It is hard to imagine that we have already arrived at December and the last month of 2024! As is always the case this time of year, the next three weeks will be full of lots of excitement leading up to the holiday break.

The weather is starting to turn colder and although it isn’t very cool to dress for the weather in junior high, students are reminded of the importance of packing some mitts or gloves and a hat for those frigid recesses on the hilltop.

On Wednesday, December 4th, our grades 6-9 band students will present their annual holiday program. There will be dress rehearsal in the afternoon for staff and students to hear and the big event will take place beginning at 7:00pm in the Multipurpose Room. Band students should arrive a little early to warm up. There will be a fudge sale and the final ticket sales and draws for our holiday basket fundraiser will also take place. For more information, please contact Ms. Syndi or Ms. Grant, our music teachers.

The Leadership team has organized a holiday social for students in Grades 7-9. It will take place on Thursday, December 12th from 5:00-7:00pm. There will be cooking decorating and gingerbread house building, a glow dodgeball tournament and a dance. The cost will be $5.00. Students should see Donna in the office to purchase their tickets by the end of the week, so that we know how many students are coming.

Now here’s a snapshot into the learning that will be taking place during our classes this week….

Grade 7 Science-This week we will kick off our second unit of the year, as we begin to explore solutions and mixtures. We will begin discussions by reviewing some of the concepts students worked on in Grades 5 + 6 on particle theory, before diving into the differences between pure substances and mixtures later in the week. As always, we will continue reading and discussing our read aloud novel “The Walking Fish.”

Grade 7 Core French-Students will spend their classes these next few days beginning work on a poster project. They will create their own clubs and then using the medium of their choice (online or paper/pencil), make a poster to advertise their club.

Grade 8 Science-As we near the end of our unit on water systems, students will work on a case study where they will determine the water quality of a body of water. We will then begin preparations for our unit assessment which will take place late next week.

Grade 9 Science-Our focus this week will be wrapping up our look into how the model of the atom has changed over time. We will then begin studying the names and symbols of the first twenty elements. Students are responsible to know and identify these names and symbols, so a frequent study routine is encouraged.

Grade 7 Immersion Science-Moving through our unit on mixtures and solutions, this week students will work on identifying the differences between homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures. We will also explore the components of solutions, identifying solutes and solvents in many solutions used in our daily lives.

Grade 8 FI Science-As we move deeper into our biology unit, students will spend time over the next few classes reviewing the parts and functions of the cell. With that complete, we will move into understanding genes and chromosomes work, as we study the differences between hereditary and non-hereditary traits.

Grade 9 FI Science-On Day 4, students will write their first quiz of our second chemistry unit on subatomic particles. All study materials can be found in Google Classroom. We will also create atomic “craftivity” where students will illustrate their understanding of how to diagrams of the first twenty elements.

Grade 7-9 Leadership-This week we will finish up the details and poster making for our holiday events and work on our first set of yearbook pages.

Have a marvelous Monday and an excellent week ahead!

Mme MacNevin

It was wonderful to chat with so many of you last week during our student learning conferences. The link between school and home is vital for your child’s success and I truly appreciate all the support you give to your children to help move their learning forward. If you were unable to attend last week, and would like to schedule a meeting, please reach out.

Thanks to everyone who donated items to our fundraising baskets. They look amazing! Basket sales are going very well! All tickets and money are due on Friday, November 29th. The draw will take place on Dec 4 at the band concert. Stay tuned for more updates on our year end trip in the coming weeks.

The Leadership team has organized a holiday social for students in Grades 7-9. It will take place on Thursday, December 12th from 5:00-7:00pm. There will be cooking decorating and gingerbread house building, a glow dodgeball tournament and a dance. The cost will be $5.00. Students should see Donna in the office to purchase their tickets this week or next.

Now let’s take a look into the learning that will be taking place during our classes this week….

Grade 7 Science-On Thursday, we will wrap up our unit on ecosystems, with our unit assessment. All study materials can be found in Google Classroom. We will spend our classes together this week reviewing for our test and finishing up our discussions on climate change. As always, we will continue reading and discussing our read aloud novel “The Walking Fish.”

Grade 7 Core French-This week we will continue our focus on clubs. We will further look at vocabulary to say and write where and when our clubs will take place (days of the week, times and places in the school). We will then begin to brainstorm what club we’d like to create. We will also have the chance to test the “phrase mystère” game boards that we created last week.

