Mr. Wideman (Room 104) - Sept 23 - 27

With another busy week completed, we’ve now participated in our Terry Fox Run (Wednesday) and our Family Group meetings (Friday) as we continue to build our sense of community and school spirit here at Ron Southern. The Terry Fox Run delivered fantastic weather and running conditions, and we were excited by the overall effort and enthusiasm of our students as they ran in support of family and friends who have been impacted by cancer. Terry would be proud! Our Family Group meetings will occur once per month (on Fridays) throughout the school year as students meet in K-6 cross grade groups to participate in activities that will help strengthen connections between grades and our overall sense of belonging. This is a great opportunity for all of our grades to get to know each other, while our Grade 4/5/6 students take on leadership roles.

In Room 104, we’ve been continuing our work on organized, descriptive story writing, and the Pixar short films have been the basis for our work. This past week, students continued to work on their first drafts of their “Burn-E” story, and these are now available through Google Docs. As part of the Feedback Friday focus that we have undertaken at Ron Southern School, I encourage our Room 104 parents to take some time at the end of each week to view our work in Google Docs. This will provide you with an opportunity to discuss the work with your child, while gaining a deeper understanding of the topics and skills that have been our focus on a weekly basis. Please note that the Burn-E writing is still a work in progress, and students will have an opportunity to continue on the assignment during the upcoming week. 

During the week, we worked on establishing clear criteria for our writing, and we utilized a writing assessment checklist to determine where our writing demonstrates areas of strength and areas for further growth. By working with a partner and participating in peer assessment, we had an opportunity to provide and discuss feedback with a classmate on their work as well. Our writing assessment checklist looks as follows:

This checklist will provide the structure for our story writing throughout the school year. As you review your child’s ongoing story writing in Google Docs, please use the checklist as a guide to help develop our collective understanding of the expectations around our writing this year. A copy of the assessment checklist is also available within your child’s Google Drive.

Our work in Math continues to focus on computational strategies and their application to problem solving situations. This past week, we took on the Krispy Kreme Donut problem, as well as the Bridge Crossing challenge. (Links to these activities are also available through our Twitter account @ronsouthern45 – please note that you do not need to have your own Twitter account in order to view our Ron Southern School accounts). We have been continuing to work with active and accurate measuring skills involving mm, cm, and km, as well as converting between these units of measure. Our group work will continue to focus on estimating and measuring perimeter and area, and we will begin to undertake some project work this week in designing and measuring using these skills.

As always, if you have any questions about any of our classroom happenings, please feel free to contact me anytime at ajwideman@cbe.ab.ca (I always aim to respond to e-mails by the end of each day).

Thank you for your support of your child’s learning. Stay warm over the next few days!

-Mr. Wideman

Feedback Friday

This year students in Mrs. Burton's class will be bringing home their "Feedback Friday Folders" each week. Every Friday they will work in class to complete a task to bring home and share with you. This may include a weekly review of what we have been working on, a copy of a task that they have been working on and want to share with you, or a piece of work for them to assess with you. If the work they are bringing home has not been completed students are to work on the task and have it completed for Monday.

This week students brought home Math questions based on what we have been learning about Area and Perimeter, and a copy of their Terry Fox writing (with the corresponding Rubric so they can self-assess their writing with you). Please sign off each week on the task they are bringing home.

By sending home these folders along with their work we are giving parents a snap shot of what we are doing each week and how their student is doing. Working on these tasks together can help students deepen their understanding of the tasks while spending time together. This can also result in fostering life long love of learning in students.

How Parents Involvement Leads to Students Success

I would like to thank families in advance for their support with the Feedback Friday Folders. I hope that you enjoy seeing what your child brings home!

Weekly Update - September 27, 2019

What a busy couple of weeks it has been!

This past week we have:
- Written, practiced, performed, and recorded Terry Fox Spoken Word poetry
- Explored measurement through building lines, rectangles, and solving a number of challenges.
- Studied and discussed the election
- Built airplanes or circuits
- Set up a Rosetta Stone account through the Calgary Public Library in order to practice French and another language of their choosing
- Discussed and (hopefully practiced) "maturity" in more depth

In the upcoming week there is lots to be excited about, and our focus will be on taking responsibility for ourselves and on taking chances!

In Mathematics, the students will have their first "unit test" in measurement. If you would like additional practice I encourage you to create a Khan Academy account, so that students can practice at home. If not, you might have students estimate how long/short things are. All of the students are prepared with this unit test, and it will be sent home on Tuesday to be reviewed, signed, and sent back.

In Science, the 5s have been discussing safety in electricity and have constructed a number of circuits. After discussing conductors and insulators, the students have begun constructing a game of their own in the style of "Operation". This game is being documented through a sketch and a circuit diagram that demonstrates the flow of electrons.

