Category: Important Reminders

Update Monday June 5th!

Hello Everyone!

Well, I hope you had a lovely weekend! Mine was full of dance shows, preparing for end of year, and looking at my calendar with all of its colourful dates like rainbow freckles all over the month of June! We still have quite a few things to do…..

So, here are some updates and reminders for you to stay on track, okay?

Environmental Disasters Presentation: Did you submit your presentation, notes, and bibliography to me via the link? Thank you! Now, be ready to present at some point during the week.

French Weather Report and Quiz: Did you submit your presentation via the link? Thank you! Now, be ready to present it at some point this week. We will have our French Quiz tomorrow.

Masks:  They are looking great! Monday: Continued Construction, Tuesday: Spackle, Wednesday: Sanding and base coat, Thursday: Begin Painting. We will also be writing a poem that allows our mask character to come to life, and we started this thinking in class last week. Think about what you want your character to say!

Microscopes: We have the microscopes all this coming week, so if you want to investigate with them, they are still available and will be out to use.

Sports Day: On June 9th. Blue Team wear blue tomorrow!!! Other colour teams will be each day this week, so find out your day!

Fake News: You received a handout which was a checklist to follow when reading the news. Is it fake news or not? Your task for the weekend was to find an article and try the checklist on it. 

Independent Project: I am giving more time for you to finish your notes, research, and bibliography. Have everything done by June 12th. If you are already done, then you can begin working on how you will present your information. We will talk together in class again about the best ways to present, but start to think now about what format you think would be best for you. Presentations are June 23rd, Friday, 12-2 PM.

Math: We will be doing Pickle Math during the week, and you need to finish up at least two units of math by June 12th. (I extended the date.) BTW, if anyone participated in the Gauss or Abel and had high scores for the District, I reported these to you and they are posted on the math website for the District. Congrats to Kane, Jay, Matthew, Michael, and James who all had mentions on the website for top scores District-wide. At our Recognition Assembly the last week of June, we will give out participation certificates and special recognition to those in the top 25% at our school!

BOB: Did you get your recent BOB questions in to me? Also, make sure you have read a minimum of four books for our competition on June 12th or 13th. I will be asking you to write a quick synopsis/review of your favourite book using Book Creator.

Ultimate!: Ari is coming on Tuesday June 6th for gym to do some ultimate with you! So, be prepared for running that day. Good running shoes are required, and a snack at recess!

End of Year Party: Our student committee will need to report on their ideas Tuesday June 6th so we know what we are doing on the 28th of June for our end of year party.

Reading Around the World: Last call to submit your folder for inclusion in the free lunch! Congrats to the two students who have completed it, Patricia and Anisha. Please get it in by Friday, June 9th.

MACC Awards: Yes, we will be doing MACC awards for grade 4/5 again. More info on this to come!

Maker Faire: I am going to Vancouver Mini Maker Faire  Saturday June 10th at 10:00 AM. If you want to be there when I am, feel free to come! I am not there to supervise, so you will need to come with parent supervision. But, if you go, you can point out to me some cool things I should notice! Get your tickets online and get 20% off.

 

Deep Cove Kayaking: Please remember we are at Deep Cove all day on June 20th. Reminders to parent drivers will be sent out soon. We will go over in class what to wear and what to bring.

Files on Google Drive and on Ipads Disappear End of Year: While your e-portfolios will continue to exist and you don’t have to worry about them, Google Drive accounts and iPads are cleaned out over the summer. If you have any files on there you care about, make sure you download/upload a copy to personal USBs or Google Drive accounts. 

Last Week’s Fun: Please have a swimsuit/towel available in case we decide to go to the water park. Also, we will likely have some open Free Choice activities, time to work on MACCadia, and other fun things to do that last week.

18 days and one hour left…………

Thanks,  Ms. D

 

 

Monday May 29th – New Unit, Update, Reminders!!

Hello Everyone!

Our last unit of the year will be called Communication is KEY! We have already been working on some of the items covered by the unit. The last unit of the year is a little smaller in terms of introducing new material, as I want to leave time for independent projects and end-of-year events.

