Our final day of our Grade 5/6 learning journey is here.  What an amazing adventure we have had together! Celebrate your growth as a human being and as a learner.  Until we meet again, see you later... Mrs. Calvert

                            

Congratulations on our final wonderful week in our Grade 5/6 learning journey!

Reminder: 
- Stampede Breakfast is on Monday June 27 at 9:00. Please invite your families to attend! Dress western if you would like.
- Last day of classes - Monday June 27.
- Report Cards go home on Monday June 27.

Our Year End Celebration was today! Your presentations were outstanding, including speeches, music and  i-movies. Thank you! If you are in Grade 6, be sure to read your speech posted in D2L to all your family members that were unable to attend.  A special thank you to the Grade 5's for their assistance in set up, including decorations and announcing.


Reminder:
-Be sure to bring your backpack to take home your learning supplies tomorrow.
- Little Green Thumbs Pita Snack is tomorrow, Friday, June 24!
- Stampede Breakfast is on Monday June 27 at 9:00! Please invite your family members to attend.

On Friday, we will be having our Little Green Thumbs Celebration at recess.  The celebration will include a pita snack, including a variety of vegetables and watermelon. Little Green Thumbs is responsible for our classroom garden.  Share with a member of your family what part of having a garden in our classroom did you enjoy the most.  Do you have any suggestions or recommendations on how to use the garden in the future for our learning?

Reminder:

-Our Year End Celebration is tomorrow, Thursday, June 23 at 10:30.  All parents and family members are welcome! There will be opportunity for pictures after.  Grade 6's please bring a change of clothing as we will be having a picnic after.
-All grade 5 and 6's are invited to stay for a pizza picnic on tomorrow, Thursday, June 23.
-We will be going to the South park after our picnic tomorrow, Thursday, June 23.

Today we reflected about our learning and our behavior this year in a google doc.  Be sure to share your ideas about what worked best to fit your learning.  What are you celebrating? What would you do differently? How has your character grown (virtues)?  Support your thinking with some specific examples.


Reminder:

-Our Year End Celebration is on Thursday, June 23 at 10:30.  All parents and family members are welcome! There will be opportunity for pictures after.  Grade 6's please bring a change of clothing as we will be having a picnic after.
-All grade 5 and 6's are invited to stay for a pizza picnic on Thursday, June 23.
-We will be going to the North park after our picnic on Thursday, June 23.

Our Provincial Achievement Tests are finished!  Share with a family member what you think is a celebration for you.  What did you find challenging?  How did you ensure that you were prepared? Would you do anything different next time?


Reminder:

-Special Lunch for Grade 6's tomorrow, Tuesday, June 21.  Bring your lunch and stay for special treats.

-Our Year End Celebration is on Thursday, June 23 at 10:30.  All parents and family members are welcome!
-All grade 5 and 6's are invited to stay for a pizza picnic on Thursday, June 23.
-We will be going to the North park after our picnic on Thursday, June 23.

Celebrate another fabulous week of learning!

Homework:

Our final Grade 6 Provincial Achievement Test:

Social Studies - Monday, June 20 - 9:00 -10:30.

Continue to study on the following link:

https://questaplus.alberta.ca/

Reminder:

-Grade 6's bring in a baby picture for a slide show at our year end celebration.

-Our Year End Celebration is on Thursday, June 23 at 10:30.  All parents and family members are welcome!  Look for an invitation coming home this week.
-Special lunches are happening next week:  All grade 6's are invited to bring their lunch and stay on Tuesday, June 21.  All grade 5 and 6's are invited to stay for a pizza picnic on Thursday, June 23.
- Stampede Pancake Breakfast notice and K-6 Noon Supervision Registration form is being sent home today.

  

We have been composing a year end reflection about our character and our learning.  Share with a member of your family your ideas about how you 'Let your light shine' in our class and at our school. What are your greatest learning celebrations this year? What are your most memorable moments? Why?

Homework:

Grade 6 Provincial Achievement Test Schedule:

Science - Friday, June 17 - 9:00 - 10:30.

Social Studies - Monday, June 20 - 9:00 -10:30.

Continue to study on the following link:

https://questaplus.alberta.ca/

Reminder:

-Grade 6's bring in a baby picture for a slide show at our year end celebration.

-Our Year End Celebration is on Thursday, June 23 at 10:30.  All parents and family members are welcome!  Look for an invitation coming home this week.
-Special lunches are happening next week:  All grade 6's are invited to bring their lunch and stay on Tuesday, June 21.  All grade 5 and 6's are invited to stay for a pizza picnic on Thursday, June 23.  

Grade 5's are working on posing questions, gathering data and representing their data using a graph. Share with a family member what question you asked the Kindergarten population.  What conclusions can you make from your data?  What evidence supports your thinking?

Homework:

Grade 6 Provincial Achievement Test Schedule:

Mathematics-Thursday, June 16 - 9:00 - 10:45.

Science - Friday, June 17 - 9:00 - 10:30.

Social Studies - Monday, June 20 - 9:00 -10:30.

Continue to study on the following link:

https://questaplus.alberta.ca/

Reminder:

-Grade 6's bring in a baby picture for a slide show at our year end celebration.

-Our Year End Celebration is on Thursday, June 23 at 10:30.  All parents and family members are welcome!  Look for an invitation coming home this week. 

Our painted lady butterflies are here! Explain to a family member the behavior you observed of our new butterflies.  What are they using for food? What do you notice about the patterns on their wings? What are their special adaptations?

Homework:

Grade 6 Provincial Achievement Test Schedule:

English Language Arts - Reading - Wednesday, June 15 - 9:00-10:30.

Mathematics-Thursday, June 16 - 9:00 - 10:45.

Science - Friday, June 17 - 9:00 - 10:30.

Social Studies - Monday, June 20 - 9:00 -10:30.

Continue to study on the following link:

https://questaplus.alberta.ca/

Reminder:

Grade 6's bring in a baby picture for a slide show at our year end celebration.

Our Year End Celebration is on Thursday, June 23 at 10:30.  All parents and family members are welcome!  Look for an invitation coming home this week. 

