Math Reflex Milestones (am)

WOW - am I impressed with the students' dedication and commitment to the Math Reflex program. In just under two weeks, our class has already accomplished two milestones:

675 New Fluent Facts

and

26 000 Facts Solved!

If you are ever in the school, check out our "Wall of Success" which celebrates the milestones reached by individual students. Students are to be logging on to Math Reflex a minimum of three times a week for approximately 15-20 minutes. Keep solving those facts!

Global Read Aloud (am)

On Monday, we will be beginning our Global Read Aloud (GRA) of the book "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate. The difference between the GRA and a normal book study is that students will be using the internet to collaborate and discuss the book with grade six students from around the world. Students will be divided into smaller groups of 5 which will be paired up with students from other schools involved in the project. They will be communicating with their groups via Edmodo and Skype. The project will run for the month of October. A letter has been placed in students' mailboxes regarding this project. Accompanying the letter is an Edmodo code of conduct form which is to be signed by both parent and student before commencing the project. Parents are encouraged to check in with the groups. I will be sending parent codes for Edmodo for those who want to drop in to observe our global conversations.

For a copy of the letter and code of conduct, click HERE to download.

Factors, Multiples, and Primes (am)

In preparation for our upcoming math quiz, students should be reviewing the following concepts: multiples and LCM, factors and GCF, prime and composite numbers, and divisibility rules. In order to practice some of these skills and number of online practice sites have been included in the sidebar (under the "Multiplication Links). Some that may be particularly helpful include:

• Ghost Blasters (multiples)
• Multiple Frenzy
• Fruit Shoot - LCM
• Divisibility Rules Game
• Divisibility Rules Challenge
• Factor Game
• Fruit Shoot - GCF
• King Kong Primes
• Fruit Shoot - Primes
• Prime Shooter
• Grid Game

We will be completing a review in class tomorrow (Tuesday) and those students requiring additional clarification are asked to join me at the lunch time help session. 

The quiz is scheduled for THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 during period two.

Our Retreat!

To get away from the school as a group of grade 6 leaders - what a treat! Students participated in games, skits, and discussions on topics such as teamwork, faith, doing the "right" thing. We also got a amazing tour of Holy Redeemer parish. Deacon Paul spoke to us about what it means to be a "light" in our life and in the live of others and we wrote personal letters to God. The grade six students (not surprisingly) were amazing! They asked fantastic questions and, I think, all benefited from a day to take a rest from school work and bond with their classmates. What a great way to end the week!

Old Newspapers Please!

Our green bin is, embarrassingly, disgusting. As I don't get the newspaper at home, I am hoping that those who do could donate their used newspaper so that we could fold green bin inserts. I am looking for large newspapers (e.g. Citizen, Globe and Mail) as opposed to the smaller papers (e.g. Metro). Thanks in advance!

Contact Me Link

After talking with a parent today regarding the class blog, it was suggested that the blog could be improved by creating a way for two-way communication. In order to establish a communication link from home to school, I have developed a "contact me" link (found under Quick Links). This is a way that parents and students can send a quick message to me about upcoming absences, clarifying questions about assignments and homework, and other smaller items. I would ask that for bigger issues the conversation continues to be had over the phone. I hope that this link will create a more effective way for parents and students to obtain clarification of tests, assignments, and other events. Have a great weekend!

A Shocking Science class! (pm)

Today, students began their exploration of energy. Although this was an introduction for grade 5 science, the grade 6s stuck around to experiment too! We used the van der Graaf generator to learn that energy can be converted between forms (in this case from electrical to light and sound) as well as discussing the difference between static electricity and current electricity. The students were asking great questions which led to some unexpected experiments - some that had some "exciting" conclusions! We will kick off both the energy (grade 5) and biodiversity (grade 6) units next week.

Freggie Friday is back!

The students at Holy Redeemer will once again be participating in the Freggie Friday program. This is a weekly activity that promotes the importance of healthy eating.  Please pack fruits and/or veggies for your child's snacks and on Fridays, they will have a chance to be recognized for eating healthy. 

Together, we can promote healthy eating practices which will enable your child to enjoy a healthier life. 

Visit www.freggietales.com  for more information, recipes, and GAMES! 

Math Reflex Program (am)

Students in our Grade 6 class have an opportunity to work with an exciting new math product. ExploreLearning Reflex is an online, game-based program that helps students build fast and effortless recall of math facts.

Research has shown that quick recall of math facts is critical for future success in mathematics. More advanced mathematical processes often require students to know a lot of math facts. So, it’s important to master these basic facts before tackling more challenging problems.

