May Newsletter & Important Information
May Newsletter & Important Information |
Good Afternoon Students and Parents of Room 126! Thank you for your continued support this year as working together is key in providing the best learning opportunities for the lovely students in our class! First off, I wanted to share with the parents of how well the students did in my absence last week. Mrs. Wright enjoyed her time with our class, had amazing things to say and is looking forward to seeing them again on May 30th (I will be away for the day). It really goes to show how the students work together in having each other’s backs! I am incredibly proud and grateful to be teaching such amazing students! Please continue to read about Curriculum updates and Important Dates to Come! Math – this week I will be sending home the students first math duo-tang filled with their work up to this point in the school year (please be mindful that additional work is completed on wipe off boards and in notebooks). The last quiz is included that was on 2 by 2-digit and 3 by 2-digit multiplication. A handful of students could benefit from some added practice at home. I will be sending home a couple worksheets that will serve as homework for the week for all students. Please spend some time working on these this week in the evenings and return to me by Friday. For some students this will be a quick work activity, while for others this will require more time to complete. A few students will receive modified worksheets based on their individualized programming. This opportunity will allow for students to start understanding what additional homework beyond nightly reading will look like as they move into middle school. Please take a minute on Monday, to help them organize how they will schedule their “homework time” affectively around other family nightly commitments throughout the week in order to be successful at handing completed work in on Friday morning. Math Topics for the Next Couple Weeks – As you are aware we have a robust curriculum this year! We will be working on; - division up to dividing 1-digit into 3-digits with and without remainders. - Fractions reviewing from the beginning up to interpreting improper fractions Language Arts – Much of our Language Arts writing is incorporated into Social, Science and Health topics. This allows for deeper understanding of topics. Continued focus on writing skills including editing skills and grammar are a continued focus during these writing times. Book Club – Students are in groups of 2/3, picked their novels to study and are currently working on fluency and comprehension with their partner(s). Read Aloud – When we start Electricity in Science we will read the book, The City of Ember. Students will focus on completing multiple choice, short and long answer, true-false questions frequently to support learning both test-taking and comprehension skills. Science – Completing Topic D: Weather Watch (weather phenomena, types of clouds, weather trends, forecasting weather and clothing materials to target weather, concluding with unit test). Next Up – Topic A: Electricity and Magnetism and Topic B: Mechanisms Using Electricity – These topics go together well and are typically a student favorite do to lots of hands on activities (creating and testing circuits). Students will also support teaching their Grade 2 buddies to learn a bit about circuits! Social Studies – Take a moment to view your child’s completed group projects in Google Classroom. You can view Canada Region videos where students took Mrs. MacQueen on epic tourism journeys through their chosen region. Students used Ozobots (robotics/coding) and iMovie with iPads in this project. Earlier on in the school year, students used Google Slides to create and present presentations on their Regions. A HUGE WELL DONE TO ALL STUDENTS! Social Studies Topics for the Next Couple Weeks (taken from Alberta Curriculum)– 5.2.8 examine, critically, ways of life of non-European immigrants by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues: • How do stories of Chinese immigrants (i.e., railway workers) contribute to an understanding of the development of Canada? During Open Minds School, we visited Mural Alley which had an educational mural on the Chinese Immigrants and the building of the railway. Students will build upon this learning and make connections. • What do stories of the Underground Railroad tell us about the history and presence of Black communities in Canada? • How do stories of immigrants from India contribute to an understanding of diversity in Canada? 5.2.9 examine, critically, how European immigrants shaped ways of life in western Canada by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues: • What do stories of immigrants from Ukraine, Poland, Russia and Germany tell us about their history and presence in western Canada? • How were European immigrants affected by pressures to conform in western Canada? Please take a moment to talk with your child about their ancestry as we encourage the sharing of personal stories in order for students to make connections and deepen their learning. I have shared with the students my own ancestry including pictures, artifacts and a family tree. Personalization of learning allows for stronger engagement and deeper understanding. Military Museum Field Trip - I know that there was quite a bit of interest earlier on in the year for volunteering for this field trip! Please let me know if you are able to volunteer to supervise, this includes having an up to date security clearance with the school board. So far, I have Mr. Magnuson signed up as a volunteer. Let me know asap! Thank you! Important Upcoming Dates! May 6 – 10 – Mental Health Week May 8 – Hats on for Mental Health (students encourage to wear hats in support of Mental Health Awareness) May 17 – Non-Instructional Day (no school for students) May 20 – Victoria Day (no school for staff and students) May 23 – Parent Volunteer Meeting 3:30-4:00 for Grade 5 Celebration May 28 – Military Museum Field Trip June 21 – Indigenous Peoples Day (Elder Shirley – will be present and will be working with students prior to this time in a residency on Indigenous Culture and Dancing) June 24 – Grade 5 Celebration (during school hours - more information to come via School Messenger) June 27 – Last Day of School (dismissal at 11:45 am) I hope this has been helpful! Please reach out to me if you have and questions and continue to keep me posted on any upcoming absences. This includes leaving the school year early.
Mrs. Emily MacQueen |