Today we went to the Calgary Police Youthlink Interpretive Centre.  Share with a family member the Street Smart programs we went through in the morning.  Which program do think was the best for your learning? Why?  Do you have any recommendation of Street Smart programs that you think the Calgary Police should offer students?  With your Forensic investigation in the afternoon, who do you think is the main suspect in the Happy Mart robbery?  What specific evidence links that suspect to the crime?

Homework:

Grade 6 Provincial Achievement Test Schedule:

English Language Arts - Reading - Wednesday, June 15 - 9:00-10:30.

Mathematics-Thursday, June 16 - 9:00 - 10:45.

Science - Friday, June 17 - 9:00 - 10:30.

Social Studies - Monday, June 20 - 9:00 -10:30.

Continue to study on the following link:

https://questaplus.alberta.ca/

Reminder:

Grade 6's bring in a baby picture for a slide show at our year end celebration.

Thank you for another fabulous week of learning! Have a wonderful weekend.

Reminder:
We will be going on the YouthLink field trip on Monday June 13! Please remember the following:
- arrive to school on time (bus leaves at 9:00)
- bring a lunch and healthy snack
- water bottle
- comfortable shoes

Today we had a presentation from the Calgary Public Library! Share with a family member the exciting programs and resources that are available at the Library and were shared in this presentation. How have you used the Calgary Public Library in the past? Which programs and resources will you be interested in trying in the future?

Homework: 
Show a family member the Calgary Public Library resources for kids:
http://calgarylibrary.ca/kids-subject/a-z-resources/
Grade 6: Complete at least 10 questions everyday on your Math PAT practice exam.  Be sure to bring any questions you have to class for discussion.

Reminder:

-Return your Acknowledgment of Risk form for the Calgary Police Interpretive Center. Our field trip is on Monday, June 13.
-Grade 6's bring in a baby picture for a slide show for our celebration.  The picture will be returned.

Our butterflies have formed pupas!  Explain the entire life cycle, including the time frames of the painted lady butterfly to a family member.  What are the steps necessary to care for our pupas?

Homework:
Grade 6: Complete up to question 35 on your Math PAT practice exam.  Be sure to bring any questions you have to class for discussion.
Grade 5: Continue to read a book of your choice for 15 minutes each day. Which genres do you read the most?  Why?  Set a reading goal to select from a new genre before the end of June.

Reminder:
-Return your Acknowledgment of Risk form for the Calgary Police Interpretive Center. Our field trip is on Monday, June 13.
-Grade 6's bring in a baby picture for a slide show for our celebration.  The picture will be returned.
-Parent Casino Volunteer Notice.

Our class has been busy studying Evidence and Investigation and the steps required for investigating a crime.  Share with a family member which steps you believe are the most important and why. Explain the case we are presenting working on and what step of the investigation we are on.

Homework:
Grade 6: Complete up to question 25 on your Math PAT practice exam.  Be sure to bring any questions you have to class for discussion.
Grade 5: Continue to read a book of your choice for 15 minutes each day. How is the character is your book similar and different to August in our class read aloud of 'Wonder'?

Reminder:
-Return your Acknowledgment of Risk form for the Calgary Police Interpretive Center by Wednesday, June 8. Our field trip is on Monday, June 13.
-Grade 6's bring in a baby picture for a slide show for our celebration.  The picture will be returned.

June is our final month of school! Be proud of your many accomplishments so far this year. What goals do you have for the next month? How can you achieve these goals? We will be sharing your ideas in class tomorrow.

The virtue for the month of June is humility. What does humility mean? What examples of humility have you seen in yourself and your classmates?

Homework:
Grade 6: Complete at least 10 questions everyday on your Math PAT practice exam.  Be sure to bring any questions you have to class for discussion.
Grade 5: Go to the following link to review telling time on an analogue clock:
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/me5l/html/Math5.html

Reminder:
-Return your Acknowledgment of Risk form for the Calgary Police Interpretive Center by Wednesday, June 8.
-Grade 6's bring in a baby picture for a slide show for our celebration.  The picture will be returned.

We have entered the final month of our Grade 5/6 learning journey.  Celebrate another amazing week of learning!



Reminder:
- No School tomorrow, Friday, June 3. It is a Professional Development Day.

We are busy studying Evidence and Investigation.  Please explain to a family member what forensic means. What is important to keep in mind at a crime scene?  Why are observations significant in an investigation? What observations do think will be important in the crime scene scenario we read about today?

Homework:
Go to the following hyperlink and read as least 2 passages on the practice English Language Arts PAT.
https://questaplus.alberta.ca/

Reminder: 
- Pizza Lunch is tomorrow, Thursday, June 2
- No School on Friday June 3 - it is a Professional Development Day
-Youthlink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre field trip notice
-Transportation notice

Today our Grade 5's class had a special presentation from Little Green Thumbs! Our Little Green Thumb classroom gardens are in rooms 5, 7 and 8. Share with a family member the important ideas from this presentation. What connections can you make to the presentation today? How did it connect to our Plant Experiment projects? To our Community Garden?

Homework:
Go to the following hyperlink and read as least 2 passages on the practice English Language Arts PAT.
https://questaplus.alberta.ca/

Reminder: 
- Pizza Lunch is on Thursday June 2
- No School on Friday June 3 - it is a Professional Development Day
- June newsletter is being sent home with the youngest student today.

Our painted lady caterpillars have arrived!  Please share with a member of your family how we are taking care of our caterpillars.  Do you know the life cycle of a butterfly? What scientific vocabulary terms describe each phase?  Be prepared to share your ideas in class tomorrow.

Reminder:
Pizza lunch is on Thursday, June 2.
No School on Friday, June 3.  It is a Professional Development Day. 
Homework:
Practice Provincial Achievement Test links are posted in D2L. Please practice the tests in each subject area and bring your questions to class.
PAT practice schedule:
Reading and Social Studies - May 30 - June 2
Science and Math - June 6 - June 10

Today we had a Telus Spark Math in Motion workshop at school! Share with a family member the activity we did in our Math in Motion session. How does movement help you learn? We will be having another Math in Motion workshop on Monday May 30!

