...and that's a wrap.....almost!

Cold weather, indoor recess, report cards, holiday concert planning, practicing and performing, milk helpers, deli helpers, composters, patrols, digestive systems, arrays, pizza lunch, inquiry project, more practice for concert, dioramas, Wonder poems, bones...did I mention indoor recess?

And that was just yesterday. Phew! It has been a busy, busy time here at LM. Students have been involved in several 'larger' projects leading up to our first round of report cards as well as preparing for our year-end holiday concert. Students have really worked hard and I am very pleased what we were able to accomplish. I am really starting to get to know the students and enjoy seeing their confidences build every day!

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for the New Year

Our holiday break this year is from December 23rd to January 3rd. School resumes on Monday, January 6th. At this time, I would to extend from my family to yours the very best. We have so very much to be grateful for! I am most looking forward to some quiet time with my wife Tracy, and my littlest angel - Lauren. Although only 2yrs old, she is already super pumped about Santa somehow (hmmm).


Ms. Acquisto - Teacher Candidate (U of M)

Ms. Acquisto finished a successful teaching block with our class this past week. As she moves forward into her final term of studies (and teaching practicum), we wish her the very best of luck! For her next teaching block, she will be working in one of our grade 2 classrooms (an experience she greatly looks forward to)! Bonne chance!

In the new year....

Math

We will be undertaking a formal unit on multiplication. Students have started building arrays to represent multiplication statements in a variety of different ways. We return to our place value work (flats, rods) to help us create/draw our representations! So far, so good!

While our mental math work continues (automaticity, estimation, adding/subtracting larger numbers), we will be introducing a formal (and weekly) focus on problem-solving. Here, students will be taught different strategies to solve  word-based math problems. Each strategy will be taught during class time, however, completion of each weekly 'problem' will be often occur independently (i.e. outside of school). More to come!

ELA

Our Inquiry Projects are off to a great start! Students are choosing the 'content', while I teach them how to frame a proper research project! We are learning to ask (and evaluate) good research questions as well as evaluate different sources of information (books, online, media, etc., ).

Our word work work also continues! I am very impressed with our early results of this spelling program. Sharing during my recent PLC (with other teaching professionals), they too agree that this is an impressive program that is garnering very good results.

SCIENCE AND SOCIAL

Our look at healthy bodies will wrap-up with a quick look at the muscular system. In social studies, we embark on a brand new area of learning - European Exploration! A very fun unit indeed!

That's it for now! As always, any questions or concerns? Contact me via email or call and I will get back to you a.s.a.p.!

Have a GREAT holiday break and see you next year!!

Sincerely,

Mr. A

Our Digestive Systems!

Students used a wide variety of materials from whoopee cushions to pantyhose to build their models of the digestive system! What a fun way to learn!

 



Winter has arrived...

Hi all! Just a few items for your consideration!


Winter Wear

Well, we did pretty well, but the snow has finally found its way here (sorry to all those cross-country skiers and snowmobilers out there). As we do each year at this time, we ask parents to PLEASE make sure their children are coming to school prepared for the winter weather. This means proper 'outside' boots, hats, and mittens. For some reason, there are students who think it is 'cool' to try and slip outside at these times only wearing their sneakers and a sweatshirt. Please talk to your child to make sure they are doing their part in getting ready for the cold months ahead.

University of Manitoba - Student Candidates - Teaching Block 1

Ms. Acquisto's first teaching block is off to a great start! She will be with us from Nov. 12th till Dec. 13th. She will be leading the kids in a novel study using literature circles. Ms. Acquisto will also be spear-heading an interesting First Nations group project that focuses on early lifestyles and cultures of our first inhabitants. Good luck Ms. Acquisto!

Winter Concert

This year's winter celebration has been scheduled for Thursday, December 19th. There will be a show at 1:30pm and 7:00 pm. Our theme this year is a "Linden Meadows Olympic Tribute." Stay tuned for more information in the upcoming weeks.


