One Last Post? Saturday, 29 June

First, here is a link to my farewell at the Grade 7 Leaving Ceremony: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eCaRKFw5pi5uF0m2zHvxlqM4kTIwd5JTNf9JxNOwoS4/edit

I had a long but happy day at school yesterday.  I thought I might feel melancholy as I packed up, but I didn't.  I did do much reflecting on the year as I was creating a sample folder of the grade 6s' writing for their next-year's teacher, and as I recycled old test sheets and packed up boxes, but I had a recurring feeling of satisfaction, not sadness.  I was also not sad at our little good-bye celebration for the 17 staff who are leaving the school this year.  Mr. Brown noted that I am the only one who left by choice: that sounds terrible, doesn't it.  I enjoyed the company of everyone on staff and have had moments of doubt about my decision to leave such a positive place.  I have thoroughly enjoyed my year at the Creek.  I have also appreciated the willingness of the staff to challenge our practices and discuss our vision as we ask what school could be like in our quest to deliver the best opportunities and the best programs for our students.  I truly believe exciting times are ahead for the whole school community.  I have received many kind words about my efforts over the past year and they are most appreciated.  But I didn't do it alone.  I was well supported by Carol, Jay-Ann, Sarah, Ms. Henderson, Mr. Pond, Ms. Foster, Ms. McBain, Mr. Clements, Ms. Rive, Joanna and the many parents who were able to support us up front and in the background. We teachers care a great deal about what we do and there is no better fuel for that fire than affirmation from an appreciative school community and the satisfaction that comes from a job well done.  So, thank you, everyone.

All packed up and ready for the next step

Joanna asked that I post this for her:

Here are all the wonderful words and gifts you have all given me.  A beautiful still life reminding me of the good feelings I have from the year and how honoured I feel.  Thank-you everybody!

Joanna

Thank you, Joanna, for teaching me how to do this:
the piece I'm most proud of!

Monday, 10 June

PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE SHORTS AND RUNNERS (NOT FLATS OR SANDALS OR BOOTS) FOR EVERY P.E. CLASS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.  STUDENTS SHOULD EXPECT TO BE RUNNING IN SOME FORM EVERY DAY.

I am requesting two parent drivers to volunteer to drive the students who are going to the Chatelech orientation meeting.  I think one of the mums from Division One has already indicated she is available.  I will be staying with the Chatelech-bound students, and Mr. Pond will be going with the Elphi-bound students (they get a bus because there are so many more of them).  A consent form for both groups will go home tomorrow.

Also, please try to remember to bring $10 for art supplies as soon as you can.

I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend.  Mine was quite busy with house guests here to see my eldest daughter in the Dance Academy's show at the Raven's Cry Theatre.  We began our day debriefing the class's most recent paragraph writing assignment.  Without a doubt, the most common writing flaw was run-on sentences, so we reviewed how to avoid them.  Many students commented that they will try to spice up their next piece of writing with some juicy words.  Others noted the need to more effectively employ transition words (signposts) to guide their readers through the twists and turns of their writing.  Here are the notes we created on the board:

Remember to follow the punctuation
recipe for things such as commas.

Next, the class went to band.  I noted that on this report card fine arts will again be separated into "art" (with Joanna) and "band" (with Mr. Grice).

After recess we read for for ten minutes and then started math.  In Math 7 I gave instruction in how to assess numbers in a set of numbers to see if there are any outliers.  We then started the practice set for Lesson 7.3: there is no homework today.

After lunch we read for 15 minutes and then began our inquiry work.  Goldney and Kiah volunteered to use some of their inquiry time to help prime the art "canvasses."  Thanks, girls.  The inquiry projects are due to be finished at the end of Monday, 17 June.  The 7s have their secondary school orientations that day, so the 6s will have one extra class day to work on their projects.  That might be time used to practice the presentations so we get fewer students "reading" their presentations.

