5 Days Left of School!

5 Days left of school until the winter break? Wow...

Just a few reminders:

Penny Drive - The Me to We Club has asked if the class would bring in any spare pennies for charities. We have a red cup left on my desk where the children deposit their pennies, and at lunch time, a volunteer takes it to the office.
Indoor Shoes - With the inconsistency of the weather, we are continuing to experience muddy fields which equals muddy shoes. With this, I thank the children who has brought their indoor shoes to leave at the school. Also, this allows for the days when boots are worn, the children will have their indoor shoes to wear through the day in class.
Next Week - We will continue with a regular day schedule throughout the week. We will have some interruption, such as the holiday concert that will occur on the 19th at 1:20pm. We will not be performing at this concert, however, we will be attending to listen and watch some of the fabulous performances that will occur. Can't wait!
Class party...Yes! We will have a celebration for our hard work for the past four months. The children deserve it and for this we will have the party on Thursday the 20th. I highly suggest that everyone still bring a lunch!  Please, if possible could you donate some food/drink that can easily be divided? That is, please don't bring in a cake, but cupcakes would be most helpful. Please ensure that the product brought to school is PEANUT FREE! If the product may have traces of peanuts, it will need to be sent back home. It would be great to have some healthy snacks as not to just have a bunch of bags of chips. A fruit tray, vegetable tray would be wonderful! Also, I have had several children ask if we could do a gift exchange. I said ABSOLUTELY! Your child already drew a name that they will purchase a small gift for. (I have this information recorded in case they have forgotten who they should be buying for). They will not tell that child that they picked their name. It's a secret! We have discussed that the maximum that they can purchase is $5. If they choose to go more, it is completely up to your discretion. I have suggested they can find neat little gifts from the Dollar Store.

Now, a sneak peak as to what we have been doing in class:

Attendance - Every morning this week, the children has been responsible for their attedance. That is, they come into the classroom, find their name on the Smartboard and press the star on the Christmas tree. When they press their name, their name fades away. The name left on the tree, is the student that is away. (They sure have been quick getting into the classroom on time in the morning!)

Smartboard Attendance

Language - We read the book, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, written by Dr. Seuss. Their assignment for the remainder of the school next few weeks is to rewrite the story in the perspective of Max the Dog (Grinch's pet dog). They received a package to help them with their brainstorm and planning of their story book. They will be writing it on the computer and for some, they may draw or receive assistance with pictures from the Internet. They are having a lot of fun with this, once they understood what perspective/viewpoint meant.

Max's View - The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

Math - Morning Math Drill. Before we begin our math lesson, we have been doing small math questions that helps get their thinking 'warmed up'. Using the smartboard, one child each day clicks on the Christmas ornament and a math question appears. They discuss the answers and share with the class. Again, they have enjoyed it.

Mean, Mode, Range and Stem Leaf Plot - The children have been learning how to arrange and organize large amount of data. We have taken it to the next step and learned how to find the average. With understanding what the mode, mean, and range, they are able to find the average. We have been using the Smartboard for this as they are able to clearly see it and refer back to it. I am able to take a snapshot of what had been done on the Smartboard and post it. They have been paired up and are able to work together to sift through the information provided. One of the things they have picked up quickly is, how important to ensure that they have ALL the numbers given.

Finding the "mean"

Example of Question from the Smartboard

Social Studies - The children as been introduced a new project for social studies. This package was reviewed and handed out earlier this week. This project focus on the children examining the relationship with Ontario and their chosen Province or Territory. They are looking at how they physical region of the Province or Territory impact the need for trade. This is the big idea! And within their package, their research information is clearly organized to ensure that they are following the expectations. The final product is presented by their choice (a poster, powerpoint presentation, scrapbook, brochure, written essay etc.).

Using the Atlas to help gather information for their research

Art - Picasso! We were learning how to create a Picasso style portrait. And the results turned out wonderfully!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Sauder