Month: April 2020

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Good Morning,

Thank you to everyone who sent in pictures of their work. It has warmed my heart to see how hard you are working and all the learning that is happening at home.  As I was reading through your entries, two activities came to mind. Both of them lead us into nature. One involves going for a walk in our own neighborhood and the other involves a virtual field trip through coastal British Columbia. I hope you will enjoy both.

Rock Art

I would like to share the journal entry Mariia sent in. She wrote about a walk she went on with her family. On her outing she came across some lovely, coloured rocks with messages on them. The messages said “Be kind” and “Stay home”. She was tempted to take them but left them for other to enjoy.

Thank you Mariia for sharing this entry. It reminds me of a story called Rock Monsters by Amanada Marshall. It is a story about coming across painted rocks with monster faces. The rocks have an important job.

“They’re there to make us happy
And remind us, too
Of how to love each other
And some important things to do”

Please click the following link to read the story.

Rock Monsters

As we can see in the story, Rock Monsters send important messages and remind us that we are not alone. They are also very fun to find. People have begun decorating rocks in other ways too, such as what Mariia found on her walk. I have also seen messages sprinkled around my neighborhood. You may have too!

I invite you to make your own rock creation for people to find. Look for the perfect rock, colour and decorate it. You may choose to turn your rock into a monster, draw a picture or write or message. If you don’t have paint, try experiment with markers, pencil crayons or crayons. You can even skip the colouring all together and build rock structures for people to find. The image below is taken from the New Westminster Record. It showcases some rock art found throughout the city.

Photo Source

 

When you are done your creation, take a picture and send it to me. I will post it on the class blog. Go for a walk in your neighborhood and find a good spot to place your rock. Leave it for others to discover. Then, go on your own treasure hunt and see how many painted rocks you can find! You can talk about your discoveries in your journal, make a note in your response booklet or share what you found in a future class meeting. Have fun!

Beautiful British Columbia

Several students sent me their work about saving the environment. I am very impressed with all your ideas. I would like to share with you Emma’s journal entry. She wrote about Earth Day and taking care of the environment. She says she can help by turning off the lights when she is not using them and being careful with how much water she is using. These are very important things to remember! Thank you Emma for sharing.

In addition to Emma’s journal entry, I received several lists on how to help the planet. I would like to post these on Friday. If you have not sent me yours and would like it included, please email it to me by tomorrow.

Your ideas made me think about a video that showcases the beauty of our planet and the importance of nature. It is called View from a Canoe: Exploring the World’s Largest Coastal Temperate Rainforest. This virtual field trip is led by Tsimka Martin of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and takes us to Clayoquot Sound, located along the coast of British Columbia. It showcases stunning views and spectacular wildlife. As Tsimka guides us through this virtual field trip she reminds us of our connection to the land and how important it is to protect it. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I did.

As you are a watching, see if you can identify the following animals:

• Bald eagle
• Grey wolf
• Salmon
• Orca
• Sea gull
• Black bear

You may want to take a break while watching the video or view it in two sittings as it is over 40 minutes long. When you finish, write the title, View From a Canoe, in your response booklet and complete the following activity.

Imagine you are in the coastal temperate rainforest of Clayoquot Sound—what would you be doing? Draw a “selfie” of yourself on your trip. Rate this virtual field trip by coloring in the number of stars you would give it!

(These lessons are taken from the teacher guide to a View From A Canoe: A Coastal Temperate Rainforest.)

Enjoy your field trip and I will see you back here on Friday!

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Happy Monday Everyone,

I hope you had a lovely weekend and are all doing well. Ramadan Mubarak to all the families who began honouring Ramadan this month.  May your days be filled with peace, happiness and good health. If you are unfamiliar with this special occasion, Ms. Simmons has shared with us the following message:

Hello friends! 

I want to tell you about a special month that is starting for many of our classmates and friends who are Muslim.  April 23^rd was the start of “Ramadan“. Ramadan is a celebration for 1 whole month and is one of the most important celebrations for Muslims–sort of like how Christmas and Easter are important for Christian people (and even non-Christian people).  

Ramadan is a time when Muslim people practice kindness, compassion, empathy, forgiveness and charity. Many Muslim people fast, which means they do not eat or drink anything from the time the sun comes up until it goes down!  That is a very long time!  When people are fasting they are able to think about other people who don’t have as much as we do and it reminds them not to be wasteful. 

Even if you are not Muslim it is always interesting to learn about celebrations and beliefs that our friends have.  Here is a cool video of kids talking about what Ramadan is.  After you watch it tell me what you think about it!

