Sept. 11, 2013

Well, I hope, like me, you are just getting inside from enjoying this beautiful day. We have to love these days up while they last.

So here is a fraction for you: 1/3 of our class handed back their field trip notices. Could the other 2/3 remember their's tomorrow. Please and thank you.

Tomorrow I will be handing out pledge forms for the Terry Fox Run which will be happening on September 27th. I know that we all have been impacted by cancer in some way. It is worth our efforts to raise money to discover a way to vanquish it.

Today's phrase is: TERRY FOX.

September 10th

Photo Day today. If you didn't bring in an order form, do not despair. You will have an opportunity to look at your photo to decide if you want to order it and then you will be able to order it. If you missed photo day, there will be retakes; I will tell you when I know more.
Please remember your brown envelopes and contents. Mystic Beach forms went home today and are available on the parent link, if you didn't manage to bring the form back home in one piece. Those forms are due in on Thursday.

This guy went all out on his photo day.

Today's word is hair. Nobody got it yesterday.

Sept. 9th, 2013

We are headed to Mystic Beach on Tuesday, September 17th. Please direct your parents to the permission form on this blog for a copy. Hard copies are being handed out tomorrow and are due back on Thursday. Don't miss this great opportunity for a hike in our beautiful outdoors.

Remember to keep checking this blog for the secret phrase and a chance to enter for weekly prizes drawn on Friday. Today's word is: Mystical.

Great Week

Great first week everyone. Thank you to all our great parents who helped make our back to school BBQ a success.
Please note these important upcoming dates on your agendas, calendars, electronic devices:

• Sept. 10 Picture Day; 
• Sept. 17 Grade 8 Beach Day at Mystic (part of the PE Curriculum);
• Sept. 19 Meet the Teacher (Please come to Room 1169 at 6pm [other teachers are doing 6:30, this way we don't overlap and we can connect with you ]) 
• Sept  27 Terry Fox Run

Remember: we need to come up with a fundraising station for Cops for Cancer. Some suggestions have included: Jeopardy Game, Cheezie Head, Lounge, School Wide Hide and Seek...

So next week we will be running lessons, learning new concepts and practicing skills....this means homework too.  

In Math, we will complete the Grade 8 Diagnostic Test, review divisibility rules and multiplication strategies. In Social Studies, we will be reviewing ways to research history and mapping skills. Finally, in Science, we will be reviewing safety procedures and the Scientific Method.

This would not be included under safe lab behaviour and it does warn: Do not try this at home...but it is ...secret phrase "good wacky fun":

Launching Courses

So today we ran through the grade 8 Math course. Course work will be in an interactive notebook which some students have worked with before. Mrs Stewart, the school's numeracy specialist and interactive notebook adorer, has told me it is 200 pages or bust. Locally, these notebooks can be purchased at Shopper's and Fields. (Tomorrow, Division 1 you will run through the grade 8 Science course; Division 2 launched into the course today). Science course will be housed in their large, three ring binder. The goal in using the two systems is to teach how to organize course work effectively, a skill you will and can apply to your future studies.

We also did some portraits this afternoon in place of Exploratories which will start later. Thanks to Mrs Dvorak who taught the class while I was in a school meeting.

Tomorrow we are having an assembly and a Welcome Back BBQ!

(This dog doesn't know that hot dogs are on the menu tomorrow -- secret phrase is: "weird looking dog"

Day 2

Today we began establishing a social contract for the class. This included establishing what an ideal class is for us and defining our bottom line (what can't happen in our class for our ideal class to happen). We discussed how human beings construct social contracts to prevent violence, harassment and chaos. Syria and our neighbour to the south were used as a very real global example. The Dark Ages were also referred to as an example of when humans lose their social contract and give up their ideals. This was a Social Studies day.

Tomorrow we will be doing a class rotation and discussing binder and interactive notebook systems. Make sure that you come prepared with your supplies. The gentlemen from facilities were fixing lockers this afternoon and I believe all our 4 homeless 8s will have somewhere to store their stuff by tomorrow.

Don't forget to give your parents the letter and the office envelope. The secret word is: Raspberry.

Day One Done!

(Check out this video from a Lower Mainland High School; it is a message to all you grade 8s.)

Division 1, you have great energy and enthusiasm. I am really looking forward to harnessing that!

So, today we were assigned lockers. Only 4 lockers didn't work which is a sight better than my "back to school nightmare" where none of your lockers worked. Oh and Sage, you will be happy to know that I evicted the previous tenant's stuff from your locker so that you can move in.
You also got your class schedule. Tomorrow we will be doing our first class rotations. This week is about establishing routines both at school and at home.
Please bring all of your school supplies tomorrow. My 4 lockerless students will be able to park their stuff in the classroom until Mr Bedard and I sort out your locker situation. Get to bed early all of you!