Grade 8 Science-This week we will continue our look into how oceans impact our climate and weather patterns, as we learn El Nino and La Nina. We will also begin to look at our own water consumption and brainstorm ways to reduce it.

Grade 9 Science-As we fully dive into our unit on chemistry, this week students will learn more about the periodic table and how it is organized. We will look at how elements are classified on the table and learn more about the atom and how our model of the atom has changed over time and finally, learn the names and symbols of the first twenty elements.

Grade 7 Immersion Science-Tomorrow we will kick off the second section of our chemistry unit on solutions and mixtures. Over our next few classes, students will learn to identify the differences between pure substances and mixtures. We will then dive deeper into different types of mixtures and their components.

Grade 8 FI Science- Over the next few days, students will continue preparing their experiment showing either a physical or a chemical change in matter which they will present to the class later in the week. If time permits, we will then begin our next unit on biology, starting with a review of those concepts that students studied last year including the parts and functions of a cell.

Grade 9 FI Science-Today, students will finish working on a piece of writing where they will show their understanding of subatomic particles by comparing their own personalities to the characteristics of these parts of the atom. We will then further explore how to calculate the number of each type of subatomic particles in an atom using the periodic table. Finally, later in the week, we will learn how to draw our own diagrams of the first 20 elements and prepare for our assessment on the first sections of this section of our chemistry unit.

Grade 7-9 Leadership-During our class this afternoon, students will continue planning their holiday events, choose the yearbook cover and work on their yearbook pages.

Have a fantastic week!

Mme MacNevin

This week marks an important milestone in our school year. We have reached the end of our first term of learning. On Wednesday, November 20 students will receive their first report card. Families are encouraged to look over this important document together, setting goals for next term and celebrating all the success that has happened over these past few months. You may keep your child’s report, but please sign and send back the envelope as soon as possible, so that I know you’ve seen the report and the envelope can be reused for the two remaining report cards.

Parent-Teacher Interviews will take place on Thursday, November 21 and Friday, November 22. Intermediate teachers will be set up in the gymnasium on Thursday from 5:00pm-8:00pm and again on Friday from 8:00am-noon. This is an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress with all their subject teachers. There is no need to sign up, simply find your child’s teachers at their station and sit down for a quick chat. If these times do not work for you and your family, please feel free to reach out to any teachers with whom you’d like to schedule another meeting time via email in the next few days.

The Scholastic Book Fair will also be set up in the library during learning conferences. Students will have the opportunity to browse on Wednesday and Thursday and sales will open up after school on Thursday and remain open for the duration of the learning conferences.

Basket sales are going very well on our fundraising baskets for our If you haven’t brought in your items yet, please sent them along. All tickets and money are due on Friday, November 29th. The draw will take place on Dec 4 at the band concert.

Here is a look into the learning that will be taking place during our time together this week…

Grade 7 Science-This week we will wrap up our look into ecosystems through an interactive project. Students will work in teams to research and look at climate change and its impact on ecosystems in our region. We will also begin to prepare for our unit assessment which will take place next day 5 (November 28), reviewing those concepts studied throughout the past few months. Finally, we will of course continue reading and discussing our read aloud novel “The Walking Fish.”

Grade 7 Core French-Our work related to clubs continues this week. Students will practice their listening strategies, as we listen to some school announcements in French advertising various clubs. We will also create our own boards for the game “la phrase mystère” and begin brainstorming ideas for a new club of our own.

Grade 8 Science-Today, students will finish building and testing their models on costal erosion. We will then spend some time reflecting on our designs and how they could be improved. Later in the week, we will begin to explore how oceans impact our climate and weather patterns, as we look at El Nino and La Nina.

Grade 9 Science-Our next few classes will be spent finishing up our first section of our unit on chemistry. Students will finish up their lab report on using chemical and physical properties to identify substances and begin their review of the concepts presented in chapter 4. Their quiz will take place on Tuesday, November 26. Review materials and study guides can be found in Google Classroom.

Grade 7 Immersion Science-This week students will finish reviewing the concepts presented in chapter 1. They will write their assessment on these outcomes on Wednesday, November 20. Once that assessment is complete, we will dive into the second section of our chemistry unit on mixtures and solutions.

Grade 8 FI Science- Over the next few days, students will prepare for and write their unit assessment on chemistry. This assessment will take place on Thursday, Nov 21. All study materials can be found in Google Classroom. Students will also continue preparing their experiment showing either a physical or a chemical change in matter.

