Well, that was quite the storm this weekend! I hope the weather is not as cold next week! There will be lots of fresh snow to play in tomorrow in the school yard, as long as the windchill doesn't keep the children inside.
The next math unit, for both grades, is multiplication and division. We will be reviewing strategies for mental math (doubles, doubles plus one, halving and doubling, etc) before moving into larger numbers. Whether your child has their times tables memorized, or has strategies for multiplication of single digits to 10x10 (Gr. 4) and 12 x 12 (Gr. 5) for fast recall is an individual choice; both are effective.
In Language Arts, we are working on sequencing. Gr. 4 enjoyed explaining how to make a cheese sandwich by giving me specific instructions (with hilarious results!), and then followed directions to make Jello on Friday. Gr. 5 students followed the steps and directions in a play, The Sword in the Stone, which they read aloud. They are now working on explaining how to do something in 5 or 6 steps in Google slides, which they will present to the class. Gr. 5 will be starting a novel study, Kensuke's Kingdom, which is a very interesting and enjoyable realistic fiction novel.
Don't forget - Friday is a PD day!
On Friday afternoon, we had a lovely New Year's Liturgy led by the Gr. 6 class, to celebrate the birth of Jesus and Epiphany. During the week, we also took some time to reflect on things we were proud of and wanted to "highlight" about 2018, as well as things we want to look forward to accomplishing in 2019 in the form of Emojis. These will be up on display in the classroom for the next little while.
In math, the gr. 4 class have completed their data management unit, and had a quiz for understanding. Those who did not demonstrate a reasonable level of understanding of the material sat with either myself or my parent volunteer to go over the concepts in detail, to see what needed to be reinforced and/or retaught. We have now moved on to quadrilaterals and their attributes. In gr. 5, we are wrapping up the data management unit, and will be moving on to polygons and their attributes.
In language arts, we will be starting a new unit on Sequencing in both groups.
Good luck to the badminton team! I will be accompanying the girls' team to the tournament on Tuesday, the boys will be going with Mr. Dourian on Thursday. Both tournaments will be held at St. Dominic school.
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas holiday, and a great start to 2019! I am looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow, and getting back into routines.
As report cards will be going home in mid-February, we will be spending the next 5 weeks making sure we have covered everything we need to have covered by this point in the year. We did not complete our Data Management unit before the break, and so will be working on that in math in both grades. In Language Arts, we will be doing some writing, then reading short novels in Book Club groups.
A reminder that the weather can change dramatically at this time of year, so be sure to check the forecast before setting out in the morning. Students are encouraged to keep an extra dry pair of socks and mittens in their school bags in case they are needed, and to make sure they are dressed appropriately for the weather. Also, don't forget to bring back indoor shoes!
