March 20th, 2015.

It was an interesting week in room 4.  There was a great deal of sickness in the class, with over one third of the class absent each day!  We wrapped up a number of our projects including our powerpoint presentations, weather reports and nest paintings.

Thank you to all of the families who came out for our student-led conferences.  It was wonderful to watch the pride the children had as they shared their work.  We may have some future teachers in the group!

Wishing you all a wonderful spring break.

March 13th, 2015.

In Math, we continued working on multiplication of larger 2 and 3 digit numbers.  We practiced both the traditional and grid methods and most students have a method that they prefer.  Ask your child which method works best for them.  The students worked with a partner, playing race to 10 000 and race to 100 000.  When playing the game the students are multiplying and adding large numbers.  This has been a challenge for many!

The students put a great amount of effort into the creation of a mixed media art project.  We are creating birds nests using acrylic paint, old book pages, feathers and gloss medium. 

Mrs.Pols Completed Piece

We began looking at different virtues such as confidence, perseverance and honesty.  We discussed and created short plays representing the different values.  The students wrote about what they felt were their top ten virtues.  It was amazing to see how aware most students were of their strengths and areas for growth.

In Physical Education, we have been working on a variety of fitness challenges to increase our strength, flexibility, endurance and cardio health.  We have been doing circuits that include exercises such as burpees, v-ups and tuck jumps.  The students are a tired group by the end of class! 

Squats and Push Ups

Step Ups

We had the opportunity to watch a presentation of "Snow Angel" by Quest Theatre.  The play was inspired by the City of Calgary's Snow Angel Program.  It follows two children as they learned what it means to be a care for those around you and to be a good neighbor.  The entire play was done without dialogue and relied on the music and the movements of the actors.  This was quite a change from the Opera presentation we watched last week.

Our work on the Opera is well underway.  The students have been working to learn and memorize their songs.  Students are encouraged to practice at home.  The music may be found at the site below.

https://sites.google.com/a/educbe.ca/opera-music/opera-music

Please remember that we have student led conferences next Thursday evening and Friday morning.  We are looking to sharing our work with you at that time.

March 6th, 2015.

In Math, we began working on multiplying larger two and three digit numbers.  We started with looking at patterns when multiplying by 10, 100 and 1000.  We then learned the grid method for multiplying larger numbers.  The students experienced a great deal of success with this method.  They were excited to be able to solve questions with products into the thousands!  Next week, the students will be taught the traditional method that, as parents, most of us learned in school.  Many students will prefer one method to the other.  Once they have learned both methods, they may choose to use the one that works best for them.  As we move into multiplying numerals with multiple digits, students who struggle with their basic facts, find the process to be quite challenging.  We therefore encourage students to practice their basic multiplication facts at home.

Working on 3 by 2 digit multiplication

Using the grid method to multiply

In Science, we looked at a number of weather forecasts and reports and researched the terminology used.  We learned about high and low pressure systems and warm and cold fronts.  The students will be using the weather vocabulary words they have researched as they create their own weather forecasts.

Learning how to predict weather

In Language Arts, the students have been writing about a place that has a special meaning to them.  We used our senses to describe the sights, sounds and feelings of their place.  Ask your child what they chose for their special place.

One of the highlights of the week was the reveal of the music for our opera, "The Wilds".  It was especially exciting to have a chance to sing the part that our class will be performing in the Opera. Playing the part of a zombie will certainly be a lot of fun!

We were also very fortunate to watch a presentation by the Calgary Opera, "The Scorpions Sting".  The opera followed a group of archeologists lost in the Egyptian desert as they discover the ancient myth of Isis as they try to save their professor.  It was exciting to think that we will soon be putting on an opera of our own!