Have a terrific weekend!

Reminder:
- Pizza orders are due Monday May 30.
 

Our class has almost Social Identity Project presentations! Think about your strengths when you were presenting and sharing your learning with the class. What are you proud of? What is a goal you have? Share with a family member the information you learned from your peers on the different groups of people in Canada's past. How have they contributed to Canada and Alberta's identity?

Homework: 
Go to the following link and complete the activity on transformations:
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mejhm/index.html?l=0&ID1=AB.MATH.JR.SHAP&ID2=AB.MATH.JR.SHAP.TRAN&lesson=html/video_interactives/transformations/transformationsSmall.html

Reminder: 
- Today is the last day of Sports Club! Thank you to all the students who joined this year! Ms. Makowski and Mrs. Calvert appreciate your hard work and sportsmanship.

Our class has introduced a new French project. The task is to create an advertisement for our community of Vista Heights. If someone was moving into Vista Heights what would information would be the important for them to know.  Discuss with a family member what people, places, transportation and other interesting facts are you going to include in your advertisement.  Please check D2L for the task criteria and assessment.

Homework: 
Go on the following link to locate information on the Vista Heights community that could be useful for your presentation:
http://calgaryarea.com/index.php?p=communities&c=Vista%20Heights

Reminder:
- Last day of Sports Club is Thursday May 26 from 3:15 to 3:45

Today was our Volunteer Appreciation Tea! Thank you again to all the amazing volunteers who have been a part of our Vista Heights School community. We appreciate your time and work with our classes!

Please remind your parents and family members if they are interested in volunteering they require police clearance. The forms for police clearance can be completed at the office.

Homework: 
Watch the Math Live video on using ordered pairs.
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mesg/html/math6web/index.html?page=lessons&lesson=m6lessonshell18.swf


Reminder: 
- Last day of Sports Club is Thursday May 26th from 3:15 to 3:45. Let Ms. Makowski and Mrs. Calvert know of any special activity requests for our last session.
- Pizza Lunch notice is being sent home today.

Thank you for another wonderful week of learning! Enjoy the long weekend!

Reminder: 
- No school tomorrow (May 20), it is a Professional Development Day. No school Monday May 23 for Victoria Day.
- CBE System POWWOW – this  evening at Crescent Heights School. Bring your families and come out to enjoy a traditional powwow, celebrating and honoring the success of ALL learners in CBE. Grand entry begins at 6, (dancer registration prior).

We have started to work on transformations in Math.  What is a transformation?  Share with a family member what you know about Translations?  Rotations?  Reflections?  Look around your home.  Can you locate an example of each transformation?  Be prepared to share.

Homework:
Watch the video below to see examples of transformations:
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mejhm/index.html?l=0&ID1=AB.MATH.JR.SHAP&ID2=AB.MATH.JR.SHAP.TRAN&lesson=html/video_interactives/transformations/transformationsSmall.html

Reminder:
-Community YMCA information coming home today
- Sports Club is tomorrow (May 19) from 3:15 to 3:45
- Kindergarten assembly is tomorrow (May 19) at 11:00

Vista Heights is getting a new playground! Today we completes a Padlet discussion on 'What do you think is important in a playground?' Please  share with a member of your family your ideas and ask them what do they think is important in a playground?  Why? Why do we have playgrounds?  How can the Vista Heights community benefit from a new playground?

Homework: 
-Read, read, read!

Reminder:
No school on Friday, May 20.  It is a Professional Development Day.  No school on Monday, May 23. It is Victoria Day.
Sports Club is on Thursday, May 19 - 3:15 - 3:45
Safety notice is being sent home with the youngest student.

Today was the beginning of our health lessons.  Please have a discussion with a family member your learning from today.  Did you have any questions for the question box?  Remember to write them down for tomorrow's class.

Today we planted cucumbers and basil in our community garden with Ricki.  Which garden section are they in?  What did you learn about which plants are interdependent with other plants?

Homework:
Go to the following link and choose a video clip that you think is important for wellness:
https://www.brainpop.com/search/?keyword=health
Be prepared to share in class tomorrow.



Reminder:
No school on Friday, May 20.  It is a Professional Development Day.  No school on Monday, May 23.  It is Victoria Day.

Reflect upon your learning journey this week.  What celebrations do you have?  What are you working on?  


Have a fabulous weekend!


Reminder: 
Vista Heights School Council Casino notice is being sent home with the youngest student.

We are celebrating our narrative and newspaper compositions that we wrote today for our Provincial Achievement Test.  Share with a family member two stars and a wish about the narrative that your wrote today. What part of the picture prompt inspired your ideas?  Were you able to include onomatopoeia? Similes? Metaphors? Hooks?

Homework:

Go the following websites and practice how to calculate volume of 3-D objects:

http://illuminations.nctm.org/activity.aspx?id=4095
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/geometry/shapeshoot/VolumeShapesShoot.htm

Reminder:

Sports Club is today, May 12, 3:15-3:45.
Health lessons begin on Monday, May 16.   

Our presentations on the History of Canada's Identity have begun! Share with a family member your Prezi, Notebook or Powerpoint presentation and be sure to practice speaking with confidence and eye contact.  Explain your strategies for audience engagement. Locate and share the criteria and rubric posted in D2L and check to ensure that you have worked towards excellence with this project.

Homework:
Continue to read, read, read!

Reminder:
Tomorrow, Thursday, May 12 is the Provincial Writing Test for Grade 6.
Child Safe Canada program guide is being sent home with the youngest student.

We continue to develop strategies to solve authentic and meaningful math problems focused on our Vista Heights Community Garden. Our math challenge today involved developing formulas using variable to calculate the area and perimeter of rectangles.  How did you calculate the area of our new garden designs that we created in our Math Workshop? Are you able to apply your understanding of these concepts in your house?

