Important Dates:

Friday 29 November 2013

Portfolios

Due to a last minute schedule change, I will be away at a workshop on Monday. Portfolios will now go home on Tuesday. I apologize for the delay! Thank you for understanding.

Thursday 28 November 2013

Portfolios

Due to the snow day, portfolios will be going home on Monday instead of Friday.

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Homework

Homework continues to go well and I am very impressed by the time and effort that is being put into the writing, math and reading!  Dreambox math now offers an app for ipad users, our school code is bau5/stp , which you would need to sign on and use the app. I have reminded the students that it is a good idea to keep some paper handy beside them (when working on Dreambox) to use when they need help solving a question. Portfolios will be going home at the end of next week with their latest assessment work. If there are any questions please let me know. Thanks.

Monday 28 October 2013

Progress Reports and Homework

Progress reports went home today. Please return the envelope and completed interview note as well as the signature part of the report. If the interview date or time does not work for you please return the note with a suggested day and time for a phone interview. I will be posting new writing homework tomorrow since we will be starting a new writing form tomorrow (procedural). Also, please return student portfolios once they have been checked over. Thank you!

Friday 25 October 2013

Portfolios

Student portfolios went home today. Please take some time to go through the portfolio with your child. There is a tracking sheet at the front which will track their progress specifically related to the paragraph criteria from now until the end of January. Please complete the tracking sheet with your child. All of the work in the binder stays in the binder for the year so it can be tracked and referred to at any time in the classroom. The envelopes with work to stay at home will go home next week. Please return the portfolios at any time next week. As usual, if there are any questions please let me know. Thanks.

Wednesday 23 October 2013

Dream Box Math

The Dream Box math logins were sent home today in your child's agenda (front page). The user name is their first name and the first letter of their last name (all lower case). Their password is their student number. They are using their student number instead of a picture password so that they can memorize their student numbers. They need to know their student numbers for all netbook and computer access at school. I will be sending home an information letter about Dream Box math to parents tomorrow. Students need to follow the link on the blog to access our school profile of Dream Box math to be able to log in.
Portfolios will be sent home on Friday. If there are any questions about anything please let me know. Thanks.

Monday 21 October 2013

More inquiry math Oct 21...

Another example of our work today - using a different method for addition! Fantastic job using rounding to add and explaining your steps (process), Kelsey! Way to go!

Inquiry Math Oct 21

A snapshot of some inquiry math work we did today! We are working on explaining our thinking and explaining our process. Thank you Audrey for letting me share your wonderful work! Great job explaining your steps (process). Click on the picture to enlarge.

HW and Portfolios

New writing homework was posted today. The feedback from the students has been very positive and the work I have been receiving is excellent! Please let me know if you have questions regarding the homework system. Assessment portfolios will be sent home by Friday. When they are sent home please take some time to go through the binder with your child and talk to them about their work as well as the descriptive feedback that they have received. Your child should be able to tell you about the checklists, expectations, feedback and next steps. Please sign and date the form in the binder and send it back to school with all of the work still in it. This binder will be used throughout the year to collect your child's work so they can use it in the classroom to help bump up their work. An envelope of work will go home as well, the work in the envelope can stay at home, but please return the empty envelope. If there are any questions please let me know. Thank you!

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Homework Oct 14 - 18

New writing homework has been posted. Please use the link to the right. Homework is always due on Mondays (unless it is a long weekend). Homework right now consists of completing the writing task, reading using the RAZ Kids program (minimum 2 books and quizes per week) and using the IXL math program. There are many different math topics students can work on. I would focus on place value practise and rounding to the nearest 10 right now. Dreambox math should be set up before the end of the month. Photo orders are due Wed Oct 16, retake day is Mon Oct 21. Scholastic orders are due Friday Oct 18. If there are any questions please let me know. Thanks.

Monday 7 October 2013

Oct 7

New writing homework was posted today. It is due after Thanksgiving. All the students did a fantastic job on their first writing homework! I was very impressed! I am setting up a class access login for the math ixl site since students are unable to spend a long time working on the site. The logins will be sent home tomorrow and will be good for 30 days. I am hoping that we will have access to Dream Box Math before then! As always, please let me know if there are any questions or concerns at any time. Thank you.