We ended the day with some running.  We each also tried to do one chin-up/pull-up.  We'll be doing more of that sort of thing as we get ready for the year-end fitness test.

Tomorrow I will be giving a French pre-test and on Wednesday, after art, we'll have the real test.  Remember to study your notes (or, check the notes posted to the blog - all test questions will be things we've practiced in class).

Tuesday, 4 June

1. For tomorrow's en plein air (outdoor) painting lesson (and all sessions left in the year) we'd like you to bring the following to class:

black felt/Sharpi
black oil pastel
pencil
pencil sharpener
sun hat
any acrylic paints you have at home
any brushes you have at home

2. Tomorrow is Neon Day - prizes at noon.

3. Also, remember that tomorrow is the Appreciation Tea at 3:00 - we hope to see you there.



We began the day with the DART reading assessment.  The students read a passage and answered questions and then did an oral reading monitored by a teacher.  This assessment is just a snapshot of the students' reading on one day, but it is a piece that will help identifying how to best serve each student next year.  Once students finished their assessments, theyused any extra time to work on their passion inquiries.

After recess we read for ten minutes and then started math.  In Math 7 I returned the unit tests and then reviewed the one area where many students had difficulty: showing the "check" after solving their equations.  Study packages will not be required to rewrite this test.  There is no homework.

After lunch we listened to three student inquiry presentations on ancient civilizations, worked on our passion projects for 20 minutes and then had a game of Person Hunt in the forest.  I spite of the upset to the morning routine, it was a great day today.  Thanks for all of your cooperation and effort.

Thursday, 30 May

Just a brief post today: I have a French meeting to run off to.

We began the day with French.  Then we had band.

After recess we read for ten minutes and then had math.  In Math 7 we looked at using algebra to solve area and perimeter problems.  There was definitely some tension in students' learning as they tried to solve for missing measurements using the formulae that they learned in previous units.  I was trying to have them understand the need to represent things in a conventional form.  For example, writing 2d instead of 2 x d (2 times d), or instead of d + d.  A couple of students stayed in at lunch to hammer out their understanding or to get extra practice questions.  I had planned to have the unit test tomorrow, but since there is a dance tonight and because I want to give everyone a chance to get extra practice questions,
we'll have the test on Monday, instead.

After lunch we worked on our passion inquiry questions and then listened to Arif's presentation that included the use of Prezi (instead of PowerPoint).  It was a most informative talk.  We ended the day with some running drills in the gym and then played a rugby drill that involved the class trying to beat Nicholas around a circle (they pass the ball while he runs). It took many tries, but after we split the class they were ultimately able to beat him.  Hats off to you, Nicholas, for a very strong and impressive effort.


Here are the answer's for Friday, 31 May's Math 7 practice test:

Art Wednesday, 29 May

We had art with Joanna first thing this morning.  We started with a cool warm-up exercise where the students wrote on paper, crumpled and threw their sheet at a classmate, who in turn opened and read the paper and then threw it to another and so on.  Of course at some point it became more of an exercise in pelting your friends with paper than reading, but I thought it was a very creative way to pass informatiion: bravo Joanna!  We made prints today using potato stamps and paper stencils.  The process was very quick, engaging and fun.  The class was right on top of things and everyone worked very cooperatively for the whole block.  In the last few minutes of the hour we also created a collaborative piece in the style of a New York artist (whose name escapes me) recently featured in Vogue magazine.  Here are some photos from the morning:

Messages by aimail

Layered collaboration: India ink, tempra applied
with a feather, potato stamps with tempra

Stamp prints

Stamp prints drying

After recess we read for ten minutes and then did math.  The 7s completed their unit reviews and then started their pre-tests.  I noticed that some students had trouble with "seeing" the word problems.  We'll have to have some grit when it comes to the test.  Don't expect the equations for the problems to jump out at you: you will have to employ some critical thinking.  There is no homework, but Friday I plan to have the unit test.  Here are some notes:

Student response using algebra tiles

Learning to group the tiles so the
answer is easier to visualize

After lunch we worked on our passion inquiry projects for an hour and then listened to Saleah and Sadie, and Noah and Nicholas share their socials inquiry presentations.  We ended the day with Nikki doing our final yoga lesson.  Most of the class was engaged and respectful but yoga continues to be a challenge for five or six of the boys who can't find it in themselves to settle to their "quiet space."  It's a shame, because they did very well with the actual movement of their bodies.  I understand that it's sometimes tough to be 100% on, last thing in the day.

