Construction Paper Skyscrapers

Hello,

After two days attending Board workshops, I was very happy to be back in the classroom today.

We started the day by finishing our city models and presentations, explaining to the class our design choices and any special features their structures would require.

Then, we followed an example of procedural writing to build the frames for skyscrapers out of construction paper.

In Math, we continued to explore growing and shrinking patterns. The two double-sided activity sheets Mr. O handed out yesterday should be completed for homework.

Finally, in Art, we continued to work on our Remembrance Day art that focused on displaying our understanding of background and foreground.

Don't forget to keep reading, on Raz Kids, or a book of your choice.

Have a wonderful day.

Mr. Skinner

My Buddy Padlets

Hello,

This morning we continued to work on our city plans for our structures unit in Science. The students have created some interesting and complex plans. On Thursday the groups will explain the reasons behind their design choices, describe any special features that will be required for their structures and how those structures would be suited for the environment they are building in (city of their choice).

Science group work in PJs

In Math, we continued to work on patterns, exploring how we could display our data using t-tables and bar graphs. The students answered a variety of questions in class and will need to finish the two double-sided t-table activity sheets that I gave the students on Friday, for homework.

In Art, we continued to work on our Remembrance Day art, using pencils and pencil crayons to show an image that represents Remembrance Day, while also displaying an understanding of background and foreground.

Finally, in Language, while we enjoyed some of the leftover marshmallows from Friday, we read a story called "My Buddy" that looks at the friendship a boy has with his dog.

Friday's Treat - Democracy in Action

After reading the story, we had a great discussion about  friendship, helping others and I answered questions the students had about Muscular Dystrophy.

Tomorrow morning, we will work on the following Padlets to make predictions, summarize the key points, and make connections to the story.

http://padlet.com/craig_skinner/buddypredictions

http://padlet.com/craig_skinner/buddysummary

http://padlet.com/craig_skinner/buddyconnections

Don't forget to wear your hats tomorrow!

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

Spirit Week

Hello,

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend!

A quick reminder that this week is Spirit Week at St. Anne School. The students are invited to dress up for our spirit days and to bring donations for the United Way, in support of the Catholic Education Fund.

The schedule for Spirit Week is:

Monday - PJ Day
Tuesday - Hat Day
Wednesday - Sens Day
Thursday - School Colours (Blue and White)

Students can bring in a donation each day that they choose to participate, or one donation for all of the days.

I'm looking forward to wearing some comfy PJ's tomorrow and I hope the students are too.

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

Planning our Cities

Hello,

This morning, we worked in groups of 3 or 4 and started our plans for the cities we will build on the SmartBoard, as part of our Structures unit.

In Language, we continued to work on our Monster descriptions, as the first draft is due tomorrow. We were also reading on Raz Kids. The students are encouraged to read for 15-30 minutes on Raz Kids tonight.

In Math, we continued to work on patterns. Our focus today was on identifying the core (the part that repeats in a pattern). Most students finished p. 20-21 in class, but it is for homework if it was not completed.

Don't forget that tomorrow is picture day, so the students should be ready to smile in the morning!

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

We have a Winner!

Hello,

At long last, I have the results of our snack election. On Friday, I will be bringing in Marshmallows. The boys from the victorious group described a complex Marshmallow reindeer treat that they would like to try. We decided that I would bring in marshmallows for the class on Friday, then we would try to create the reindeer treats together in class, when we are closer to Christmas.

In Math, we have been working on patterning, looking at changing attributes and repeating patterns. The students should have the three double sided sheets, that were handed out yesterday, completed. If they are not done, they are to be finished for homework.

In Language, we are continuing to work on our Monster description. We will finish our rough draft in class tomorrow. We also began to explore Raz Kids today. The students should continue to work on their reading, using this wonderful online resource.

https://www.kidsa-z.com/main/Login

If you are asked to log in, I am cskinner2. Select your student name and enter the student password (initials). This is a great resource to use for daily reading.

In Religion, we decorated our kite, which symbolizes how our dreams will soar throughout the year.

In Science, we finished our work with the interactive structure lessons on the SmartBoard.

Finally, a reminder that our picture day is Friday, for students Grades 3 to 6. The younger students (K-2) will have their photos on Thursday.
   
Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

Happy Election Day!

Hello,

This morning we started by discussing the election process today and it was a great way to connect to my life, as my Dad was working at St. Anne as a Scrutineer for the election.

In Math, I held individual conferences with each student, to go over the results of the test from last week and allow them to explain their thinking. Most students will be bringing home their test to get it signed by a parent. Please review the test with your child, sign the test and return it to me. Thanks. If I didn't get a chance to conference with a student today, I will meet with them tomorrow and then they will bring their test home.

