Daily Run Down: Here is a quick recap of what we did in class today!
Monday, June 2nd, 2015: This morning we spent the first two blocks reviewing the vocabulary we learned this year in French. After lunch, we re-read the Ancient Greece chapter in the textbook and discussed what we learned over the past few weeks, in preparation for tomorrow's review quiz.
Monday, May 25, 2015: We began the day by finishing off our French Fashion Shows. Certainly not as smooth or polished as the catwalks of Milan or Paris, but I did appreciate the enthusiasm and effort. In PE class, we played a really fun game called Numbered Basketball, and in block 4 the class played 4-corners soccer. After lunch we read, watched and learned more about Ancient Greece, Democracy and Historical Bias.
Thursday, May 21, 2015: First couple of blocks the students considered a number of themes or key terms from their Percy Jackson Novel Study. Each group created a word web, that connected the different elements of the story to the theme. (I attached photos of the word webs below.) After Explorations and lunch the students split off into small groups to read and report back on chapters 12 & 13 of Percy Jackson, the Lightning Thief.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015: The students were supposed to present their FRENCH FASHION SHOWS today, but a number of students were still not prepared to present. We decided to push back the presentation date until Friday, May 22nd to give everyone another chance to improve and organize. In PE class, Division 11 played a games called "No letting go", while Division 10 played a rugby'esque version of capture the flag outside. After lunch students were given time to work on their Social Studies Projects and finalize their Overviews, which are due tomorrow. I have posted the information from the white board into the Social Studies section under the Humanities tab.
Monday, May 11, 2015: Began the day by allowing the students to finalize their rough copy of their French Fashion Show Script. For PE class, Division 11 played Capture the Onion, while Division 10 played 2 ball hockey. Both games went very well. In the afternoon, both classes brainstormed what they know about Ancient Greece, and then finished their day with about half an hour to work on their Social Studies Fair Project. **REMINDER: Please be sure to get both your Science World and Evans Lake Field trip permission forms in by Friday, May 15th.**
Wednesday, May 6, 2015: During the first couple blocks of the day, we were in the computer lab in the library and the students completed an engagement survey. In PE class, we played two different variations of Dodgeball. After lunch, we began to learn about Ancient Greece and watched 2 short videos about the Ancient Athenians, their architecture and daily life.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015: We began the day with arranging the class into our new table groups and doing a quick trivia review of the first 4 chapters in the Percy Jackson Novel. The students then had their Explorations classes. After lunch, a number of students were taking part in the Track and Field try outs, so the students had a work block to complete their work on their Percy Jackson quiz, their Country Research Project or Social Studies Fair outline (which are both due Thursday), or their French Fashion Show scripts.
Monday, May 4, 2015: In French class the students had time to work on their French Fashion show projects. In PE class, division 11 had collaborative unstructured play time outside on the basketball court, while Division 10 played Capture the Flag Dodgeball in the gym. In the afternoon, both classes completed a quiz based on their readings from Chapters 1 - 4 and had time to work on their Social studies projects.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015: The day began with the students creating sentences based on the vocabulary words from The Lightning Thief Chapter 2. After Explorations class, Division 11 had a visit from Mr. McCuaig to talk to them about behaviour and respect in and outside the classroom. The discussion was prompted because of the mess left behind in the classroom and the students' behaviour in the halls. We took half of the class to discuss how we could be better, and then finished read Chapter 2 of our novel together. Division 10 spent most of Block 7 silent reading, then we discussed respect and behaviour before going to the library to hear information about the proposed grade 7 camping trip to Evans Lake.
Monday, April 27, 2015: This morning the students translated French phrases using only their notes and knowledge to help them prepare for their French Fashion Show project. In PE class, the students played two really fun student-led games "Spartans" & "Ruckus". In the afternoon, students either finished their missing Social Studies assignments, or if done, played card games with their Egyptian Gods playing cards.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015: In English this morning the students spent time dressing up and adding more details to sentences as part of a peer-correction and editing lesson. After lunch, both classes had silent reading and spent one of their 2 afternoon blocks doing track and field.
Wednesday. April 15, 2015: We spent the morning discussing the probability around NHL Playoff match ups. During PE, Ryan, Beau & Caden introduced their class to Volley-Hoops, while Malcolm & Dominick introduced their class to Jump Dodgeball. In the afternoon, the students worked on Ancient Egyptian Gods playing cards.