Grade 9 FI Science-Today, students will finish up their timeline project, looking at our understanding of the atom over time. We will then dive deeper into the atom, as we begin to study the parts of the atom and subatomic particles. Students will learn about protons, neutrons and electrons and their location in the atom. If time permits, they will also begin working on a piece of writing where they will show their understanding of subatomic particles by comparing their own personalities to the characteristics of these parts of the atom.

Grade 7-9 Leadership-We will spend our time together this cycle working on plans for our holiday activities and on the first few pages of the yearbook. We will also begin to discuss yearbook sponsors and draft some sponsorship letters to be sent out in the new year.

Have a wonderful week! I look forward to seeing you all at our learning conferences Thursday and Friday.

Mme MacNevin

I hope everyone had a safe Halloween. We had a whole lot of fun during our school spirit week last week. I cannot wait until the next one!
This upcoming week will be a very short one, as students will not have classes on Thursday, November 7 and Friday, November 8. This is due to teachers and staff attending their annual conventions. There will also be no classes on Monday, November 11 as we observe Remembrance Day.

Our school Remembrance Day assembly will take place on Tuesday, November 5 at 11:15am. This is due to our grade 9 students being away on Wednesday as they take part in the annual “Take your kids to work day” as a component of their health curriculum.

With two short weeks, we will have to cram in a lot of learning over a shorter amount of time. Here is a look at what we will be working on during our classes over these next few weeks…

Grade 7 Science-On Wednesday, November 6th, we will write our chapter assessment on energy transfer. This means our next few classes will be spent reviewing those concepts covered in chapter 2. Once that is complete, we will move into our final section of our unit on ecology. We will begin by learning about the process of succession as we discuss how ecosystems change over time. We are also almost halfway through our read aloud novel “The Walking Fish.” This week students will work on a character study, comparing and contrasting two of their favourite characters in the novel.

Grade 7 Core French-As we move along in our study of pastimes, we will dive deeper this week into the vocabulary related to clubs. Students will read and listen to some advertisements about different groups and clubs around the school. We will also play the game “les phrases mystère” and students may even start to create a club of their own if time permits.

Grade 8 Science-On Wednesday, students will write their assessment on oceans (chapter 2). Following the quiz, we will begin an interactive engineering design project, where students will apply their knowledge from our unit on the ocean to create a model explaining how the oceans shape our beaches.

Grade 9 Science-Our focus these next few weeks will be on the chemical and physical properties of matter. Students will learn how to identify substances based on their properties and take part in many lab activities where they will put this knowledge to use as they attempt to identify unknown substances.

Grade 7 Immersion Science-We will spend this week and next wrapping up our look at acids, bases and properties of matter. We will then begin to prepare for our chapter 1 assessment.

Grade 8 FI Science- This week and next, students will wrap up their look at chemical and physical changes in matter. Students will create an experiment to show either a chemical or a physical change and then present it to their peers. We will also begin preparations for our chemistry unit final assessment.

Grade 9 FI Science-Over the next few weeks we will be moving deeper into the second section of our chemistry unit. This section of the curriculum is not found in our regular textbook (resources for this section will be handed out in class and will be posted to Google Classroom). During their classes this week and next, students will create a timeline exploring how our model of the atom has changed over time.

Grade 7-9 Leadership-As hard as it is to believe, as we approach mid-November our main focus will be on beginning to discuss some holiday activities for the month of December. We will also begin designing our yearbook pages, as students will choose which pages they’d like to work and begin sketching out their designs.

I hope you all have a fabulous few weeks!

Mme MacNevin

The end of October has arrived, and with it a busy week leading up to Halloween and our PD day on Friday.

Our leadership students have organized a spirit week for this four day week. Here are the details for each day:
Monday-Dress in fall colours. Tuesday-Dress like your teacher. Wednesday-PJ Day. Thursday-Costume Day (remember no weapons or full face masks). We will also be having a Halloween sock hop on Thursday and of course our annual costume parade.
Freezie sales will take place on Thursday at lunch. The cost is twenty five cents per freezie. The proceeds will go to our leadership team to help fund various activities and events throughout the year.

Teachers and school staff will be attending professional development sessions on Friday, November 1st. There will be no classes for students on Friday.