Students will be using Reflex in class regularly throughout the year and, since Reflex is online, students are able to continue using it at home.

Reflex is structured to provide a short daily assessment of student progress, then coaching on new facts, and finally fact practice in the games. There are seven games that students can choose from, and they can play as many as they want each day.

Because Reflex includes fun games, a student’s brother or sister might want to give it a try.  It is important that other children not use this account.  Reflex continually monitors student progress and adapts to each student’s individual needs.  Because of this adaptivity, having multiple children use the same account will have a negative impact on your child’s progress.   Find more information about the program at http://www.reflexmath.com. 

Scientists at Work (pm)

I was so impressed by the 5/6 class - what great scientists! Student groups each chose one independent variable to test using their beads. Some tested the effect of temperature, some tested the effect of UV radiation, and some tested how the beads reacted under different types of lights. We had some groups testing the effect of placing the beads in varying concentrations of acid (vinegar) and another group testing if the amount of moisture effected the beads. Students had to design and carry out the experiments and on Monday we will be sharing our results. What a great first lab experience! I am looking forward to many more experiments in the weeks to come!

Reminder: Library Visit on Monday! (am)

Just a reminder that this Monday (September 17), we will be walking to the library. Thanks to all of the parents who volunteered to join us on our walk and library orientation. We will be leaving the school at 9:30am, so volunteers are asked to meet us in our class around 9:20am.

Also, students who already have library are asked to BRING their cards on Monday as we will be taking out some books that day. 

It looks to be a nice sunny day but please check the weather so that you can dress appropriately. I am really looking forward to our little field trip!

Math Problem (am)

During Friday's math class, we continued our discussion about divisibility rules, multiples, and factors. The students worked together on a problem ("How many different rectangles can you make that have an area of 64 square centimetres?"). We discovered that since the area formula for a rectangle is length times the width, one could find the dimensions by finding factors of 64. Some students even took it further and started using decimals and fractions - WOW!

For their follow-up homework question, students were asked to complete the following question for Monday's class:

Draw as many different rectangles as you can that have an area of 24 square centimetres. Use a ruler and draw your rectangles to scale (e.g. if you say a side is 6 cm, use your ruler to measure 6 cm). Don't forget to label your rectangle and include all necessary units!

Meet the Teacher feedback

Wow - what a busy night! It was so great to see so many parents and students at last night's "Meet the Teacher". I hope that I was able to talk, at least briefly, with everyone! I also hoped that everyone got to check out the awesome BitStrips that our grade 6 (am) class created. As a follow up to a few questions that some parents had I am including some links to curriculum and to past permission forms.

Click HERE to find the Ontario curriculum documents

Click HERE for another copy of the Ottawa Public Library permission form

Also, a reminder of picture day next Friday (September 21). As that is also our retreat day, the grade 6s will be getting their picture taken first.

Once again, thank you for your comments and feedback on our start to the year. I really look forward to working with you and your child throughout this school year.

The "Magic" Beads - A Science Inquiry (pm)

Today in science, each student was given a collection of beads on a piece of string. The instruction - wear the beads all weekend in a variety of different environments (e.g. outside, in water, in the dark, playing sports) and observe any changes. Next week, we will be discussing the importance of independent and dependent variables and controls in experimental design. Students will be designing and conducting their own experiments to determine what makes these beads "magic".

BitStrip Recounts (am)

In language, we have began our exploration of recount writing and the ideas trait. Students were to select an event from their life in which to develop a six panel comic using the BitStrips application. After designing their "avatars", the students began draft their recount into a comic. The first draft of the comic is due on Wednesday. Students are encouraged to play with some of the features of the program in order to learn about its full capabilities.

Library Partnership (am)

Our class will be travelling to the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) regularly throughout the year. The goal of this partnership is to familiarize students with how to access library resources and to provide greater exposure to a variety of reading genres. Step #1 is to ensure that all students have a library card. Today, a package was sent home to all students who do not have (or were unsure if they had) a functioning library card. I am hopeful that all completed packages will be returned as soon as possible so that I can bring them to the library for processing. We will be taking our first trip (and receiving a library orientation) within the next few weeks.... info will be sent home when dates are finalized.

Class Economics (am)

Welcome to Room 110. In this community, students are required to apply for jobs in order to earn a salary. Students must earn money in order to pay for their desk as well as any other fines that they may incur throughout the year. Bonus opportunities will also be made available to students in order to help supplement their income. Students are encouraged to save their money in order to purchase property (condos), purchase and rent supplies, and to participate in auctions and other activities. The first contract period is for September and October. Students should submit their job application by Friday, September 7. 

For a complete outline of the economics program including a list of available job, click HERE.