Thursday 3 October 2013

Writing Homework

The link to the weekly writing homework is now working. It is at the top right of the blog page. Please click on the link to access the form and weekly instructions. Students can type directly onto the form, or type their homework on a Word document (or equivalent) so they can save it, and then copy and paste the writing onto the form. The need to enter their name at the bottom and hit submit! They do not require an email address or log-in.  We will start with a few sentences since typing will be new for some. If there are any questions at any time please contact me. Thank you!

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Reading Homework

Log-in information for our reading homework was sent home today. RAZ-kids is an excellent online reading program that allows students to read at their individual level and answer questions about what they have read. The program will move them through the levels when they are ready. I have placed students at appropriate levels however if you feel that your child is not at the correct level (either too easy or too difficult) please let me know and I can change their level if needed. I have asked students to read and complete the quiz for 1-2 books by Monday Oct 7. I have access to the back end of the program and I am able to track how much students are reading, so it does not need to be recorded.
If you receive a blog update email with a link on it, please disregard it. I am testing the written section of the online homework and will send instructions when it is ready to start. As for math homework, I am asking that students spend time on iXl math practising basic facts (2 and 3 digit addition and subtraction, multiplication to 7 x 7 and division). The link to iXl is under math links on the left side of this page. We will begin the Dream Box math program once it is ready. 
If there are major problems with the online homework please let me know and an alternate program can be arranged for your child. If there are any questions at any time please contact me at the school.
The online homework program is an excellent form of academic practise and it also provides the students with the opportunity to develop important technology skills that they will continue to use and build on in following years. I appreciate your support and patience with this program! Thanks.

Friday 27 September 2013

Homework

Homework was not sent this week as planned since the photocopier has been down all week! Hopefully it can go home Monday. The online reading program is being organized and log-in information will be sent home as soon as it is ready. If there are any questions please let me know. Thank you!

Sunday 22 September 2013

Thank you to all the parents who came to the information night. It was wonderful to meet you. Homework journals will be starting this week. Instructions will be sent home with the journal and I will post when they are sent home and when they are due. We have mass tomorrow (Monday) morning at the church at 9:30 am. Picture day is Tuesday Sept 24. If they are any questions or concerns at this time please contact me by phoning the school or by a message in your child's agenda. Thank you!

Thursday 5 September 2013

Welcome!

I would like to welcome everyone back to a new school year and I hope everyone had an enjoyable summer. Our first week has started off wonderfully, despite the changes happening in the school. I would like to thank the parents and students who have brought in boxes of facial tissue for the classroom, that was very kind and very much appreciated! Donations of tissues or plastic spoons/ forks or zip-lock bags are always welcome, though not mandatory! Agendas have arrived and cost $9.00. The students will receive their agenda once they have brought their money in. Please let me know if there are any issues concerning payment of agendas. Student information sheets have been sent home and need to be signed and returned when the information has been checked and updated if needed. Homework will not be starting until later this month, however I recommend students reading daily at home. If there are any questions or concerns at this time, please contact me at the school. Thank you!

To subscribe or unsubscribe....

I hope everyone has enjoyed their first days back at school!  For parents from last year, to avoid getting emails from my blog, please click on the unsubscribe link in the notification email. For new parents to the blog, you can subscribe and receive email updates by providing your email in the spot on the right side of the page.

Thanks,
Mrs. Hiscoe

Tuesday 4 June 2013

Portfolios

Portfolios went home today. There are 2 math assessment pieces as well as a mid-line narrative assessment. We will be writing another short narrative after looking at ways to bump it up. Please review the feedback with your children and ask them questions about their work. The work in the binder stays in the binder and comes back to school after you have had a chance to review it.  The work in the envelope can stay at home, but please return the envelope in the binder. A note regarding Family Life went home as well. There will not be any homework this week, but homework will resume next Tuesday. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks.

Wednesday 29 May 2013

Homework

Homework was sent home yesterday, Tuesday May 28.  There is a time worksheet and reading comprehension about the invention of popcorn. I am encouraging students to practise telling time using analogue clocks at home.  The Grade 4 curriculum learning goal is that students are able to tell time to the minute. If you notice that your child has difficulty doing so, please practise with them at home if possible. Telling time and elapsed time can be tricky concepts to learn and the more practise they have in `real-life` situations the easier it can become. Please let me know if there are any questions. Thanks.

