Parents,

Every year, I publish a post similar to this one.  It is perhaps one of the most important posts because it highlights a big step in your child’s journey in being able to give voice to their learning and to share their learning through the blogfolios.

Our Blogfolios have been quiet as of late because the students have been working hard to learn how to create their own blogfolio posts.  Technology being what it is, it has not been easy and we have encountered many challenges, but we have persevered. I am still also doing teacher posts as well.  You will see them start to come out as we now approach the end of the term and many assignments and assessments are being completed.

As part of the Core Competencies (B.C. Curriculum), your children are learning to acquire the technological skills to communicate with you about their learning through their blogfolios.  Communicating encompasses the set of abilities that people use to exchange information, experiences, and ideas.

*Please be forgiving of our mistakes.  While we try not to send posts that aren’t ready, it is easy for posts to get sent out while they are still in progress.  The Word Press format is a complex system.  As well, teacher comments or student comments may be added at a later date and student comments represent how they write at this stage in their learning.  You will see some spelling mistakes and missed capitals and punctuation.  I mostly edit for appropriate content. You may find that you are pinged a few times for the same post as it is updated.

Mrs. Marto

Dear Div. 6 Parents,

Our class will be celebrating Valentine’s Day on Monday with some special activities.  If you are intending to send a treat (not required), please remember that as part of Covid Protocols, we require that it be individually wrapped and that it be at school by this Friday so that I can ‘quarantine’ the treats before handing them out.

If your child is handing out Valentine Cards, please remember that we have 20 students in our class.  Please make sure that each child in the class receives a card so that no one feels left out.  Your child is bringing home a list of our classroom names today (in their planner).  As a time-saver, you may wish to only write “from: your child’s name”.  You do not have to write individual names on each card, but I did provide the names in the case that you wish to address the cards with their first names.

Final reminders:

-Math quizzes went home last Friday, please have the students correct their work and get them back to me signed by the parents

A Happy Valentine’s Day in advance,

Mrs. Marto

Div. 6’s New Year’s Babies Are in!!!

We have received 55 Chum Salmon, eyed eggs.  There is a little black dot that you can see through the soft outer shell of the egg.  This is how we know that this egg has been fertilized and contains a little embryo.

In other news, 

Happy New Year to all our families and many thanks for your kind and thoughtful Christmas gifts.  I am filled with gratitude.

This week, I very much missed the students and thought of them often.  As we once again negotiate the rocky waters of another variant, I have made some changes in the class and there have been changes at the school level as well.

Changes:

• Entering and exiting the school:  Div. 6 will be using a different entrance and exit door upon their return on Monday.  We are returning to the same entrance we used last year (the door closest to the new building in the upper field).  Mrs. Andrews’ class and ours will be the only two classes using that entrance
• staggered recess and lunch (primary/intermediate)
• in our class, furniture has been moved, the carpet has been rolled up and the desks have been spread out even further.  We were already in rows and remain so
• we are continuing to put our coats and bags at our desks and using the cloakroom as little as possible
• windows are to be kept open
• handwashing routines are always in place
• masking rules continue as before
• a limit of 1 student at a time to view the salmon tank
• health checks at the door, before entering the school building

How can parents help?

• make sure your child has a mask and some spares (throughout a day of play, the masks sometimes break, or get soiled and wet)
• If your child is not feeling well, please keep them at home as advised
• because it can get cold in the classroom due to the open windows, it is helpful to have a heavy sweater or sweatshirt on hand.  It can be difficult to work with their outdoor jacket; although sometimes we do that too

Lastly, I am sure you have been hearing about functional closures in the news. Mr. Lee will be sending home a letter explaining any changes, as well as what a functional closure is.

Next week I will be asking students to practice getting on TEAMS, hopefully at school as well as from home.  This will help to ensure that we are ready to go online if needed.

I am excited to see the students on Monday and I wish you all a good weekend.  Do not hesitate to email if you have any questions, and I will endeavour to send out information as we go.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Marto

Wishing you a restful and peaceful holiday and a great start to the New Year.

Best Wishes and See You Soon,

Mrs. Marto

Looking Ahead

• Students ended this term learning research skills to support their Learning in Depth research upon our return in the New Year
• I have pulled books on all their topics, and the students will do a deep dive into the facts starting the first week.  Books won’t be our only source of information.  The students will also be learning how to use online resources to support their research
• Please ask your child about their topic.  They are all excited to start, and students are welcome to find their own books at the Public Library or to do some online research at home during the break.  At this stage, I suggest just familiarizing themselves with their topics by exploring.  The LiD topics are specifically chosen for their depth and breadth for inquiry and study.  When the students return, they will be guided to find a focus, or two, through our first presentation/project.

