September 2015
Dear Parents/Guardians/Students,
Welcome! Please feel free to visit the class or come to help with an activity.
We are a ‘team’ to make your child’s year a good one!
CLASS EXPECTATIONS/Division 4
Agenda: You can see daily what your child needs to do. Students are responsible for the parent providing an initial each day. This task is part of the Responsibility unit in ‘Health and Career Planning’ .
Communicating: Parents can view what is for homework in the agenda. ALSO…I am now on weebly.com. Go to the Westmount page.
I will post weekly letters/term overviews and photos from time to time.
Class Newsletters: the September introductory letter will be sent home. Starting September 21, the weekly newsletters will be on ‘Weebly.com’…if you want a hard copy of the letter, please ask me.
Guests will be invited to the class whenever there is an opportunity for ‘hands on learning’ to connect to class learning. If you have an area of interest, let me know!
Community visits/ happen all year long. A survey is usually first sent out and if there is interest, we do the activity; if too many are not interested, we don’t do the activity. Walking permission forms will be sent out this year and will cover all walking activities during the year.
Class Artwork is displayed throughout the year at the two public libraries.
INDOOR shoes are needed! Send asap to leave at school.
Gym Class: students need runners to participate. If students do not have the proper footwear, they will have an assignment to do during the gym time and will be made aware of the ‘Accountability’ part of the A.I.R. action plan.
Sagebrush Theatre: A permission form is coming for ‘Mary Poppins’.
Scholastic Book Orders provides flyers each month and students can bring in their orders. Parents can send cash/cheque OR they can now pay on line. See the September flyer for more information on how to pay on line.
Square Dancing: Starting Monday, Sept 14…we will be doing dance as part of the Gym curriculum…please make sure you have no appointments on Monday’s. Students will practice four weeks and then perform. A huge THANK YOU TO PAC for sponsoring this event for all participating classes!!
Reading for pleasure will be encouraged this year. Students are encouraged to read at home 15 minutes daily. Each term, students will be required to read and report on 2 books, selected with teacher consultation. Some class time will be provided for silent reading. I will help less motivated readers find an interesting book geared to their reading level.
Math Goals: to learn equations of adding and subtracting without finger counting and multiplication without using a times table chart/to achieve 100% on weekly Equation tests….and by following the Math Tutor program, yes, it is possible!
Math Tutor Group means students/teacher/parents work as a team
- Students are taught the Math concept and practice
- At home, student and parent do 5 questions together…then
- Student continues with 5 questions on own
- Parent checks off attached ‘progress report’/If student is confident in the concept, they take a test/if lost, there is a lesson of explanation the next day/if more practice is needed, another set of questions go home
- Objective: to boost the student’s confidence with one on one work time/to determine where there is a ‘missing link’ in the learning/to allow students if they are ready, to move forward to other concepts
Computer class: students will be learning to memorize the keyboard and proper finger placement. Students will be doing power points. They will use websites for research.
First Term….. A Brief Outline of Topics that are covered
Math: strategies on adding/subtracting without finger counting/whole and decimal numbers/money/patterns/place value
Reading: unit on ‘How do we read’ styles: learning how a story is structured/analyzing short stories/graphic novel/connections/
author intent/Non Fiction Reading Assessment
Book reports: based on student’s choice of novel
Listening Skills in Reading: a selection is read aloud from Arabian Nights/students respond to questions/objective: listening
for main details
Spelling: Monday 10 words are assigned/test = Friday. If students achieve 100% on the pre-test, they do not have to write the test.
Journal Writing: Monday a topic is assigned/due Thursday
Writing: outlining of ideas, topic sentence, three details, concluding sentence/ friendly letter writing/multi paragraph composition
Grammar: complete sentences using subject and verb/end punctuation
Socials: Government relating to upcoming election/Inuit
Science:
Speech: ‘give me five’ strategy/formal speech using only an outline/spontaneous speaking/book talk
Art: ‘anyone can draw’ strategy/using the ‘left brain, right brain ‘thinking/using various mediums/use of bold color and space
Drama: Reader’s Theatre to present to primary classes
Music: Classical styles/Christmas concert participation
Gym: Square dancing/volleyball/game playing/sportsmanship
Health and Career Education: class expectations with unit Test to be signed by parent/A.I.R. code of Conduct/signing agenda/units: Safety: crosswalk/camping and wilderness/City bus Transit/communication: cooperation vs conflict or bullying/T.I.L.T. /critical thinking exercises
Community Visits/Activities we MAY want to consider! Some events depend on availability of parents to help.
Term 1
- Halloween luncheon
- Sagebrush ‘Mary Poppins’
- Singing for seniors at the Hamlet’s
- Canada Games swim fun
- Visiting the Mayor at City Hall
- Aboriginal museum
- Wildlife Park to meet the Spirit Bear
- Donkey Refuge Farm in Turtle Valley
Term 2
- Tubing at Harper Mt
- Valentine luncheon/ a professional clown teaching balloon making $5.00
- Carnaval de Bonhomme with station activities/pancake breakfast
- Jewlery making of a glass pendant with black cord $8.00 - $10.00 (Valentine’s gift? Or Mother’s Day Gift)
- Canada games swim fun $5.00
- ‘Bowling for Kids’ Big Brothers big sisters…two games… $15.00
Term 3
- McQueen Lake hike and pond activity
- Canoeing/kayaking at Shumway Lake
- Gymnastics at Tournament Capital
Any ideas you have, let me know. Parents are encouraged to come into the class anytime. Come see me/call the school or put a note in the agenda.
krichard