Miss Brooks' On-line Agenda - Recently Updated Pages

Miss Brooks' Classroom

MissBrooks — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:57:41 CST

Welcome to my Gr. 4/5 Classroom Homepage!

I hope you enjoy the site and that you find this a valuable information tool. Information is updated frequently so check back regularly!

Christmas Is Sharing

The best gift of all is not under the tree,
The gift of God's love sent to you and to me.
God sent us his own Son from heaven above;
To show us, his children, the meaning of love.

So, let us remember that this time of year
Is all about sharing with those God holds dear.
To share what we have with the hungry and cold
Is the same as to share it with Jesus we're told.

Click here to visit the latest news releases from our classroom
(This week in the news: Applesauce Cake)

Click on any of the images below to link to the many pages of this website

Monthly Calendar Information concerning goings on in both the classroom and the school	Curriculum Corner Information concerning areas of study	Brag Wall Postings of students' accomplishments in curriculum and community	Home Activities Ideas for parents and kids to interact and learn
Word Wall An on-line dictionary of terms that are used throughout our year.	Art Gallery Our on-line gallery puts you in our halls without leaving your house!	Kids' Health News Information about kids' health.	Photo Booth Pictures of happenings in and around our classroom.
The Book Nook Suggested reading from the 4/5 students	Our Classroom Stop in for a look at the Grade 4/5 room	St. Bernard School Website	School Board Website

If you wish to speak with me directly, I can be reached at the school (519) 945-6948. I am usually available before school (8:15-8:30) or last period of the day (2:20-2:55).
I can also be reached by email: roberta_brooks@wecdsb.on.ca

Most clip art used on this site is from-- http://www.phillipmartin.info/clipart/homepage.htm

Baking

MissBrooks — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:56:56 CST

In Chapter 6 of Barbara Robinson's novel, there is a commotion at the dress rehearsal for the Christmas pageant and the fire department is once again called! The applesauce cake gets burned in the commotion and the Herdman's get blamed.

On Thursday, December 17, the 4/5 class divided into 6 baking teams to make their own applesauce cake ... from scratch! There were some close calls (half an egg on the floor, 1/2 cup of baking powder--yep, we caught that one in time!) but nothing burned!

Applesauce Cake

1 cup sugar
1 cup applesauce
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
3 tablespoons milk2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon each salt and nutmeg (we omitted the nutmeg)

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Mix the first 5 ingredients together. Mix the next 5 ingredients together separately. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. Lightly grease a *loaf pan. Place mixture in pan and bake for 1 hour. Insert a toothpick and if it is clean when removed, you're done!

*We used a regular 91/2 x 11 pan so cooking time was reduced to approximately 35 minutes.

In the News

MissBrooks — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:33:36 CST

from The Windsor Star, December 16, 2009
Anne Jarvis

Another evening, another page of math problems. Another weekend, another school project.

We don't see our daughter much after school. She disappears to her room to do homework. Ditto, many Saturday or Sunday afternoons. One afternoon recently, her dad actually told her to stop.

Her class was assigned another project due after the new year. They were told they can start during the holidays if they want.

It's hard to ask her to practise her music, too. Sometimes, I do her chores for her.

Last year, one of our sons had a report due every Monday, which meant we spent part of every weekend doing it. He was in Grade 2.

On Mondays after school, our other son goes to his music lesson and then, often, does homework. Sometimes he doesn't have free time until after supper. Then, it's almost time to get ready for bed. He's in Grade 3.

Kindergarten pupils get homework these days, according to a study by two University of Toronto professors. Twenty-eight per cent of students in Grade 1 get homework, and more than 50 per cent of kids in Grade 2 spend more than 20 minutes a day on homework.

Yet, according to this study last year, another by the Canadian Council on Learning last spring and a landmark study in the U.S. three years ago, there is little benefit for children in primary and junior grades. There is some benefit for kids in Grades 7 and 8, but there are caveats.

Assignments are effective only when they're engaging and meaningful, for example, deciding which strategy to use to solve a math problem, instead of rote repetition. Unfortunately, the council's report concludes, this "is a principle that homework assignments do not necessarily exemplify."

Students should also be able to do assignments without their parents' help, and we all know many don't, including mine. Seventy-seven per cent of parents help their kids with their homework through at least Grade 4. We've helped build log cabins, solar systems, towers. You have to if you want your child to keep up and get a good mark.

