Daily News - Wednesday, February 29th

Happy Leap Day to everyone! And, happy Pink Shirt day as well! We spent some time discussing Pink Shirt day this morning. Pink Shirt day was initiated in 2007 by 2 high school students in Nova Scotia after a bullying incident occured at their school. A younger student was teased and harrassed for wearing a pink shirt, and his fellow students took a stand against the bullying by all wearing pink the next day. It was a great opportunity for us to discuss the importance of taking a stand against bullying. An important factor here is the role of the bystander. Students did a great job brainstorming ideas of how NOT to stand by, but to stand up against bullying. Some suggestions were: to tell the bully to stop, or to let a teacher/adult know. It was a healthy and productive discussion!

Due to the storm day yesterday, I gave a break from Word Study. Blind Sort is excused for this week. However, students are expected to have the other activities completed, and their HW logs filled out for Friday.

Both:

1. Read
2. Newsletters went home today

Grade 4:

1. Word Study - Word Hunt - Record in HW log
2. Math - page 294, #'s 1, 2, 3

Enjoy your evening!

Daily News - Monday, February 27th

I had a chance to mark and look through students' Word Study notebooks over the weekend. I am really impressed with the neat and diligent work produced by everyone! Just a reminder that homework activities are a critical part of the program, and it is important that students complete the activities throughout the week. I do not collect and mark them until Friday, in order to provide flexibility in regards to when they are completed. Please fill in the Homework Log with your children, and initial once the activities are completed.

We will be spending quite a bit of time on the Biome projects this week. We will be editing and revising our first drafts, and will be typing up the good copies. Hopefully the projects will be ready for next week, so that we can present them to other classes. I am looking forward to displaying the children's hard work. I will also try to post some photos of finished products on the blog.

Both:

1. Read :)

Grade 4:

1. Word Study - Timed sort - students should have a copy of their new word study words which they need to cut up at home. Then they sort them as fast as they can and record their time in the HW log. Then they sort them a second time to try to beat their own time, and record the second time in their HW log.

That is it for now. Have a great evening!

Daily News - Friday, February 24th

Hi everyone! Sorry I have been MIA. It has been a very hectic week, and I had some technical difficulties with the blog last night. We have been working hard this week, discussing the importance of checking our understanding as we read, completing our first official week of Word Study, and learning about the important role of peer editing in the writing process. Next week we will continue to focus on Self Monitoring as a reading strategy, as well as delving in our Biome reports further. I have been very impressed with the very neat work that students are producing in their Word Study scribblers. They are very diligent with rulers and headers. Thank you.

The only info on our homework board this week was to read. Enjoy the weekend!

Daily News - Tuesday, February 21st

Welcome back everyone! I hope you have already heard the good news - we filled our classroom bucket!! The class goal was 50 bucket fillers in order to fill in. It was set in record time of just 2 and a half weeks! That means it's time to celebrate! The class voted and we decided to have a sledding party with some hot chocolate to warm up afterwards. The party will be on Thursday afternoon, so if anyone is able to bring a sled (crazy carpet, etc.) to school that would be great. Keep up all the positive energy!

Both:

1. Read
2. Coupon Books - due tomorrow and Thursday. Please bring back order forms and money collected.

Grade 4:

1. Word Study - We are starting our first official week of word study work. Students are responsible for doing the Blind Sort at home tonight. Instructions were sent home before, and we have practiced in school so they should be able to explain it to you. I have included the instruction form below.

Have a wonderful evening :)

Word Study Homework Instructions:

Dear parents/guardians, 

As mentioned before, there will a change in our spelling program. The Word Study program will provide students with the opportunity to engage in meaningful and hands on activities that allow them to manipulate word features. This allows them to generalize beyond isolated, individual examples to entire groups of words that are spelled the same way. It focuses on improving phonics, vocabulary, and spelling, and linking those skills to their reading and writing.

Your child will be bringing home a collection of spelling words weekly that have been introduced in class. They can cut them up and keep them in a safe spot for the week. Each night of the week your child is expected to do a different activity to ensure that these words, and the spelling principles they represent, are mastered. These activities have been modeled and practiced in school, so your child can teach you how to do them.

Monday – Remind your child to sort the words into categories like the ones we did in school. Your child should read each word aloud during this activity. Ask your child to explain to you why the words are sorted in a particular way – do they notice any patterns to reveal something about spelling? Ask your child to sort them a second time as fast as possible. You may want to time them. They could do it again and aim to beat their own time.

Tuesday – Do a blind sort with your child. Lay down a word from each category as a header and then read the rest of the words aloud. Your child must indicate where the word goes without seeing it. Lay it down and let your child move it if he or she is wrong. Repeat if your child makes more than 1 error.

Wednesday – Assist your child in doing a word hunt, looking for words in a book they have already read that have the same sound, pattern or both. Try to find 2 or 3 for each category.