While I was conferencing, the students finished up their work on increasing and decreasing patterns from last week. Then, we discussed attributes that can change in a pattern, such as size, colour and shape. We completed some sample patterns, then the students created a variety of patterns, which will be displayed in the classroom. Each student made four different patterns.

In Language, we finished our monster drawings and worked on Google Drive to type our first draft of our Monster descriptions. Students also had the option to write their descriptions in their journals.

Finally, this afternoon, the students had presentations on which snack they would like me to bring in for them on Friday, so that we could have our own vote and demonstrate democracy in action.

The results of the vote will be revealed tomorrow.

Have a good evening.

Mr. Skinner

A Job Well Done

Hello,

This morning, we completed our first Math evaluation task and the students worked very hard to complete ten multiple choice questions and two short answer questions. I will have them marked and returned to the students on Monday morning. Our next unit will explore patterning.

After the test, we continued to work on our Monster drawings and descriptions, using all five of our senses to describe the creature in descriptive paragraphs.

Next, we finished editing our recount with our partners and submitted all of the bitstrips for class viewing.

This afternoon, we wrapped our class discussion on Thanksgiving in Religion, and continued to explore strength and stability in Science, through activities on the SmartBoard and class discussion.

There is no new homework tonight, but students are asked to make sure their recounts and bitstrips are ready for final review this weekend.

Have a good evening.

Mr. Skinner

Descriptive Paragraphs and Monster Art

Hello,

In Math we have been reviewing our unit to prepare for Thursday's evaluation. The students worked in partners to create questions and quiz one another. We also worked on the whiteboards on a variety of questions and the students had a chance to ask any questions about concepts they were having difficulty understanding. The only homework for tonight is to review the Math activities from this unit to prepare for the evaluation activity.

In Language, we finished typing our recount paragraphs and we have been peer editing with a partner, to check for spelling and grammar errors, and giving suggestions to add more detail in certain areas of the text. The students took turns working on the chromebooks to complete this task and then wrote sentences in their Language duotangs, using a variety of Word Wall Words. I will post a full list of the new words we have been using tomorrow.

In Religion, we shared some of our experiences from the weekend and discussed the many things for which we are truly thankful.

Finally, for our next Art activity, we are describing a monster, or creature, who knocks on our door on Halloween. Our goal is to use all of our five senses and vivid detail. Next, we are drawing a picture of the monster, based on the description. It is a fun, and sometimes gross, assignment.

Have a great day.

Mr. Skinner

A Reminder to Study

Hello,

This has been a busy day and night for me, so I will post a more complete blog entry tomorrow, detailing today and tomorrow, but for now, a reminder to review our Math activity sheets for Thursday's evaluation task.

Also, most students were able to finish typing their recount today. Now, they will do some editing work with a partner on the chrome books. If anyone has not finished their bitstrip comic, it should be completed at home, or at recess, under my supervision.

Have a good evening.

Mr. Skinner

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello,

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving with their family and friends.

The main focus of this weekend was family, so don't worry if the students didn't get to any homework. We will make sure everything gets completed this week.

In Math, we will be reviewing our first unit this week, getting ready for the unit evaluation task on Thursday. If the students review the work we have completed in our Math duotangs, they will be well prepared.

In Language, the students were asked to have their bitstrip comic and good copy of their personal recount completed by the end of the day Thursday. If they didn't get a chance to finish up these tasks this weekend, I will work with the students at lunch tomorrow, to get this finished.

Have a good evening and Go Jays Go!

Mr. Skinner

Thanksgiving Prayers

Hello,

This morning we continued to work on rounding to the nearest ten and rounding to the nearest hundred. The students should have completed the two double-sided activity sheets on these topics. If they are not finished, they should be completed for homework.

In Religion, we wrote Thanksgiving prayers and made art inspired by our written work. We are completing this task at school and the students will be bringing their work home before the weekend. Several of the students said they were excited to share their prayers at their family Thanksgiving dinners.

In Language, I showed the students how to use Google Read and Write to read portions of a text, and we continued to work on our recounts and bitstrips, which are due at the end of the day tomorrow.

Finally, in the gym, we worked on our throwing and catching skills and played a spirited game of Bench Ball.

Tomorrow is the final day for the food drive, so be sure to bring in your cans if you can.

Sorry that this is a little bit late. I had planned on posting it right after school, but my daughter lost her first tooth and had to tell me all about this very important news! Thanks for your understanding.