Monday, April 13, 2015: We spent the first block cleaning up around our school grounds. Both classes did an excellent job of collecting trash in and around the grounds as part of our school initiative to help beautify our school. In PE class, Hazam and Coleton introduced the class to the Hunger Games, a modified version of individual dodgeball. In block 4, Duke, Ler and Clarke taught the class to play their version of Wall Ball. In the afternoon, we created a class generated list of attributes of 11 of the Egyptian Gods and then finished the day off completing their Climate Graph assignments.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015: First block the students were greeted with a French message on the board that they were given instructions in French to complete. After some initial shock and confusion, the students began to problem solve and work together to answer the french review exercise. I was very proud of their ability to be resourceful and work together. In PE Class the students played double-up dodgeball in the small gym. After lunch, both classes reviewed their notes and information from pages 86 - 93 in their textbook, then we all watched a Crash Course World History video on Ancient Egypt and answered related questions together.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015: Started the day with introducing the students to Google Slides. As a class we created a slide show of images, that we then used to help create a short story. After explorations class and lunch, the students returned to work collaboratively on their stories using their new Google Documents accounts.
Friday. March 13th, 2015: Students completed their French Body Art projects first thing this morning. I have posted a gallery of their work on the French page. In blocks 3 and 4, we took gym class outdoors for a game of California Kick Ball. In the afternoon, both classes ate popcorn and watched the movie version of Hatchet, called "A Cry in the Wild." The day was topped off with a visit gymnasium to watch the Stafford Grade 8 boys and girls teams take on the Staff.
I hope everyone has a restful and wonderful Spring Break, and I look forward to hearing all the great stories, when we return on March 30th.
Wednesday, March 11th, 2015: Students continued to work on their Body Art French Projects. In PE, they used their regular class time to organize their games' projects. In the afternoon, the students broke off into their groups to finalize and hand in their Hatchet video, audio and comic strips. At the end of the day, Term 2 report cards were handed out.
Tuesday, March 10th, 2015: Students were supposed to have their Hatchet video projects completed, but another day was needed to get them edited. After explorations class, the students headed upstairs to continue work on their Countries Research project. We topped off the day with a trip outside for some DPA.
Monday, March 9th, 2015: To help the students put all of their French knowledge to the test, they put pencil to paper and...traced each other. They will be labelling each of the body parts they learned, and eventually will add clothing and labels to their "bodies". In PE class, I turned them loose in the gym to inspire them to create their own games. In the afternoon the students watched BrainPop and learned more about Ancient Egyptian Rulers.
Tuesday, March 10th, 2015: Students were supposed to have their Hatchet video projects completed, but another day was needed to get them edited. After explorations class, the students headed upstairs to continue work on their Countries Research project. We topped off the day with a trip outside for some DPA.
Monday, March 9th, 2015: To help the students put all of their French knowledge to the test, they put pencil to paper and...traced each other. They will be labelling each of the body parts they learned, and eventually will add clothing and labels to their "bodies". In PE class, I turned them loose in the gym to inspire them to create their own games. In the afternoon the students watched BrainPop and learned more about Ancient Egyptian Rulers.
Friday, March 6th, 2015: Blocks 1 & 2 were an opportunity for students to put the final touches on their scripts and storyboards for their Final Hatchet projects that are due Tuesday. A number of students have their time wisely and were able to accomplish a great deal of their preparations for their video, audio or comic strip projects, while a handful did very little during the allocated class time. After lunch, the students played some review trivia for team points. To end the day, Mr. Calderon and I introduced a Country research project and took both classes to the computer lab to begin their research.
Thursday, March 5th, 2015: For the first couple of blocks the students had time to organize and work on their Final Hatchet Projects. After lunch the students did a Connect the Words project based on major themes or important components of the novel Hatchet. Both classes did a fantastic job, linking and sharing their ideas. They finished off their day with a chance to refine and organize their project ideas.
Wednesday, March 4th, 2015: We began the morning with the students creating flashcards to help them study the vocabulary for the body parts. Each student was given a pre-made template and asked the draw the image on the backside of the flashcard. They will be used next week for a review game before introducing clothing. In Gym Class, we wrapped up our Team Ball Tournament. A number of students seemed to really enjoy the game, while others seemed to loath it. The game is designed to be cooperative and some of the students were frustrated because they weren't able to dominate individually, which is the intention of Team Ball, to focus on teamwork and communication. In the afternoon, the students did a scaffolding exercise to introduce them to the vocabulary that they will reading and learning about in our Ancient Egypt unit.
