December 15

Health and Career Ed
We are waiting to watch "Through a Blue Lens" in the new year as not all permission slips are in! In the mean time, students are going to embark upon a mission to find out about the most addictive drugs, their names, effects, how to get help if one is addicted. There will be time to research in the new year - so don't worry! It isn't homework over the holidays - that would be cruel!!

speaking of holidays...

Division 5
We had a bit of festivities today in our last block to celebrate as a class! There were dancers and game playing and a lot of yummy food! (Thanks to all who brought some!)

Cathy Peters Update:  YEAH, your child has an assessment to take home!  Ms. McFarland and I happy to say that we are DONE marking the first set of these assessments.  We have a snapshot of their ability to read for information, organize information from the reading, state strategies they used to learn new words they don't know, as well as tell you about their percentage of words they read correctly, and how fluid their reading is.  If you would like to see the answers they actually wrote, please contact one of us at the school.  Please return the first page of the assessment.

Wednesday December 14, 2011

Math:  The grade 7 boys are working on adding and subtracting decimals, and using "front end" estimation to check their answers.  This means that you drop all the numbers after the decimal, it doesn't mean to "round" the number.

Class Meeting:  We had a Green Team meeting to go over options for a winter fun day.  Unfortunately, this topic will have to be revisited in January because less than 50% of the students agreed to any of the ideas.  We won't be planning an event if only 50% participate, as we want it to be a "team building" activity.  Please talk to your son/daughter about the options we discussed

Food Drive:  Congratulations on a great event Green Team.  We collected over 1000 cans within the school, with more than 300 coming from our team.  It turns out that Ms. Roylance and Mr. Martin tied the event with 288 cans each.  Mr. Martin tried to explain to Ms. Roylance that individually wrapped soda crackers all count as one item, not 50 individuals....the things we do to win!




Some students and families really got into the spirit of giving




One of the organizers of the event



Over 1000 items were collected




A great showing by the Len Wood Community
















Socials:  Mr. Martin's class has had their notes and quizes returned for videos 1-5.  If your child has been absent, they need to go onto YouTube, and look up "Stories From the Stone Age".  Watch and make notes on the videos, and see Mr. Martin for a question sheet if they don't have one.

Locker Clean out:  Mr. Martin's class had a chance to clean out lockers today.  Ask your son/daughter if they need to bring a plastic bag to school to carry the rest of their items home for the holidays.  PE clothing, and extra clothing can go home for washing, and old papers should be filed properly into their binders.

Tuesday December 13th

English
Today in Miss. McFarland's English class we read Touching Spirit Bear and learned that Cole would be returning to the island in Alaska where he was mauled by the Spirit Bear.  Students reflected on Cole's anger throughout the novel and how one of the characters in the book described anger as a "memory never forgotten."  Students then made a connection to the feeling of anger by thinking and writing about a time they felt anger and the consequences of what they did when they were angry.  In Mr. Martin's class, they have a set of questions from chapter 14-20, as well as a one page assignment regarding vocabulary from the novel.  The last large assignment from the novel before Christmas is to complete their "Fakebook" entries, with 15 posts, and 10 comments back from various characters in the novel.  A link to the "fakebook" template can be found on the list of handouts on this page. 

Socials (McFarland)Students should be bringing home their Neanderthal Story assessments throughout the week as they complete their good copy. These need to be signed and then returned. 

Mr. Martin's class was to turn in all their notes and the video questions from chapter 2-5.  Unfortunately, some students still haven't turned them in.  Please remind your son/daughter that it is their responsibility to see what homework they missed

PE  We had Ms. Krystine Lucas in today to teach Hip Hop.  Here are some photos from the lesson

 

 

 

Science: Today Mr. Martin's class had a presentation from Mr. Dave Derbowka, a local expert on ground water.  The students learned about local aquifers, and about a trees ability to live off the water that runs off of a landfill site.

Monday December 12, 2011

Science:  This week will be looking at calculating density of the items the students measured mass and volume of last week.  We will review the concept of direct vs. indirect measurement.  I was sick on Friday, so I haven't seen all the ecosystem projects come in yet.  Please check that your son/daughter has brought theirs in.  Today Ms. MacFarland's class has a local water expert, Mr. Dave Derbowka, coming in during 5th block.  Tomorrow he will visit Mr. Martin's class.

Socials:  We continued our look at the transition from small communities into the first cities, all based around large rivers in what would now be Iraq, Jordan, and other areas of the Middle East.  The students should all be aware of why leaders would have arisen, and why Early Man couldn't simply go back to being Hunter-Gatherers.

Food Bank:  Remember that Wednesday is the last day for our class challenge of collecting food for the local food bank.  This entire challenge is being organized by the students of Green Team.  Way to go girls!  Mr. Martin's class is definitely looking forward to collecting more cans than Ms. Roylance, due to some good natured teasing between the challenges.  Apparently, a side bet has occured that the losing teacher between these two has to get a pie in the face!  Look below to see the poster that appeared around the school on Friday.  Mr. Martin's class did rewrite the "Grinch" song to help get the spirit of Christmas giving back into Ms. Roylance's class.  We even went and sang it to her class in the last block of the day.

PE:  Krystine Lucas will be here on Tuesday and Thursday to teach Hip Hop dance.

English:  Ms. MacFarland and Mr. Martin were unable to get together to co-mark the Cathy Peters Assessment today because Mrs. Baker was absent and Ms. MacFarland was busy in the Learning Resource Clinic.  Our hopes to get the results back to you by Friday are quickly deminishing.

The Last Week!

Presentations: Just a quick note to all students in Team Green that we will be having a guest presentation on Monday and Tuesday afternoon.  Mr. Dave Derbowka will be in to talk to both classes about water issues in the North Okanagan.  Mr. Derbowka is an expert on ground water issues, and has been instrumental in protecting our water sources.  If any parent is interested in coming and listening, please let Mr. Martin know.

