Good morning Grade 8 Immersion Families,

Another stormy Thursday! It certainly appears like winter is here to stay. Unfortunately, this means that our Student Learning Conferences are cancelled yet again.

With much support from me and their other subject teachers, your child has put together a comprehensive portfolio of their learning. They have identified strengths and moments of success and pride. They have also clearly defined their learning goals for the upcoming months and the next steps needed to reach them.
That being said, our Grade 7-9 team has decided that instead of trying to reschedule another Thursday evening for conferences, we will send home your child’s learning portfolio with them tomorrow for your son/daughter to present to you at home over the weekend.

Accompanying the portfolio will be a small form where, following the presentation, you can identify highlights of their portfolio and ways in which you can continue to support them in reaching their goals. This will serve not only as evidence of the conversation between you and your child, but also as a keepsake for them to have in their portfolio; a reminder of your love and support. Parents who were fortunate enough to make it out to conferences last week will also receive a copy that they can fill out and return with their portfolios.

Your child has worked very hard preparing their presentation and I have every confidence that they will be able to clearly articulate all areas of their learning. Progress reports will also be sent home in the coming weeks; containing detailed comments from each of your child’s teachers.

If you would still like to meet in person to discuss your child’s progress, please don’t hesitate to contact me and we can set up a time before or after school next week.

I sincerely thank you for all you do to guide and support your child in their learning.

Stay safe and warm!

Mme MacNevin

It was great to see some of you on Friday of last week at our learning conferences. As Mother Nature didn’t cooperate last Thursday, conferences will continue on Thursday, Nov 29th. We will use last week’s schedule. If that time doesn’t work, please let me know as soon as possible and we can make other arrangements to meet sometime before or after school. Hopefully the weather will be much better this time around 🙂

As we enter the last week of November, here is a look at what will take place during our classes together…

French-As many shared with your last week, we are now in the process of researching and drafting our biographies. That work will continue over the next few days, as we discuss how a biography is more than simply a list of dates and facts, students will learn to engage their reader and bring to life the stories of their historical and inspirational figures. This project will also lend a hand to help us practice the proper use of verbs in the past tense :).

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 as we discuss two very important processes: photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

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.

Grades 4-9 Core French-This week students in Grades 7-9 will have the chance to read and then create some promotional posters for activities promoting their hobbies and interests. In Grades 4-6 we will be talking sports, as students learn new vocabulary around team and individual activities.

Have a marvelous week!

Mme MacNevin

It was an eventful Monday in the Lab today! Take a look 🙂

Students in Grade 7 tested many different substances to see if they would dissolve in water; as we continue to discuss mixtures and solutions.

In Grade 9, students completed the experimental part of their case study on frozen desserts; making ice cream and frozen yogurt using various techniques.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Winter has certainly arrived early this year!

Preparations continue this week for our first set of learning conferences. Please be sure to arrive on time. Just a reminder that there are no classes on Friday, November 23rd to allow students to attend their conferences. There are also no classes on Monday, November 26th, as teachers and staff will be attending professional development sessions that day.

There is a Home and School Meeting on Wednesday, November 21st at 7:00pm in the Science Lab.

Now here is a snapshot into our classes together this week….

French-We are nearing the end of our anthology unit on injustice and equality. Students have begun drafting their biographies of an important person who fought for justice and human rights. Much time this week will also be spent preparing our learning portfolios which we will share with you on Thursday and Friday. Students will reflect on their success thus far and continue setting goals for the upcoming term.

Science-As work continues in 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-Today students will finish up their case study on nutrient values in ice cream; as we attempt to create a frozen dessert that addresses 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. As this section is very heavy in new vocabulary, 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.

Grade 4-9 Core French-We continue moving through our units “Ah oui j’aime ça!” (4-6) and “On est capable (7-9) on hobbies. This week students in Grades 7-9 will review the results of their personality quizzes they completed last week and discuss (en français :)) some possible activities that they may enjoy based on those results. In Grades 4-6, we will finish up our oral presentations and complete a listening activity, where students will identify the hobbies of their peers to show their understanding of new terms learned over the past few months.

Have a fantastic week!

Mme MacNevin

It may be hard to believe, but we are now into mid-November. This year to sign up for Student-Led Conferences, which will happen next week (November 22nd and 23rd), we will be using Signup Genius.

If you haven’t already done so, please follow the link below to select a time for you and your child to come to share in all the learning that has taken place over the past few months. If none of the available times work for you, please send me an email as soon as possible so that we can make other arrangements.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a084aaeaa2cabf85-november

This week we will continue to prepare our portfolios (digital again this year :)) and I am very excited to watch my students share them with you next week.

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

French- We will continue to explore the theme of injustice and equality through our anthology unit. Last week students created a list of the important elements of a biography. This week, they will use that list to select someone who has fought for justice and begin to draft their biography.

Additionally, there will be some time set aside during this week 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.

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 explore the digestive system, this week we will continue discuss how food is digested and how our body uses the nutrients in what we eat for energy. Students are currently working 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).

Grade 4-9 Core French-This week we will keep working through our units “Ah oui j’aime ça!” (4-6) and “On est capable (7-9) on hobbies. Students in Grades 7-9 will learn how to read a personality quiz on which pass times suite them best. My grade 4-6 class will present some of their favourite hobbies to their peers to show how well they can express themselves using four key sentences we’ve been practicing since September.

Have a fantastic week!

Mme MacNevin

The first full week of November has arrived. It will bring a short, yet very week here at Gulf Shore, as we begin to reflect on our learning over the past few months in preparation for our Student-Led Conferences that will take place in a few weeks.

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 Wednesday, November 7th 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.

Parents and students are reminded that there will be no classes on November 8th and 9th to allow teachers and staff to attend their annual conventions. Additionally, there will be no school on Monday, November 12th as we observe Remembrance Day.

Here is a quick snapshot of what will be happening during our three days together….

French- During our periods together over the next few days, students will finish up their success criteria of what counts in a biography. Students will also put their reading strategies to use through a reading comprehension assessment and will begin planning their biographies of important historical figures that have fought for justice and equality. As I mentioned earlier, preparations will also begin for our Student-Led Conferences, as we start to take a look at all we’ve accomplished since the school year began and being to set goals for the coming term.

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-This week we continue our look at nutrients in food. Students will work in groups to create a healthy frozen dessert, exploring the nutrients in its ingredients.

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.

Grade 4-9 Core French-This week we will continue to read the “Les passe-temps extraordinaires” as we keep working through our units “Ah oui j’aime ça!” (4-6) and “On est capable (7-9) on hobbies.

Enjoy your week 🙂

Mme MacNevin