Remaining Acts of Kindness From our Classroom Advent Calendar

December 19th - Let someone go ahead of you in line when you are at the grocery store. (Eva)

December 20th - Make cards for front line workers or seniors living in seniors homes. (Ellyana)

December 21st - Surprise your neighbour with a freshly shoveled driveway/walkway. (Elyam)

December 22nd - Be grateful for the gifts you receive this Christmas but especially the gift of the birth of                             Jesus our Saviour. 

December 23rd - Call family and friends to let them know you are thinkin gof them and that you care.                                     Keep in touch with those you love, but are unable to be with,  this Christmas. 

December 24th - Enjoy time with your family as you get through the last minute Christmas preparations                                 Watch a Christmas movie together, play games, talk and enjoy eachother's company!

December 25th - Today Jesus was born!  It is a day to be joyful and happy and to spread the wonderful                                 news of His birth!

30 Book Challenge - Report On Progress!

Whoo hoo! We have read 200 books as a class! Encourage your child to keep reading over the holidays! If we continue at this rate, we will certainly reach our goal of 570 books! Way to go, Grade 4/5!

Christmas Spirit at School!

The Christmas Spirit is alive at St. Augustine School! On Monday we calculated the money that our class raised for the 'Angel Tree Advent Project.' Our class alone raised an impressive $91.25 ! We had lots of fun perusing the site on Amazon to select purchases for the local Boys and Girls Club.  To finalize one of our choices we voted but for the most part, there was a lot of agreement on what to purchase. In the end we selected LED room lights, a Crayola art set and a big a box of Lego Creator.  We had to remember to leave money in our budget for taxes but in the end we managed to spend all but $3.34.  Any leftover money was shared with other classes to help with their purchases. It was definitely a rewarding experience and it gave me a window into which toys are appealing to kids this age. Hmmmmm. 

All the classes schoolwide are participating in a 'Goosechase' game this week! This involves a series of Christmas-themed tasks that each class must complete by the end of the week for points. THe team with the highest point score wins!  So far we have come up with our team name and motto (The Snowflakes - where each one is unique and special), we've done a Christmas dance, hummed a Christmas tune for Mrs. OBrien to guess, said 'Merry Christmas' in a dozen languages, decorated our door and written a review of our favourite Christmas story (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas).

We continue to read Christmas stories each day at school and work through our kindness-themed class Advent calendar. The students are recording the daily kindness tasks in their agendas so check them out! 

Yesterday we dressed up as characters from our favourite Christmas movies. Check out the picture below and see if you can guess who some of us are? 

Coding on Scratch!

 

For the last two Fridays during math class, we have been exploring the coding program 'Scratch' which all of the students have access to via the student portal. We spent the first week setting up accounts and passwords.  Once we got the accounts set up, we began to work through the tutorials together. Let's just say that the students are definitely the experts and I am learning alongside them! There are a few students in the class who have some experience with the program and I am learning so much from them.  We will be doing more coding this coming Friday but I encourage the kids to explore this from home as well.  We would love to share their individual creations on Scratch!

Exploring with Symmetry Today in Math Class!

 

Advent -Week #2

Yesterday marked the second Sunday of Advent. The theme week one was Joy and this week it is Peace. Our Advent liturgy will take place at 11 am today in our classroom. 

We have a few things happening in our classroom throughout Advent and in preparation for the birth of baby Jesus at Christmas. 

Classroom Advent Calendar - The students brainstormed acts of kindness for each day in December. They write these in their agendas each morning. 

Christmas Stories -Each day we open a ‘present’ from underneath our mini tree which is a Christmas-themed  read aloud. This has been a long-standing tradition for me and I find the kids love it (okay- maybe I like it a little bit too). 

Community Action -This past week we made Christmas cards for folks living in seniors residents. Our cards will be delivered to ‘The Ravines’ and ‘The Duke of Devonshire.’ It’s a small thing but I can tell you a lot of JOY went into making those cards. Nearly 100 % of students in grade 4/5 have already donated money to the school-wide ‘Angel Tree Project’ which will benefit the local Boys & Girls Club in our community. We will ‘shop’ with our donation money this coming Monday December 14th! It has been very touching to witness the genuine enthusiasm of the kiddos in grade 4/5. 