Unit Focus Statement: Being an effective communicator requires reflection and critical thinking.

Areas if Inquiry:

  • Choosing legitimate resources for research 
  • Fake news and social media safety
  • Presentation skills (independent project and masks character monologue)
  • Effective group communication (Battle of the Books team and more!)
  • Communication in team sports (dragon boating, kayaking, ultimate)
  • Reflection on our performance for the year (B.C.’s Core Competencies and the Learner Profile)

Projects & Reminders!

  • Disasters Presentation: Due now. Present during the week as we have time.
  • Animal Research OVERDUE!!!: Some of you have not turned in your research for this even though you did finish the art. Others have not posted the art on their e-portfolios as instructed. Some of you may find you have lower marks because you have not turned things in, and you can talk to me about it.
  • Dragon Boating/Nature Quiz Marks: These were passed out. Please get them signed and return.
  • French Weather Report & Quiz: Quiz on Wednesday for weather vocabulary, days of week, and months. Weather Report presentations due Thursday June 1.
  • Masks: Create a character, design a mask, give it a voice through a poetic monologue, and present! We have only two more people to do the base plaster mask tomorrow and then we move forward with the next part! Please make an e-portfolio entry about your mask as we go from stage to stage of construction.
  • Battle of the Books: Try to read four books by June 12th when we have our competition! We will be doing a mini book report on your favourite.
  • Independent Project: Primary research, notes, & formal bibliography are due June 7th. Presentation on June 23rd 12-2 PM. HAVE YOU GONE TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY? HOW GOES THE PRIMARY RESEARCH?
  • Independent Math: At least two more units by June 7th.
  • SUNSCREEN!  Wear sunscreen daily. Bring a plastic bag with swimsuit/towel daily, as when time permits, using our walking field trip permission form, we will go cool down in late afternoons at the Rumble Water Park next door.
  • Sex Education: Grade 4s on Tuesday, Grade 5s on Wednesday
  • LIBRARY BOOKS: All books due next week by June 9th unless being used for a project. Please look for any missing books.

See you tomorrow! Only 22 days to go!

Ms. D

 

Happy Long Weekend! Update May 19th and Important Dates List

Hello Everyone!

We have had a busy week working on projects, having great discussions, and doing some awesome outdoor activity through dragon boating!

Projects We Are Working On:

  • Disasters Project is due May 26th EOD. Don’t forget to have a variety of sources including an encyclopaedia, legitimate science websites, and newspapers. Remember to make a bibliography.Project description can be found here.  And the rubric: Disasters Project Rubric 2017
  • ART: Your animal art should be done. They look great! Remember to take a picture of the art, post it to your E-Port, and then write two paragraphs for assessment (art and language arts). Paragraph 1: Talk about your animal (8-10 sentences), Paragraph 2: Tell us about the images you used on the drawing — how do they relate to information you discovered about your endangered animal?
  • Weather Report: Due June 1st. French Rubric Weather Report. You have the project description in your binders.
  • MASKS: Keep working on your masks designs, adding any details before next week to your nature character. Bring your bag of supplies to make plaster mess no later than Thursday next week.
  • POETRY: Today we went over different kinds of literary devices used in poetry. Then we talked about Blues and Spoken Word Poetry, which are two forms of poetry used to express emotional ideas. Remember, you will need to think about what your nature character and you would like to say – something that is important to you both. You will be writing a poem, which could be free verse or any other style, to express the character’s ideas. 

Math Update:

  • Remember, for independent math, you need to complete two more units by June 7th. Most of you are doing a great job with this!
  • Thank you to everyone who took the Gauss and Abel exams. Results announced at the end of year Recognition Assembly on June 27th.
  • We have been doing group math challenges using Pickle Math online. So far, we did the Venn Diagrams challenge as part of our focus on graphs/charts/data and nature, and we also looked at the Hexagonal Trampolines probability challenge. We will keep doing these until the end of the year. The problems are tough, but I hope you enjoy them! I expect everyone to at the minimum participate and turn in their work as they go through the problem-solving process. (NOTE: Please do not use Pickle Math online, as this will ruin the work we do together.)

