Ms Elder's Grade 4/5 Class

A big THANK YOU to Parent Council for the free books!!!

  Science: I can design and create with a variety of materials. Personal Development Through Learning: I can collaborate effectively with others. Yesterday, we explored the loose parts materials. We have been working on learning and expressing the difference between cooperating and collaborating. This activity gave us the chance to practice these skills.  Ms Elder read us a book called What To Do With A Box by Jane Yolen. Our task was to create something that used our imaginations. We documented our ideas in our visual journals.  Here are some pictures of what we came up with!

Science: I can explain what a food web is and appreciate the need to protect all living components.  SS: I can develop my connection with the land. Yesterday, Ms Elder read us a book called In the Woods by Lindsay Barrett George. In the book, the kids went on a walk through the woods. They saw scraps or things that creatures left behind. The kids used these things as evidence to try to find out which animal was there.  We read this book so we could use the same detective skills and look for evidence of animals who have been there. We used the evidence to find out which animals were there to help us make our food webs. For example, if we found a nest in our chosen tree, we could find out which bird it was and put it in our food web.  A food web is a diagram that shows the way the energy from the sun is passed down through different animals. It also shows which animals eat each other and which animal gets energy from plants. For example, if a bunny eats grass, and the gr...

Social Studies: I can explain how our stories make up our identity; I can broaden my understanding of Canadian historical events. Citizenship in Learning: I can take action towards a cause. Hello Ramsay Families: In honour of Remembrance Day, we will be collecting items for the Veteran’s Food Bank. If you are able to contribute, please begin sending items to school on Monday, October 25 t h . We will continue to collect donations until Wednesday, November 10 th .    Here is a list of their most desired contributions  (new items only please): Gluten free non-perishable food Canned corn, mushrooms, beef, chilli or stew Canned ham or luncheon meat Juice Flour Unscented fabric softener and laundry detergent Unscented lotion   Dishwasher pods Bandages   Thank you in advance for supporting this worthy cause! Ramsay Staff

  French: I can learn the vocabulary for numbers and school supplies; I can read familiar words. Over the past couple of weeks, we have been working on booklets that use the vocabulary we're learning in French: school supplies and numbers. We are taking these home today, along with our self-assessment and Ms Elder's assessment. We can read these books for you to celebrate our learning! "I learned that we should re-read our work to make sure everything is right." ~ Dillon "I liked writing in French." ~ Lawrence "I really liked drawing the pictures." ~ Maria "I liked everything about this assignment." ~ Callie "I liked writing in French to improve my skills writing in a different language." ~ Sadie "I learned that some words are not similar between French and English, like water bottle." ~ Sebastian K

The back wall of our classroom! LA: I can use a web to organize my ideas; I can write to express ideas; I can revise and edit my work. SS: I can make a connection with the land; I can demonstrate respect to Indigenous cultures. Personal Development Through Learning: I can persevere through challenges in the learning process; I can use teacher feedback to improve work. During the month of September, we learned what a land acknowledgement is and why it's important. We also explored the teachings of the Medicine Wheel. We used a blank Medicine Wheel planner to brainstorm and organize our ideas for our own land acknowledgements. From that, we created sentences, focusing on using a variety of sentence starters and proper punctuation.  Ms Elder met with us one-on-one and we used her feedback to make changes to our work. Once our land acknowledgements were typed and printed as a good copy, we created a piece of artwork that went along with our writing. Ms Elder showcased all of our work o...

Hi Parents and Guardians, This is a quick note to let you know that students will have a quiz on Friday, October 22 to check in on their Area skills for Math. Here are the concepts they should be prepared to demonstrate:  - recognize and explain that area is measured in square units - count the area of a given shape and record the answer in proper units (ex: cm2) - draw shapes to match a given area - demonstrate that different rectangles can have the same area by constructing - use mathematical vocabulary when explaining understanding Key Vocabulary Words: area, measure, square units, calculate, total If students are wishing to have some extra practice, they can l isten to this song and sing along (click here) ,  watch this video (click here) , or play the games I posted on our Google Classroom. This quiz will only be one way that I'm assessing student understanding of Area. They are also in the midst of creating a Zoo design to show their understanding. If you have any quest...

Hi Parents and Guardians, Just a quick note to let you know that students are taking home their Light and Shadows quizzes today. We went through the quiz together and they had time to correct their work in marker. The hope is that all students left today understanding any mistakes they made. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Erin

  LA: I can follow a model text to create my own writing. LA: I can write with a given rhythm/number of syllables.  Today we reflected on Thanksgiving. We listened to Ms Elder read aloud this book: Thankful by Spinelli.  The book has a pattern: rhyming couplets. We worked in partners to create our own sets of rhyming couplets that each had 11 syllables, like the book.  We shared our favourites and put them together to create a class poem:  Happy Thanksgiving!

  Science: I can observe and connect with nature; I can reflect on observations, notice changes & patterns. Art: I can create realistic drawings. I can explore colour. Yesterday, we went on a Community Walk so that we could learn about and capture the fall colours through art. On the walk, we saw Canadian geese, a magpie nest, a chickadee, a northern flicker (and some dinosaurs!).  "On some of the trees, some of the leaves were still changing colours. On the same tree, we saw yellow and green." ~ Rochael "On the leaves, when the leaves start to turn red or yellow, they start on the outside." ~ Sebastian K "I realized that when the leaves start to change colour, the top left of the tree was yellow and other parts were still green." ~ Dillon "Some leaves that I found were kind of looking like a tree that was set on fire." ~ Sebastian C "When I was walking, I noticed that some trees had almost lost all of their leaves." ~ Callie "...

Over the past few weeks, we have been exploring concepts relating to Light and Shadows. Students will have their first quiz of the year on Wednesday, October 6. In class, we have reviewed all of the material that will be on the quiz. Here is what students will be assessed on:  - be aware that the sun can damage your eyes and provide ways to keep your eyes safe from the sun - explain that light travels in a straight line unless reflected (bounced) or refracted (bent) - describe changes to shadows depending on the angle of the light source (ex: shadows on the pavement) - describe how shadows change based on if the object is opaque or transparent; classify objects as opaque , translucent , or transparent - explain that light can be broken into the colours of the rainbow through refraction (ex: with a prism) Key vocabulary is highlighted. To prepare, students can share experiments we tried in class with their families at home. Teaching someone else a concept is always a great way...

Hi Parents and Guardians, Just a quick note to let you know that students will be bringing home their assessments today from the Simile Poems. If you're looking to review the expectations for this assignment, click here .  As a class, this work was very well-done. Students captured the spirit of the books, explored similes, and refined their skills of found art. Here are some student samples to celebrate.  If you have questions or concerns about your child's marks/feedback, please reach out to me by email.