Friday November 29, 2019

Learning Intentions for our Day...

• During Daily 5 today some of us worked within our reading groups while others finished off our plans for Upcycling projects.  Some of us used this time to complete our poems from earlier this week.  Friday - a bit of a 'finish up' day.  
• We worked to create beautiful title pages for the 'Poetry' section of our visual journals.  We will soon fill these pages with a variety of poems that we will create while exploring figurative language and building our vocabulary.
• Wonder Time's focus was on revisiting designs and thinking critically about how to make our prototypes even better.  

Ask me about...

the changes my group made to our Wonder Time structure and why this prototype was different from last time.

Reminders...

• Students should have a post it note in their bags that list the recycled materials they need to bring for their upcycling project.  These materials need to be CLEAN and at school on MONDAY.
• In Powerschool, a new assessment of the Language Arts Learning intention has been posted.  
• Families Helping Families

We are calling on your kindness and generosity to help support families in need at Christmas.  Eric Harvie School will be supporting twelve families in Calgary. Each pod has been assigned specific families to sponsor.  The links for each pod’s Google Sheets sign-up gift tracking sheet is listed below. Please note that each family has a separate tab in the Google Doc. Here is an example of the tabs you will see at the bottom of the page.  Click next to the donated item to check it off.  

Please wrap and label all gifts/donations with this specific information:

Example: Harmony Pod Family G

                  6 Year old Girl #1

All contributions will be due on or before as the presents will be picked on that date:

Monday, December 16th, 2018

In the spirit of giving this holiday season, all staff at Eric Harvie School would like to thank families in advance for their thoughts and contributions! Thank you for making a family’s Christmas a little brighter!!
 

Here are the links to access the Google Docs:

Harmony Pod                                                              Hope Pod

Joy Pod                                                                        Kindness Pod

Peace Pod

Thank you for your support,

Eric Harvie School

Thursday November 28, 2019

Learning Intentions for our Day...

• We worked on our rough copy of our poem's about oranges.  They are coming along beautifully!
• We continue to focus on reviewing and practicing our addition mental math strategies today through a number talk, learning a new math game.  
• We met with the groups who we will be working with for our 'upcycling' projects and are working towards finalizing our plans.  More information will be forthcoming via the blog tomorrow!

Ask me about...

the new math game I learned today.

Reminders...

• In anticipation of examining addition and subtraction more closely in the next few weeks, students will be reviewing their mental math strategies.  To support this work, it would be great for students to do this at home each night for a short time.  

Wednesday November 27, 2019

Learning Intentions for our Day...

• We continue to explore poetry and used our 5 senses to create descriptive phrases of an orange in Writers' Workshop today.  
• We continue to focus on reviewing and practicing our addition mental math strategies today through a number talk, learning a new math game.  (See below.)
• We are very excited about a new project that was introduced in Inquiry today!  As part of our study of waste, we have been challenged to use recycled materials to create something new that would benefit our lives.  We have only just started brainstorming ideas with our group but already  ideas are flowing freely!  More information will be forthcoming via the blog!

Ask me about...

how we are writing a poem.  Let me share my favorite phrase that I created with you.

Reminders...

• In anticipation of examining addition and subtraction more closely in the next few weeks, students will be reviewing their mental math strategies.  To support this work, it would be great for students to do this at home each night for a short time.  Today's game was: Roll to 100.

Tuesday November 26, 2019

Learning Intentions for our Day...

• We continue to focus on reviewing and practicing our addition mental math strategies today through a number talk, learning a new math game.  (See below.)
• Many of us met with our reading groups today.  Please ask me what we did and what assignment or goal we might have within our group.
• We have started a new read aloud book during our snack time and it is very unique.  It is Love That Dog by Sharon Creech and it is written as poetry!  
• Math and art are connected!  We discovered this as we worked with Mr. Kelly to create owls today in Fine Arts.

Ask me about...

how in Inquiry, we learned about the importance of recycling today.  Let me share these videos with you about where our recycling and garbage go.