The biggest benefit of homework is improved performance on class tests. In other words, homework improves short-term retention rather than long-term understanding.

The only conclusive way to improve academic success, studies show, is simple: Reading with or to kids every day.

When it comes to homework, there's also a law of diminishing returns. More than one to two hours a night of homework means the benefits disappear, so homework should be assigned judiciously.

In fact, a growing number of educators and parents don't like homework at all. Several studies and books in Canada and the U.S. have panned homework. A dad in B.C. called for a Great Canadian Homework Ban. School boards have been reviewing their homework policies, and some schools have banned homework except for reading and unfinished class work.

Last month, in a story that prompted headlines around the country, Shelli and Tom Milley of Calgary negotiated a contract with their children's school. If 11-year-old Spencer and 10-year-old Brittany meet certain responsibilities, they don't get homework.

Children spend 51/2 hours a day in class; isn't that enough? If we want to raise well-rounded kids, there should be time for extracurricular activities, from sports to the arts. There should be time to read for pure enjoyment, not because a certain book must be read. There should be time to just play, to kick a ball, build a tower, make up a new game, be a kid. There should be time for chores. I read a study that said chores, and the responsibility they teach, are an important indicator of success in life.

And after a busy day of school and work, there should be time for family.

Maybe it's schools that need to manage their time better. There are some wonderful programs, but there is also a lot of wasted time -- afternoon dances, the annual Groundhog Games, movies (parents' biggest complaint), two picture days. Much of June is lost; report cards are in and kids play board games and help teachers clean out classrooms.

The Milleys' contract with their kids' school is an interesting alternative. Instead of homework, Spencer and Brittany must read daily, practise their musical instruments and arrive at school prepared. Balance, without sacrificing responsibility.

No, we're not starting another project during our Christmas holiday with family.

ajarvis@thestar.canwest.com

© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star

Homework a homewrecker: Report
February 09, 2008

Kristin Rushowy

Becca and Liam McMahon do homework in their east Toronto home. Becca, 8, averages 1/2 hour of homework a day, and her brother, 10, averages an hour.
RICHARD LAUTENS/TORONTO STAR
Homework is of little benefit to students from junior kindergarten to Grade 6, say the authors of a just-released Canadian study, who also found it is often the source of stress and burnout in children, as well the cause of conflict – even marital stress – for many families.

In the first-ever look at the homework load in this country, the study by two Toronto professors found homework rates vary wildly from student to student, and from grade to grade, with some Grade 2 students spending less than 10 minutes a night, while others log more than 45 minutes.

On average, Ontario students spend almost 40 minutes on homework a night, compared to 32.6 minutes in other provinces, which, statistically, is significantly more, say the authors.

While research shows some benefits to homework in grades 7 and 8 and high school, there's scant evidence that it improves student achievement in the younger years, say professors Linda Cameron and Lee Bartel of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.

"For elementary school, especially for the primary grades, I am down on homework entirely," said Cameron, a former kindergarten teacher.

Parent Mary-Margaret McMahon, a mother of two children at Gledhill Junior Public School in Toronto, believes children need more unstructured time.

"I think the work should be completed in the classroom and then kids should be allowed to play," she said. "I think there's not enough of that any more.

"I personally don't recall having homework prior to high school," apart from projects in grades 6 and 8, she added.

"We were out every night playing with our friends in the street."

Both of her children have had homework since junior kindergarten – when they brought home books to read several times a week. Her daughter, in Grade 3, does about half an hour of homework a night and her older son, in Grade 4, about an hour.

"I'm a big advocate of reading," she said, adding part of her son's daily homework routine is to read French books for 20 minutes, which he does sitting by the stove with a timer set.

In fact, studies have shown that reading with, or to, children every day is the only conclusive way to boost their academic success, and Cameron believes that should be the only "homework" for younger children.

She and Bartel released their report to a group of about 55 teachers, parents and principals who gathered Tuesday night at a Scarborough elementary school to discuss reforming the Toronto District School Board's homework policy. The board voted to look into the issue after complaints students are saddled with too much work outside of school.

There is a growing body of research in the U.S. that has found homework isn't all it's cracked up to be, and a growing number of parents who say because of homework and other demands, children have no downtime; one writer has even gone so far as to say today's children have a "nature deficit disorder." Some American elementary schools have cut back or entirely banned homework.

Cameron and Bartel embarked on this study because of the lack of comparative Canadian data.

