Mr. C.'s Division 5 Classroom Blog (Elsie Roy)

WEATHER CONDITIONS As expected, our weather has taken a turn over the last week.  Thank you for sending your children  prepared for the conditions. Jackets, boots, indoor shoes and umbrellas are going to be essential equipment for the next few months as students go outside for each recess and lunch session. LONG DIVISION REVIEW We have been reviewing the concept of dividing things evenly and with remainders.  There has been time for independent practice and sharing with partners.  This work will continue throughout the year as we try to get all students more comfortable with the concepts and step associated with long division.  Students are now focussed on identifying decimal numbers, comparing them and identifying the connection with fractions. ANIMAL RESEARCH REPORT Students have finished their preliminary research for the science project and we plan to begin work on final drafts next week.  This may be homework for some students depending on progress. ...

REMEMBRANCE DAY ASSEMBLY Division 5 will be joining two other classes to present the poem, In Flanders Fields. on Monday, November 10th.   We have been practicing each day and this morning the group was able to present very well without seeing the words.  Please provide time for your child to practice/memorize at home. Parents are welcome to attend our service which is scheduled to begin just after recess (11am). ANIMAL RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT This week students began researching for their science project.  We recently concluded a unit on the five senses of humans.  Now, students have each chosen an animal and will be investigating its five senses.  I have sent the assignment outline / criteria home but most of the work will be completed in school.  After their first draft,  students will be provided with final draft page.  There will not be an oral presentation for this project. FIELD TRIPS We have a few field trips planned before the winter break an...

HALLOWEEN CLASS PARTY Division 5 will be having a Halloween party during the afternoon next Friday.   Please do not send in any treats or candy as I will be providing these for the party. Students are welcome to wear a costume but it is not mandatory. Please keep weapons and large or gruesome accessories at home. Our day will likely begin with a school-wide assembly and end with a class "party" which will consist of some scary stories, bingo and games. It should be a fun day but I'm already looking forward to 3pm, October 31st :) ACTING COURSES Over the last few weeks, classes at Elsie Roy have been enjoying the Young Actors Project (YAP).  We have a guest instructor leading students through a variety of drama activities and division 5 students have responded very well to the opportunities.  Many have found a surprise talent and expressed an interest in pursuing this further.  Unfortunately the YAP does not provide programming outside of school but there are a numbe...

FIELD TRIP:  WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15th I am pleased to announce Division 5 will be participating in a field trip on Thursday, October 15th from 10am - 1pm (approximately).  We will be visiting the B.C. Sports Hall Of Fame to meet with Canadian soccer legend, Bobby Lenarduzzi, and connect with student goal setting which is happening over the coming weeks.  It should be a great experience.  Be sure to return your permission form on Tuesday if you have not already done so and thank you to the many parents who volunteered to join us! READING Next week we plan to start reading a class novel, Mr. Poppers Penguins .  It is a fun story that will allow student to read orally, demonstrate comprehension, expand vocabulary and explore the elements of a story.  We will begin by focusing on clues in the first few chapters which indicate the story's setting. SOCIAL STUDIES: NATURAL RESOURCES / TRADE Today we participated in an activity which tried to replicate World Trade....

  ORANGE SHIRT DAY: September 30 Tuesday is Orange Shirt Day at Elsie Roy Elementary and we are encouraging students to wear orange if possible. This is a national day when we honour the indigenous children and their families who were impacted by the residential school system.  Division 5 read about a first hand experience within the book, I Am Not a Number.  Elsie Roy will be closed on Tuesday in honour of this national day of Truth and Reconciliation. MATH Students have been working on place value and basic 3 digit operations (addition and subtraction).  This work will continue with rounding and multiplication/division. We will be reviewing basic math facts each week to develop our fluency and any help at home would be greatly appreciated. There is a simple website (webmathminute.com) which I will soon introduce to the students and this can be used at home as well for math drills. CLUBS AT ELSIE ROY Grade 4/5 students have an opportunity to join a number of clubs ...

  UNITS OF STUDY:   Division 5 has started the following units of study in the core subjects : Math:  Students are currently reviewing and expanding on patterns, place value and basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplying and dividing) and problem solving. Language: Students are discussing the parts of speech followed by punctuation rules, sentence structure and paragraph writing. Reading:   Students are developing their reading skills:  skimming, summarizing, inferring and more.  Students will soon begin independent Novel Studies and identifying the elements of a story: setting, plot, characters and conflict. Social Studies:   Students are reviewing our understanding of Canada geography before we begin our work with levels of government. Science:   Students have just launched into a unit investigating our body's 5 senses.  We will look at how humans and other animals employ these senses to survive. This will involve some experiment...