December Word Study

 

For the month of December, 'Word Study' will focus on the following seasonal words:  

• Advent, angel, announcement, Bethlehem, candle, celebrate, Christmas, decorate, decorations, holiday, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, miracle, prepare, present, sacred, sleigh, stocking, togetherness, tradition, vacation, worship, wrapping, wreath

Word Study - Week #10

 Grade 4 Words (‘cher’ pattern, sight words and academic vocabulary):

• plenty, bureau, plateau, field, sketch, richer, voucher, pitcher, catcher, earthquake, tremor, fault, 

Grade 5 Words (words with altered sounds, sight words and academic vocabulary):

• secretary, gopher, practice, archery, straight, comet, statement, galaxy, universe, commercial, financial, process,exchange, oxygen, respiratory, 

'We Can' Food Drive!

 Wow! Look at how much food our class has collected! 

Mix & Match!

 Thursday was mix and match day! 

The Amazing 'Saidat Show'

Wow! Today we enjoyed participating virtually in the 'Saidat Show' presentation. What an amazing experience it was! Saidat exudes such positive energy. She had us up out of our seats and learning a dance, shouting at the top of our lungs and participating in a variety of educational exercises.  Saidat's message was inspirational and taught us so much.  One thing we learned is that a 'worldview' is a collection of ideas that each of us has about the world in which we live. Our individual worldview is shaped by our personal experiences.  It is important that we challenge our worldview and try to avoid stereotyping others because this will only limit our thinking rather than promote openmindedness and inclusion. Saidat taught us three important life lessons: LOOK! LISTEN! LEARN! We need to listen with our hearts, pay attention to the world around us and try to avoid judgements and stereotypes. If we try to do this it will help us to maintin open hearts and minds.  It will also help us to learn more about others and the wonderful world in which we live which promotes inclusion. She reminded us that the beauty of the world in which we live is that it is diverse. Diversity is a fact....but inclusion requires individual action! In one exercise she split the students up into two groups and asked them to shout out all the things they know about their teacher (me - eek!).  The scorekeeper had to listen only to the spokesperson in the group which was challenging as everyone on the team was shouting out ideas at the same time! Each team kept score. We repeated the exercise two more times....share everything they know about our school and then lastly, about current events in the world. When it was all done, she asked us to consider our ideas. Were we really sharing FACTS about the topic or just things we think we know? How can we learn to LOOK, LISTEN and LEARN so that we can better distinguish between fact and fiction? What was the challenge of listening to just the spokesperson when everyone was shouting out ideas at the same time?  In the end, we learned that we need to drown out the 'noise' that sometimes clouds our judgement and really try to listen carefully to what others are saying.   

The 30 Book Challenge - An Update!

I took the opportunity to go browse through the google forms submitted by the students for the '30 Book Challenge.' I am so impressed with their amazing reading efforts so far! If we can keep up this rate of reading, we are well on our way to reaching our class goal of 570 books by the beginning of June! So far, we have read just over 100 books.  The students reviewed their individiual tracking forms yesterday which are kept at school.  By reviewing their form, they have a better idea of their individual goal and the genres for which they still need to read books.  Our new routine is that when students complete a google form, they let myself or Mme D'Aoust know and we will update their tracking form and the class total. We also have a thermometer tracking visual in the classroom which shows our progress. You can do it, grade 4/5! Keep on reading! 

Cultural Heritage Day at SAU!

Today was 'Cultural Day' and a day for all of us to show our pride in our family heritage and culture. Many of us wore attire that represents the cultural hertitage(s) with which we identify. I proudly wore my Irish cableknit sweater to represent my Irish heritage. Students wore various pieces of clothing to show their cultural and heritage ties to many countries including: Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Scotland, Canada, Eritrea, Iraq and Venezuala!

Kindness Week

I cannot think of a better way to kick off  'Kindness Week/Spirit Week' at St. Augustine School than by sharing food with those less fortunate. Look at all of our food donations after just one day! 

To kick off 'Kindness Week' we made a 'y' chart about what kindness looks like, feels like and sounds like. We also read the book the 'Giving Tree' by Shel Silverstein. We talked about how acts of kindness and generosity make us feel good about ourselves and promote inner peace and happiness! We concluded that it is always better to give than receive (just like the Tree in the book) because sharing our time, gifts, talents, kind words, resources, etc., brings happiness to others and make us FEEL good about ourselves as a result.....and that is reason enough to be kind!  

