Weekend Update

Hello parents,
So much going on! Where to begin?
First of all, it's late notice, but I'm in the middle of a super busy music time right now and have two concerts this weekend that you might be interested in. Both are with a fantastic choral group called Incontra. We are presenting a Christmas program Saturday evening at 7:00, at  Knox College Chapel (U of T) and Sunday afternoon at 4:00 at Christ Church Deer Park (Yonge & St. Clair). Both concerts will be great - I think Sunday's includes a sing-along! Tickets will be available at the door.

Thanks for the field trip forms. I've received about half of them already. I noticed that some did not make it into bags, so if you haven't received one yet, please ask your student to bring it home or ask for another copy.

Yesterday we had two presentations. First, our grade 6s had a workshop about homophobia, presented by Teach with Planned Parenthood. Thanks to our fantastic gym teacher for organizing this. During the workshop, students had the opportunity to ask about many of the terms they may have heard, such as "asexual", "transgender", "queer". The leaders defined these terms in an age appropriate manner, explained some misconceptions and let us know when it might be inappropriate to use the terms. They explained the difference between sexual identity and gender identity and unpacked many of the stereotypes commonly associated with different identities. Finally, they discussed how we can take positive steps towards inclusion and treating everyone with respect. I was proud that, overwhelmingly, our grade 6s responded actively and respectfully during this workshop.

Next, we had our regular financial literacy workshop. Our characters are 34 years old and have gotten married, purchased homes and had kids! Now that we are in the real estate market, our net worths have increased substantially, but we still had hard decisions to make about what path we want to follow now in terms of career and housing. Some characters are really struggling with the high costs of child care... (this workshop is starting to feel reeeally personal!). Our lesson was about taxes. We learned about the different ways that we pay tax, and where those dollars go. To some, it was a surprise that we are actually paying for health care, even though we don't whip out our credit cards at each hospital visit. Anna broke down where are dollars are going at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. She also explained what can happen if you don't pay your taxes correctly, highlighting how this is different than if you don't pay a credit card bill. This topic certainly merits further discussion!

This week, we presented our P'tit Jean et la Sorcière play to Mme Potor's grade 2/3 class. They will be our reading buddies this year!

This week, we also started a special Intercultural Understanding unit with Mme Gaudreault. She will be working with us once a week (until February) in the library on this French language expectation. We have begun by talking about critical thinking and bias, and getting to know some players from the French National Soccer Team.

With progress reports completed, each student has set a goal and has stuck it to the corner of their desk so that it is top of mind. I will do my best to give stars when I notice that they are working hard towards their goal (e.g., putting in a greater effort, speaking French with peers). I have also updated our learning skills rubric for Term 1, which will take us until February. This updated rubric contains everything we had been working on before, and one additional expectation per learning skill. These are based on my observations of where our class is struggling, and also a class discussion where students gave their input of what we are doing well and where we need to improve. In particular, we talked at length about having integrity - meaning, doing the right thing, even when we think no one is looking. This came up in discussions about grade 6 lunch and when we've had supply teachers.
Students filled out an updated rubric today. I need to look at them, and will send them home next week for signature. At that time, please read over the added expectations and review them with your student. We went over everything today and I know it is all very manageable.

This week we also completed our math test, which I will also send home next week. Our new unit will be patterning! Next week we will also be ready (hopefully) to start a new art project, our reading groups, and perhaps a new French writing project.
In Science, the grade 6s will finish their presentations and complete their self-assessment of their work on this independent project. The grade 5s had an awesome class yesterday, finishing up their models. We will schedule their presentations for the month of December. Some groups have already started working enthusiastically on this part!

Have a great weekend,
Tamara

Upcoming math test probable

Dear parents,
By now you should have received any photos you ordered, and a copy of our class photo! Tomorrow, please look out for a form for our next field trip. On Friday, Dec. 13, we will be heading to Ripley's Aquarium for a full day of fun and discovery. This trip costs $12/student which can be paid using Cash Online. Our class is allowed to bring 3 parent chaperones. Please indicate whether you are interested on the form, which is due back by December 10th at the very latest.

