Div. 6 - Class Blog

Hello families of Div. 6!

We have had a busy and successful term of growth and learning. Students took some time this week reflecting on all that we have accomplished over the last few months. Please see their reflections below!

Animal Inquiry Project

The AIP presentation/research took Div.6 the whole month of February to complete this project. First, Ms. Yee taught us about some of the animals in BC. We went to the library and got books on different animals to choose what animal we are going to do. Secondly, we did a sheet about senses about the animals that we picked. Later we started to research the animals we picked and took notes and finally we started to work on the projects. We then went to Ms. MacLeod, and she told us to start writing down the sources used for our project. A lot of kids started on their AIP presentations. Later, we learned about adaptations for our animal, Structural and Behavioral. After, we did a Biomes sheet and talked about our animal’s habitat and stewardship. Finally, we presented in other groups or to the whole class. After all that we really felt a deep sense of accomplishment and it was an exceptionally pleasant experience. 

By: Ameerah, Kaylee, Nick, Logan and Zolna

Camouflage

While we were researching our AIP’s we learned about adaptations like camouflage , so we made paper cutouts of animals , coloured them in and stuck them around our classroom. See if you can find them! 

By Erik 

Book Club

Picture Books

In div 6 we started off book club with picture books. We started by splitting into groups then are group would agree on a book after we got to pick books the options were. The bad seed, The couch potato, The good egg, The smart cookie, The sour grape, and The cool bean. After are groups had chosen there books we each took turns reading. When we finished our books we all filled out a response sheet. Lastly we all read are response sheets to everyone in are group.

By: Makayla

Graphic Novels

After reading picture books student started their first round of Book Club using Graphic Novels. They did a marvelous job of noticing, connecting and began to infer about their books. They grew in their ability to talk about their reading with their peers!

Novels 

At Div.6 after we did graphic novels we started on novels. First, we split into groups and looked at the books for two minutes. Then after everybody looked at the books, we did the wheel of names to see who chose first because there were only 4 to 5 copies of a book. We needed to have a list of our top three books, in case our first choice wasn’t available. Our choices were Melissa Story, When the Cherry Blossoms Fell, Hatchet, Moses me and Murder, One and Only Ivan. Then after every week we have our book club meeting. We have a response sheet that we write about the page number that we are in and if we have a connection, inference, prediction, something we noticed and more. Then we read it to our group. 

By Adrina 

Gardening 

This term we have done some tidying and planting in the UHE garden!

There were 3 stations Div. 6 did. Such as trimming thorns, getting rid of plastics in the garden planter’s soil, and making newspaper pots! We then filled the pots with lettuce seeds and some of us took them home. Remember adults, Eat your veggies!!!

By Kian

Art time in Div.6! 

 In div 6 we did tree art. Div.6 worked extremely hard for this art project, This tree art took us about 4-6 days to finish. How we made the tree art! Div. 6 used black pastel and Sharpe for the trees, and we used paint for the background.

Div.6 also made a pink shirt day art project to represent pink shirt day. We cut out pink paper shirts and we wrote positive words and wrote how to be an ally, first we started with a blank piece of paper and put different designs and colored it with crayons and markers. We also really appreciated Ms. Yee for teaching us patiently and helping when she could. 

By: Erin and Jade

Pink Lemonade in Div.6  

In diversity club we made pink lemonade for Pink shirt day.  Diversity club delivered pink lemonade to the classrooms. The pink lemonade was $1. Everyone got a quarter of lemonade.  It tasted like raspberry flavored starburst.  It was super yummy , good , and a bit sour.  It looked like pink water but it was actually pink lemonade. 

By: Cara, Chanelle, Hano 

 

Tennis

Tennis!!! In January we learned tennis. we learned all sorts of stuff including how to hit the ball over the net, forehand, backhand, and a bit of serving. We also bounced the ball on our racket, and we were practicing juggling! We also played games like touch tennis, you hit the tennis ball to your partner who will try to hit it back but if you or your partner hit the ball onto the net you will lose a point. Lastly, we played an actual tennis match with boundaries. WE REALLY ENJOYED IT AND HAD FUN!!!!!!

Credits to: Harry writing, Aadi ideas, Jacob spelling, Ethan 

Inukshuk and Indigenous Learning 

In term 2 Div 6 learned about inukshuks and indigenous culture. For inukshuks div 6 got a piece of paper with all the different inukshuk types and meanings on it. Then we went into the forest and built mini inukshuks out of rocks depending on which one they wanted. For indigenous culture Div 6 joined zoom meetings with indigenous teachers. After those zoom meetings, we filled out work sheets about what we learned. Div 6 has learned a lot of interesting things about the indigenous culture of / and inukshuk. 