If you are celebrating Ramadan, please draw a picture of something your family is doing, write about what is in your picture and send it to me.  If you aren’t celebrating I would like to know what you thought of the video.

I can’t wait to see your work!  

Love Ms. Simmons 

Thank you Ms. Simmons for sharing this important information.  If you would like to learn more about Ramadan, I invite you to listen to Ms. Simmons read the book Hassan and Aneesa Love Ramadan. More information is listed below.

Here are some activities for you to work through over the next few days:

Read an Epic book. Our class has now read over 400 books! Let’s keep that number growing. Spend at least 20 minutes reading or listening to a book or video of your choice. I have noticed that some of you are still not present on the site. I have done my best to call those that indicated they were having technical difficulty. If you are still having trouble, please let me know and I would be happy to help.

Read 2 books on KidzA-Z, Level Up and take the quiz. Once again, please remember to use the “Kid Login” and type msbonar. You will see your name. The password is morley.

Write a journal entry. Here is a prompt to help you get started:

Go for a walk over the next few days and concentrate on using your senses. Stop to take a close look at an interesting plant, rock or tree. What details can you see? How does it feel? Remember to be gentle and respectful with nature. Continue your walk and make note of all the sounds you hear. What animals can you identify? Can you hear more than one kind of bird? Can you hear things that aren’t part of nature, such as cars or lawn mowers? Finally, focus on what you can smell. Did you stop to breath in the scent of a flower? Did you pass by any unique aromas, such as freshly cut grass? How did the air smell?

Please plan to write for a focused 20 minutes. You do not need to use this writing prompt if you already have a journal idea in mind. Please make sure you are using your green journal and not the response booklet. Don’t forget to start with the date. If possible, I would like to see one of more of your recent journal entries. Please take a picture and email it to me at marisa.bonar@burnabyschools.ca. Thank you!

Review 2D shapes. Soon we will be diving into the world of 3D geometry. First, however, lets take a moment to recall what we know about 2D shapes. Each shape has special characteristics, including a specific number of sides and corners. Corners may also be referred to as vertices. Take a peak at the video below to review the names of shapes and their corresponding sides and corners.

Next, have fun playing around with these virtual pattern blocks.

https://apps.mathlearningcenter.org/pattern-shapes/

Are there any shapes here that weren’t present in the video? Count their sides and corners. Follow the link below, to determine their name.

https://www.math-salamanders.com/image-files/list-of-geometric-shapes-2d-shape-sheet-bw.gif

Visit the ELL page. I encourage all of you to click the ELL tab at the top of the page to hear Ms. Simmons read the book Hassan and Aneesa Love Ramadan by Yasmeen Rahim. It is both informative and enjoyable.

Visit the music and library blogs.

Ms. Raap’s blog can be found here:

https://sd41blogs.ca/raapc/

Ms. Yee’s blog can be found here:

https://blogs.sd41.bc.ca/morley-library/

Thank you everyone. I look forward to another fun and productive week with you!

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Hello Everyone,

I hope you had a wonderful week. I have enjoyed receiving emails and touching base with some of you over the phone. I would love to get started on virtual conferences/chats and perhaps even a class meeting. In order to do this, I will need you to download the Zoom app onto your tablets. If you are on a computer, you will simply need to click a link that will be provided. You are not required to set up an account.

How it works?

1.Download the Zoom app from the app store. It looks like this:

(Photo Source)

2. In the near future I will give you a meeting time. It will be emailed out or posted on the blog.
3. I will email you an invitation with a link and special ID and password for the meeting.
4. When the meeting time comes, click on the link and join by typing in the ID and password.
5. Chat and have fun.

We can go over the specifics once again when the time comes, but for the moment, please just try downloading the app.

Bush Beans

We will dedicate Fridays to making updates on our plant. Today we will make and record observations. This means that we will take a close look at it and write down what we notice. We will also discuss how we have cared for our plant over the last week. Please follow the directions below.

In your Response Booklet:

1. Write the date at the top.
2. Write the title, Bush Beans Update
3. Draw and colour a picture of what your plant looks like today even if it hasn’t changed.
4. Below your picture, write and underline the word, Observations.
5. Look closely at your plant and write down what you see. Is there a sprout? What does it look like? If there are no changes, you may state that.
6. Below your observations, write and underline the word, Care.
7. Write down all the ways you have taken care of your plant. Here are some questions to prompt your thinking:

Have you watered it? Did you put it in a safe place? Did you rotate it so the sun hits different spots? If it tipped over, how did you fix it?

