With the school year well underway, Division 2 wanted to share out some things that we have been working on. We have been learning many new skills as well as interesting subject content. Students have been working on building our classroom community, and getting into the routines of the new school year. Read below to see some things we have been up to!

As a class we created a list of agreements we would like to follow in order to create a safe, positive, and inclusive learning environment for all

Each student created an identity box and presented it to share more about themselves with their classmates

We have been learning the French alphabet through songs, worksheets and games

We have started our look into the history of Residential Schools

Students created All About Me ipads and apps to share who they are in a creative way

 We have been learning that Math is accessible for all students, and that sometimes there is more than one answer or more than one route to get to an answer

Hi everyone, and welcome back to a new school year! I hope you all had a wonderful summer and like me are looking forward to reconnecting with the Buckingham community! My name is Kristen Wilschek and I will be teaching Grade 5/6 this year in Division 2. This will be my fourth year teaching at Buckingham, and I am so happy to be returning. I have a background in Learning Support and degrees in Physical Education, and enjoy teaching in the intermediate classroom. I am passionate about creating a positive learning environment for my students, as well as fostering positive social interactions, building student leadership, and building students’ self-confidence. I like to offer students a variety of types of projects and assignments as learning opportunities so that they get the chance to demonstrate their understanding in different ways, and so that all students can achieve success. I am so looking forward to working with my new class and navigating this educational journey together.

Feel free to check out this site to get the latest updates on what we have been learning and doing in the classroom, as well as for updates on our homework and assignment due dates. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at kristen.wilschek@burnabyschools.ca. Thank you for your support and I look forward to meeting everyone soon! 

It is hard to believe that the year has come to a close! As we reflect back on all that we have achieved this year, we begin to realize how many things we actually did! From essays and dioramas, to camping and paddle boarding, Division 2 had so many great experiences this past year. I want to give a huge thank you to all the students for creating a wonderful learning environment that your peers felt safe and happy in. I always had such nice feedback from substitute teachers and other staff about how kind and fun our class was. I will definitely miss this class! 

Also, a big thank you to all the families for the kind words, notes, emails and gifts that were sent in. You are all very kind. Thank you for all of your support this year.

To the Grade 7s, I wish you the best of luck in high school, you will be amazing! To the Grade 6s, you are the leaders of next year, and I can’t wait to see what you do!

Have a happy and safe summer everyone, and see you in September! 

Last week Division 2 had the exciting opportunity to head down to Kitsilano Beach to take part in the Ocean Ambassadors program. This non-profit organization puts together programs to help educate youth about the damage we are doing to our oceans when dumping garbage in them, especially issues with micro-plastics. Students had time with program leaders where they learned about the different layers of the ocean, what animals might live there, how currents/tides are formed, micro-plastics, and they also came up with their own ideas about how they could help fight the pollution problem. Students also suited up in dry suits and took to the ocean to try out stand-up paddle boarding, which was a total blast! Our program leaders were amazing and we thank them for their expertise and patience! 

When faced with multiple options for a career choice, what factors should you consider when choosing your career? Think about what we have discussed in class previously, or what may be important to you. (one paragraph please, 4-5 sentences minimum)

For those of you who did not get the chance to do the test, you may do it at the following website:

https://www.whatcareerisrightforme.com/career-aptitude-test.php

In March all Grade 6 and 7 students had the chance to further their learning of a Space unit in Science by taking a visit to the HR MacMillan Space Center in Vancouver. We were able to look at the various displays around the center, touch moon rock, see a movie about the potential of other life in space, visit the Planetarium Star Theatre, and watch other interesting demonstrations. It was a great day filled with a lot of information, and definitely left us all with something to think about. There are so many unanswered questions about what else is out there in the dark depths of space!

In February the students of Division 2 stepped up to be the ambassadors of the Anti-Bullying movement and Pink Day. As a class they brainstormed and came up with a plan of action to promote Pink Day around the school. In the end the class came up with an entire week’s worth of ideas and had daily challenges and messages for the school, among other things. Pink Shirt Day was a huge success and the class received praise from their peers as well as parents and staff at the school. They should all be very proud of themselves!

The Pink Week display created by the students – the pink computer was a total hit with everyone at the school! 

Also in Feb/March our class took on an Applied Skills project around metals. Students learned about different kinds of wire and the various hand tools that could be used to work with wire. Each student created a photo holder, beginning with a design draft before they got hands on with the tools to take their plan into action. Students found that working with wire can be harder than it seems as it can be delicate and sometimes hard to mold into the shape that they wanted it to. In the end they came out with some very cool designs that were totally functional.

At the end of term two students in both Divisions 1 and 2 created final projects to demonstrate their learning of the Early Civilizations unit in Social Studies. They were able to work solo, in a pair, or in a group, and had the option of doing a 2D or 3D map of their civilization. Students had to choose the environment where they would like to build their early village, while taking care to ensure that all needs of the village could be met. They had to keep in mind things like safety, food surplus, transportation and space for growth so that their village could be successful and eventually develop into a larger city. Finally they had to do a report on their city and present their work to the class. Students showed a lot of creativity and teamwork while working on their projects. Take a look at what they came up with!

Reminders that track practices will be held on Wednesday and Friday mornings at 8am. Meet outside the gym at the front of the school ready in your gym strip and running shoes!