February 26th

Just a brief note today to remind you of this...

Homework:

English: Finish the Chapter 1-7 Benjamin Button Comprehension Questions.

S.S.: Journey Entry #1 due on Thursday, March 5th.

February 25th

Goodbye Na and Hyun Jun!

We will miss you. 

Homework (what we did in class):

English: None (Div 5 went to the library today for a Sci-Fi/Fantasy book talk. Then, Div 5 read up to Chapter 5 of Benjamin Button, while Div 6 read up to Chapter 4. Both divisions have a comprehension set for Chapters 1 to 6 of F Scott Fitzgerald's novella. This is an in-class assignment, so if you weren't in class, you need to catch up.)

S.S.: Journal Entry #1 due on Thursday, March 4th.

French: None (We went to Little Vienna today to practice our "Au cafe" language.)

HCE: None 

Today's phrase is: "missing you"

February 24th

Wear pink tomorrow! We are kind and we show it with pink.

Hyun Jun and Na's last day is tomorrow. Division 5 will miss them; they really have become a part of our class community. I have bought a couple of gifts and we will send them off in style.

Tomorrow we go to the Little Vienna Bakery. Please bring in your permission slips and $5 to cover the cost of a hot chocolate, a pastry and a French crepe. We will be practicing our French.

Homework (what you should have got finished in class):

English: None (Div. 5: We read Chapter 2 of Benjamin Button. After that, we started a comprehension set. I have attached it to the assignments on this week's wiki page. You should have found and defined all of the words. Div. 6 didn't have English today.)

S.S.: Journal Project Entry 1 due on Thursday, March 5th. (We reviewed the criteria for your project and you were given a computer block for research. Some of you started your journal entries.)

French: None

HCE: None

February 23rd

Get your permission slips and money in tomorrow for the field trip to "Little Vienna".

Homework (What we did in my classes):

English: None (We contemplated what life would be like if we aged backwards and began our novella by F Scott Fitzgerald, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". We read or almost read chapter 1.)

HCE: None (We looked into defining friendship, how issues between friends can result in bullying and we promoted pink shirt day which is this coming Wednesday.)

For information on Math and Science, check out Mrs Abell's blog.

Today's word is: "kindness"

This last week of February

Calendar Notes:

February 25th - It is Na and Hyun Jun's, our Korean exchange students', last day at Journey. I have bought them presents and I would like to set aside block 4 on Wednesday to wish them bon voyage with an assortment of minute to win-it games. Don't tell them!
February 25th - Afternoon trip to Little Vienna. Please bring in the field trip form (or a letter stating that you can go) and $5 to school by Tuesday. The $5 buys hot chocolate, a pastry and a chocolate crepe. We will be speaking en francais to order.
March 6th - Last day before Spring Break.

Academic Notes:

After interims went out, I am happy to see that some of you have followed the suggestions and are seeing improvements in your results as a consequence. Some of you, on the other hand, still need to make those adjustments. Hard work pays off.
English: We will start reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's fantastical tale,  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Plus, we will be beginning a "Words Their Way" vocabulary development class; this program is based on learning word origins to build your vocabularies.
HCE: We will continue to explore friendship. This week we will look at social media and how it has redifined friendship. Pink shirt day is coming up and we will revisit the symbolism and distinguish what is bullying and what isn't.
French: We will practice our "au cafe" language in preparation for our visit to Little Vienna. Plus, we will review ir verb conjugation.
S.S: We will continue to explore the complexities of manor life in the Middle Ages. Part of our study will include a review of mapping terms.

Today's word is: "pink"

February 19th

Happy Lunar New Year.

I only taught Div 5 and 6 English today so here is the summary:

English: None (We took the "story elements" test today. Many of you were surprised to learn that I had posted the test to the English course link. This was a test of how many of you are using this resource. Sadly, many of you are not. Some students indicated that they hadn't studied; this is an admission that you didn't do your homework. To do well in High School and to pass courses, you cannot get by on luck.)