Crazy Hat/Hair Day

 

Word Study - Week #9

Grade 4 Words (‘le’ words, sight words and academic vocabulary):

• lettuce, squash, carrot, crumble, puzzle, ankle, freckle, knuckle, dimple, imitate , prey, predator

Grade 5 Words (‘shun’ words, sight words and academic vocabulary):

• remarkable, application, vanish, saucer, politician, information, recession, concession, deception, production, reduction, loyal, renewable, vertical, panel

Spirit & Kindness Week and the 'Yes We Can' Canned Food Drive - November 16-20

Next week is Spirit & Kindness Week at St. Augustine School.  Each day will have a special theme and we are asking for daily donations of non-perishable food items for our 'Yes We Can' food drive that will support the local food bank.  Please note that if your child is participating in the spirit days, they only need to wear their uniform on Monday. If your child chooses not to participate, then they must wear their uniform.   

Monday - CRAZY Hat or Hair Day 

Tuesday - Bullying Awareness & Prevention Day - WEAR PINK!!!!

Wednesday - Cultural Day - Be proud of your heritage! Wear something that represents your family's culture!

Thursday - Mix -Match Day - wear the craziest combinations of clothing you can think of (no uniform needed that day). 

Friday - Pajama Day - Dress in PJ's or something super comfy....please leave your stuffy friends at home!  

Math Focus in Grade 4/5

In the Number strand there is a continued focus on memorizing our multiplication facts and related division facts in both grades 4 and 5.  In grade 4, the expectation is facts up to 10 x 10 and the related division facts In grade 5, the expectation is facts up to 12 x 12 and the related division facts.  Students need to continue to practice these skills as part of their daily homework at home on their own (please see my previous post that contains lots of information about how you may support your child with this at home).  

In grade 5 we have also been learning how to use area models to solve multi-digit multiplication questions. Information was posted to the Hapara workspace which explains how to do this but by now, all grade 5 students should have brought home the worksheet that explains this strategy. We will continue to practice using this strategy at school. 

In grade 4 we have been using our mental math strategies to calculate numbers by the powers of ten (x 10, x100, x1000, x10 000).  

Last week we began a new Geometry math units in grades 4 and 5! We will be working through our current unit over the next 2-3 weeks.  

2D Shapes and 3D Figures (Grade 4): Our first lesson was all about the properties and attributes of quadrilaterals such as equal sides, parallel sides, symmetry, types of angles, number of right angles (an angle that measures exactly 90 degrees), diagonals, etc. We reviewed the names of common quadrilaterals (e.g. kite, rhombus, square, rectangle, parallelogram, trapezoid) and how we can identify and sort various quadrilaterals by their properties. In lesson two we will learn how to sort 3-D figures such as prisms and pyramids based on their faces, vertices and edges.  In lesson three we will be learning about skeleton models of 3D shapes. A skeleton of a figure is a representation that shows the figure's edges joining at the vertices but does not include the figure's faces.  In our last lesson we will be looking at net models which are flattened versions of 3D fugures. Nets are made by cutting along the edges of the figure and then unfolding and laying the figure flat. Nets are often used in everyday life to store bulky items like boxes and many nets have tabs in order to help assemble them. Examining nets makes it super easy to see exactly what faces make up a 3D figure. 

Polygons (Grade 5): In our first lesson we learned that polygons are 2D shapes with only straight sides. We looked at two classifications of polygons: regular and irregular. In regular polygons all of the inside angles and all of the side lengths are the same (e.g.square, equilateral triangle, etc.). Irregular polygons do not have side lengths and inside angles that are the same (e.g. an isosceles triangle, rectangle, etc.). We also talked about how we can classify polygons as convex or concave. In convex shapes all of the vertices point out (e.g. a rectangle). In concave shapes at least one vertex poins inward (e.g. a star shape).  In lesson two we will be learning how to construct triangles using a ruler and a protractor and also using Miras. We will learn how to use protractors to measure angles.  We will spend some time learning how to contruct triangles when provided specific side lengths or angles. In our third lesson students will learn about acute angles (and angle that measures less than 90 degrees), obtuse angles (an angle that measures greater than 90 degrees) and right angles (an angle that measrues exactly 90 degrees) and how to classify triangles based on these angle classifications. In our final lesson, we will be learning how to classsify triangles by side length relationships. Students will learn about equilateral triangles (all inside angles and side lengths are equal), isosceles triangles (two inside angles and two side lengths are equal), scalene triangles (no equal inside angles or side lengths are equal).  

