Learning Updates

IMPORTANT DATES

November 1: PD Day - No School 
November 5: Picture retakes
November 6: Fun Lunch
November 7: PoWer Hour - Session 1
November 8: Remembrance Day Assembly (Grade 2s leading)
November 11: Remembrance Day - School closed
November 14: PoWer Jour - Session 2
November 20: Fun Lunch
November 21: Early Dismissal (11:45 am)
November 21 & 22: Parent-Teacher Conferences
November 28: PoWer Hour - Session 3

LEARNING UPDATES

In mathematics, we have continued to look at BIG numbers (greater than one million), focusing on the value of each place, recognizing the different families and deepening our understanding of how to represent those numbers. This week we are thinking about organizing the numbers to make the biggest and smallest number and using expanded form to represent those numbers. With our reading nook design projects, we are also exploring the concept of measurement. Additionally, we have continued to explore different curricular concepts through our weekly time on prodigy. We will beginning our weekly problems of the week which will allow us to explore different problem solving strategies. 

In our reading nook design challenge, we have used data gathered in our interviews with students to work through the ideation phase of the design process. Each group narrowed down the data to come up with three possible designs for a reading nook for the classroom they are working with. We used those ideas to sketch the three designs and have now moved into constructing the prototypes to present to the classes. We will use the feedback given on the prototypes to help guide our final builds.

In addition to our reading nook design challenge, our students have been working with Ms. Gilbank's class on a Minecraft design challenge. Each class has been working collaboratively to design a haunted mansion! We will have an opportunity to have each class share through a digital presentation after our last build later this week.

Our writing this term has continued to have a focus on descriptive language and creating imagery. We have been continuing our work with our stories with Cathy Beverage. Students are working on typing their stories into Google docs and then we will use our class rubric to support us in improving our work. We have also been working on using sensory words to create a Monster menu with Ms. Haslock.

Last week we had a focus on reflecting on the contributions of Canadians in the different World Wars and we talked about the history and symbolism of the poppy. We are writing shape poems to help us express what we know about Remembrance Day.

We have continued reading Number the Stars which has aligned with our work around Remembrance Day. 

In science, we ended our wetlands unit with a show what you know assessment. This means that we have now moved into our first social studies unit. We will be focusing on the physical geography of Canada as we study the different geographical regions in Canada. We started the unit with a sharing circle to talk about things we know about Canada. We used those conversations to sketch a map of what we think Canada looks like and to write and sketch a few things about the country. Next we looked at a map of the country and talked about the different provinces, noticed the shapes of each of them and their location in proximity to the others. We also talked about the capital cities and are now looking at some of the different resources and landmarks in each province.

Please check Ms. Warrener and Ms. Pallesen's blog for updates on the grade 6 science and social units. 

Our students will have the opportunity to work with the Calgary Opera this week! Stay tuned for updates.