Monday, October 29, 2012

Week of October 29 - November 2, 2012

Thursday HW
1.  Photo Retake day is Thursday, November 15.
2.  Rough Draft of Play critique.  This is an ongoing activity we've worked on this week and the good copy is due in class by the end of the day on Friday.  Students should have a workable four paragraph rough copy that we can edit in class before writing the finished version tomorrow in class.
3.  MMS Practice pages 8-9.
4.  Math Unit One Quiz two on lessons 3,4,and 5 on Monday November 5.

Wednesday HW
Great Halloween parade today!  We had every student in costume!  Thank you to the students who brought in food and drink for our party this afternoon.  Much appreciated!
1.  Photo orders are due tomorrow.
2.  Library is on Friday.
3.  Math Unit 1 quiz for lessons 3,4 and 5 on Monday.  Today eight students were not finished practice questions from MMS for our lesson 3 corrections.  The Unit 2 test is marked and the class average was 70% (28/40).  I'll send it home when I have more material to include in a larger test package.

Tuesday HW
1.  MMS Practice booklet pages 6 and 7 on Divisibility rules.  We've spent three periods going over these rules and practicing the techniques from the textbook.  I am focussing on having the students represent their solutions in chart form.  Please ask them to show you a sample or explain it.
2.  Bring your Stratford programme to class tomorrow for use as a guide to critiquing the play.  All the students at table four had theirs today, but the remainder in the class was a small number.  We looked at professional play reviews from the Star, the Globe and the Post today, developed success criteria as a group, and started our rough drafts.
3.  If you are able to at home, practice Powerpoint skills touched on during today's lesson.  We will be using this software to present our endangered animal research.

Monday HW
On Wednesday we will have a short Halloween party time just before and afer the parade.  In the interests of preventing upset tummies before trick or treating time, I am limiting treats in class to popcorn, fruit and vegetables.  Milk or (high percentage) juices are also acceptable to drink in addition to water, but no sugary drinks (i.e. Sunny D, Soda Pop, Iced Tea) should be brought to school.  Thank you for your cooperation.
1.  Math Unit One quiz on Lessons 1 and 2 (Input/Output machines, Recursive patterns) tomorrow.
2.  Spelling Cycle activities for Unit 4 -- four lists and fifteen sentences.  All students are done at least one of lists already.  Dictation on Friday.
3.  Book report due on November 8.  We looked at some models in class today and discussed questions about the assignment students had.
4.  Please bring the programme you received at Stratford for "Much Ado" to class tomorrow for a writing assignment.  I have a few extras but not a class set.

Music on a Monday:  is there anything you can't do with Lego?

Monday, October 22, 2012

Week of October 22-26, 2012

Friday HW
1.  Math Unit One Quiz (Lessons 1 and 2) on Tuesday October 30.
2.  Book Report due on November 8.
3.  Return Student Data Verification Sheets ASAP.
4.  A fair number of test packs have not been reurned yet with parent signatures and corrections.

Tuesday HW
1.  Test pack is due on Thursday October 25 with corrections and a parent signature.
2.  MMS Practice pages 4 and 5.
3.  Return Student Data Verification sheet with or without corrections.
4.  Book Report is due on November 8.
5.  Stratford trip is tomorrow.  Please arrive outdoors in the South Yard at 8:15 AM for attendance and boarding.  If it rains we will meet in the foyer by the Library.  Please dress for the weather (60% chance of rain) and bring a packed lunch.
6.  News Journal Summary and Reflection from today's presenters.

(This is a lengthy list for today but there is no homework on Wednesday night.)

Monday HW
1.  Test pack is due with corrections and a parent signature at the top on Thursday October 25.
2.  Please return Student Data Verification forms with additions or no additions.  Either way the sheets need to come back.
3.  Book Report Reading for 20 minutes.  The report is due on November 8.
4.  Stratford trip is on Wednesday.  Students should pack a lunch and dress for the expected weather conditions.  Shorts are not a good idea for a trip to the theatre.  The bus leaves at 8:30 AM on Wednesday morning.  Students should meet me outside in the South Yard for attendance at 8:15 AM.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Week of October 15-19, 2012

Friday HW:
We worked on the Science Biodiversity project in class again today after spending two periods in class on Thursday using laptops to conduct research.  At this point eleven of 24 students have completed basic research on their animals and are ready to begin composing a powerpoint presenatation that will be used for a class oral presentation.  Students who have not collected meaningful information during this time should do some catching up over the weekend.  Otherwise there is no homework apart from book report reading, and corrections/signature of the test pack handed out on Wednesday.
** Reminder: Photo day on Monday. **

Wednesday HW
1.  MMS Practice duotang pages 2 and 3.  Remember that reduced amounts for IEP students are in practice for this work as well as text book activities in class:  (#1 and the even numbers afterwards).
2.  Math Unit 2 Final test tomorrow.
3.  Test pack #3 was distributed today.   
It contains four items:  the last math quiz (class average 77%), two problems of the week and some descriptive feedback on a poem.
Please have it corrected and signed by a parent on the front by next Thursday.
4.  Library on Friday in the afternoon.
5.  Photo day reminders were sent home today.  The day is Monday October 22.