Word Study - Week #8

 This week will be a REVIEW WEEK of weeks #5-7!  There will be no Word Study Quiz this week. 

Word Study - Week #7

 Grade 4 Words (sight words, al/el words and academic vocabulary):

• extend, vowel, portal, tunnel, against, channel, oval, towel, chapel, compatible, sequence, determine

Grade 5 Words ('shun' words and academic vocabulary):

• February, discard, freight, vocabulary, aware, trouble, situation, description, prescription, subscription, fashion, introduction, divisible, factor, composite

Sharing Circle: How Do Our Words and Actions Affect Others?

During our morning sharing circle today, students shared their ideas about the many ways that our words and actions affect others. They were so insightful and thoughtful. Here is what they had to say: 

...negative words can cause mental and emotional harm by making people feel bad about themselves

...negative words do no show empathy for others

...negative actions can cause physical harm

...you can't take negative words back and you might regret ever saying them

...negative words make situations worse rather than better and can have a domino affect

...negative words and actions are a bad example to others and can leave scars that will last forever

...sometimes negative words lead to negative actions and can be a form of bullying

...negative words and actions have REAL consequences like you can get in trouble

...compliments are positive words that make people feel good about themselves

...positive words can be encouraging and help people to persevere when they are struggling

...positive, kind words are a way of showing RESPECT for others 

...positive words can be helpful and make situations better 

...when people hear you use positive words or see you do positive actions, it makes them like you

....you should always think before you act and follow the 'Golden Rule'

POSITIVE ACTIONS & WORDS = FRIENDSHIP, LOVE & HAPPINESS! 

Practicing Multiplication & Division Facts at Home - Ways to Support Your Child!

Students have been assigned the homework task of practicing their multiplication and related division facts.  A good recall and understanding of multiplication and division facts is extremely important in all areas of mathematics. The expectation for grade 4 students is to learn multiplication facts up to 10 x 10 and related division facts. The expectation in grade 5 is to learn multiplication facts up to 12 x 12 and related division facts. 

In order to help you support your child at home in mastering their math facts, I thought I would share a few ideas with you. By all means, if you do something at home to support your child in this area, that I have not mentioned here, please post a comment and share your idea!

• Fact Family Cards for multiplication and division. You can easily make these at home. Fact families are simply 3 numbers that are related to make a set of math facts (e.g. 3, 4, 12 are a fact family.  There are 4 related facts: 3 x 4 = 12, 4, x, 3 = 12, 12 ÷3 = 4, 12 ÷4 = 3).  Write up EACH fact family on a set of cards. You can cut out the fact family cards in various 2D shapes and play games with them.... 
• Math Toss - Toss a ball around a room or outside and as you toss, call out a math fact...the goal is for your child to say the correct answer before catching the ball. If your child prefers soccer, you can do 'math kick' instead.   
• Flash Cards - you can purchase multiplicaiton and division flash cards at any dollar store or at Scholar's choice. You can also make your own using recipe cards or cardstock. There are many ways to use flashcards. Check out this website for some tips: https://magoosh.com/math/6-tips-using-math-flashcards-child/
• Oral Practice - You can do this while driving around in your car, making dinner, eating breakfast in the morning, etc. Ask your child the facts in order at first and when then get really good, mix up the order. Start with the facts that they know best in order to build their confidence.  If your child has siblings at home that are old enough, get them to pratice together! Turn it into a game and make it fun! 
• 'Fact of the Day' - If your child is having trouble with only a few facts, do a fact of the day to help them master the ones they are struggling with. 
• Computer Games/Apps - There are many out there that will enable your child to practice their math facts. A simple searh will turn up many choices. 
• Worksheets - Straight up pencil and paper practice is always helpful. See the links on the left side of the blog. You can make worksheets more fun by setting a timer and turning it into a game. 

