Friday, May 31, 2013

Happy Friday and welcome June: 31 May

At the bottom of this post, I've included some Math 7 practice questions.  I've put the ANSWERS on yesterday's post.

On Monday at 9:00 we'll welcome the Elphi jazz band in the gym.  Bring your instruments for band class just in case.


We began our day with two number games in French.  They helped us review our numbers and colours.  Yesterday I was at a meeting with other elementary teachers hosted by Ms. Thomson (from our school) and I had the chance to hear about some of the activities others are doing in French class.  Today's lesson was prep work for Uno, a game I just learned but that the students are probably familiar with.

Next, we had a discussion started with this prompt: "How could I make a difference in the world, today?  Later, we watched a video from the Life Vest Inside organization.  Here is the link: http://lifevestinside.com/ You might like to have a look.

After recess we read for ten minutes and then began math.  In Math 7 we continued to practice creating equations from area problems in preparation for Monday's unit test.  Here are some notes:





During lunch, some of our students participated in the Bike Week Tour de Roberts Creek.  After lunch we read and worked on our passion inquiries.  Students have started to add reflective comments to the blog on the passion inquiry process (see below).  Next, we listened to Hannah and Amber share their presentation.  Here is a pic:

Enjoy your weekends and parents, don't forget about the Spring Fling fundraiser on Saturday night at the Hall.
I am going to try to make an appearance, but Saturday is the Army Cadets big year-end event.



Here is the Math 7 practice test (answers on yesterday's post):
Practice test - 1
Practice test - 2
Practice test - 3
Practice test - 4
Practice test - 5

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Thursday, 30 May

Just a brief post today: I have a French meeting to run off to.

We began the day with French.  Then we had band.

After recess we read for ten minutes and then had math.  In Math 7 we looked at using algebra to solve area and perimeter problems.  There was definitely some tension in students' learning as they tried to solve for missing measurements using the formulae that they learned in previous units.  I was trying to have them understand the need to represent things in a conventional form.  For example, writing 2d instead of 2 x d (2 times d), or instead of d + d.  A couple of students stayed in at lunch to hammer out their understanding or to get extra practice questions.  I had planned to have the unit test tomorrow, but since there is a dance tonight and because I want to give everyone a chance to get extra practice questions,
we'll have the test on Monday, instead.

After lunch we worked on our passion inquiry questions and then listened to Arif's presentation that included the use of Prezi (instead of PowerPoint).  It was a most informative talk.  We ended the day with some running drills in the gym and then played a rugby drill that involved the class trying to beat Nicholas around a circle (they pass the ball while he runs). It took many tries, but after we split the class they were ultimately able to beat him.  Hats off to you, Nicholas, for a very strong and impressive effort.


Here are the answer's for Friday, 31 May's Math 7 practice test:






Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Art Wednesday, 29 May

We had art with Joanna first thing this morning.  We started with a cool warm-up exercise where the students wrote on paper, crumpled and threw their sheet at a classmate, who in turn opened and read the paper and then threw it to another and so on.  Of course at some point it became more of an exercise in pelting your friends with paper than reading, but I thought it was a very creative way to pass informatiion: bravo Joanna!  We made prints today using potato stamps and paper stencils.  The process was very quick, engaging and fun.  The class was right on top of things and everyone worked very cooperatively for the whole block.  In the last few minutes of the hour we also created a collaborative piece in the style of a New York artist (whose name escapes me) recently featured in Vogue magazine.  Here are some photos from the morning:

Messages by aimail
Layered collaboration: India ink, tempra applied
with a feather, potato stamps with tempra
Stamp prints
Stamp prints drying
After recess we read for ten minutes and then did math.  The 7s completed their unit reviews and then started their pre-tests.  I noticed that some students had trouble with "seeing" the word problems.  We'll have to have some grit when it comes to the test.  Don't expect the equations for the problems to jump out at you: you will have to employ some critical thinking.  There is no homework, but Friday I plan to have the unit test.  Here are some notes:


Student response using algebra tiles
Learning to group the tiles so the
answer is easier to visualize
After lunch we worked on our passion inquiry projects for an hour and then listened to Saleah and Sadie, and Noah and Nicholas share their socials inquiry presentations.  We ended the day with Nikki doing our final yoga lesson.  Most of the class was engaged and respectful but yoga continues to be a challenge for five or six of the boys who can't find it in themselves to settle to their "quiet space."  It's a shame, because they did very well with the actual movement of their bodies.  I understand that it's sometimes tough to be 100% on, last thing in the day.