Independent Project:

  • Ms. D has been working to make connections in our community so everyone can get some primary research done, but “it does take a village!” Make sure you talk with Mom and Dad to see if they know anyone that could help. Thank you to all parents who have been helping with this.
  • Go to the public library!!!! I would love to start seeing students bringing in any books they have found on their topics there! Please go!
  • Make sure you are keeping a running bibliography and taking notes as you research.
  • If you are doing an experiment, make sure you write up a proper lab.
  • If you do an interview, make sure you type up questions and answers.
  • Research, notes, bibliography, and primary research are due June 7th.

All Upcoming Events and Dates (six weeks left!!!):

  • Dragon Boating May 23rd. Leaving at 9:45 AM
  • Plaster Mess May 25th Thursday afternoon, bring supplies
  • Dragon Boating May 26th. Leaving at 9:45 AM
  • Disasters Project Due May 26th EOD
  • Sexual Education with Saleema Noon Educators (more info to come) May 29th-May 31st
  • French Weather Report Due June 1st EOD
  • PRO D, NO SCHOOL June 2nd, Friday
  • Ultimate Workshop for PE June 6th, Tuesday
  • Independent Research Notes/Bib/Primary Research Due June 7th, EOD
  • Sports Day June 9th
  • Vancouver Maker Faire at the PNE (Ms. D there on Saturday) June 10-11
  • Battle of the Books Competition in Class June 12
  • Kayaking Deep Cove June 20th, Tuesday
  • Independent Project Presentations/Viewing — Parents Welcome, 12-2 June 23rd, Friday
  • Recognition Assembly Awards/Certificates, June 27th
  • MACC 4/5 Awards and Party, CLEAN UP OF ROOM June 28th
  • LAST DAY June 29th 9-10 AM, Reports Go Home

Sunshine! Summer’s on its way! May 4th

Hello Everyone!

May the 4th Be With You!!!!! (for all the Star Wars fans)

Today, we had our last Caribou Test for the year. Thank you to everyone for participating. Results should be out tonight or early morning. It can take longer on the last contest.

We also talked about two other Math Competitions coming up. The first is the ABEL TEST, which is for grade 5 and below, run by the Burnaby School District, here at school on May 10th, Wednesday. The second is the GAUSS TEST which is run by University of Waterloo for grades 7 and below, held here at school on May 15th (we are doing it slightly later than some schools due to GR 7 Camp dates.) Students signed up for one or the other, as I asked them to only do one of the two tests that is suitable for their level of math. I recommend you practice! See the District’s Math Blog for practice tests.

Everyone is beginning independent project research! This research will be recorded in student binders and on E-Portfolios, as they reflect and work on the process of researching. Ms. D has begun talking with individual students about possible primary research interviews with an expert in the community. I also encourage parents to help us out! If you know an expert on or fan of one of these areas, please contact Ms. DeTerra, as helping the students with their interests takes a village!

  • World War 2 Aircraft (or war in general)
  • Phobias (or anyone working in psychology)
  • Hypnosis (or anyone working in psychology or neuroscience)
  • Optical Illusions 
  • Amur Leopard (Biologists, Nature Experts, Ecologists)
  • Jellyfish (Biologists, Nature Experts, Ecologists)
  • African Dwarf Frog (Biologists, Nature Experts, Ecologists)
  • Planets (Astronomers, Space Centre)
  • Making YouTube Channels Successful (Technology Experts, Marketing)
  • Jason and the Argonauts, Greek Mythology, Nemean Lion from mythology (Mythology, Literature Experts)
  • Ancient Egyptian Architecture (Architects, Historians)
  • Big Bang Theory (Physics Teachers, Physicists)
  • Candy and Effect on Teeth (Dentists, Dental Hygienists)
  • Why We Laugh (Psychology, Psychiatrists)
  • Addiction (Psychology, Counsellors, Nurses)
  • Arctic Ecology (Biologists, Nature Experts, Ecologists)
  • Cars and How They Have Changed (Mechanics, Car Historians)
  • Corporations and How They Compete- Apple V Microsoft, CocaCola V Pepsi (Business People, Microsoft Employees, Marketing, Advertising)
  • Why People Like Video Games (Marketing, Psychology, Business, Video Game Makers)
  • American Politics (Politicians, American History Professors)
  • Water (Physics, City Workers for Water System, Nature Experts on Water Cycle)

