cookies (available at Freshco at $2.50 + tax) for International Day
• If you haven't already complete your presentation for International Day tomorrow.
• Scholastic order forms and cheques are due tomorrow for those interested
• Wear something red to represent Canada for International Day tomorrow