Friday, February 27, 2015: With it being a shortened day, the students spent the first two blocks either doing their Mesopotamia review or Math Unit Test. For the final two blocks, most of the students worked on their Genius Hour Projects. A number of students opted not to participate or were off task, which prompted Mr. Calderon and I to reassess whether or not we should continue to use our Friday afternoon's for Genius Hour. The projects will only work if students are prepared and on task.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015: It was a really fun start to the day in French, as we did a quick review of some of the key French terms for body parts, then dove head first into an art project that will build on the vocabulary. During PE class, there was a special assembly for Pink Shirt Day and anti-bullying awareness. At the conclusion of the assembly, both classes headed outside to play California Kick Ball. After lunch, we reviewed and finished up our unit on Mesopotamia. (The notes from today's review are available to download on the English page.)
Tuesday, February 24, 2015: The day began with a Language Arts exercise that focussed on the students' creativity and deductive reasoning skills. They were given 5 phrases from a recent new story and asked to try to figure out what the story was about. We recorded the students' guesses then read the story, compared their predictions and discussed the topic as a class. In the afternoon, I returned a number of the recent LA assignments. (All the marks should be up to date in Check My Mark.) We then listened and read chapters 9 - 10 of Hatchet as a class and discussed some of the events that took place in the readings.
Monday, February 23, 2015: The students really surprised me with their recall of Body Parts vocabulary in French Class this morning. We reviewed some of the main body parts, practiced our pronunciation and played a quick review game to test their recall. In PE we played Team Ball, and the class was divided into 3 teams. Each team played a 5 minute game. Ask your son or daughter about the rules of Team Ball. In the afternoon the students completed their Climagraph assignments. The students worked very well this afternoon.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015: The day began with a review of the vocabulary for Thursday's Hatchet vocabulary quiz. Students were given a stack of words and a second stack of definitions and they needed to work together to find the correct match. In PE, we played Team Ball, a cooperative (and competitive) version of handball, that gets everyone on the court involved in the game. The students did and excellent job and caught on quickly. In the afternoon, each class learned how to read climagraphs and began group work on a climagraph assignment. The classroom was left in a mess again, but other than that, it was a very good day.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015: Students in both classes did Term 2 self-evaluations this morning before heading to Explorations class. This afternoon, Division 10 completed their online Numeracy FSAs. In blocks 7 & 8 we reviewed the vocabulary from Hatchet chapters 1 - 7. THERE WILL BE A VOCABULARY QUIZ ON THURSDAY MORNING.
Monday, February 16, 2015: After a couple of false starts on the French "Show What You Know" Assignments, we finally were able to do the gallery walk this morning and view some of the students work. (I will post the pictures on the French page.) In PE, Division 11 played handball in the small gym, while Division 10 finished their Basketball skills assessments. After lunch Division 11 did their online Numeracy FSA, then returned to class to review Hatchet Vocabulary. The day was capped off with a trip outdoors for DPA and to enjoy the beautiful mid-February sunshine.
Thursday, February 12, 2015: This morning we continued with our student autobiographies. Following their explorations class and after lunch, the students had half of class to complete their Cornell notes on pages 66 - 68 & 70 - 71. We then watched and discussed a video that reviewed irrigation and farming in Ancient Mesopotamia.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015: The start of the day featured students reading their autobiographies aloud to the class. For the students who had their autobiographies done, they did a great job. In the afternoon, the students did their Grade 7 Literacy and Math F.S.A's.
Friday, February 6, 2015: Students were given the first block to work on their Autobiographies and their Hatchet questions. Before dismissal they went to their Explorations class.
Thursday, February 5, 2015: Students spent the majority of the day at Langley Secondary School visiting and finding out more about the programs offered at LSS. The students were very well behaved and seemed to really enjoy the outing. Here are some photos and videos from the Taste of LSS wind up assembly.
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Wednesday, February 4, 2015: This morning we corrected our French sentences from our "Show What You Know" assignment. In PE, we reviewed the key Basketball skills that will be assessed next week and the students had free time to shoot around. In the afternoon, we did both Language Arts and Social Studies, working on our Autobiography assignment and watching some introductory videos on Ancient Mesopotamia.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015: Students peered-corrected each other's autobiographies, before heading off to their electives classes. In the afternoon, Mrs. Johnson came in to help with the Hatchet Novel study. The classes listened to and followed along for both Chapter 6 and 7. All incomplete work from Chapter 7 is due on Thursday. (I have embedded audio files into the English Page so that students can listen to Chapter 7 again if necessary.)