Homework:
Go to the following website and practice how to calculate area and perimeter:

http://www.funbrain.com/poly/index.html

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/me3us/flash/lessonLauncher.html?lesson=lessons/12/m3_12_00_x.swf

http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/PerimeterExplorer/

Reminder:
Grade 6 Provincial Achievement Writing Test is on Thursday, May 12, 9:00 - 11:00.
Sports Club is on Thursday, May 12, 3:15-3:45.

Our Grade 6 Provincial Writing Test is on Thursday, May 12, 9:00 - 11:00, with an optional 30 minutes. Please study the narrative text structure and the paragraph criteria posted in D2L under Content.  Today we introduced the text structure for composing newspaper articles.  Share with a member of your family what information you included in your article today about our Rothney Astrophysical Observatory field trip.  Did you include the 5 W's in your first paragraph.  Which important details did you select for your second paragraph.  How many quotes did you add?  Which detail closed your article?

Homework:
Continue to work on your accuracy in punctuation by practicing on the following websites:
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/7-11-years/punctuation
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/6_8/grammar/

Reminder:
Our health lessons begin next week, May 16, 2016.

Thank you for another wonderful week of learning! Be proud of your effort and hard work on your projects this week. 

   Be sure to thank you mom and wish her a Happy Mother's Day!
   Have a great weekend!

Today we travelled to the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory.  We engaged in a variety of learning activities to enrich our understanding of Sky Science.  Which concepts were meaningful for your learning?  What surprised you?  What do you wonder about?  What connections did you make to our previous study of Sky Science?  Be prepared to complete a reflection tomorrow. A special THANK YOU to our School Enhancement Council for funding this learning experience.  We would also like to thank Mrs. Wigton for volunteering her time to attend with us!

Homework:
History of Canada's Identity Projects are due on Monday!  Please share your presentation from Prezi, including the criteria and assessment posted in D2L.  What do you need to add to ensure that you have achieved excellence with your project?

Reminder:
- Sports Club is today from 3:15 to 3:45.

-Go to the following link for an All Sports One Day event that is free: http://allsportoneday.ca/pages/home

-Check our the following link for access for FREE bowling games everyday this summer: http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

Thank you to those students who wore a hat today to support Hats On for Mental Health and mental health awareness. Why is our mental health and wellness important? What strategies do you use to keep your mind healthy? Discuss these ideas with your family.

Homework: 
Access the websites posted on D2L under Identity Research Links. Continue to collect research for your Identity Inquiry project. In your peer feedback, what topics do you still need information on?

Reminder:
-Our field trip to Rothney Astrophysical Observatory is tomorrow, May 5.  Please bring a lunch, snacks and a water bottle.  Remember to dress for the weather as we will be outside for part of the day.  We leave at 9:00 A.M. and will return around 2:45 P.M.
- Sports Club is tomorrow (May 5th) from 3:15 to 3:45.

-Transportation Notice
-Health Notice

-Go to the following link for an All Sports One Day event that is free: http://allsportoneday.ca/pages/home

-Check our the following link for access for FREE bowling games everyday this summer: http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

Our Math Workshop presentations are almost complete!  Please share with a member of your family your learning with our week long Community Garden redesigns. In your communication of your understandings what are your strengths?  What are your next steps for learning?  What strategies could you utilize to develop excellence with your communication of your mathematical understanding?

Homework:
Go the following websites and practice how to calculate volume of 3-D objects:

http://illuminations.nctm.org/activity.aspx?id=4095
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/geometry/shapeshoot/VolumeShapesShoot.htm

Reminder: 

- Hats On for Mental Health is tomorrow (May 4th)!
-Go to the following link for an All Sports One Day event that is free: http://allsportoneday.ca/pages/home

-Check our the following link for access for FREE bowling games everyday this summer: http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

- Transportation Notice is being sent home with the youngest student! 

Our class continues to focus on how to write an engaging and well organized narrative.  Share with a family member the text structure and criteria for a narrative, which is posted in D2L.  In your narrative practice today, did you follow the text structure, including paragraphing according to the plot?  Did you include examples of the criteria expected for each paragraph, including hooks, similes or metaphors and descriptive words? What are your next steps for learning in your narrative writing?

Today was the first Student Wellness Action Team meeting! Thank you to those students who have joined this club! We are looking forward to exciting health projects at Vista Heights School. If you are still interested in joining, see Mrs. Calvert for a permission form.

Homework:
Continue to work on your accuracy in punctuation by practicing on the following websites:
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/7-11-years/punctuation
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/6_8/grammar/

Reminder:
-Return your signed Acknowledgment of Risk forms for Rothney Astrophysical Observatory field trip
- Hats On for Mental Health is on Wednesday May 4!
-Go to the following link for an All Sports One Day event that is free: http://allsportoneday.ca/pages/home

-Check our the following link for access for FREE bowling games everyday this summer: http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

Thank you for another wonderful week of learning!

For the month of April, we have been studying the virtue of trustworthiness. What does this mean to you? What examples of trustworthiness can you think of at school and in the community? Our school will be focussing on a new virtue for the month of May! Make a prediction for what the virtue might be.
Reminder:
May Newsletter and Calendar coming home today.

Our Best Character Ever Book Projects are almost complete.  Be sure to explain to a member of your family which character you have chosen to study.  Which reflection demonstrated your understanding of the character?  A Step-Inside? A Virtue Reflection? A Character Journey? Share the task criteria and assessment posted in D2L.

Homework: 
Best Character Book Projects are due tomorrow (April 29).

Reminder: 
- Sports Club is today from 3:15 to 3:45
-Please return your Rothney Astrophysical Observatory field trip Acknowledgement of Risk.   We go on Thursday, May 5.

Our Math Workshop problem is centered about our Vista Heights garden.  Share with a family member what are your plans to recreate and rearrange the growing spaces in our garden.  How are you going to determine the area and perimeter of each space?  What strategies are you going to utilize to calculate your data? What manipulatives could assist you with your understanding?