Word Study - Week #6

 Grade 4 Words:

'ile' words, grammar terms, academic vocabulary

• synonym, antonym, emotion, covered, several, toward, fragile, mobile, movement, depend, destroy, celebrate

Grade 5 Words:

Number related words, academic vocabulary

• bruise, awkward, bicycle, triple, trilogy, trinity, duplicate, quadruple, unicycle, duplex, uniform, quartet, quadrant, octave, rhythm

Word Study - Week #5

 Grade 4 Words:

al/il spelling pattern and academic vaocabulary

• twenty, happened, whine, fossil, remember, utensil, normal, mental, partial, council, eclipse, retain

Grade 5 Words:

suffix 'able' and academic vocabulary

• jewelry, avenue, climb, continue, launch, active, passive, allowable, suitable, distinguishable, preferable, debatable, matter, solidify, petroleum

Recount Writing

We are writing recounts in grade 4/5! We began by talking about what recount writing is and examples of recount writing. We reviewed how we can use our knowledge of properly written paragraphs into recount writing. We also talked about important things that we must include in our recounts and we reviewed the recount writing anchor chart.  The students have begun to write a first person recount using a writing organizer and the the anchor chart for reference/success criteria.  I can't wait to read their recounts!

Paragraph Writing in Grade 4/5

 

 

Grade 4/5 Question Box

Today I introduced a class question box to the students. The purpose of having the box is to give the students an opportunity to ask questions, make comments, that they may not feel comfortable enough to ask in person. They can express their feelings about things, ask for help if they need it, etc. If they want to sign their names then it is up to them! Both Madame D'Aoust and myself will be checking the box on a regular basis. 

Mathletics Practice at Home

Mathletics is a program that each of our students has access to via the Student Portal.  Periodically, students log into Mathletics at school when they have completed their work. This program is an excellent home-practice or homework tool so it has been added to the Monday-Friday homework routine in grade 4/5. Students are also always encouraged to practice basic math facts and numeracy skills on their own at home. There is a website link on the left side of the Blog home screen called 'Dad's Worksheets' which has lots of free practice sheets for students at home.  Your grade 4 child should have a quick and accurate recall of multiplication facts up to 12 X 12.  They should be starting to relate multiplication facts to division facts. Grade 5 students should be able to use their quick and accurate recall of multiplication facts to correctly identify related division facts (e.g. 8 x 8 is 64 so 64 ÷ 8 = 8).  

Current Math Focus

We have started exploring patterns in grade 4/5.  The links attached below provide 'Sum it Up' pages for each lesson in the Math Up unit. THESE LINKS EXPIRE IN 14 DAYS and will NOT be reposted so you may want to print up the pages now. I will not be sending paper copies home.  They are not intended for student instruction but rather to provide the educator (or parent-educator) with key ideas to support learning throughout the unit.   

Grade 4:

We began our unit in grade 4 by exploring repeating patterns and identifying the core in a repeating pattern. Students are learning how to predict terms in patterns by using the core. For example, the pattern ABABABAB has a core of AB.  Using our knowledge of the core we can predict that the 20th term will be a B.  If you wish to explore more about the lessons to come, check out the 'Sum it Up' pages by clicking on the links below.

Gr.4 Exploring Repeating Patterns, Gr. 4 Exploring Growing Patterns, Gr. 4 Exploring Shrinking Patterns, Gr. 4 Applying Pattern Rules, Gr. 4 Identifying Pattern Rules

Grade 5: 

In grade 5 our first lesson was about growing patterns. In this lesson we explored shape patterns and connected them to number patterns. We also learned that one term in a pattern could be a whole design with shapes. There is less focus in grade 5 on repeating patterns and increased focus on describing patterns and expressing them in a table of values.  

Gr. 5 Exploring Shape Patterns

Gr. 5 Using a Table of Values to Describe Patterns

Gr. 5 - Creating and Using Pattern Rules

We continue to explore mental math strategies in our regular number talks in grade 4/5 and apply these strategies to all of our math activities. Last week we were practicing skip-counting forwards and backwards by ANY number using benchmark/friendly numbers. Some examples of benchmark/friendly numbers are 5's, 10's, 100's, 1000's, etc.  Students should see patterns in their counting and be able to identify where the digits will change in a larger number. For example, if coutning forwards by 1000's, the change is taking place in the thousands place value spot......3670, 4670, 5670, 6670......and so on.  