Thursday – Do a writing sort to prepare for Friday’s test. As you call out the words in a random order your child should write them in categories. Call out any words your child misspells a second or even third time.

Word Study Homework Log Sheet – Your child will also have a log sheet in their Word Study duotang. Please initial it, and have your child fill in the necessary information after you complete each activity. I will check their logs each Friday.

Thank you for your support. Together we can help your child make valuable progress. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Daily News - Thursday, February 16th

Both:

1. Read
2. Coupon Books - Order forms and money is due next Wednesday and Thursday
3. Food Drive tomorrow
4. Treat Bags - fundraiser for the playground. Cathy had generously donated treat bags. They're on sale tomorrow afternoon for 2 dollars. All proceeds go to new equipment.

Grade 4:

1. Science - tomorrow we will be working on our visual displays. Please bring your materials in.
2. Math - pages 286 - 287 #'s 1-6 and 8 DUE tomorrow.

I will not be in tomorrow, so there will not be an update on the blog. I wish everyone a very relaxing long weekend!

Daily News - Wednesday, February 15th

I forgot to mention yesterday, but thank you very much to everyone who sent in special treats yesterday! We got such a generous helping that there is still an overflow of treats for today and tomorrow :)

Both:

1. Read
2. Coupon Booklets - The order forms and money are due next week on Wednesday and Thursday. Thanks to everyone who is participating to help raise money for the school and the QEH.

Grade 4:

1. Science - It is very important that students bring in their materials for their visual displays for the Biomes. They will have time on Friday to work on those.
2. Science - For anyone still finishing their research, it is DUE tomorrow.
3. Math - Page 286 #'s 1 - 4

Have a wonderful evening :)

Daily News - Tuesday, February 14th

Happy Valentine's Day!

Both:

1. Read
2. Newsletter went home today

Grade 4:

1. Science - collect materials for Biome project. Students will have time on Friday to work on visual presentations.
2. Science - There are some students who need to finish their research at home. They should have 3 of 6 Biomes completed by Thursday.

Have a great evening!

Daily News - Monday, February 13th

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I sent home a notice about the new Grade 4 Word Study program today. We will be going through the activities in school this week before actually starting the program next week. Students will be expected to do nightly activities at home, and we will have a test each Friday. I will collect their notebooks every Friday.

Both:

1. Read
2. 2 for 1 coupon book sale sheet due back February 23rd

Grade 4:

1. Science - continue to collect materials for visual display. Students will have time to work on their presentation later on this week.

Daily News - Friday, February 10th

Happy Friday everyone! We had a great week this week! It is hard to believe that we're almost half way through February, and that Valentine's Day is just around the corner. We will be making boxes for Valentine's Day cards on Monday afternoon. If you have a small box (or anything that would hold cards), please send it in with your child. If there are any special decorations they would like to use, you can send those as well but I will also be picking up some supplies that students can use to make their boxes.

Both:

1. Read
2. Box for Valentine's Day

Grade 4:

1. Science - bring in materials to begin visual display for Biome presentation

That is all for today. Have a fantastic weekend!

Daily News - Thursday, February 9th

Both:

1. Read
2. Coupon Book Order Forms went home today
3. Jersey Day tomorrow - Show your spirit for Hockey Day in Canada and wear a hockey jersey, t-shirt, or sweater!

Grade 4:

1. Science - Gather and bring materials for biome project

Have a great evening!

Daily News - Wednesday, February 8th

There were quite a number of students from our class who represented the school at the gymnastics meet yesterday. They did an awesome job, and I would like to congratulate all the participants on their efforts! Good luck to those who are off to provincials in a couple of weeks! A notice went home with those students to provide parents with the necessary details, as it will be on a Saturday.

I had a discussion with the grade 4's in regards to their Biomes project, and we made a few changes. Students are going to be responsible for researching 3 out of the 6 biomes, and they will need to choose 1 biome to do a presentation on. They will be responsible for creating a visual display (poster, brochure, diorama, etc.) to represent their biome. They will have some class time to design these, but will also need to do a bit of work at home. I will be integrating this project with a new writing unit. We are starting Descriptive Reports in writing. Students will be responsible for including the proper written pieces to go with their visual display. I will send home a copy of the assignment and the rubric as a guide. The writing will be done in school. Students will EACH be responsible for creating a display and a report. They will have an opportunity to share it with the grade 3's as well as the grade 1/2 class.

Both:

1. Read
2. Notice went home in regards to the 2 for 1 booklets fundraiser for new playground equipment. A copy of the notice was also posted on the main website.

Grade 4:

1. Science - Begin to collect materials for Biome project - bring it to school if they are ready to begin design of visual display
2. Word Study - bring in a duotang

Have a fantastic evening!