Please remember your instruments tomorrow for band.

Thank you everyone who was able to donate to the Spring Fling fundraiser basket; ours will be a very practical offering.  Tomorrow will be the deadline for donations, when Aideen, I think, will come by to collect it and work her magic on making it all into a nice presentation.

Grade 7s, please return the Elphi letters ASAP.

And now, if the rain will stop, I'll be off to help coach (read: equipment manager) my son's softball team in a 6:30 start at Hackett park.










Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Tuesday, 28 May

Remember that tomorrow we need everyone to bring a large potato and paring knife to art class: we're making stamps.

Also, time is running out for us to collect donations for the class gift basket for the Spring Fling fund raiser.  The event is Saturday, but we need time to prepare the basket beforehand.

Grade 7s, please return the forms from the Elphinstone package sent home yesterday.

We began the day with French.  I completed the instruction for the second "food" lesson.  Here are the notes:

Next, I brought out the ropes and we learned how to tie a fisherman's knot.  When the computer cart was available we started a descriptive paragraph using an image of parkour as our inspiration.  Here it is:









After recess we had math.  The grade 7s worked to complete their chapter reviews.  Here is a sample of how to use algebra tiles to model an equation:

After lunch we took a bit of time to tidy up the paragraphs we had started before recess, and then folks moved on to their passion inquiry projects.  I circulated, sharing my time between helping students improve their paragraphs, and helping them to design inquiry questions.  We ended the day by listening to Mackenzie and Goldney share their socials inquiry on ancient China and ancient Rome.  I've been very satisfied with the presenters' efforts so far.
Playing with my new InstaweatherPro app.

I know the weather has been uncooperative, but four students rode their bicycles to school today.  Remember, only those who cycle will get tickets to enter the draw for the new bike.

Heads up: June 5th with be NEON DAY: dress up and have a chance to win a prize.  Also, there will be an Appreciation Tea on June 5th at 3 p.m. in the school library: all parents, guardians and caregivers are cordially invited.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Monday, 27 May

We had many donations for the gift basket today.  
Please see the comments at the foot of the Tuesday 14 May's blog post to see where folks are noting what they're donating so that we have a nice mixture of gifts.

4 students earned bike-to-school week raffle-draw tickets for riding to school.  Way to go Gus, Noah, Avery and Kiah.  
If you'd like to have a chance to win a bike, you've got to ride.


Ouch: a few of the grade 6s began their day with vaccinations.  The rest of us began with a short French quiz: I hope neither was too painful.  In French, I am noticing improvement already.  Although I'm trying to do lots of oral work, I am also trying to give attention to spelling, my Achilles heel when I was a student.  After the quiz, we got started on the second lesson associated with the food theme.  I shared with the class some of my experiences when I lived in Northern Quebec and came across French words whose meaning I knew, but whose pronunciation at first stumped me (ex. huile - oil, pneu - tire).  Being immersed in another culture is a wonderfully challenging way to experience inquiry every second of the day.  Here are our notes:

 Afterwords, the class went to band.

After recess we read for ten minutes and then the 6s left for math while the 7s received the counseling team from Elphinstone.  The 7s not only heard from adult, school staff, but also from three grade 8s who are former RCCES students.  There was good information exchanged and I was most impressed by the positive and professional tone of the students' comments.  Our students were given a folder to take home (some were dismissed before they picked up their folders so they'll get them tomorrow).  In that folder was a piece of paper that needs to be signed and returned.  Please do that ASAP so we can get them back to Elphi.

After lunch we read for a short while and then listened to inquiry presentations by Simon and Bowen, Emily and Kiah, and Gus.  It is interesting to see the growth in the students work as they get more and more experienced at both inquiry learning and sharing.  Gone is the nervousness of only a few months ago.  The learning also appears to be much deeper and more detailed this time.  We ended the day with a game of backwards indoor soccer.
Inquiry sharing: India and Rome
Inquiry sharing: India and Greece
Audience participation: teaching the
 class Indian dance steps 
I don't know if we invented this game,
but I'd like to play it again, now that
we have the kinks worked out.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Happy Weekend: Friday, 24 May

Next week at a glance:

Monday:  Grade 6 immunizations
Monday: Elphinstone Counsellors discuss courses with Grade 7s
Monday: Aboriginal Ed with Kristi
Monday: Bike to school week begins (draw to win a new bike)
Wednesday: Art with Joanna: please bring a large potato and a paring knife (wrapped carefully an stored at Mr. Marshall's desk
Wednesday: Yoga with Nikki (last class of the year)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We began the day with a French lesson.  We examined the verb "to eat" and introduced some vocabulary associated with food.  At the end of the lesson we took turns presenting our pronunciation to one another and it sounded pretty good.   Here are the notes:

After French, we got onto the computers and visited Mr. Pond's blog to view some of the photos he took of the trip to Vancouver.  I asked the grade 7s to write a reflective paragraph on their experience and post it to yesterday's post on our class blog.  The 6s were asked to reflect on their year and to share their thoughts about next year when they will be in grade 7.  Check out their thoughts.

After recess, we read for ten minutes and then got right to math.  The Math 7 students reviewed some of the prompt words used in math, words such as solve, explain, estimate and answer.  Next, I reviewed some of the questions from yesterday's assignment, and then they set to work on the unit review.  I have to say we are in a real groove in math and are progressing quickly and efficiently through our work these days.  I asked that everyone be finished question 6 for homework - most were working on 6 when the bell went today.

After lunch we got right to our inquiry work.  Some students used their hour to tidy up or practice their socials inquiries, others worked on their new passion inquiries.  We had time to listen to Kira and Mia's presentation, but because of the great detail that they included, I chose not to start the next one, opting to take five minutes to tidy the room.  We ended the day with a walk to the beach.  I said that the students could wade their feet in the ocean, but a few students took advantage of that an allowed themselves to get fully submerged in waste-deep water.  I explained our need to honour District safety policies to have a lifeguard on duty for that kind of activity and how their choice to push the boundary added risk to the activity and put me in a very tenuous position.  I'll have to reconsider my practice in this area.

I hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend.  After our discussions, I expect Nicholas and Noah, Gus, Goldney and Mackenzie, and, Bowen and Simon to be ready to present their socials inquiry projects on Monday, starting in the morning.

Finally, I'd like to share some of my thoughts on two topics in education that I am currently focused: leadership and technology.  I think we are in exciting times and there is momentum building around reform in education.  The students will tell you that I'm hooked on the access to ideas available for sharing on Twitter and I like to think that we at Roberts Creek have the willingness to examine what we do in the service of our students.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Thursday, 23 May

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WE ARE COLLECTING DONATIONS FOR A KITCHEN-THEMED GIFT BASKET FOR THE SPRING FLING FUND RAISER SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 1st.  We have three items to date.

First, let me say what a wonderful day we all had on the grade 7 year-end trip to Vancouver yesterday.  The laser tag, rock wall climbing, harbour cruise, tandem bike trip and playground time were all a huge success.  There were many people involved in the logistics of getting this year-long venture completed, but I think we will all agree that two mums went above and beyond, and they deserve to be recognized: thank you Agnes and Dianne!  Mr. Pond was a photo ninja and even after he had culled the herd, he was able to post 180 photos to his classroom blog.  Here is the link: mega photo cache
The fire truck at Second Beach, Stanley Park

We started today with a French quiz and then did some meta-cognition: some thinking about our thinking.  Ex. "I will try to remember to...."  Here is a copy of the quiz:

Next, we practiced our knots for fifteen minutes before band.  Some students were pretty rusty with the bowline - remember, it's probably the most useful knot I've shown you.

After recess we went to the gym to hear about Bike to School Week next week.  The students learned of the contest to win a fancy new bike and how they can earn a ticket for the draw each day they ride to school next week.  After the assembly, we started math.  In Math 7 students worked to complete the problem set for the final lesson, 6.5.  As students finished, I started to challenge them with a new twist on isolating variables. There is no homework.




After lunch we read for fifteen minutes and then I gave some instructions for the passion inquiry project.  Specifically, I indicated the need for more initial structure and planning.  I spent the rest of the hour checking in with students and helping them with their organization and inquiry question proposals.  We ended the day with an old-fashioned game of kick-the-can.

NOTE: Few students were ready to present their socials inquiry projects today.  I will not deduct points for being late, but I may give special consideration to students who were able to meet all criteria, including the deadline.


Heads up:

Monday is immunization day for grade 6s.

Monday is also the day the Elphinstone counsellors will be in to talk to the grade 7s.

Finally, Monday we have Aboriginal ed. with Kristi.