Recycling Centre:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhv-Dv9h3J4

Shepard Landfill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMSOl6RWpKw

What surprised you when you watched these videos?

Reminders...

• In anticipation of examining addition and subtraction more closely in the next few weeks, students will be reviewing their mental math strategies.  To support this work, it would be great for students to do this at home each night for a short time.  Today's game was:

• 
  

Monday November 25, 2019

Learning Intentions for our Day...

• We focussed on reviewing and practicing our addition mental math strategies today through a number talk, learning a new math game and thinking about addition facts as parts of a whole.  
• In Writers' Workshop we read the book, Owl Moon, carefully examining how descriptive language makes it interesting for readers.  We are learning how careful word choice can create vivid pictures for our readers and share what we experience with our senses.
• We learned about 'eco-footprints' today in inquiry and brainstormed ideas of how we can begin to lessen ours through our daily actions.  

Ask me about...

what an 'eco-footprint' is and some of the steps we can take to begin to decrease ours today.

Reminders...

• In anticipation of examining addition and subtraction more closely in the next few weeks, students will be reviewing their mental math strategies.  To support this work, it would be great for students to do this at home each night for a short time.  We will post new math games or online resources here that can be used.  Today's game was:
• 

Wednesday Nov. 20

Learning Intentions

- Today we finished up our decomposer and decomposing definitions in our visual journals.

- We also made tableau's to represent the nutrient cycle

- In math we talked about money and reviewed coins and their values - Ask me what the value of a nickel, dime, quarter, loonie and toonie are 

- We continued turning our jot notes into a paragraph

Reminders:

- Parent Teacher conferences are tomorrow - please book a time if you haven't

- Tomorrow is a half day and there is NO School on Friday because of parent teacher conferences

- Thursday is purchase day at the Book Fair, students are encouraged to bring their money then.

 HOLIDAY PLANT FUNDRAISER – DEADLINE EXTENDED TO THIS FRIDAY

Parent Council has extended the order deadline to this Friday. We will only accept online orders tomorrow until Friday. Orders can also be placed at: https://ericharvie.growingsmilesfundraising.com/home

Eric Harvie School Enhancement Society Eric Harvie School Enhancement Society's Online Order Form. Welcome to our fundraising website! This Winter we are selling beautiful, locally-grown plants to help raise money for our programs. ericharvie.growingsmilesfundraising.com

and only accepting Interac e-Transfers (instructions on the order website).

Pickup for orders will happen on December 5 and 6.

Thank you for orders and supporting this fundraiser!

Tell your parents about y-axis and x-axis. Where are they on graphs?

We learned to add by using friendly numbers (5's).


Today we continued our exploration of bar graphs.
Students turn the data they collected over the weekend and and represented the data with bar graphs.
Also, students assessed their own work by using a checklist.


We went to the Book Fair to window shop. It looks like a lot of long lists will be going home.

We are creating a page in our visual journals. We looked at the nutrient cycle and came up with a definition for DECOMPOSERS.

Then we finished out watercolour paintings of a rabbit. They look fantastic!


REMINDERS:
-Parent/Teacher Interviews Thursday and Friday morning.
-half day Thursday
-No school Friday
-Winter Flower order forms (fund raiser) due tomorrow.
-Thursday is purchase day at the Book Fair, students are encouraged to bring their money then.
-Wear Blue, tomorrow is National Child Day (United Nations: Rights of the Child).

Monday November 18, 2019

Learning intentions for our day...

• In Writer's Workshop, we worked to organize our jot notes in an order that would be clear for our readers.
• We learned how to create a bar graph today and practiced creating one about our favorite colours.
• In Inquiry, we began exploring the concepts of decomposing and decomposers.  We will continue to define and illustrate these concepts tomorrow.

Ask me about...

the process of how we organized our jot notes today in anticipation of us writing our paragraphs.

Reminders...