Tuesday 21 May 2013

Homework

Math homework went home today, language will go home tomorrow. The students will have a brief math assessment on Friday, focusing on fractions (comparing, identifying and ordering fractions, basic equivalent fractions), decimals (tenths) and adding and subtracting money (amounts up to $100). They can use this weeks homework as well as previous homework to review. I encourage students to practise making change and 'buying' things at home to help reinforce the concept of subtracting money and breaking down bills into smaller amounts. The class is working towards completing their self-edited narrative writing. Portfolios will hopefully go home at some point next week.  If there are any questions please let me know. Thanks.

Tuesday 14 May 2013

Homework

Homework was not sent home today. It will be sent home tomorrow, Wednesday May 15. Thanks.

Thursday 9 May 2013

Homework

Due to the altered schedule this week, homework is not being sent home this week. It will be sent home on Tuesday's again starting next week. Thank you to all who came and participated in the open house on Tuesday. It was a wonderful turnout!

Monday 6 May 2013

Open House

Just a reminder that our Open House is tomorrow morning. It starts at 9:30 am. Our class is showcasing their recent Data Management and Probability work in the hallway. Inside the classroom you can review your child's portfolio and ask them questions about their recent Pope writing. There will also be a video of some of our math inquiry learning playing on the Smartboard. At recess there are refreshments for parents and staff in the gym. After recess is the Volunteer Appreciation Assembly. We look forward to you joining us!

Tuesday 30 April 2013

Education Week

Not sure where the year has gone, but next week is Catholic Education Week! Here is a list of the activities planned for next week.
  • Monday - School Mass at 9:30 am , at the church
  • Tuesday - Open house Block 1 - Volunteer appreciation assembly in gym Block 2
  • Wednesday - Bouncing for Bo, outdoor activities Blocks 3 and 4
  • Friday - French Friday, everyone speaks French between classes
Bouncing for Bo donations will be going to St. Mary orphanage in Bo, Sierra Leon. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the open house Tuesday morning. If there are any questions please let me know. 

Monday 22 April 2013

Portfolios

Portfolios went home today, Monday April 22. Please take some time to review the work and feedback with your children. They can explain the criteria and expectations with you.  A few students are missing a piece of work which will be given back tomorrow. There are also a few students who did not bring their portfolios back to class and were given their work to bring home and add to their binder. Take a few days to go over the work and please return the portfolio binders to school. If there are any questions or concerns please let me know.  Thanks.

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Homework and Portfolios

Homework went home today, Wednesday April 17. There is a fraction page and 2 reading comprehension pages. Portfolios will be going home on Monday, the last math quiz as well as the final explanatory writing will be included. If there are any questions please let me know.

Tuesday 9 April 2013

Homework

Homework was sent home today, Tuesday April 9. There is fraction work and reading comprehension. It is due on Monday. If there are any questions please let me know. Thanks.

Friday 5 April 2013

Mass

My mistake!! We have our Easter mass NEXT Friday at 1:45 pm, not today. I apologize for the error!

Tuesday 2 April 2013

Homework

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! Homework was sent home today, Tuesday April 2. We will be having a very brief math quiz on Friday April 5.  It will cover graphing and probability. Students can use the previous weeks homework, as well as the review page sent today to study for Friday. There is a school mass Friday afternoon at 1:45 pm.  Please contact me if there are any questions. Thanks.

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Homework will be sent home tomorrow - Wednesday March 27.  We are going to cover a new concept tomorrow morning before sending the homework. We are also very fortunate to welcome Propeller Dance Wednesday and Thursday. They will be running a dance workshop with our class Block 2 on both days. It will be a very rich learning experience for the students! I hope everyone has a very safe and enjoyable Easter weekend.

Wednesday 20 March 2013

Homework

Homework was sent home yesterday, Tuesday March 19.  Language and math pages. It is due on Monday. Please let me know if there are any questions. Thanks.