Homework: Practice Area and Perimeter on the following websites posted on the blog:

http://www.funbrain.com/poly/index.html

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/me3us/flash/lessonLauncher.html?lesson=lessons/12/m3_12_00_x.swf

http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/PerimeterExplorer/

Reminder: 
- Sports Club is tomorrow (April 28) from 3:15 to 3:45
- Room 6 Assembly is tomorrow (April 28) at 11:00. Please invite your families to attend!
-Please return your Rothney Astrophysical Observatory field trip Acknowledgement of Risk.   We go on Thursday, May 5.

Our class had a special presentation on the Vista Heights community garden today! Share with a family member the information you learned from Rikki about the garden and upcoming plans. How can you be involved in the garden? What suggestions do you have for the community garden?

Homework:
Practice punctuation on the following links:
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/7-11-years/punctuation
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/6_8/grammar/

Reminder:
Please return your Rothney Astrophysical Observatory field trip Acknowledgement of Risk.   We go on Thursday, May 5.

Thank you for another wonderful week of learning! Mrs. Calvert is looking forward to meeting with you and your families to celebrate your learning.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Reminder: 
- No school on Friday April 22 (Student Learning Conferences) and Monday April 25 (PD Day)

We have been working hard on our Zumba dance routines in gym! Student teams have begun presenting our routines and teaching the class our moves. Share with a family member how you demonstrated the virtues in this project. How did you show collaboration, determination, creativity, respect? We will be completing a reflection in class this week.

Homework:
Continue to investigate the websites posted in D2L under Content. Try to locate more information for your History of Canada's Identity project. Add to your notes already posted in D2L.


Reminder:
-Field trip forms coming home today for Rothney Astrophysical Observatory.
- Student Learning Conferences are Thursday April 21 from 4:15 to 8:00 and Friday April 22 from 8:00 to 12:30. Please book a conference.
- No Sports Club tomorrow - cancelled due to Student Learning Conferences
- No school on Friday April 22 (Student Learning Conferences) and Monday April 25 (PD Day).

We have been practicing composing narratives. The Grade 6's will be writing narratives and newspaper articles for an upcoming Provincial Achievement Test on Thursday, May 12, 2016. Our study has included a brainstorm around what makes an excellent story.  Share with a family member the criteria for excellence in narrative writing. What are your strengths in composing narratives? What goal do you have for your narrative writing? What strategies will guide you to achieve excellence?

Homework: 
- Best Character Book Projects are due on April 29th!

Reminder: 
- Student Learning Conferences are on Thursday April 21 from 4:15 to 8:00 and Friday April 22 from 8:00 to 12:30. Mrs. Calvert is looking forward to meeting with you and your families to celebrate your learning!
-School Council Volunteer Notice coming home today.

The grade 5 and 6 students in our class worked on the Tell Them From Me Survey today! This survey allows students to give feedback on our school and their learning. Share with a family member what you think our strengths and successes are at Vista Heights School. Why is our school a great place to learn? How could we improve our school? Please share your ideas with Mrs. Calvert!

Homework:
Practice punctuation on the following links:
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/7-11-years/punctuation
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/6_8/grammar/

Reminder: 
- The Book Fair is April 19 to 22! Our class will be visiting the book fair this week. It will also be open for you and your families to visit during Student Learning Conferences!
- Please remind your parents to book a Student Learning Conference with Mrs. Calvert!
https://webapps.cbe.ab.ca/MyAccount/Account/LogOn

Today we had an engaging presentation from the Earth Rangers! Be sure to explain to your family the importance of being an animal ambassador.  What are you already doing to do your part as a responsible environmental citizen? What goal do you have for yourself?  What strategies do you have to achieve your goal?

Have a fabulous weekend!

We continue our study of polygons in math.  This week the Grade 6's have been developing skills and strategies to utilize a protractor as a measurement tool for angles and sides of polygons.  Grade 5's continue to study identification of 2D polygons, focusing on quadrilaterals, by using specific vocabulary posted on our blog pages. Share with a family member what you have learned about angles.  Which angle is an excellent 'referent' for measuring all other angles?  How do you know?


Homework:
Practice on the links under lines and angles posted on our blog.

Reminder: 
- Sports Club is today after school from 3:15 to 3:45
- Book Fair brochure is being sent home today!

In gym, we have been studying a variety of dances, including the line dance and cultural dances.  Our Zumba design project includes designing a Zumba routine to teach the class.  Share with a member of your family which music your group has chosen.  What are the important dance moves that you are repeating in the chorus of your routine.  Does your routine have a least 8 different dance moves? Reflect upon your team work, including cooperating and collaborating with your group.  Have you achieved excellence?  What evidence do you have to support your thinking?

Homework:
Open up Content in D2L.  View the movie hyperlink called, History of Canada's Exploration.  Post under Discussion in D2L, your 5 responses under each category of the OWI.  What did you observe?  What do you wonder?  What did you infer?

Reminders: 

Vista Heights School Learning Commons is having a Book Fair! 

- We will be selling Scholastic books and merchandise during the school day. 

- Tuesday April 19 to Thursday April 21, 9am – 3pm, and at our special Family Event during Parent/Teacher Conferences: Thursday April 21 4 pm – 7:30 pm.  Friday 8:30 am to noon.

- There will be classroom draws for free books and display posters.

- A special Family Event draw of a $25 book for one student and $25 of books for the winning student’s classroom.

We have started our History of Canada's Identity inquiry project.  Be sure to share with a family member which group of people your are studying and why.  Explain what strategies you use to take and organize notes after you have been reading for information. Check D2L for the criteria and assessment for excellence in note taking.

Homework:
Open up Content in D2L.  View the movie hyperlink called, History of Canada's Exploration.  Post under Discussion in D2L, your 5 responses under each category of the OWI.  What did you observe?  What do you wonder?  What did you infer?

Reminder:
Sports Club is on Thursday, April 14 at 3:15-3:45.

Our Best Character Ever Book Projects have begun!  Please share with a family member which character from a narrative that you have chosen to complete this project on.  Explain why you have chosen this character. Which one of the three writing reflections have you chosen for this project ?  A Step-Inside? A Character Journey? A Virtues Reflection?  Why?

