Happy Family Day!

I hope you and your family are having an enjoyable and relaxing Family Day!  Here are a few links and reminders for the upcoming week(s):

*Winter Walk Day is coming quickly!  Wednesday, Feb. 22 we are encouraging students to walk to school with a buddy, walk a little further to the bus stop, or Drive to Five - drive to a spot that is a 5 minute walk to school and walk the remainder with your parent.  Walking to school in winter has many potential benefits, including benefits for your child’s health and well-being (like opportunities to learn and socialize on the way to school, and arriving to school alert and ready to learn), our community (reduced traffic congestion around the school) and the environment, too. As part of Winter Walk Day, each class will participate in their own walk around the school, grounds or nearby park - rain, snow or shine! Parent volunteers are welcome to join us!

*Pizza orders for the remainder of the year are due by March 1st.  Please order and pay through Cash Online using your debit or credit card. Pizza day is every Thursday from Mar 23-June 22 (14 pizza days). We ask that you stay with the same order every Thursday please.   Cheese or pepperoni are offered, and each slice is $2.50.  

*Milk orders for the remainder of the year are also due by March 1st. Please order and pay through Cash Online using your debit or credit card. Milk is for a 65 day period - Mar 20-June 23, and students can choose either chocolate or white milk.

*On Wednesday, March 22nd, our Parish Priests will be hearing the confessions of the Grade 3 to 6 students in order to help them prepare spiritually for the upcoming Easter season. Please take some time at home to help your child prepare for their confession. Here is a link to the Examination of Conscience and Act of Contrition to assist in your preparation.

*I am looking forward to meeting with many of you on Interview Evening, Wednesday, Feb. 22. If you wish to book an interview but have not yet done so, please do it soon through YouCanBookMe (link embedded). Interviews are only 10 minutes, if you feel we need more time to discuss your child's progress, please leave me a message through the blog and we will find a mutual time to meet. Thank you for keeping those lines of communication open!

Quick Updates

Just a couple of quick updates:

-Report cards are coming home tomorrow with your child.  Inside the envelope is an interview request form.  The scheduled interview evening is next Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017.  If I have checked off that I would like to meet with you in person, please make an interview with me through "YouCanBookMe" or call me to set up an appointment outside of the usual interview time (before or after school some day).  If Mme Corriveau and I have requested to meet with you together, please book both of us in the same timeslot on the "YouCanBookMe" site, by booking first one teacher at the desired time, the the other teacher at the same time. If I have checked off that I am not requesting an interview at this time, you are still very welcome to book one with me if you feel it is necessary, or if you would just like to chat about your child's progress.  You can also request a phone call or email contact through the blog form below.

-Fully Alive Unit 3: Created Sexual Male and Female has been completed for both grades.  We had a fair bit of discussion with both groups, however there may still be some questions the students were not comfortable asking in class, and would prefer to ask of a parent.  Encourage an open and honest discussion with your child using age appropriate information about the changes their bodies will go through during puberty (Gr. 5) and  the development of a baby from conception through birth and beyond (Gr. 4).  We are all God's wonderful creations, made in His own image, and need to learn to respect and care for all of our body systems properly.

-We had a very interesting and informative presentation from Monica from the Canadian Hearing Foundation, who spoke to the Grade 4 students about caring for their hearing and protecting it from loss.  The students were fascinated to learn that she was profoundly and completely deaf!  Through the use of a cochlear nerve implant and lip-reading, Monica was able to communicate and understand everything the students were saying, it was impossible to tell that she was hearing impaired.  The students learned the importance of avoiding loud noises, particularly for long periods of time, and especially through the use of earphones and earbuds.  It was a great presentation!

More snow!

It's really coming down out there, and who knows if tomorrow is going to be another snow day - but let's hope everyone travels safely in the heavy blowing snow today.

As mentioned in the post on Feb 5, we will begin the Fully Alive, Unit 3 tomorrow, if it is a regular day.  If it is a "Snowday" we will put off our first lesson until Tuesday. I hope you have had a chance to read over the topics we will cover in each grade, the vocabulary we will be using with the students, and possibly talked to your child about what to expect.  It can be a source of embarrassment and/or stress if they are caught unprepared.

In math, we have begun daily multiplication drills, where the students compete against themselves to see if they can answer more questions each day.  We started with the 2 times table (doubles) and will work our way up slowly.  We are also answering a short EQAO type practice question daily, to give them more practice in answering thinking and application type questions.  So far, they are doing really well with them!

In Language Arts, the Gr. 5 are listening to a read aloud of a book Hiding Edith by Kathy Kacer.

It is a very exciting true story about the life of Edith Schwalb, a young Jewish girl who escaped the Nazis by hiding in France.  They are also finishing up their biographies and presenting them. After Family day, we will begin a book club novel study - more information will follow.  Grade 4 students are completing their personal connections to each verse of Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back, and will move on after Family Day to making Bug Menus.

Don't forget - Valentine's day is on Tuesday - wear red, white and/or pink!  If your child wants to bring Valentine's to share with the class, there are 21 students in the morning class.  No need to address each Valentine, simply have your child sign them.  They are easier for the students to distribute that way.


Report cards will be coming home on Friday, Feb. 17th.

National Gallery Looking at Pictures Program

Mrs. Ian McCuaig from the National Gallery's Looking at Pictures program was in this morning to talk to the students about pictures and artists that are showcased at the National Gallery.  The pictures, artists and topics discussed are outlined below on her letter:

The students were very engaged and very well behaved!  Ask them what they learned and what picture they liked the best!

Fully Alive, Unit 3

Fully Alive:
Both Religion teachers have informed me that they have covered the first 2 units of the Fully Alive program, and are ready for me to teach Unit 3.  Fully Alive is a Family Life education program sponsored by the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario. In Theme 3: Created Sexual, Male and Female, the students learn that each person is precious, we are all made in the image and likeness of God, and created in a loving relationship.  Each year builds on information from previous years, and is given at an age appropriate level.  The terms used and topics covered can be found here, in each grade's letter from the ACBO:
Grade 4 Parent Letter
Grade 5 Parent Letter
Please read the letters and discuss the topics with your child, so that they can be prepared.  We will begin on Feb. 13.  Don't hesitate to contact me if there are any questions or concerns.

Math:
We have looped our way through all 5 of the math strands, and are now back at Number Sense and Numeration.  Both grades will be working on multiplication, division, and fractions in the upcoming weeks.
Grade 4 should know their times tables to 9x9; Grade 5 should know to 12 x 12. Grade 4 will have to multiply a two digit number by a one-digit number; grade 5 will multiply 2 digits by 2 digits.

Language Arts:
The Grade 4 students have been listening to stories and short videos about Black History (Henry's Box, Rosa Parks, etc).  We will then get started on the Making Connections Unit outlined in the last blog entry.  The Grade 5 students have interviewed their partners and most have completed at least the rough copy of the biography they are writing on their classmate.  Those finished will present them early this week, then choose someone to write a biography about.  They can choose anyone they admire, or wish to know more about, as long as they let me know first.