I want to give you a heads up that we will be having our Data Management math test this Wednesday. Last week's homework was a short review, which we took up this morning. Last Friday we completed our pretest which was sent home today. We have done well on this one, but we will take up the pretest tomorrow morning and students can ask about anything they were unclear on. Please sign and return the pretest promptly! In this unit, we covered the terms mode, moyenne, médiane and l'étendue (range). We looked at different types of diagrams and had several discussions about the potential uses of each. In particular, line graphs were likely new this year. We also reviewed some probability terms and added the step of describing probability as a fraction.
Last week we spent two double math periods rotating through 7 fun probability centres. Each centre was a different probability game (dice, cards, coin toss, spinner, "Roll up the Rim", lottery and the 3 doors problem). Each game was explained in a booklet where we were also asked to make predictions about the likelihood of outcomes, and then note the results as we played the game. There were some deeper follow-up questions for several activities. Ask your student what their strategy will be if they are ever featured on a game show with the 3-door problem. This isn't on the test, but we took the time to watch a couple explanatory videos on it because it is super interesting!

 

 
In French, we are now working independently to type up a resume of a text we read and discussed together - gradually building our independence with resume writing. In English, we just made an independent effort at finding the main idea and supporting arguments in a short paragraph, after a few weeks of working together. In French grammar, we have been working on adjectives for a few weeks - descriptive, possessive and now comparative.

In Science, our grade 6s are doing their presentations on their independent research and hands-on activity. So far, we have seen some videos, slide shows, interactive games, and Bill Nye-style presentations. The audience is taking notes on each presentation and for the first few, we commented on the effectiveness of the presentations giving positive and constructive comments that can benefit those who have yet to present.

The grade 5s are working on their hands-on component of their project. Many groups have chosen to build a model of an organ or organ system. They have brought some materials from home, and have let me know, in their plan, what supplies they need from me. We will have one more building period on Thursday and then we will get to work on presentations as well.

I think you're up to date for now!
Have a great week!

Surprise at the end!

Dear parents,
Thanks so much for meeting with me last week. It's always a pleasure to work with families that are so supportive, who listen and want to work together. There seemed to be a common feeling in many interviews that while our students are doing fine, they are not pushing themselves as fully as they could be, and none of us want to settle for just getting by. I will continue doing my best to set high expectations and make them clear to students so that they know how to meet them. One of the expectations that has been clear since the beginning is speaking in French with peers during French work periods. While I know that this takes some effort, there really is nothing preventing us from doing it, so I do hope that the kids will feel a renewed sense of responsibility in this area. This week we will set some personal goals to work towards, and I will do my best to recognize students who are making an effort to work towards their personal goal for improvement.

I hope, when you were here, that you had a chance to see our beautiful paintings before they started falling down. They are a little heavy for hanging the way I tried to! Here's what they looked like...

Last week in Financial Literacy, we earned money for our characters through a game of Jeopardy, reviewing all the information we have taken in over the past 5 weeks. We have 3 more classes left and our characters will be around 38 years old this week.

Last week we celebrated Remembrance day with a lovely assembly and sharing some personal stories in class. We also read a short informational text about Remembrance day together as a class and practiced answering some grammar and comprehension questions, similar to what students will be preparing for their Club de Lecture meetings in the near future.

We've continued to practiced our dramatic storytelling of P'tit Jean et la Sorcière. We plan to present this for Mme Potor's class soon, and then continue on as reading buddies for these grade 2/3 students.

Students who have not yet finished typing their good copies of their personal narratives are now doing this as homework, and they have already had almost a week since our last in class computer period for this. This should be written in agendas each day that it still applies. Please remind your student to prioritize this task. Sharing our stories out loud is optional, as some of them are quite personal, however students are welcome to do so.

In other news... I am excited (and nervous!) to share with you that I'm expecting a baby in the spring. At almost 5 months along, this may not come as a surprise... I'm not sure I was hiding it very well. I finally told the kids this morning and they were very excited.
This has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I'm so happy to share it with this class. Of course, I'm very sad that I won't be the one to finish this important year with the kids, but on the other hand, I'm glad they will be around long enough to meet the baby after it's born.
I understand that there may be concerns around the transition to a different teacher. Please know that I am already planning for that and will do everything I can to make the transition as smooth as possible. As always, you can contact me with questions.
Thanks so much for your support at this special time in my life.
- Tamara

Interview Times

Dear parents,
I just want to let you know that I sent home interview times on slim green slips of paper today. I sent the kids on a mission to give these to you and let you know to email me if your time does not work. I did assign times to all families, even if I didn't receive your form back, and even if we recently met. If you don't feel we need to meet again so soon, or if the assigned time is not convenient, just send me a quick email and we'll find a time next week. Unfortunately I don't have a minute left this Thursday evening and I'm not available Wednesday - report card day.

