I hope that everyone had a fabulous and restful March Break. It is finally beginning to look more like spring out there. Here’s to hoping March goes out like a lamb 🙂 This week will be a chance to get back into our class routines and to begin a lot of new learning. Let’s take a look at what will be happening in our classes this week….

French-In our anthology unit “L’art de image” this week we will continue to form our success criteria for what counts in an interview. Preparing questions for, and then interviewing, their peers will give students the opportunity to practice both their writing and oral language skills. This will be our focus over the next few weeks, as we visit the Grade 6 class to pose our questions and record their answers.

Work will also continue on “les verbes pronominaux” and we will continue to read and respond to our independent novels during reading time, as we begin to prepare to share some interactive book talks with our peers.

Introductions will take place to a new resource that will help us converse called “J’ai beaucoup à dire.” The images presented in this interactive text will be the starting point for many great class discussions.

Social Studies-Our focus during Social Studies this week will be on humanism. We will discuss how during the Renaissance ideas began to change regarding who was really at the center of it all. Students will be assigned a specific humanist to study and, using an app called “WeVideo,” they will promote these ideas to their classmates.

Science- We wrapped up our biology unit before March Break and today in class we will start our unit on geology and weather. Last year we looked at the differences between rocks and minerals and how rocks and soil are formed. We will start with a quick review of these concepts before continuing with our study of energy and wind.

Grade 9 Science- Today marks the start of our chemistry unit. We will start with a review of the particle theory and the differences between solids, liquids and gases. We will then take a closer look at the periodic table of the elements and discuss how matter is organized and how atoms come together to form molecules.

Grade 7 Science-In our last few classes before the break we began our look at cells. This week we will look deeper into the differences between animal and plant cells and their organelles. We will then begin to discuss reproduction in both plants and animals and how new cells are created.

Have a marvelous week!

Mme MacNevin

Mid-March has arrived and with it is a very busy week, as we count down the days until March Break. I want to thank everyone for your participation in last week’s Student-Led Conferences. It is always a pleasure to share in your child’s learning and to hear my students articulate their goals for the coming weeks. We will be revisiting these goals after the break to make sure everyone has the tools they need to finish off our final few months together on a high note 

Tuesday morning Jr High students will participate in the Canadian Drug and Alcohol Survey. This will take place during their first period class.

The Jr High social that was rescheduled from last Tuesday will take place from 6:00pm-9:00pm.

Wednesday is our annual Science Fair. Students will present their projects to volunteer judges in the morning. Parents are welcome to come check out the fair starting at 11:00am, but we’d ask that the public refrain from coming in before this time to allow judges to properly assess and students to properly present their projects.

On Wednesday evening there will also be a Home and School meeting at 7:00pm in the Science Lab.

On Friday we will celebrate St Patrick’s Day and students are invited to wear green to school to show their Irish pride 😉 I think the kindergarten students may even catch us a few leprechauns!

Here is a snapshot into our learning this week….

French-As we work through our unit “L’art de image” this week we will begin to form our success criteria for what counts in an interview. Preparing questions for and then interviewing their peers will give students the opportunity to practice both their writing and oral language skills. This will be our focus over the next few weeks.

We will put the finishing touches on our “texte ludique” and publish these pieces. Students will self-assess their writing; showing me the proof of in their texts of the criteria for meeting expectations on this assignment.

Work will also continue on “les verbes pronominaux” and we will continue to read and respond to our independent novels during reading time.

Social Studies-This week we will wrap up our analysis of the physical elements of the Italian landscape and how they impacted human activities during this time period including the differences between the plaines, the coastlines and the mountainous regions. We will also debate the pros and cons of this territory and if time permits, we will begin to explore humanism.

Science- Students will continue their final project of our biology unit on human reproduction. They are currently researching a question on human sexuality and will work this week to combine their findings in a question and answer booklet for students their age in a creative and engaging way. This project is due before the break, as we will start into our new geology unit when we come back.

Grade 9 Science- This week we will put the finishing touches on our organ donation case study assignment, as we wrap up our biology unit. Our chemistry unit will begin after the break.

Grade 7 Science- Monday and Tuesday will be spent presenting our Science Fair projects for our peers and preparing for Wednesday’s big day. On Thursday and Friday we will begin our introduction to the characteristics of life and the parts of a cell.

I wish everyone the luck of the Irish and a safe and happy March Break 

Mme MacNevin

March Break is only a few weeks away, but before we take off for some rest and relaxation there are many important events happening. These busy days before the break start with Learning Reports and Student-Led Conferences. Your son/daughter will bring home their learning report early this week. Please take the time to read the comments and discuss your child’s progress with him/her. You may keep the report, but please send the envelope back signed.

Student-Led Conferences will take place Thursday evening and all day Friday. There are no classes for students on Friday, March 10th. Time sheets were sent home late last week. Please make sure they are returned as soon as possible. I look forward to speaking with everyone and sharing in all the wonderful learning that has taken place since our last set of conferences in the fall.

A junior high social is scheduled for Tuesday, March 7th from 6:00-9:00pm.

Now let us take a look at what will take place in our classes over this four day week…

French-As we work through our unit “L’art de image” this week students will finish up their reading evaluation and begin to discuss the important parts of an interview. This will help us to form our success criteria for what counts in an interview. Preparing questions for and then interviewing their peers will give students the opportunity to practice both their writing and oral language skills. This will be our focus over the next few weeks.

Students are also finishing up their “texte ludique.” We’ve spent some time discussing the online tools available to help them revise and edit their work. This week we will continue to put these tools to use, as we edit our own texts and those of our peers. We will also make the connection between our oral and written language.

Finally, we will take the time to finish up our oral language self-assessments. Using this information, we will set specific goals for our learning, which we will share with you during conferences. Work also continues on the structure of “les verbes pronominaux.”

Social Studies-As we continue to study the Renaissance, this week we will finish up our maps and start discussions about the physical elements of the Italian landscape and how they impacted human activities during this time period including the differences between the plaines, the coastlines and the mountainous regions. We will also debate the pros and cons of this territory.

Science- As we wrap up our biology unit, students will be tested on the key concepts of study of the human reproductive systems. Students will then work to research a question on human sexuality and will combine their findings in the form of a question and answer booklet for students their age in a creative and engaging way.

Grade 9 Science- This week we will start to look biotechnologies and recent advancements in this field. We will also put all our work on body systems together, as we dissect a crayfish.

Grade 7 Science- Our Science Fair is a week from Wednesday this week we will put the finishing touches on our projects. Presentations in class will start next Monday so everyone should have their projects completed by then. I’m available for extra help at recess and students are reminded to share their documents with me in Google, if they’d like for me to correct their written work.

Have a fantastic week! I can’t wait to see everyone at conferences on Thursday and Friday 

Mme MacNevin