Yesterday in Grade 7 students created their own mixtures using a variety of substances including macaroni, sprinkles, Borax, water and vanilla.

Then, they were asked to attempt to separate their mixtures, as we discussed the different ways this is possible.

We sure had a lot of fun!

I cannot believe that we are nearing the first of December! This year is speeding by! Things will start to look a lot like Christmas in the days to come, as our learning continues here at Gulf Shore 🙂

A reminder of our two Home and School fundraisers currently taking place: Christmas Tree sales and Salts of the Earth. Any questions, please refer to our school webpage or feel free to contact one of our wonderful Home and School executive members.

Many of my students will be attending WE Day in Halifax on Wednesday and Thursday as part of the leadership team. I wish them all a very successful trip and I know that they will be wonderful representatives for Gulf Shore:)
On Thursday morning those students remaining at the school from Grade 8 and 9 will be treated to a special presentation from Junior Achievement (en français :))

Now let’s have a look at what will be happening in our classes this week…

French-In our time together this week we keep working to finish up our unit on injustice and equality. We will spend time finishing our drafts and then revising and editing our biography assignments. I will also introduce our final project; “A trophy for equality.” If time permits, we will also have the opportunity to start our first class novel study of the year on the book “Le complot.” This book is the perfect ending to our unit, as it explores the story of two young people who believe that an injustice is happening and who fight against a new factory being built in their community. Their quest however, is a little misguided… 😉

Social Studies-This week we will continue to explore life in the “bourgs” of the Middle Ages. We will also begin to take a look at both the Viking raids of the first half of this time period and the Crusades that took place later on, and their impact on the people and places of Medieval Europe.

Science-We are moving through our unit on cells, genes and how substances are passed between the cell and its environment. This week we will finish up Chapter 3 and begin to prepare for our summative assessment on these concepts.

Grade 9 Science- I was so very impressed with how our new frozen desserts turned out 🙂 Congrats to all on a job well done! This week we will move into the second part of this project, as students will create their 3D models of the digestive system that they will present to their peers next week. I can’t wait to see their creativity and understanding at work!

Grade 7 Science- As we near the end of our second chapter on chemistry, we will continue to explore how solutions can be separated through various techniques, as we create and separate our own mixtures in the lab. Later on this week we will begin to review for our Chapter 2 assessment.

Have a marvelous week!

Mme MacNevin

Today in the Science Lab my Grade 8 students learned about the process of osmosis, as they “grew” gummy bears. We left the gummies in water over night and today we discussed why they “grew.”

The Grade 9 class has been learning about how nutrients in our food are absorbed to feed our bodies with the fuel it needs to work, think and play. We created our own more healthy versions of frozen desserts; keeping in mind the nutrional value of each of the ingredients.

Isn’t learing fun 🙂

I want to thank everyone for coming out to our Student Learning Conferences last week. It is wonderful to have so much support from home for each and every one of my students. Please continue to ask your son/daughter how you can help to support their learning in the coming weeks and be sure to remind them of the goals they have set for themselves 🙂

This will be a full week as we get back to our normal routines after preparing for our conferences. Let’s take a look at the learning that will take place in the coming days…

French-We are nearing the end of our anthology unit on injustice and equality. Students are currently drafting their biographies of an important person from the Middle Ages. We will take the time this week to finish up our reading and discussions on equality, as we brainstorm what we can do to ensure greater justice in the world. Finally, later this week or early next, we will start to work on our final project for this unit. Each student will select someone who they believe is deserving of a trophy for all they’ve done to help fight for justice and equality in the world. This person may be someone we’ve read about in class, someone they know personally, or someone they’ve heard about in the news. They will then create an award for that person, name the award and prepare a presentation on why their chosen recipient deserves their prize. This project will touch on two of our Grade 8 foundational learnings: knowing and defending their point of view and preparing a formal oral presentation. We will continue this work over the next few cycles.

Social Studies-This week we will draft our biography assignments on important historical figures and their contribution to the Middle Ages. We will also finish up showing what we know about the social and political hierarchy through our summative assessment on those concepts. If time permits, we will begin to discuss what life was like in the “bourgs” or large cities of Europe during this time period; using the historical method to find answers to the questions posed in class.

Science-As work continues on our biology unit, this week students will learn more about the cell membrane and how substances are passed in and out of the cell through osmosis and diffusion. We will experiment in the lab using gummy candies, potatoes and coffee filters; seeing these processes at work.

