Happy New Year to you and your family!

Important Events & Dates:

- Our Cross Country Skiing date is Tuesday January 24th, 2012. Please ensure that permission form has been returned and payment made

In class this week,
Reading:

- Our reading focus is: Making Inferences & Interpreting Texts (1.5), specifically in logos, slogans and non-fiction books containing themes of conserving energy, alternative sources of energy and the effects of Global Warming
- Library resumes this week. We are scheduled for a visit this Friday

Writing: 
Students are,
- asked to have a speech topic chosen
- finishing report on,
a). Grade 5 - The Effects of Smoking
b). Grade 6 - The Effects of Drug Abuse (a.k.a. DARE Report)
- Students are writing the good copy of their report
- A “Report Unit” was handed out containing copies of organizers and examples of Level 3 and 4 reports written by Grade 5 and 6 students; this unit is intended to help you support your child at home

Working With Words:
- Practising new subject related spelling words and prefixes
- Continuing to work on “Idioms Unit”

Math:
- Calculating area of a square and rectangle

Other:
- We are finishing our reports and starting speech writing this month.
- Every student will be expected to research and write a speech, but do not need to compete as a speech finalist in our school and legion competition
- Students wishing to compete (at the legion) will be given more information of dates and expectations when provided to me
- Student not wishing to compete will present their speech to our class

At home please...

Reading: - Read 20 minutes each night
- Library and book exchange this Friday. Please ensure that books needed exchanged or renewed are sent to school

Writing:
- Students are asked to have a speech topic chosen
- Students finishing good copy of report and will start their speech organizer as well as rough copy
- Ensure that rough copy (double spaced) of DARE and tobacco report is done and proofread
- To help your child revise and edit their rough draft at home, please refer to the proofreading checklist provided on the last page of the Report Unit
- Conferencing with teacher of report will happen this week

Working With Words:
- Study new subject related spelling words and prefixes
- Pre-dictation of words will be this Monday
- Final spelling test will on Friday
- Students are asked to pick 10 of the 15 words and provide its definition (meaning)

Math:
- Calculating area of squares and rectangles
- Homework questions were assigned in class and written in agenda

Other:
- This Wednesday, Science unit entitled, David Suzuki Speaks (Grade 5) and Inconvenient Truth (Grade 6) will be collected