Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Wednesday Updates:  Please see Tuesday's blog for additional information about what we are working on in class.


Grade Four:  Health Homework:  Please complete and return all assignments signed by your parents.
                     Math:  Decimal worksheets due on Friday.

Grade Three:  Math:  Please have your math test signed and returned by Friday

Room Three has been studying Hearing and Sound and a few students created instruments at home with their parents.  Here are a couple of samples.

All students experimented with blowing air through straws of varying length to create 4 different pitches.  The pictures shows a sample of our instruments.

Some of our students viewed a live broadcast of the NASA launch to the International Space Station
Please visit NASA's website to view a recorded version of the launch.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Congratulations to all those Vista Heights students who won a pair of inline skates in today's raffle, which were kindly donated by the Alien Inline Skating program. Please remember to always wear the wrist, knee and elbow pads provided, along with a helmet when skating.

Grade 3/4 students, please take a moment to vote for our next class novel from the Time Warp Trio series by clicking on this link and selecting your top choice.

There is a large focus on Health Studies this week. Our grade 4's are participating in an important health and life skills unit, while the grade 3's are creating their own public service announcements about the need for fitness and exercise in our lives. Speaking about fitness, all students are demonstrating their own personal commitment to exercise while learning and practicing their frisbee skills in gym this week.

Reminders:
- Grade 4's: Math homework ("Adding & Subtracting Tenths" - front and back page) due tomorrow (Wednesday)
- Grade 4's who are participating in the Health & Life Skills unit this week, please return your "Ask and Adult" interview slip and "Changes" activity sheet.

Friday, May 23, 2014

It has been a busy week for our grade 3's and 4's. We've been taking to the outdoors for daily bocce ball lessons. Please ask your child about their experience and how the game is played?

Yesterday, our kindergarten students hosted a school assembly where they shared a green-screen production about "Abiyoyo", based on Pete Seager's retelling of the African story. Miss McCune shared several musical performances they have been working on as well. All our students appreciated the commitment and effort that these young children demonstrated.

Room #4 is continuing their study of plants in science, while room #3 students further explore the science of sound and vibration.

Grade 4 students are working on decimals in math. See below their exploration of money as it relates to decimals. Grade 3's are finishing up their division unit.

Today our students completed an assessment for the French focusing on parts of the body and classroom objects.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Reminders:

- Room #3 science materials for string instruments must be brought to school for MONDAY morning. Please bring empty pop bottle (500mL or smaller).

- Grade 3 Math test Monday, May 26

- Alien Inline forms must be returned for Monday, May 26

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

We hope that everyone enjoyed their long weekend. Our students had great experiences to share this morning.

Today we had additional music practice with recorders, as our grade 6's were writing provincial tests and Miss McCune was happy to spend some time with our group.

In science today, Room #4 students began focused observations for the bean seeds they planted approximately two weeks ago. Students will be monitoring their growth, making observations, and connecting their findings to scientific learning outcomes.

In gym, we are beginning a mini-unit on bocce ball. Students will make the best of the weather by taking the game outside this week :)

Reminders:
- Grade 4 students please return signed Health & Life Skills permission form if you do NOT wish to have them participate
- Room #3 student please bring supplies tomorrow for building musical instruments
- Room #4 - new spelling words posted on Google Drive (quiz on Friday, May 23)

Thursday, May 15, 2014

We hope to see you all at the Family Move and Groove this evening. The school doors will open at 6:30pm and the event will run until 7:30pm. All students who attend are expected to be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the dance. 

Have a fantastic long weekend!

Monday, May 12, 2014

Happy Mother's Day to all our student's moms! We hope you enjoyed the thoughtful craft and poem that you child brought home for you this past weekend :)

This week will be our last chance to practice for the Family Move & Groove, which will take place this Thursday at 6:30pm in our gymnasium. We hope that everyone will be able to make it. Please ensure that your child is accompanied by a parent/guardian for the duration of the event.

