January 31

Actually, the Husky is correct, there is no homework tonight. However, if you missed school, that is another thing. It is your job to catch up.

Academic Notes:
Career Div 4 and 5: You answered questions that you recorded in class on youth employment in B.C.

English Div 4 and 5: You completed and submitted your rough, descriptive paragraphs in - class assignment. Some of you have arranged for another in class block to get the paragraph done.

S.S. Div 4: You wrote a quiz on The Battle of Hastings. The questions were on the blog and 4 of you discovered that fact and so were uber prepared for this exercise.

Math Div 4: You took notes on how to visualize dividing whole numbers by fractions and fractions by whole numbers.

Today's word is: in class productivity

January 30th

My condolences go out to the families of those men who were killed while at prayer in their mosque in Quebec yesterday. It is a national tragedy.

Academic Notes:

English Div 4 and 5: You took notes on adjectives and word order. We practiced writing sentences with a string of descriptive adjectives and we reviewed the necessary punctuation. This was so that when you look over the rough draft of your paragraphs you make edits around word choice that improve your writing.

GUEST SPEAKER: Elder from Saanich.

Social Studies Div 3: You wrote the Social Studies test on the Battle of Hastings. You will get your results on Wednesday.

Div 4 students write this test tomorrow. For the record, you were told about this test one week ago.

Today's word is: study

January 30th to February 3rd

Happy Lunar New Year!

February already!
Tuesday we are heading to Poirier to continue to make those connections with younger members of our community.


Just a reminder that this Thursday will be the second Exploratory session. I am teaching the Yearbook Exploratory. Any questions regarding the other Exploratories should be directed to the host teacher.


Academic Notes:


Math: We continue to learn about dividing positive fractions (some students are working with negative and positive fractions). By the end of this week, students will know how to visualize and divide whole numbers by fractions, fractions by whole numbers and fractions by fractions. Students will create a "how to" poster that outlines the steps involved in adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions; they can use this as a reference in the unit final which will be on the 16th of February. Multi step operations are challenging but they are the new norm for students heading into high school.


Social Studies: Students have a test on the Battle of Hastings this Tuesday. The questions are: Why is the Battle of Hastings considered a "turning point in history"? Why did the Normans win the Battle of Hastings? Is the Bayeux Tapestry a reliable piece of historical evidence? Why or why not? From the perspective of your medieval role, how do you feel about this conflict?. This week the spotlight will be on the peasantry as we continue to investigate the feudal system.


English: Students will finish the rough draft of their medieval character description and peer edit/proofread it before submitting it for marks. The focus of the mark is: "What changes are you making to your word choice, sentence structure and mechanics? Do these changes improve your writing?" The key lesson is: rough drafts should be a mess of improvements. I will be returning those drafts next week to be "published" typed. In the interim we will be reading and analyzing some historical fiction.

Today's word is February.

January 25th

)
(An excellent book that I just finished that falls under Historical Fiction)

Academic Notes:

Div 4 Library: We went to the Library for a Book Talk on Historical Fiction. You were encouraged to take out a Historical Fiction novel, but you were allowed to take out another genre, if that did not appeal to you. All students are required to have a book to read for Literacy. I will be taking a list tomorrow.

Div 5 English: You were given proofreading notations to use when you peer edit your Historical Fiction Paragraphs. You wrote, proofread and edited your rough draft. This is an in class assignment.

Div 4 Math: We began dividing with fractions today looking at dividing whole numbers by fractions. Again, it is clear that some of you do not have fluency with your basic multiplication facts (the inverse operation of division). By Grade 8, it is your responsibility to dial up those skills at home. I recommend www.multiplication.com for practice.

Div 3 Social Studies: Feudal symbolism and time to complete your feudal game cards.

Today's word is...perspective (as in historical)

January 24th

Academic Notes:

Social Studies: Annotating text or reading for information. You read a piece on the Bayeux Tapestry and the Norman Invasion. You highlighted key information and you looked for differences between the information that you viewed in the BBC clip and the written text. You have a test on the Battle of Hastings, A Turning Point in History, this coming Tuesday. Questions will be posted on the blog on the weekend.

English Div 4 and 5: You reviewed and took notes on the characteristics of Historical Fiction. Then, you were given 20 minutes to begin drafting a paragraph that describes your character in the Game of Fief.

Math TEST Div 4: You took the Mid Unit Math Test which was designed to flush out where you are having difficulties with fractions, if you are having difficulties. Then, we will continue on to learn how to divide fractions.

Today's word is improper.

January 23rd

Academic Notes:

Humanities Div 4: You began to write a paragraph describing your character in the Game of Fief.