• Please return the homework assignment from over the weekend, if you haven't done so already.
• Parent, student, teacher conferences are next Thursday and Friday.    As a result, next Thursday is an early dismissal and there is no school on Friday.
• For all Parents - A Message from the Office:

  
  

  To ensure all Parents/Guardians are up-to date on all messages sent out, we would like families to know if you are not receiving weekly school emails like our Connect Monday, please click on the following link: http://calgary.ss11.sharpschool.com/cbe_subscribe and add the email that is listed in your child's account to subscribe to receive these emails. It is important that all parents are subscribed to ensure  all families have current, important information regarding the school. 
  
  
  If you are a parent or guardian who has already subscribed and are still not receiving school emails emails, please email moshabbir@cbe.ab.ca at the office and she will investigate and figure out how to fix the issues.  

  
  

  Thanks so much!

  
  

  Lorraine Kinsman, Principal

Friday November 15, 2019

Learning intentions for our day...

• We continued to create topic sentences for our in Writer's Workshop.
• We worked with Mr. Kelly to sketch and watercolor paintings of rabbits (connected to our novel study Because of the Rabbit) which will become part of a visual journal reflection in Health.  They look amazing!  
• Finally, we had Wonder time today!  Students were so excited to engage in the design thinking process with their peers.  Over our next few Wonder time sessions, we are focussing on the importance of prototyping and evaluation within the process.

Ask me about...

Wonder time today and what is one thing I felt I would like to change within my plan.

Reminders...

• Students brought home an assignment that needs to be completed for Monday.  Instructions are included on the handout.  
• Parent, student, teacher conferences are next Thursday and Friday.   Sign up starts tomorrow online.  As a result, next Thursday is an early dismissal and there is no school on Friday.

Thursday November 14, 2019

Learning intentions for our day...

• In Math, we talked about data, the reasons why we collect it and how best to collect it in an organized way.  We were given an at home assignment in connection to this work.
• Daily 5 literacy time continues to be every day.  We continue to become better readers and writers through this time.  
• We examined the definitions for waste today and went on a scavenger hunt throughout the school for waste and items that could be recycled, reused or composted.  
• In Health, we brainstormed the many lessons we learned about friendship through our novel study, Because of the Rabbit.

Ask me about...

 what I have been doing in my reading group this week.

Reminders...

• Students brought home an assignment that needs to be completed for Monday.  Instructions are included on the handout.  
• Fundraising continues for plants.
• Parent, student, teacher conferences are next Thursday and Friday.   As a result, next Thursday is an early dismissal and there is no school on Friday.

Wednesday November 13, 2019

Learning intentions for our day...

• In Math, we solved problems involving patterns.  We discussed effective ways to communicate our thinking through pictures and T charts.
• In Writer's Workshop we continue to learn about how to write a paragraph.  We either chose details from our jot notes to support the topic of our paragraph or we learned how to take our jot notes and make sentences out of them.  
• Our debate is now done about whether the land produces waste.  We wrote an exit slip to share our position and thinking on this question.
• We read stories today connected to 'World Kindness Day'.  We brainstormed actions that could 'say kindness'.

Ask me about...

one of the problems I solved in Math today and how I solved it.

Reminders...

• Fundraising continues for plants.
• Parent, student, teacher conferences are next Thursday and Friday.   As a result, next Thursday is an early dismissal and there is no school on Friday.

Monday November 12, 2019

Learning intentions for our day...

• In Math, we continued to explore and extend our skip counting patterns from last week.  
• Reading groups continue to meet during Daily 5 and will continue until Winter Break.  
• As a follow up to our visit to the coulee last week, in Inquiry we had a debate surrounding the question, "does the land produce waste?" We discussed the purpose of a debate and the polite language used to make our points.  

Ask me about...

which side of the debate I 'argued' today and my reasons for thinking this.

Reminders...

• Fundraising continues for plants.

Friday November 8th

"DOES LAND PRODUCE WASTE?"



The weather really lucked out on us today.


Students looked for evidence of natural waste. They were encouraged to to put on our scientific brains and search for evidence of waste found in nature.

Our scientists then recorded their findings on a chart in our visual journals that we prepared yesterday.