Monday, February 2, 2015: We kicked off the week with a French exercise where the students needed to use the vocabulary and verbs they know to created sentences in French. In blocks 3 / 4 Division 11 was visited by Nurses to talk to them about sex education and healthy relationships. In the afternoon we discussed changes in technology as a lead in to our unit on Ancient Mesopotamia.
Friday, January 30, 2015: Today started with a trivia review game that tested the students not only for their classroom knowledge, but also their general know how. In PE class we played three different variations of dodgeball. (See pics below) In the afternoon, the students worked on their Genius Hour projects, and we capped off the day in the sunshine with Daily Physical Activity outside.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015: With report cards and parent-teacher interviews right around the corner, the students were given a "catch-up" day to get caught up on any assignments they were missing or forgot to hand in. In the afternoon, we corrected the Social Studies tests that were written on Monday and went over the answers as a class.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015: In Language Arts class this morning we held an informal class discussion, where each student was given the opportunity to "Tell Me Something New." The class discussion turned to the matter of winter weather, and we talked a bit about climactic regions and why some are colder and drier than others during the winter. After lunch the students listened to and read chapters 3 and 4 of Hatchet and were given the class to complete their work. About a third completed everything, another third got some or most done, and the final third chose to spend their time doing something other than their work. Perhaps you may want to ask your child which third they believe they were part of.
Monday, January 26, 2015: My apologies for not having updated the website over the past few days of classes. I was very busy after school and sick for most of the week. Today in class the students spent the first blog going over a teacher-led review of the material that would be on the Social Studies Test. The students played "King of the Court" basketball in PE Class and then we finished off the day with by writing the test. We will be correcting the tests in class and marks will be updated on Check My Mark later this week.
Tuesday, January, 20, 2015: We started the day with a video of a small airplaine flying over the Canadian Wilderness. Students then discussed what they would do if the small plane were to crash and they were to survive. After Explorations class, the students returned and we began our novel study on Hatchet (the story of a 13 year old boy who survives a plane crash in Northern Canada). We read and listened to Chapter 1, did some comprehension questions as a class, then students had the remainder of the class to work on their chapter vocabulary and their cover page. (More details of the homework on the English 7 page.)
Monday, January 19, 2015: In French class this morning we learned a number of new verbs and reviewed the sentences we translated in class on Friday. In blocks 3 & 4 the students worked on how to play defence in basketball. This afternoon, we re-watched our Crash Course World History video on Human Evolution and went through the associated question in class.
Thursday, January 15, 2015: After a late start this morning, both classes read and discussed a news story about the extinction of the Northern Mastodons. It was a quiet afternoon on the work front, after a academic heavy first couple of days. Students had silent reading, and were given time to work on a name banner art project.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015: The day began with the students completing or making corrections to their French Quizzes from Monday. We marked and reviewed the answers in class, and those who studied did very well. Those who didn't study, scored accordingly. In PE class with completed introducing our basic basketball skills, with layups, dribbling, passing on the run and rebounding. In the afternoon, the students of Division 10 had the opportunity to see Mr. Safiq's class' Genius Hour projects. Both classes also watch a video on Human Evolution and there was a bit of time to get started on notes for the remaining readings in chapter 3.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015: We began the morning with a WOULD YOU RATHER Exercise, to help strengthen the students ability to state opinion and provide evidence. After Explorations, the students from Div 11 were invited to see the Genius Hour Projects created by Mr. Brandolini's class. (Div 10 Students will get to see Mr. Saflq's class work on Wednesday) During the last block, the classes did silent reading, then went outside for DPA.
Monday, January 12, 2015: This morning the class was given some time to study NS review french prepositions. The students then wrote their french quiz, which was easy for those who studied, and a tough slog for those who hadn't. In PE class, the students worked on dribbling on the move, two foot jump stops, pivoting and shooting. In Social Studies, we reviewed how to do Cornell Notes again and did more example in class. For reference, I have posted a photo of our class notes under the Cornell Notes Template on the Social Studies page.
Friday, January 9, 2015: We finished our discussion of summarizing and how to take Cornell Notes. We did a homework check, but very few finished, so the students were given an extension until Monday to have their Cornell notes completed. (A template is on the Social Studies Page) In the afternoon, we introduced Genius Hour (I attached a copy of the outline on the English Page) and the students were given time to begin to discuss and plan their project ideas. We finished the day with some DPA.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015: The day began with a review of prepositions in French, with students using figurines to demonstrate their understanding of the prepositions. In PE class, we completed our dribbling and passing assessments and played "Bump." In the afternoon, the students discussed surviving off the land and then we learned how to take Cornell Notes.
