December 12th

Social Studies: Div 4: You took notes on the Jewish and Christian faiths in a fishbowl discussion. You will continue that discussion tomorrow and submit those notes as well as your own research in for marking.

Social Studies: Div 3: You took notes on the Jewish and Christian faiths in a fishbowl discussion. You submitted your notes. We will continue the notes when we next meet.

Math: We reviewed how to simplify fractions. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of concepts to date tomorrow in a quiz.

English: Rough Draft Due News Article/ Published Copy due December 14th/ Novel Read/Notes Taken Independent Novel Study by January 4th

Secret word: "initiative"

The Last Week of 2016

So this week is still academically oriented, but we do have some festive activities planned. Like the Vikings, we are fighting off the darkness with some Yule time fun.

Calendar Notes:


Tuesday PM: Part of that fun involves going down to Poirier on Tuesday afternoon to build gingerbread houses with our buddies. I will be providing the graham crackers (because who likes gingerbread?), icing and plates. I would ask that students bring a bag of candies to decorate their creation. I will bring some too, but the more the merrier.



Thursday PM: Narnia Neighbourhood Craft Stations



Friday: Holiday Party, Gift Exchange Abell Style, and Talent Show



Here is the academic week at a glance:


English: You should be bringing your novel to school every day because I will be giving you reading/note-taking/ project time. I will schedule computer time so that you can publish your news articles that are due on Wednesday; I am encouraging students with sd62 learns google accounts to use google docs so that they can carry on with the work on their phones or at home. We will also be reading and viewing Charles Dicken's, A Christmas Carol. 


Social Studies: Using your notes you will teach the class about your religion in what we call a "fishbowl" activity, the inner circle speaks and the outer circle takes notes. Then, you will submit your research notes and your "fishbowl" notes for a mark this Monday. The rest of the week we will look at articles about how these religions feature in the news today. As always with a sensitive subject like religion, we are looking at the origins of dispute and conflict, while not judging people's beliefs.



Math: We will be simplifying fractions and look at finding the lowest common multiples. This is in preparation for operations with fractions in the new year. There will be a quiz on Tuesday to see where you are at in this review.



Here's to a great week, the last of 2016 at Journey

December 8th

SNOW

Please check CFAX 1070 or the district site at www.sd62.bc.ca for possible closures.

Academic Notes:

English: You were given a block to work on peer editing your articles and reading/taking notes on your novel. The published copy of the article is due December 14th.

Math: You reviewed how to convert improper fractions into mixed numbers. Please refer to the course link for review and practice. Some of you need it. You have a review quiz on concepts to date on December 13th

Today's word is ...dig

December 6th

Field trip to Commonwealth pool TOMORROW. 

Academic Notes:

Math: We went over the test and then updated our portfolios. We did a timed math fluency test to establish a baseline. Those of you who took more than 6 minutes need to take fifteen minutes a day to rehearse those 1 to 12 tables. We did a fractions worksheet. 

English Div 4 and 5: You were given a work block to read/take notes on your novel and/or draft your article. Many of you are doing a good job of interviewing peers for your article. Some of you are exceeding expectations by interviewing outside people. I am mpressed. The draft will be checked on FRIDAY for 5 points depending on the level of completion.

REMINDER: Bring your novel to school to read. I need to witness you reading it.

Social Studies: You added to your notes. They will be collected on FRIDAY for marks.

December 5th

Academic Notes (Homework) *Please note the divisions:
*The Sexual Health Instructor visited us today.

Math Div 4: You wrote a test on fractions vocabulary and value.

Social Studies Div 3 and  4: You had a computer block to complete your religion notes. Those notes will be collected on Friday.

English DIV 5: You had a work bloc to read/take notes on your novel and/or work on your local news article.

For both Div 4 and 5 here is a link to the novel assignment and the news assignment. These were given out in class and there are extra copies in the extra copies file, but I know that I have some vacationers who may not have brought them with them.

This week, December 5th to 9th

Calendar Notes:

Wednesday, December 7th Swimming Field Trip (oops originally I wrote the 9th, but you set me straight)

Academics:

English: You will be given time to read and work on your independent novel study. You will also be given time to work on your news article. The rough copy is due on the 7th. DO NOT submit a neat copy on that date because you need to show that you can go through the writing process which involves drafting before publishing. This is the case in the real world, not that school isn't real.

Social Studies; You will be given time to complete your notes on your assigned religion. Then you will do a fish bowl discussion to share your research with the other religions. After the discussion, I will collect your notes for marks.

Math: You will be tested on your understanding of Fraction vocabulary and value. This week we will review simplifying fractions, converting improper fractions to mixed fractions (and visa versa). All this is much needed review as many of you demonstrate that you cannot visualize or quantify fractions. This is a critical skill that you need to demonstrate before you can perform and self check operations with fractions. Multiplication tables should be your nightly homework for Math; you need to be fluent to be able to master operations with fractions and regular home practice is key to that.

Today's word is: paddle.

Dec 1 and 2nd

Nope...but you may have left it at school. Always check the board before you leave....

Academic Notes and Homework:
Please note criteria sheets and rubrics were handed out and reviewed in class for all the below mentioned assignments. Extra copies have been available in class.

Div 3 and 4 Social Studies: At this point, you have been given two in-class research blocks to investigate your assigned monotheist, Abrahamic religion. If you do not have a complete set of notes, you should have one complete by Tuesday, December 6th.

Div 4 and 5 English: You have been given a library class to select a book and one work block to work on your independent novel study; you have until January to read/take notes on your novel. You have until mid January to realize a project idea on your novel. You were also given two blocks to work on your own news story; you should have your topic and notes for your article done by Monday the 5th (Div 4, the 6th) and your rough draft done for the 7th (Div 4, the 8th)

Div 4 Math: We reviewed Fractions vocabulary and value concepts all week. You will be tested to see if you understood this Monday. Basically, the quiz will look exactly like our activities. There will be bonus questions to challenge those of you who thrive on that.

Have a great weekend.