Now let’s take a look into what we will be working on during our four days together this week…

Grade 7 Science-This week students will finish up with owl dissection reports. They will also write their energy transfer assignment and then begin to prepare for their quiz on the concepts presented in chapter 2. We will of course also continue reading our class novel “The Walking Fish” and continue to discuss the important themes in this novel and how they relate to our studies in ecology.

Grade 7 Core French-This week we will share our pastime story books. We will then begin to look at how many pastimes take place in clubs or groups. We will read through some advertisements for different clubs with the goal of eventually creating a club of our own. With the spooky season in full swing, our listening activities this week will definitely follow this theme as we listen to the fan favourite “C’est l’Halloween.”

Grade 8 Science-Over the next few classes, we will wrap up our look at waves and tides. We will also begin a project researching a piece of important technology that helps us to explore the oceans.

Grade 9 Science-This week folks will continue to explore the differences between elements, compounds and mixtures and how matter is categorized. Students will work in the lab to separate out a mixture, explaining at each step what specific category its components belong to.

Grade 7 Immersion Science-Continuing along with their exploration of the properties of matter, our focus this week will be on acids and bases. Students will learn the differences between the two and if time permits, they will create their own “potion” using cabbage juice, a natural pH indicator.

Grade 8 FI Science- As we move through our study of transformations of matter, this week students will learn the law of conservation of mass. We will see this law at work through some experiments in the lab and students will then begin to prepare an experiment of their own that show a chemical or physical change at work.

Grade 9 FI Science-Over the next few weeks we will be moving deeper into our chemistry unit. This section of the curriculum is not found in our regular textbook (resources for this section will be handed out in class and will be posted to Google Classroom). We will begin by looking at atoms and how atomic theory and our idea of the atom has changed over time. Later in the week, students will begin to work to create a timeline of these changes.

Grade 7-9 Leadership-This week during their leadership class, students will organize and run the Halloween sock hops. They will also be responsible for freezie sales and spirit week advertising.

Wishing everyone a great week ahead and a happy and safe Halloween for all those taking part.

Mme MacNevin

It is hard to believe that we have already arrived to the last full week of October. It seems like this year is just flying by! This will be our last full week for a while and the next month or so will be very busy!

Freezie sales will continue on Friday. The cost is twenty-five cents per freezie. All proceeds will go to support leadership events happening in the school.

Here is a snapshot into what will be taking place in our classes together…

Grade 7 Science-This week we will continue our look at how energy is transferred through an ecosystem. Students will write their energy transfer assignment and also complete an owl pellet dissection… We will of course also keep reading our class novel “The Walking Fish” and continue to discuss the important themes in this novel and how they relate to our studies in ecology.

Grade 7 Core French-On Tuesday, students will write their quiz on “les passe-temps” and the differences between “faire-to do” and “jouer-to play.” We will also continue creating some short story books that will eventually be read and presented to our peers.

Grade 8 Science-This week we will continue to look at the impact oceans have on the water cycle. We will continue looking at ocean currents. Work will also begin on waves and tides, as we explore what happens to shape our beaches.

Grade 9 Science-With our first unit on the nature of science now complete, our focus this week will be on exploring our new unit on chemistry. To begin, we will review the states of matter and then dive into the differences between elements, compounds and mixtures. This unit can be quite heavy on new vocabulary. Students are reminded that a frequent review of new material as it is introduced will help them to solidify their understanding of these difficult concepts.

Grade 7 Immersion Science-On Thursday, students will write their quiz on the states of matter, mass and volume. We will spend the first half of the week reviewing those concepts together through some interactive games and activities. Once our quiz is written, we will move into our next section on temperature.

Grade 8 FI Science- During our classes together these next few days, we will wrap up our look at physical changes in matter. We will finish up our lab on those outcomes and then move into looking at chemical changes. We will learn the signs that help us to know if a chemical change has occurred and if time permits, begin looking for those signs through some fun experiments involving several different chemical reactions.

Grade 9 FI Science-This week we will finish up our look at the physical and chemical properties of matter. Students will complete their labs from last week and finish up their lab reports. We will then shift our focus to reviewing those concepts we’ve been working on in throughout chapter 6, as we will write our final assessment on those outcomes on Friday, October 25th.

Grade 7-9 Leadership-This week we will finalize plans for our fall spirit week. We will also look further ahead to what other activities and fundraisers we may like to take on for closer to the holidays. Finally, we will pick our yearbook theme and create some promotional materials for our annual yearbook cover contest.

Have a wonderful week ahead!

