Sports/Activity Day - December 6, 2017

On December 6th, 2017 students are invited to wear their sports and activity uniforms and paraphernalia. This may include (but is not limited to) baseball hats, hockey jerseys, or soccer uniforms. You can even wear shorts and t-shirts, but please make sure you bring warm clothes to cover up with for outdoor recess.

Please DO NOT wear metal cleats.

Thank you!

Food Drive

On Monday November 27^th our school began our annual food drive to support the Ministerial Association.  All donations gathered will support local families in need.  Students are encouraged to donate by bringing in non-perishable food and personal care items (deodorant, soap, toothpaste…) and depositing them in their classroom donation boxes.  Please note that donation items must not be expired, or close to expiring.  We are also unable to accept donations of toys and/or clothing 

This initiative will run until Friday December 8^th, and is an excellent opportunity for students to practice empathy.

Thank you for your kind donations!

Borrow eBooks, Audiobooks, and Streaming Video From Our School Collection!

Book Fair

Just a reminder that our class will be visiting the book fair tomorrow -- Monday November 20th, 2017.

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a wonderful week!

A few housekeeping updates...

1. As you may have noticed... it snowed! Students will be going out for recess twice a day (unless the windchill is beyond the acceptable limit in YRDSB). Morning recess is 20 minutes outdoors and lunch recess is 40 minutes outdoors. Students should be dressing appropriately for the weather. That means winter boots, hats, scarves, mittens, winter jackets, and snow pants. Students are not permitted to call home for dry pants so snow pants will be essential once there is more snow. 

2. Separate shoes/boots for indoor and outdoor are a MUST. All students should have two pairs of shoes. One pair is for recess and travelling to and from school. Those shoes should not be brought into the classrooms or the gym. The second pair of shoes should be kept at school and should be appropriate for the classroom and for gym class. Students cannot participate in gym class wearing boots, sandals, flip flops, etc. As well, students outdoor shoes track dirt, mud, and water into the classroom making the floor dirty and preventing us from using it as a clean learning space.

3. The EDSBY sign up for Student Led Conferences is available online. Remember, up to 4 families can sign up for EACH time slot, as students will be leading you in the conference. 

Keep warm and have a wonderful weekend!
Mrs. Longo

Student Led Conferencing

This year our class will be participating in Student Led Conferences. This is in lieu of regular parent-teacher conferences.

In Student-Led Conferences, students take responsibility for their learning and share their work and  their goals with their parents.

What is the schedule for Student-Led Conferences?
The schedule invites each child with their parent(s) into the classroom for 20 minutes. Up to 4 conferences will be taking place during each time slot. You will be signing up for a conference slot on Edsby, as per the email and notice that was sent home by the school. 

What will it look like when we get there?
Upon arrival, students will invite their parents into the classroom and show them around. Then, students and parents sit at an assigned spot with their family and their Learning Portfolio. Students have been practicing what they will share and they will lead the conference. All you need to do is listen and respond positively!

What is in the portfolio?
The portfolio contains a selection of student work from September - November. Students were provided with parameters of the selection of work to include in their portfolio, but the actual selection of work is up to the individual student. Students have chosen the pieces of work that they would like to share.

What is the role of the parent?
We recognize that parents are accustomed to the traditional conferences and may find it difficult to listen to their student instead of asking teachers for clarification or explanations. During student-led conferences, parents focus the conversation on their children and reflect on their work with them. They look at samples and listen to their children’s explanations and reflections. Then, they ask their children how they can help and what the students need from them.

Some of the best questions that parents can ask center around homework environments and a student’s classroom efforts. This way parents can participate in developing strategies to support their students and then remain consistent long after the conferences end. This also helps parents to be open-minded about their children’s areas of improvement and to support their goal-setting process. For parents, it’s important to embrace the student-led conference format and allow children to take the reins so they can act as responsible learners.

What if there is nothing to talk about? What if we don't finish our conversation?
We include more work in the portfolio than time allows. This helps the students feel less anxious and also keeps conversation flowing smoothly. Students know that it's alright if they don't get through everything in their portfolio. In addition, parents are given the option of taking the students' learning portfolio home for the night to continue reviewing and discussing the work. Please make sure you return the portfolio as we will continue to add to them throughout the year.

We are looking forward to sharing in this new experience with you!

Happy Learning!
Mrs. Longo

Remembrance Day Ceremony

Our school will be having our Remembrance Day Ceremony on Friday November 10, 2017 at 10:40am in the school gym. 

All family and friends are invited to join us.

Book Talks

Students are currently working on their book talks in class. The expectations have been discussed, and they have seen 2 modeled examples. Please discuss this assignment with your child.

Students are expected to supplement their in-class work by practicing at home with a family member. The more practice a student receives, the more at ease they will feel when presenting in front of the class.  

Students have chosen the dates for their book talks. Pleases ask your child what day they have selected.


Happy Learning!
Mrs. Longo

School Newsletter

Our school newsletter was posted to the school blog and sent via the school list serve today. If you did not receive a copy, please contact the school to add your email address to the list serve.

Thanks!

November Classroom Update!

A quick update from our grade 5 and 6 classroom...

School photos are being sent home today! 

Please note, the "order by" date is November 8th!

Literacy: 

We are continuing to work on our newspaper unit and we have begun our unit on public speaking.

Each week we will hear about an important event in the news through the eyes of one of our classmates. I will be modeling several examples for the class. Please ask your child when they are scheduled to present. Our first presentations will be on Friday November 10th.

Students are getting lots of practice speaking on front of our classroom. They are sharing informative pieces on topics they know well -- their favourite foods or an important part of their culture. Next we will begin persuasive speaking. Students will share pieces on why a chosen family member is important to them and why a classmate should read their favourite book. 

Math:

As I'm sure you are aware, our first Number Sense unit is complete. Units were sent home last week for parent/student discussion and must be returned with a parent signature. 

We are well into our first Data Management unit. 

Grade 5s have a quiz tomorrow (Thursday November 2) on bar graphs, pictographs, circle graphs, and broken line graphs. They have had a lot of in-class practice and spent Tuesday and Wednesday or this week reviewing in class and asking questions to ensure their understanding. Please have a look at your child's folder and help them review this evening.

Grade 6s are learning about scatter plots. Please ask them the difference between a line graph, a broken line graph, and a scatter plot. They should be able to provide you with very clear reasons for using each one!

Science and Social Studies:

We have completed our first Science units and are beginning our first Social Studies unit called "Canada's Actions at Home and in the Global Community". We are looking forward to learning more about Canada's role in the world.

Physical Education:

We are enjoying our volleyball unit so far and we are looking for girls and boys to join our Junior Volleyball Team! Students must show an interest in volleyball, a desire to improve their skills, an improvement in skills, and most of all, the ability to work as part of a team in order to be considered for the team.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!
Happy Learning,
Mrs. Longo