Students continue to be encouraged to continue to practice their basic math facts at home including addition and subtraction facts, multiplication and division facts.  Quick recall of math facts is essential at the grade 4/5 level. 

The 30 Book Challenge Reading Initiative

Last Thursday, a letter went home with all students about the '30  Book Challenge.' Please check your child's agenda to read up about this wonderful and fun activity that was introduced to the students Thursday. The letter is also posted in Hapara in your child's workspace for your reference. This challenge is considered part of your child's homework this year. Today in class, we did a lesson on the various types of book 'genres.' One great aspect of the '30 Book Challenge' is that students are able to read at their own pace.  We have told the students that they can count the book they are currently reading (if it qualifies) but that they cannot count books they have already finished.  In early June, we will do something fun to celebrate meeting our goal of reading 30 books this year! 

Our Classroom Sharing Circle

This week I introduced the concept of the 'sharing circle' to the students or rather the Covid-19 version of the 'sharing circle!' Here's how it works...I may pose a question (e.g. Would your rather be a famous musician or a famous scientist? ), a debate prompt (e.g. Do you think all schools should have uniforms) or allow them to have an open sharing cirlce which means they can talk about anything they would like. Sometimes, I may use the 'sharing circle' to settle a dispute or arguement that is taking place in the class.  Since we can no longer pass the talking stick or talking feather around the circle, I have written up all of the student names on cards which I shuffle and then I randomly pick names from the deck.  The rules are simple - only one person speaks at a time and we must practice active listening by looking at the speaker and carefully considering their ideas. From time to time, I facilitate the discussion or set up the debate prompt by providing information to the students first.  Students are encouraged to give brief answers 1-3 sentences in length (otherwise it takes too long) and to speak in a clear, coherant manner.  

Meet the Teacher Night Slide Deck

 Thank you to all families who were able to join us this evening for our 'Virtual Meet-the-Teacher.' Below is the slide deck from the evening for your reference: 

Meet-the-Teacher Night Slide Deck

Social Emotional Learning in Grade 4/5

Today we had a classroom visit from our school's social worker, Mr. Wayne. He spent most of block one visiting with our class and discussing the social-emotional impacts of Covid-19 and the school shutdown in the spring as well as the tools we can use to manage our emotions.  He was very impressed with the insights shared by our students who demonstrated honesty about their personal experiences and their feelings. He praised them for being brave enough to share with others in a group setting true feelings and encouraged them to continue to be open about how they feel. He was able to clarify some misnomers that the students presented about Covid-19 and reassure the kids that they are doing their part by being safe and socially distancing, washing their hands, wearing masks, etc. The students brainstormed a list of strategies that they use when they are feeling anxious. Here are some of their ideas: drawing/doodling, reading, dancing, going outside for a walk, deep breathing, spending time with family, praying, FaceTiming friends/family, exercising, having socially-distanced visits with friends/family, playing games, talking with their parents.  It was a wonderful block of social-emotional learning!  

Math Update!

Our focus in math during these early days of school will continue to be number sense and numeration skills! 

• basic operations such as addition, subtraction and multiplication 
• math word problems where we SHOW our math thinking AND provide a complete answer to the question asked in the word problem
• expressing numbers in various forms such as standard form (e.g. 353), expanded form (300 + 50 + 3), words (three hundred fifty-three). When reading numbers aloud we are reminded not to use the word and (e.g. three hundred fifty three as opposed to three hundred AND fifty three).  
• comparing numbers by using the correct symbols (<  >  =) and the words greater than, less than and equals. To help us we remember that the open mouth of the crocodile always wants to eat the LARGER number! (e.g. 33 <  45....thirty three is smaller than forty-five.......or 45  > 33......forty-five is greater than 33) 
• mental math strategies to add up larger numbers such as: looking for benchmark numbers (e.g. 5's and 10's), rewriting each number in an equation in expanded form in order to better SEE the groups of 10 and be able to combine numbers to make groups of 10 (e.g. 23+32+21+19.....change it to 20+3+30+2+20+1+10+9......then add up the 10's and rewrite it as....80+3+2+1+9......then think 80+5+10....then add them up to get 95), using number lines as a strategy to help us use benchmarks and solve equations (have your child show you what this means!!!)
• rounding numbers to the nearest 10, 100 and 1000 (grade 4) and to the nearest 10, 100, 1000, 10 000 (grade 5). This poem is one tool to help us remember what to do:  

Mark your place,

Look next door.

