Class update

Math -We are beginning to explore fractions, ratios, percents and rate with Mrs. Neal and with Mrs. Bonter we are moving into 3D geometry - mass, capacity, volume and surface area. As well as building and decomposing 3D shapes to discuss their relationships.

For fractions, ratios, percents and rates, the Grade 7's co-relate to Chapter 2. For 3D Geometry Grade 7's can review Chapter 10 & 11 in the Nelson student workbook. Here is the link for extra practice:
http://www.nelson.com/school/elementary/mathK8/math7/studentcentre/studtryout.html#ch2


For fractions, ratios, percents and rates, the Grade 6's will be Chapter 12 and for 3D Geometry- Chapter 11  in the Nelson workbook and the link for extra practice is below:
http://www.nelson.com/school/elementary/mathK8/math6/studentcentre/studtryout.html#ch12

Science -We are beginning new units in science this week with the Grade 6s exploring Space and the Grade 7s moving into Heat and Pure Substances and Mixtures.

Language - Students are working on their Independent Novel Studies during the month of April. Some students have made trips to the library to discuss book choices with the librarian. Students can do a book they have already read, as long as it was read during this school year. Students are provided 20 minutes of silent reading everyday and encouraged to bring their book and materials to work on their novel study. They will also be provided with an hour a week to work on their Novel Studies during Daily 5.

Health - As of today, students have started a program with Family Transition Place. Breakdown of each topic can be found in a past post on the blog. Below are the titles of each lesson:
-developing healthy relationships
-technology and mental health
-asserting yourself
-managing emotions
-personal image
-gender stereotypes
-discrimination and diversity
-values and choices

Social Studies and History/Geography - This month students have been learning about the Civil Rights Movement, as our character education theme is 'untying the knots of prejudice'. We have been discussing different heroes that broke boundaries and fought against discrimination. Through written responses, discussions, and art pieces students have been showing their interest and knowledge on the topic. Students have also been working on location, mapping and direction. They will be starting road trip assignments after INS are completed.

Gym - Students are continuing to work on ball handling skills, divide and conquer games, and strong offence and defence games.

Dance - Students are participating in Zumba classes over the next three weeks.

Art - Students just finished Anti - Prejudice Posters as well as Michelangelo pieces upside down under their desks - We will continue looking at different artists throughout history and techniques they used.

Independent Novel Studies

Booklets have been sent home with information about our independent novel studies due at the end of April. Students are required to complete 2 assignments from List A and 2 assignments from List B. Feel free to ask or email if there are any questions. Students will be given time in class to work on their assignments as well as complete their novels. They will receive roughly 40 minutes a week to work on their studies leading up to the due date (Apr. 26/27/28).

By Monday, April 4th students should have their novel started. I will be asking on this day what book they have selected.

Anti Prejudice Posters

Last week students completed anti prejudice posters representing different topics discussed this month, as we've learned more about untying the knots of prejudice.

Transformational Geometry Test postponed

The Geometry Test scheduled for today will be postponed to Tuesday afternoon. The link below has a good practice test, with answers provided after completion:

http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/book9/bk9i7/bk9_7i5.html

Skating before the break

Independent Novel Studies

Students have been assigned Independent Novel Studies. This can be a book they have already read and wish to read again or a new book of their choice, as long as it is at their reading level. Students are required to select four activities to complete. Two must be from list A and two from List B. These are due and will be presented April 26th, 27th, and 28th. Books must be approved before moving forward.

List A

Diary – Pretend you are a character in the novel.  Write three diary entries explaining three different events that occurred in the novel.

Character Web – Identify the top three main characters in the novel and describe the relationships between them.

Book Review – Pretend you are a writer for a book review magazine.  Write an article evaluating the novel and make some recommendations to your readers.  Do not retell the story.

Sequel/Ending – Write a sequel to your novel or rewrite a different ending.

Character Addition – Create another character that would fit into your story.  Write another chapter or choose one event to rewrite using the character.  Be sure to include a description of your character.

Interview – Write an interview between one of the major characters and a TV talk show host.

Questions – Make up eight questions about your novel.  Four of the questions can be literal – the answer is obvious in the novel.  Four of the questions are to be inferential – the answers can’t be directly in the novel.  Your reader has to think to figure out the answer.

Character Evolution – Explain how a character in the book changed from the beginning to the end.

Villains – If the book has a villain, why was his or her punishment justified.  If it wasn’t, why not?

List B

Character Comparison – Create a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting at least three characters from your novel.

Time Line – Create a chronological timeline of the major events in the novel.

Problem Solving – Identify four problems or emergencies that occurred in your novel.  Make a chart listing the problem, who was involved, how the problem was solved and other possible solutions to the problem.

Mobile – Make a mobile that represents your story.  Remember to include characters, setting, and events from your story.  Place the title and author’s name near the top.

Excitement Graph – Create a graph that shows the excitement level of at least ten events from the novel.  There must be at least three ratings but you could have more.

Illustrations – Draw three pictures.  Include at least one illustration from the beginning, the middle and the end of the novel.  Be sure to include a caption for each picture.

Map – Draw a map that includes all the different places in your novel.  Include labels and a legend.

Book Cover – Create a new book cover for your novel.  Be sure to include all elements of a book cover.

Self-Comparison – Create a Venn Diagram and identify the similarities and differences between the protagonist of the story and yourself.