Please remember your instruments tomorrow for band.

Thank you everyone who was able to donate to the Spring Fling fundraiser basket; ours will be a very practical offering.  Tomorrow will be the deadline for donations, when Aideen, I think, will come by to collect it and work her magic on making it all into a nice presentation.

Grade 7s, please return the Elphi letters ASAP.

And now, if the rain will stop, I'll be off to help coach (read: equipment manager) my son's softball team in a 6:30 start at Hackett park.

Tuesday, 28 May

Remember that tomorrow we need everyone to bring a large potato and paring knife to art class: we're making stamps.

Also, time is running out for us to collect donations for the class gift basket for the Spring Fling fund raiser.  The event is Saturday, but we need time to prepare the basket beforehand.

Grade 7s, please return the forms from the Elphinstone package sent home yesterday.

We began the day with French.  I completed the instruction for the second "food" lesson.  Here are the notes:

Next, I brought out the ropes and we learned how to tie a fisherman's knot.  When the computer cart was available we started a descriptive paragraph using an image of parkour as our inspiration.  Here it is:

After recess we had math.  The grade 7s worked to complete their chapter reviews.  Here is a sample of how to use algebra tiles to model an equation:

After lunch we took a bit of time to tidy up the paragraphs we had started before recess, and then folks moved on to their passion inquiry projects.  I circulated, sharing my time between helping students improve their paragraphs, and helping them to design inquiry questions.  We ended the day by listening to Mackenzie and Goldney share their socials inquiry on ancient China and ancient Rome.  I've been very satisfied with the presenters' efforts so far.

Playing with my new InstaweatherPro app.

I know the weather has been uncooperative, but four students rode their bicycles to school today.  Remember, only those who cycle will get tickets to enter the draw for the new bike.

Heads up: June 5th with be NEON DAY: dress up and have a chance to win a prize.  Also, there will be an Appreciation Tea on June 5th at 3 p.m. in the school library: all parents, guardians and caregivers are cordially invited.

Thursday, 23 May

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WE ARE COLLECTING DONATIONS FOR A KITCHEN-THEMED GIFT BASKET FOR THE SPRING FLING FUND RAISER SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 1st.  We have three items to date.

First, let me say what a wonderful day we all had on the grade 7 year-end trip to Vancouver yesterday.  The laser tag, rock wall climbing, harbour cruise, tandem bike trip and playground time were all a huge success.  There were many people involved in the logistics of getting this year-long venture completed, but I think we will all agree that two mums went above and beyond, and they deserve to be recognized: thank you Agnes and Dianne!  Mr. Pond was a photo ninja and even after he had culled the herd, he was able to post 180 photos to his classroom blog.  Here is the link: mega photo cache

The fire truck at Second Beach, Stanley Park

We started today with a French quiz and then did some meta-cognition: some thinking about our thinking.  Ex. "I will try to remember to...."  Here is a copy of the quiz:

Next, we practiced our knots for fifteen minutes before band.  Some students were pretty rusty with the bowline - remember, it's probably the most useful knot I've shown you.

After recess we went to the gym to hear about Bike to School Week next week.  The students learned of the contest to win a fancy new bike and how they can earn a ticket for the draw each day they ride to school next week.  After the assembly, we started math.  In Math 7 students worked to complete the problem set for the final lesson, 6.5.  As students finished, I started to challenge them with a new twist on isolating variables. There is no homework.