In our literacy/social studies integration, all students will begin their next iteration (second try) at Spoken Word Poetry. We are also going to begin improving our writing 'stamina'. This means that students will be given a prompt on a daily basis, and they will be asked to write about the prompt for a given time each day. The writing time will increase as their stamina increases. The expectation is that their pencil does not stop moving. I have noticed that many students are tired after only a short time of writing. If you are concerned about this, have them complete a journal at home. Nobody needs to read what they write, but they need to write!

In Physical Education next week we will begin Soccer. For this, it is hoped that students come prepared to work on their kicking, throwing, passing, and running skills. As a reminder, they require indoor shoes that are suitable for these skills!

Bow Habitat Station

This week our studies took us to the Bow Habitat Station. We were so lucky to spend a day studying the animals within a wetland, learning why wetlands are important and getting to submerge ourselves in the area around us.

When students are given the chance to experience real-world learning they are able to deepen their connection and understanding of curriculum. The curriculum that we have been studying in class is brought to life by field trips. When on field trips we broaden our students educational experience and give them a chance to connect the dots with the curriculum in real world scenarios. The following articles help us to understand why our students need this time to apply their classroom knowledge within our community and our world.

Importance of Hands on Experience 

Importance of Field Trips


We began our day at the Bow Habitat Station by learning about Marsh's, the animals and the eco system within it. Students were given time to explore the animals by catching them with nets. Our guide taught us the name and role that each one we caught provided within that Marsh. We were able to not only catch these animals but touch and them, hold them and see them up close.

After our time at the Marsh our guide took us on a nature walk throughout the wetlands. We saw many different types of plants/flowers, including Alberta's flower the Wild Rose. We got to touch Sage and see white berries. Our guide told us how the flood impacted the wetlands and was even able to show us how high the water came up during the flood. Before heading back to school students were given time to sketch their surroundings appreciate the area around them.

Thank you to all the volunteers from both 4/5 classes for spending the day with us!

Mr. Wideman (Room 104) - Sept 16 - Sept 20

This has been another exciting and busy week in Room 104, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank our families for attending the Parent-Teacher Conferences to discuss the early stages of the school year, as well as plan for some targets and goals for our students' academic and social needs. It was a pleasure meeting the families of Room 104, and I thank you for your support of your child's learning. We're looking forward to a great school year!

On Tuesday, we took our first field trip of the school year. At the Bow Habitat Station, our grade 4/5 students had the opportunity to explore the natural environment during a nature walk, learn about wetlands and marine invertebrates through pond dipping, and work on sketching and journalling skills. We learned about the different types of wetlands and the variety of plants and organisms that make up this important ecosystem. Did you know that wetlands don't always contain water? This varies during the year according to weather and climate patterns, as well as flooding conditions. Our wetlands function as a giant sponge that absorbs excess rainwater, while providing protection from floods.

In Language Arts, we're continuing to explore elements of stories, with a focus on developing plot through rising action that leads to a climax within the storyline.  This week, the Pixar short film "Burn-E" provided us with the opportunity to explore plot development around a central problem. We're aiming to include greater detail and description in our stories, with an eye on using vocabulary that engages our reading audience. 

Our class novel, "Skeleton Creek", has been the basis for our investigation of first person narrative stories. The main character of the story, Ryan, retells the mysterious events in his small mountain town through his personal journal, while his best friend Sarah includes video footage that adds to the mystery and intrigue of the strange happenings around Skeleton Creek. Ask about how the mystery has unfolded so far! The history of the town of Skeleton Creek, and the events surrounding the Gold Rush in the region provide a connection to our work in Social Studies around ghost towns. Do you know about the history of the towns of Bankhead and Lake Minnewanka?

In Math, we're continuing to develop our computational skills and connect these to strategies for problem solving. Our work on the Sierpinski Triangle led us into an investigation of fractals, which are essentially patterns that never end! By exploring the stages of development as the pattern builds or shrinks, we're discovering the importance of different sets of numbers. For example, in the Sierpinski Triangle, we found that the number "3" is a key part of this pattern, as each stage of the fractal expanded by multiples of 3. We were able to predict further stages of the fractal by applying multiples of 3. Next week, we'll continue to work on developing computational skills through our Spending Project, and we'll explore different approaches to problem solving through our Number Talks and 3 Act Tasks. This week we explored a 3 Act Task involving the world record for a dog popping balloons! Check it out here.