Approaching Dates

March 24th - Transformational Geometry test *Test prep going home with students today and due back complete Thursday only for bonus mark on test
March 24th (to May 12) - Family Transition Place Program begins
March 25th - Good Friday, no school
March 28th - Easter Monday, no school
March 29th - Easter Egg Hunt for Reading Buddies
April 1st - Zumba with Mr. VanMaren
April 4th - MADD presentation with intermediate classes
April 5th - Avalon Trip PM
April 8th - Character Ed Assembly
April 25th - PD Day, no school
April 26/27/28 - Independent Novel Studies due (*Information and rubric going home this Thursday)

Avalon Trip cancelled

Due to a cold virus outbreak, our Avalon trip for tomorrow will be cancelled and rescheduled for our rain date on April 5th. Thank you.

Cross Country Skiing this week...

The conditions were beautiful at Monora Park on Tuesday, we were lucky to enjoy the last skiing opportunity of the season!

Dance-A-Thon

Just a reminder to all to bring your dance-a-thon pledge money in tomorrow and to wear a BLACK or WHITE shirt and a CRAZY HAT!

Also a reminder that the class will be taking a trip to Tony Rose to skate this Friday. We are asking for money and permission forms to be in the day before this trip, LATEST (Thursday). If students bring permission form and money Friday they will sadly not be attending.

Slavery is...

During Language and History students have been learning a lot about the history of slavery in the 18th and 19th century. They are working on completing perspective writing pieces about an individual attempting to escape slavery. Students were asked to complete the sentence below. No two students responded the same way, and responses were very powerful. Very thoughtful grade 6/7's.

Slavery is…

Slavery is… very unfair, selfish, and mean. It should have never started

Slavery is… depression

Slavery is… the humiliation of getting whipped in public

Slavery is… excluding others because of their colour

Slavery is… taking someone from their family and forcing them to do your work

Slavery is… trading someone like they are toys all because of their skin colour

Slavery is… a whip that is used as excuse to make white people superior

Slavery is… unfair

Slavery is… not being treated the way you should be

Slavery is… like depression, when you don’t want to go anywhere because they might hurt you

Slavery is… unlawful

Slavery is… like being scared and trying to sleep with someone watching you

Slavery is… grief and sorrows from not seeing family and friends

Slavery is… wrong

Slavery is… people being owned and they have to work all day with no pay

Slavery is… when people are wrongfully treated and treated differently from everyone else

Slavery is… when someone works for you with no pay and nothing in return

Slavery is… a disgrace to all of mankind and is frowned upon

Slavery is… a zoo. It’s taking someone from their family and forcing them to do tricks for someone else’s amusement

Slavery is… terrible and a human is a human, everyone should be treated equally

Slavery is… when someone owns another person and makes them do everything for them

Slavery is… un-human

Slavery is… inhumane

Slavery is… unfair coloured imprisonment

Slavery is… being treated like wild animals even though they have rights

Slavery is… slave owners making the slaves do work they are too lazy to do

Slavery is… people not treated fairly

Slavery is… unfair. No one should have to work for another person without any form of pay

Slavery is… disgusting and utterly disgraceful

Slavery is… something I hate the thought of

Slavery is… disrespectful

Slavery is… where someone gets taken from their family and home against their will and are forced to do hard labour

Slavery is… a bad thing that happens that shouldn’t happen anymore. Everyone should be treated the same

Slavery is… not being treated like a human being

On the agenda for this week...

Monday, March 7th - X-country skiing in the AM
-EOTM (end of the month test) for French
-Math homework due (grade 6's pg. 124 - 126, grade 7's pg. 70 - 72)

Wednesday, March 9th - Dance-athon
-Our class visit to the book fair

Thursday, March 10th - Grade 7 Ecosystem dioramas due
-Martin Luther King Jr. Response Questions due
-Avalon Trip PM

Friday, March 11th - Gym games day for the grade 2/3 class
-Skating in the PM
-Tessellation Art due

Have a great and safe March Break!

The opposite of prejudice "looks like" "sounds like" "feels like"

Students were asked to reflect on what the opposite of prejudice looks like. This was a great writing exercise as we will be sharing responses on the announcements for primary students trying to wrap their heads around this month's character ed theme. Instead of knowing what not to do, we want to encourage students with what they're already doing to be inclusive and accepting of all. Here are some great student responses:

Beth- I think that the opposite of prejudice is accepting all and not neglecting people. It is letting people into your life who may seem different. I think that it sounds like conversations, laughter and phone numbers being exchanged. It looks like hugging and playing and most of all it feels good.

Nate. W6- The opposite of prejudice is harmony. Harmony is to include others without excluding any.

Graham- It feels good to not judge anybody, it feels like you’re on the good team and not taking advantage of the other people. 

Lillian- The opposite of prejudice looks like people accepting everyone, being kind, wanted and loved. It looks like thoughtful words. People being confident and believing in themselves and thinking positively about other people. No one getting put down or feeling worthless. It feels great and everyone believes in each other.

Ian- The opposite of prejudice looks like you are not hated. It sounds like everybody likes to spend time with you and it feels like you are not alone.

Jackson- What I think the opposite of prejudice is... it sounds like everyone saying nice and thoughtful comments to each other in and out of school. It feels like a warm feeling from inside your heart and somebody giving you a hug. It looks like everyone looking at you and smiling and everyone looking like best friends and they hang out at recess and no one is hurting. 

Paige. B- The opposite of prejudice looks like people accepting and hugging each other, liking them despite how different they may look. It feels like you’re accepted and wanted, it feels like you’re loved and now people engulf you in their arms. It sounds like a soft melody, kids laughing and singing.

Paige. M- I think the opposite of prejudice is all the kids laughing and having fun caring for each other and being accepting of all people. People treating everyone with respect and loving even to strangers. Not judging people for things that make them different and make them who they are like eye colour, skin colour. Things that make them unique and amazing. 

Maite- The opposite of prejudice looks like everyone getting along no matter their differences. It sounds like kind words toward each other and equality everywhere. It looks like people hugging everyone and being accepting toward each other.