After lunch we read for fifteen minutes and then I gave some instructions for the passion inquiry project.  Specifically, I indicated the need for more initial structure and planning.  I spent the rest of the hour checking in with students and helping them with their organization and inquiry question proposals.  We ended the day with an old-fashioned game of kick-the-can.

NOTE: Few students were ready to present their socials inquiry projects today.  I will not deduct points for being late, but I may give special consideration to students who were able to meet all criteria, including the deadline.

Heads up:

Monday is immunization day for grade 6s.

Monday is also the day the Elphinstone counsellors will be in to talk to the grade 7s.

Finally, Monday we have Aboriginal ed. with Kristi.

Happy Long Weekend: Friday, 17 May

1. First a note about the Grade 7 Vancouver trip: i) laser tag, ii) paddle wheeler harbour cruise, iii) tandem bike ride at Stanley Park, and, iv) barbeque at Second Beach planned for Wednesday, 22 May.

1. Grade 7 students are asked to bring $30 to Mr. Marshall on Tuesday, May 21st.  The consent form noted that the cost might be as high at $50, but fundraising has brought that cost down. Any student who is unable to pay on Tuesday is asked to contact Mr. Marshall.
2. Parents drop off their child at the Langdale ferry terminal at 7:50 a.m., Wednesday, May 22. PLEASE BE ON TIME; we will be unable to wait for late arrivals. We'll be catching the 5:50 p.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay.  That later sailing schedule means we'll arrive at Langdale around 6:40 p.m.  Please be prompt in arriving to pick up your child.
3. Students need a water bottle and a good lunch (to be eaten on the paddle wheeler before the bike ride - there is no option to purchase a lunch at this location).
4. Please wear your Acceptance Day t-shirt (or a white t-shirt if you don't have one).  Also, please bring your RCCES hoodie.  This is for safety: by wearing a school outfit, students will be more easily identified in public spaces
5. Please consider your clothing carefully. If pants are worn, they must fit close around the ankles.  Showers are in the forecast, so light rainwear is preferable to heavy gear.  Sun protection should also be considered, just in case (small, light backpack).
6. Appropriate footwear for the bike ride is hard-soled, closed-toe shoes (no flip-flops).

A note from the organizers: We have to provide food for around 66 people at the picnic (students and parent supervisors) so please make any contribution you can towards the food - please read Terri's email (previously forwarded to you). We are hoping that parents who could not volunteer their time, can hopefully contribute towards the food. Send all emails regarding food contributions to the picnic to Joan Hourgan or Terri Bradwell.

We have enough parent supervisors so any additional parents that want to join us will have to cover their own costs and make their own arrangements for travel.

Any last minute information will be sent directly to parents via email. Please email Agnes Pillai or Dianne Paulus with any questions.

2. Please ask to see the notice about the gift basket we're making for the June 1 Spring Fling fundraiser.  Our theme is "kitchen."  Please add a comment to the bottom of the May 14th blog post so we can keep track of what has already been donated.

3.  A notice went home for the Grade 7s to say the "graduation" banquet is scheduled for Thursday, June 20th and the leaving ceremony is at 10:45 on Tuesday, June 25th.

4.  This Wednesday we miss art because of the Grade 7 trip, but the week after that we need students to bring a large potato, a small paring knife and scissors for our second print-making workshop with Joanna.

Review

We started the day with a quick review of Tuesday's French lesson and then we blazed new territory. I am trying to choose vocabulary and grammar that shows patterns so the students will be able to see connections, rather than memorizing lists although some "memorization" is required.  We covered a lot today.

Today's lesson.

After recess we read for ten minutes and then did math.  In Math 7 I reviewed yesterday's instruction in solving equations that have coefficients with the variables.  After a few sample questions, the class continued with their problem sets.  We have only one more lesson in this unit before we can prepare for another unit test.  Some students indicated they wished to re-write their last test on circles and area, but none have done so to date.  Students should try to complete Lesson 6.4 if they were unable to do so in class.  Don't do more than a bit each day: we all need a holiday.

