What a great day yesterday and how proud I was of the entire class and their participation. International day in 5HD was truly a celebration of our unique identities. It started off in the morning with students sharing a national object and what a myriad of items we had. I was showing students the RCMP musical ride as they came into the classroom and then it was on to Japanese Origami, Chinese Knots, Historical Washington D.C. monuments, Maple Syrup, Taiwanese delicacies and many many more. As I expected, the students rose to the occasion and really helped make the day a fantastic success. I shall remember it for many more years no matter where I end up. The pictures today are of the class in some of the national costumes they had. They were amazing. Hope you enjoy.
We updated our Seesaw accounts last week with three things - the voice over of a video, multiplication using the standard algorithm and also with the area model. We had a lot of troubles with this as it was new to most of us including me. Most of the projects looked good to me but might still need some polishing up. We will get to this over the coming week. I am still fairly new at this but as I learn new and neat ways of showing learning, I will be experimenting with having the students show it on Seesaw. I expect it to be a bit of a bumpy ride as we all learn, but over time I am sure it will become much smoother. The end will be a show of learning at the Student Led Conferences later in the year.
Our class continues with wrapping up both our writing and inquiry units this week. This is accomplished with two projects well under way. We are doing a design project where students are trying to invent or improve something through natural means. So far we have looked at how man has used ideas in nature to help solve problems and invent things like Velcro, Sharkskin Swim Suits, Bird's Nest stadium, gliders, planes, bullet trains etc. Now they are using what they know to innovate and create something of their own. Our second project is the report we are writing on Innovation
Through Nature. So far we have researched, outlined, drafted and revised. Next week we will do the final edits and then publish our pieces. Not surprisingly, there are some really neat ideas in your students writing.
Our math unit has moved on from multiplication to division and all the various forms of it. We reviewed fact families and open sentences that can be solved with division last week as well as starting the multi-digit (max 4) divided by single-digit algorithm. Like all new learning this is a process but over the next two weeks I am sure it will only get better and better. If your student is struggling, I will work with them on intervention now and throughout the year as this is an important part of math to master before moving on. Feel free to help as needed. We will look at models of division later in the unit. I hope to complete this unit later in the month.
Our language arts reading instruction changes as of this week. Our book clubs, which have been daily for the last 2.5 weeks, returns to twice a week and all reading is now done at home in preparation for these. Students can use this reading as their daily reading time for their reading log. After, or as they read, there is a Thinkmark to complete where they have to come up with a question to discuss among their group, a favorite part and two words worth studying. Book clubs will always be on Tuesdays and Thursdays until Winter Break.
While not related to our class directly, I would encourage everyone to take the time as a family to go and see the MS Drama Production of NOT A BOX. One of the reasons I mention this is that there are several students from my class last year in it as well as a large number from the ES drama
production of Twinderella that I co-directed. I am sure they would love your support. It is Thursday from 4-6pm, Friday from 6:30-8:00 and Saturday from 2:00-3:30. This is just a shameless plug for what I am sure will be a great performance by the students.
As always, if there are concerns or questions you have, please let me know and I will set a time up to meet with you.
