Month: May 2021

There was some serious critical thinking and collaboration going on in Division 7 today!

In science, we have been learning about solutions and mixtures. Mixing two substances together is a physical change. Even though the appearance may change, the two substances do not form a new substance and can be separated. Today we looked at methods of separating mixtures.

I gave each group of students three different mixtures:

• marbles and beads in two sizes
• sand and salt
• cornmeal and iron filings

and challenged them to try to figure out how to separate them using any combination of the following tools:

• a sieve
• a slotted spoon
• a coffee filter
• a magnet
• a funnel
• a cup of water
• a stir stick

It was interesting to observe the ideas each group came up with and how they worked together to revise their plan when something did not work out.

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Do you have any ideas? Ask your scientist what they tried. What worked? What didn’t?

Here are some photos of their success:

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We have continued our study of Canadian artists by looking at the work of Musqueam Coast Salish artist Susan Point. Much of Susan Point’s work is inspired by spindle whorls. A spindle whorl is a tool that Coast Salish women traditionally used to prepare wool for garments and blankets. It is a disk made of wood or other material with a rod in the middle so the disk can spin.

Susan Point uses the shape of a spindle whorl as inspiration and incorporates Coast Salish design elements to create contemporary art. You may have seen her art around Vancouver, including in the Vancouver International Airport where “Flight (Spindle Whorl)”, the largest spindle whorl in the world, is displayed on a stone waterfall.

For our own take on spindle whorl art, I asked the students to focus on using “repetition in the round”, a technique where one image or design is repeated in a circular shape. I also invited them to choose an element of nature that they connect with to inspire their art. Using Coast Salish design elements was optional.

We hope you enjoy our spindle whorl masterpieces!

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You may remember attending a student-led conference for your child in past years. The purpose of a student-led conference is to showcase a child’s accomplishments. It also allows each student to be accountable and to accept responsibility for reporting progress to parents. These conferences provide a meaningful opportunity for children to develop pride in their work, to become effective communicators and to develop leadership skills. Other important skills reinforced through this process are time management, organization, problem solving and decision making.

This year the student-led conferences will take place at home. Students have selected samples of their work to share with you and will bring them home on Friday, May 21st. They are being asked to bring a bag to school on Friday to help carry everything. Please make sure your child brings these items back to school on Tuesday May 25th unless otherwise noted in the conference agenda. Your role, as a parent, is to listen, ask questions, give positive feedback and encourage your child in this reflective process.

Thank you for enriching your child’s learning experience by sharing in the student led conference.

Our class is starting an exciting new program called “Classroom Book Clubs”. For the next few weeks, students will be reading books and discussing them in small groups. Each group has 4 to 6 students who selected the same book. Since this is something new, I wanted to share how this program works so that you can best support your child.

Each student has been given a copy of his or her book to read. I will provide 30 minutes of reading time each day, but if they do not complete their assigned reading they will need to take the book home to finish. The reading page assignments are created by the book club groups on a weekly basis and will be written on a bookmark for reference. In addition, students will have a short assignment such as writing a summary, creating discussion questions, or writing notes about parts they want to discuss. It will be important for each member of the group to complete the required reading and assignment each week so they can contribute to the discussion. It is also important that they do NOT read ahead of the assigned pages because this will spoil the discussion.

Ways you can help your child experience success with Classroom Book Clubs:

1. Set up a regular quiet reading time after school or before bed.
2. Check to make sure the weekly assignment has been completed (due each Friday)
3. Discuss the book with your child. Ask questions and show interest in what they are reading. You can even get your own copy and read along!
4. If you feel your child is having trouble understanding the book, take turns reading pages aloud and discussing the story.

I will be assessing Classroom Book Clubs based on completion of weekly assignments and participation during the meetings. Please contact me if you have any further questions. Students received their books today and we will have our first book club meeting next Friday! We are excited to have this chance to read books of our choice and talk about them with our peers!

Bonjour!

As we continue to learn French vocabulary for talking about families, we are starting to learn the difference between words we use for our immediate family and words we use for our extended family. I am asking the class to practice using the vocabulary we have learned by creating an informal family tree or family circles (see below for an example of each) and they may need your help! They will be bringing a sheet home today where they will have to plan out who they will include on their family tree or circle.

I have told the students that it is THEIR CHOICE who they will include in this assignment. As we move through this unit we have continued to have the important conversation that all families look different and that we cannot question who others choose to include in their family. I also understand that asking to do an extensive and accurate family tree would be an impossible task for those with large extended families. I have told the class that if they can try to get 10-20 names on their family tree or circle, that will be sufficient for them to practice their vocabulary.

I have also told the class that if they are more comfortable choosing a famous family (like the Adams family!) to represent with this assignment, that is okay too. This option may require a bit of research in order to include the required 10-20 names.

If you have any questions about this assignment, do not hesitate to reach out. I hope you can enjoy learning a little bit about your family (en francais!) together with your child.

A Family Tree

A Family Circle