5 or greater, add 1 more!

4 or less, let it rest!

Numbers in front, stay the same. 

Numbers behind, Zero's their name! 

We have also been using the following code to add up words. This week we added up word wall words! 

Language Arts Update

This week we read two books by local authors all about life during the shutdown in the spring and life during this time of the Coronavirus. The first was called 'Together, Apart' written and illustrated by the local mother-daughter duo Katerina Mertikas and Loukia Zigoumis. 

The second book is called 'The Great Pause' by the Sketchbook Project. Local artist, designer and Algonquin College Professor Andrea Lesia Emery, did the beautiful artwork in the book. 

We used the 'making connections' reading strategy in order to make text-to-self connections to both stories. We reflected on our time during the school shutdown that began in March and shared our experiences during this strange time.  Next, the students will begin to write about their own shutdown experiences last spring! 

Our Classroom Promise

September News From Grade 4/5 Immersion

 Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),       September, 2020.

We are happy to have your child in our Grade ⅘ Immersion Class this year! While we met many of you at the Google Meet the week before school (and we know many of you from last year) we wanted to take the opportunity to introduce ourselves once again and touch base with you during these early days of school.  A special welcome to any families who are new to our St. Augustine School Community - we are so pleased that you are with us!  

The focus during the first couple of weeks of school will be establishing new routines (there are many new routines to learn), getting to know each other as well as reintegrating ourselves back into the school setting and in-person learning. We experienced an unexpected interruption to our previous year of learning and are all adjusting to the new realities brought on by Covid-19, therefore we need to be patient with each other and allow everyone time to get settled. Your child may experience a range of emotions as they process all the changes to their school environment and their return to the classroom.  As your child’s classroom teachers, our goal is to support them as they begin this new learning journey and school year.   

Your Child’s Teachers

Ruth Stratford is your child’s morning English teacher and will be teaching Math, Language and Family Life.  Ms. Hardick will be teaching Religion.   

Sarah D’Aoust is your child’s afternoon French teacher and will be teaching French Language, Social Studies, Science, Physical Education and the Arts.   

Agendas

Your child has brought home an agenda.  The agenda will be used to communicate reminders, homework, upcoming events, etc.  It is also a key communication tool between home and school. If you have any questions or wish to convey an upcoming appointment or absence, jot a note in the agenda. If you wish to speak with one of your child’s teachers, write a note in the agenda and we will call you as soon as we are able. Make sure you include the phone number you wish to be contacted at.  Please remember to read your child’s agenda, initial it and return it to school daily in the ziplock bag provided. This year, teachers in the OCSB have access to ‘School Messenger’ so from to time you may receive a message in the school messenger format. 

Additional Methods of Home-School Communication

Mrs. Stratford has a classroom blog. The blog address is pasted in the front of your child’s agenda. The learning focus in the areas of math and language are communicated on the blog. It is also used to celebrate the learning happening in the classroom, share resources and convey reminders. Please sign up to receive notices of updates to the blog which will make it easier for you! Once you sign up, Blogspot will send you an invitation email which you MUST reply to in order to complete the sign-up process. The blog address is: https://mrsstratford.blogspot.com/

Mme D’Aoust will be using Twitter to communicate learning updates and classroom happenings @DaoustMme. The twitter address is: https://twitter.com/DaoustMme 

   

Snacks/Lunches

Please pack a minimum of 2 healthy, nut-free snacks and a lunch. There is no food sharing at school so make sure your child has enough to get them through their day.  We practice ‘Litterless Lunches’ at St. Augustine school which means that all garbage/food waste comes home at the end of the day. You may find it helpful to include a large ziplock bag for waste - it’s up to you to figure out the best system for managing lunch waste.  

