Heading into November!

Hi folks!

Just a quick update on all things 5A! October has flown by as expected! Students in 5A are really getting into the swing of things! Routines and expectations have been established and students are starting to find their 'voice' in all areas of their learning!

Tri-Conferences

Thank-you to all parents who supported our recent Tri-Conference meetings. I really enjoy meeting (and hearing) from parents at these times and discussing their child's learning. I appreciate all the feedback and questions and hopefully I was able to provide you with a snapshot of how things are going for your child so far this year. Our next formal assessment will be our first report cards of the year which students will receive just before holiday break.

Fort Whyte Field Trip (Oct. 31st)

Students in 5A and 5S/F will be visiting Fort Whyte Alive this Friday for our first formal field-trip of the year. While the weather is still manageable, students will be getting an early peek at the people of the prairies (a unit we will be taking on later this year).

Students will be leaving after morning bell and returning to school for regular lunch time. Students (and parents) are highly encouraged to check the weather before-hand to ensure proper outdoor gear is worn (or accessible).

Halloween (Oct. 31st - afternoon)

Students in 5A will have a small, Halloween 'celebration' this Friday afternoon. Students have signed up for class treats to bring in. Parents, please continue your diligence in sending peanut-free snacks at all times. Students are also allowed to dress-up for the afternoon on Friday as long as the costume is considered appropriate; i.e. no scary, bloody or violent themes please!

Students in 5A now have accounts to the on-line math practice site Xtramath. If you are looking for additional ways for your child to solidify their adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing skills, please encourage them to access this site. Progress and scores are forwarded to me directly!

Read Around the World_(Take 2)

Hopefully we have ironed out some of the 'kinks' present in our first RAW entries due last month. We have spent additional time walking through the program and its expectations so that all students are clear on what they need to do to be successful in this program. Parents, please make sure to keep your kids accountable for their reading (have them read to you, ask questions, etc., ) on a regular basis.

Science iMovie Production

Our first 'media project' has been completed! Students worked in groups using iPads to film, narrate, edit and present a short film on "Nutrients". Overall, a successful foray with some key areas to reconsider next time. Our goal is to see if we can embed our projects somehow into our personal blogs! Stay tuned!

Kids in the Know Safety Program

Thank-you to parents for the prompt return of the "Kids in the Know" acknowledgement letter. As part of Manitoba's Physical and Healthy Living provincial curricula, students will begin discussing and further their learning on how to be safe in both the real and on-line worlds. At times, content and discussions can become powerful so please do not hesitate to reach-out to me if you feel any concerns regarding the program or its delivery.


Remembrance Day Assembly

As we turn into November, parents and members of the community are welcome to join us as we remember those who sacrificed their lives so that we may enjoy ours! Our annual Remembrance Day assembly will take place this year on Friday, Nov. 7th.

Ignition Digital Citizenship On-line Course

Students in 5A will be part of a pilot project for our school with this on-line program that focuses on developing digital skills, ethics and awareness in virtual worlds. Topics include protecting personal safety, secure social networking, evaluating on-line sources, viruses, plagiarism, cyber-bullying and others. 5A will be working with Mrs. Eby throughout this test project with hopes of introducing the series to other grades! An exciting and fun way to learn!

...and the rest

Our data management unit has come to a close for now with our new focus on Place Value in math. Student will be learning how to read, write and represent numbers to 1 000 000. In language arts, we are learning to build proper sentences and paragraphs in hopes to start constructing our own personal narratives. Our science work on nutrition continues to hum along as well. Students are learning to read Canada's Food Guide in order to make more informed food choices. And finally in social studies, students have been comparing "Oral Tradition" and "Theories" that try to answer the big question of "How do we learn about the long ago past?"

That's it for now. As always, please don't hesitate to reach-out if you have any questions regarding the teaching and learning occurring in your child's classroom!

Happy November!

Welcome October!

Wow! What a great start to our learning year! Thank-you to all the parents and families that came to our "Open House" this past month. It was great having a chance to meet you, and to put a 'face to the name'! I look forward to seeing you again at our upcoming Tri-Conferences on Oct 16th (eve) and Oct. 17th (a.m.). Booking information will be coming out soon. With our larger numbers in grade 5 this year, we will be altering our normal tri-conference periods to accommodate everyone.




Strong Beginnings

Thank-you to all parents for supporting us again this year with Strong Beginnings. As a teacher, this is an extremely important (and valuable) time to spend 1:1 with your child. The assessment from this will greatly help programming and planning decisions as we move forward. As well, I have received good feedback regarding the new on-line booking system process - hopefully you felt this worked well for you as well.

Read Around the World (Home Reading Program)

Our R.A.W is in full swing! Student's first entries were due today (Mon. Oct. 6th). Remember, for this valuable program to be successful, parents need to be reading with their children often, and signing off on their entries!

Student Calendar

Parents/students who would like a copy of the daily schedule can now access it via this blog. Please check under the right-hand side of the blog for the link!

Upcoming Events

Along with our upcoming Tri-Conferences (no school Oct. 17th full day), there will no school on Monday Oct. 13th (Thanksgiving) and then again on Friday Oct. 24th (S.A.G.E). Teachers will be spending this day involved in a variety of workshops and professional development opportunities around Winnipeg and the periphery. I will be learning how to 'code'. Coding is a burgeoning area of student skill development that I know is becoming more important (and valuable) each day. Perhaps as a result of this training, I will be able to discuss instruction possibilities in this area for L.M students as we move forward. Certainly an interesting area of investigation!

Inquiry Work

5A has begun its work learning how to approach new challenges by learning how to ask better questions. I've always interpreted Inquiry-Based learning as "driving the bus from the back". Students are learning to take greater ownership of what they want to learn, how they want to learn it, and importantly, how to assess what they've done. Students will also learn to reflect, implement changes and re-assess! Our first formal inquiry project will be a student's choice - an area of passion or interest! How exciting!

That's it for now! Looking forward to seeing everyone at Tri-Conferences!