In their study, more than 1,000 parents were surveyed and said while they like the good work habits homework promotes, as well as how it helps parents be involved in their children's academic lives, the amount students are getting is interfering with family time, play time, causing stress and even marital troubles.

"Kids are at school for six and a half hours ... and some are on buses at 7:30 in the morning and get home from school at 4:30 or 5 o'clock. That's a very long day, and then they are supposed to do homework?" said Bartel in an interview.

"What do we expect of unionized workers, with hours and breaks, and what do we expect of our children? Schooling is their work."

Generally, students should spend 10 minutes per night per grade on homework. Toronto public school board guidelines recommend 10 to 30 minutes for junior kindergarten to Grade 3; 30 to 60 minutes from grades 4 to 6; 45 to 90 from grades 7 to 9; and up to 120 minutes for older high school students.

Karen Grose, the Toronto board's superintendent of programs, told those at Tuesday's meeting that in some cases, the guidelines are being used as "a floor, not a ceiling." But she also noted that time requirements can be tricky, as one assignment may take a child 10 minutes to complete, while a struggling student could take much longer.

Board staff are to present trustees with a report in April or May about possible homework reforms.

Parent Frank Bruni, one of the driving forces behind the review, has said he believes children are so busy with homework, they have little family time or time to exercise and keep fit. He'd like to see no homework on weekends or during holiday breaks.

Trustee Josh Matlow believes the process will lead to profound changes in the way homework is dealt with in Toronto schools.

A recent survey of Toronto public board students found that those in grades 7 and 8 reported 10 hours of homework per week, and those in grades 9 to 12 were doing 12 hours per week. Many of those students also took part in music or sports, as well as holding down a part-time job.

Aurelija Jusyte, in Grade 12 at Humberside Collegiate, said high school students always complain about homework.

"They understand that assignments are building their skills, but it's the busy work that doesn't get anything done" that's frustrating, said Jusyte, who is one of two student trustees on the Toronto District School Board. Personally, she enjoys homework.

Gerald Mak, the board's second student trustee, said he'd like to see some consistency.

"Students usually tell me some teachers assign more homework than others – that's the issue," he said.

The Canadian homework study, which focused on Ontario, found that almost 20 per cent of students in the same grade as Jusyte spend more than two hours on homework a night. Cameron said that any longer than that and students' brains are "maxed out."

The study also found:

Not only does homework cut into family time, it becomes a primary source of arguments, power struggles and is disruptive to building a strong family, including putting strain on marriages. Bruni said it even negatively affects family holidays.
A large number of children in kindergarten are assigned homework, most of it "drill and practice."
28 per cent of Grade 1 students and more than 50 per cent of Grade 2 students spend more than 20 minutes on homework daily.
While there's no real difference in the attitude of children toward homework, Ontario parents definitely feel more negative about it than others across the country.
More than three-quarters of parents with children in Grade 4 and under help their children with homework. But, by Grade 4, only half of parents feel they are competent enough to do so.
Parents are unsure about the benefits of homework; by Grade 5, just 20 per cent of parents feel it has a "positive effect on achievement."
Half of children in junior kindergarten are enthusiastic about homework; by Grade 6, it drops to just 6 per cent and by Grade 12, just 4 per cent.
The researchers also came across several themes from parent comments – that homework is too difficult or the assignment unclear, that it cuts into family time and causes stress at home and that children are left with little time to play.

Bartel and Cameron also say homework is a social justice issue.

"Those of us who are educated, who've come through the system, have resources and aren't working three jobs" have the time, and ability, to help kids with homework, said Cameron. And if middle-class parents are too busy to help, they simply hire tutors.

Homework has been a hot topic since the 1980s, when Ronald Reagan began peppering his speeches with talk of back-to-basics, more rigorous schooling as the way to economic prosperity, said Bartel. In Ontario, the Conservative government under Mike Harris in the 1990s followed suit, implementing a tougher curriculum, eliminating the OAC (Grade 13) year, and bringing in standardized testing.

"Ontario has still not quite recovered from when we lost the OAC year," said Bartel. "The curriculum can't be shrunk. (The thinking is) you have to do it in a year less, so you have to push the kids harder, rather than rethinking the overall structure and design that comes with it."

He said if there's simply too much work to cover that teachers are sending home in order to get it done, maybe the school day or the school year should be longer.

It's not that teachers are to blame, said Cameron. They often feel pressure from parents to give homework. "Teachers feel it is a huge problem, too," she added. "Everybody is concerned about this issue."