By: Emma and Julia

Jump Rope for Heart

Div.6 did jump Rope for Heart. We are really good at jump rope. So, we were really excited before we started. There were 9 different sections for jump rope for heart. When jump rope for Heart started, we went to the gym. The first one we just did jump rope. The second was in music class. We did jump rope show up. One of my classmate did more than 100 . Next one is in the library, we play snake and a little bit of limbo. It was fun. The third one is in front of the office. Our class did rock, paper, scissor relay. The 4th one was outside, we played double dutch. There were other stations that we also enjoyed. Jump Rope for Heart was really fun.  

By: Xiyou and Juwon 

S.T.E.A.M – Hoop Gliders

We made hoop gliders but before that we had to fill out sheets about if short or big loops should be at the front. Ms. Yee made a fly zone, and we tested if the hoop glider was working or not. If it didn’t fly far, we changed the design. The main goal was to see which went farthest. 

By: Eric and Aaron                     

  Other Learning From Term 2

 

I am so proud of the learning and growth Division 6 has shown this term! We hope you enjoyed taking a peek into some of things we accomplished in Term 2.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and restful Spring Break!

<3 Ms. Yee

 

Hi Families of Division 6,

We had a very busy December in Div. 6. We did a lot of exciting things throughout the month.

We went on our first field trip of the year to SFU where we learned more about stars. We went to the observatory and learned how the telescope worked. They gave us a wheel where we could see which constellations are visible during  each month. We were able to ask many questions and learned a lot.

 

In gardening with Mr. Pablo we raked leaves and put them on garden beds to protect the plants. We also planted seeds. In our last session with Mr. Pablo we made a seed planting ruler we got to take home.

During our Hip Hop practice and performance we loved learning our dance themed around Wednesday. We enjoyed watching the other classes share their dances as well.

In science and related to our S.E.L. learning we learned about the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, as well as other structures in the brain. We explored different strategies we can use to calm our amygdala down so our PFC can do its job and help us make good decisions. We made brain hats to help us understand where each part of our brain is located and what it helps us do.

In Social Studies we learned about different historical events that were discriminatory to different groups. We chose to research about Residential Schools, Komagata Maru, Japanese Internment or the Chinese Head Tax. We used books, articles and technology to research and learn more about our topic and then chose how to represent our learning. Many of us chose to do PowerPoints, Essays, make a website or a comic. We then presented to our class or to a small group working on our presentation skills. After each presentation we asked questions and gave a star and wish feedback to our classmates.

“I felt like I was a teacher giving my presentation.”

Our inquiry connected to the visit of Jeff Chiba Stearns who is a local author, animator and film maker. He shared with us his different work including the graphic novel On Being Yukiko which is all about the Japanese Internment during World War II. We found Jeff’s visit very interesting and inspirational.

In language arts we finished reading Song for a Whale. After Ms. Yee showed us an example of Book in a Bag, the class made 5 items to represent Song for a Whale. We used pipe cleaners, clay, paper and other found items to represent important parts from the book.  We also made origami whales to represent Blue 55. We really enjoyed reading this novel.

This last week of school, Ms. Lumby came in and taught us how to make boxes out of recycled cards. We made ornaments with Ms. Sam. On the last day of school with Ms. Yee we used expired candy canes to play in the  Candy Cane Games. We worked together to play different games like candy cane relay, candy cane zip line and candy cane shuffle board.

We hope everyone has a nice winter break and holiday! See you in 2024!

December Blog Post Authors:

<3 Adrina, Erin, and Ms. Yee

 

Thank you for all the kind cards and thoughtfulness this holiday season! It has been a wonderful term in Division 6, and I can’t wait to see all the learning and growth we’re able to accomplish in 2024!! Wishing you and your family a restful and lovely winter break.

<3 Ms. Yee

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has been an eventful start to our year in Division 6. Here’s a small snapshot of what we’ve been exploring and learning so far this term.

In our writing we’ve been focusing on expanding our sentences using descriptive and figurative language. In reading we’ve started the novel, Song for a Whale written by Lynne Kelly. Students have been making predictions, connections and using text evidence to support their thinking.

This term in science we’re exploring the sun, moon and stars.

Students first explored the earth’s rotation and considered how fast the earth spins.

Next students discovered why our ancestors divided our day into hours and considered how they told time in the past. We made our own sun dials and we used flashlights to demonstrate how position of the light affects time shown on the clock.

