Resources for Extra Help & Support

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Several of you have asked for extra resources to help support your child in their learning.  Kids Love 2 Learn.ca is an excellent resource that is directly linked to Alberta Curriculum.

Please visit http://www.2learn.ca/kids/ and click on the tabs at the top of the page to find drop down menus for grades 3-6 (for example: click science, then grade 5).

Happy Learning!

The last week of February

The last week of February involved quite a few new and different experiences for the Grade 5 and 5/6 classes.  

The classes went to Calgary Olympic Park for downhill skiing and snowboarding lessons.  The weather was beautiful, the instructors were great, and the students learned many new skills.   Thank you to parent council for funding these lessons for us.   

We had two guest speakers visit the classrooms from Inside Education.  The students were invited to volunteer for different activities that were based on electricity and energy.  We learned about natural resources in our environment and the process of converting these resources into the electricity we use in our classroom.  We also learned about the different resources used by each province.    

There was a student vs. staff floor hockey game, to wrap up the floor hockey season.  The extra-curricular teams have been playing games all month, and finally met each other in a play-off season.  The winner of the play-offs played the staff in a lunchtime game.  
It was a great game!   
Way to go to all the floor hockey teams this season!  
And way to go to all those who cheered-on the teams! 

Reminder:  This week our classes are going to visit the Saddledome, to watch the Tim Horton's Brier Curling Championship.  We will be going on Tuesday, March 3.  Since the bus will be leaving the school at 8am, all students attending the field trip must be at school at 7:45 am.  

Our class will be participating in swimming lessons, beginning next week.  If your child has not yet returned their permissions forms and money for the trips, please ensure they do so in the next few days.  

James and the Giant Peach, SJAM, and Hawk the Dog

This week we had a visit from two police officers with the Calgary Police Service.  We had a chance to speak with the police officers about their careers, and they answered many of our questions.  They also had with them a dog named Hawk, and his handler.  We learned about Hawk, and about his job working as a canine member of the police service.  Here is a description of Hawk:

"I joined the Calgary Police Service as a Canine Member in 2013 after completing my training at Pacific Assistance Dog Society for three years.  

I work at the Victim Assistance Unit to provide comfort and emotional support to victims of crime and tragedy.  I'm a good listener and my strengths are empathy and a loving heart.  

I love playing tug, getting LOTS of pats and belly rubs.  I also like to wag my tail while greeting new friends and giving them kisses."

Yesterday the school launched a reading program based on the book James and the Giant Peach by Raold Dahl.  Clues have been posted around the school leading up to this event, and now each class in the school will be reading the book.  Trivia questions have already been on the announcements and will continue throughout the next month, as we read the book.  

Today was a special day for the Grade 6s, who attended an orientation event at Sir John A. Macdonald School.   They had a chance to tour the school, see some of the classrooms and hear about elective classes that they may choose to take in Grade 7.   

Reminder:  the Grade 5 and 5/6 classes are going to be skiing this coming Monday, February 23.  A reminder note will be written in agendas, but please make sure students come to school ready for skiing or snowboarding.  

Our Class Newspaper Project

We have recently been working on a language arts project, studying newspapers and articles, and writing our own newspaper articles.  The class has also been working collaboratively to create their own newspaper pages.  Many of the articles are about our experience at Outdoor School, and other activities in which students were participating during the fall and winter.    

While at Camp Chief Hector, the students were divided into groups for their activities: The Bear Clan, Deer Clan, Raven Clan and Coyote Clan.  As such, each group is working on designing their own page of a newspaper.  Team-building games, the challenge course, forest forensics, the ECOnomy game, the Predator/Prey game, hiking, drama and songs at campfire time were all highlights of our time at Outdoor School.  These themes are highlighted in the student articles being published to these newspaper pages.  The final pages will be showcased at the Sharing Assembly this upcoming week, as well as at Student-Led Conferences the following week.  

All are welcome to join us at the Sharing Assembly:

Grade 5 & 5/6 Sharing Assembly

Thursday, February 5, 2015

10:45 am

C.N.Gunn gymnasium

It's December already!

You may have noticed a note written in agendas, about a food donation project being taken on by the school.  Members of the Leadership Team have organized a school wide collection for a local food bank.  It started last week and will continue until next week.

A candy cane is posted in the front hallway of the school, that is being used as a measurement scale.  It started with no colour and has had a certain amount of colour added each day to indicate the total weight of donations.  Our school has a goal of reaching 400 pounds.  We are well on our way to reaching that goal, and sharing with others in the community!

Upcoming EcoSchool Trip: Nov. 25-28

Parents, can you believe that EcoSchool at Camp Chief Hector is only a week away!!  We are so excited to be able to experience leadership opportunities and challenges in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

Please look for letter in your child's agenda with important reminders over the next couple of days.  A complete packing list was sent home with your field trip forms, and will also be included in the letter coming home this week.

Please label your child's belongings, as they sometimes get misplaced while we are busy learning at EcoSchool.  It is important to send warm layers, including a toque, mittens, snow pants, boots, etc., as we will be spending a portion of each day outdoors.  

If you need to send any medications (including Tylenol or any other over-the-counter medications) for your child, please make sure that you put them in a Ziploc baggie labeled with your child's name.  Make sure to include any instructions in the bag with the medications.  

We will be leaving the school around 9:00 am on Tuesday, November 25th and returning around 2:00 pm on Friday, November 28th.  Your child will be excited to see you and share their camp experiences, so please plan on picking them up from the school with their luggage at that time.  

Thank you for supporting our learning outside the classroom.  This is an experience that your child is sure to remember for years to come.

Student-Led Conferences This Week

Student-Led Conferences are coming soon!  We've been busy finishing projects, and selecting work that we are most proud of.  We can't wait to shine for you! 

Mark Your Calendar: 

Thursday, October 30th (4:30 pm - 8:00 pm)

Friday, October 31st (8:30 am - 12:30 pm)

Please make an appointment to drop into the classroom during this time so that you can take a look at some of the work we've been doing.  A letter was sent home last week with instructions of how to book a time.  If you have trouble, please contact the office.  

This conference will take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.  It is an important time to spend with your child.  The teacher will also be available to have a conversation with you if you require.  If you have more than one child, allow a half hour to an hour for each of your children, so please book your appointments with this in mind.

Please note that no written report cards are coming home at this time.  You will receive a written report card in December.