March 4-15

A Few Reminders: 

• Raga Revolution started March 14th! We will have a performance on Wednesday, March 20th at 1:45 - 2:45. 
• Boys Floor Hockey Practices will be after school Mondays and Wednesdays 3:15 - 4:15. 
• March 21 - Ms. Potter is away in the afternoon.
• March 22 - Pd Day No School 
• April 1 - Rabbit Hill Ski Day! 
• April 3 - Early dismissal 
• April 8 - Klondike Relays 
• April 10 - Brain Waves Presentation 
• April 12 - PD Day 

ELA

We are on the hunt for INTERESTING WORDS! Over the next month, as we read as a class or independently, students have been instructed to keep an eye out for words that pop on the page!

We've taken these words and put them in our word jar, and every week, students will spend sometime doing a word study! During the word study they will use dictionaries to find the words meaning, often determining the root of the word as well. Then they will use a thesaurus to find and list synonyms, list antonyms and then use the word in a sentence!

We have also started a novel study as a class! We are reading James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, and we are loving it! Everyone has been an active reader, taking turns reading aloud! It is awesome to hear their fluency and confidence grow! 

As we work through the novel, we will be working on studying the words, completing pre-reading quick writes, practicing the reading strategies (visualizing, predicting and inferring, etc.) and working through comprehension questions. 

With St. Patrick's Day coming up this weekend, we decided to do some themed writing! We read the book, Lucky Tucker by Leslie McGuirk. It is about a dog who's day starts off unlucky, but as it goes on all these wonderful and lucky things keep happening! Using this theme, I asked the students to talk about their lucky day - what would it look like? As a class, we brainstormed a bunch of ideas! 

The main focus was to write in a logical sequence of their day. Students were expected to start their story with a hook for the reader, using one of the various techniques we have been practicing. Then developing a beginning to their story starting from when they wake up, and following them throughout the day, and having a proper conclusion. 

MATH 

This week we worked in math rotations, practicing our multiplication strategies. We will be wrapping up our multiplication unit right before spring break, and introducing some simple division problems. 

When working in rotations students are taking part in 1 of 4 tasks: 

1. Basic Fact Games: Battleship, Multiplication War 
2. Small Group Lesson: With Ms. Potter - Word Problems 
3. Online Math Practice: Basic Facts (Xtra Math) & Mathletics Lessons 
4. Workbook time: Students work through their workboooks multiplying 2 x 1 digit, 3 x 1 digit and even 4 x 1 digit! 

In Grade 4, we begin to multiply and regroup. If students are not confident in their basic facts, this can be tough for them. I encourage them to practice basic facts at home, through games, work sheets, or even logging onto Xtra Math.

SCIENCE 

We are building up a storm! Students have been working so hard on their marble tracks, and some have even moved onto task 2, a self propelled vehicle! It has been great watching the students work through their tracks, making adjustments where needs, and embracing learning from mistakes! For a little extra fun, the students have all created commercials to go along with their marble tracks! You might have seen them at Student Led Conferences, they are pretty proud of their work and I am proud of them! 

 SOCIAL 

As we continue to read through Alberta's Land and it's history, we have begun to discuss Alberta's Fossil heritage. We have been so lucky as some students have brought in their own fossil collection! Thank you to those families who shared their fossils with us, we loved seeing them first hand! 

LACROSSE & RAGA REVOLUTION 

Also super lucky, we have had TWO specialists in gym this week! 

First, we had Eric from Alberta Lacrosse come and teach us some skills! The kids absolutely LOVED IT! everyone participated and did their very best! 

Next, we have been picking up a few new moves from Leo from Sound Kreations. Leo is a dancer, from Cuba, who is teaching us some Latin dance moves! Students have learned a few steps in the Cuban Salsa. I apologize for not having photos, as I've been right in there alongside them! 

The students will be putting on a performance with the whole school on Wednesday afternoon, from 1:45 - 2:45. 

Feb 25 - March 1

A Few Reminders: 

• Mar 5 - BOKS Starts again 
• Mar 9 - RBES Girls Floor Hockey Tournament 
• Mar 13 - Student Led Conferences
• Mar 14 - 20 - Raga Revolution
• Mar 22 - PD Day No School
• Mar 23 - April 1 SPRING BREAK

PINK SHIRT DAY!

Wow, what a beautiful sea of Pink! 

We spent some time talking about Kindness in our class, how we can spread kindness and make others feel special. Students got together in small groups to brainstorm 20 things they could do to spread Kindness. We used Soulpancake's Kid President to help us brainstorm. 

Students searched the internet for quotes surrounding kindness that connected with them and added them to their list as well. Using graphic designers created by Danielle Knight, we started adding our ideas using fun fonts, sketchnote icons and colours. 

We used our sketchnote skills as well, adding icons to our work, representing the things we can say or do to spread kindness. 

Here are some completed ones!

ELA 

To go along with our theme of Kindness for the week, we read the book Extra Yarn by Jon Klassen. Students would be able to make each type of connection with this book, as we have read from this author before! He wrote This is Not My Hat and I Want My Hat Back - both we have read in class. Characters from these books popped up in this story as well! This was a quick way for students to make a Text to Text connection. 

 Before reading, we discussed the different ways we can connect to text and came up with some movements to help us remember. (Ask your child if they can remember!)

Text to Text

Text to Self 

Text to World 

Then, as I read, I would pause and do a check in and have students use the signals to show what connections they could make. Once we were done reading, on stickie notes students wrote their connections and added them to the board. We will continue this type of activities with various books throughout the year.

Book Clubs are wrapping up! Chocolate Fever has finished their book, and followed Henry Green on his wild adventure! As a closing activity, students were asked to create their own FEVER! What treat, or favourite thing, would you get a fever from? What would that fever look, smell or feel like?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory students are about3/4 of the way through their book! As we read about all of the fantastic treats in Wonka's factory, I have asked them to stop and think - what magnificent treat would you invent? 

We are hoping to have all Book Clubs wrapped up so we can start a whole class Novel Study in March!

In grammar our focus was on irregular plurals. Some words, when plural don't change at all! To jump start the lesson, the students were given words and had to find their partner (i.e. child, children). Once they were in pairs they determined which was the plural form, and we created a list of the different irregular plurals. 

MATH 

This week we worked in smal groups and ran stations. I spent time working with students one on one, through various mental math strategies to solve multiplication problems. We worked through strategies that used multiples of 10, breaking up harder problems into smaller, easier problems, and using doubles.

Students also spent time learning a few games where they could practice they multiplication basic facts! 

Multiplication Battleship!

Multiplication War

SCIENCE

We have begun to build! There are some seriously amazing marble tracks in this room! Kids are working hard in their groups, and are using their knowledge of simple machines!

 SOCIAL
We have been digging deeper into Alberta's Natural Resources. Through readings and discussion we have looked at fossil fuels, oil sands, alternative energy, agriculture and forestry.

EXCITING NEWS!

You may have heard from your child on Friday... I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend a year abroad teaching! After this year, I will be away in the UK for one year. This has been a lifelong dream of mine, and I am so excited!