Can you tell which theme we went with this year?

• Please check the school website for Leadership Activities that will be running throughout the week for everyone in the school; We will also be writing Leadership Activity reminders in our planner
•  While our door decorating is not yet finished and needs a few more details, I can report that we have had so much fun putting the display together
• On Monday, our class will be making ornaments to decorate the office Christmas trees, and we will be placing the ornaments on the tree Monday afternoon
• Friday Activities in our Class:  There is a schoolwide pajama day on Thursday, but Div. 6 students will also be able to wear their pajamas on Friday as we are going to have a Polar Express Day.  We will be watching the movie in the afternoon, making another keepsake ornament, and relaxing with some general holiday cheer. If you are thinking of sending any food items or small gifts, please be aware that these gifts must be brought to the school by Wednesday as we will be quarantining them before handing them out to students.  We also ask that they be individually wrapped store-bought items. 
• ***For the Friday movie, Mrs. Marto will bring popcorn and hot chocolate.  COVID safety measures will be observed with food service***
• When sending treats, please be aware that we have a nut allergy in our class
• as always, I will continue to update the website as needed, or as new information arises

Dear Parents,

This Friday, the students went home with their Student Engagement, Behaviour, and Social Development: Student and Teacher Reflection Sheet.  I asked the students to place this reflection in the pocket of their planners.  In addition to the paper copy in the planner, you will find a photo of the same document in their blogfolios.  It was a thoughtful process that engaged the teachers (Miss Dolinski/Mrs. Marto) and the student in a meaningful and supportive conversation about strengths and stretches.  The act of completing this type of self-assessment is humbling and powerful as it demands a level of honesty and introspection that shouldn’t be easy for such young students, but which they completed with openness and sincerity.   I know this task would challenge many adults.  Please take the time to review your child’s reflection and talk about their goals.  A good structure for the conversation is:  Two Stars and a Wish.  Identify two strengths and pick one wish from your point of view.

 Please sign the front cover sheet, so that I know you have seen this document.

Lastly, the blogfolios are always a work in progress.  There is a lot of information in the blogfolios about your child’s learning and I encourage you to also have a look at the work samples.  Occasionally, due to absences or other curricular or technical challenges, some posts might be updated a bit later.

Thank you,

Mrs. Marto

We have finished our work on our first class novel.  It was a super fun novel to do, and I used it to familiarize the students with the routines and materials that I use when studying a novel.  This is important because, as the students now move into their independent or small group novel studies, they are well acquainted with how and what to do. In addition, I used the novel to begin their learning of figurative language such as onomatopoeia and personification.  We have also taken the time to study setting in-depth and will also look at point of view (upcoming final lesson).  We are now going to write our own creepy story and use some of the tools we have learned about. 

Planners

This weekend, the planners hold a lot of information.  Some of it is the usual “bring books back for library”, but I have added a few requests for parents.  Firstly, I’d like them to share with you their setting for the ‘creepy story’ they are about to write.   We have done a lot of work on the setting, so they should all have this one figured out.  Secondly, I’ve asked them to tell you what the problem in the story will be.  This part may need some thinking aloud because we have done less prep for this.   Our first story will be shorter and more of a picture book style, so we do not need a complex story problem.  I am aiming for straightforward.

Lastly, we will be writing about a special place in nature this week.  Some students have places that are easy to describe, but other students want to talk about a favorite campground or lake etc., but can’t remember its name.  This is where I could use your help.  Could you please write the name in the planner, if your child needs it?

Thank you, parents!  I appreciate the help.

Mrs. Marto

Div. 6  Wreath

In Gratitude for the Sacrifice and Our Freedom

Hello Parents,

A few notes about Halloween this Friday.  As you may have heard, our annual school Pumpkin Carving Contest is on.   As well, the Halloween Costume Parade will take place with Covid protocols and there will be a virtual assembly.  For now, please see the reminders below.  If other information becomes available, or if I have forgotten anything, I will continue to update this website.

A couple of reminders:

• while costumes are welcome, we are asking students not to bring any of the costume’s weapons to school
• when parading through the school, students may be asked to lift frightening masks over their heads because younger children can be fearful
• I have a nut-free cupcake treat and another candy treat that I will be giving out to students in our class. If you wish to send any treats, please send them by Wednesday so that we can quarantine them before handing them out to students.  We have 18 students in our class.  
• we have a nut allergy in our class

Thank you,

Mrs. Marto