Hello everyone,

Its another new month, which means its time for an update from Div. 1.  Students have been especially busy this Fall at school.  Volleyball season started, and our team has played their first couple of games against other schools in our zone.  Students on the team have been busy practicing at lunch.  In addition, preparations are underway for our winter concert!  Students have been busy practicing their lines, designing the set, and working on other technical, behind-the-scenes, parts of our winter concert.  Also, fundraising started for our June camp.  I am so proud of all of the students who are taking on these volunteer roles around our school.

We ended October with our annual Halloween costume parade, teacher presentation (in costume, of course!) and class party.  Thank you to everyone who brought snacks and games to make our class party extra fun.

Looking ahead, there are lots of things happening in November, so please scroll to the bottom of this post for a list of important dates for this month.  As always, if you have any questions, please contact me via email.

For the last two weeks of October, we had the pleasure of having Ms. Brule, teacher-candidate from UBC, complete her short practicum in our class.  Starting next week, Ms. Brule is only going to be visiting our class once a week, on Thursdays.  These weekly visits will continue after Winter Break.

 

Math

This month in Math, we are learning about multiplication and division.  We started last week by reviewing (or learning about) multiples, factors, prime numbers, and composite numbers.  We will progress to learning about how to multiply and divide decimals and integers (grade 7), and will learn about order of operations.  We will also continue to develop strategies for multiplying and dividing larger numbers.

Language Arts

This month in reading, we are starting our first Book Club.  Students will get to choose a novel to read (from a collection of novels chosen by me).  All of the novels have the theme of overcoming challenges.  Students will be responsible for reading their novel, completing the reading activities, and discussing their novel with their group in the timeline given.

This month in writing, we are taking a break from non-fiction writing (biographies and autobiographies) and will be moving on to story writing.

Social Studies

This month, we will shift our focus from Science to Social Studies.  In Social Studies, we are going to learn about the rise and fall of early societies.  We’ll use the Social Studies inquiry process and skills to ask questions, gather, interpret and analyze ideas, make inferences, and share our findings and understanding with others.  We’ll learn about features and characteristics of different early civilizations and what lead those civilizations to fall.

Health Education

Starting last month, we began a unit on hazards in British Columbia.  Using the ‘Master of Disaster’ program, we are learning about emergency preparedness and hazards in B.C., like floods, wildfires, earthquakes and tsunamis.  Over the next few weeks, we’ll shift our focus to online safety, digital literacy, and digital citizenship.

Young People’s Concert

Our first YPC field trip is coming up on Friday, Nov. 28th.  Bus pick-up will be shortly after 9:00 a.m..  This performance will be featuring Grupo America by Las Americas.

Dazzle your students with Grupo America’s visual explosion of glamour, colour, and spirited music! This Latin dance extravaganza presents folkloric and contemporary dances from Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and the US, taking audiences on a journey from the pre-Columbian to the modern era. Students learn about the three main influences in dances from the Americas: European, African, and Indigenous. Each dance is introduced with a brief description of the country and the dance’s origin and story. (https://www.kbamonline.com/#/grupo-america/)

• Monday, Nov. 3rd – Photo Retake Day
• Friday, Nov. 7th – Div. 1 Snack Sale (Camp Fundraiser) and Fun Friday (Bring a Stuffy Day)
• Monday, Nov. 10th – Remembrance Day Assembly
• Tuesday, Nov. 11th – Remembrance Day – school is closed
• Friday, Nov. 21st – Professional Development Day – students do not attend
• Friday, Nov. 28th – Young People’s Concert

Hello everyone,

Welcome to my class website! Here you will find helpful information such as term overviews and our class’s weekly schedule.  Each month, I will also post an update about what we have been learning about and doing in class, as well as some important upcoming events.  Please scroll to the bottom of this post for upcoming important events (there are a lot!).  As always, if you have any questions, please contact me via email.

For the past few weeks, students in Divison 1 have been working on creating a class Code of Conduct.  We started by discussing the Burnaby School District’s Code of Conduct, and identifying the main ideas as well as supporting details.  Students then worked in small groups to draft their own Codes of Conduct.  Finally, we collaborated as a class to create one that is unique to us.  Here it is:

Div. 1’s Code of Conduct

In Division 1, everyone has the right to feel safe, be included, and be treated with kindness. 

We all work together to learn, respect each other’s space and things, and make sure no one is left out.

 

• Each person has the RIGHT to learn in a safe and positive environment.
• It is the RESPONSIBILITY of each person to help each other learn, encourage, and support each other to do our best.

 

• Each person has the RIGHT to be included in the activities at school.
• It is the RESPONSIBILITY of each person to invite others to join in the learning and fun.

 

• Each person has the RIGHT to be treated respectfully in a place that is free from prejudice.
• It is the RESPONSBILITY of each person to treat others kindly and fairly, no matter who they are.

 

• Each person has the RIGHT to privacy and space at school.
• It is the RESPONSIBILITY of each person to respect other people by keeping our bodies to ourselves, using other people’s things with permission, and giving space to others when they need it.

Math

In Math, we started the year with a bit of review including place value of whole numbers from billions to decimal numbers in the thousandths.  From whole numbers and decimals, we will move on to fractions, as well as integers (positive and negative numbers).

English Language Arts

In ELA, we have been learning about different fiction genres including: realistic fiction, historical fiction, adventure, science fiction, mystery, and fantasy.  Students are working in groups to create a skit for one of the genres, and will be presenting their skits to the class.  We will focus more closely on the science-fiction and adventure genres in the remainder of term 1.

We have also been working on non-fiction writing.  We started the year with a peer biography assignment where students interviewed a peer from the class, and wrote a short biography.  We will move onto writing autobiographies next.

In Science this term, we will be learning about the universe, our solar system, and solar energy.  Students will work in a small group to research a planet and create a PowerPoint presentation to share their research.

Volleyball

Ms. Young and Ms. Woo are co-coaching the Glenwood volleyball teams this year.  Practices will be held at lunch on Mondays and Wednesdays.  All students in grades 6 and 7 are welcome to join the team.  If your child is interested in joining the team, make sure they return their permission form.

• Monday, Sept. 22nd – Green Thumb Theatre presents: People Like Vince
• Thursday, Sept. 25th – Terry Fox Assembly (with a special guest!) and Terry Fox Run
• Friday, Sept. 26th – Professional Development Day – students do not attend
• Tuesday, Sept. 30th – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – School Closed
• Thursday, Oct. 2nd – Welcome Conversations from 3:15 – 7:00
• Friday, Oct. 3rd – Early Dismissal at 2:00
• Thursday, Oct. 9th – Individual Photo Day
• Monday, Oct. 13th – Thanksgiving – School is Closed
• Wednesday, Oct. 22nd – Div. 1 Camp Parent Meeting @ 6:00 (to be confirmed)
• Friday, Oct. 24th – Professional Development Day – Students do not attend
• Friday, Oct. 31st – Halloween Assembly and Costume parade (in the afternoon)