Ultimate Frisbee

 Since we have been perfecting our Frisbee skills during the last few gym classes, it was time for us to combine the skills and add team work by playing Ultimate Frisbee.  Check out the photos!

Final Literature Circle Meeting of the Year!

Number the Stars

Bridge to Terabithia

I Want to Go Home

Jacob's Rescue

Shiloh

On Wednesday we held our final Literature Circle meeting of the year. 



Many groups expressed that they experienced much enjoyment while reading their book.  I will open up the opportunity for students to exchange books if they would like to read one of these titles for the last few weeks of the year.  For the next few days we will be working on our final group book talks.  Originally this even was scheduled for Wednesday June 3, but that now conflicts with the track and field meet.  As a result we will present them on June 4 instead.  If the meet is rained out, we will keep the June 3 date, however.  Please watch for the duo tangs to come home immediately after the presentations for a parent's signature.

Drama Rehearsals

The rehearsals for our play are moving along nicely.  This week we will secure props and the set.  All students are asked to have their costumes at school for rehearsal on Friday May 29.  The photos you see here were taken during rehearsals on Friday May 22.

EQAO is happening here!

Only EQAO anchor charts are allowed

There are strict rules that we must follow in order to ensure that the EQAO test is indeed a standardized evaluation.  As a result this is what our room looks like now.  

Dictionaries and thesauruses are allowed when
 writing paragraphs and stories ONLY

all anchor charts have been removed.....

...or covered

Here is our latest collection of vocabulary words presented by the students.  Some are now doing extra words!  What a crew!

Good News and Many Thanks!

 Congratulations to last week's Good News ticket winners:  Katrina, Connor (twice), Tyler, and Eric!  Keep up the great work!

The students were told to "hug the curb" while walking.

On Friday we walked to the nearest mailbox and mailed the persuasive letters that we completed.  The students were very excited to do this and eagerly anticipate responses.  Get ready Mom and Dad, some of you will be getting letters too!  If/when students receive letters back, please have them bring them in so that we can share!

Many thanks are extended to Katrina and her group of party planners.  I was pleasantly surprised with homemade cupcakes, streamers, a message on the chalkboard, and messages on the computer screens in celebration of my birthday.

EQAO BULLETIN

As you know, we will begin the junior EQAO assessment bright and early on Monday morning.  PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS ARE NOT LATE as this will cause unnecessary interruptions for others when they are trying to concentrate, and will result in late students missing instructions for that day.  The testing will last for the next six school days (morning only), so unless an illness develops, please ensure that school is attended daily!

In order to prepare, make sure that students are in bed early each night, eat a good breakfast, bring a healthy morning snack and a water bottle that can remain on their desk for the day.  Wearing comfortable clothing is also a great idea since they will be required to remain sitting for the duration of the test.  On Thursday everyone wrote in their agenda the materials that is each student's responsibility to have at school for the test.  Please make sure those items are ready to go as we cannot share erasers, math sets, etc. during the test.  Yes it is true!  The students will be able to use a calculator for all portions of the math assessment, so please ensure that they have a working one at school.

In recent weeks, the students have been asked to review the anchor charts found on our web site as a way to prepare.  That is really all that they need to do.  We have been preparing for this event all year and I feel that they are as ready as they will ever be.  They have learned how to answer literacy open response questions in five lines or less with all of the successful attributes, how to answer multiple choice questions, how to use the steps of problem solving for math (staying inside the box), developed a diverse vocabulary, and learned what a wide variety of questions are asking them to do.  We have read a long list of texts and have developed many reading strategies.  We have written many text forms, used all of the writing traits, and gained appreciation for the dictionary and thesaurus.  Now the rest is up to them!  Best of luck and knowledge everyone and thanks to all of the families for your support! 

Literature Circle Meeting #3

Jacob's Rescue

Bridge to Terabithia

Shiloh

I Want to Go Home

Number the Stars

 On Wednesday we held our third Literature Circle Meeting.  I am pleased with how engaged and on task most of the groups are.  We are in the middle of our last week of reading.  On Wednesday the students will be awarded a level based on their reading and their participation in their groups.  Please remind them that their story wheel is due on May 27 as well.

We are completely out of kleenex again. If you could kindly donate a box that we could use for the last few weeks of school, I would greatly appreciate it!

Vocabulary and Point of View

Here are the latest two sets of vocabulary words.  Although each student has been scheduled for one more turn by the end of June, some students have volunteered to do extra words (this is a new phenomenon for me!).  As we worked through our latest reading strategy, I have noticed a marked increase in the use of sophisticated vocabulary.  Keep up the great work!

Last week we worked diligently on yet another reading strategy - Point of View.  This requires much higher level thinking skills and schema to be successful.  In addition to the mentor text I reported on last week, we also used the following.  Ask your child about it!
 

Results and EQAO Preparation

Congratulations to those students who completed last week's proportional reasoning blog math question on time.  Yesterday six students had to use their recess to complete the question since their homework was not done.  Ask your child if they did or not.

This question was a challenging one because it combined the knowledge of area, division, and percent into one along with proportional reasoning.  Please examine the solution shown here for a complete response.  Congratulations to Victoria, Helena, and Andrea who were the only students who provided the correct answer, with varying levels of success when it came to making their thinking visible.  These questions are great examples of how and why good math questions are levellable - there is either more than one way to reach a solution and/or there can be more than one answer depending on the question.  While doing basic computations are necessary to learning and perfecting skills, those in themselves are not levellable.

This was the final blog math question for this school year.  I hope you gained knowledge, experience, and confidence!

Yesterday we took a look at a previous EQAO test.  I wanted to show the students why we have done what we have done all year.  My tests have been crafted to look and sound like EQAO - I do not use the tests provided in teachers' manuals.  My method of evaluation also mirrors that of EQAO.  Therefore, you should be able to anticipate similar marks as you have been receiving in the classroom. Ask your child what they thought - hopefully this made them feel more confident about the process.  Feel free to use the link on our web site to check it out for yourself or to have your child practise some more!

Good News and Mary Celebration

 Congratulations to last week's Good News ticket winners:  Justin (twice), Mattle, Joey, and Nate.  Keep up the great work!

On Friday we celebrated our annual Mary Celebration.  The strength of 400 people praying the rosary together is powerful!

Happy Victoria Day!

Happy Victoria Day to all!  Did you know that the purpose of this holiday was to honour a former Queen of England, Queen Victoria?    (don't forget that Canada used to be a British colony, so we will always have a special bond with Great Britain)  She was very popular, and since her birthday was May 24, it was decided that the third Monday in May each year would be a holiday.  That is where the term "the May 2-4 Weekend" comes from, even though May 24 doesn't always land on this weekend.  We are blessed with great weather this weekend, so get out and do the things you enjoy!  If you choose to use fireworks (one of two weekends this season that it is allowed), please make sure to observe all safety procedures and city by-laws!