At-Home Supports - XtraMath and ReadTheory.Org

Thanks to all the parents that have supported our new at-home supports. As mentioned, these two sites can be accessed at any time, and both work very well to further develop key math and literacy skills. If you haven't yet seen these sites, please ask your child to show you!

In the classroom..

ELA.

Our Words Their Way work is off to a terrific start! This is a specialized (and proven) word study program for phonics, vocabulary and spelling instruction. Currently, I am in a PLC (Professional Learning Community) that meets each month with other teaching professionals with the unique focus of developing, implementing and evaluating this exciting new process. Although we are still 'early' in its implementation, I can tell you that I am very pleased with what I've seen so far, especially the student engagement! Our Word Work activities occur 4x/cycle and are individualized to the student. Progress is charted often and students are moved through a series of stages based on what they already know! How cool is that? Makes me wish this was around when I was learning these skills....





Literature Circles
As mentioned in a previous agenda message, our R.A.W (Read Around the World) program is temporarily on hold due to our literature circle novel study with Ms. Acquisto. Students have been given a new novel to read/respond on for the next 4 weeks (including some home reading). Once completed, we will return to our R.A.W. program formally.


MATH

Our "Vacation Destination" assignment is wrapping up. Students have been planning/budgeting a trip to Florida for a family of five including flights, accommodation, attractions, food and fun. To be successful, students have to use (and explain) different methods of estimation to complete each step of their booking and budgeting process. Don't be alarmed if your child comes home excited that they could actually get you there and back with the best deals!

Automaticity

Our work to achieve automaticity with our math facts to 81 continues to pay good dividends. Several students in 5A have reached this goal, with many 'on the doorstep." Remember, I have provided several resources on this blog (including Xtramath) which students can visit each night to help further develop these skills.

That's it for now! Thanks again to all parents for your support in making this year so successful so far!

Mr. A

At-Home Supports Now In Play

XtraMath

All students in 5A now have their own XtraMath account and password. This is a terrific site that focuses directly on building basic math facts. Through this site, I (the teacher) am able to track individual student progress (and accomplishments)!

XtraMath can be accessed from HOME at any time. Please take a moment to find the XtraMath link on this blog. Ask your child HOW they are to access the site with their individual codes! Remember, my email address is maalcock@pembinatrails.ca when logging in!

ReadTheory.Org

This is another great site that students can access at home, at any time to help build their reading and critical thinking skills. All students have been provided with a user account and password. We will be spending some time during class to get 'up and running' with this powerful learning tool, but it is my hope that parents also participate at home and use ReadTheory as part of their child's learning development.

 

 

Staring Down November...

Hi all!

Just a quick update from the classroom! Time is marching on as we are staring down November already! It has been an emotional month here at Linden Meadows, but we have perservered and are excited about our learning projects. There is much to discuss and to do! In a quick snapshot:

1. Thanksgiving

I hope you and your family enjoyed a wonderful day celebrating each other and all the wonderful blessings you have in your lives. I was extremely grateful this year for family and friends - especially for my two-year old daughter Lauren who continues to bring smiles and joy into our lives each day. Hopefully the students won't be too full of turkey to get their 'learn on' this week!

2. Tri-Conferences

Our first round of Tri-Conferences take place this Thursday evening (17th) and all day Friday (18th). Please make sure you have secured a Tri-Conference appointment time. If you need any assistance, please call the front office as they will be glad to help you out!

3. S.A.G.E

Each year, teaching professionals gather for a day of development and learning in special area groups across the province. This year, our S.A.G.E conferences will be held on Friday, Oct. 25th. This means there will be no classes on this day.

4. Halloween

As Halloween lands on a Thursday this year, we will be having a small Halloween celebration on that day. Students are encouraged to dress-up for the afternoon if they choose, but please be reminded of our costume policy. Further information on the party (and policy) will soon be forwarded home via student agendas.

5. Remembrance Day

This year's open assembly will take place on Thursday, Nov. 7th at 11a.m. Parents and members of the community are always welcome to join us as we remember those who gave their lives so we could have ours.