Alfred Abouchar, founder and headmaster of La Citadelle bilingual private school in Toronto, has declared Wednesday "homework free" day– however, students are assigned review work to complete during the summer months.

"Homework has to be dosed properly," he said, adding the real benefit of homework is establishing routine, independence and discipline in students.

Abouchar doesn't believe homework should cover material that hasn't been discussed in class, nor should it be onerous.

"For me, learning has to happen 90 to 95 per cent in school," he said. "They should not be doing homework they didn't see in school."

Binna He's 4-year-old daughter attends a private religious school in Toronto and she gets weekly homework assignments. Whether it's learning letter or numbers or counting, she usually finishes it during the week, or on a Saturday morning. Her parents also read to her every night before bed.

But He said her daughter doesn't enjoy the schoolwork. "To be honest," she said, "she prefers to play."

HOME ACTIVITIES

MissBrooks — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:21:56 CST

Ask your child to teach you how to do any of the activities that have been practiced in class.

* Parents are encouraged to participate in these activities with their son or daughter, in order to help supervise and monitor their progress. As well, they should establish rules for website usage (e.g., whether or not to allow their son or daughter to publish their work on-line).

Click on the newspaper to read articles about education from the News.

December:
Make Christmas Goodies--

Bring out a family favourite recipe or discover a new recipe on the Internet.
A great way to spend family time PLUS get a chance to work with fractions and measuring!

Read a Christmas Book--

Moosletoe
The Legend of the Candy Cane
Santa Kid
These are only a few suggestions and they are all kids' books rather than novels. Read them aloud to practice expression! Read them to a younger sibling or friend or cousin!

Wrap Gifts--

A true art form! Find out how much wrapping paper is needed for the various sized gifts you are giving (measurement, area)

Make a Christmas Card or Write a Christmas Letter

Get into the spirit of the holiday by making a card for someone special. Be creative! If you're stuck for ideas, click here!
Write a "What's Been Going on in Our House" recount of the past year's news in your family. Send them in your Christmas cards so others can catch up on your family.

November:
Write A Narrative--

Visit an Educational Link--

Try a website that has been suggested. Jot down what you have discovered and share your "expertise" with others!

Write a Letter to a Soldier--

Let someone know how important your freedom is to you and your gratitude for it.
Write a letter to a soldier. Click on this site for more information -- http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/commun/message/index-eng.asp

October:
I Spy...

Give 3 clues to see if someone can guess your "mystery object". Clues can be any attribute: colour, size, taste, texture, shape, where it is in the house, etc.

Dice Game for Multiplication Practice (up to 6x6)--

Take turns rolling a pair of dice.
If one of the dice is a 2 and the other is a 4, this is like the math fact 2x4=?
First person to shout out the answer gets a point.

*If adults are playing, look away when the rolling happens. Count to an agreed upon "head start" (about 5) and then look at what was rolled before giving your answer. This keeps the game on a level playing field!

Card Game for multi-digit Multiplication--

Each partner takes half of a deck of cards. Each player turns over the first 3 cards from his/her deck.
The player with the higher number gets to take all the overturned cards.
Keep playing until someone had won most of the cards or play for 10 minutes.

*NOTE: Jacks, Queens, Kings, Jokers and 10s = 10, A = 1
Therefore, if I turn up K x 8 x 4, It is the same as 10x8 (80) x 4= 320

Times Table Practice--

Throughout October, 50 house league points will be awarded for every times table that is written out. If you write the ones time table (1x1=1 through to 1x12=12) it will get you 50 points.
Write them out at home. Bring them in. Get 50 points for every table. It's that easy!

Shopping List--

Write out a shopping list the next time you have to go shopping. Eg., 2 cans corn, 2 bags of milk, 4 lbs hamburger, etc.
Let your child look through the Grocery store fliers for the items on your list.
Have him/her round your purchases to the nearest dollar before you go to the store.
Bring back the receipt and see how close your child's estimate was.

*By the same token, bring your child along while you shop. In order to keep him/her occupied, have him/her try to estimate the cost of the groceries as you shop. Simply bring a notepad and pencil and your child can have an estimate ready when you reach the checkout. How close to the register's total can he/she get? With practice, your child will get to become a seasoned shopper!