We also talked about CLIMATE CHANGE — what causes it, how people are denying it exists, and what the signs of climate change are. We watched Bill Nye Climate Change 101 and I asked everyone to continue watching Bill Nye’s Documentary on Climate Change with National Geographic Explorer at home, as it is too long for the classroom and the sound requires you to watch it on a personal device. 

Everyone completed the RUBBER DUCKY ocean challenge, figuring out how ocean currents caused lost rubber duckies from a shipment of toys to travel across the world. We plotted coordinates of rubber ducky sightings, and I asked students to describe the path the ducks followed according to ocean currents. Handout due tomorrow EOD.

We worked on research tips! We talked about the meaning of “the internet”, how to search effectively, how to work with e-portfolios (backgrounds, posting links, etc.) and with Easy Bib to make bibliography entries. Please read over the handout I gave you. We will be using the e-port to show our research process. Everyone needs to:

  • Make sure your e-portfolio presents well. Check colours, background, and links. Do some editing! Remember parents and Ms. D will look at this e-portfolio for report card in term three!
  • Make sure your e-portfolio is about the work we are doing. Avoid talking too much about personal issues and focus on the work. 
  • Find a picture that relates to your research. Post it and a caption.
  • Make a post about a World Book (or other Encyclopedia) article on your topic. Include Easy Bib entry (found at bottom of World Book articles, already done for you) and key points you learned.
  • Make a post about one web article for your topic. Include the Easy Bib entry and key points you learned. If you need help using Easy Bib, come see me.

REVIEW FOR QUIZ, MOVED TO MONDAY! Post some questions and answers about what we have learned so far (everything before talking about oceans and climate change, which will not be on there.)

You will collect a water sample this weekend!!! 🙂 Make sure you have a lid on whatever jar you are using and label where it came from with tape on the side. Microscopes have arrived, but we still have to go over how they work. More hands on stuff next week.

Have a great day!

Ms. D

 

Think of Grade 4 and 5 as Practice Years!

Hello Everyone,

Grade 4 and 5 are great opportunities for you to practice making the transition between primary elementary school years and higher-level work. 

There are many things that make you a successful person. Knowledge and cognitive ability aren’t always enough to get through higher academic work. It is important to work on other areas of personal and social responsibility, as well as self-management skills, so you are able to make it through the coming years with flying colours!

Term three can be a time when people get more relaxed. Whew! I made it through term one and two! I did well on my report card! It is sunny outside! But, it is important not to fall in to the trap of the “early summer vacation disease.” 

I noticed this today as many of you asked for more time on your animal project, even though you had plenty of time in class and the assignment was posted all week on the blog. Some people were just doing the bulk of their research today! So, we need to make sure we stay on track. We still have a lot to do and two months to go!

Make it your goal in grade four and five to master these things, so you can be a super star in higher grades:

Get enough sleep: Don’t use electronics 30 minutes before bed time. Read something without a screen before going to sleep as it is a good way to wind down. Get 10-12 hours of sleep a night.

Do your homework right away: I don’t assign a lot of homework, but I do expect that the little I do assign should be done. It is good practice for future years when you will have more to keep up with. Do the homework as soon as possible when you get home. Carve out time in your schedule when you will be able to think about school work or at least organize your papers and prepare for the next day.