Interesting bits from the classroom...

ELA: After much ground work on content, design and expectations, students have formally begun their first digital blog post. Students have been provided their own blog space and are learning how to comment, reflect and provide positive feedback within a digital medium. While our 'blogs' can only be viewed/accessed by our class at this point, we hope to open up our digital work and share (and have parents comment/share) in the near future!

So far, the kids seems quite invested in the process and are excited to write! As well, our home reading program ("Read Around the World") appears to be off to a great start! Thank-you to parents for supporting this valuable home reading program and reading with your kids each week.

MATH: Students in 5A have been involved in a variety of math activities this month. Our main unit focus has been on 'Data Management." Students have been 'making sense of data' by constructing a variety of charts and graphs in hope to glean new information, draw conclusions, and make predictions. Students will soon undertake a small graphing assignment independently. Please watch your child's agenda for details.

SCIENCE: Our investigation on nutrients and healthy food choices this year took a new, but very interesting turn. Students have been using the iPads/iMovie app to create a short video on the 7 key nutrients and how they help the body function, including key sources and examples for each. Our initial research in this project laid the foundation for this media project which I feel (despite a few hic-coughs) went very well!

SOCIAL STUDIES: Although not as exciting as using iPads, students have been learning how to read a reference text. This requires a much different set of skills than reading fiction texts! This is often a very challenging task for middle-years students. Despite the urge to "...just Google it", I am hopeful that students will begin to feel more comfortable using academically sound/proven texts, search engines and other internet sources when answering 'the big questions'. As we move forward, students will begin to weigh 'theories' vs. 'stories' when learning about the long ago past! A fun unit!

That's it for now! I am looking forward to seeing you all (and answering any of your questions) this Thursday and Friday!


Mr. A

Couldn't Resist

And We're Off!

It has been an excellent start to our learning year here in 5A! We are becoming more familiar with our routines and expectations, and are enjoying our new classmates and classroom! Students have been introduced to the main learning areas of this term, as well as participating outside of the classroom, be it Track and Field, student librarians, patrols, etc. We are a busy place! Tech team applications have been submitted as well. Thank-you to all parents for bringing in all the required student materials and fees for the upcoming year as well.

Open House

Thank-you as well to all who came out in support of the Open House on the 11th. It was great meeting you (and putting names to faces). The main message for the evening was simple - the grade 5 expectations newsletter (posted digitally here on the blog as well) and best ways to contact me. Please EMAIL me if you have any questions or concerns regarding any facet of your child's education and development. I will respond a.s.a.p. with a follow-up email or phone call at a time that works for both of us.

As well, I encourage those interested to follow "@5ANews" on Twitter for updates and reminders of all things 5A.

In the classroom...

Social Contract: We have built our social contract and classroom agreements for the year. This 'living' document describes the ideal classroom that we want to be in, as well as the expectations of each of us to ensure we are all reaching our learning potential. We will revisit this document throughout the year and when necessary.

ELA: We are readers in 5A. We will spend much time this year reading and responding to different texts in class and at home. We are learning to read more critically by asking questions, making comments and connections as well as predictions when we read. We are also learning how to edit our writing for spelling and punctuation. We are learning new vocabulary with our "3 PT Approaches".

As well, we are dedicating a portion of our ELA time each cycle for INQUIRY-based learning! An exciting area that I've had the privilege to work with Mrs. Eby and Mrs. Wyant in these past few years! Parents can also look out for our home reading program called READ AROUND THE WORLD coming later this month.

** Coming Soon:

1. Students will have/manage their own blog space for reading and responding to different texts (including peer responses).

2. Students will build their reading inventory via ReadTheory.Org, a powerful site that promotes comprehension skills and strategies when reading.


What is a Blog? Click to Watch!




MATH: Our investigations in math this term can be divided into key learning areas:

Mental Math: Students learn to use a variety of mental math strategies when approaching computations.

Place Value: Provides the foundation for much of our math learning this entire year.