Other subject homework:

French: Menu due on Tuesday for Div 5, Monday for Div. 2

HCE: None

S.S.: None

Reminders: 

No school tomorrow for you. I am going to Royal Bay to learn about Rugby.

Little Vienna permission forms are due on Tuesday. We go to the cafe on Wednesday afternoon

February 18th

No, it isn't. Please note the placement of my comma.

Sadly, the Ski Trip is cancelled; Mother Nature is not cooperating with us. I will be sending students home with refunds tomorrow. This is a lot of money so I will be reminding kids with cash refunds to lock it in their lockers until the end of the day. Second block is my last block with Div 5 tomorrow.

Homework:

English: Test Tomorrow (Div. 5 and 6) (We reviewed comma usage today and worked on the grammar package. You should have submitted your stories for marking.)

S.S.: None (We reviewed the Nobility class and wrote up "game cards" for our feudal role play)

French: Menu due Monday (Div. 2 and 5) (You were given a work block for your menus)

HCE: None

Today's word is: "disappointment"...

February 17th

Classes with me and homework:

English: Test on Story Elements this Thursday (Div 5 and 6 learned just a little about the complex, Fantasy world created by J.R. Tolkien.We took notes from an audio record of Tolkien reading an excerpt describing Gollum, a pivotal and well-rounded character.

French: Menu due next Monday (We reviewed food vocabulary to make a "Le Cafe francais" menu.)

S.S.: Cornell notes on "The Nobility of Europe" (We read a piece on the European nobility and we took notes on the reading using a Cornell format. In addition, we viewed a piece on one of the worst jobs in the middle ages, the job of a knight's squire)

Today's word is a name: "Gollum"

February 16th

FANTASY STORIES-- A REAL ESCAPE FROM REALITY.

There was no residential school presentation today; the speaker was ill.

No skiing tomorrow so don't be getting here at 4:45 am. ;-)

Classes with me today:

English: Study for the story elements test on Thursday (Today, we reviewed the Fantasy/Sci Fi marking rubric and then I gave you the opportunity to self evaluate, peer evaluate and re-edit your work to submit a better story by Wednesday. I shared my story with my editors' comments to show you that I am not afraid to take constructive criticism and a lot of it, I might add.)

HCE: None (We defined what makes a good friend and contemplated what to do in certain "sticky situations" with friends. Band students, your assignment is on the link. Submit it tomorrow.)

Today's word is: "fairy"

Meanwhile, the Mars 1 Project has narrowed down its finalists including 6 Canadians. No, this is not Science Fiction, this is Science fact!

This week, February 16th to 19th

Calendar Notes:

February 16th: Residential School Presentation (this may be cancelled as the speaker is not well)

February 17th: Ski Trip is postponed until there is snow. If snow doesn't come by Spring Break, we will cancel and refund your money.

February 20th: No school for you; I go to school to learn how to properly coach Rugby.

February 25th: Little Vienna Fieldtrip -notices will go out tomorrow. The intention of this fieldtrip is to practice "au café" language and to make a community connection.

March 6th: Last day of school before Spring Break

Academic Notes:
English: Students should have their final drafts of the Fantasy/Sci Fi Short Story writing assignment ready for submission tomorrow. This week we will continue reading Asimov Sci Fi Short Stories and we will look into Tolkien, a fantasy author superstar. There is a test on story elements this Thursday.

HCE: We will be starting a mini unit on defining and maintaining healthy relationships through the teen years.

S.S.: We will be exploring the lives of the nobility classes and mapping out our Fief's manor lands.

French: "Au café" language will be practiced for our visit to the Little Vienna.

Math - Homework is due on Monday concerning subtracting fractions.  I will be handing out a series of review questions and there will be a quiz on Wednesday on adding and subtracting fractions.  We will then move onto multiplying fractions using a method you may not be familiar with.   Check out: https://learnzillion.com/lessons/213-multiply-fractions-by-fractions-using-area-models

Homework should be expected for Thursday.

Science - Interactive notebooks were due on Friday.  I have evaluated the ones handed in and will be returning them to students on Monday.  We are looking at the parts and operations of microscopes this week.  Notes will be taken on Monday and Tuesday, with comprehension questions assigned each day (just one or two).  