We patiently waited for a sunny day to take our learning outside to test out if our sun dials actually worked. Students oriented their clocks to face North and checked the time with great success!

  

Div. 6 then learned about seasonal changes with the sun’s path and shadow length. Student’s played detective when looking at different photos finding clues to indicate what season they were taken in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally student’s explored the concept of the earth’s orbit when considering seasonal changes in constellations. We each made a Universe-in-a-box to visualize how each year the Earth completes an orbit around the sun and to explain why we can only see certain constellations depending on the time of year.

We will continue to learn more about the phases of the moon and effect on tides in the upcoming weeks culminating with our walking field trip to SFU. Students will have the opportunity to participate in an astronomy workshop and tour of the observatory.

Div.6 had a great time decorating our class for spooky season and enjoyed some fun Halloween games.  We were so fortunate to have a classmate share a presentation about Diwali and learn more about the Festival of Lights. Additionally we spent some time learning about Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos).

Div. 6 students also showed their creativity with self-portraits expressing their identities.

This week as we observe, learn and reflect on Indigenous Veteran’s Day and Remembrance Day, Div.6 students have shown great leadership in our school community by leading the collection of poppy donations from the other classes at UHE.

In the next few weeks students will be diving deeper into their first inquiry of the year, starting their Historical Inquiry Project (HIP).

We are excited to continue to share our learning with you all!

 

 

Hi Families and Students of Div.6

I am so excited to be a part of your learning journey this year! From time to time you’ll be able to find some updates about our learning or other important information on this blog.

Looking forward to our year together!

<3 Ms. Yee

Hello Students and Families of Div. 4!

I am so excited to welcome you all to Division 4 this year!

This week we focused on setting our expectations and building our classroom community. We worked in small groups to finish puzzles, highlighting how we collaborate and work with others.

Students helped create expectations for our classroom, sharing wonderful ideas how to make our class feel safe, supportive, and fun.

We read “The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors” and had some epic and energetic RPS battles. We reminded ourselves to quickly move on when we experience a loss and to continue to cheer and support our classmates.

Please check back frequently to see snapshots of our learning and important information or reminders.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and restful weekend!

<3 Ms. Yee

 

Term 2 has flown by in Division 4. We worked hard on developing our research skills in our Animal Inquiry Project. Students picked a local BC animal to discover more about. We practiced our skills of reading for information, summarizing and putting information in our own words. We then took our notes and are creating PowerPoint presentations all about our animals. In this project we centralized our learning around the animal’s senses, adaptations, needs and habitat and stewardship. Students then presented either their AIP or Passion Projects to their peers. We practiced giving compliments and constructive feedback!

We wrapped up reading Whale Child and thought about the important lessons we can pull from this story. Students picked a lesson from the novel and creatively represented it in posters, sculptures and infographics. We had a blast thinking about how we can best represent our learning while being environmentally conscious and creative. Check out our displays!

We got outside with Pablo and did some gardening and hung some of our pollinator shelters around the school.

This last week we talked about activities that support our physical and mental health. We discussed different strategies we can do to make ourselves feel good! Those ideas went into a Spring Break Bingo focused on activities that support both. Div. 4 make sure you share it with your family and try to complete some challenges!

I hope you all have a restful and lovely Spring Break!!

<3 Ms. Yee

Dear students and families of Div. 4,

What an exciting first term we have had in Div. 4!! Throughout the term we explored, inquired and persevered through many challenges!

Portfolios and Blogfolios

Divisions 4 and 5 have chosen to use Portfolios and Blogfolios as a means of communicating student learning with our families this term. On Monday, Dec. 13, your child brought home their Portfolio binder. Within this binder and on their blogfolio posts, you will find a variety of examples of reflections, assignments, and assessments. These examples provide a snapshot of your child’s learning at this particular time. Our hope is that you will take time to look through your child’s blogfolio and portfolio binder with them to discuss key learning moments from the term.

At the front of their portfolio binders, you will see a note from me with suggestions for things to consider when you are looking through the binder with your child as well as an invitation for you to write some feedback for your child to read afterwards.

Furthermore, you will also find a student self-assessment and term one reflection. Please note that you will receive your first formal report card in February. We look forward to hearing your thoughts about your child’s progress! Thank you for your continued support along your child’s learning journey!

Our Last Week in December

This week we got crafty and sticky as we utilized yarn and glue to make a winter craft. We made a mess, but we had a blast!!

On Tuesday, we had SNOW much fun playing outside!

