Category: We are communicators.

Dear Division 11 Families, 

We’ve been having so much fun during our skating field trips! It has been wonderful to see the students’ confidence grow in just two sessions. We’re sad that this Tuesday will be our last session, but I know they will enjoy it to the fullest! One of the staff members last week mentioned that this group of students is easily the most helpful and kind group he has ever seen. The students assisted with cleanup and returned the skating bars without being asked. I couldn’t agree more and am so proud of our Division 11 students! – Ms. Kim

Please note: Family Reading will be cancelled this Tuesday but will resume next Tuesday, December 17th. We are looking forward to having you back in our class!

Here is some of the exciting learning happening in our class: 

We are writers.
In writing, the students have been learning how to make their writing more engaging by using similes. After a group matching activity, they used similes to describe a car they would like to build—they came up with so many creative ideas! In class, we read My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks. The author also wrote My Best Friend is as Sharp as a Pencil, and McGill Library has a copy if you’d like to check it out. 

Ways to support at home: Bring your child to visit the library often. It used to be our weekend family outing when my children were growing up. They have such a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction books to choose from!

We have been working on another piece of writing to further develop our own identity. One of our core competencies of building a positive personal identity: identifying personal strengths and abilities. “Students acknowledge their strengths and abilities, and they intentionally consider these as assets, helping them in all aspects of their lives. Students understand that they are unique and are a part of larger, and often multiple, communities. They explain how they are using their strengths and abilities in their families, their relationships, and their communities.”

Last week, we read the story “What’s My Superpower?” by Aviaq Johnston. Click here to watch an animated storytelling of the book.

We followed up this week with two books written, illustrated, and published by one of my best friends, Jillian DuBois: Liv’s Messages and Destiny’s Amazingly Different Dreams. All highlight how what makes us special and different can also be our superpowers (strengths and abilities). There was a lesson on acceptance too.

From Amazon about Liv’s Seashells – Beyond the collection of her treasured seashells, Liv knows that there are people around that need to be shown compassion and empathy. She carefully crafts a plan for a journey that promises to reach out and share hope past the limits of the warm sunshine and sandy beach. Liv has a chance to make a difference and uplift others with joy.

From Amazon about Destiny – The story of one amazing girl who understands that being different is BETTER than being ordinary. We each have different gifts + talents to celebrate. Remarkable human beings deserve to be accepted for WHO they are with great JOY.

Ways to support at home: Follow up this learning by talking about your child’s superpowers and your own. What makes you shine? What are your strengths, abilities, and core values? How can you help your child discover their own? This is such an important understanding to develop especially when we face challenges because during hard times, we can anchor into our strengths and core values as our base. As they grow and become immersed in social media, when children have a strong foundation in who they are and have a strong sense of self-worth, then it takes a lot more adversity to shake how they see themselves.

Word Sorts

We introduced word sorts to the class and started with the spelling rule for regular past tense verbs: We learned about base words (aka root words) and how we add “ed” to the end of regular verbs.

When we sorted the words, we discovered that there are 3 sounds of the past tense ed. They cut and then sorted their own words. We practiced sorting the words so we can see the patterns. They were getting faster and more accurate as the week went on.

When we finish with this word sort, it will go home. Please continue to practice until they are proficient. They can practice spelling these words too.

When looking at the words, there are some with two vowels next to each other. We learned a new song that reinforces that when two vowels to walking, the first one does the talking and says its own name. It’s the same tune as the Addams Family song and catchy. I had it stuck in my head many times over the weekend! Ask your child to sing it to you! Here’s the song:

When two vowels go walking, 
The first one does the talking.
When two vowels to walking,
The first one says its name.

We are Mathematicians.
During Wondering Wednesday, Division 18 students joined our class, and our students helped them learn about fractions. In pairs, they looked for fraction cards hidden in the classroom and compared each fraction to 1/2, deciding whether it was greater than, equal to, or less than 1/2.

Afterward, they played a place value game we’ve been practicing in class. I’ve attached a link below so you can try it at home. To extend the activity, you can include a fourth card to create numbers in the thousands. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi6mVOA2pIU&t=289s 

For place value, we did an assessment to check for understanding, and we were so very proud of how well they learned these number concepts!

This week, they will bring home their Patterns booklets from earlier in the year to show you.

We learned our next math fluency strategy: Adding or subtracting by 2’s is like skip counting by 2’s.

Using our random numbers chart, we practiced adding by 2’s and subtracting by 2’s. It is not as efficient to calculate + or -2 but instead, it is quicker to see a number and see the next number before or after by 2.

For example:

If I am adding by 2, then when I see a 6, I automatically see 8 without thinking, “What is 6 + 2?” Instead, If I know how to fluently count by 2’s, then I know that 8 follows 6.