Have balance: Always ask yourself and discuss with your parents whether or not the number of activities outside of school is impacting your ability to do school. When you come to school over tired or over stimulated, this can mean you are unable to do work at school OR get into conflicts with your peers because you can’t manage emotions and behaviours. Make sure you have some down time doing something you really want to do for fun, too. Research has proven definitively that our down time is when the brain organizes itself, downloads the day, comes up with the most creative ideas, and relaxes so it can approach the next thinking challenge. You need down time for your mental health, but also so you can be more successful at school and at life.

Organize your binder: Keep yourself organized. If you see your binder is a mess, take it home and look at whether or not you could remove some items or better arrange them. Don’t just leave it on the shelf and expect it to magically rearrange itself!

Put your name on things: If you want credit for your work, if you don’t want to lose papers, put a NAME on it. (I’ve taught high school and those teachers do not have time to hunt down who didn’t put a name on an assignment.)

When you know you are going to be absent, plan ahead: If you see a project is coming up, and you know you will be away, plan ahead. Carve out time to work on it ahead of the due date so you can turn it in on time.

When sick, follow up: If you are sick, don’t assume someone will take care of getting you up to speed. Make sure you have a routine. Who in class will you ask for help? When could you talk to the teacher about what you missed? Did you get your handouts from the board?

Turn things in on time: Work on managing your time. If you see you were unable to get enough done during a class period, then make plans to do some at home. Don’t expect extra time for assignments. It doesn’t reflect well on you to constantly be asking for more time or to show up to school without your work done. Sometimes, a deadline is a deadline. It is not a good habit to be turning things in late, and even though the teacher may accept them, it does reflect on your performance and ability to manage your time. Of course, better late than never. Be a good communicator and tell me when you need more time. I won’t be mad, and I will talk with you about your plan to get it done, because I know you are learning. But, also make a goal to do it within timelines the next time. 

Use class time well: If class time is given to work, don’t waste it and then expect the teacher to give you more. Sometimes there just isn’t enough time given the number of cool activities we have to do and to learn!

Be kind: Say “Good Morning” and ask how someone is before you ask for something from them, whether it is a peer or an adult like Ms. D. Help one another out. Be willing to help someone when they ask, or even when they don’t ask. Don’t always expect a reward, but know that being kind makes the world a better place for YOU to live in. Be proud of being an expert at something, but be humble enough to admit you don’t know everything, and be okay with that. Because we don’t all know everything. That’s impossible and would make the world a very boring place. 

Pick up after yourself: Push in your chair. Keep your materials organized. Hang up your coat and backpack. Don’t leave others to pick up your mess. Own it when you make a mistake. Cleaning up after a mistake means admitting it, reflecting on it, and just moving forward. Don’t lie. Just say how you are going to make it better and try harder next time.

Be curious and inventive: Be willing to research new things. Don’t just study because someone told you that you should study — do it for yourself, too. Share new ideas, even if they seem crazy. Listen to others’ ideas, because you may be able to store them away and help make those ideas even better some day.

Be aware: Listen to others. Sometimes, choose to watch and observe rather than just jumping in with the first thought in your mind. Watch how other people do things and ask yourself if that is something you could try. Be aware of your personal space and that of others. Practice being observant without making immediate judgements.

Okay, everyone. Happy Friday, and please do some thinking about this. Ms. D really believes that if you work on these things, you can truly be successful at ANYTHING you want to do in the future.

And don’t get relaxed yet. We still have two more months of activities and fun before summer!

Kindly,

Ms. D

Fantastic Walk & Tree Discussions!

Hello Everyone,

Today we had a fantastic walk in the sunshine to Everett Crowley Park! Everyone used their plant guides to try and identify local plants used by First Nations. We were able to find most of them, although we didn’t see any lady fern, lily of the valley, or skunk cabbage, mainly because the forest is too exposed to light and those plants need more of a wet, rainforest environment.

Overall, it was a fun walk in the beautiful weather! We met Mr. Corbett, one of the main volunteers who works to improve the park, and he explained all about mason bees and the nests they had set up in the park. Mason bees don’t sting and are great pollinators!