You do not need to answer all of them or copy down the questions. Simply use them to help write your sentences.

Here is an example:

If you can’t read the printing, it states:

Observations

My plant has two, small, light green sprouts. One sprout is 3cm tall. The other sprout is bent over and is 2cm tall. Both sprouts have a bean shape top that has split open. Two small, delicate leaves are peaking through.

Care

I watered my plant three times this week. For most of the week, my plant was sitting in the kitchen. The windows were open and I thought it might be too cold so I moved it to the bedroom. I put it near a window and rotated it a few times to make sure the sun hit different parts of the container.

Measuring Your Sprout

If you have a sprout, try measuring it. Gently place a ruler on top of the soil.

Photo Source

Use the centimeter side of your ruler. It has smaller spaces between the numbers and sometimes will have an “mm” which stand for millimeters (those are the small lines between the numbers). It looks like this:

Photo Source

Record the number that the top of your sprout reaches and add a cm after it. This stands for centimeters. You now have the measurement of your sprout and can record it in your observations.

Math Minute

On Wednesday, I posted a math riddle. If you missed it, it read:

Sandra read 5 books, Deacon read 6 books and Breanna read 7 books. One book was read by all three children, but every other book was different. How many different books did the children read?

Great work to all of you who tried to solve it. The answer to this riddle is 16.

One strategy to solving word problems is to draw or sketch it out. I have included an example of how this can be done.

First I drew all three people and added their specific number of books. I gave each cover of the book a different colour or design. The only books that were coloured the same were the ones read by all three children. I coloured these books red.

I then counted all the books that were different. At the end I added one more, the red book. This brought the total to 16.

Congratulations to those of you who figured it out!

Dance Party

We have been in front of the computer for a while now. I think there is no better way to end the week than with a virtual dance party. Try follow along with the video below or make up your own moves. When done, repeat or find a new tune.

Visit this link for more dance opportunities: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMr-d2PLsO95ydptpBnsxdQNSKc9iUNU0

Have a great weekend everyone! I would like to leave you with a few messages from your classmates.

Omar sends you happiness,

plus another special hello.

(This picture has been posted with parental consent.)

 

 

 

 

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Good Morning Everyone,

Today is Earth Day, an annual event celebrated in many parts of the world. It is a day to show our appreciation for the environment and think of ways that we can protect it. Many of our daily actions have a negative impact on nature and the planet but we can take action to decrease the damage.  This video from SciShow Kids shows some ways we can help.

(You can find this video and more SciShow Kids presentations at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRFIPG2u1DxKLNuE3y2SjHA)

Earth Day Poetry

Copy this short poem onto one of the blank pages in your poetry book.

(Poem taken from: https://ownthegreen.com/earth-day-poems/)

On the back of the page, write the title:

Ways to Help the Planet

Draw and label at least 5 ways you can help the environment. I have included an example with a few ideas to get you started. Please note, you do not need to use them if you have other ideas in mind.

If you can’t read the printing, it states:

Ways To Help The Planet

Plant a seed.

Use a cloth bag instead of plastic.

Turn off the lights when you aren’t using them.

Epic Readers

I was recently notified that Division 10 has already read over 250 books on the Epic app and website! Congratulations! This does not even factor in the 141 books read on KidsA-Z! That is truly impressive. I am so proud of all of you. Keep up the good work!

 (Badge sent from: getepic.com)

Let’s keep up the streak and aim to read another Epic book over the next few days as well as two books on KidsA-Z.

Reading Riddle

Let’s keep working out our math brains. Try solve the problem below:

Sandra read 5 books, Deacon read 6 books and Breanna read 7 books. One book was read by all three children, but every other book was different. How many different books did the children read?

Write the title “Reading Riddle” into your response booklet and then draw pictures or symbols to help you solve the riddle.  I will post the answer on Friday.

This word problem is taken from:

https://www.math-drills.com/

This website is filled with different types of math worksheets. If you are ever looking for extra practice, this is a great place to start. If you don’t have a printer, you can always copy the questions directly into your response booklet.

ELL

Are you in ELL? If so, Ms. Simmons has put together several activities for you to try. Click the ELL tab at the top of the page to explore them.

Thanks for visiting!  See you back here on Friday.

Happy Monday Everyone,

I hope you had a lovely weekend. I would like to start off the week by trying to create a blog routine. Instead of emailing parents when I have posted to the class website, I will instead plan to regularly add content on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I am hoping to have it posted no later than 11am and if there is a delay, I will make a note on the website.