Ways to support at home: Using a random numbers chart, have your child practice +1, -1, +2, -2. Even if your child practices for a few minutes each day, they will definitely gain fluency by the end of the school year!

We are scientists.

They are excited to bring home their Matter & Thermal Energy booklets to show you what they know too! When they bring these booklets home, ask them to teach you the concepts learned. This solidifies their learning.

We started a new science unit about biodiversity and ecosystems. Stay tuned for more of our learning shared with you!

ADST – We are developing our tech skills!

On Friday, we logged into Office 365 and learned a few tools on Microsoft Word. To reinforce their learning, I encouraged them to practice logging in at home. To do this, go to our Kitchener website.

On the drop down menu, click on Microsoft 365. A sign in box will appear. Have them practice typing in their email address which is their pupilnumber@edu.burnabyschools.ca. Click Next.

A new box will ask for their password. It is the same one they memorized.

Then they were directed to find the list of apps using the icon on the top left corner and find the W (which stands for Word):

Once they launched Word, they were taught to create a new document, rename their document, type their name, and then play! They played with the size, font, colour, alignment, highlighting, bolding, italicizing, or underlining their names. They loved it and thought it was so cool!

I highly recommend that you support your child’s learning by practicing logging into Word at home and having fun together playing with the tools available. This will help them become more proficient at logging in and using Word the next time we use the laptops this Friday. Thank you!

If your child has not memorized their usernames and passwords yet, please spend some time at home to memorize them. It really diminishes their frustration at school when they struggle with the first part of using laptops. The ones who have become proficient are able to have more time on the task too. Thank you.

We are a interconnected community of learners.

One of my favourite tried and true activities that I, Ms. Chan, love to do is our spider web activity. I started with a ball of yarn and shared what I love and appreciate about our classroom community. Then I passed it to someone across from me. Then that person shared what they love or appreciate about our community and so on and so on until everyone had an opportunity to share.

It built a beautiful web which resulted in a powerful visual to see. We talked about how we are all interconnected, which is one of the Indigenous ways of knowing and being. We discussed how what we say and do affects others maybe not directly but indirectly.

Then I gave an example of someone saying something mean to someone else as I shook the yarn. They could see that when I shook the yarn, others were impacted. Others could hear what was said (or see what was done) and that makes others feel sad and bad. We dove into talking about emotional contagion.

Next, I demonstrated how when one person says something kind (they got to go on their knees) and the another person does something thoughtful (they got to go on their knees) until everyone’s name was called and everyone was on their knees. We stood up to demonstrate how we all can uplift each other through positive actions and words. They visually got to experience how since we are all connected, small actions and words uplift not only the other person but everyone else in our community.

When we were finished, we reflected on this activity. My heart melted when I heard about how they enjoyed listening to each other share. They experienced the impact of their actions and words, and how they all contribute to making our classroom community a great place to be. They got to hear exactly what their classmates appreciated about being in our class. One child mentioned how what we shared touched his heart and how he felt teary (and emotional) because of our shared positive emotions.

I reinforced how every interaction makes a difference.

Thank you for your continued support at home! We appreciate you!

Events to note

• Ice skating on Tuesday, December 10
• PAC meeting on Thursday, December 12 at 6:30pm (virtual)
• Reports are available online on Wednesday, December 18. Please ensure you have your login information to access before the date. If you do not, click here to have your login and password reset. It may take a few days.

With hearts full of gratitude, Ms. Kim and Ms. Chan

Dear Division 11 Families,

We are looking forward to our first skating field trip coming up on Tuesday! 

• Thank you to the families who have volunteered to be our drivers. If you have not already done so, please return the volunteer driver form by Monday. Click here to download a copy.
• Read the email that was sent on Friday from Ms. Chan about how and what to prepare for our skating field trip.

• Family Reading will be canceled since our skating field trip will take place on Tuesday. We will resume Family Reading after our field trips. 

Here are some highlights of the exciting learning happening in our class: 

Indigenous Education
On Wednesday, we joined the district-wide Indigenous education session via Zoom. Our students listened to the story The Moccasins by Earl Einerson and had the opportunity to design their own moccasins. Click here to watch the story read to you.

We are Mathematicians.
We are demonstrating our understanding of fractions by representing them in multiple ways: as parts of a whole, parts of a set, on a number line, and in word form.  Each student is working on their own version of the image to show what they know.

We continued our learning about number concepts and place value. We learned the difference between a digit and a number. Digits are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Digits become a number when we give the digit a value. Using our own place value charts and a deck of cards, we worked with partners to compare who had the larger number.

How to support at home:

• Quantities to 1 000 practice: Flip over 3 cards to make a number. Flip over 3 more cards for a second number. Flip over 3 more cards for a third number. Then ask the following:
  • Compare and order the numbers – Which number is the largest? Smallest?
  • How many hundreds, tens, ones in the first number, second number, and third number?
  • What is the value of the hundreds, tens or ones in each number?