Automaticity: Students are working towards 100% automaticity with their math facts to 81 (learning goal and curricular outcome).

Data Management: A small unit that focuses on representing (and understanding) data in a variety of different ways (charts, line plots, diagrams, etc.)

SCIENCE: Students are learning what nutrients are and how to follow Canada's Food Guide to make healthy food choices. This unit is a nice segue to our look at Body Systems (starting with the digestive system).

SOCIAL STUDIES: Our "big idea" in social studies this term asks the question - "How do we know about the long ago past?" From stories to theories, students will look (and ask) about the long ago past and how it influenced the development of Canada.

There is always more, but we will stop there for now....

Welcome Everyone!

Hi Everyone! Welcome to 5A's Blog! What an exciting start to our year! The kids (and the staff) look refreshed, eager and anxious to get started! Our classroom looks fantastic due to several 'upgrades' that were implemented over the past few months. Our new Smartboard can manage up to four users at a time, we have six new computers as part of our new computer bank, the old desks are gone and our new tables looks awesome! The room was also re-painted over the summer which has added to its new, crisp look! We are also expecting new chairs for each of the students at some point in next month or so. Designed for comfort and functionality, they will be a welcomed addition to our room! Special thanks to Mr. Scott who helped spear-head all the upgrades and changes (from early planning to implementation). Not an easy task, but we are truly grateful to put all these great tools to work!

Back to School Basic Info

Our "Meet the Teacher" Open House will be on Wednesday, Sept. 11th from 5:30-6:30pm. Please come out and introduce yourselves! I will be handing out some useful information regarding daily routines and expectations for the year - as well as answering any questions you may have! I am looking forward to meeting everyone. Those of you unable to attend, I will forward this information home via your child's agenda. Please take time to read carefully. Most parents questions regarding homework, time away from school, etc., are addressed in detail here.

Teacher-Parent Communciation

Our main 'vehicle' for parents to stay abreast of activities going on in 5A is the student agenda. Each day, students will write an agenda message about their day. Parents/Guardians are asked to sign their childs agenda EACH night to let me know you've seen each message. Often there are important reminders or hand-outs that are sent home via the agendas so please check daily!

Secondly, parents who want a more detailed explanation of what is going on in 5A can check here, our classroom blog. While I provide 5A news updates every couple of weeks, the blog also contains useful links for additional math practice, student timetables, homework and assignment deadline, and so much more! So make sure to check often!

Lastly, I am going to try a new tool this year to help parents stay better 'in-tune' - Twitter. Those of you familiar with Twitter will know how powerful this tool can be to stay informed in virtually any area of interest. If you 'follow' @5ANews, you will be better informed in the interests of 5A! As this is a new area for me, I look forward to any suggestions that you may have! If you are not familiar with Twitter and would like to 'get started', come see me! You will be amazed at the amount of information that is right at your fingertips - styled to your personal interests only!

Curricular Outcomes and Learning Targets

We have already started working towards this term's learning goals! While much of the first few weeks are focused on building relationships and routines, we are also starting key units in all areas of learning. Our term's learning goals are posted in our room for all students (and parents) to see. A more formal breakdown of specific learning goals for math, ELA, science and social studies will be posted soon.

Contacting the Teacher

The best way to reach me is by email (I receive instantly on my desktop and smart phone). If urgent, please call the office (204-489-0799) and they will direct you accordingly. I can be reached at maalcock@pembinatrails.ca (please note the 'extra' 'a' in the address). I will respond to each email asap. If you prefer to speak directly to me, email me, and we can set up a time that works for both of us to connect. As well, all parents are always welcome to come see me (and your child) at any time in the classroom!

We are a busy, busy classroom....

As the year begins to rev up, you will notice that 5A (and LM) is an extremely active hub of activity! We highly encourage all students (and parents) to contribute the best that they can to ensure all our learners find excellent learning rewards! I am very excited for it all, and I hope that you are too!

SO HERE WE GO!!!!