Mme MacNevin

I hope that everyone had a wonderful long weekend and that we are all rested after a great few days at Tim’s Camp. What an amazing experience it was! I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend and I know that lots of learning took place.

There will be a Home and School meeting on Wednesday, October 16 at 7:00pm. All are welcome.

While this week will be a short one, it will still be very busy I’m sure. Here is a look into what we will be exploring during our classes together…..

Grade 7 Science-This week we will dive into how energy is transferred through ecosystems as we begin to explore food chains and food webs. Students will learn about producers, consumers, decomposers and scavengers through several interactive activities including creating their own edible food chains using pudding cups. We will of course also keep reading our class novel “The Walking Fish” and continue to discuss the important themes in this novel and how they relate to our studies in ecology.

Grade 7 Core French-As we continue to study pastimes, we will continue to work on learning the differences between the verbs “jouer” (to play) and “faire” (to make/to do) this week and we will begin preparations for a short quiz on these terms in the coming days. We will also keep working on our oral language skills, using our strategies “les mots amis” and “les mots familiers” to read and understand simple texts en français and have some fun in Duolingo.

Grade 8 Science-As we continue to dive deeper into our study of oceans, students will spend most of this week learning about ocean currents and their impact on our environment. Notes and videos on this topic can be found in Google Classroom. Students are reminded that a consistent review of new concepts as they are introduced will help to solidify their understanding.

Grade 9 Science-This week, students will finish up and present their poster projects on the characteristics of a good scientist. With this complete, we will begin preparations for our unit assessment on the nature of science, which will take place on Friday, October 19 (Day 5). Review materials and study guides can be found in Google Classroom.

Grade 7 Immersion Science-This week we will finish up our look at states of matter, mass and volume, Students will then begin to prepare to write their assessment on these concepts. Study materials can be found in Google Classroom.

Grade 8 FI Science- This week we will kick off our second section of our chemistry unit on the physical and chemical changes in matter. This unit involves many labs and interactive activities. We will begin by looking at physical changes in matter, understanding that when physical changes happen the properties of the substance stay the same. We will explore some real-life physical changes including changes in state and form.

Grade 9 FI Science-We will enter into the final section of our first section of chemistry this week, as students learn about the properties of matter. Working in teams, students will use the physical and chemical properties of substances to identify an unknown substance in the lab, as they complete their first formal lab report. They will also learn about the physical property of density and experiment in the lab calculating the density of both solids and liquids.

Grade 7-9 Leadership-Today, we will have the opportunity to debrief on Tim’s Camp and on our Terry Fox Day. Students will reflect on their experience planning and executing their activity. We will then shift our focus into planning some other events to celebrate the fall season and look ahead to beginning our yearbook, as we start to narrow down a theme for this year’s edition.

Wishing you all a fantastic week!

Mme MacNevin

We had a blast on Friday during our annual Terry Fox Day. Big thanks to our leadership class for their hard work organizing the games in the afternoon and to Mrs. MacMurdo and friends for their organization of the walk. This event is always a great way to kick off our school spirit. Last I checked we had raised over $5000 for cancer research. Way to go everyone!

For many of our students and myself this is a very exciting week as we head to Nova Scotia to Tim Horton’s Camp. Packing lists and permission slips for those attending have been sent home, so please look for those in school bags if you haven’t already received them. If you need any extra copies, please reach out to Mrs. Conohan or Donna in the office.

Monday and Tuesday will be very busy as we cram a whole lot of learning into those two days. Students who are not attending camp will spend their class time reviewing concepts they have already seen this year and participating in some nature of science activities.

Here is a snapshot into what our week looks like…..

Grade 7 Science-I was very impressed with the results of our first quiz on ecosystems. We had some good discussions about how consistent review can help when it comes to test taking and many students took advantage of the resources, I provided in Google Classroom to solidify their learning. This week we will dive into chapter 2, as we explore symbiotic relationships (mutualism, commensalism and parasitism). If time permits, we will also take a look into food chains and food webs, as we learn how energy is transferred through an ecosystem. We are also about halfway through our read aloud novel “The Walking Fish.” There are so many awesome discussions happening through our reading of this book and the suspense of what will happen next is keeping us all on the edge of our seats 😊

Grade 7 Core French-As we continue to study pastimes, we will continue exploring strategies to help us understand simple words and phrases in French. We will look a bit deeper that the differences between the verbs “jouer” (to play) and “faire” (to make/to do) this week. We are also having lots of fun with Duolingo as we work to build upon our language skills.