Grade 9 Science-This week we will finish up our case study on nutrient values in ice cream, as we attempt to create a frozen dessert that will address the specific nutritional requirements of a given population. In the second part of this project (which should begin later on in the week) students will create a 3D model of the digestive system and its parts using household items. We will then continue to explore how nutrients are absorbed by our bodies from the food we eat. Students are reminded of the importance of reviewing their notes as often as possible in order to avoid an overwhelming amount of study at the end of this unit.

Grade 7 Science- Work will continue this week on our exploration of mixtures and solutions, as we analyze the solvents and solutes of many common solutions. We will also learn that water is the most popular solvent and explain why. Students will then discuss how to separate a mixture using a wide variety of techniques in the lab.

Have a fantastic week!

Mme MacNevin

It is hard to believe, but we are now into mid-November and an exciting week here at Gulf Shore…. Student-Led Conferences. By now everyone should have received their conference time. If there are any problems with your time please let me know as soon as possible.

This week we will continue to prepare our portfolios (digital this year :)) and I am very excited to watch my students share their learning with you on Thursday evening and all day Friday. Thus, there will be no regular classes on Friday, November 18th, so that students may attend their conferences.

There is also a Home and School meeting on Wednesday, Novemember 15th at 7:00pm in the Science Lab.

Now let’s take a peek at what will be happening in our classes this week …

French-Today students will start their research and later on this week, the first drafts of their biographies of an important historical figure during the Middle Ages. We will also continue to explore the theme of injustice and equality through our anthology unit. Some time will be set aside during this week as well to allow us to set goals for our learning and oral language skills for the upcoming term, which we will share with you during conferences.

Social Studies-This week we will finish up our exploration of the social hierarchy structure of the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages. Students will also research important facts and informations to help them to write their biographies on the key players of this time period.

Science-As we move through our biology unit, this week students will go deeper into their study of the cell and its organelles. Discussions will take place on genes and chromosomes and how certain traits are passed on from one generation to another. We will also begin to take a closer look at the cell membrane; discussing how substance move between the cell and its environment.

Grade 9 Science-As we continue to explore the digestive system, this week we will discuss how food is digested and how our body uses the nutrients in what we eat for energy. Students will work through a case study where they will evaluate the nutritional value of a few frozen desserts and will then make one of their own; calculating the values of its nutrients and discussing how this material will be digested and absorbed in the body.

Grade 7 Science- In the second part of our unit on matter, we are now discussing homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures and the differences between them. Our focus later on in the week will be on homogeneous solutions; discussing solutions and their parts (solutes and solvents)

I look forward to seeing you all at our Student-Led Conferences later on this week 🙂

Mme MacNevin

The first full week of November has arrived. It will bring a busy week here at Gulf Shore as we reflect on our learning over the past few months in preparation for our Student-Led Conferences that will take place next week. Conference details (time sheets) will be sent home in the next few days. Please make every effort to keep your scheduled time, but if there is a conflict it is important to return the form as soon as possible, so that we can make changes to our schedule.

We will also spend some time this week reflecting on the sacrifices those who have served for our country have made for our freedom. On Friday, November 10th Gulf Shore will hold its annual Act of Remembrance Assembly after morning break in the multipurpose room. Members of the public are invited to join us as we thank those who gave their lives so that we may live in peace.

Here is a quick snapshot of what will be happening during our classes together this week….

French- During our periods together over the next few days, students will finish up their reading comprehension assessment, begin drafting their biographies of important historical figures during the Middle Ages, and will spend some time reflecting on their learning and setting goals for the next few months that we will share with you during our conferences. Our French monitor Mme Roxanne will also visit and share an activity relating to popular expressions used in the French language.

Social Studies-As we continue discussions around the feudal system and the social and political structure of the Middle Ages, students will work on their biography of an important figure during this time period. We will also start to discuss the role the Catholic Church played in medieval times, as we examine its hierarchy and finish up our social pyramids.

Science-With our unit on chemistry wrapping up late last week, today marks the beginning of our second unit entitled “L’univers vivant” (The Living World). Over the next few days we will review the parts of the cell we studied last year and will begin to explore the cell in greater detail; looking at chromosomes, genes and genetics.

Grade 9 Science-Over the next few days students will write their final assessment on our first system: the reproductive system. Later in the week we will begin to look at our second system, as we learn about the parts that make up the human digestive track.

Grade 7 Science-As we begin the second chapter in our study of matter, during our time together over the next few days, students will be introduced to the concepts of mixtures and solutions. To get started, we will learn about the differences begin homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures.

Enjoy your week 🙂

Mme MacNevin