Important Events & Dates:

• Breakfast With Santa this Saturday December 3, 2011 from 7 am to 11 am at East Garafraxa Public School
  
  Reading:
• Read 20 minutes each night
• Our library time is this Friday. Please ensure that books needing to be exchanged are sent to school
  
  Media Literacy:
• Started new reading unit containing comprehension questions on logos, called the “The Recycling Symbol”; a copy can be found in language duo tang
• Students are completing both of these questions, in a Guided Reading setting (small group instruction)
• Please ensure that these questions, on “The Recyling Symbol” and related Success Criteria(s) are checked and handed in by this Friday
  
  Writing:
• Teacher-student revision and editing of rough copy of Legends (Grade 6) will continue this week; students are writing lengthy narratives (some 23 to 26 pages in length!) which is taking some time to proofread
• Continue lesson on developing and organizing an informational report, with a particular focus on developing “Thick & Thin” Research Questions
• Students have been given a question developing chart, called “The Q-Chart” which will help them to create richer and stronger research questions related to an upcoming report assignment on the effects of Tobacco (Gr. 5) and Drugs (Gr. 6)
• Good copy of Peace Paragraph is to be completed by this Friday; all rough copies have been checked and related success criteria provided
  
  Working With Words:
• Spelling Word List 3 will be handed out and a pretest given this Tuesday
• Students will practise these new words by creating a crossword; a crossword template will be handed out on Tuesday and due on Wednesday
• Final Dictation of Spelling Word List 3 will be this Friday
• Students are continuing to work on “Idioms Unit” in class
  
  Math:
• A review package on Translations (slides) and Reflections (flips) of Polygons was handed out on Monday and is due this Wednesday
• This package contains 3 questions that students are asked to revisit and consolidate their understanding The questions in this unit are called,
  
  a). Translation’s & New Co-ordinates?
  b). Shape P Reflected and Rotated
  c). Triangle Reflections
• When reviewing the answers to these questions ask your child,
  
  a). Did you use related math vocabulary listed in your “Overview” sheet (provided in math duo-tang)
  b). Does your answer(s) seem reasonable?
  c). Did you justify your answer(s)?
  
  Examples to follow from can be found in a math grid book
  
  Other:
• The Grade 5 Earth Keepers are continuing to work on their tasks to earn their “Y” and “S” keys
• An outline of these projects can be found in the Training Manual (yellow covered book, pp. 26-32)
• Many students have chosen to complete the “PPP” project (aka Primary Poster Project) in which students are collecting data on the amount and type of waste primary students generate
  
  Students are to,
  
  a). analyse collected data and develop 2 to 3 paragraph summary of their results
  b). share conclusions and results with the primary class they chose
  c). Use the data to create recycling posters for their particular class; a great internet site to copy pictures from is google images,
  
  http://www.google.ca/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi
  
  All Earth Keepers projects are due by this Friday
  
  For the month of December Grade 5 and 6 students will be expected to organize and complete a report on the effects of tobacco (Gr. 5) and drugs (Gr. 6)
  Some suggested internet sites to visit are:
  
  a). Centre for Addiction and Mental Health:
  
  http://www.camh.net/
  
  b). D.A.R.E Canada
  
  http://www.dare.com/home/International/StoryPage64e3.asp?N=International/ 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   

Important Notes & Dates:

• Thank you to all of the parents who attended interview nights last Thursday and Friday; it was worthwhile talking about your child’s progress and the higher expectations of Grade 5 and 6
• Picture retake day is this Tuesday, 9 am in the Gym
• Please return bottom portion of the Progress Report by this Friday
  
  Reading:
• Read 20 minutes each night
• Book exchange will be this Friday; please ensure that books needing to be exchanged are sent with your child
• Started new reading focus, Making Inferences and Interpreting Text (1.5); we will be developing Success Criteria and starting an independent question regarding logos and slogans, called the “Green Bag” question in class
  
  Writing:
• Teacher-student revision and editing of rough copy of Legends (Grade 6) will continue in class this week
• Students will be finishing an assessment task, on Expository text (report writing), this Tuesday
• Lesson on developing and organizing an informational report, with a particular focus on developing “Thick & Thin” Research Questions
• Rough copies of Peace Paragraph will be handed in on Monday
  
  Media:
• Media unit called News Casts & Newspaper Articles is due no later than Wednesday of this week
• Rough copy to main idea question and summary is to be done in ½ book and signed by me
  
  Working With Words:
• Final Dictation of Spelling Word List 2 will be this Monday
• Spelling Word List 3 will be handed out and a pre-test completed on Tuesday
• Students will practise these new words by creating a word scramble
• Students are asked to study the spelling of words they have spelled incorrectly in the pre-test
• Final Dictation of Spelling Word List 3 will be this Friday
• Students are also continuing to working on an “Idioms Unit” in class
  
  Math:
• Continuing our focus: Geometry & Spatial Sense: cardinal directions, translations (slide), co-ordinates (x, y) and rotations (turns)
• Lessons will be on Translations (slides) and Reflections (flips) of Polygons
• Questions and sheets will be assigned in class and written in agenda
  
  Other:
• The Grade 5 Earth Keepers tasks for the “Y” and “S” key have been assigned
• An outline of these projects can be found in the Training Manual (yellow covered book, pp. 26-32)
• Many students have chosen to complete the “PPP” project (aka Primary Poster Project) in which students are collecting data on the amount and type of waste primary students generate.
  
