In class we read “Henry’s Freedom box” and learned it was based on a real story. It was about slavery and black history and we learned that many families were not allowed to stay together.  We also learned that many slaves were not allowed to know their birthdays, they couldn’t have money, and were beaten if they made a mistake. Slavery was not okay but at that time many people felt that it was necessary because they did not see that Black people were the same as white people. We also learned how slaves used songs to communicate with each other and send each other messages about how to escape while they were working. The song “Wade in the Water” let the slaves know how to get rid of their tracks so that slave catchers could not find them. Hear the song below! After reading “Henry’s Freedom Box”, we now understand more about the lives of people who were enslaved and the very difficult challenges they had to go through.

Thank you for reading our blog!

– Div.4’s News Crew

In class we have been learning about bullying. We read different stories like Simon’s Hook and learned to not take the bait! Taking the bait means not fighting back when people say mean things to you. Instead of taking the bait, we can do things like ignore them or make a joke about it. We also learned about bystanders and how when there is a problem they choose not do anything. Instead of being a bystander we can choose to say something and stand up for our friends. This is important because there have been some problems in our class and at our school and we need to solve them.

-Div.4’s News Crew

 

Today, we had the opportunity to work with microscopes! First, we learned all about the different parts and their uses and then came the part we had all been waiting for. We were able to observe and prepare slides for leaves, salt, and onion skins under a variety of different magnifications. There were some pre-made slides that we were able to look at as well which included fish scales and flatworms. Here are some pictures from our Science adventure!

Can you tell what we are looking at under the microscope in the photo below? Comment and tell us what you think!

 

Over the past two weeks, students have been hard at work creating their blogfolios! The blogfolios can be accessed through the “blogfolios’ tab on this website. Families may access student work using their ID and PW that will be emailed out this weekend.

Students were asked to respond to the following questions when completing their work: 

• What was the project?
• What did you learn from completing this assignment? What skills did you develop?
• What do you think you did really well?
• What could you have improved if you were to revisit the assignment?

When viewing/commenting on student work, families should: 

• Notice thought, capacities and growth.
• Connect with your child’s opinions, stories or ideas.
• Share your intellectual curiosity; wonder aloud.
• Encourage
• Co-conspire… “You are interested in spiders? Me too, here’s an interesting website I’m reading about spiders.”
• I noticed you…
• The part I found most interesting…
• A few things you did really well here are…
• One thing I’m seeing about your work is…

We are excited to begin documenting our learning journey and we encourage you to follow along with us! 🙂

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to write a brief message of thanks to all of you for adapting to this new way of schooling and for being so flexible. This is a reminder that we will be having class meetings every Wednesday and Thursday. Please look at our Teams page to find your meeting time.

You all have done an incredible job of conducting yourselves online in a responsible and considerate manner. You should all be very proud! 🙂

Below are two documents which are important to read. 

1. Video Conferencing Guidelines for Parents and Students
2. How to Repair / Upgrade Office 365

Please let me know if you are feeling overwhelmed and would like to talk. I realize that our situations are constantly changing. I would be more than happy to chat or connect you with the appropriate resources.

Hi Everyone,

I hope you all have had a wonderful week and had a chance to go outside if only for a short time.

If any of you are feeling overwhelmed because of the current situation caused by COVID-19, please feel free to reach out to me and I can connect you to many of the supports the school district is providing. It is important for us all to first and foremost feel safe and be in good health. Below are some strategies and resources for managing anxiety during this challenging time. 

As you may have seen, we have begun dipping our toes into online learning. Please log in to your Teams account if you have not done so. There you will find a Shape of the Day (schedule) of what should be completed for each school day. The schedule is flexible as I realize many of us are balancing working from home, caring for our family members, etc. 

I have registered our class for Raz Kids which is an online reading program that allows students to read a variety of different books and helps to improve their reading comprehension. If you would like your child to use this program please let me know and I will email you their log in information. 

 

Decrease Corona Virus Worries – Anxiety Guide for Students (email me for a copy)

Mental Health Resources for Parents

Talking to Students About COVID-19

As I look back on this week, I am so thankful  to have been able to connect with most of our class families. I am so happy to know that you are safe, healthy and that several of you have even gotten back into a “school” routine. I am looking forward to chatting with all of you in the coming weeks. If you have not yet logged in to your Microsoft Teams account and completed the Welcome Back Survey, please do so as soon as possible. 

As our weekend begins, I’d like to share a few of my favourite memories from this year!  

Chat with you all soon!

<3 Ms. Ramen

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to provide you all with some updates :). 

• As previously mentioned, I will be contacting each of our class families by phone. I will be sending out an email by the end of today to all parents/guardians so that we can set up a time that would work best for you.

 

• This week, all the students of Division 4 have been asked to complete a simple survey on our Microsoft Teams page. It is due by the end of the week. All students should know how to access this page. However, if you are encountering some difficulties, please feel free to reach out and email me at danielle.ramen@burnabyschools.ca

 

• The Burnaby School District has developed a website to help facilitate this transition into online learning. While we are in the process of setting things up, students can access this web resource to help them get back into a simple “school” routine. If you are interested in accessing this resource, please click here .

I realize that the unknown can be daunting and anxiety producing but I would like to let you all know that I am very grateful to you for your dedication and support. I hope we are all taking some time for self-care!

Looking forward to our chats,

<3 Ms. Ramen

Hello Division 4! 

I hope you all had an enjoyable Spring Break and found creative ways to spend your time at home. I spent a lot of my time reading the books I always buy but never have time to get to. I also began sketching and painting a variety of plants :). 

I understand that many of you have questions and/or concerns around what school will be like for the next few months. As of this moment, I do not have many answers but I know that we will get through this together week by week. This week, your teachers are trying to figure out ways for you to have the best learning experience possible. I will be checking in with each of you and your families in the coming days. Please remember to not only check our blog but our Microsoft Teams page as well as this is where the majority of our communication will take place. 

I know that most of you have questions about COVID-19 and managing our emotions during this time. I have found some interesting articles that provide a pretty good explanation. Feel free to discuss them with your parents/guardians or myself. 

Articles: 

Why everything is closing for coronavirus: it’s called “flattening the curve”

Why tough times can create better neighbours

Vaccines are like giving your body’s defenses a cheat sheet

Dealing with stress and strong emotions

 

Parents/Guradians,

Below are some links to help you navigate this week! I will also be updating this page as I get more information from the district. 

1. Here is the latest update from our Superintendent: Update from Superintendent Gina Niccoli-Moen
2. Updates on COVID-19 responses from the district and provincial government with translations: COVID-19 Updates
3. If you are an essential service worker and require child care, please let the district know by filling out this form:  Burnaby School District Essential Service Workers Survey
4. The school district is in the process of creating an online platform that students can use to supplement their learning at home. Please watch for updates here at: Burnaby School District Website
5. An additional online resource from the provincial government to help support learning at home: Keep Learning

 

I miss you all very much but I am excited for our next adventure into online learning! I am having a lot of fun trying to create videos for you to use. I can’t wait to hear from all of you and know that you are safe!

Talk to you all soon,

<3 Ms. Ramen