Daily News - Tuesday, February 7th

Both:

1. Read
2. Parent Survey - Thank you to everyone who has already returned the forms - they are a great help!

And that is it for today - short but sweet.

Have a wonderful evening!

Weekly Update and Daily Homework - Monday, February 6th

This will be our first "official" full week together, and there is already a lot on the go. I like to give a weekly oversight on Monday evenings in order to keep parents and guardians up to speed about what our academic focus will be this week, as well as any school activities that may be on the go.

LA

At the moment, both grades are learing about Reading Workshop. We began organizing our Reading Binders and Book Boxes today. Many hands made light work! Reading Workshop will be split between the beginning of the day and the end of the day. During this time, I will be working with small groups of children to do Guided Reading. This provides students with the opportunity to read appropriately leveled books, and work on the necessary skills for that particular group. While we are doing that, the rest of the class will have several independent activities to focus on. One will be Independent Reading and Response. Students will work on being actively engaged in their reading, and will be responsible for submitting a Reading Response Letter every 2 weeks summarizing their books and most importantly, explaining the thinking they have been doing while they read. Students will also work on cursive writing (grade 3), and Word Study (grade 4).

You may have noticed that no spelling homework went home today. This is because we will be switching to "Words Their Way" -  Word Study. I will be sending home a notice with students soon to provide you with more information. This program is a combination of phonics, vocabulary building, and spelling instruction. Once the information has been sent home and you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Grade 4 - Math

We will continue on Unit 8 - Multiplying and Dividing Larger Numbers. We will also start our math class with Problem of the Day (P.O.D.). These problems will be based on material already learned, and it is a great way for me to ensure their understanding of outcomes covered.

Grade 4 - Science

We will continue with the Biomes research projects. Students will get time in school to do their research and will have the opportunity to create and share a presentation on one particular biome.

Grade 3 - Science

We are starting a new science unit - "Plants". This unit will consist of a variety of read alouds, and hands on projects in order to provide students with the opportunity to delve into the plant world.

Here is today's homework:

Both:

1. Read
2. Return Parent Survey

I think that about sums it up :)

Have a great evening!

Daily News - Friday, February 3rd

We had another amazing day in grade 3/4 today! There were some vast improvements in certain areas. Students did an awesome job working quietly on their own, which made it easier for everyone to get their work done, stay focused, and enjoy their learning time. We also finished our classroom puzzle. All students contributed to adding examples to the puzzle of how they can demonstrate Our Big 8. They did a great job working in small groups today as I saw many being very respectful, on task, and sharing ideas.

Make sure to ask your children about the new Bucket Filler bulletin board. I am very excited to get this activity up and going.

We spend some time in our classroom library in order to discuss where all the materials are kept, how to return materials, and the importance of keeping the area neat and organized. It was a VERY productive day!

Here is the homework for the weekend:

Both:

1. Read
2. Check out the blog
3. Fill in and return the parent survey as soon as possible.

After talking with Ms. MacDonald, I realize that the grade 3's have a weekly homework package, but if there is any other important information that pertains to them as well, it will be posted on the blog.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Introduction and Daily Homework

Welcome to the new blog for the grade 3/4 class at Belfast Consolidated! We had an awesome first day! The students were an amazing help, as they explained their daily routines first thing this morning. It is wonderful to know what they are already doing that works well for them, as well as going over some slight changes that will happen along the way. After teaching me about their class, we had a very productive discussion about what respect means. We will be continuing with that activity tomorrow in order to create the classroom expectations together. We also played the "Silent Game" today. Students had to work as a whole group, silently, in order to put them self in order according to their first names, as well as their heights. They did a phenomenal job, especially for such a big group. Everyone was very positive, helpful and inclusive to ensure they were successful as a team! As I mentioned, it was a great first day and I would like to thank all the children for making me feel so welcome and at home on my first day at Belfast.

I sent home a notice with each student to introduce myself, as well as to explain the blog. I will post daily homework on here.  Please feel free to send any notes through the agenda, as I will be checking them every day. They are a great communication tool, as well as an organizational tool for the children.

Here is today's homework:

Both:

1. Read - I expect the grade 4's to read for at least 20-30 minutes a night. There will not be a homework log, as this reading is simply for pleasure. Reading on a nightly basis is proven to make a substantial impact on a learner's reading ability.
2. Notes for parents - there is an introductory letter as well as a questionnaire about your child. Please take the time to fill out the questionnaire as soon as possible, and send it back to the school. This is very useful information that will help me to know your child as a learner.
3. Gymnastics forms went home from Mr. Harkness in regards to the competition.

Grade 4:

1. Spelling - Review test tomorrow

Grade 3:

1. Spelling - Ms. MacDonald was not here today, but there will likely be a weekly spelling test for grade 3 as well.

I am really looking forward to working with this class for the remainder of the year! Please feel free to email or contact me at the school at any time if you have any questions or concerns.

Have a wonderful evening!