March 6, 2020 Update

Parent(s),

In response to Alberta Health Services asking the Calgary Board of Education to distribute information on the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the students and I will be having some discussions next week about the importance of hand washing, sneezing into your elbow, and not touching our own faces.  Please know that I will structure the student discussions in a way that it won't alarm or frighten the children about the virus.  Additionally, I will be providing multiple opportunities throughout the school day for the students to wash their hands (e.g. after gym, prior to eating their recess snacks, and before lunch). I encourage you to have conversations with your child over the weekend about the importance of hand washing and/or sneezing into your elbow to stop the spread of germs.

For more information on the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), please go to the CBE website.

Love-to-Read Week:

Yesterday, the students in my class were surprised to find out who their Mystery Reader was.  It was Constable Valstar!  He is the school's resource officer (SRO) who had previously visited our classroom at the beginning of the school year.  He read the book Mr. Peabody's Apples which tells the story about a beloved teacher and baseball coach that finds himself alone on the baseball field because someone spread a rumour that he was a thief.  The lesson of this book is that what really matters is the truth; not how things appear.  And that we need to choose our words carefully to avoid hurting others.  Afterwards, the class had a discussion about the importance of not spreading gossip and how online messaging platforms can spread rumours quickly to hundreds of people.  Essentially, Constable Valstar's message was for everyone to use technology responsibly.  

Students are in the process of writing Book Reviews for picture books about the environment or nature.  A couple of weeks ago, we explored what the review should look like and how to create review titles and short book introductions that are strong and summarize the story without telling too much.  This week, the students are using questions (e.g. who lives in the book? or where are we?) to help them write about the characters and setting(s) of the book.  Next week, the students will examine the plot and theme of their selected books as well as determine their overall reaction or opinion of it.  It is our plan to have these book reviews completed so that you can read them during Student-Led Conferences.

Please note that all Love-to-Read donation folders need to be returned by Thursday, March 12th.

Art:

I have included in the blog some of the student's Everyday Object artwork.  The rest of the student's pieces will be up on the classroom bulletin board by this coming Wednesday.  Feel free to come and take a look!

Math:

We've been exploring different personal strategies to complete 2 digit by 1 and 3 digit by 1 multiplication sentences or equations.  Also, student have been learning about the distributive property since they are expected to apply it.  Below, I have included examples of the different strategies as well as the distributive property.  Please take a look. 

Traditional Method / Algorithm

Box Method

Lattice Method

Distributive Property

Bye for now,

Ms. LeVesconte

A Few Details....

Parent(s),

Please take a look at the information below.

Valentines Day Cards:
On Monday, I will be sending home a class list of names for Valentine cards.  The rule in my classroom regarding the distribution of cards is that either everyone in the class gets one or no one in the class gets one.  This rule is in place in order to prevent hurt feelings between the children and to also allow those who don't want to participate to have the option not to.  Valentine Day cards will be given out on Wednesday, February 12th in the afternoon.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Request for Gardening Magazines/Books:
Mrs. Gerla and myself were wondering if anyone had any gardening magazines or books that they no longer wanted or needed.  The magazines or books would be cut up for pictures/words for student vision boards for our Eco-Leaders school community garden project.  If so, please send them in to school with your child.  Please note that we need the magazines or books by Friday, February 21st.  Thank you!  

Terry Fox T-Shirt Design Contest:
I mentioned to the students that there is a t-shirt contest for the 40th Anniversary of the Marathon of Hope.  This information was passed on to me on Wednesday and a few students in the class expressed an interested in creating and submitting a design.  Please take a look at the submission details at the attached web address.  If interested, students are asked to complete this project at home.

Terry Fox 40th Anniversary T-Shirt

Glenbow Museum Field Trip: 

Nitsitapiisinni: Our Way of Life (AM - School Program)

                                     

    

Resourceful People: Albertans and their Natural Resources (PM - School Program)

   

Bye for now,
Ms. LeVesconte (Ms. L)

Information and Reminders....

Parent(s),

This message is an informational one.  Please take a look below. 

Glenbow Museum Field Trip:

On the informational page of the paperwork that was sent home, we forgot to mention that students are to bring a peanut free non-microwaveable lunch on the day of the field trip. 

Some of you may have experienced frustration around being able to pay for the field trip fee of $25.00 online or through the point of sale machine in the office.  There has been a new change with how things are set up for pay fees.  Apparently, each field trip fee needs be set up downtown before parents can pay online or on the POS system.  The set up time takes a maximum of 10 business days.  If you'd like, you can either wait until the fee payment is set up or you can send in a cheque to cover the cost of the field trip.  Thank you for your understanding!