Math Div 4: You were given time to review for the test tomorrow.
Tomorrow's test will have:
1. 2 number lines to test whether you can value fractions
2. A set of subtraction and addition questions to see whether you can:find common denominators, carry out a subtraction or addition operation with fractions to find the best answer, the answer in simplest terms.
3. A question that requires you to model multiplying whole numbers by fractions.
4. A question that requires you to model multiplying fractions by fractions.
5. A set of multiplication questions involving fractions.
(I am in tomorrow morning, if you still need clarification on these questions after going over them in class)

Social Studies Div 3:
You read and highlighted key information in a written, secondary source text on the Bayeux Tapestry and the Battle of Hastings. The Battle of Hastings, its importance and consequence is the subject of a test next Monday.

English Div 5:
You addressed your letter to your Grade 12 self. The sealed letters should be put in the in bin by Friday. You brainstormed for adjectives and descriptive phrases to develop your Game of Fief character. Those sheets were collected at the end of class. If you missed class because of illness, take a page and list out words and phrases that describe your character. The reader should have a good picture of what your character looks like based on that list.

Todays word is a name...

This week, January 23rd to 27th

If this is you, see me for help!

Notes:

Friday - Students still can sign up for the YES2IT trades expo at EMCS. There are limited seats so it is a first come, first serve situation. Mr Bedard handed out blue permission forms last week. Students who stay back at school will be combining with other classes for a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) theme day.

Academic Notes:

Math: There is a Mid Unit Exam on Fractions and Multiplying Fractions this Tuesday. I have encouraged students with phones to add the Khan Academy app to them for math practice. It is free and very helpful.

English: We will be doing in class assignments around our new unit focusing on historical fiction. I am going to be targeting the 6 traits of good writing during this unit. I am also hoping to develop students' in class productivity.

Social Studies: We will be reviewing Turning Points in History-The Battle of Hastings and there will be a quiz on that subject this Wednesday. We will be reviewing mapping skills this week.

January 19th

Look who is famous now....

January 18th

Important Dates:

Math Mid Unit Fractions Test on January 24th (This is a major mark, so studying and practice is advised; I am here to help, if you need it)

Academic Notes:

English: Novel Projects and Notes were collected/students were asked to hand them into the submission bins.

Social Studies: We reviewed some key points about the Battle of Hastings and what constitutes a "Turning Point in History".

THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR ,Judith Guichon visited between recess and lunch...The Honourable Judith Guichon was sworn-in as the 29th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia on November 2, 2012. Prior to this appointment she owned and operated Gerard Guichon Ranch Limited in the Nicola Valley in the British Columbia Interior. (She is pictured far left in the photo below).

Today's word is: "famous"

January 16th

Academic Notes:

S.S. Div 4: You had a work block to finish your role card which should be done by tomorrow and handed into the submission bins.

Math: We practiced multiplying whole numbers by fractions. You started to take notes on how to multiply fractions by fractions.

S.S. Div 3: You had a short work block to finish your role card which should be done by Wednesday. You started taking Cornell Notes on The Battle of Hastings, A Turning Point in History.

English Div 5: You had your second to last block for the Independent Novel Study (Notes and Project) which is due on Wednesday this week.


Today's word is: pivotal

This week, January 16th to 20th

It is flu season and many students are missing school. I will offer extensions on due dates for students who miss school; however, those assignments need to be eventually submitted so that I can make an assessment of student performance. Without those assignments, I can just assign an I or incomplete for the term grade. 

Mrs Abell and I are available at any time upon request, but both of us have set tutorial times as well to help students catch up on missed lessons and work. This is particularly important in Math where at this point in the school year I am introducing a new topic every week; it is very easy to fall behind.

So here is a glimpse of this week's topics. Please check the blogs for day to day changes/summaries:

Math: We will review multiplying whole numbers by fractions. We will learn how to visualize multiplying fractions by fractions and we will practice multiplying fractions. There will be a Fractions Multiplication Mid Unit Test next Tuesday, January 24th.

English: The independent novel study is due on January 18th. Two blocks of class time will be provided to work on it so students should come prepared. I will give them a set of grammar exercises, if they are not, so that they are not wasting their time. This is a major term assignment, so if students do not submit for deadline I will be notifying parents. I have also been taking notes on how well students utilize class time for parents' information. Our writing assignments for the next month will be linked to our Social Studies unit. The organization and mechanics will be credited to English and the ideas/content will be credited to Social Studies. 

Social Studies: We continue to learn about feudalism and the life of people during the Medieval Period in England (1095 AE) by assuming roles within that hierarchy. Unlike our wonderful system today, there was no social mobility; you were stuck in the life you were born into and many students are not liking that reality. Game Cards will be due on Tuesday January 17th (class time will be provided for completion)

Here is to a great week.
Today's word is: INFLUENZA!

January 11th

Academic Notes:

English Div 4: You had a work block for your project in the Library.

English Div 5: You had two work blocks, one in the computer lab and one in class. We also reviewed basic sentence structure, capitalization and punctuation for a general review of sentence composition and building sentence fluency.

Math Div 4: You finished your math test and worked on your game card when you were done. The Social Studies test was moved to tomorrow. Here is the link. I recommend that you view the film.

Social Studies Div 3: You did your test on Feudalism. You worked on your game card when you were done.