Grade 8 Science-Students will write their assessment on Chapter 1 (water cycle and fresh and salt water) during tomorrow’s class. With that complete, we will shift our focus onto the world’s oceans and begin learning about currents.

Grade 9 Science-We are almost through our unit on the nature of science. This week we will learn how to tell the differences between good science, bad science and pseudoscience. We will also review the scientific method through experimentation and begin discussions around the characteristics that make up a good scientist, in preparation for a poster project that they will be working on while I’m away later in the week.

Grade 7 Immersion Science-Today we wrap up our look at mass and how it is measured through some hands-on experiments calculating the mass of different objects around the classroom. We will also learn the differences between mass and weight and if time permits, we will begin our section on volume.

Grade 8 FI Science- Tomorrow students will write their quiz on chapter 1(atoms, elements and molecules). We will then begin our next section on physical and chemical changes in matter.

Grade 9 FI Science-Students are currently working on a case study on the sugar content of some of our favourite drinks, as they learn how to calculate the concentration of different substances within solutions.

Grade 7-9 Leadership-There will be no leadership class this week.

Have a great week everyone! Have fun at camp for those attending and I hope you all have a safe and happy long Thanksgiving weekend!

Mme MacNevin

This week is shaping up to be a very busy one here at Gulf Shore!

During lunch recess (from 12:00-12:30) on Wednesday, October 2nd, students in Grades 6-9 are invited to our chocolate bar bingo fundraiser. The cost to play is $2 per card (max 3 cards) plus a peanut-free chocolate bar or small package of candy.

On Thursday, October 3rd, our Grade 7 classes will head out on a field trip to Cavendish Beach. This activity, put on by the Island Nature Trust, will align with many outcomes in our unit on ecosystems. Students should dress for the weather (coat, hat, sunscreen, rubber boots). We will leave the school shortly after morning announcements and return in time for lunch recess.

Finally, on Friday, October 4, the whole school will be participating in our annual Terry Fox Day. We will begin with a walk on the beautiful Gulf Shore Parkway in the PEI National Park. After the walk, we will come back to a bbq lunch sponsored by the Home and School and then finish off the afternoon with some team building activities in our Gulf Shore Games teams that have been organized by our leadership class. This is always a highlight of the year and I know I’m definitely looking forward to it 😊

Next week, many of our students in Grades 6-9 will head to Tim Horton’s Camp. More information on what to pack went home with students on Thursday, but should you have any questions about camp, please direct them to Mrs. Conohan in the office. Any student who is not attending camp will have regular classes while the others are away.

Now let us take a look into the learning taking place this upcoming week….

Grade 7 Science-On Wednesday, October 2nd, students will write their chapter 1 assessment. Review materials (and even a copy of chapter 1 of their books) can be found in Google Classroom. We will spend our class today reviewing these concepts together as well. We will also continue to read and discuss our read aloud novel “The Walking Fish.” Thanks so much to the Engen family for sharing their connection to some real-life walking fish fossils. There is lots of great discussions happening around this novel, as we see the connection between what we are learning in the lab and the characters in the story.

Grade 7 Core French-As we continue to study pastimes, we will keep exploring strategies to help us understand simple words and phrases in French. We will look deeper that the differences between the verbs “jouer” (to play) and “faire” (to make/to do) this week. We are also having lots of fun with Duolingo as we work to build upon our language skills.

Grade 8 Science-This week we will finish up our chapter 1 outcomes and move into preparing for our assessment on these concepts later this week or early next week. As always, review materials can be found in Google Classroom.

Grade 9 Science-Moving closer to the end of our unit on the nature of science, we will continue discussions this week around bias and the influence it can sometimes have on the outcomes of our experiments. We will work through a case study on a horse named “Clever Hans” and explore how bias played a factor in this experiment.

Grade 7 Immersion Science-Today we will dive deeper into our unit on matter. We will begin with an experiment to help solidify our understanding of how matter changes state, as we graph the change of ice to water. We will then look at mass-what it is and how it is measured.

Grade 8 FI Science- As students continue to examine the periodic table, they will discuss how matter is organized and grouped on the table. Students will work on a project where they will each research a different element to highlight their understanding of how we can use the periodic table to find important information about a specific element.

Grade 9 FI Science-Students will move into the second section of their unit on matter. They will begin by looking at the properties of solutions and will learn how to calculate the concentration of different substances within solutions.

