December 14 to 17

"Homework"

• 30 minutes of reading (silent or partner) at least 3 times per week
• 10 minutes of basic fact work (times tables!) at least 3 times per week—we are seeing the value in knowing times tables up to 10 right now!

This week:

• Please remember to bring in non-perishable food items for the Mayor's Food Drive.
• Carol singing assembly on Monday, December 14
• Carol singing/choir assembly on Wednesday, December 16
• Choir concert on Wednesday, December 16 at 7 pm
• Carol singing assembly on Thursday, December 17
• Room 17 will be having a holiday celebration on Thursday, December 17. Anyone who would like to bring a treat for the class may do so. 

• Non-Instructional on Friday, December 18 (no school for students!)

• We will be tying up loose ends before the Winter Break, work-wise. In addition to all of the school and class holiday celebrations, we will continue to work on multiplying decimals (grocery list project), we will present our extreme weather projects, and we will finish our Stampede School Film Festival. 

Next week:

• Winter Break! (classes resume on Monday, January 4, 2016)

Ask Me About:

• The upstairs neighbours who will be joining BelPark in 2016. 

December 7 to 11

"Homework"

• 30 minutes of reading (silent or partner) at least 3 times per week
• 10 minutes of basic fact work (times tables!) at least 3 times per week—we are seeing the value in knowing times tables up to 10 right now!

This week:

• Please remember to bring in change or non-perishable food items for the Mayor's Food Drive.
• Choir field trip on Friday, December 11. 
• ROARS assembly on Friday, December 11. 
• Outdoor Ed with Mr. Kelba on Friday, December 11. 

• Click here for the multiplication sheet we were working on today (as a review before we head back into our grocery list project). 

Next week:

• No school on Friday, December 18.
• Please bring change or non-perishable food items for the Mayor's Food Drive. 
• We will have several carol singing assemblies and other assorted holiday celebrations. 

Ask Me About:

• How to do multiplication using the Napier's Bones procedure. 

Here is a better Borax crystal time lapse:

November 30 to December 3

"Homework"

• 30 minutes of reading (silent or partner) at least 3 times per week
• 10 minutes of basic fact work (times tables!) at least 3 times per week

This week:

• Wednesday, December 2 is the deadline for ordering pictures. 
• 3-On-3 Intramural (basketball) happens on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. If you signed up, check the schedule for your day.
• We are continuing to work on research project on extreme weather-related events (hurricanes, tornados, floods, tsunamis, etc.), and we have started our math project which involves wishful grocery shopping. 
• This Friday is a non-instructional day (no school!).   

Next week:

• Choir field trip on Friday, December 11.
• Outdoor Ed with Mr. Kelba on Friday, December 11.
• Please bring in money or non-perishable food for the Mayor's Food Drive. 

Ask Me About:

• How snowflakes are formed and what shape they all have in common.

How to Make Borax Crystal Ornaments (with an adult!)

You will need: Borax detergent (the green box), pipe cleaners, string, a pencil or stick, and a container (500 ml Mason jar), food colouring (optional)

1. make a shape out of pipe cleaners—keep the width to 4 cm or less so that your ornament doesn't get stuck in the jar after the crystals grow
2. tie a string around the shape so that it can be suspended in the Borax solution
3. boil 4 cups of water
4. pour some Borax into your container (a Mason jar works well) and add hot water; the ratio of 1 part Borax to 2-3 parts water should do the trick
5. stir until most of the Borax is dissolved
6. suspend your pipe cleaner shape in the solution—you can tie the string to the stick or pencil to keep the shape from touching the sides or bottom of the container
7. let your ornament sit until the pipe cleaner is coated in crystals

*** If this doesn't work for you, try increasing the amount of Borax.

November 23 to 27

"Homework"

• 30 minutes of reading (silent or partner) at least 3 times per week
• 10 minutes of basic fact work (times tables!) at least 3 times per week

This week:

• Paperwork for our field trip to the Circle of Nations Museum on Wednesday, November 25 is due Monday, November 23. 
• Field trip to the Circle of Nations Museum on Wednesday, November 25. 
• 3-On-3 Intramural (basketball) starts on Tuesday. Let me know if you are interested in playing, but haven't yet signed up. 
• We will not be sharing our Stampede School Projects at some point this week, because some groups aren't yet finished.
• We have started a new research project on extreme weather-related events (hurricanes, tornados, floods, tsunamis, etc.), and we will be starting a math project which involves wishful grocery shopping. 
• This Friday is an early dismissal.   

Next week:

• No school December 4 (PD Day).

Ask Me About:

• How to use evaporation to collect clean drinking water from salt water or other . . . liquids ;)

November 16 to 20

"Homework"

• 30 minutes of reading (silent or partner) at least 3 times per week
• 10 minutes of basic fact work (times tables!) at least 3 times per week

This week:

• In-class visit from Barbra Horsefall from the Circle of Nations Museum at Kingsland Centre on Wednesday, November 18. 
• Paperwork for our field trip to the Circle of Nations Museum on Wednesday, November 25 will go home (no payment required). 
• Learning conferences take place on Thursday from 4 pm to 8 pm and on Friday from 8 am to 1 pm. You can book here.

Next week:

• Wednesday, November 25: Circle of Nations Museum at Kingsland Centre. We require 2 volunteers that day—email me if you are free and willing. 

Ask Me About:

• Our practice lockdown.
• My Stampede School project. 
• How to solve for a variable in a single-step equation.
• Playing 3-on-3 without overhead passes. 

Single-Variable Equation Practice

For those of you who want a bit more practice working with variables, here are a few equations to try. Your job is to figure out what the letter ("n") equals, but you must show your work, even if you can solve these in your head. 

1. n - 7 = 5
2. n + 4 = 16
3. n - 3 = 11 
4. n x 5 = 15

Remember, your equation is like a teeter-totter, so whatever you do to one side you must also do to the other.

New Style for Updates

In keeping with the other 5/6 classes, starting next week, I will be creating a weekly update which I will modify as needed throughout the week. That way, all of the need-to-know info for parents and students will be in one place. Please make sure to check back daily or every couple of days, as the info will be modified when needed.

I will also be including a weekly "ask me about" prompt (or several) to facilitate discussions at home about what we do at school.