Tuesday HW
1.  Math Unit 2 Final Unit test on Thursday October 18.  The last quiz is marked and will be sent home tomorrow.  The main areas of difficulty are multiplication and long division.  We started a new unit on patterning today.
2.  Book Report reading for 20 minutes.  The report is due on November 8.
3.  News Journal summary and reflection for today's presenters.

Monday HW
1.  Math Unit 2 Final Test on Thursday October 18.  Today's quiz will be returned before that day for study purposes.  In informal diagnostics students show some difficulty with zero in the quotient in long division and with basic multiplication errors and regrouping (i.e. 7 x 5 + 2) in multiplication by two digit factors.
2.  Book Report Reading for 20 minutes.  The report is due on November 8.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Week of October 9-12, 2012

Friday HW
There is no real homework this weekend apart from studying for a quiz on Monday.  Our test packs were due today with corrections and a parent signature.  I'm waiting on 15 of 24 of them.  Please ask your student to show you this package as soon as possible.
1.  Math Quiz Monday on Unit 2, Lessons 9, 10, 11, 12.
2.  Final Math Unit Test on Thursday, October 18.
3.  Book Report reading -- 20 minutes.  Report due on November 8.

Thursday HW
No homework was assigned by the substitute teacher today.  I was at a slow pitch tournament in which our team went 4-0.  The boys in our class played very well!

Wednesday HW
1.  Stratford form and fee.
2.  Test Pack with parent signature and corrections due on Friday.  Students should rewrite the correction rather than erasing the error on the test.
3.  20 Minutes of Book Report reading.
4.  Page 6 of Biodiversity booklet was started in class and should be completed tonight.
5.  Math Quiz on Unit 2 (Add/Subtract/Multiply/Divide) on Monday October 15.
Final Unit test on Thursday October 18.

In class we spent some time working on the introduction to "A Person I Admire" writing.  We emphasized creating interest and getting the main details (the person's full name and the topic of 'admiration') seeded early in the first paragraph.  We discussed some of the styles a student could use such as chronological order or moving back in time from a key high point in the person's life.
This is an assignment I want the students to complete in controlled conditions in class.  Several students were reluctant to begin due to perceived shortfalls in research material.  I reminded these students that to admire this person implies that a fair amount of prior knowledge of the person is already present.  Research might fill in a few gaps, but should not be a barrier to starting the writing.

Tuesday HW
Friday's trip to the Warren Park Outdoor Education Centre was a special treat.  With the weather cooperating students spent a productive day focussing on cooperative games and team building with a focus on ecological themes.  It was a rewarding day in that it was possible to see student growth in their treatment of team partners both in the language they used and in the effectiveness of their group work.  Watching the salmon spawning was a huge hit as well.  Although the students and I have been to Warren Park before we all agreed it was an outstanding day.  Well done boys and girls and thank you to our parent volunteer Ms. Power for her invaluable assistance and four leaf clover acquisition!

1.  News Journal Summary and Opinion for today's presenters.
2.  Test Pack signed by a parent and corrected and returned to class on Friday October 12.
3.  Math Quiz on Unit 2 Add/Subtract/Multiply/Divide on Monday October 15.  Final Unit Test on Thursday October 18.
4.  Stratford form and fee due tomorrow.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Week of October 1 - 5, 2013

Thursday HW
Yikes!  Only seven students fully completed the 12 practice questions in last night's MMS homework on pages 30-31.  It wasn't worth taking up as a class.  We are experiencing significant amounts of incomplete homework, undone homework and homework that is forgotten at home.  It's really affecting our ability to correct errors and consolidate understanding.  Last night was a pretty light load for a grade 6 student.  Next year promises to features a good deal more.  Please ask your student to show you his or her finished work each night.  I would not accept "I finished it at school" as a response every day.  I appreciate your support in getting on top of this.  Thank you.
1.  MMS practice pages 32-33 (and pages 30-31 if it was not done yesterday) .
2.  Several students did not have their "Person I Admire" writing package at school today.
3.  Several students left their book report novels at home today.  They should be at school each day.
4.  Stratford form and fee due October 10.

Wednesday HW
1.  MMS Practice pages 30-31.  We are currently working with long division which is challenging for many of the students.  Times table control would be an area to practice independently.
2.  Person I Admire reseerach.  We will be researching and composing tomorrow.
3.  Stratford form and fee for october 10.
4.  Library tomorrow afternoon at 12:30.  Bring your books for exchange.

Tuesday HW
1.  POTW is due next Tuesday instead of this Friday.
2.  Read Book Report Novel for 20 minutes tonight.
3.  Person I Admire research.
4.  Stratford Trip form and fee due on October 10.  Cash if possible please.  I too have had to send larger amounts to school in cash for my own children's trips, so I understand the reluctance parents feel about that.

Almost all students have chosen a book report novel at this point.  In the next week students should also settle on a book report style that suits the novel they are reading. 

Monday HW
1.  Warren Park and Stratford forms and fees.  There is a typo in the letter for Stratford that I sent home.  Parent volunteers will be asked to cover a portion of the cost of the trip to Stratford that will include the ticket cost.  I will have more information on the exact amount shortly.
2.  Spelling Text work:  p. 17, # 2,3,4,5; p. 18 # 6,8; p. 19 # 1 and 2.
3.  Person I Admire research work.
4.  MMS practice page 25.