September:

Number War--

Create 4 or 5 digit numbers using a deck of cards.
Who has the biggest number? Start revealing the cards digit by digit, starting with the ones column.
Ace = 1; 10,J,Q,K and Jokers = 0
Winner gets all the cards

*Have your child read the number to you (e.g., 8, 10, J, 3 = 8, 003 or eight thousand three)
*Ask what digit is in the ones, tens, hundreds or thousands column (in the above example, 3 is in the ones column)

Dirt Dessert--
Allow your child to make the dessert for your supper one night. He or she will practice portions and measuring and you'll get a break in the kitchen! Here's what you will need:

chocolate pudding package (1 package feeds 4 people)
Sandwich cookies (like Oreos)
milk
gummy worms

--Measure 1 oz of powder into 4 clear glasses
--Add 125 mL (1/2 cup) of milk into each glass
--Stir with a spoon until mixture is a pudding consistency
--Add 4 cookies into a baggie. Crush them!
--Divide the crumbly cookie evenly on top of each glass of pudding
--Don't forget the worm! (Keep in fridge until ready to eat)

Book Talk--

Read your novel (at least 100 pages) and get ready to do your book talk
Do your book talk project (see book talk page for acceptable projects)
Practice what you will say in front of a family member. You will need to summarize the book's story

December Brag Wall

MissBrooks — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:45:31 CST

*Students of the Month for December (Gratitude)

for our classroom.......... for francais.

*Our resident artist for the month of December is...

A special "SHOUT OUT" to Anthony, Jaegar and Mackenzie for representing 4/5B in the 4th Annual Spelling Bee on December 14. We are especially proud of Anthony who placed 2nd out of 22 participants ranging from Grades 4-8! He will be presented with a trophy in the new year.

*Congrats to the house for being in the lead this month! Members are

*As a class, we have walked a total of 525.5 kms in four months! That's the same as the distance from Windsor to .

November Brag Wall

MissBrooks — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:32:14 CST

*Students of the Month for November (Belonging)

Matt for our classroom..........Daniel for francais.

*Our resident artist for the month of November is...JESSICA

*CLASS REPRESENTATIVES for 4/5 B are:

Lindsay and Dakotah.
Congratulations on being elected by your peers for this responsible position!

Click on the book to view some of the excellent books that were created in our class during Literacy.

Special thanks to Braydan (Calendar), Matt (Attendance) and Adelle (Messenger...aka "Gabriel") for doing a TOP JOB this month in the positions they held. You really helped contribute to the classroom running a little more smoothly!

*Congrats to the PURPLE house for being in the lead this month! Members are Jaegar, Destyni, Lindsay and Nick.

*As a class, we have walked a total of 448 kms in three months! That's the same as the distance from Windsor to Oshawa.

Book Creations

MissBrooks — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:20:42 CST

Simply click on any of the book covers to read these crafty creations!

If You Give a Crab a Candy Apple	If You Give a Cat Candy	If You Give a Camel a Cupcake	If You Give a Cat Some Milk	If You Give a Hamster Coffee	If You Give a Tiger a Taco

If You Give a Crab a Candy Apple

If You Give a Cat Candy

If You Give a Camel a Cupcake

If You Give a Cat Some Milk

If You Give a Hamster Coffee

If You Give a Tiger a Taco

Spelling Bee

MissBrooks — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:37:48 CST

Grade 4/5 B is proud to announce the students who will represent our class in the 2009-10 School Spelling Bee to be held on Monday, December 14, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. in the Gym!

The students are:
Anthony, Devon, Jaegar and Mackenzie

We wish you GOOD LUCK!

Greece

MissBrooks — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:31:10 CST

City-States

Ancient Greece was divided into many city states (polis). They governed themselves.
The main ones were Athens, Sparta, Corinth, Megara and Argos.

Columns

Doric--plain

Ionic--famous for its scrolls

Corinthian--fancy

Story Telling
The Greeks are famous for their stories. The 3 most common types of stories were:

Fables--a story with a lesson to be learned. Aesop wrote the most famous ones.
Legends--a popular story that has been told over and over again. There is no proof that the story is true. One example is The Trojan Horse.
Myths--a story about one or more magical deities.