Here is a list of activities to work on over the next few days:

1. Read an Epic book. I can see that many of you having been reading up a storm already. Spend at least 20 minutes reading or listening to a book or video of your choice! For those of you that are still not able to login or if you are looking for a change, try visit, https://www.storylineonline.net/library/ for some amazing read-alouds. No sign-up or login is required.
2. Read 2 books on KidzA-Z, Level Up and take the quiz. Remember to use the “Kid Login” and type msbonar. You will see your name. The password is morley.
3. Write a journal entry. Here are a few prompts to help you get started:

If you could invent something, what would it be? Describe it in detail.  How would it be used and by who?

Or

Describe a party or celebration you went to where you had a lot of fun. It could have been your party or someone else’s. Describe the location, decorations, food, activities and anything else that comes to mind. If you have yet to attend something memorable, what are your ideas for a perfect party? Describe it in detail.

Please plan to write for a focused 20 minutes. You do not need to use these writing prompts if you already have a journal idea in mind. Please make sure you are using your green journal and not the response booklet. Don’t forget to start with the date.

4. Warm up our math brains. It has been a while since some of us have engaged in math. Try these fun games to help recall and strengthen basic math concepts.

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/addition-and-subtraction

Please note, you can adjust the age and category depending on the type of math you would like to practice. Try not to click the ads on the top or side of the screen. This will bring you to another site.

5. Visit Ms. Raap’s and Ms. Yee’s blogs.

Ms. Raap has created a wonderful music blog with lots of activities. You can visit it here:

https://sd41blogs.ca/raapc/

Ms. Yee has added a couple of new read-alouds to her site about Earth Day. You can view them here:

https://blogs.sd41.bc.ca/morley-library/

6. Say hello to your classmates. It’s been while since you’ve seen everyone, and you might be itching to say hello. I invite you to make a sign or message and have someone take a picture of it for you. They can email it to me at marisa.bonar@burnabyschools.ca and I will post it on the blog for you. Please note that I am unable to post pictures of people so make sure it is just of your message. This is completely optional but I’m sure your classmates would love to hear from you!

Showing Me Your Learning

From time to time I will ask you to take a picture of your work and have it emailed to me. These documents will be kept private, unless you have given me permission to share it with the class. If you like, you may also make a short video of yourself discussing your work or reading a piece of your writing. In a few weeks, I will also put out a request for students who would like to video conference with me. This would be another time that you could show me your work and talk about it. If these options are not available to you, not to worry. Near the end of May, I will be contacting parents to drop off your work booklets for review. This way, I will be able to see all your wonderful work, whether you have shown it to me online or not.

Having Trouble?

If at anytime you are having difficulty with an assignment or are confused, please have your parents email me. I can give you a call or set up a video chat to help. Remember that this experience is very different than in the classroom and it might not always feel easy. Please, just try your best and let me know what you need.

Good luck over the next couple of days. Remember to visit again on Wednesday.

Hello Everyone,

It was good to see many of you yesterday. Thank you so much for picking up your packages. Inside you should have found:

• Your school supplies
• Your journal
• Your drawing booklet
• Your poetry book with several blank pages tucked inside (this will be used for future poems)
• A response booklet that looks very similar to your drawing book (we will use it for class activities)
• Seeds and a bit of soil

Your Journal

If you haven’t already done so, take some time to read through your journal today. It is bound to bring back happy memories. When you are done, start a new entry that includes answers to the following questions:

1. How are you doing or feeling?
2. How have you been keeping busy? (For example, watching TV, reading, going for walks, playing games, playing with your brothers or sisters, etc.)
3. Do you miss school? If so, what are some things that you miss?
4. What do you love about being at home?
5. Anything else you want to tell me.

There is no set number of pages that you must write, but instead aim for at least 20 minutes of focused writing. Not to worry if you don’t get through all the questions. Don’t forget to start your page with the date.

Your Poetry Book

Browse through your poetry book and see how many poems you remember. Pick your favourite and read it to someone in your house. Include the actions if you can! Keep the blank papers that I’ve tucked inside safe by securing them into your duotang. We will be adding a new poem shortly.

Your Seeds and Soil

Together we will be planting Bush Beans. Before you begin you will need to find a container to plant them in. What goes into a great a container? Watch the video below and we will discuss it.

Click here to see Ms. Bonar talk about planting and containers.

