It is hard to believe that another month has almost passed in the 2019-2020 school year. Students at Gulf Shore have already started practicing for their Christmas concerts, as we look forward with excitement to what the next few weeks will bring. 🙂

The Home and School will hold their final collection day for Christmas tree sales tomorrow, Tuesday, November 26th. Please be sure to send any unsold tickets and money with your son/daughter to school in the morning.

The Grade 6 class has organized a spirt week this week. Please refer to the school website for more details.

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

French-We are now into the process of researching and planning out 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 :). We will also finish up our reading evaluation as we use the strategies worked on in class to predict, summarize, understand and make connections with the biography of Charlotte Whitehead Ross.

Science-We are quickly 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 continue to discuss two very important processes: photosynthesis and cellular respiration. We will then begin preparing for the Chapter 3 test that students will write on Wednesday, December 4th.

Grade 9 Science- During our classes together this week, students will finish up their study of the parts and functions of the digestive system. Later in the week, our focus will be reviewing these concepts as students will write their assessment on sections 3.1 and 3.2 on Monday, December 2nd.

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; finishing up creating and separating our own mixtures in the lab. We will then begin to review for our Chapter 2 assessment which will take place on Tuesday, December 3rd.

Core 4-9-As we continue our unit “C’est ma journée,” this week students in Grades 4-6 will explore a very important of the day: snack time. Students will learn new words related to the things we can find in our lunch box.

In Grades 7-9, we will move past just saying what we like and don’t like when it comes to food, as we learn how to order from a restaurant.

Have a fantastic week!

Mme MacNevin

My grade 9 students have been working hard all week to create models of the human digestive system. Here are a few snapshots of their finished products 🙂

I hope that everyone was able to take the time over the long weekend to thank those who fought for our freedoms and to spend a little extra time with family and friends.

As we’ve now had a taste of winter and the fluffy white stuff that comes along with it, I just wanted to remind everyone of the importance of dressing for the weather. Students are welcome to keep boots and bulky coats that may not fit inside their lockers in the classroom, as we all get accustomed to dressing in layers for another year.

Our learning conferences were a huge success! Thank you for supporting your child as they work to reach their goals. A reminder as well to return the learning portfolios back to the school after you’ve had a chance to fully review it.

My post this week will cover two weeks, as this week is very short. There will no classes for students on Thursday, November 14th and Friday, November 15th, to allow teachers and staff to attend their annual conventions.

On Monday, November 18th and Tuesday, November 19th, all Gulf Shore Grade 8 students will be treated to a special workshop from CodeMobile Canada. This interactive activity will introduce students to different coding techniques. There will also be sessions on problem solving, collaboration and mindfulness. The presentation will touch on outcomes from many courses including Science, Math, Language Arts, Health and Technology. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what my students will create once the CodeMobile arrives at Gulf Shore 🙂

Late last week, packages were sent home with the youngest child in each family for our Home and School’s annual Christmas tree sale. Please take the time to read the notice that accompanied your child’s tickets for important collect dates, costs, and pickup locations. All unsold tickets must be returned to the school at the end of the fundraiser, so be sure to keep them in a safe place ;).

Finally, the Home and School will have their monthly meeting on Wednesday, November 20th at 7:00pm in the Science Lab.

Now let’s take a look at our learning over the next two days and at what is taking shape next week as well…

French- With our learning conferences behind us, we will look towards meeting the goals we have set out for our learning. Today, students will participate in a “duel.” This activity will test their knowledge to think quickly en français, as they are tasked with role paying a difficult situation that may arise in the real world. These can include a conflict between a teacher and a student, between two siblings, or between two people who were assigned the same seat on a plane.

During our writer’s workshop, students will finish up creating their success criteria of what counts in a biography. They will also begin to brainstorm ideas of someone who will serve as the topic of their biography assignment that we will begin next week.

Students will also continue to put their reading strategies to use as we read through a several biographies of important historical figures and learn how have fought for justice and equality. Our final reading, late next week, will serve as a reading comprehension assessment for this unit.

If time permits, we hope to try to sneak in a visit with our book buddies to share another story together as well 🙂

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-Today, students will finish up their case study on nutrient values in ice cream; as they 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 next 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 final assessment time.

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 next week will be on homogeneous solutions; discussing solutions and their parts (solutes and solvents).

Grade 4-9 Core French-This week, students in Grades 4-6 will continue to practice and then perform their dramatic reading of the text “Pauvre Michel”. In Grades 7-9 students will continue to create a visual placemat Venn diagram explaining their interests in food and restaurants and those of their peers, following their oral conversations from last week.

Have a fabulous next few weeks!

Mme MacNevin

The first full week of November has arrived. It will bring a short, yet very 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 on Thursday and Friday.

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 Thursday, 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 to allow students to attend their learning conferences. Additionally, there will be no school on Monday, November 11th as we observe Remembrance Day.

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

French- During our periods this week, students will begin creating their success criteria of what counts in a biography. Students will also put their reading strategies to use as we read through a few biographies of important historical figures and learn how have fought for justice and equality. As I mentioned earlier, preparations will also continue for our Student-Led Conferences, as we 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 chemical and physical changes in matter experiments taking place over the next few days, our chemistry unit will wrap up mid week. We will then mark the beginning of our second unit entitled “L’univers vivant” (The Living World). This unit kicks off with a review the parts of the cell we studied last year. If time permits, we will then 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 students in Grades 4-6 will begin to wrap up their work on “Pauvre Michel” as we practice a dramatic reading of the text. In Grades 7-9 students will finish recording and will then present their audio recordings of short dialogues surrounding their favourite foods. They will then create a visual place mat Venn diagram explaining their interests and those of their peers.

Enjoy your week and I look forward to see you all on Thursday and Friday!

Mme MacNevin