February already??

We must be having fun, because this year is just flying by!

Welcome back to Paige & Keese - they're both so tanned that everyone is jealous. Apparently, Wiarton Willie saw his shadow and forecast the quick end to winter. To which I say, we didn't have a winter at all this year!

Our journal subject for this week is 'My Best Friend'. We're really working on supporting our opinions with details - some of the kids really need some help with this, so please make journal writing a family event to help out. We have been working on 'paragraph hamburgers' in both French & English, learning how to set up a proper paragraph with supporting details. (check out this link for what I mean) This visual really helps students support their thoughts. Then, they can take the 3 details from their introductory paragraph and expand them each in their own paragraph to fully write out their journal. Supporting thoughts & opinions is an essential skill, so any help you can do at home to make it second nature is wonderful!

Important dates for this week:

Monday 13th - 3rd week of Winter Electives
Tuesday 14th - Valentine's Day & Valentine's Dance-a-thon!
Friday 17th - report cards go home!

Have a great week!

Helping Your Child at Home

Parents are always asking how they can help their child at home. Usually, the answer from teachers is "Read, read, read!". Well, today I have a couple new things that you can do to help your child!

In math, we are beginning to work on multiplication. Grade 4s need to know their times tables up to 9x9, and grade 5s will be working on multiplying by double digits. Times tables are one of the few things for which rote learning actually works! While you're in the car, quiz your child on their times tables. At the grocery store, ask them how many juice boxes you'll be buying if you buy 3 packs of 4 boxes! Knowing their times tables cold is an essential skill.

In writing, both in English and in French, we are working on justifying and supporting opinion. You can help by asking your child their opinion about something - even something as simple as if they liked what they had for dinner that evening - and having them explain why they have taken that position. I like to use the analogy of a chair - the most sturdy chairs have 4 legs; and the best supported opinions have 4 proofs.

Because of the snow day on Monday, Winter Electives have been pushed back a week, so we will begin this Monday, January 30th.

English Book Reports are due on Wednesday, February 1st! (Usually they are due on the last school day of the month, but I made a mistake so I left it like that - lucky creatures!)

And the hard work continues!

We have a very busy week ahead! Here are some important things to remember:

Grade 5s - Green Energy projects to be presented on Friday
Grade 4s - Endangered Species projects due on Feb. 6th
Book Reports (English) - due on Jan. 31st.

Winter Electives begin next Monday! Please remember to send in your payment if you have not already - cheques can be made out to Monck Public School.

This week's journal is 'My Favourite Animal'. I already told the monsters that they need to be working on supporting their opinion - this journal is a perfect exercise for that.

Have a wonderful week!

Welcome back!

I hope everyone had as nice a break as I did - but it's so nice to be back! I missed my little monsters, and I never know just how much I missed them until I see them again.

Bravo to Mary, who donated her hair to charity for the second time!

Just a few date reminders for January -

11th - elective payments due
20th - grade 5 PowerPoint presentations
23rd - electives begin

31st - English book report due - check your child's agenda pocket  for this month's outline & rubric

This week's journal is 'Mes resolutions du Nouvel An' (my New Year's Resolutions).

Have a wonderful week!




Just a normal day in La cochonnerie!

 

Artists at Work!

Thank you so much to the parents who came out to help with Artman today! The kids had so much fun and did a great job - wait until you see what they produced! But be patient please!

They're clean - I'm the one who got paint on her clothes!

We have yet another busy week ahead. Some important things to remember:

Monday - 1st dress rehearsal (9am) for Santa Goes Green. All our class needs to wear is red & green. Santa or Elf hats are a bonus!
              - Battle of the Books begins!
Tuesday - Santa Goes Green performances 9:30 & 1:30
Wednesday - am - walking up the hill to BPS to see A Pirate Christmas
                    - Santa Goes Green performances 1:30 & 7pm

This week's journal: Les meilleures vacances de ma vie (the best vacation of my life)

Grade Fours: Don't forget to be working on your French Book Report (Le pyramide), due on the 23rd!
Grade Fives: Keep doing your research for your powerpoint presentations on your renewable energy source, to be presented on the 21st!

Have a great week everyone!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

I can't believe it's only 3 weeks until Christmas! The weather isn't helping, either. Where is my snow??

Thanks to all of you who scheduled interviews on Thursday night - it was great to see so many of you.

We have a very busy week ahead:

Monday - Winter Elective Assembly, rough copy of French narrative story due

Tuesday - Grade 4s - test on the map of Canada, burgers & subs from Friday's PD Day

Wednesday - Book Report presentations - yum yum!

Thursday - French play presentations to select primary classes, Storybird assignment due

Plus all week we'll be practising our number for 'Santa Goes Green', this year's junior holiday musical.

See? Education can be fun!

For the past 2 weeks, I've been cramming the kids' heads full of information about our military history from World War I to Afghanistan. And, as their journals this week show, they all learned something! They all understand why Remembrance Day is so important, and they truly appreciate the sacrifices that our soldiers went through to give us the life we are free to lead.

Our Remembrance Day Service this morning went off perfectly - I am so proud of my little monsters!

Back to a regular work week on Monday - I'm prepared for the whining and complaining. In math, we're moving into adding and subtracting of multiple digit numbers. In French, we're still working on conjugating regular -er verbs in grammar, and we'll begin writing our narratives in language arts.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Going over the top of a virtual trench!