Once you have selected your container, you may go ahead and plant your seed. Remember to ask your parent’s help to put holes in it. Please note that when you decide to plant, you will need to complete an activity in your Response Booklet. When you are ready, follow these steps:

1. Make sure your container has holes in the bottom to let water drain through.
2. Carefully pour the dirt in. Make sure you don’t push down on it too hard. Let it sit loosely in the container.
3. Poke a hole in the soil with the top part of your finger. The hole should be 2 to 5 cm deep. Put the seed in and push dirt over top. Repeat for the next seed, making sure you leave space in between.
4. Get a tablespoon from your kitchen. Sprinkle 1 or 2 tablespoons of water over your plant.
5. Put it in the sunniest part of your house. Bush beans love the sun and the soil needs to warm up for the plant to sprout.
6. While you are waiting for your plant to sprout, turn your container around each day so that the sun hits different parts of it.
7. Keep an eye on your soil. It does not need to be watered everyday but if it starts to look dry, put a bit more water on it. Be careful not to put too much as it can hurt your plant. Use a spoon for control.

In your Response Booklet:

Write the date at the top.

Write the title: Today I Planted Bush Beans

Draw and colour a picture of what your plant looks like today.

Write these two questions and answer them in a complete sentence:

1. What type of container did you use?
2. What do you think a plant needs to live and grow?

Here is an example:

Dear Students and Families,

Welcome to the Division 10 Class Blog. It is wonderful having you here and I hope that together we can accomplish lots of learning and have some fun. Before we begin, I think it’s important to note that learning this term will look very different than in the classroom.  Instead of a daily schedule, a set of activities will be posted for the week. Every family is in a different situation, and it will not be possible for us to all follow the same schedule. You might also find that the workload is seemingly less. Remote learning is not intended to replicate what is in the classroom, but it will still offer students plenty of ways to build skill and think critically and creatively. The level of engagement in these activities will vary from one person to the next. I understand that this is a stressful time for many, and the health of your family comes before anything. Though it important to maintain an educational focus, there is also a need for flexibility. Please just do as much as you can. On the other hand, if you find you would like more activities than what is posted, I will provide supplementary web links to other learning sites.

I would like to wish everyone good luck in this process. This is definitely new to me and I will be learning alongside you in the use of technology. I know there might be a few kinks along the way, but we are in this together and I know we will come out successful.

I would now like to say hello via video. I had some difficulty uploading it, but hopefully it is now viewable.

Click here for a message from Ms. Bonar

Become an Epic Reader

Let’s start off our week by reading for enjoyment. I have set up a class account for an online library and sent an invitation to your parents. They will need to accept and create a password. I will ask that these passwords be short and easy to type so that you are able to access the library by yourself. If you have a tablet you will want to download the app. It looks like this:

(Image taken from: https://apps.apple.com/tt/app/epic-kids-books-and-videos/id719219382)

If you are on a laptop you can access the website from:

https://www.getepic.com/sign-in/parent

If you are logging in from an app, please make sure you select the line that says ‘Have an account? Sign in’. You do not need to register, as I already have a classroom membership. Once you are in, have fun exploring. There are books you can read by yourself and books that can be read to you. You might also want to watch a video or try listening to an audio book which has no written text or pictures.

There is no set number of books that I would like you to read but I would like you to take some time each day this week to explore and get use to the program.  I will be doing the same. I think you will find it quite fun. There are many popular books and each time you read, you earn points and badges. Give it a go and let me know what you think!

I’ve included a few screen shots from the Epic app  to help you log in:

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

 

Level Up with Kids A-Z

We will be using two reading programs this term. The next one you need to download is called Kids A-Z. If you are using a tablet, the app looks like this:

(Image taken from: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kids-a-z/id474207297)

If you are using a laptop you can visit:

https://www.kidsa-z.com/main/Login/

Once you are in, you will need to type in my username which is msbonar . It will look something like this:

It should bring you to a page where you will see your name. Click on it. Everyone has the same password for now. It is morley (use all little letters). We can change this later.

Once you are logged in, you might see two icons: one says Headsprouts and the other, Reading. Go into the one that says Reading,

and then Level Up.

(Screen shots were taken from KidA-Z App: https://www.kidsa-z.com/)

You will find assorted readers at your level. I will check in with you from time to time to make sure that it is not too hard or too easy. This program has a lot of features to help you become a great reader. It allows you to listen to the book first, and click on words you don’t know when reading it yourself. There is even a little quiz at the end to check for understanding. When done, check out the Reading Room for more book selections.

What’s Next?

On Thursday, parents will be coming to Morley to pick up a packet for you. Parents, you should have received an email with a time and instructions. Please let me know if you did not. Inside the packet will be school supplies and notebooks as well as some seeds for planting. I will be back then to explain the next part of our week.

Take care everyone. I am very excited to be here with you and look forward to waving to you on Thursday!