After lunch we did little buddy reading with Ms. L's class and then we worked on our inquiry projects for an hour.  We closed off the week with some four-corner soccer in the gym.  Thanks for your hard work this week folks; we had some interruptions to our usual schedule, but we still got lots done.

Wednesday, 15 May

Today was our first "art" art lesson in a long time.  It was great to see Joanna doing her thing outside and inside the ring of desks: most teachers would slowly wind up in such a free-moving environment, but she stays as calm as anything.  It was neat to hear the students' reaction to being told to, "write on your desks" and to "add paint to the tops of  your desks" as we did print making.  It didn't take the class long to catch on to the process and soon all had multiple prints drying around the room.

After recess we read for ten minutes and then got to math.  The Math 7 students worked to complete the lesson 6.3 problem set and then started the mid-unit review (only 4 questions).  Since I know I'm going to be away tomorrow, I started the instruction for the next lesson so that tomorrow, after students complete their reviews, they will be able to carry on independently.

The only real difference with this chapter is that now we have
variables with coefficients: we eliminate the coefficient by
dividing it into both sides (in this example we divide 2n and 24
by 2 in order to isolate the n.

After lunch we read for ten minutes and then went upstairs to the gym for the 2013 Talent Show.  Wow! I was blown away by what the students brought to the stage.  Division Two was well-represented with Oliver and Christopher adding decorum and energy as MCs, Landseer adding style on bass in his band and Kiah, well, what can I say, what a voice!  Way to go, you all did our class proud.

Remember that tomorrow is band, so remember to bring your instruments.  Since I will be away for a follow-up appointment in Vancouver to see if the splint can come off my thumb, we will have a teacher-on-call.  I have scheduled lots of computer time so you will have a good chance to get ahead on your socials inquiries so ensure you bring your materials.

Election Day: Tuesday, 14 May

Today we reconnected with our French program.  We focused on the articles le, la, un, une.  We included the verb conjugation je suis.  Rather than learning a list of verb conjugations, we'll focus on a few vocabulary words and a few grammar terms at a time and use them to construct phrases.  I gave a short oral quiz at the end of the lesson.  Here are today's notes:

Visit Duolingo for a good web-based tutorial

My passion inquiry would involve
sailboats in some way.

Next, we went outside for a team relay race (to act as a brain break) and then I discussed the process for beginning a passion inquiry.  That inquiry will officially start on May 23.  We discussed the brainstorming process, but more importantly, we discussed the importance of "defining" what key words in a question mean. For example, it's ok to say that we are going to find out who had the best standard of living, but we need to define what "standard of living" means.  For example, will we include longevity (how old people lived to be) or number of hours of daily work, or whether or not people enjoyed long periods of peace with neighbouring countries?  Only after we know what we're measuring exactly, can we answer the question.

After recess we read for ten minutes and then started math.  In Math 7 we took a few minutes to review Lessons 6.1-6.2 and then we learned how to model equations with integers using integer tiles.  This is no different than the work we did previously with integers tiles, except now we've included the long rectangle to represent the variable (ex. x, n, y, etc.).  Please complete #1-2 for homework if you were unable to finish in class.  We'll complete the practice set tomorrow.  

The key to creating and then solving
the model is to "add tiles" to
create "zero pairs."

After lunch we read for ten more minutes and then began our civilizations inquiry work.  At 2:15 we stopped and went outside to get some exercise.  We met Mr. Pond's class in the forest and played a big game of posse.  Remind your parents to get out and vote.

We looked at ideas such as chocolate, coffee break, spa, tools, and smelly, but the students decided that they would like the theme of the class gift basket for the Spring Fling Dance fundraiser to be "KITCHEN."  Please use this post to add what you would like to donate so that others can see what has already been added (we want to avoid 28 cutting boards - it might make us look like our theme is firewood).