We are writers using Triple Scoop Words.
In writing, we learned how “triple scoop words” can make our writing more engaging. Instead of using simple words like good, mad, or sad, we are choosing more vivid words like fantastic, furious, or devastated. This helps make our writing more engaging for readers and expands our vocabulary! Students will use this strategy when editing their own writing during DYRIO: Did you read it over? If you need a refresher as to what DYRIO means, click here to read a previous post that explains our system for re-reading our writing 3 times to make it better each time. Many students in the school are learning about DYRIO too!

We are readers.

We are gathering in reading groups to learn how to read better, support each other as readers, and make connections to what we read. So far, they have learned how to guide their classmate when they come across a word they mispronounced or are struggling with sounding out. They are instructed to not just tell them what the word is. This robs them of the opportunity to try sounding it out with scaffolded help. This is also such a great opportunity for the others in their group to teach, coach, and encourage the one who is trying to sound it out. I loved seeing the kind support so far!

Ways to support at home: When reading with your child and they come across a challenging word, please do not just tell them what the word is. Instead, guide them through noticing which letters are consonants/vowels, breaking up the word into syllables, reminding them that every syllable has a vowel, and figuring out whether the vowel is a short or long vowel sound, which remember the spelling rules (like when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking and says its own name).

Feel free to review last week’s blog post for how to break up longer words into syllables.

Social Studies
This week, our students explored the topic of breakfasts around the world, thinking about similarities and differences compared to their own experiences. 

We are Scientists.

Previously, we learned that thermal energy can be transferred in 3 ways. One way is conduction. This week, we learned about convection: heat is transferred by the movement of liquids or gas (like air). After learning about this, we watched a short video to make it more visible. Click here to review with your child.

Thank you, families, and have a restful rest of your weekend! 

 Grateful for you, Ms. Kim and Ms. Chan

Dear families,

Last week, our students learned about Remembrance Day and its significance. Their understanding of the day’s importance was evident in the respect they showed during Friday’s assembly. They also did a fantastic job on our wreath art project. After reading Todd Parr’s The Peace Book, each of us wrote on a leaf to express what peace means to us.

Math

Our students have been expanding their understanding of place value by using base-ten blocks. We’ve also been practicing comparing numbers by playing a fun game called Beat the Teacher. As a class, we roll one die, and each player decides whether to place that number in the ones, tens, or hundreds place. I then reveal my combination, and if they have a larger number than mine, they get points for that round. This time, they didn’t manage to beat me, but I don’t think that will last long; they already came up with so many brilliant strategies!

We’ve also continued our lessons on fractions. On Friday, our students worked in groups on a matching activity, then challenged themselves to see how quickly and accurately they could sort the cards.

Ways to support at home: Review concepts taught at school. Ask your child to teach you what they learned so far.

Social Studies

Our students now have pen pal buddies! We’re connecting with Grade 6/7 students in North Vancouver who are inquiring into ancient civilizations with topics similar to those we’ve discussed in our classroom. Our students wrote letters sharing what they’ve learned about different cultures and some questions they have about certain ancient civilizations. They’re excited to hear back from their buddies soon!

Thank you for your continued support at home.

Sincerely, Ms. Kim

Dear families,

We hope you enjoyed your extra hour today!

We are writers.

On Monday, Ms. Kim and I had our second opportunity to team teach. We carried on with our lesson about paragraph writing (about gratitude) to learn about how to reflect on our writing to make it better. We introduced DYRIO? This stands for “Did you read it over?”

This is something I created many years ago when I was on Staff Development teaching writing strategies. I noticed that when I taught it to other teachers, many would message me the next day telling me they tried this and loved it because it worked immediately! In my own practice teaching grades 1-5, I noticed that student writing greatly improved with this one small change: Ask students to re-read their writing at least three times before handing it in.

Click on the DYRIO image to view the full PDF.

On most days after Heart Time (soft start), we review a morning message where we fix Ms. Kim’s or Ms. Chan’s mistakes. We practice editing so they are developing editing skills when they look at their own writing.

When students hand in work, they are asked, “DYRIO?” This is what it means:

• Read – 1st time: Read it like a reader as if you are reading someone else’s writing. The key to any writing is clarity. You can have the right spelling or use proper punctuation but if the message isn’t clear, it is difficult for your audience to understand.

• Read – 2nd time: Read it like a revision expert. Your job is to look for ways to improve your writing. We have many mini-lessons planned to help with this like learning about adjectives, adverbs, synonyms, word choice, etc. Often, I will ask them to show me what they made better. Last week, Ms. Kim taught them how to write “super sentences” to learn how to add more details and “triple scoop words”. “Triple scoop words” is a term used to encourage students to choose rich, descriptive vocabulary, similar to getting a “triple scoop” of ice cream instead of a single. These words go beyond basic language (like “good” or “nice”) to provide a fuller, more vivid picture, adding “extra flavor” to writing.For example:
  • Instead of saying “happy,” students might choose “ecstatic” or “overjoyed.”
  • Rather than “big,” they could use “enormous” or “gigantic.”