Today's word is: hierarchy

We can pretend to be on horseback...

January 10th

Academic Notes:

Math: You wrote the math review quiz on adding and subtracting fractions. I will be giving you 30 minutes tomorrow to check your work and finish the quiz. We are multiplying whole numbers and fractions this week. Here is the link to your notes and lesson for review.

English Div 5: You were given back your articles for your portfolios. You were also given a short grammar review before you were given a 30 minute work block. You worked really well today.

Social Studies Div 4: You were given your game cards to research and complete. These have to be historically accurate. We discussed what that should look like. A reminder that you have a test on feudalism tomorrow. You were told exactly what was on the test in class.

Computers Div 4: You were given a work block to use for Social Studies research or English work.


Today's word is: bungle

This week, January 10th to FRIDAY THE 13th

This week....

Math: We will be finishing our fraction review work and begin on grade 8 content, multiplying and dividing fractions. There is a test tomorrow on adding and subtracting fractions. Math fact review will be also on our agenda.

English: We will be using class time to work on independent novel projects. Also, we will doing some grammar work around word choice.

Social Studies: We will be creating game cards for our Medieval role play, "The Game of Fief". Students have been assigned roles to develop historical perspective and an understanding of feudalism. There is a test on the basic concept of feudalism on Wednesday. The students have been shown the course link to study and were told exactly what questions were going to be on the test. So, really this is a test of focus and listening as much as it is a test on feudalism.

January 6th

Calendar Notes:

Monday is a "Curriculum Day" so there is NO SCHOOL; I will be at school learning about how to deliver the Ministry of Education's new curriculum.

Exploratory Forms went home on Friday. First come, first serve on Tuesday, so get those forms back ASAP.

Academic Notes:

English: Independent Novel Study Projects are due on January 18th and you will be getting class time to work on that. I will be collecting the notes on story elements on the same date for marking.

Social Studies: You were given your feudal role in our "Game of Fief". Historical perspective helps us to understand the past, but it is also an intellectual exercise that builds up creative and critical thinking skills. You have a quiz on Feudalism on Wednesday.

Math: You have a quiz on adding and subtracting fractions on Tuesday.

January 5th

Academic Notes:

Social Studies Div 4: You were introduced to the concept of Feudalism. You took notes on this page including the video. You have a test on Wednesday next week. I told you what was on it.

Math Div. 4. You reviewed how to subtract two numbers with unlike denominators. You should review this page for the test next Tuesday. It will target putting fractions on a number line, converting fractions from improper fractions to mixed numbers and visa versa, finding the lowest common multiple, and adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.

Honour and Effort Roll Call in the Gym. Honour Roll = at least 3 A's in the core academic subjects and nothing less than a B (nothing less than a C+ in the other, elective subjects). Effort Roll = at least 6 G's and no N's

January 4th

Academic Notes:
(please note the divisions; I teach three different divisions)

English Div 4 and 5: You were assigned your novel project; we reviewed this criteria sheet and I took questions. Div 5 was given a work block and most of you took advantage. Those who didn't, it is being noted, and if you do not produce for the January 18th deadline, it will be reported.

Math Div 4: We reviewed adding fractions, finding common denominators and simplifying fractions. You should review the math page on this topic, if you are still developing the skill.

Social Studies Div 3: We reviewed the concept of feudalism to prepare for our Game of Fief or feudal role play. You will have a quiz on this concept next Wednesday.

Today's word is: literary

January 3rd

Academic Notes:

Math Div 4: We reviewed how to calculate the lowest common multiple of a pair or set of numbers as well as the lowest common denominator. You were shown two practice sites for practice and you were given 5 questions in class. Here is the link to our lesson for absentees and for review.

English Div 4 and 5: You were given this assignment, a letter to your Grade 12 Self. You will be putting the letters into envelopes tomorrow that will be sealed until 2021 when they will be mailed to you.

Social Studies Div 4: You finished your religions comparison page and you submitted your religion research page. Some of you didn't bring binders to school, so you were given until tomorrow to hand that research page in for marks.

Today's word is: denominator

This first week of 2017, January 3rd to 6th

This week will be an adjustment back into routines for all of us. Second term is upon us and one of our primary goals is to increase your independence in preparation for High School. 

A reminder that both Ms Abell and I summarize our lessons and assignments on our blogs for your parent's interest, but that we consider it our students' responsibility to check in to review the day's activities and to make sure that they are keeping current. Deadline management is a critical skill for success both in and outside of school.

Here is what we will be doing in my courses this week (check out Ms Abell's blog for what is happening in French and Science) :

English: Many of you had finished their novels before the break and others were still reading their books. The novels and the notes on literary elements should be completed by January 4th. Students will be given time in class to propose and create a project based on a literary element featured in their novel. We will also be doing some basic grammar review based on problem areas that I have observed in recent submissions.

Social Studies: We will be launching our experience based unit on Feudalism called "The Game of Fief".

Math: Fractions, fractions and more fractions. We will be adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers.

Today's word is resolution...