Hello students & parents!
Christmas is just around the corner and we have been very busy these last few weeks wrapping up units and preparing for Christmas!
REMINDERS:
- Express Yourself is tonight at 7pm! Tickets are $2. Congratulations to all of our student performers!!
- Please note that I will be away on Friday at a workshop.
- Our class will be participating in an Art Workshop Dec 10, 16 & 17 in the AM. Students will be incorporating Art & Drama by making puppets.
- Students are working on Biome projects in groups on Edmodo, Blendspace (online presentation technology- www.blendspace.com) and in class. The project is due Dec 16 & presentations will take place Dec 17.
- As I had mentioned during interviews, our Guidance teacher Mrs Meffe has been working with our class each week for about an hour. This will continue for a few more sessions. Some of the topics include bullying, reporting incidents, being an upstander not a bystander. Mrs Meffe sent home an important pamphlet, which should be in your child's agenda- please sign this pamphlet by Monday- thank you! Please also talk to your child about the sessions they are involved in.
- Our class will be celebrating Christmas our last day of school prior to the break on Dec 19. My husband and I will be providing a full Christmas lunch for the students, which includes spaghetti with tomato sauce, garlic bread, juice/pop and a sweet dessert! This is our Christmas treat for the students. Students will not need to bring a lunch on Dec 19th, but they should still bring their regular snacks. Our class will also be participating in Secret Santa, which means that your child will secretly receive the name and wish list of someone in our class in order to purchase them a small, wrapped Christmas gift, approximately $5-$10 in value if possible. Your child will also receive a gift from someone in our class! In order for your child to participate in these events, please email me at evita.massaro@tcdsb.org and let me know whether you agree to allow your child to participate in the Christmas lunch & Secret Santa. If you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to contact me!
- Last day of school before the Christmas break is Dec 19th and the first day back after the break is Jan 6, 2014.
- Student Council will be selling mini candy cane grams for 25 cents each or 5 for $1.00 starting Monday. All proceeds will go towards the much needed Philippines cause. Thank you for your support!!
UPDATES:
- In Math, we have completed Chapter 3 on Data Management and I am currently marking the unit test. We have just started Chapter 4 on Addition and Subtraction, which also includes estimating and mental math. Students have been working in groups to work on collaboration and to demonstrate how when we work on the same questions, we may find different methods to arrive at the same answer!
- In Language, we continue with the use of Daily Cafe (stationed Language centres) and I have now been working with small strategy groups of about 4-5 students during each Language lesson teaching comprehension strategies like making a prediction, determining important ideas and making connections. We also continue to study Digital Citizenship in Media and discuss, view videos and work on assignments on issues like our online identities and copyright. Please check Edmodo weekly for your child's work in the Media folder! Students are also continuing the writing process by working on their mystery narratives. We are drafting and editing/revising at this point.
- In Social Studies, we are investigating Canada's trading partners by also looking at maps as to where these countries are and the products that are imported and exported. Students have been working on online Edmodo quizzes every 2-3 weeks, so please check for their results in the PROGRESS section on Edmodo! The students tend to have one Social Studies assignment per week, so please ask your child to see their homework.
- In Science, we are studying Biodiversity and the students have been working on small assignments and online Edmodo quizzes about the living kingdoms, vertebrates and invertebrates. Again, please check the Edmodo PROGRESS section to view how your child is doing. As I mentioned previously, the students are currently working on a group project on biomes. The project requirements have been posted in the Science group on Edmodo so please take a look when you can. I have set up Edmodo biome groups so that they are able to work together online without having to worry about getting together after school. I also shared with the students a new and improved online presentation tool called Blendspace. It is similar to PowerPoint, but has more student friendly features and can be accessed online from any computer- no downloading needed! Please check it out at www.blendspace.com.
- In Art, the students are currently involved in a designing a new logo for Google with the theme being- 'if I could invent anything, I would invent....' I am truly impressed with the artistic and creative ability in the students' work!!
- We have studied the virtue peace in Religion and now we are focusing on charity for December. Students participate in drama activities linked to our virtues and Fully Alive. We are also discussing the Catholic Graduate Expectations.
Thank you for taking the time to read our blog update and please email me as soon as possible regarding our Christmas lunch & Secret Santa!
Mrs Massaro