Today we had a practice fire drill and our students demonstrated their responsibility with one of our best times yet. We also discussed our school lock-down procedures so that we are safe and well prepared at all times.

Room #4 students have been following various organizations and educational resources through our class Twitter account. Today we checked in on mayor Nenshi and began the first of our personal reflections. We also continued our study of plants in science, exploring that pollination process. Each student has planted their own "magic" bean seed which they will be nurturing and monitoring over the next month.

All grade 3/4 students are continuing our study of the early settlers in Alberta, and we're building our knowledge of the trade industry and relations at that time in history. We also had a chance to share our "new words" that students have been working on in language arts. Students proved to be strong detectives, using clues to guess the true meaning on these new words.

Reminders:
- Math homework (Fractions & Decimals) for Grade 4's (due on Wednesday)
- Tomorrow (May 13th) CBE First Nations guest speaker
- Soccer Club (grade 3/4) - Wednesday, May 14th @ 3:15pm
- Family Move & Groove this Thursday, May 15th @ 6:30pm (Vista Heights Gym)

Friday, May 9, 2014

This week was busy for our grade 3's and 4's. We had many creative projects and activities on the go. Students completed the My New Word activity, inspired by our class novel "Frindle", and we are in the process of sharing their clues between our classes. We are now moving on in social studies to exploration of the early settlers in Alberta. We also completed our perspective artwork, which is now displayed outside the main office. In math, grade 3's are finishing up with division skills and patterns. Grade 4's are moving on to decimals after completing their work with fractions.

Have a great weekend!

Reminders:
- Homework (grade 3): Chapter 10 math review for those who are not finished.
- Homework (grade 4): Activity sheets #171, #172 (and bonus #173).
- Tuesday, May 13th (CBE First Nations guest presentation)
- Family Move & Groove - Thursday, May 15th (6:30-7:30pm) *see May newsletter. Students/siblings must attend with a parent/guardian.
- Friday, May 16th (PD Day) - no school
- Monday, May 19th (Victoria Day) - no school

Monday, May 5, 2014

After a gloomy weather weekend, we spent our morning burning off some energy while grooving away to the electric slide and the macarena. Our students are picking up the steps and we're looking forward to the Family Moove & Groove on the evening of May 15th.

Room 3 & 4 students are continuing work on their NEW word and perspective art projects, which we intend to display around the school in the near future. We are also working with partners to create comic strips focusing on stress management techniques for Health, which are quite creative.

Room 3 is continuing their work on hearing & sound in science, and those students are asked to bring in objects/items for tomorrow that can produce sound for testing purposes.

In Math, Grade 4's are finishing their work on fractions and will be transitioning on to decimals this week. Grade 3's are making progress with division skills (Grade 3 math homework due on Wednesday).

Reminders:

Snack Day this Friday, May 9th (students bring 50 cents)

Friday, May 2, 2014

Yahooooo!!! We did a great job learning the Cadillac Ranch line dance and today we learned the Electric Slide line dance to Michael Jackson's Triller.  We even tried the moon walk!

Math
Grade Four:  Continued to learn about Fractions and have a workbook that needs to be complete for Monday.
Grade Three:  Explored the connection between Multiplication and Division by writing fact families.    A few students may have the 6 practice questions for homework.

Health:  Today we explored strategies to manage stress in our daily lives.  We identified long term and short term stressor and discussed situation and problems that cause students stress.  Students enjoyed examining a cartoon with a humorous outlook on stress and are now creating their own cartoons about stress management.

Home Work
Grade Four Math:  Complete your math Fractions workbook for Monday!!
Grade Three Math:  6 fact families (most students finished in class)

Room Three:  Bring in interesting objects that can make sound for our Sound Exploration Table.---Be creative and find unique ways to make sound!

Reminders

May 6 - orders open for Healthy Hunger Pizza Lunch on May 30

May 9 - snack sale yogurt tubes (50 cents)