When you come for your interview, please try your best to be on time, and I will try my best to stay on time. Fifteen minutes goes by quick, so if there is something specific you want to talk about, please bring it up at the beginning. If we need more time, I'm happy to schedule a follow-up in the next few weeks.

While you're here, please check out the lost & found, near room 101 now (see signs), and the book fair in the library. I'll also see if I can figure out how to mount our Group of 7 paintings by then so you have something to admire in the hall while you wait....

Today I handed back the mode, median and mean (moyenne) quizzes we did on Friday. The big stumbling block for most was median. Many students forgot that the list of numbers has to be in order before you find the middle number. If students forgot that detail, I've given them two more little lists of numbers to practice on tonight. I won't mark it or chase them for it, it's for their benefit only - they are welcome to show me their work to confirm their understanding. Tomorrow I will assign our regular weekly homework - grammar this week.

See you soon,
Tamara

Interview Scheduling

Dear parents,
My interview schedule is filling up very quickly, and I have yet to hear from 9 families. If you have not yet returned your yellow form to me, please know I only have two available times left on Thursday, both later in the evening. If you are able to come after 9:15 am on the Friday, please mark this on the sheet. If you are not available later Thursday or Friday morning, please give me an alternative - perhaps Tuesday the 12th after school (but before reports go home) or the following week. If I don't receive your form back by Monday, I will assign you an available time and hope that you can make it. We like to see all families at this point in the year. Thanks for your flexibility!

Today in Financial Literacy, we got another update on our characters and had to make yet another tough decision for them. Our lesson was about using credit cards - cash advances, transferring balances, all the fees associated with credit cards, how your management of your payments can positively or negatively affect your credit score, and the overall pros and cons of having a credit card. Anna is fantastic - she fields about a million questions in her hour with us, and listens to lots of opinions. She is able to give us very good base knowledge and general information about all these topics, but I do hope that the kids are coming home and asking more specific questions about finances. For example, when we talked about OSAP v. a bank loan, there were lots of opinions, and not necessarily a right answer. You might have a strong feeling about how your child might fund their post-secondary education, and it would be a great discussion to have right now!

In math, we are having a very short (1 question) quiz tomorrow on calculating moyenne, médiane and mode. I will be leaving our anchor chart up during the quiz, so as long as students have been feeling good about the practice we've been doing in class, they don't need to worry about it. We have to move on to more of the probability side of data management and we will have a test later which encompasses these terms, the graphs we have studied, and what we cover in probability.

In English and French language, while we finish up our French stories and English science project, we are also moving along with learning how to find the main idea, with supporting arguments, and write a great (but concise) resume. All grade 5/6 classes are working on these skills for the next while. We have done some guided practice going step by step through how to find the information that is important to include in a resume, and then write it up. And, we have been reading passages together to find the one specific main idea, and the arguments that support it. We will gradually move towards greater independence with these tasks. Please ask your reader what the difference is between finding the main idea, and writing a resume, and what some helpful strategies are for doing this.

In drama, we have been working on our "Novel-in-an-hour" activity, though we spent a little more than an hour. Each group was given one chapter of a fairly simple chapter book (one that some remember from grade 1), and together, they had to read it and present it as a drama. Some groups chose to have a narrator, others acted it out through the lenses of the characters. Some groups sent me background images to project, others prepared background sets and props. All groups really did a tremendous job presenting their chapter, and we all understood the whole story by the end of presentations. We actually did such a good job with the presentations, and all the transitions between chapters, that we hope to present our story to another class soon! Ask your actor what role they played in their chapter of "P'tit Jean et la Sorcière".

In Science, the grade 5s are continuing on through their 6 science activity centres, which have been really fun and successful. The grade 6s have spent a class outside investigating the Dewson school yard to complete the "Hands-On" portion of their project. They either had to compare two organisms that they found, or create an organizer to classify as many living things as they could find. I forgot to take pictures, but it was fun to see some groups digging and finding worms or insects, and other groups trying to identify types of trees or figure out how to count how much grass we have.

