I want to start off with some thank-you's to the parents. With the grade 5 Performing Arts Presentation and your assistance with the gathering of data for our historical evidence unit, I really do thank-you for the home school connection. I do not see any one group as more important than the other when it comes to the complete eduction of your students. I know my students also thank-you for your cooperation.
One thing we did this week was show our school spirit at the annual Great Wall Shootout. I feel it is important for the class to be a part of the larger community and so I like them to show this through their attendance at these kinds of events. Some of this pics this week are from this event.
Next week students begin the research and writing process for their next report on an historical event. We have narrowed the topics down and found research materials. Next week we will determine the lenses that the research will be looked at with questions that will be answered in the final report. I did mention to students that this project is under a very strict time constraint as we complete this semester three weeks today and then leave for winter break.
I have been listening to students read out loud to me and I am happy to see progress being made. There is no way to make a student read fluently and with expression other than to read out loud. We will continue to work on this next semester as well with the goal to be very accurate and smooth by the end of the school year.
Our math unit has covered equivalent fractions and begun the rectangular model of adding fractions with unlike denominators. We will work with this through next week as well before moving on to subtraction of fractions. By having students learn models as well as algorithms, they have a chance to make sure their answers are correct by doing checking with one or the other. Modeling with
Mathematics is a standard math practice from Kinder to Grade 12 so it has long lasting effects for math in the future.
I do have one request; as we come closer to winter break there may be some families leaving school early. Because we have presentations to complete and several special events, could you please keep me informed if this comes up so I can plan properly. I thank-you in advance for this information.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. I will gladly set up a time to meet with you.