Thursday 7 March 2013

Portfolios

Student portfolios went home today.  Please take some time to go through the work and feedback with your child. All of the work in the brown envelope stays at home, but please send the empty envelope back with the binder.  All of the work in the binder stays in the binder and is returned to school after March break. In  the portfolio it is helpful to look at the students past work to chart their progress and look for criteria that is consistently mentioned in the feedback as an area to improve. The students are very familiar with the criteria checklists, as well as the descriptive feedback and are able to answer any questions you have. If there are any further questions please contact me at the school. Enjoy!

Tuesday 5 March 2013

Homework

Homework went home today, Tuesday March 5.  There was one reading comprehension page and one math graphing page. Students are encouraged to practise multiplication facts up to 9 x 9 as well. Portfolios, including the measurement quiz, will go home on Thursday. Thursday is also the last day to bring in donations for the Peru mission. Thank you for your support. We have mass on Friday at 9:30 am, at St. Philip Church. Many of our grade 4 students will be reading! I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable March Break.

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Peru Mission

I have had some questions regarding the Chores for Peru fundraising that is going on right now at school.  As a school we are collecting cash donations only.  Donations of shoes are not being collected.  It is easier for the mission group to purchase shoes and other items once they arrive, rather then transport them by plane from Canada.  Children are encouraged to do chores to earn some money to donate.  Thank you for your interest, we have had many donations so far!

Homework

I will be posting what homework goes home and when it goes home every week. The homework that is sent is an extension of what we are working on in class. It is checked for completeness, which contributes towards learning skills marks.  We don't always have time to mark it as a class, so I encourage students to check it at home with a parent or older sibling. Since we had our math quiz today, there is no homework being sent this week.  Next week we will resume language and math homework that will be sent home on Tuesday. If there are any further questions regarding homework, please let me know. Thanks!

Thursday 7 February 2013

A note was supposed to go into agendas this morning, but it didn't make it.... there is a bake sale tomorrow, Friday Feb 8, to support the Grade 6 class.  Students can bring some change to purchase goodies and enter their name in a cake raffle. IF there is a snow day, the bake sale is cancelled and there will be a cake raffle held next week. Also, portfolios will go home on Monday.

Tuesday 5 February 2013

So January flew by fast! We are almost caught up from the winter break!  We are starting Explanatory writing and on our way to completing our Measurement unit. Portfolios will hopefully be going home at the end of this week with a new math and writing assessment included. Our measurement quiz will take place next week, a confirmed date will be sent home in agendas later this week.  A reminder that report cards go home on Friday Feb 15.  We have an exciting dance performance on Tuesday Feb 12. Masabo Culture Company will be here to perform for our school in the afternoon. You can follow the link below to their website to find out more!
http://masabo-fana-soro.blogspot.ca/

Wednesday 23 January 2013

Spirit Week

Next week is Spirit Week at St. Philip!  Here are the themes for each day of the week.  Students are encouraged to participate by dressing up and having fun, but reminded that dress code is still in effect and that it is still chilly out!
  • Monday Jan 28 - PJ Day
  • Tuesday Jan 29 - Crazy Hat or Hair Day
  • Wednesday Jan 30 - School Colours
  • Thursday Jan 31 - Team Jersey Day (this includes any sport you play!)
  • Friday Feb 1 - Tropical Day, Outdoor Winter-fest in afternoon, Dance 6 pm
Friday afternoon will be outdoor activities so please dress to have fun outside.  Enjoy!

Thursday 10 January 2013

Happy New Year!

  Welcome back!  I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable holiday.  We are looking forward to a new year filled with new and exciting learning. Beginning next week, we plan to be using the netbooks and ipads frequently in math and language, and will continue to use them during science and the arts. Many students have brought in head phones, which is wonderful, thank you. I do have a few extra sets as well. If possible, please send an extra pair of socks (and mitts too, if you have extra) for your child to keep in their school bag. They are LOVING  all the snow outside, which sometimes results in wet socks and mitts for the remainder of the day. Homework has started again, it will be sent home on Tuesdays and due the following Monday. We don't always have time to correct the homework as a class, but I encourage the students to correct it at home with a parent or older sibling, if possible. Thank you for your continued support and I am looking forward to 2013!