I also want to thank the class for their kindness with a personal matter. We had a scare last weekend with my grandmother's health, and I let the kids know that I would surely be absent for a couple days in the near future as we were preparing to say goodbye - but if anyone can escape from palliative care, you can count on my grandma to do it. She's still 94, but for now, the immediate threat has passed, and the class applauded for her - it was very sweet!

Please read on below for info on The Redeemers!

Shameless self-promotion!

Dear families,
As many of you know, I sing with a little group called 'The Redeemers'. We cover mostly doo-wop music from the 50s & 60s. It's super cute and lots of fun! We have two shows coming up, one of which had flyers available at curriculum night, so you may know about it.

1) Wednesday, Nov. 20, 7:30 pm @ Hugh's Room. This is a special event for us and we want to fill the venue as much as possible, but we are a small group! Tickets are available through the venue's website - $20 in advance/$25 at the door. You can have dinner while you watch!

2) Friday, Nov. 15, 7:00 pm @ The Gladstone Hotel. This will be like our dress for the big show, but we always love having a good audience at the Gladstone, and since we are inviting everyone we know to Hugh's, we would love to see some new faces here. It's casual, you can show up late, leave early, you can eat, you can dance, and the best part - this one's free!

Hope to see some of you on one of those evenings, and please share this shamelessly with any music lovers you know!
Tamara

Happy Friday!

Happy belated Halloween! I saw some great costumes yesterday! Our class had voted to celebrate by having free time with personal electronics allowed (I had also made them graph the results of our survey, hahaha!). I was pleased that all students used their devices appropriately and I didn't see any phones or tablets after our free time was over. I've reminded students that phones are not to be pulled out at recess, with the exception of grade 6 Friday lunch off-property. Phones are sometimes causing delays during transition times, for example trying to get out at the end of the day, as students are pulling them out and standing around rather than packing and moving!

After free time yesterday, we continued in a Halloween theme with an interesting listening and drawing activity. I told our class the story of Symphonie Fantastique, a program symphony by French composer Hector Berlioz. The music tells the story of a young writer who has fallen in love with an actress, but she does not return his affection. He has a series of dreams and nightmares and at one point in the music, we actually hear him get beheaded! In the final movement, witches and goblins and other monsters dance at his funeral. It's a great Halloween story, and everyone loves hearing his head bounce into the basket! As we listened, students illustrated each movement in a booklet. Please ask them about the story of the symphony and how much of it is true to life!

In Financial Literacy yesterday, we talked about credit cards. How do pay it back, and what happens if you don't pay back the entire balance each month? Ask your student how long it would take to pay back a $2000 television purchase if you just paid the minimum payment each month, and how much it would actually end up costing over that time. 

Our groups saw the consequences of the decision they made for their character last week. The characters are now 22 years old and have another life decision to make. Ask your student what choice they made this time and why.

In math this week, we have looked at several different types of graphs, determined what they are useful for, and practiced creating them. We used a great site called "Kids' Zone" for making circle graphs, and as it is linked to Classroom, the kids can try out the other types of graphs anytime. We also looked at pictograms, broken-line graphs and stem-and-leaf tables this week. 

In French, we are typing the good copies of our stories and moving ahead with learning how to write a good summary. Our grammar this week involves forming the passé composé without a Bescherelle. While there are always exceptions in French, there are some basic rules that work for most verbs. We went through it slowly together in class, and the instructions are also attached to the homework assignment in Classroom.

In Science, we are getting to the stage where our written component for our project should be done, and we can start planning our hands-on portion. Next week, grade 6s will be going outside to examine living things in our yard. Grade 5s will be doing some building, or an experiment, which may be similar to one of the centres we did the other day.
The grade 5s have started working through 6 activity centres examining different parts of the body. In two centres, we are learning to find our resting heart or breathing rate and then examining how it changes with exercise. In another centre, we are testing our brain to find our average reaction rate. In the 4th centre, we are seeing how our skin is affected by water and drawing a connection between this and swimming in the summer. In the 5th centre, we are looking at the ingredient lists and nutritional value charts on some food boxes and trying to determine which product is healthiest. Finally, in the last centre, we are assembling X-ray images to build the human skeleton and then counting up the bones in each area of the body. Approximately how many bones are there in an adult human body? We've only completed 2 centres each so far, but we will continue next week!

 

Have a great weekend!