On Friday September 27, we'll be participating in our Terry Fox Run. Students will need to ensure that they dress for the weather and bring a water bottle.  We'll begin the morning with a school assembly at 11:00am to reflect on the impact of Terry Fox, and our run will begin immediately after. All members of our school community are welcome to join us for this event. We're also looking for volunteers to help support our students throughout the running route. Please let us know if you're able to help out as a volunteer.

Thank you for your support. Enjoy your weekend!

-Mr. Wideman

The First Weeks

The students of Room 104 have been exploring a variety of concepts and skills across the curriculum as we continue to build a foundation for the approaches to learning that we'll undertake throughout the school year. It has been a pleasure working with this group of students, and we've demonstrated engagement and active participation in our learning this week.

We began to take a closer look at the elements of story writing. In particular, we worked to identify the ways in which the action and events in a story are constructed around a central problem, and will then build towards a climax before progressing towards an appropriate resolution. As a starting point, we're using a selection of Pixar short films to highlight the process of creating succinct, detailed and engaging storylines. We've begun to use Google Docs as a means to collaborate with peers and share our work, as we seek feedback to further enhance our understanding.

Our Math investigations have been focused on developing strategies and approaches to problem solving. We've explored patterning as a means to identify elements in a progressive sequence, as well as to estimate and predict results. Currently, we're building fractals and discussing patterns using the Sierpinski Triangle as our inspiration. Please visit our class Twitter account @ronsouthern45 to take a further glimpse into our learning. We'll be sharing our version of the Sierpinski Triangle at our upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences on the evening of Thursday September 19th, and the morning of Friday September 20th. 

Our Science and Social Studies work also began this week, with Grade 4 focusing on Waste in our World, and Grade 5 beginning their exploration of Electricity. Our Social Studies work has been developing around investigations of ghost towns, and the circumstances that contributed to their initial development and success, as well as their demise. The role of natural resources and human capital provides a starting point for our research, with Grade 4 focusing on Alberta and Grade 5 exploring Canada through a national context.

On Tuesday September 17th, we'll be taking our studies to the Bow Habitat Station for our science based field trip. Please let us know if you are interested in joining us to support as a volunteer. Thank you to our families that have already booked a conference time. There are still several conference times available on both Thursday evening and Friday morning. Please contact Mr. Wideman either through the school or via e-mail at ajwideman@cbe.ab.ca if you have any questions about our upcoming conferences or field trip. 

With the first two weeks now in the books, we're looking forward to an exciting 2019-2020 school year! Enjoy your weekend, and I look forward to meeting our Room 104 families during conferences.

-Mr. Wideman

The first full week is finished!

This learning this week included an examination of measurement in different ways. For example, students were challenged to think about what might be measured with millimeters, centimeters, and meters. They reflected on referents for estimation, and they completed an assessment so that I could see where they require additional practice. The students are now able to recognize 90° and 45° angles. They used this understanding to begin thinking outside of the box!

Students learned 2 tactics for constructing models to practice and represent their learning. First, they learned about inserts (tic-tac-toe) and scoring (wearables). Ask them what each is - they are beginning to see the possibilities of things they might be able to create!

In literacy we brainstormed elements of story. What do all novels have? What should we look for as we read "Among the Hidden". Going deeper still, the students are examining the concepts of 'isolation' and 'connection' through the lens of Luke's experiences (the protagonist).

This is just a taste of the learning we engaged in last week! For more, be sure to click the link below to see our work on twitter (no account required!).

https://twitter.com/RonSouthernsch5

Next week, the students will dig deep into the election issues and will begin learning the art of persuasive writing. The 6s will continue their work on Air and Aerodynamics, while the 5s will begin constructing circuits from circuit diagrams.

I hope you have an outstanding weekend!

Mr. MacKenzie

Genius Hour

This week students have been diving into the Grade 4 and 5 curriculum. One of the things we have introduced is the idea of Genius Hour. This time allows the students to explore their own passions in a creative way within the classroom. By giving them a choice in what they are learning they take ownership in their learning. During this time students work at their own level and their own pace which in turn helps to increase confidence in all subject areas. 

As students are researching their projects they increase ability to use computers and use the internet properly. They are also building on their literacy skills as they read through literature, pull information that relates to their projects and making notes. Many students have chosen ideas that relate to creating video games, making movies and animals with they idea that they will tie it to math, literacy and science curriculum. 

We began by watching introducing students to the idea of Genius Hour by watching this inspiring video, "You get to have your own genius hour." Students then developed their wonder and why they want to learn more about this.

      

We then had our own Shark Tank where students came and pitched their idea. They received feedback from their peers for how they can make their projects even better. Students are encouraged to work on their projects at home as well! 

As we continue working on our project each week we will share our process on Twitter. Make sure to follow us @ronsouthern45