Dear Parents,
Firstly, apologies for the short story that follows.
G5 has been forging ahead on multiple fronts.
In the PYP Unit Of Inquiry we are continuing with our ‘Healthy, Happy You’ investigation by tracking what we eat and do during the week that might contribute to us being healthy and happy (or not!). Mr. Carberry is conducting a training regime with the G5s in PE class in which they track their results each week. Mr. Hampton, the secondary art teacher, has generously lent his time to work with the G5s in expressing the UOI through Art. Please see the attached pictures of the students deconstructing healthy food to create templates for large scale sculptures and watch for the end result in the weeks to come! Finally, they are embarking on a Personal Passion Project (P3). P3s will be due the week after Eid and not starting the week of 20 October as previously scheduled. The students have discussed the necessity of having their P3 finished before the holiday. We have chosen presentation dates, please speak with your child about their date.
In Math (we don’t call it Maths in Canada!) the students have been working to consolidate their understanding of fractions, decimals and percentage the relationship between them. This week they had a surprise assessment (always popular!) but it was open book so students could use the notes they have been building together in class to help them solve the questions. It was clear that many students are still getting used to being enthusiastically engaged in group problem-solving Math activities which are usually followed by presentations and discussions of groups’ learning and if necessary, documenting that learning in their notebooks. If they aren’t engaged in any of these stages, their understanding and learning of the concepts practiced and discussed are in jeopardy. One of the ten PYP Attitudes is ‘Enthusiasm’ and we have discussed that in the classroom this translates into being enthusiastically engaged in the learning process…even for topics like fractions! If you haven’t already, please ask to see your child’s Math assessment and sign it. On Saturday, 20th of October we will be having a Math assessment (not open book) on multi-digit multiplication and division, converting fractions, decimals and percentage and adding, subtracting, simplifying and finding equivalent fractions.
In Language we have been launching the Lucy Calkins’s Reading and Writing Workshops. In reading this entails, assessing students’ reading levels, building reading stamina, conducting guided reading activities and writing about what they read. In writing this means working through the writing cycle (brainstorming, rough drafting, revising, proofreading and publishing) to ensure they are ready for writing in different genres throughout the year.
In Word Study the students are learning new words related both to the UOI and our Math focus. They are also learning how to effectively use dictionaries so that they can be more self reliant when it comes to understanding new or ambiguous words. There will be a spelling assessment on Sunday, 21st of October.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me by email or make an appointment to meet in person.
Kind regards, Mr. George