You may want to celebrate EARTH DAY by visiting Everett Crowley for their activities from 11-3 on April 22nd. More details here.

Earth Day is also being celebrated at Science World, so if you would like to know about their March for Science, please see details here.

When we came back, we did a journal entry describing some of the things we saw. We also used some of the guide books we have in the classroom to help identify plants and trees we saw but did not have the names for in our guides. Please look in your house for any guides you could bring to help us as we identify plants!

We talked about how Vancouver and surrounding areas are part of a larger rainforest and looked at a graphic of the Pacific Rim Forest to see what types of vegetation can be found in our wetter forests. Go visit Pacific Spirit Park at UBC to see some great rainforest vegetation (and also the site of beautiful walks and nature that are frequently used by filmmakers as setting in our favourite movies.)

Using the book Treeology, we began to read about trees in more detail, so we can better understand how to identify them. We also played a game about old growth forests called Forest Trek. Everyone has a game board and the info to play at home, too.

Tonight, everyone is going to make a new page in their journal — a nature map of your home. Go outside and investigate the natural bits around your house or apartment building. Then, make a map on the paper that shows from above where nature can be found around your area.

Tomorrow, the organization O.W.L. will visit our classroom from 10-11:30 AM. They will explain how they help orphaned owls, talk about predatory birds like hawks and owls, and tell about the work they do to rescue them, as well as the situations in nature they need to rescue them from due to our changing environment. Please write any questions you have for them in your journal so you are prepared. Remember that the birds do not like loud noises, so we will be quiet during the presentation. Review their website tonight if you have time to see what their organization is all about!

Reminders: Deep Cove Notices overdue, Finish Earth By The Numbers Data for Math so we can begin charts tomorrow, no school on Friday/Monday, and report cards handed out on Wednesday or Thursday.

Have a great night!

Ms. D

Welcome Back! Literacy Week Starts Tomorrow

Hello Everyone!

Welcome back and I hope you had a restful, relaxing break! We are already busy preparing for new activities as we begin term three. Here are some quick notes of things coming up.

  • Literacy Week: Literacy Week celebrating the fantasy genre of literature will be from March 29 – April 4. Thank you to the students for making the Literacy Week bulletin board, which looks great! We are preparing four different reader’s theatre skits to perform for other classes on April 3rd. Everyone should practice their scripts at home (parts do not have to be memorized, but well practiced.) Look for props at home, and we will make others in class.
  • Student Led Conferences: Please mark calendars! Student Leds on April 6th, Thursday. Notice to go home soon to sign up for one of two sessions. Please reserve extra time as the students want to share many great activities with you!
  • Reading Around the World!: Congratulations to Patricia and Anisha who finished the Reading Around the World challenge! If you are interested in joining them and celebrating in a prize at the end of the year you have three months left!
  • Battle of the Books: For our language arts in term three, we will be doing a Battle of the Books in our own class. Teams of four will read a list of eleven books and compete for a prize by answering comprehension questions. We will form teams later this week so reading can begin! Competition will be in June.
  • Independent Project: The process of the independent project will be documented on the E-Portfolio. Right now, we are forming questions to help drive our research. We will work on these alongside our units through June, with a presentation of our projects to parents and community on approximately June 23rd.
  • End of Year Kayaking: The District approved our kayaking trip for an end-of-year celebration on June 20th. A notice is coming April 5th with details.
  • Watershed Field Trip: Please remember we have the trip to Lower Seymour Watershed on April 18th, the day we get back from the four-day Easter Break.
  • O.W.L. Conservation Group: This group will be visiting us soon as part of our new nature unit. Stay tuned for details in a notice at the end of this week.
  • Dragon Boating: Dragon boating is confirmed for May 16, 23, and 26. Notice and fees collection will come out beginning of May.
  • Math Competitions: More information on the Gauss and Abel Burnaby Math competitions will be coming out in mid-April. Stay tuned if you are interested in participating.
  • Nature Supplies: Please find an egg carton and a glass, 12 oz jar with a lid. Save them at home, as we will use them for nature activities coming up.