Calendar

MissBrooks — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:01:48 CST

Click here to return to home

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
29 1st week of Advent	30 Blessing of Wreaths 9:00 in GYM ALL ARE WELCOME!	December 1	2 Confessions 9-11 @ MPB Church	3	4	5
6 2nd week of Advent Celebration in Gym @ 9 on Monday	7 Term 1 Report Cards go home	8	9 Juice and Cookies with SANTA!	10 Rosary with Miss Kennedy Student Led Conferences	11 Top 3 Spellers in 4/5B Announced *They move on to School Final on Dec 14 @ 9:30 $2 Soup Day Celebration in Gym @ 9	12
13 3rd week of Advent	14 School Finals @ 9:30 in Gym	15 Turkey Lunch @ MPB Hall $1.00/student	16 School Play 9:30 a.m. 6:00 p.m	17 SOM Assembly @ 9:30 PAC Lottery Draw to follow	18 4th Advent Celebration @ 9 All are Welcome!	19 See you January 4, 2010!
20 4th week of Advent	21	22	23	24	25 Merry Christmas!	26 Boxing Day
27	28	29	30	31

Christmas Project

MissBrooks — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:51:43 CST

The St. Bernard community needs some help from its "Panther Elves"!

Our goal is to create 1 hamper of food each for 2 families who are in need of some Christmas spirit and help this season. Each hamper (box) will be filled with groceries for 3 meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner and some snacks.

Our class, with your help, easily reached and SURPASSED our goal of 1 food item per child! In fact, we have collected approximately 150 non-perishable items! That's 6x greater than our goal!

Thank you for helping us to make Christmas merry and bright for others! God Bless!

The class will be divided into teams of 12 or 13. There will be 2 teams for breakfast, 2 teams for lunch, 2 teams for dinner and 2 teams for snacks.
It is hoped that every child will be able to bring in at least 1 non-perishable item to contribute to our class food drive.
Houseleague points will be awarded based on weight. For example, a jar of peanut butter weighs 1 kg which is worth 1000 points!
The teams will work together to brainstorm grocery items for their meal and who will bring in what items.

December Curriculum

MissBrooks — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:35:25 CST

Below are a few highlights of the December curriculum:

CATHOLIC STUDIES: "The Christmas Story"

In December we will enjoy many songs that tell of Christmas from various points of view. "Gabriel's Song", "Joseph's Song" and "Mary Did You Know?" are all wonderful insights into the probable feelings of those involved in the miracle that first Christmas.
We will participate in weekly Advent celebrations in the gym each Monday beginning Nov. 30.
Miss Kennedy will be in to teach about and pray the rosary on December 8.
We have taken up Rachel's Challenge in our school.

*Please note that the links to the 3 songs are from YouTube. The songs and videos are meant to be enjoyed and I accept no responsibility for any content that has been written or ads that may pop up that may been deemed inappropriate.

LITERACY: "Point of View"

Each student has had the opportunity to conference with me individually and goals for next term have been set.
At least once a week, we will be studying/reviewing a grammar topic. Students have begun a glossary in the back of their Literacy workbooks.
The novel, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson will be enjoyed this month. Various activities are planned for this novel study.

MATH:"Data Management"
Gr 4

collect and organize discrete primary data and display the data in charts, tables and graphs
read, interpret and draw conclusions from primary data
compare similarities and differences between two related sets of data
demonstrate, through investigation, an understanding of median

Gr 5

collect and organize discrete primary data and display the data in charts, tables and graphs with proper titles and labels
read, interpret and draw conclusions from primary data
compare similarities and differences between two related sets of data
demonstrate an understanding of mean, median and mode

SOCIAL STUDIES: "Medieval Times and Ancient Civilizations"
Gr 4

describe the hierarchical structure of medieval society and the types of people in it (e.g., peasants, officials, scholars, clergy, merchants, artisans, royalty, nobles), and explain how and why different groups cooperated or came into conflict at different times (e.g., to promote trade, to wage war, to introduce the Magna Carta)
use graphic organizers to summarize information
draw, label and read maps and time lines
make connections between social or environmental concerns of medieval times and similar concerns today

Gr 5

identify major early civilizations and locate them on a world map and compare maps of early civilizations with modern maps of the same area
use graphic organizers and graphs to sort information and make connections
explain how early civilizations shaped and used the environment to meet their physical needs for food, homes, clothing, and health
make connections between some elements of modern life and similar elements from early civilizations

RESEARCH PROJECT due in January 2010. Click here for more details!