Food Drive:  Just a gentle reminder to Mr. Martin's class.  APPARENTLY, Mrs. Roylance sent in some "spies" to our classroom, and took pictures of our stash of food for the food drive.  APPARENTLY, she even accused us of cheating (all in a joking manner mind you!)  JC emailed me to let me know about these terrible accusations, and all I said to her in an email was "I'm sorry if my class has more community spirit than yours does!"  I am so proud of my class for issuing the challenge to the rest of the school, and for spreading the knowledge of how much good the local food bank does with the little resources they have.  I look forward to eating the popcorn that Mr. Findlay has agreed to purchase the winning classroom.

Cathy Peters:  Ms. McFarland and Mr. Martin will be working hard to mark all of the reading/writing assessments this week, and we hope to send home a snapshot of your child's abilities by the end of the week.  Our hope is to do this assessment three times this year, and be able to track the progress of your child.  For more information, please contact Mr. Martin or Ms. McFarland.

Friday December 9th

Happy Friday Everyone! Have a wonderful weekend.

English
In Miss. McFarland's English class students worked on various assignments in the library and on the computers.  Students worked on making the final revisions to their Neanderthal Stories.  These stories are being assessed and sent home for your information and need to be signed and returned.  Expect them to be arriving throughout next week.  Students also finished their Touching Spirit Bear predictions, as well as worked on their Touching Spirit Bear Fakebook assignment.

Socials/Art
For last period we watched a short video relating to our socials investigations and then had a class discussion.  Students then worked on a creative project in which they have to visually display their favourite things about winter (hopefully their visuals are better than Miss. McFarland's skiing turtle).

December 8

In Miss McFarland's English class students participated in the Six Minute Solution for reading fluency.  Students read a new reading passage today and many remarked on how it was much more difficult reading a new passage.  We then visited the library for book exchange and finished the class off by reading Touching Spirit Bear!

December 7, 2011

Math 7- the boys are working on section 3.1 (question 4,5,6,7)  The topics we are working on are converting fractions to decimals, and equivalent fractions.

Science-  today Mr. Martin's class was in the Science lab working on practical skills using graduated cylinders, and tripple beam balance scales.  We worked on measuring mass and volume of irregular shaped objects

Socials- In Mr. Martin's class we had an open notes quiz on the 5 videos we watched.  We also read some of the introduction to civilizations, and where the first cities developed.

English - In Miss. McFarland's class students worked on a pre-reading vocab activity for part II of Touching Spirit Bear. 
Assembly- we had an assembly in 5th period.  Congratulations to two green team students who had a huge part in organizing it.  We also issued a challenge to all classes for a food bank drive.  The winning classroom will get a popcorn party!  Please do not send in any Kraft Dinner, they are really looking for canned fruit and vegetables.  Drinks and candy are also accepted as well.

Tuesday November 6

PE:  Here are some Line Dance photos from today.  Thanks to Ms Waring and 4 helpers that did a great job of leading "Cotton Eyed Joe" and "All My Exes live in Texas"

English:  Today Mr. Martin's class had 5th block in the Computer room.  They had time to work on their "Fakebook" page on the novel.  They should have at least 10 entries (posts), and at least 5 comments back from various "friends"/characters in the novel.  They should have at least 5 friends with images for their profile.  This can be emailed home if they need time to work on it at home.  This should be done by Friday of this week.  Have you had a chance to look at their good copy of the "Cave Art" story?  It should have come home yesterday.  Please sign it to let me know that you have seen this sample of writing.

Monday December 5, 2011

Math 7: The girls have a quiz Tuesday, and all the boys should have taken home their chapter 2 quiz for a parent signature.

Health and Career Education:  Permission forms are due in for the video "Through a Blue Lens" asap.  If you need more information, please contact Mme Wocknitz.

Science:  Vocabulary for Chapter 4 is due Tuesday.  Mme Wocknitz class will have 10 mins at the start of the class to finish it off.

English:  Mr. Martin's class should be reading chapter 16 of the novel, and it should be fully completed by Christmas.  Both classes should now have completed the written portions of the Cathy Peters Writing Assessment, and will be having an oral reading component before Christmas.

English: Miss. McFarland's class had library/computer time today.  Students worked on various projects including finishing the Cathy Peters Reading Assessment we started on Friday, writing their prediction for part II of Touching Spirit Bear and making revisions to the Neanderthal stories. 

Socials: Both classes are watching the videos of "Stories from the Stone Age".  Mr. Martin's class will be having an open notes quiz on Wednesday.

Friday December 2

X-Block: today the students started a new class for first block on day 2's. 

Math 7-boys: we introduced the concept of percentages, fractions, and decimals all showing the same information. 

Science-Martin: We introduced the Chemistry section today, and reviewed connections to material some had done last year, such as the KMT, and parts of density.  I assigned chapter 4 vocabulary for homework for Tuesday

PE- Most students tried a version of Dodgeball that Ms. Waring introduced yesterday.  Mr. Martin said he was upset that the class didn't get to do the "beep run" yesterday when he was away.  Apparently they weren't!  They got a second "fun day" because they agreed to not "whine" when next week they get Line Dancing, and Hip Hop lessons the following week.  Here are some of the photos of PE today.  We try to get a group of students to lead the warmup, today they really liked to give out "deep knee bends" as a final warm up.  They asked the group to perform 50!

Deep knee bends!

NOT staged at all!

 

Our Warm up leaders for the day

Cathy Peters Writing Assessment: today in 5th block, both classes were split into grade specific groups and started to write the reading/writing assessment.  Our hope is to be done with the assessment and share results with you and the students before Christmas.