Monday, January 5, 2015: We began the day with an introduction to prepositions in French Class. The students then moved on to a skills assessment in Basketball, focussing on dribbling and passing. We finished our first day back, with an introduction to the "Theory of Evolution" and note taking from the Social Studies texbook.
January Team Rosters
Friday, December 19, 2014: We capped off the 2014 school year with a great day! Most of the students used the first two blocks of the day to complete their video projects. In blocks 3 and 4 we combined the two classes, to play dodgeball, indoor soccer and basketball. After lunch, the students put the final touches on their videos, then we watched their videos until the end of the day. (I would love to have shared their videos with you on the website, but unfortunately cannot without the proper permissions and release forms.) Happy Holidays and all the best in 2015!
Thursday, December 18, 2014: Began the day with a Trivia Challenge, to help determine a monthly winner in our team competition. The students then moved onto Explorations class, before returning for lunch. After lunch, the students handed out their Secret Santa gifts, we had our month end class party and then finished the day with a school assembly.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014: The students began the day with a visual review of the vocabulary that we had studied since the start of the term. (Students did very well!) In PE, the gym was divided in 2 and students were given the option of indoor soccer or basketball. In the afternoon, the students did a prolonged silent reading to make up for the silent reading period they won't be having on Friday. Students, from both classes, combined their effort to start shooting a short video. The video topics were: Holidays, Turning 13 or Advice they get, but don't follow. The videos will hopefully be complete tomorrow in class, so that they can be viewed on Friday. Students will have both block 1 & 2 to complete their videos, and should bring cables with USB adaptors for their smart phones and iPods. The day was finished off by building gingerbread houses.
Friday, December 12, 2014: It was a pretty laid back Friday, after all the excitement from the Thursday night performance. In the first block, the students continued to work on their holiday stockings. For Explorations, Division 10 learned to knit, while Division 11 attended drama class. In the afternoon, the students read silently, then completed work on their art assignments.
Thursday, December 11, 2014: Super busy and crazy day! The day began with the students being given a stocking template and planning sheet for art. They sketched their ideas and prepared for the afternoon blocks. At lunch the students participating in the concert rehearsed one last time before the dress rehearsal at the end of the day. During blocks 5 & 6 students had a chance to begin cutting and glueing their stocking designs. In the early evening all the dancers reconvened and students from both classes performed to Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off" at the Christmas concert. To say the students did well, would be a dramatic understatement, as the largest cheers of the evening were reserved for the dancers from Divisions 10 & 11! Awesome work! **If there are any parents or students who recorded the dance performance and could send me a copy, I would really appreciate it. Email me atL [email protected]**
Wednesday, December 10, 2014: Started the day with a French review and a listening exercise. Students did very well!! In PE, we divided the gym, on one side was indoor soccer, on the other side was Basketball. The students played and listened well. In the afternoon, part of the class went to the rehearsal for the Christmas concert, then all students wrote a science exam.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014: Began the day by reviewing and peer-editing the students' creative writing stories. In the afternoon, we played "Misheard Lyrics" and then worked on the Dance Performance and Christmas decorations.
Monday, December 8, 2014: We started the day with some very basic Verb review. The students practiced and wrote down the conjugations for AVOIR and ETRE. We then did a color by numbers worksheet, that practiced the French colors. For PE class, we played indoor soccer after a quick warm-up and stretch, and in the afternoon, we replaced Social Studies with Art and they began planning and designing their Holiday Stockings.
Friday, December 5, 2014: The day started off really well with a French Bingo game. The students are progressing really well with their vocabulary. Gym class was interrupted because of an assembly to meet our new Vice Principal Mr. Davids and to say goodbye to our current VP, Mr. Johnston. In the afternoon, we did silent reading, a word web exercise based on classroom and school rules. Division 10 did the Woolly Mammoth dictation exercise. Both classes finished off the day by taking in the Grade 8 girls basketball game against DW Poppy.