Grade 7-9 Leadership-Students are excited to help plan and organize our Terry Fox Day. Working in small groups, they will run their activity during the afternoon activities, as well as promote and run the chocolate bar bingo. I’m excited to see them at work!

Wishing you all a wonderful week! Fingers crossed for some great weather on Friday!

Mme MacNevin

It was wonderful to get the chance to connect with so many of you at our Meet the Teacher night on Thursday. The connection between school and home is a very important one, so please do not hesitate to reach out any time if you have any questions or concerns.

Our fundraising campaign for the Terry Fox Foundation is well under way! On Tuesday, September 24th, Terry Fox Day t-shirt order forms are due. The cost is $20 for youth sizes and $25 for adult sizes. Cash is preferred, but cheques can be made payable to Gulf Shore Consolidated School.

On Thursday, October 3rd, students in Grade 7 will be travelling to Cavendish Beach to participate in an event put on by the Island Nature Trust pertaining to our unit on ecosystems. A note with more details on this activity will be sent home with your child on Tuesday and I will add more detail here closer to that day.

We will take some time this week to reflect, as we mark Truth and Reconciliation Week. All students are encouraged to wear an orange shirt to school on Friday, September 27th. We will also be having an assembly that day and taking time to think about how we can do our part towards reconciliation. There will be no classes for students and staff on Monday, September 30th in observance of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

Finally, there are only a few outstanding, but if your child has not returned their first week’s permission and information forms or paid the $20 students fee, please make sure to do that as soon as possible so that the folks in the office can get all that important information entered into our record-keeping systems.

With all that being said, here is a look into what exciting learning will be happening during this four-day week……

Grade 7 Science-Today, students will submit their project on how organisms are organized in ecosystems. We will share these creations and then move into the final section of our first unit on ecosystems, we discuss some ecosystems that we have here in Atlantic Canada and explore the interactions between organisms in them. We will next begin to prepare for our first quiz of the year. Students will find a study guide and many review games and activities to help them to practice for their assessment which will take place on Wednesday, October 2nd. We will also continue to read and discuss our read aloud novel “The Walking Fish.”

Grade 7 Core French-This week we will dive deeper into our first unit of the year on pastimes. During the next few months students will work to learn vocabulary to allow them to describe their favourite activities. To begin, we will listen to some other students sharing what they like and pick out some “mots amis” and “mots familiers”. These are words that either sound the same in English and French or that are familiar to us.

Grade 8 Science-This week our focus will be on discovering the differences between fresh and salt water. Students will take part in a lab where they will learn to explore water density, salinity and freezing points. Discussions will also take place around water sources and their importance.

Grade 9 Science-We are moving nicely through our unit on the nature of science. This week students will finish up their exploration of the scientific method. To help show their understanding, they will find an experiment of their own and discuss how it follows each step. We will then begin discussions around bias and the influence it can sometimes have on the outcomes of our experiments.

Grade 7 Immersion Science-Our work on the three states of matter continues. This week, students will learn how matter changes from one state to another and we will conduct our first lab experiment-heating ice. While this is simple taking an ice cube and boiling it until it becomes steam, this experiment will allow students to follow the steps of the scientific method and see the changes in matter over time as temperature increases. We will also plot our results onto a graph and discuss the importance of being precise when “doing” science. Late this week or early next week, we will test our knowledge of these new concepts with a short quiz and then begin to discuss other properties of matter, starting with mass.

Grade 8 FI Science- We are now fully immersed in our first unit: “L’univers materiel.” This week we will continue to discuss atoms, molecules, and Dalton’s atomic theory. We will also begin to examine the Periodic Table of the Elements and discuss how matter is organized and grouped on the table. Later in the week, students will begin work on a project where they will each research a different element to highlight their understanding of how we can use the periodic table to find important information about a specific element.

Grade 9 FI Science-This week students will further explore how matter is organized, as they define and discuss the differences between elements, compounds, atoms, molecules, mixtures and solutions. In the lab, they will continue to work for “GS Industries” as they attempt to separate a mixture and discuss its different components; identifying at each stage of separation if what they see before them is an element, a compound, a mixture or a solution. They will also write an assessment to show their understanding of how matter is organized.

Grade 7-9 Leadership-Students are excited to help plan and organize our Terry Fox Day. Working in small groups, their goal this week will be to map out their activity, gather materials for that event and write a short description how their event to be shared with students and staff.

Have a fantastic week!

Mme MacNevin