Homework:
Please read for your Best Character Ever Book Project.  You may also work on your cover design. Check the criteria and assessment posted in D2L. They are due on April 29.

Reminder:
Student Learning Conferences are next week on Thursday, April 21 from 4:15 - 8:00 and Friday, April 22 from 8:00 - 12:30.  Please see the booking information coming home today.

Celebrate another amazing week of learning!

We have been studying 2-D shapes in math.  Do you know the characteristics of a polygon?  What about a quadrilateral? Can you give an example, as well as a non-example and say why?  Share with a family member your polygon or quadrilateral design.  Were you able to describe your shape using specific math vocabulary, located on our math pages posted on the blog?

Homework:
Our Best Character Ever Projects are due on April 29.  Be sure to check D2L for the task criteria and assessment.

CBE Traditional Pow-wow is on May 19 at 6:00pm! See below for information:

Our French Wellness Presentations are happening! Be sure to show a family member your representation of what you decided is important to be well.  Share some of your French vocabulary connected to wellness and include how you self-assessed this presentation. How will you self-assess evaluate your Team Work, your French and your Presentation skills based on our criteria?  Why?

Homework:
Read. Our Best Character Ever book projects are already posted in D2L.

Reminder:
Sports Club is tomorrow, April 7, 3:15-3:45.
Notices coming home today.

Our identity project started today with research using textbooks.  We have been discussing what text features, either in a book or on a website can assist us to gather information.  Please share with a family member what text features are important to use when reading for information.

Homework:
Go on our blog and try out our Space / Shape websites.

Today we wrote our proposal to choose a group of people to studying from the history of Canada. Our Identity project will be based on researching and presenting our learning on how this group of people have influenced the identity of Canada.  Please share with a family member your google doc of your choices. Does your identity connect to your choices?  Explain how?

Homework:
Go to the following website and practice with naming and estimating measurement of angles:
http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/shapes/angles.html

Thank you for another wonderful week of learning! We have a new virtue for the month of April... Look in the April newsletter to find out what it is! Look for examples of the virtues being shown in the community this weekend.

Thank you for another wonderful week of learning! We have a new virtue for the month of April... Look in the April newsletter to find out what it is! Look for examples of the virtues being shown in the community this weekend.

Our class began a new novel read aloud, I Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Share with a family member your first impression of this novel. How is it similar or different to other novels we have studied this year? Did the author hook your interest? Why or why not?

Homework:
Go on the blog and open pages to the math vocabulary that we will be studying connected to Shape and Space.  Beside each term write what you think the word means.  Include an example and a non-example to assist you with your understanding.  On top of each word, mark your understanding of the word with a number and circle it: 1- I don't know, 2 - I have heard it, but I am unsure, 3-I think I know what it means, 4-I understand this word. You may use the link below to assist you:

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mesg/html/math6web/index.html?page=glossary

Our Identity presentations are tomorrow.  Please remember to finish your 5 W's cue cards about the history of your family.  If you are sharing an artifact(s) (3 at the most), remember it is your responsibility to take care of it.  Your speech should be 2-5 minutes long.

Reminder:
April Calendar coming home today.

Our class has been busy working on descriptive narrative writing. We have been focussing on adding details, suspense and great hooks to our stories. Today we began designing our Junk Monster characters! Share with a family member your plan for creating your junk monster. Begin to think about the character traits of your monster, as well as special adaptations it might have.

Homework:
- Please bring any recycled material you would like to add to your Junk Monster art sculpture. We will be building our sculptures in class tomorrow.

We have been discussing and using our critical thinking around the idea of 'identity'.  Please share with a family member what you think identity is.  How can a group of people 'shape the identity' and a sense of belonging of Canada? Be sure to ask a family member what is their experience in response to this question.

Homework:
Our personal identity presentations are on Friday.  Be sure to be preparing responses to the 5 W's about your identity.  Please look for an artifact to include in your presentation.  The task criteria and assessment are posted in D2L.

Reminder:
Sport Club is tomorrow, March 31-3:15-3:45.

Our class began a new novel study, Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson. Share with a family member your first impression of this novel. How is it similar or different to other novels we have studied this year? Did the author hook your interest? Why or why not?

Homework:
Continue to practice your basic facts at home! Try the Factor Tree game on http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/category_g_2_t_1.html. Look for patterns in the equations.

Welcome back!  We are moving into the final 3 months of our learning journey.  We will be busy in the next few months focusing on our Social Studies inquiry unit of the identity of Canada, our final science study will be of Evidence and Investigation, including a field trip to Rothney Astrophysical Observatory in May. In math our learning takes us into Space and Shape, including measurement, shapes and transformations.  We will be developing our narrative writing skills, as well as composing newspaper articles.  Our provincial achievement tests for Grade 6 begin on May 12, with writing.  We continue exams in June:  June 15-Reading, June 16-Math, June 17-Science and June 18-Social Studies. Please share with a family member which learning you are most excited for and why?

Homework:
Read! Read! Read!  Our Best Character Ever book project, which will focus on characters in fiction, is due on April 29, 2016.  Look for the project criteria and assessment in D2L this week.

Be proud your accomplishments as a learner and a leader in our school!

Have a wonderful Spring Break! Classes resume Tuesday March 29. 

Terrific work sharing our learning with the school in our class assembly! Be proud of your leadership and courage.

Have a wonderful Spring Break! Classes resume Tuesday March 29. 

Our class finished our novel study of The Breadwinner. We have been working on a critical thinking response to this powerful book. Share with a family member your written response posted on a google doc. Why did we read this book?  How has the main character Parvana changed? What virtues did the characters demonstrate? How is the government of Afghanistan during the rule of the Taliban different from our Canadian government?

Homework: 
Practice your division skills on the following websites:
http://www.mathplayground.com/visual_division/dare_to_share_fairly.html
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/grade_g_2.html

Reminder: 
- Sports Club tomorrow, Thursday, March 17 - 3:15-3:45.
- No school on Friday, March 18.

Our class finished our novel study of Underground to Canada. We have been working on a critical thinking response to this powerful book. Share with a family member your written response posted in D2L. What was the main idea of this novel? What can we learn from the characters in the book?