Lunch time help is available on Tuesday and Thursday this week.

 

Here's to a great week! The phrase today is: "History repeats itself"

Requested Update: Homework this Weekend

You should be tip tapping away at your English short stories; they are due on Monday. Also, it is worth your while to review the "Story Elements" pages for the test on Thursday.

Other than those two items, your homework board is clear for this weekend in my subjects. For Mrs. Abell's homework,  check out her blog linked on the right.

February 13th

No post yesterday. I was setting up and helping to run the dance. Prior to that I was at a workshop around the "new" curriculum that the Ministry of Education is rolling out. Mrs Abell and Mr. Bedard attended with me.

Carnaval de Journey Today 3rd and 4th Block!

February 11th

Sorry for the delay; the internet was down at school this afternoon.

Dance tomorrow from 7-9. Bring money for pizza and have some fun hanging out with your friends.

Homework:

French: None (Today, we reviewed --ir verb conjugation as well as dictionary skills.)

English: Neat Copy of the Fantasy Sci-Fi Short Story /35 due Monday, February 16th. Story Elements Test on February 19th (We went over the scoring rubric on the Wiki. I will distribute your copy on Friday, but you can print it off of the site, if you can't wait. You can locate the rubric on this week's page along with the study pages for the upcoming test. Div 5 listened to another Isaac Asimov story and did a summary page while Div 6 had some time to work on the rough drafts of their stories. Div 6 will get their 50 minute block in the computer lab tomorrow and this will be the last in class session for you to spend on writing your stories. The assignment is primarily homework and, as I recommended, you'd be wise to be drafting it...well, right now.)

S.S: Complete the "Steps to becoming a Knight" page detailing the steps (We read pages from the text about a knight's education and you were given class time to draft and complete a chart describing each)

Today's word is: internet

February 10th, 2015

Academic Notes:

French: None (Today, we took notes on a "au cafe" dialogue. You can find the wording on the French wiki)

English: None (We read Isaac Asimov's "The Fun They Had" and discussed the complicated art of predicting the scientific future.)

Computers: (You had time to start the rough draft of your Sci-Fi/Fantasy Short Story)

S.S.: None (We completed "A Knight's Tale". Tomorrow we will read about the Medieval reality)

Today's word: "joust"

This short week, February 10th to 13th

Happy Family Day Div 5 and 6.

Calendar Notes:

February 12th, 7-9 pm, Masquerade Dance -- Tickets are $5 and on sale this Tuesday and Wednesday at lunch in the foyer.

February 13th, Block 3 and 4, Carnaval de Journey.

February 16th, Residential Schools Presentation

Ski Trip Update -- February 17th. Mt Washington has been hosed down by the recent Pineapple Express. As a consequence, they are closing the mountain until further notice. If the mountain is open on the 17th, we will go. If not, the trip will be postponed until it does open. We will give families two days notice of the new trip date. As we mentioned at our parent meeting, if the trip cannot go on as planned, refunds will be issued. We are remaining optimistic.

March 9th to March 20th, SPRING BREAK

Academic Notes:

English -- This week we will learn about Isaac Asimov, a classic science-fiction writer. We will also continue to work on the drafts of our own science-fiction or fantasy short story to review story elements and terms. The neat copy will be due on Monday, February 16th. There will be a story elements test on February 19th. 

S.S. -- We will explore the lives and lore of the medieval knight this week.

French -- Grammar focus: IR verbs will be reviewed/introduced. ER verbs will be reviewed. Vocabulary focus: how to communicate your needs in a restaurant.

Today's phrase is: "family hug"

February 5th

The dance will be this coming February 12th and grade 8s should capitalize on the opportunity to hang out, eat pizza and even just watch other people dance...because THAT can be hilarious.
Tickets for the dance are $5 and will be on sale in the foyer tomorrow.

Homework:

English: None (In class we continued to work on our Fantasy/Sci Fi stories. Today, we concentrated on developing the protagonists and the secondary characters for our stories. We also began to create the antagonists; these characters are very important because they are who drive a story by creating conflict. We outlined what flat and round characters are, so these are testable terms.)

