Mrs. McKernon's Class Blog

1.  Just a reminder that there is no school Monday, November 23rd, as it is a Professional Development Day for the staff. 

2.  Math – We will be writing a quiz on factors and multiples.  We will then move onto long multiplication. 

3.  Grade 5 Unit of Inquiry – The Grade 5 students will continue to learn about weather.  The students will be testing their weather instruments this week and writing up a lab report reflecting on the results.  The students will be filming their weather forecast and making weather charts to refer to during their presentation.  We will also be learning about climate change over time by completing a Google Earth activity. 

4.  Grade 6 Unit of Inquiry – The Grade 6 students continue both their tree and government units this week.  They will be learning more about the Charter of Rights by playing a board game and identifying the rights by reading different scenarios.  We will continue to learn about photosynthesis and will write a quiz later in the week as well.  We will work on study skills at school that they can use to study with at home. 

5.  Make sure your child is practising their math facts, as we will be writing a new set of mad minutes in the next few weeks. 

1.  Your child should have brought home their mad minutes last week and a blank booklet to use for practice.  Go through each operation with them and see what facts they need to focus on.  Practising every night for 10 to 15 minutes is recommended. 

2.  Math – We will continue to learn about lowest common multiples and greatest common factors this week.  We should be having a quiz mid-week on this unit.  We will then move onto long multiplication. 

3.  Grade 5 Unit of Inquiry – The Grade 5 students will continue to learn about weather.  The students made weather instruments on Friday and will start to test them this week.  Those students who forgot their materials will need to make their instrument at home and bring them to school early in the week.  We will also be learning how indigenous people used nature to predict weather and compare it to the methods we use now.  If time permits, we will also be learning about climate change over time by completing a Google Earth activity. 

4.  Grade 6 Unit of Inquiry – The Grade 6 students will be learning about the four pillars of democracy and the Charter of Rights.  We will then move onto photosynthesis and human use of trees.  

5.  There will be no Rainbow Wall this week, as after every two sets of activities we have a one week break.  They will have a new one to complete next week. 

1.  Thank you to the parents who attended the PW Virtual Parent Teacher Interviews.  If anyone would still like to meet just send me an email and we can set up a time. 

2.  Remembrance Day – Don’t forget to join our Remembrance Day Ceremony over Zoom on Tuesday.  Please note there is a time change, as it is now at 9:30 am.  Join us using the following link:

Topic: Remembrance Day Ceremony
Time: Nov 10, 2020 9:30 AM Pacific Time
https://rockyview.zoom.us/j/96103287890
Meeting ID: 961 0328 7890
Passcode: 415386

Students who are in the Honour Guard may come dressed in their uniforms. This includes anybody in Scouts, Girl Guides, Cadets, etc.  All others students can dress in red or black to mark the occasion.

3.  We encourage all students to bring a toonie to school on Tuesday in support of the Veterans. 

4.  There is no school on Wednesday, November 11, 2020 due to Remembrance Day. 

5.  Math – The students will be working on prime and composite numbers, as well as factors and multiples.

7.  Grade 5 Unit of Inquiry – The Grade 5 students will continue to learn about weather.  They will be keeping a weather journal the next few weeks and are finding out about extreme weather.  Hopefully the students filled out their journal this weekend.  The storm gave them some interesting data I’m sure!  The students will be choosing a weather instrument to make and may require some materials be brought to school from home as well. 

8.  Grade 6 Unit of Inquiry – The Grade 6 students will be learning about democracy and the Canadian government.  They will be learning about the different branches of the government and their responsibilities.  They will have a test on parts of the tree and their functions on Friday.  We will be focusing on study skills in class, but they will still be expected to study at home as well.  If we have time, we will move onto photosynthesis and the Charter of Rights.   

9.  For our “Rainbow Wall,” which is our daily seven, the focus will be on Remembrance Day.  We will be doing reading, writing, word work, estimation, doubling, and symmetry.  This is always posted on Google Classroom and the students can work on it at home if they choose.  Some of the students are a bit behind with some of their assignments and are expected to catch up in their free time. 

10.  French – Last week the students practised basic conversations in French.  This week the grade fives will be learning about school subjects and the grade sixes will be working on their holiday unit by learning about Remembrance Day.  

1.  The students will be writing their mad minutes next week.  Please make sure they practice any facts they are having difficulties with.

2. Pictures orders due October 26th, 2020

3.  We are looking forward to our “Wild About Wolves” program on Thursday.  If you have not paid your $5, please do so as soon as you can.

4.  Picture Retakes – Monday, November 2, 2020

5.  Halloween – We will be celebrating Halloween this year on Friday, October 30th.  We will not be having a parade in the gym, but will have activities in our classroom.  While the students will not be handing out treats this year, they are encouraged to bring their own treat to have during our class party.  The students can come to school dressed in their costume or change at school later in the day.  They still must wear masks, even with their costume.  

6.  Math -The students just finished up their place value unit and have moved onto integers.  We will be starting addition and subtraction of decimals next week.