  Students will,
  
  a). organize their data into a table (table of values)
  b). collect primary data
  c). analyse the data and come to some conclusions
  d). share conclusions and results with the primary class they chose
  e). use the data to create recycling posters for their particular class
  
  The Earth Keepers projects will be done and handed in by next Friday

Important Notes & Dates:

• Please ensure that you have returned your interview form by this Tuesday; some times are available Friday November 18th
• Picture retake day is Tuesday November 22nd, 9 am in the Gym
• Congratulations to the 4 students that read their Peace Paragraph during our school Remembrance Day Assembly last Friday...you did a wonderful job!
• This Friday November 18th is an interview day, therefore there are no classes
  
  Reading:
• Read 20 minutes each night
• Book exchange will be this Thursday; please ensure that books needing to be exchanged are sent with your child
• Reading questions for How Raven Freed the Moon (Grade 5), Who(Grade 6) and Why the Rooster Crows at Sunrise (Grade 6) are due this week; please ensure that 2 lists of Success Criteria (checklists) are attached and filled out
• Starting new reading focus, Making Inferences and Interpreting Text (1.5) this week; students will be learning the difference between implied (not obvious) and stated (overt, stated) messages using commercial logos and slogans (i.e. McDonald’s)
  
  Writing:
• Teacher-student revision and editing of rough copy of Legends (Grade 6) will continue in class this week
• starting our new writing focus; Expository text (report writing)
• I will also be checking rough copy of “Peace Paragraph” this week
  
  Media:
• Media unit called News Casts & Newspaper Articles is due this week; rough copy to main idea question and summary is to be done in ½ book and signed by teacher
  
  Working With Words:
• Spelling word list (called Word Study: List 2) has been handed out
• Students are asked to study the spelling of words they have spelled incorrectly during pre-dictation
• Practise the spelling of these words playing “Hangman” at home
• A Word Search will be completed in class
• Final dictation will also be this Thursday
• Students are working on an “Idioms Unit” in class
  
  Math:
• Starting our new focus: Geometry & Spatial Sense: cardinal directions, translations (slide), co-ordinates (x, y) and rotations (turns)
  
  Other:
• The Grade 5 Earth Keepers assignment, for the “Y” and “S” key will be reviewed this week; an outline can be found in the Training Manual (yellow covered book, pp. 26-32) 
  
   

 Important Notes & Dates:

• The Grade 5's and I had a wonderful time at the Island Lake Conservation Area participating in the Earth Keepers Program. We could not have asked for better weather!
• Our “book binding” workshop, with Rita Reitsma and Florence Martin, was also a big success...the students and I are looking forward to writing our good copy of the Grade 5 myth and Grade 6 legend in them!
• Picture retake day is Tuesday November 22nd, 9 am in the Gym
  
  Reading:
• Read 20 minutes each night
• Practise reading fluency using Terry Fox and Rick Hanson articles enclosed in reading log, twice each week; please mark and date where your child has ended
• Book exchange will be this Thursday; please ensure that books that need to be exchanged are sent with your child
• Reading questions for Tiger to Anasi (Grade 5), Four Seasons (Grade 6) and How the River Went to the Sky (Grade 6) are due this week; all summaries and questions have been checked by teacher; please ensure that Success Criteria (checklists) are attached and filled out
• Students are finishing a new narrative text independently in class this week; this new text and comprehension questions will be handed in this Friday
  
  Writing:
• Teacher-student revision and editing of rough copy of Myth (Grade 5) and Legend (Grade 6) will continue in class
• Students are completing an independent narrative writing unit in class this Tuesday; most have self revised and edited and are completing their good copy
• checking rough copy of a “Peace Paragraph” this week; an example was modelled in class and written in language notebook; we hope to read a few of these paragraphs during the Remembrance Assembly this Friday November 11th, 2011
  
  Media:
• A media unit called News Casts & Newspaper Articles was handed out in class and due the week of Monday November 14, 2011
  
  Working With Words:
• Spelling word list (called Word Study: List 1) listing important subject related words has been handed out
• Students are asked to study the spelling of these 15 words
• Students are asked to complete one (1) of the twenty choices, listed on the back of the list, by this Friday
• Final dictation will also be this Friday
• Students are working on an “Idioms Unit” in class and creating as well as solving a Spelling Word Search
  
  Math:
• A test in: Reading, representing, ordering and comparing whole and decimal numbers will be this Wednesday
• To help prepare your child for this test please refer to sheet entitled: Overview for: Represent, Order & Compare Decimal & Whole Numbers (Number Sense & Numeration); a copy can be found in the math duo-tang
• This test will contain four sections:
  
  1). Part A will assess knowledge of content (i.e. In the decimal number 1 879 549.034, in what place value is the digit 4?)
  
  2). Parts B to D will contain real life problem solving questions involving how students think about, reason, apply and justify their answers to questions related to whole and decimal numbers
• when helping your child prepare for the test remind them to
  
  a). Justify (prove) the answer (I know the answer is .... because....)
  b). Use math vocabulary when justifying their answer; related math vocabulary is listed on the “Overview” sheet
• Examples can be found in math grid (exercise) book and specific feedback (suggestions) for your child can be found in the math duo tang
• Our new math focus is Geometry & Spatial Sense: the Cardinal System (Gr 5) and Rotation of 2-- Dimensional Shapes in the First Quadrant of the Cartesian Plane
  
  Other:
• Repeating Pattern Art assignment is due this Wednesday 
• “Go Girls!” and DARE permission form due
• A Grade 5 Earth Keepers assignment, for the “Y” and “S” key will be assigned this Thursday; an outline will be found in the Social Studies duo-tang