PHYS. ED / HEALTH: "Dance and Movement" (cont'd).

identify and describe examples of movement found in their environment, and explain their use in creative movement
describe aspects of dances from a variety of cultures (e.g., styles, costumes, music, forms, steps, positions)
demonstrate awareness of the need to do warm-up exercises before engaging in activities in dance
create, rehearse, and present dance works
In addition to our DPA (daily physical activity), our class will also participate in "Walking Wednesday". Every week for the entire year, we will walk the Ford Test Track from 11:00-11:30. Our goal is to complete 1 and 1/2 laps of the track in the 30 minutes.
We have walked 448 kms so far this year! That's as far as Oshawa!

Rachel's Challenge

MissBrooks — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:33:14 CST

Rachel Joy Scott (August 5, 1981 – April 20, 1999) was the first victim of the Columbine High School massacre.

At the time of her death, Rachel was an aspiring writer and actress, having had the leading role in a student-written play. She was said to be known for her friendliness and compassionate nature. Rachel left behind six diaries and several essays about her belief in God and how she wanted to change the world through small acts of kindness. Shortly before her death, she wrote an essay for school stating, “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same.”
She has since been the subject of several books and is the inspiration for Rachel’s Challenge.

On Monday, November 30, 2009, the students and staff at St. Bernard took up Rachel's Challenge. When Rachel was 12, she traced her hands on the back of a dresser and wrote, "These hands belong to Rachel Joy Scott and will someday touch millions of people's hearts." It is our hope that we can start a chain reaction of kindness. Everyone traced their hand and signed their name as a pledge to accept the challenge.

Throughout the year, students are encouraged to do small acts of kindness (a "hello" to a lonely child, pick up after someone, offer help to another, a smile when someone is down, anything you can think of). Each act of kindness will be written on a link and then added to a chain.

Do you accept the challenge?

The Finished Project(s)!

MissBrooks — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:47:52 CST

Book Publishing (end of November)

Click here to view some of the books that were created during Literacy.

Geometry Design-a-Room or Field (November)

Click here to view a slide show

HABITATS (Gr 4)
(Mid-October)

L-R: Anthony's bear habitat, Alexis' cheetah/panther habitat, Nick's shark habitat and Casey's chimpanzee habitat.

Math

MissBrooks — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:40:29 CST

Because Math is divided into 5 separate strands (areas of study), please click on the particular strand we are studying for more information.

NUMBER SENSE and NUMERATION	GEOMETRY	DATA MANAGEMENT and PROBABILITY	MEASUREMENT	PATTERNING and ALGEBRA

NUMBER SENSE
and
NUMERATION

GEOMETRY

DATA MANAGEMENT and
PROBABILITY

MEASUREMENT

PATTERNING
and
ALGEBRA

We are especially concentrating on Word Problems this year. To that end, the students have a POD (Problem of the Day) Book and a "Math Mondays" Book which is meant to keep their skills honed.

Curriculum Corner

MissBrooks — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:04:28 CST

Information for all areas of study can be found here. It is categorized by subject and divided into month by month.

Novel Studies

MissBrooks — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:47:27 CST

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
by: Barbara Robinson

How To Eat Fried Worms
Could YOU eat 15 worms in 15 days?

That's the bet Billy made with his friend Allan. 15 worms in 15 days for $50. We decided there had to be better ways to disguise the worm so we came up with our own recipes (coming soon) on how to eat a worm. Perhaps the best way to eat a worm? When it's a gummie worm in "Dirt Dessert"!

The class dangles a gummie worm in imitation of the cover! Lexi, Jaegar, Devon and Destyni stir, stir, stir the "dirt".

Adelle helps Lindsay measure out the milk. Daniel and Sarah show their almost finished products.

Noah, Jacqlynn, Oscar and Lexy keep on stirring! Matthew, Nicholas and Anthony can't wait to dig in!

Here are many of the finished "Dirt Desserts". See any worms in there?

Click here to return to home

Ancient Civilizations Project

MissBrooks — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:28:41 CST

Both the project outline and the rubric (marking criteria) are posted as attachment below. Simply scroll down and click on the attachment to open and read them.

Book Nook

MissBrooks — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:16:23 CST

Sit in a "cozy corner" with a book that was recommended by one of your classmates!

*Thanks to Lindsay for contributing this great idea!

*These books are merely recommendations and are in NO WAY advocated by me, the school or the school board. Parents discretion is advised.

Fall Recommended Reading	Cause and Effect Books created by 4/5B

Fall
Recommended
Reading

Cause and Effect Books created by 4/5B

Data Management/Probability

MissBrooks — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:15:09 CST

Tally Marks
--a way to collect data