 

More to come as we get going with our next unit! Have a great evening.

Ms. D

Reminders for Thursday, November 17th – Field Trip Tomorrow!

Hi Everyone!

Reminders for tonight:

  • Field Trip Tomorrow: You might want to read some of the nano articles found under the articles of interest under Structures, such as the Nanooze Magazine from Cornell University. Please do not bring valuables. Bring a lunch, water, and a snack. Bring a light jacket and very little else! No, sorry, there won’t be time to get White Spot, so please bring a lunch. We leave promptly at 9AM. Thank you to Michael’s Mom, Vaughn’s Mom, and Patricia’s Dad for accompanying us this time.
  • French for French Immersion Students: Continue to brainstorm your dialogue, in which you are pretending to arrive at a country that is not France for a two week vacation, and you meet a friend on the plane. You may need to do some research on your country and city so you have real things to talk about! Thank you for your great work today in partner groups. Due Wednesday for presentation. 
  • French for Beginners: Review Je French 3. Next Wednesday you will get a quick quiz with the nouns from that lesson listed, and you have to fill in the articles “a” or “the” — so you need to know the difference between the masculine (m) and the feminine (f) forms. You do not need to memorize the nouns. On Monday, you will get more time to work with your partner on your very brief dialogue that reviews what we have done so far. You can find additional words to say at BBC Primary Languages. Pronunciation is key, so practice phrases aloud.
  • Research: We will be getting class time for research, but you may want to look for book and internet resources on your own. The project description is found here. We will be working on this most of next week. If you want to use World Book Online at home, remember you just need the password. If you missed writing it down today, make sure you do that tomorrow.
  • Math Packet 2 Quiz Monday
  • Holiday Party: The student holiday party committee made a notice to send out to everyone today. Please return as soon as you can. When they are talking about donations, they mean only $2, which we talked about in class. Don’t donate if you are bringing something else to the party from the list. Thank you to the students for independently organizing this notice and the party, which is great leadership!

Thank you, everyone!

From Jay: Guidelines for Commenting on the Blog

Hi everyone, Jay here!

I am sharing some of the guidelines for posting on the blog we came up with in class during our group discussion:

  1. Comments need to be interesting, helpful, and kind.
  2. It has to be an everyone question/comment not a one on one question/comment. If you have a question that is only about you, then email Ms. DeTerra directly.
  3. COPS. Please check your comment for COPS.(Capitalization, organization, punctuation, and spelling.) And check for grammar mistakes too before pressing submit.
  4. No private info allowed. Like any blog on the internet please do not put any private info on here because this website is public. Use first names only.
  5. Watch out for writing in all CAPITALS because when you read it it feels like you’re screaming.
  6. If you make a comment after 9pm it will not be approved. If it is later than 9pm go to bed and turn off the computer.
  7. Is your comment appropriate for all audiences? Principal? School? Parents? Teacher?
  8. Does your comment make sense? Re-read it to make sure it is clear.
  9. Stay on topic.
  10. Humour doesn’t always communicate well over blogs or email, so try not to be silly on the blog.

Thank you, everybody! I hope this helps!

Caribou Math Tests – October 19 & 20

Hello Everyone,

The Caribou Math Contest will be held on October 19 and 20, and we will all be participating for the first one, as it is free. Please start practicing tests at the Caribou Link.

Ms. D will be signing you up and getting codes for our participation, so all you need to do before October 19th is practice online. We will talk more about it tomorrow. These tests are math extensions and because there is a fee involved for some students, the tests are not part of your math marks.

I will be asking you if you want to compete at your grade level or a higher grade level, which needs to be decided by end of week. Only the grade four level is free all year, though, so if you choose a higher level, the first contest is free and then you pay $15 as a flat fee for the rest of the year’s contests. It may be a good idea to go online and try different level practice tests to get a sense of how hard they are. If you found last year easy, you may want to challenge yourself at a different level!

Thank you,

Ms. D

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