• Read – 3rd time: Read it like an editor looking for capitals to start sentences and for names, proper punctuation, spelling and grammar.

This process is actually what publishing companies do when they edit books to be published. Check clarity, make it better, and lastly, editing.

Ways to support at home: For all students, we have a goal to improve written communication skills so writing at home is a great way to improve. Students can keep a journal or write a letter to someone (This is so novel now!). You can have fun co-writing a story together! Bookmaking is one of our student’s favourite activities in school so try it at home with them! Then after they write, ask them to DYRIO to reinforce reflecting on their message clarity, working on improving it, and then editing. Read it with them and talk through your thought processes. You are modelling what a writer thinks during revision and editing stages.

Comfort zone circles

I have been wanting to teach this lesson since September. This is one of my signature lessons on growth mindset! Teacher2Teacher loved my story that they interviewed me and published a blog post about my Comfort zone circles lesson. Feel free to read the blog post. It is titled “A Simple Way I Show Students They’re Growing Every Day.”

I don’t call the red zone the panic zone anymore. It’s now called “Not Yet Zone” which is more appropriate for a growth mindset approach.

We played a game where I moved the carpet to the middle of the room to represent our comfort zone. Then I called out different scenarios for them to decide how comfortable they were doing it. Then they had fun taking turns to come up with scenarios for their classmates. For example:

• riding a bike
• going swimming in a pool, lake, or ocean
• speaking in front of the whole school

Afterwards, students created their own comfort zone circles listing things that were in their comfort zone, stretch zone, and not yet zone.

The key to this lesson is learning that we want to be in our stretch zone. This is optimal and where most learning happens. When things are too easy, we don’t feel challenge and we don’t grow much. But in our stretch zone, we experience productive struggle, take risks, and overcome the hurdles and learn that we can do hard things. We talked about affirmations and shared ideas about what affirmations we can say to ourselves:

• You can do this!
• I am doing my best.
• You can do hard things!

Follow up story: We read a story that one of my friend’s wrote: Cannonball In by Tara Martin. From Amazon:

From the shallow end of the pool, Olivia watches the flippers, the graceful divers, and her favorite—the cannonballers! Wave after wave, she wishes she could make a splash.

But she’s afraid! In the deep end of the pool, she can’t reach the bottom. Plus the dabblers are there, sitting on the side of the pool and laughing at her!

With a little encouragement from her dad and a whole lot of gumption, Olivia heads to the diving board. But will she be brave enough to take the leap?

In this beautifully illustrated picture book, Tara Martin inspires young readers to find their courage and cannonball in—no matter what the naysayers (and the voice of fear) are chanting.

Ways to support: Have a conversation about being brave to take risks.

Diwali

We greatly appreciate Ziya who shared how she celebrates Diwali with her family. We learned about who celebrates around the world, when, why it is celebrated, what it means, and how they celebrate while also learning some variations depending on where they are in the world.

Diwali, the “Festival of Lights,” celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. Families decorate with oil lamps and colorful rangoli, light fireworks, share sweets, and exchange gifts. It’s a joyful time of gratitude, reflection, and togetherness.

We are mathematicians.

Students finished up their personal pattern books by doing their self-reflection on their learning. They are proud of their books!

This week, we will begin our unit on number concepts and place value. There will be opportunities to play games and support at home. Stay tuned!

From Ms. Kim:

Dear Division 11 Families,

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend so far!

Here are some of the fun learning happening in our classroom:

Math: Our students have been practicing reading fractions. We took our learning outside, where they drew fractions on a large number line and then jumped to each fraction after reading it aloud. Some were so proud of how long their number lines were and how they could divide them into so many equal parts!

Social Studies: This week, we explored how different cultures honour the passing of loved ones. Many students shared how their families or friends’ traditions they know connect to the traditions we’ve been discussing. I love when students make connections to the real world, so please continue having conversations with them about topics we discuss in class.

Art/Writing: For Halloween, our students were asked to create the “best pumpkin in the patch.” They then worked on descriptive writing about their pumpkins. We were so impressed by their creativity and the detail in their writing!

We are always so grateful for your support too. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Warm regards,
Cailyn

Patterns Art with Ms. Kim:

Field Trip: Ice Skating!

The field trip notice was sent home on Friday, November 1. Please consider helping us out by being a volunteer driver. If you can skate, it would be very helpful if you can go on the ice to support. Thank you!

We are so grateful for your continued support at home. We are always available to speak to you about how we can work together to better support your child.

With much gratitude, Ms. Chan