Recycled Item Art Project:

Students have been continuing to explore Victor Nunes' artwork of everyday objects.  As their cumulative art project, students have been asked to bring in an item from your blue recycling bin at home.  Please ensure that the selected object doesn't have any sharp edges (e.g. a tin lid) or isn't too large or bulky to attach to a piece paper that is 11x17.  All student recyclable items need to be at school by Wed. February 5th.  Thank you!

Take a look at the video of his artwork below.

Food Bank Challenge:

We are still collecting non-perishable food items for our Food Bank drive until February 7th.  Early last week, there were still two cardboard boxes empty so the staff at Briar Hill decided to put forth a challenge between the Division 1 and Division 2 students to see which division could fill up their box.  If you have already donated please know that we appreciate your generosity and support of our initiative.  For those who would still like to donate, I've included a list of some of the most needed items at the Calgary Food Bank.

• Juice (1 litre)
• Baby Formula with Iron
• Pasta
• Pasta Sauce
• Canned Tomatoes
• Peanut Butter
• Canned Beans in Tomato Sauce
• Cereal
• Canned and Dry Soup
• Baby Formula
• Canned Fish
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Canned Vegetables
• Rice
• Canned Meat
• Canned Fruit
• Diapers

Up and Coming:

Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020

Glenbow Museum Field Trip - Rooms 3 & 4

Friday, Feb. 7, 2020

Family Dance

• Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020
  School Council

  6:45 PM - 8:30 PM
  

  
  
• Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020
  Teachers' ConventionNo Classes

  All Day
  

  
  
• Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
  Teachers' ConventionNo Classes

  All Day
  

  
  
• Monday, Feb. 17, 2020
  Family DayNo Classes / Statutory Holiday

  All Day
  

  
  

Regards,

Ms. LeVesconte

1st blog message of 2020

Just a few of the student postcards for the
Canadian Armed Service Members

     

Parent(s),

I hope this finds everyone in good spirits and health!  Sorry it has taken me so long to send out a blog message.  I had wanted to do one earlier but due to circumstances; I never got an opportunity to do so.  This message will primarily focus on some things that the class has been doing as well as highlight up and coming events and curriculum.

Poetry Residency / Poetry Cafe
The images below show some of the student's poems as well as them participating in the Poetry Cafe.

  

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Eco-Leaders Conference (Jan. 22nd)

As part of our Eco-Leader's community garden project, six student representatives and myself were required to attend a conference at the Ralph Klein Park & Environmental Education Centre.  The images below show some of the workshops that the students attended as well as the amazing environmental education building.  If you haven't already visited this place, I would highly recommended anyone who is interested in the environment, wetlands, and birds to do so.   

Workshops

Impact of Climate Change and Biodiversity

  

Tour of the Composting Facility

              

   

Ralph Klein Park & Environmental Education Centre 

(the building and surroundings)

 

 

Hands on displays and closing remarks 

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Up and Coming Curriculum

• working on and finishing 2 poems based on the book The Tin Forest (this includes using a rubrics to ensure that they have included all of the 'Must Haves' in their poems as well as having a peer edit them)
• selecting the natural species plants to grow in our school community garden
• review or go over the different ways that plants reproduce (e.g. seeds, rhizome, or spores)
• review or go over the different parts of a plant (e.g. stems, leaves, leaf stalk, shoots, flower bud, main root, secondary roots, root hairs, flower, petals, stamen, pistil, and sepals)
• wrapping up the unit on Waste and Our World (e.g. compare different kinds of packaging and infer the relative advantages and disadvantages of that packaging, identify kinds of wastes that may be toxic to people and to the environment, develop a flow chart for a consumer product that indicates the source materials, final product, its use and method of disposal, and develop and implement a plan to reduce waste, and monitor what happens over a period of time)
• continue exploring Everyday Objects turned into Illustrations (inspired by Victor Nunes) and then creating a final artwork piece
• starting the math unit of multiplication this week
• starting the French units La fête de la Saint Valentin and Ma Famille
• begin the Social Studies unit on The Stories, Histories and People of Alberta
• continuing to explore and play Handball in gym

Request for Volunteers

On Thursday, February 6th the students in room 4 are going on a field trip to the Glenbow Museum to take part in the Nitsitapiisinni: Our Way of Life and the Resourceful People: Albertans and their Natural Resources programs.  At this time, we still require at least one parent volunteer in order to be able to participate in these programs. If you have an up to date police clearance and are willing to volunteer please contact me at my CBE email account.

Bye for now,
Ms.LeVesconte