Thursday, December 4, 2014: In English this morning we did a creative writing exercise based on Setting. The students were given 3 choices based on images (they are posted on the English Page of the class website) and they were given approximately 30 minutes to begin to create a story. In the afternoon, we had silent reading, and then peer-corrected the creative writing exercises. The final 2 blocks of the day were spent discussing classroom respect and behaviour challenges and creating Holiday decorations for the class. The morning was excellent, but the afternoon was not Division 11's finest few hours. As I have told the students all year. A mistake is only a mistake if it is made more than once, otherwise it is a learning opportunity. I am optimistic tomorrow will demonstrate that today was an opportunity to learn to be better, and expect more from themselves.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014: In French this morning we introduced the verbs AVOIR (to have) and ETRE (to be). We also played a head to head vocabulary challenge game with both classes. In PE, some of our more experienced soccer players helped lead skills drills for the class, and then finished off the class with an indoor soccer game. This afternoon, the students had time to prepare and then present their "Think Globally, Act Locally" projects.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014: For English class this morning we reviewed using the possessive and how to properly use apostrophes in writing. After Explorations class, we had silent reading for the first half of class, then did a dictation exercise with Division 11. (Information from the Apostrophes lesson and the dictation can be found on the English and Social Studies pages). We finished off the day with dance rehearsal and decorations.
Monday, December 1, 2014: In the morning we reviewed the student created vocabulary for classroom items. During PE, we did a short warmup, then played king of the court soccer for the remainder of class. In the afternoon, the students had an opportunity to practice or finalize their SS project presentations and then did a trivia game or played DPA.
Friday, November 28, 2014: The day started off very well, as both classes continue to impress me with their enthusiasm and success in French class. In the afternoon, the students were given the challenge of trying to brainstorm, discuss and plan for a music video project. The class results were mixed. The day finished off with the students helping work on decorations or their dance for the Christmas Concert.
Thursday, November 27, 2014: Both classes spent the morning working on English reading comprehension and grammar exercises. After their explorations class, there was silent reading and then a class discussion on the possibility of creating a video for the Christmas concert. Division 10 watched a information video on Ebola and we practiced taking notes. For the last part of the day, we divided into 2 groups to work on decorations and our dance performance.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014: In the morning the students put practice into play, and created phrases in French by using the vocabulary they have learned in French this term.The students continued to practice and play indoor soccer in PE, and in the afternoon we completed our Otzi the Iceman videos and did comprehension questions. (All five videos are now embedded on the Social Studies page.)
Tuesday, November 25, 2014: In the morning the students completed their vocabulary building exercise in class, based on the story they had read the day prior. In the afternoon the students read and we played pictionary based on review of Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives. We finished off our day with another rehearsal of our classes' performance and by creating decorations for the Christmas concert.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014: In the morning the students completed their vocabulary building exercise in class, based on the story they had read the day prior. In the afternoon the students read and we played pictionary based on review of Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives. We finished off our day with another rehearsal of our classes' performance and by creating decorations for the Christmas concert.
PARENT AND STUDENT REMINDER: It will be a late start on Tuesday, due to the district collaboration time. Regular classes will begin at 9:50am.
Monday, November 24, 2014: Students had a replacement teacher for the first two classes of the day, and they worked on Language Arts review and reading comprehension. In PE, both classes continued with Indoor Soccer skills and played 4-Corners soccer. In the afternoon, we continued to work on our English (we will do our French work on Tuesday instead), and did some review and independent vocabulary building work. We finished the day with the third "Iceman" video and answered student created comprehension questions.
Friday, November 21, 2014: Though it was only a half day, it was a productive one. Students completed their French Flash cards and they were updated on their marks for the end of the term. For blocks 3 and 4, we played indoor soccer.
Thursday, November 20, 2014: For English, the students presented their lyrics remix assignment. They rewrote lyrics replacing some of the lyrics with synonyms or antonyms, students then tried to guess the song and artist. In the afternoon, we completed the final presentations and did silent reading. For DPA, the students practiced for their performance at this year's Holiday Concert.
Thursday, November 20, 2014: For English, the students presented their lyrics remix assignment. They rewrote lyrics replacing some of the lyrics with synonyms or antonyms, students then tried to guess the song and artist. In the afternoon, we completed the final presentations and did silent reading. For DPA, the students practiced for their performance at this year's Holiday Concert.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014: We had an excellent start to the day, reviewing and correcting the French quizzes from Monday. The quiz results were a very clear reminder that those who studied and listened to the SoundCloud excelled, while those who didn't, did not do nearly as well. In PE class we continued to work on our Indoor Soccer skills, and for the second consecutive class, I was really pleased with the students' efforts in both classes. To finish off, we reviewed some of our chapter readings in Social Studies and watched two short videos about Otzi the Iceman and answered associated questions (the videos are embedded on the Social Studies page).
