Week 10

 Dear Parents and Students,

It seems that autumn has finally arrived, and we can enjoy some cooler weather. As the temperature tends to fluctuate at this time of year, we should all be vigilant in making sure we have suitable clothes for the changing conditions. The weather may be changing, but in the classroom, we have been busy, as usual. In addition to our regular classes, we have undertaken two of our four MAP tests. The remaining two tests will follow the same schedule next week, in the morning on Monday and Wednesday. We also enjoyed a pizza party to celebrate the birthdays of Arata and Jaden. Happy birthday, boys!

In the Classroom:

Maths

We have finished Topic 5, which was all about multiplication, including strategies such as breaking apart and compatible numbers. We had our topic test on Friday, and we will begin Topic 6 on Monday. This is a short but important unit dedicated to algebra.

Literacy Workshop

This week, we read Tanya’s Reunion, and discussed the story in our Reading Circles. The conversations taking place have been very impressive, with each group learning to delve more deeply into the story and its themes. We have completed our grammar unit dedicated to nouns, and have started a new unit all about verbs.

Science

Our investigations of surface changes continued this week, including a practical task in which we created and studied a two-dimensional model of a canyon. We made observations of the types of fossils that may have been found there, and drew conclusions about the types of environments that had existed over millions of years.We then applied our conclusions to our investigation into the Ashfall Fossil Beds. Next week, we will explore how landforms on Earth can change more rapidly. 

Social Studies

We have continued with our new chapter in Social Studies, and we have been discussing democracy. We are also researching for our upcoming presentation about patriotism. Everyone has chosen a country to represent, and we will all enjoy learning from one another when we take turns to present next week. 

Other important information

The first week of MAP testing went smoothly, and as mentioned above, we have one more week with the same schedule. I hope you all enjoy your weekend, and I’ll see you all on Monday!

Dates to remember:

Mon. Oct. 23: MAP testing continues

Fri. Oct. 28: Math test - Topic 6

Secondary Department Halloween Carnival

Mon. Oct. 31: Halloween activities

Th-Fr. Nov. 3-4: Mid-term break - School closed

Wed. Nov. 9: Fun Day