On Tuesday morning, our school gathered in the gym to have our first school assembly of the year! Mrs. Mcpherson introduced our new reading and writing goals for the year. As you may already know, when the students met their literacy goals last year, Mrs. Daelick kissed a frog at the year end assembly! Mrs. McPherson already has the students brainstorming ideas about what they would like to see happen if we reach our reading and writing goals this year! Students can put their ideas in an "ideas box" in the office.
Our Literacy and Numeracy Goals
Reading: By June 2015, 80% of grade 4-8 students will achieve an increase in one of the areas of Main Idea and Comprehension Strategies using the Reading Assessment Diagnostic. Students will show growth of one point from the pre RAD to the post RAD.
Writing: By June 2015, 80% of the Grade 3-8 students will achieve growth of one point in the area of Structure on the Value Added Assessment using the pre and post writing samples.
Numeracy: By June 2015, all students in Grade 1-8 will achieve at least one level of growth in each area of focus on their numeracy data card rubric.
Students on a IIP will achieve their literacy goals as set out on their individual plan.
Mrs. McPherson also encouraged students to do lots of tattling this year! But don't worry, she is asking students to tattle on the good things they see others doing! What a great way to start the school year! The "tattles" will be handed into their teachers and a few will be drawn during our upcoming assemblies to recognize the many leaders we have in our school.
Simple Machines Fun
We dived into the second part of our Science unit on forces this week, which is all about Simple Machines! Simple machines make work easier and include pulleys, levers, gears, wheels and axles, and inclined planes. This week we went on a Simple Machine's Scavenger Hunt around the school and playground and realized how many of the everyday objects we see and use every day are simple machines! We also started our next science investigation using LEGO. Students are assigned a specific simple machine and instructions as to how to build the machine using a LEGO kit. They will then show what they know about their simple machine by creating their own PowerPoint Presentation using the computers. For many students this will be the first PowerPoint project they have worked on so they excitement over our Simple Machines project is through the roof!
Simple Machines Scavenger Hunt
Building Simple Machines using LEGO
Friendly Reminder:We are starting to use the computers more now for projects and to publish our writing. Please send a USB to school with your child as soon as possible, if you haven't already done so. We share computers with other classrooms so students are seldom able to use the same computer from time to time, making it difficult to retrieve their unfinished work without it being saved to a USB. This also allows students to take their work to and from school if they are interested in working on a project at home.
Learning about our Province
In Social we continue to explore world view, the relationship of First Nation and Metis people with the land and settlement patterns in Saskatchewan. We had a lot of fun exploring Saskatchewan on a map the size of our story carpet! The students were making all kinds of connections to the different places on the map while we took a closer look at what Saskatchewan had to offer in terms of land and resources.
New This Month: Reading Logs
You may be wondering what should my son or daughter be doing for homework? Although students will have math homework or other subjects from time to time, I try not to send too much home because the homework I believe is most beneficial to students across all subject areas is READING! This year, I want your child to read 20 minutes per night, every single night! The students voted on using a reading log this month to hold themselves more accountable. The reading log will also help make home reading a habit while allowing students to track whether we have met our individual goals, and our class goal! Students are expected to bring the reading log back to school at the end of this month.
Expectations for Reading: Students are to track the amount of minutes they read EVERY NIGHT. We decided for the first month we would work towards reading 15 minutes each night. Our class goal is 11, 700 minutes (195 hours) of home reading this month. That means we want every student reading for a total of at least 15 minutes or more every night for 30 days. If students read for 10 minutes one day they should try to read for an extra 5 minutes the next day. Together, we are in the process of planning the "ultimate celebration" if we meet our class goal at the end of the month! Let's do it team! ... and don't forget to read every night!
*Please consider keep the reading log somewhere visible in your house to help remind your child of their goal. If students misplace their reading log, please let me know so I can send a new one home.
Saskatchewan Library Week "Book Spine Poetry" Contest
October 19-25 is Saskatchewan Library Week and the Saskatchewan Library Association is having a "Book Spine Poetry" contest. It is free verse poems composed by using the titles written on the spines of physical books and stacking the books on top of one another. Next, take a photo of your poem to submit into the contest. This contest is voluntary and students who are interested in entering can do so at home or school. I would be happy to help anyone who is interested but would like assistance completing or submitting their entry if needed. The contest runs until November 1st.
Prizes will be awarded in four categories:
- Children (5-8)
- Children (9-11)
- Teen (12-18)
- Adult (19 and older)
A grand prize of $100 Chapters Gift Certificates will be awarded to one winner in each category. Two additional runner up prizes will be awarded in each category. You can enter online by visiting bookspinepoetry.ca
Coins for Cancer
Thanks again to everyone who donated towards our "Coins for Cancer" fundraiser in support of Cancer research. Our classroom raised a total of $130 and the school raised a grand total of $300. During Tuesdays assembly, the students were happy to learn they had raised the most money and won a class popsicle party!Important Dates and Reminders:
Thursday, October 9: Book Orders are Due
Friday, October 10: P.D. Day - No School
Monday, October 13: Thanksgiving - No School
Wednesday, October 22: Picture Retakes
Thursday, October 30: Fright Night Carnival
Thursday, October 31: Hand in October Reading Log
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