We need to do better!When I came into class this morning, I had this note waiting for me on my desk. This is the second time in 2 weeks that the custodian has requested that we do a better job of keeping our classroom clean.
We are going to be assigning cleaning duties to specific teams through the week, to ensure the class is left clean. Cleaning Schedule: Mondays: Canucks Tuesdays: Flames Wednesdays: Oilers Thursdays: Jets and Maple Leafs Friday: Senators and Canadiens Garbage, recycling and food waste needs to be taken out at the start of Block 5 and the end of the day. |
Tuesday, November 18, 2014: The day started with Language Arts and the students were given the task to change the lyrics of a song of their choice, by swapping out some of the lyrics in favour of some similar (synonyms) or opposite (antonyms) language. They were given both LA blocks to complete their work in class. For the final period of the day, we watched an educational video on Ebola and went over how to take summary notes from a video.
Monday, November 17, 2014: We started the morning with a review of the French vocabulary and expressions from last week, then transitioned into a game and finished off with a quiz. In PE we did some fitness, stretching and did our first few passing drills as part of our Indoor Soccer unit. It was one of our best classes of the year. ;-) In the afternoon, the students had time in class to work on Part 2 of their "Think Globally, Act Locally" and capped off our day with a History and Geography Trivia game.
Friday, November 14, 2014: In the morning we discussed biographies and alter egos in preparation for our afternoon activities. Each student was given some details of a fictional person and asked create a back story. In the afternoon, they were told that their fictional characters were stranded in an international airport terminal and they needed to mingle with the other travellers. Each student was asked to role play their characters, and find out information about their classmates' characters. Division 11 had DPA to end the day, while Division 10 discussed our options for this year's Christmas Concert.
Thursday, November 13, 2014: In Language Arts this morning we did a grammar and spelling review based on our Week#2 Language Arts homework from last week. We reviewed how and when to use quotations, apostrophes to show possession and the use of the colon when listing items in a sentence. In the afternoon, we did silent reading and then worked on a song close. For Art this afternoon, Division 11 discussed options for our class' involvement this year's HD Stafford Christmas Concert.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014: In French class this morning the students broke off into their new groups to uncover the meanings of some useful French vocabulary words. It was a do-over from a similar activity we attempted last week in class. We also reviewed some Expressions and Common Verbs, and I showed the students where to locate and how to access the SoundCloud files to help them study their new vocabulary. In PE class, we played Volleyball, after a brief warmup. In Social Studies class this afternoon the students began part 2 of their "Think Globally, Act Locally" assignments.
Friday, November 7, 2014: In French this morning we introduced some new expressions, vocabulary and common verbs. The students practiced their pronunciation and we used some of the new words in sentences. We all then took part in the Remembrance Day Assembly and then completed their Volleyball quiz. In the afternoon they did their silent reading, discussed Remembrance Day and then organized binders and looked for any missing assignments.
Thursday, November 6, 2014: Both classes helped prepare decorations and create posters for Friday's Remembrance Day Assembly. In the afternoon, the students watched a documentary on Canada's involvement in the Battle for Vimy Ridge.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014: In French class we reviewed some new vocabulary and used deduction to try to make guesses about meaning of new words. In PE class, we played Volleyball, indoor soccer and 4-corners soccer. In the afternoon the students had an opportunity in class to work on their summary notes from their textbook readings.
Monday, November 3, 2014: We took a field trip to the Langley Centennial Museum to learn more about Langley's historic past and to see the Museum's Remembrance themed display. We also took a tour of the Fort Langley Cemetery to learn more about the families who helped establish and build our community. After returning to class the students worked on their "Think Globally, Act Locally" assignments.
Team Rosters for November:
Division 10: Canucks: Silas, Dominick, Sofia & Taylor F Flames: Eh Hser, Dylan, Jessica & Mark Oilers: Richie, Hsa Moo, Kiersten & Ler Jets: Joey, Taylor S, Daylen & Asia Maple Leafs: Tanner, Jareth, Clarke & Elta Senators: Nic, Michael & Colby Canadiens: Duke, Chayce, Malcolm & Krish |
Team Rosters for November:
Division 11: Canucks: Trenton, Jenna, Iman & Janelle Flames: Jaime, Kendra, Isaac & Magnus Oilers: Brianna, Emily, Gideon & Hazam Jets: Cassidy, Beaumont, Daylan & Courtnee Maple Leafs: Ryan, Lexi & Dwayne Senators: Ayden, Jordan, Caden & Colby Canadiens: David, Erin, Jocelyn & Coleton |
IMPORTANT INFORMATION RE: FIELD TRIP on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd, 2014. PLEASE READ!