S.S.: None

French: None

HCE: None

And don't worry, this Family Day weekend you won't have homework. I; however, will be marking 120 compositions, 60 French Tests and 30 Interactive Notebooks

Today's word is: dance

February 4th

Dance tickets go on sale tomorrow in Atlantis. $5 each. The dance is on February 12th from 7 to 9.

Homework:

English: None ( Today we worked on developing the setting for our Sci Fi/Fantasy stories. You should have your fictional setting mapped out and detailed. Tomorrow, we construct our characters.)

French: None (We did our test today. Plus, we watched a Canadian Film Board movie about Carnaval. Remember our Journey Carnaval is February 13th.)

S.S.: None (We reviewed some note taking skills today; namely, how to use Cornell Notes to summarize information from your classes. To practice them, we viewed a video on women's lives in the middle ages and read a short, one page write up on the same subject. I modeled note-taking on the board. We are certainly working on being active learners.)

HCE: None

* As always, if you missed school or didn't get the work done in class, it is due for homework. Daily review is part of Grade 8.

Today's word is: "engage"

February 3rd

Please scroll down to February 2nd's post for calendar dates and homework.

February 2nd

Sorry, I think this blog entry is late entry record for me.

Calendar Notes:

Tomorrow, half the class will visit EMCS. The remainder of Div 5 and 6 will combine to prepare for Carnaval.

Family Day is Monday (yes, this is a long weekend)

The Dance is on Thursday, December 12th. Tickets go on sale this Thursday at lunch for $5. Thanks to J.K. for volunteering to sell tickets.

Homework:

HCE: Reading Labels assignment due next Monday

English: None

S.S.: Interactive Notebook Check on Wednesday

French: Avoir and Etre--Quiz on Wednesday for both Div 2 and 5 - review how to conjugate the verbs

The secret word is: "late"

This week, the first week of February, February 2nd to 6th

Welcome to February, Division 5 and 6

Interim Reports will be going home via email this week. Please note that these informal or FYI reports are intended to inform students and their parents about their performance so that they can celebrate or improve it. Formal report cards are the only reports that are kept on record in a student's permanent file. We want those reports to be the best that they can be.

A notice about the Residential Schools Presentation, February 16th, should have gone home. This is a disturbing and shameful part of BC History that some parents might wish to discuss at home versus at school. It is very important that we learn from history so that we never repeat chapters like this one.

Students who are going to EMCS on Tuesday to check out that school's trades programs need to bring their permission forms in by Monday or it is a no-go for you.

Calendar Notes:

Monday, February 2nd: Ski Trip Parent Meeting at 6:30 in the gym. This is a mandatory meeting for parents sending their kids on the field trip. See you there.

February 12th 7-9 pm CARNAVAL MASQUERADE DANCE --parent volunteers are welcome. It's going to be fun. I am looking for Student Council volunteers to head up the ad campaign, ticket sales and decorating.

Check out the school's website for additional information on sports teams, band, etc.

Academic Notes:

English: We will be starting a unit on Fantasy and Science Fiction Short Stories. Our grammar focus will shift off of sentence structure and move to word choice or vocabulary development. My goal is to have you impress the socks off of your high school teachers with your advanced writing skills. Help me to achieve my goal. 

HCE: To eat well, we need to learn how to read nutrition labels; this week we will learn how to read these deceptive labels to make informed choices about what we eat.

S.S.: The Feudal System role play will continue. We will map out our feudal lands and we will explore what women's lives were like. Here's a spoiler alert: women didn't have very easy lives at all!

French: There is a verb quiz on etre and avoir on Tuesday. We will conclude our "Chez le médecin" unit and start a unit on food, my favourite. For this unit, we will be visiting "Little Vienna" for a crepe and Nutella, a French classic. Also, it is Carnaval time so we will be looking at this annual event and recreating the festivities here at Journey. 

Math and Science: please check in with Mrs Abell's blog for regular updates on topics and assignments.

Today's phrase: "May the force be with you [Groundhog]"