Homework: 
- How did the characters in Underground to Canada show the virtues? We will be sharing our ideas in class tomorrow.

Reminder: 
- Our class assembly is tomorrow morning (March 17) at 11:00! Please remind your families to attend!

We are finished sharing our amazing Engineering projects!  Today we completed our self-assessment on our projects.  Please share with a family member your assessment and explain why.  There are many different categories to share:  Project Proposal, Daily Reflections, Task Management and Collaboration and finally your Project Evaluation.

Homework: 
Please add to our google doc at least 10 words that describe wellness.

Reminder: 
- Pizza lunch is tomorrow (March 16)
- Sports Club is on Thursday, March 17-3:15-3:45

We have been applying the scientific method to record our plant experiments! Our class designed experiments and created a google doc to collect our information. Share with a family member your google doc. How did you use your five senses when completing your observations? What conclusions did you draw from your data?

Homework: 
Watch the Scientific Method on BrainPOP Junior. Try the quiz! What connections can you make to our experiments in class?

Reminder: 
- Pizza lunch is tomorrow (March 16)
- Room 2 Assembly is March 17 at 11:00. Please invite your families to attend and celebrate our learning!

Our class has been preparing our representations of wellness.  Our representations include skits, advertisements, puppet plays and posters.  In addition to showing what we know about wellness, we will also be using French vocabulary in our presentations. Please share with a family member which aspect of wellness your group is focusing on.  Why is this important to you?

Homework:
Try out your multiplication of decimals on the following link:
https://nrich.maths.org/5632

Reminder: 
- Pizza lunch is Wednesday, March 16.
- No school on Friday, March 18.  It is a Professional Development Day.
- Grade 4/5 will be having a celebration of learning assembly on March 17 at 11:00.

Our class has been working hard preparing for our assembly! Share with a family member the learning we will be sharing with the school and community. Please invite your families to attend our celebration of learning on March 17 at 11:00!

Homework: 
Play Salute with a family member! What patterns do you notice when we are multiplying numbers?

Reminder: 
- Pizza lunch is Wednesday March 16.
- Room 2 Assembly is Thursday March 17 at 11:00.

Thank you for an exciting week of learning! Have a wonderful weekend.

Thank you for an exciting week of learning! Have a wonderful weekend.

We had an exciting day at Telus Spark Science Centre today! Share with a family member the excellent session we did on Math in Motion and the engaging dome show presentation on the rain forest. What connections can you make to our field trip today? What new questions do you have? We will share in class tomorrow. Thank you to School Council and our parent volunteers for this amazing learning opportunity.

Homework:
Please continue to read a novel for our next Best Book Project! We will be discussing this project in class soon.

Reminder:
- Sports Club is today (March 10) from 3:15 to 3:45.

We had an exciting day at Telus Spark Science Centre today! Share with a family member the excellent session we did on the water cycle and the engaging dome show presentation on the rain forest. What connections can you make to our field trip today? What new questions do you have? Thank you to School Council and our parent volunteers for this amazing learning opportunity.

Homework:
Please continue to read a novel for our next Best Book Project! We will be discussing this project in class soon.

Reminder:
- Sports Club is today (March 10) from 3:15 to 3:45.

In our novel study of The Breadwinner, we have been discussing and sharing our critical thinking by utilizing an interactive writing wall. Please share our most recent discussion about the life expectancy in Canada compared to Afghanistan.  What do think are the reasons for this difference?  Support your thinking with specific evidence for our novel.

Homework:
Try out your multiplication of decimals on the following link:
https://nrich.maths.org/5632

Reminder:
-Pizza lunch orders are due tomorrow, Thursday, March 10.
- Our Telus Spark field trip is tomorrow! Our bus leaves at 9:00, please arrive to school on time. Remember to bring a healthy snack, water bottle and a bag lunch.
- CBE Transportation Services information

Our class has been working on our narrative writing skills! We have been discussing what makes an excellent piece of narrative writing. Explain to a family member the importance of thinking of our reader when we are writing and our class writing goals. What goal did you set for your narrative writing? Why did you choose this goal? What strategies are helping you achieve this goal?

Homework: 
Change this story beginning so it has an interesting hook:
"Hi, my name is Kate. This is the story of how I was chased in the desert by a coyote."
What type of hook did you use?

Reminder: 
- Our Telus Spark field trip is tomorrow! Our bus leaves at 9:00, please arrive to school on time. Remember to bring a healthy snack, water bottle and a bag lunch.

Our class has preparing to share our engineering projects with other students. We are completing our project reports including our self-assessment of our building projects.  Please share your project report with a family member.  Discuss the task criteria, the rubrics and refer to the exemplars of excellence.  What have you earned for each section of your report: Proposal, Daily Reflections, Task Management and Collaboration? Can you support your thinking with specific examples?

Homework:
Learn how to read the electricity meter in your house by going to the following:
http://www.wonderville.ca/asset/energy-meter-madness
Be sure to try out Transmission and Electromagnets too.

Reminder:
- Telus Spark field trip is Thursday March 10.
- Sports Club is Thursday March 10.
- School Council is tonight (Tuesday March 8) at 6:30. Please invite your parents to attend! 

Our class has been busy preparing for our assembly on March 17! We have been researching interesting facts about the environment, recycling, waste and energy sources. Share with a family member the interesting Did You Know fact you will be sharing in our class iMovie. What are some ways that individuals, our class, our school and community can help protect the environment?

Homework: 
- Play Race to Zero subtraction with a family member.

Reminder:
- Telus Spark field trip is Thursday March 10.
- Sports Club is Thursday March 10.
- School Council is tonight (Tuesday March 8) at 6:30. Please invite your parents to attend!

Our class has been working on our adding and subtracting strategies with decimals in Math! We have been solving authentic problems using Boston Pizza menus to calculate our totals and change.  Some strategies we are using including regrouping, expanding numbers left to right and compensating to change numbers.  Explain to a family member how each of these strategies work. What other strategies do you use for addition of subtraction of decimals?

