From Disgusting Recipes to Gum-Blowing Self-Portraits

VOLUNTEERS: PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO A SCHOOL ASSEMBLY, OUR PUMPKIN DAY WILL BEGIN AS PLANNED FIRST THING FRIDAY MORNING BUT WILL CONTINUE THIRD BLOCK INSTEAD OF SECOND BLOCK. WE WILL NEED VOLUNTEERS ONLY FOR THE FIRST BLOCK. DON'T DRESS FANCY FOR THIS EVENT!


In Religion the Grade 3s will learn of St. Vincent and how this poor boy grew up to care for others in spite of  his falling into the hands of pirates! Grade 4s continue to explore their bibles through scavenger hunts. Reinforce this by asking your child to look up a book, chapter and verse John 2:4 . In Math the Grade 3s are developing skills at using number patterns to add and subtract. Give your son or daughter similar problems to those on the practice sheets in his or her duotang. The grade 3 and 4 Science units join as we discuss erosion and weathering, with the grade 4s problems solving situations related to it. We continue listening to The Magical Land of Staff, a story of "note" people that teach through musical adventures the notes and their values. The Super Three Fours have already learned how to play a whole, half, quarter and eighth note. Grade 3s knowledge of good and poor food choices are now being applied to how they affect their teeth and how teeth must be cared for. The key nutrients (fats, carbohydrates, proteins...) and how we make choices are being discussed through diet logs and self-assessments in Grade 4 Health. Ask why your Grade 3 child needs to brush and floss before bed (and not before a meal) or why your child is choosing to eat a certain snack at a certain time (bored, TV, sweet, habit...). This  week  our Language study procedural texts ("How to Chew Gum") got displayed with Art works - Modigliani portraits blowing 3D bubbles (pictures coming soon!). We are looking forward to enjoying the student's  disgusting recipes which will be presented throughout the week.   Take a walk down the hallway next time your around the school to view them!

Welcome back to our class blog! A quick thanks to all the parents helping out with class materials and student learning. We are blessed to have a parent maintaining and preparing supplies, another three helping students pass learning hurdles and extend learning, and another two run the Home Reading Club. As the year progresses, I will send out invitations for parents to join us on trips and special activities. 


We have been focusing for some time now on developing responsible habits and organizing time, materials, and work for success in school. I will highlight using italic letters some examples of how students can do this. Feel free to discuss with your child how they are being responsible and organizing time, materials, and work (modelling attentive listening at mass, setting up for work quickly and avoiding distractions, keeping their desk organized, asking when unsure about work - but only after reading the directions and trying the work independently, bringing home and returning to school homework materials, returning supplies, planning work in notebooks and with the agenda. 

This Wednesday our class will learn how to curl using the program Rings and Rocks. Friday we have the school Harvest dance (see letter). Students are working hard on writing disgusting recipes (procedural writing) to present at a later date. They are practicing using specific reading strategies when reading self-selected texts. Many students are using tools (whisper phones, dictionaries, finger-reading) to improve their attention.  Encourage your child to use strategies to solve words and better understand texts when reading at home. Last week in Math we learned that we can use hundred charts to count (like a calculator). The trick is to see the patterns! For example, we learned that to add ten on a hundred chart we simply move down one square because this is the same as counting on ten squares! We practiced counting on hundred charts by 2s, 5s, 10s, and now we extend to higher numbers counting backwards and by 25s. Students are welcomed to use base 10 materials, the Math Strategy Board words, and to receive help from desk buddies as they work. Clear page set up and organizational strategies such as using vertical ruler lines to space digits are routinely encouraged. 

Our Einstein questions are being praised by others in the school! They are a wonderful opportunity for the students to learn to research a topic and to teach that school is just the beginning of their learning. While a few of the questions don't lend themselves easily to the program (eg "Are mothers always right?"), most do have clear answers and greatly appeal to the class. Students are developing initiative and follow-through on their natural curiosity. The questions are also providing an opportunity for the class to become familiar with technology. For example, the class is learning to navigate the internet (perform efficient searches, use history to recall websites). Typically, students research questions every two weeks in school and are encouraged to add to their notes on the weekend at home. On top of developing these skills, the students a getting an opportunity to increase their comfort level with presenting orally - many students at this age feel shy when presenting, but the short, high-interest, and quirky nature of the questions seems relieve this stress greatly. Your child is welcome to practice presenting his or her answers at home. Thank you for supporting this program!

As the wet season approaches . . .  What am I talking about? It's already here! - I highly recommend that you send in a tied bag of extra clothes to hang on your child's coatroom hook. Every year I see students wishing they had done this. Please make sure your child is dressed warmly enough when the colder days arrive. The temperature can change quite a bit from day to day. 

Welcome to our class blog where you will find highlights of interesting activities our class has been doing, comments that inspire and celebrate learning, and discussion starters for home.  I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with your family!

This week we look forward to a Thanksgiving mass at 10:30 on Thursday and our grade fours receiving bibles blessed by Father Krystian. Our first Religion study focusses on how we gather in one spirit as Catholics (Grade 3) and how in this gathering the Church hands on the good news (Grade 4 - why they receive bibles). Reinforce this by noting when you gather as a family to share daily challenges and successes, hopes and dreams, and perhaps how your faith has directed decisions. In Math we are using the Base ten knowledge from the last unit to find patterns in number charts. If you get the chance, plan your weeks etc using a calendar while noting patterns such as how moving down a square increases the number by 7. We have wrapped up our Language study of recount texts (the students' My Summer Flip Flop  texts are still on show outside the classroom), and are learning about procedural texts. Have your child join you in baking or putting together something using a manual. We are halfway through our first Science unit (Soils, Rocks and Minerals) and you'll receive the Mid-Unit Test soon to review with your son or daughter. The Magical Land of Staff is a story of "note" people that teach through musical adventures the notes and their values. The Super Three Fours have been listening to this story in Music and will soon apply this knowledge using musical instruments. If you get the chance, point out whole, half, quarter and eighth notes, as well as dynamics such as how volume is increased ("crescendo"). We continue discussing colours and lines in Art as students create Modigliani portraits to accompany their practice procedural texts they'll be writing (pictures coming soon!). How foods get from nature to our table (eg processing - Grade 3) and identifying the importance of key nutritients (fats, proteins) for our health (Grade 4) continue to be the focus in Health. Feel free to look at packaging, nutrition labels, ingredients and discuss how foods are healthy to eat, as well as which ones should be limited. Meanwhile, the students are enjoying active strategic games in Physical Education which demand not just hand eye coordination and various movement skills, but also teamwork and planning. Ask about some of the games and what strategies help your child's team to win them!