Masks

Students in grades 4-6 are required to wear a mask to school daily (reusable or disposable). Please consider packing a spare mask for your child so that they may change their mask mid-way through the day. Sometimes masks get wet or soiled so it is a good idea to pack a spare! If you are using environmentally friendly reusable cloth masks, please wash them between uses.  Students must wear masks when they exit and enter the school for recess. You might consider giving your child a small ziplock bag, fanny pack or ‘break-free’ lanyard, in order to safely store their mask when they are outside for recess. We want to avoid masks dropping on the ground and getting lost or soiled. Teachers will not be responsible for finding owners of lost masks.  

Hand Sanitizer

We do not have a sink or running water in our classroom therefore we will be using hand sanitizer.  If you choose to provide your child with their own small bottle of hand sanitizer, please make sure it is unscented and free of perfumes, in keeping with our scent-free policy. Students may refill their individual hand sanitizer bottles in the classroom with the OCSB provided sanitizer and the help of the teacher!    

Water Bottles

Please send your child to school with a full, non-leaking water bottle that is labelled. Drinking from the water fountain is not permitted however, water bottles can be refilled at the fountains/refill stations. Please avoid sending bottles filled with juice as they make a huge mess in the classroom if they spill. 

Indoor Recess

We have asked the children to find a quiet activity that they may do on their own in the case of indoor recess (e.g. a doodle book, a book to read, writing journal, small puzzle like Kanoodle, a Rubik’s Cube, etc.). The use of personal electronic devices during indoor recess will not be permitted as it encourages sharing and makes social distancing difficult.   

Classroom Workstations & Personal Belongings

Your child has their own desk to house various learning materials. They also have a small bin where they can store their pencil case and other school supplies. These items may stay at school to alleviate the number of things they transport back and forth each day. For now your child will not have a hook or cubby area but will keep all of their own belongings in their personal workstation/bubble. Backpacks will be hung on the back of their chair.  Thank you to those parents that have already sent in a labelled pair of headphones for their child.     

Kind regards, 

Ruth Stratford & Sarah D’Aoust

Grade ⅘ Immersion Teachers

Word Study in Grade 4/5

Dear Parents, 

We have started weekly word study in grade 4/5. Students in grade 4 will be given 12 new words and students in grade 5 will be given 15 new words. Students will write them in their agendas at the beginning of each week.  The words will all contain a common sound or spelling pattern (i.e. short and long vowel sounds, combined vowel sounds, word ending patterns such as ‘ing’ or ‘ed’, etc.). By examining the spelling patterns in the words we aim to build word knowledge that can be applied to both decoding skills when reading and spelling when writing. Students should familiarize themselves with their words at home (i.e. have a family member test them orally on their word list, independently practice writing them out as a list, orally use the words correctly in a sentence, etc.). There will be a word study quiz each Friday. 

Mrs. Stratford

Class Read Aloud

Today we began to read the novel 'Wonder.' While many of the kids have seen the movie, the novel is so much better! We will be reading it in English in the mornings and Madame D'Aoust will also be reading it to the class in French! It is a fantastic story that has a central theme of the importance of being ourselves and celebrating each person's uniqueness. Talk to your child about what we have read so far in the story:  Who is the main character? What are his biggest challenges? How does he view himself? What do you think will happen next in the story?

 

Wednesday, Sept 9th: The First Day of School

Hello! 

Considering we have been away from school and school routines for nearly 6 months and absolutely EVERYTHING has changed at school, the students had an amazing first day! I was impressed by how well each and every one of them listened to each other and their teachers.  We will spend this week getting used to new routines and systems and getting to know each other. Since you are reading this, there is a good chance you have already read the notes in your child's new agenda! If you are already subscribing to the blog and that is the reason why you are reading this, make sure you read your child's agenda.  Their task tonight is to look at the blog together with you and take you on a tour of the classroom (using the photos below as prompts).  They should be able to explain to you the routines both within the classroom, the hallway, out on the yard, etc.  An important part of your job tonight is to click on the 'follow by email' icon on the right side of the screen in order to sign up for blog updates. Please remember that you will be sent an email and you must open the email and confirm that you would like to receive updates....it is a 2 step process. Be sure to check your junk folder too as sometimes the confirmation email goes there... 

Breathe a sigh of relief. Your child (and you!) survived the first day of school! Please remember to ask them all about their day. I am sure they will be very tired.  I am so happy to be teaching your child this year. 

Mrs. Stratford