Homework: 
Try out your addition and subtraction strategies on the following link:
http://www.math-play.com/decimal-math-games.html

Reminder: 
- Our class is going to Telus Spark for a field trip on March 10! Please remember to return your signed Acknowledgment of Risk as soon as possible.

Our class has been working on our subtracting strategies in Math! We have been solving problems using regrouping, thinking of addition, and the zero zapper. Explain to a family member how each of these strategies work. What other strategies do you use for subtraction? How are these strategies similar to addition?

Homework: 
Try solving the Difference Sudoku puzzle:
http://nrich.maths.org/5798

Reminder: 
- Our class is going to Telus Spark for a field trip on March 10! Please remember to return your signed Acknowledgment of Risk as soon as possible.

Thank you for another wonderful week of learning! Excellent job reading with our buddy class for DEAR today. Be proud of your leadership. Share with a family member how you are ensuring that your buddy is engaged and interested. What questions are you asking your reading buddy when they
don't know a word?

  

Thank you for another wonderful week of learning! Excellent job reading with a buddy class for DEAR today. Be proud of your leadership.

In connection to Nutrition month, we have been discussing the meaning of 'Wellness'.  What does wellness mean to you?  What are you doing to ensure that you are well?  What goal would you like to work on as a healthy lifestyle choice?  What strategies do you have to achieve your goal?  Be prepared to share in class tomorrow.

Homework:
Read your new fiction book, from Books for Kids, for a Best Book project coming up this spring.

Reminder: 
- Please return your signed Telus Spark Acknowledgement of Risk forms to school as soon as possible.
-Our swimming report cards are coming home today!

Our class has been continuing our novel study of Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker. Share with a family member what has happened in our story. What challenges have Julilly and Liza experienced in the novel? How was the author kept you interested in the novel? We will be discussing these ideas in class tomorrow.

Homework: 
Take the Recycle It Quiz:
http://www.westtorrens.sa.gov.au/WTORWebFile/Recycle_it/WTC-Quiz.html

Reminder: 
- Please return your signed Telus Spark Acknowledgement of Risk forms to school as soon as possible.

Our engineering projects are almost complete!  Please share with a family member your project posted in D2L, be sure to include your procedure writing and reflections.  What have you learned about designing a mechanism from this project?  What were your successes?  Challenges?  What would you do differently next time?

Homework:
March is nutrition month.  Please go on the following website to learn about some healthy lifestyle choices:

http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/stay-healthy/


Reminder:
- Our class is going to Telus Spark for a field trip on Thursday March 10! Acknowledgement of Risk forms are being sent home today. Please return signed by Friday March 4. 
- Sports Club is tomorrow (March 3) from 3:15 to 3:45.

Our class has been working on making excellent observations in our Plant Experiments! Share with a family member the observations you made for this experiment in the google doc your group created. How have your plants changed in this experiment? Was your hypothesis correct?

Homework: 
Play Race to Zero subtraction with a family member!

Reminder: 
- Please remember to return your signed Telus Spark Acknowledgement of Risk forms as soon as possible.
- Sports Club is tomorrow (March 3) from 3:15 to 3:45.

Our class has been continuing our novel study of The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis. Share with a family member what has happened in our story. What challenges are Parvana and her family facing? What has the family decided to do?  How would you feel if you were Parvana?  How would your character change? We will be discussing these ideas in class tomorrow.

Homework: 
Go to the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives to practice your Base Blocks Addition and Subtraction:
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/category_g_2_t_1.html

Reminders: 
- Our school will be participating in DEAR all week!
- Sports Club is Thursday March 3 from 3:15 to 3:45.
- Our class is going to Telus Spark for a field trip on Thursday March 10! Acknowledgement of Risk forms are being sent home today. Please return signed by Friday March 4.

Our class has begun narrative writing! Share with a family member the ideas our class had for what makes an excellent story. What are examples of excellent stories you have read? How did the author keep you interested in the story? Think of a writing goal you have when writing stories. What strategies will help you achieve this goal? We will be sharing your ideas in class tomorrow.

Homework: 
Go to the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives to practice your Base Blocks Subtraction:
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/category_g_2_t_1.html

Reminders: 
- Our school will be participating in DEAR all week!
- Sports Club is Thursday March 3 from 3:15 to 3:45.

Thank you to the Books for Kids program for the generous book gift to each student in our school! Our school began a week of DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) where all students and teachers in the school are encouraged to stop what they are doing during assigned times and read! Share with a family member the different material you read (or were read) today. We will be participating in DEAR all week. What books do you recommend Mrs. Calvert read for DEAR? Why is this a great book to read?

Homework: 
Continue to read a fiction novel for your next Best Book Project.

Reminder:
-March calendar coming home today.
- We are having a pizza lunch on Wednesday March 16! Notice and order forms are being sent home today. Please return your order and money to the school by March 10.

Thank you to the Books for Kids program for the generous book gift to each student in our school! Our school began a week of DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) where all students and teachers in the school are encouraged to stop what they are doing during assigned times and read! Share with a family member the different material you read (or were read) today. We will be participating in DEAR all week. What books do you recommend Ms. Makowski read for DEAR? Why is this a great book to read?

Homework: 
Continue to read a fiction novel for your next Best Book Project. This project will be introduced in class shortly!

Terrific job completing your swimming lessons this week! You showed excellent perseverance in the pool.

Have a wonderful weekend!
 

Terrific job completing your swimming lessons this week! You showed excellent perseverance in the pool.

Have a wonderful weekend!
 

In our novel study, The Breadwinner, we have been discussing how to identify and infer reasons for a character's actions or feelings based on evidence from the story.  In your opinion, share with a family member why the family did not leave Afghanistan when they were able to. What do you think they should have done? Be sure to support your thinking with specific examples from the story.

Homework: 
Play Betweeners with a family member.  Use playing cards instead of dice. How do you know that your decimal is 'between'? Explain your strategy.

Reminder: 
- Sports Club is today from 3:15 to 3:45.
- Last day of swimming lessons are tomorrow (Friday Feb. 26).