7.  Library – We had our first library class this week and the students were allowed to sign out books.  Our class will be every Monday, so please ensure your child has their books at school that day.

8.  Guided Reading – The students are off to a great start with our Guided Reading.  Each week we talk about what happened in the book, answer questions the students have created and read aloud, as well as silently.

9.  Grade 5 Unit of Inquiry – The Grade 5 students have started their new Unit of Inquiry, “Who We Are.”  Our Central Idea is “There is a reciprocal relationship between people and the environment.”  We will be focusing on how humans can influence weather, how people can predict and prepare for different types of weather and the implications of natural disasters.  This week we have been learning about weather vocabulary and forecasts. 

10.  Grade 6 Unit of Inquiry – The Grade 6 students have started their new Unit of Inquiry, “How We Organize Ourselves.”  Our Central Idea is “Environment can influence society.”  We will be focusing on Canadian Government and Democracy and Trees and Forests.  This week we have been figuring out how trees and government are connected to one another and creating questions that we will focus on throughout the unit.  

11.  Remembrance Day – This year we will be observing Remembrance Day over Zoom. Please join us using the following link:

Topic: Remembrance Day Ceremony
Time: Nov 10, 2020 11:00 AM Pacific Time
https://rockyview.zoom.us/j/96103287890
Meeting ID: 961 0328 7890
Passcode: 415386

Students who are in the Honour Guard may come dressed in their uniforms. This includes anybody in Scouts, Girl Guides, Cadets, etc.  All others students can dress in red or black to mark the occasion.

We would like students to ask their families if they can support us by submitting pictures and names of family members who have served.  We will use these to create a slideshow for our presentation.  See example below.  Please get this to us by November 1st at the latest so we have time to put the slide show together.

1. Just a reminder that there is no school tomorrow or Monday.  We will see all of the students back at school on Tuesday, October 13th.  Happy Thanksgiving!
   

2. The students will be bringing home their first Mad Minutes of the year.  While I do not use these for marks, it is expected that the students be practising at home and show an improvement every month.  A strong recall of facts will really help them with their upcoming long multiplication and division units.  Help your child find the areas that they need to focus on at home.  I have included a blank form if you would like to use it to practice, as well as sent a hard copy home with your child. We will have our next set of Mad Minutes in two weeks.

3. The grade 6 students have started Human Sexuality and will continue lessons into next week.  The grade 5 students will participate in this program later in the school year.

4. Please check PowerSchool this weekend.  There will be some marks entered in various subject areas.  If you have troubles logging in, please contact the office for assistance.

5. This week we wrote a place value quiz and are moving onto decimals on Tuesday.
   

6. The Grade 5 students have been working on their Land Region research and have created some eye catching magazine covers showcasing their knowledge. 

7. The Grade 6 students have continued their research on their culture and some have moved on to create their presentations. 

8. The students have been focusing of the various elements of art.  We have been learning about value, space, line, texture, colour, and shape & form.
   

9. We started Guided Reading this week as well.  Ask your child what book they will be reading.  The students have set their reading schedule and made their initial prediction of what they think will happen in the novel.  Next week the students will be reading, creating discussion questions and having conversations with fellow group members about their novel.

10. Download (DOCX, 21KB)

1. Below is the Zoom link for 5/6M Meet the Teacher tonight.  While it is one link, I will be doing the same presentation three times within the hour.  Please plan on attending one of the times below if you can make it.

1. The grade 6 students need to return their human sexuality and immunization forms this week.  Thank you in advance! 

2. School Photos –Thursday, October 1st

3. Orange Shirt Day – Wednesday, September 30

4.  Meet the Teacher Zoom – Thursday, October 1, 2020.  A zoom link will be sent and you will have the opportunity to join either a 6:00 pm, 6: 20 pm, or 6:40 pm session.   

5.  I am sure you saw the lava lamps that the students made last week.  We learned about the states of matter and chemical and physical changes.  Ask your child what reaction occurred in their lava lamp and have them explain the reasons why.  We are currently learning about place value up to ten billion in math.  The grade 5 students continue to research the land regions of Canada, while the grade 6 students are learning what makes them who they are and how they think others view them. 

1.  Grade 6 Safety Patrol forms are due tomorrow. Training will be starting on Friday. 

2.  Bring a “Toonie for Terry” in support of cancer research.

3.  Reading Slumber Party is on Friday, September 25th.  The students can wear pajamas, bring books to read and an extra snack if they wish.  Unfortunately, due to COVID, we are unable to bring blankets, pillows and stuffies this year.

4.  School Photos –Thursday, October 1st (Please note the change of date)

5. Orange Shirt Day – Wednesday, September 30

6.  Meet the Teacher Zoom – Thursday, October 1, 2020.  Mark your calendar! Details to follow.

7.  Today we participated in the Terry Fox Run.  The grade 5 students started research on the land regions of Canada, while the grade 6 students learned about the countries our families originally came from and talked about some ways cultures/people are different from one another.