October 31, 2014
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Our classes are fortunate enough to be going on a field trip this Monday, November 3rd to Fort Langley to visit the Centennial Museum and to do a guided cemetery tour as part of our Remembrance Day unit. As part of the field trip room will be outdoors, can you please ensure your son or daughter wears appropriate clothing for the weather. We will also likely be having lunch in Fort Langley, so please have them bring a lunch that doesn’t require heating.
We are looking forward to continuing our studies outside the classroom and are hopeful the students will continue to show the responsibility and respect that we expect from all HD Stafford students.
Respectfully,
Roland Calderon Div. 10 Homeroom Teacher
Jake Main Div. 11 Homeroom Teacher
October 31, 2014
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Our classes are fortunate enough to be going on a field trip this Monday, November 3rd to Fort Langley to visit the Centennial Museum and to do a guided cemetery tour as part of our Remembrance Day unit. As part of the field trip room will be outdoors, can you please ensure your son or daughter wears appropriate clothing for the weather. We will also likely be having lunch in Fort Langley, so please have them bring a lunch that doesn’t require heating.
We are looking forward to continuing our studies outside the classroom and are hopeful the students will continue to show the responsibility and respect that we expect from all HD Stafford students.
Respectfully,
Roland Calderon Div. 10 Homeroom Teacher
Jake Main Div. 11 Homeroom Teacher
Wednesday, October 29, 2014: In French we created a list of classroom items and students were placed in groups and instructed to use different French Translation websites to find the French definitions. In PE class, we combined the classes and played Volleyball Benchball and Dodgeball. We also needed to review fair play and sportsmanship. In Social Studies the students began working on their "Think Globally, Act Locally" projects.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014: In French we corrected our Quizzes from last week in class in the morning. The students then had cooking class - watched a demo on Stir Fry Wraps. After lunch we did silent reading & read and did group presentations on the History of Halloween. We fished off the day by decorating the class for Halloween & had class time to work on missing assignments.
Students were presented with the following option for Halloween afternoon activities:
Dance in the Small Gym $2 / Movies in Band Room $2 / Games in Mrs. Saumier's Room $1 / Halloween Baking in Home Ec Room $2 / Pumpkin Carving in Room 136 $3 / Athletics in Large Gym FREE / Study Hall in Library FREE / Thriller Dance Studio (limited to 24) FREE
*IF YOU BRING A FOOD BANK DONATION, YOUR ACTIVITY IS HALF PRICE*
**MONEY AND CHOICES NEED TO BE IN BY NO LATER THAN THURSDAY MORNING**
Students were presented with the following option for Halloween afternoon activities:
Dance in the Small Gym $2 / Movies in Band Room $2 / Games in Mrs. Saumier's Room $1 / Halloween Baking in Home Ec Room $2 / Pumpkin Carving in Room 136 $3 / Athletics in Large Gym FREE / Study Hall in Library FREE / Thriller Dance Studio (limited to 24) FREE
*IF YOU BRING A FOOD BANK DONATION, YOUR ACTIVITY IS HALF PRICE*
**MONEY AND CHOICES NEED TO BE IN BY NO LATER THAN THURSDAY MORNING**
Thursday, October 23, 2014: Discussed global issues based on Social Studies text homework readings. We also talked about the armed standoff and shooting in Ottawa on Tuesday and Canada's involvement in the war against ISIS. We finished off the day by watching the end of the "Surviving the Teenage Brain" episode of the Nature of Things. **PLEASE REMEMBER, NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY and A LATE START ON MONDAY.**
Wednesday, October 22, 2014: Completed French review quiz on Numbers, Colours, Family, School & Greetings. In Humanities we watched part of the "Me to We Day" events on the live stream from Rogers Arena. Discussed Global Citizenship and students read pages 15 - 19 of their textbook.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014: Language Arts review of Prepositions and Health & Career discussion on the Nature of Things Video "Surviving the Teenage Brain"
Wednesday, October 22, 2014: Completed French review quiz on Numbers, Colours, Family, School & Greetings. In Humanities we watched part of the "Me to We Day" events on the live stream from Rogers Arena. Discussed Global Citizenship and students read pages 15 - 19 of their textbook.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014: Language Arts review of Prepositions and Health & Career discussion on the Nature of Things Video "Surviving the Teenage Brain"