Next week, we will see what evidence they found and continue to learn about natural waste from plants and animals. This will lead into exploring the topic of "how nature recycles" through exploring decomposers and their role in the nutrient cycle.

Special thank you to our lovely parent volunteers this morning, you helped this walk run smoothly.

We had a wonderful Remembrance Day assembly from the Peace Pod. We laid our wreaths at our new peace posts and sang to show our gratitude. Thank you all for your contributions and support. 

Then we had 1 round of Daily 5.

We ended the day with a gratitude circle.



Reminder:
NO school on Monday November 11th.
Have a wonderful long weekend!

Thursday November 7, 2019

Our Learning Intentions 

Today in Math we examined how a series of numbers increased and decreased.  We also extended these number patterns. 

In inquiry we examined whether nature needs/uses natural resources as humans do.   We also prepped for our trip to the coulee tomorrow.  We will become detectives as we gather evidence to answer the question:  "Does the land produce waste?"

During Daily 5 many of us finished personal responses to Remembrance Day while others met with our reading groups.  Some of us explored letter sounds while others began to explore literature appropriate for examining developing comprehension strategies.  Others of us read with teachers as part of our reading group work.

In Health, we sorted statements that reflect fixed and growth mindsets.  A display in our room will help us remember the importance of having 'elastic brains' as we continue to grow in our learning.

Ask Me About...

Let me tell you about some of the statements I can use to show a growth mindset.

Reminders:

• A notice on the plant fundraiser was sent home today (Danchuk/Zwack)
• Tomorrow we are going to the coulee.  Although it is to be warmer than today, students will need to be dressed warmly (hat, mitts, layered clothing, boots) as we are leaving first thing in the morning.  Also it will be icy and muddy so appropriate footwear is important!  A water bottle and snack is a great idea also!
• Tomorrow is also our Remembrance Day Ceremony.  As part of this event, all students will be going outside for a very short period of time to sing a song by the Peace Poles.  It would be great if students wore long sleeves to help them keep warm during this short period of time.  
• No school on Monday (Remembrance Day)

Wednesday Nov. 6

Our Learning Intentions 

Today we built decreasing patterns and created a definition of them. They were a bit tricky at first but after some practice we all were able to create one. 

In inquiry we worked on our wonders about whether we use natural resources effectively. Tonight students are supposed to think about this and find any examples in their homes. 

In writing, we continued working on turning jot notes into sentences and finding details that support a topic sentence in a paragraph. 

We also had CCT time (ask me what I'm designing with LEGO) and Daily 5. 

Reminders:

- A notice on the plant fundraiser was sent home today

- On Friday we are going to the coulee 

- No school on Monday (Remembrance Day)

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Students, share with your parents:

How did Emma change throughout the story?

We finished our novel: Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord. It is time to say good bye to Emma, her her family, new friends and her pet rabbit: Lapin.

What does "increasing" mean?

What are PATTERNS?

Why do we observe Remembrance Day?

What are natural resources?


We welcomed our student teachers, Miss. Zimmer & Litzenberger, into our pods. They are very excited to work with our students.



We continued our exploration of patterns. To our list of characteristics of patterns we added "predictability".

We completed a Freyer's chart on increasing. See photo

We completed three rounds of Daily 5.

Our student teachers shared books on Remembrance Day with the students. We will discussing reasons why we observe the day through out the week.

Also, we finished our novel: Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord.

Reminders:
Bring items for Jacket Racket
Last day of Jacket Racket tomorrow
We are going to the coulee Friday

Monday, November 4, 2019

Learning intentions for Math! We started discussing "What is a pattern". We came up with....
-repeats 3 times
-HAS to repeat
-increases and decreases
We had a rich discussion about if a pattern goes on forever???


                   "A pattern does not have to go on forever" -Rowyn

 The students did a wonderful job making patterns out of various pattern blocks and cubes. Here are some pictures from today!

Learning intentions for Inquiry! We continued exploring all about natural resources. We made connections to natural resources in the past with the Blackfoot and the buffalo.
As we continue to explore natural resources this week we will transition into natural waste and how nature recycles!