Have a great night

Mr. Skinner

Using Google Read and Write

Hello,

This morning we started the day with a discussion about Thanksgiving and why we are having a canned food drive at this time of year. The students shared some interesting insights and had a good grasp of why we needed to help those in need.

Next, we continued to work on rounding in Math. We finished our work on rounding to the nearest ten, then we began to work on rounding the nearest hundred. We discussed the different strategies we could use when rounding to the nearest ten, compared to rounding to the nearest hundred.

In Language, we used the chromebooks to work on our recounts. Our goal is to have a typed or written good copy of our most recent recount and a 3 to 6 frame bitstrip comic to illustrate the recount, by the end of Thursday.

Some students were working on their comic on bitstrips, which they will share with me and I will edit, while others started to type their good copy of their recount on Google Drive. The students who were typing were introduced to the Read and Write extension, which can read back text to the student and even has a word prediction function, while they are typing (just click on the crystal ball in the tab). The students should have access to this program at home as well, as long as they are signed into their  Google Account. The students are welcome to continue to work on these tasks at home as well.

Finally, we finished up our discussions on suspension bridges in Science and we took out new books from the Learning Commons.

Have a wonderful evening.

Mr. Skinner

Rounding to the Nearest Ten

Hello,

This morning we started the day by changing our seating plan. I get the students to move each month, so they get the experience of working with different people.

Next, we explored the concept of rounding the nearest ten, using number lines. After solving a variety of problems on the SmartBoard and the whiteboards, explaining the possible range of numbers, and whether we should round up or down, the students worked on a rounding activity sheet. It is not for homework. I collected the work at the end of the block, to see how the students are doing and I will return it to them on Tuesday, so they can continue to work on it.

In Language, we worked on making personal connections the story "Dad's Pasta" through group discussion. Then we worked with our first set of Word Wall Words. We started by trying to spell them, then reviewed the common errors students often make when spelling these words. Finally, we made sentences using as many of the words as we could and reviewed the spelling and grammar rules that needed to be applied to these sentences. I posted these sentences to my Twitter account.

This week's words are:

they
said
have
because
again
could
favourite
into

In Science, we continued to look at structures, with a focus on foundations and bridges. Ask your kids about the suspension bridge in Tacoma, Washington. It was a pretty poorly constructed bridge from the 1940s and the students were very interested in it.

Finally, a student who recently had a birthday, brought in a red camera Shopkin today and it was lost this morning. If anyone finds it, please return it to me as soon as possible, Thanks.

Have a great night.

Mr Skinner

Bench Ball and Bitstrips

Hello,

This morning, we played a great game of bench ball in the morning. The students worked well together to achieve their goal of having their bench filled with players.

They also completed their construction paper mosaics, representing communities they are involved in. They turned out really well. I will post some pictures on my Twitter account later in the day.

In Math, we finished our work on addition and regrouping. I will be marking the work that was handed into me over the weekend. Then the students worked on the chromebooks, completing activities on dreambox, or creating the comic strips for their recounts on Bitstrips.

Finally, in Language, we continued to read about Terry Fox and to work on making connections, with the stories the students selected to read on Thursday. Next, I introduced our schedule for Word Wall Words. Each week, starting on Monday, I will be posting a new set of word wall words, that we will use in our writing activities. Look on the blog, at the start of each week, for the new set of words.

Don't forget to bring in your cans for the Food Drive!

Have a great weekend.

Mr. Skinner

Talking About Terry Fox

Hello,

This morning, we discussed our regrouping questions, involving dollars, dimes and pennies. We discussed the ways we reached our solutions for those questions. Next, we continued to work on our regrouping, using base ten blocks and two-digit addition. Many students worked ahead last night and finished both of the double-sided worksheets on these topics. I will be collecting the student workbooks tomorrow, to correct over the weekend. I will give some class time to work on this task tomorrow, but it would be a good idea to work on this Math tonight, to ensure everything is completed by lunch tomorrow.

In Language, we watched a video about Terry Fox and I started to read a book to the class, telling his story. We discussed the themes of his story - Courage, strength, dedication - and the types of personal connections we could make to the story. We will continue to read the story on Friday, making more connections as we go.

Then the students read a selection of levelled stories. Some read "The Cat's Diary", others read "Dad's Pasta" and a final group read "The Family Tree". Once they finished reading the text, each student was asked to write down one to two text to self connections, related to the theme of the text. We will be sharing these connections in class tomorrow. Each student should have one to share with a partner, or with the group.

Finally, we wrote our conclusions for our recount draft, then we continued our discussion on the communities we are members of, in Religion, and created mosaic art pieces with construction paper to represent our involvement in one of these communities.

Have a great evening.

Mr. Skinner