Week of September 26 - 30, 2016

Friday HW
We had a very successful Terry Fox fundraising effort in our class!  We raised $570!  Thanks for your generosity!

Thursday HW
1.  Tomorrow is Pizza Day lunch.
2.Math Quiz tomorrow:  Unit 2, Lessons 5 and 7 (Prime/Composite Numbers; Mental Math).  Students should study their MMS homework books and try redoing sample problems from our in-class practice.
3.  Terry Fox Reflection Journal done tonight and due in class tomorrow.
4.  Terry Fox Donations:  We have collected $488.oo in cash and online.
5.  French Quiz tomorrow.

Wednesday HW
1.  MMS Lesson 2.8, pages 24-25
2.  Math Quiz on Unit 2, Lessons five and seven (Prime/Composite, Mental Math) on Friday, September 30.  Students should study their MMS homework books and try redoing sample problems from our in-class practice.
3.  Spelling:  3 lists from the Word Up List word set #3.
4.  Have a news journal article in class for next Tuesday.
5.  Terry Fox Run tomorrow -- rain or shine.

I did a class homework check yesterday for the MMS and the Spelling I assigned on Monday.  Both assignments were worked on in class to some degree before going home.  I noticed some habits developing that concern me to greater and lesser degrees:

• Almost half my class did not do any (or all) of the assigned work/practice. It's hard to improve based solely on in-class repetition.
• The standard of written work was really lacking.  I know the kids can write more neatly and at greater length, using the lines and margins provided.  What seems to be taking hold is that daily work can be done with minimal effort that isn't reflective of the better efforts on their submitted work for marks.
• Titles, dates and margin numbering may seem like a quaint preoccupation, but the student work without these is worthless for later review and study.  There is no way to make head or tail of the practice in a notebook when a student looks back at his/her own work that looks like that.  I have put to the test several times -- "Can you read for me what you wrote here?" is a question that is rarely answerable for a growing number of learners.  Modeling is provided and a rationale for it as well.  I need some buy-in from some students at this point.  Computer networks have failed already once this year at Runnymede.  Paper and pencil are reliable and cheap and will be used in the near and later future in our class.  

Thanks for having an informal chat with your students if you can to reinforce my messages.

Sorry to Tuesday's late posting -- I had to run out for Slow Pitch Practice.  The kids were given time to write the items in their agendas.

Tuesday HW
1.  Dictation on Word Up #2 tomorrow.
2.  MMS page 23-23
3.  Stratford fees and forms were due today.
4.  Terry Fox donations -- we have $76 today.
5.  15 Sentences for spelling.

Monday HW
1.  Math Quiz tomorrow:  Unit 2, Lessons 1,2 and 3.
2.  MMS 2.5 page 20 and p. 21, except for the game.
3.  Spelling text work:  p. 13, # 2,3, and 4; p. 15 # 5,6; and p. 15 #1.
4.  Terry Fox Money.  Our class total is #25.  The run is this Thursday.
5.  Stratford form and fee are due tomorrow.