Lastly I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for the incredibly sweet and thoughtful words, notes and gifts. I am very grateful to be a part of your families’ learning journey this year and this incredible UHE community!!

Wishing you all a winter break filled of relaxation and joy!!!

<3 Ms. Yee

 

 

Div.4 and Div.5 have been working continuously on their pollinator shelter learning. After building with Alex Mckillop, we are now presenting our pollinator shelters to our peers. We’ve been focusing on our oral language skills by paying attention to our volume, pacing, expression in our voice and including gestures to engage our audience. Our presenters have done a marvelous job of communicating their learning with Div.4 and Div.5, presenting to both classes! Audience members have been practicing their respectful listening and giving purposeful and constructive feedback. Check the bottom of this post to see some of our building pictures!

Our Book Club reading for this term has wrapped up and we are now focusing on the elements of a story and creating our own graphic novels. We’ve been viewing Pixar shorts focusing on the exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. On Monday we viewed For the Birds, and really enjoyed the falling action and resolution. Div.4 and Div.5 had the giggles today when looking at the plot of Lifted, what a conflict!!

Next week we’ll be bringing some of our learning home to share with our families. Learning will be shared in their binder portfolios and on their Blogfolios online.

Many families have had some trouble logging into their accounts. If your password is currently not working please try the following steps to reset.

• Click the teal “Log in” link on the right of this post
• Put in your email address and the password “parent2000”
• Press the blue “Log in” button
• Then click “Lost your password?”
• Enter your email address once again and click “Get New Password”
• You should then receive an email, letting you reset your password.

Families if you are unable to reset please email me at christine.yee@burnabyschools.ca and alternatively have your child log in to their account to view their reflections on their learning.  Logins can be found in their planners.

 

 

Hello Division 4 & Families

We’ve had a busy few weeks in Div.4 jam packed with learning.

We’ve been continuing in our research into pollinators. Students looked up specific shelters and their dimensions for their chosen pollinator. We’re so excited to start our building process with the support of Alex McKillop today and Friday. You can check out the links below to see some our research. Div.4, make sure you share your blog post about our inquiry process with your family!

• Birds
• Bats
• Bugs

As a class we’ve been reading a special book called Whale Child, written by Keith Egawa and Chenoa Egawa. It’s a story about the importance of caring for our world and the impact we’re having on our oceans and lands. In collaboration with Div. 5 we’re in the process of creating a bulletin board inspired by Whale Child and highlighting the importance of being green! Check out the beginnings of our board.

In Book Club we’ve been continuing reading our graphic novels. We’ve focused on ensuring that we’re using specific text evidence to support our thinking. In meetings we have been focusing on active listening to our group members and responding thoughtfully.

In writing we’re focusing on paragraphs. First we brainstormed all the elements we could think of that make a paragraph. Next we talked about our writing process, remembering the importance of brainstorming ideas and organizing our thoughts before we begin to write. After we finished our first draft we discussed how we edit our paragraphs and what tools we can use. Students then used their editing checklist to peer edit someone else’s writing. After receiving feedback, students are beginning to type up their good copies.

Yesterday we had the lovely Ms. Dodd in with us. We listened to a story about Thunderbird and coloured thunderbird poppies. The Thunderbird Poppy was created by Stuart Pagaduan, a Coast Salish artist from the Cowichan Nation to commemorate the contributions and service of over 12,000 indigenous soldiers, peacekeepers and veterans. We focused on using bold colours with some students choosing to play with warm or cool tones.

Things went by quickly with two early dismissals and a Pro D Day. Thank you Div. 4 families for joining me at the Parents as Partners Conferences this week! It was wonderful connecting with so many of you and discussing your child’s goals!

Div. 4 & 5 are very excited to start Book Club this term! We began with reading picture books focused around growth and activism in small groups. Students used their Say Something organizer to make predictions, connections, inferences and share their feelings or wonders about what they read. Once prepared, students then shared their thoughts around the text with their group members and focused on building on each other’s ideas.

         

We have extended our inquiry, thinking about who lives here on the mountain and why they are important to our community.  What would happen if they didn’t live here?  How are we interconnected, and what actions can we take to support pollinator populations that live here? Over the next few weeks, we will be continuing our research and using it to design and construct pollinator shelters.

Div.4 started their Blogfolios as a way to reflect and share their learning. Families, be on the lookout for a notice next week explaining how you can log in and see some of your child’s learning!

We finished our week by creating Halloween art! We look forward to wearing our costumes next Friday for the Halloween celebration.