Beginning of April

Here's what we are up to:

Math

We have completed our unit on Transformations and Coordinates.  Students did an excellent job navigating plotting coordinates on a graph and manipulating images using reflection, translation and rotation to specific criteria.

Now we have started our geometry unit!  We have already mastered using the protractor to create and measure angles.  Now we are looking at angles within shapes and problem-solving using angles.

We will be starting a math/art project where students recreate an image using only lines - in the style of picasso's cubism.  They will then look at geometric shapes in their art as well as acute and obtuse angles.

Science

We are now on the Flight unit.  Students have discovered the history of flight, the properties of fluids, the forces of flight and Bernoulli's principle.  Yesterday, we did an experiment testing Bernoulli's principle using two straws and a cup of water.  Ask your son or daughter to show you how Bernoulli explains the dynamics of a squirt bottle and beyond.

Next, students will explore their understanding of flight as they create their own experiment using controlled variables.

Social Studies

It is once again election time.  As we get ready to go to the polls for the provincial election, students are tasked with taking on the role of a news reporter, finding the scoop on voters' values.  Students were tasked with talking to at least three different people to discover what it might be like in the mind of a voter.  Feel free to only answer the questions with which you are comfortable.  The intent of the project is for students to start to think like a voter might.

French

We are close to completing our french Book Club.  Only four more sessions to go.  Students are now deep into their novels and excited to see how they end.

We are now looking at verbs in the past tense: "le passé composé".  Afterwhich, students should be able to conjugate verbs in the present, past and future.

ELA

We have completed the Red Wolf novel.  Students have one final written response to demonstrate their reflections of the novel.  It has been a meaningful journey together.  I'm excited to see what they have to say about the novel as a whole.

Our poetry unit is almost complete as well.  Student have this week and next to ensure their poems have meaning, juicy vocabulary and imagery and then to polish their poems in a final publishable copy.

February and March

We had a lot of activity in February and March, including many specialty days.  Here is an overview of some of the special events:

International Day of Play

According to playday.org: "Play is essential for physical and emotional growth, for mental, intellectual and educational development, and for acquiring social and behavioural skills."

For that reason, we took an entire morning and dedicated it to free play.  Students were given tips and tricks on problem-solving and inclusion and then spread their creativity throughout the class and even outside. There were forts, box races, board games and more.  Students were given the chance to take charge of their day and PLAY.

Day of Silence

Our entire class participated in the Day of Silence - being silent for one day to spread awareness and empathy for those who are not heard.  We wrote down questions, invented hand signals and moved throughout the day using videos and a pre-planned Smart presentation as our voice.  The videos tackled subjects such as bullying, oppression, human rights and making a positive difference.

Day of Pink

Students stood-up against bullying and showed off their fashionable pink colours.  We had discussions and watched videos all to promote the elimination of bullying in our school and beyond.

Festivale du Voyageur

Hé! Ho! Students had the chance to celebrate Festivale here at VW.  We had stations including weaving, bannock, taffy, snowshoeing and voyageur songs.

Day of the Holocaust

Students came to school ready to spend one day learning about the Holocaust.  We began the day with a lesson and discussion where students could better understand what the Holocaust was.  Afterwards we dove into the story of Anne Frank and then read a letter from a Holocaust survivor.  At the end of the day, students were asked to write a letter to a Child of the Holocaust in order to given them a venue to express their feelings, ask questions and describe how fortunate we are and how, through understanding, compassion and acceptance, the Holocaust will never happen again.  

Canadian History Museum

As a finale to our Book Club, students worked together to build a museum exhibit based on the Canadian History topic of their Book Club novel.  Topics ranged from The Great Depression, to the World Wars, to Louis Riel.  On the day of the museum, we invited students from other classes to visit.  All in all, there were over 200 students that came through the museum doors to visit the exhibits along with over 15 staff.  Students did an incredible job showing their expertise of the historical content and engaging their audiences.  Well done!!!