Mrs. Plunkett's Class Newsletter, May 2010
I can hardly believe how quickly time is passing - the days and weeks are flying by! With April come and gone, there are only two months left of this school year before the well-earned freedom of summer vacation. I will cherish the time I have left with this exceptional class.
Fun Fair Baskets - A newsletter was sent home last week explaining the class baskets for fun fair and I just wanted to remind families that our theme is "Games". Thank you to those of you who have already brought in contributions.
April Assembly - Thanks to all who showed their support by joining our audience for the April Assembly. The kids did a wonderful job playing host and I was thrilled with the energy they gave in their many performances (how Greensville students help the environment, Electric Car, and the school-wide hip hop dance). Well done!
Open House - This Thursday, May 6th is our school's Open House/French Cafe. It is a time to come into the classroom and see what your son/daughter has been working on in class, and also to stop by the gym for a tasty treat courtesy of members of the French Club. I will not be available in the portable as I will be hard at work in one of the "kitchens" for the Cafe. Definitely come by for a visit!
The Book Fair will be up and running the first week of May and purchases can be made during Open House.
The month of May contains much to look forward to; the culmination of our unit on myths and legends, a probability unit in Math, track and field, a trip to Silver City for a film festival, more paper mache (yikes...) and a critical look at advertisements.
Thanks once again for all of your support.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Plunkett
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Mrs. Plunkett's Class Newsletter, February 2010
The students in 4/5P have been busy this January!
Much of the month was spent preparing students for their upcoming oral presentations. In class, I have modelled the steps to creating a speech (how to research a topic, analyze research for appropriate information, organize ideas, add a personal voice, and much, more!) and I have also held conferences with each student to make sure they are on the right track. We have worked very hard to ensure that speeches were produced independently and the students are proud of what they have accomplished. Further information about the next stage of oral presentations can be found on the back of this page.
During the month of February the grade fives will be spending some time with Mrs. Kosempel's class, creating a script for a Claymation movie. The grade fours will be working on creating a digital comic book. I am very excited for both projects and look forward to the creativity brought forth by the students!
Last week the students finished their Measurement unit in Math. For the most part these were well-done, however many students continue to rush through their work and do not complete the task that is asked of them. I have given individual feedback to each student and offered them a chance to make corrections to improve their work. I will continue to stress the importance of slowing down when reading questions to maximize each student's success.
Besides their work in class, students have been keeping busy with the many clubs and intramurals that have been offered throughout January. With something going on almost every day of the week, such as Knitting, Floor Hockey, Checkers Club and Hip-Hop Dancing, the students have had a lot to look forward to!
As usual, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call me at the school or write a note in your child's agenda.
Mrs. Plunkett
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Oral Presentations
Students will be presenting their speeches to our class during the first and second week of February (Feb. 3rd - Feb 8th). Two winners from each class will be picked to compete in the gym on February 11th. Please check your son/daughter's agenda to see the specific date your child will be presenting.
Beginning Thursday, Jan. 28th, students will be able to take home the final copy of their speech to prepare for their oral presentation. Each student has also handed in a copy of their speech to ensure no changes are made between now and the date they present. They are only allowed to work on their cue cards and practice the oral delivery of their speech at home.
Each student has been given a "Practicing your speech" handout of what is expected from them during their oral presentation (pacing, fluency, volume, etc). They should use this as a guide when practicing their speech at home in order to be successful. Feel free to listen to your son/daughter's speech and give them pointers on areas they can improve. The more chances your child gets to practice, the more comfortable they will feel in front of an audience.
After each student gives their speech I will be asking them several questions to see how well they know their topic. I encourage parents, family members and friends to do the same to prepare them for this part of their presentation.
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January, 2010
Happy New Year!
I hope you all enjoyed a well-deserved break and that you've begun the new year with a bang. I certainly enjoyed the time I spent with my family and my good friend the sun while in Guatemala! Although I miss my parents (and the sun!), I am happy to be back to the cosiness of my home and the comfort of my weekly routines.
January is my favourite month for teaching. Although it is busy (what else is new?), I find the students relaxed and ready to work which means we are able to get a lot accomplished.
Due to several changes within the school, our weekly schedule has changed.
Dates to take note:
Physical Education periods will now be on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Please continue to help your son or daughter come to school prepared for these days (loose, comfortable clothing, running shoes, no jewellery)
Library and Computers will be on Tuesdays and Fridays respectively
The changes made to my schedule will also affect the times that my parent volunteers come in. I will contact those of you who this impacts through the agenda. I appreciate your support while I sort out the details.
Another important note is indoor shoes. I was disappointed during December with the students' lack of indoor shoes. During 'boot season' it is very important that all students have alternate foot wear to keep at school, particularly running shoes. Although our Phys. Ed. days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the class participates in mandatory DPA (daily physical activity) throughout the rest of the week and the students need good, solid shoes to do so.
As always, I have included a calendar to inform you of the important dates during the month of January.
Let's start this year off with a bang!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Plunkett
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December, 2009
Dear Parent(s), Guardians and Students,
With only a few weeks left until the holiday, the students are focusing on their Winter Concert performance. This year, the concert will be on Wednesday, December 9th and Thursday, December 10th at 7pm. All families are guaranteed two tickets, however if you need more, make sure to get your ticket request sheets in to the office as soon as possible.
Students will also be busy with their regular curriculum. In the following month students will complete their culminating task in Data Management, the grade fives will be running a school-wide election, and the grade fours will be working on their Medieval Museum.
Thanks to all the parents who volunteered with our class on the Medieval Times trip - the students LOVED it!
During the Christmas holiday the students have two pieces of homework they need to complete:
The first is that all students must pick a topic to research for a speech they will say in front of the class. They may do research at home, however everything else must be done at school.
Secondly, it would be extremely beneficial to the students if over the holidays they could practice their multiplication and division tables up to nine. Since this can be a tricky subject for students, the more practice they can get beforehand, the easier the unit will be for them - especially once we move to multiplying a two-digit number by a one-digit number.
I will send another reminder about this closer to the winter break as I know it is a crazy time of year!
'Tis the season to be jolly!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Plunkett
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October, 2009
Dear Parent(s), Guardians and Students,
As the leaves on the trees change colour and the smell of Turkey causes rumblings in my stomach, we say so long to the month of September and welcome October.
Here are a few things to take note of this month:
Literacy - Smart Goal
The students are just past the mid-point of our first six-week Smart Goal Cycle. The following curriculum expectations were chosen as the Smart Goal focus for all classes in the junior division:
Reading
1.6 Extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them.
Writing
1.2 Generate ideas about a potential topic and identify those most appropriate for the purpose.
Oral
1.6 Extend understanding of oral texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights; to other texts, including print and visual texts; and to the world around them.
Media
1.1 Identify the purpose and audience for a variety of media texts
The following questions will be asked as a final assessment of what the students have learned in both literacy and science;
Grade Four: Why is there a debate over protecting animal and plant habitats and providing affordable housing for people in the community?
Write a letter to a developer/environmentalist supporting your position.
Grade Five: How do the body systems work together to keep you alive?
The Human body corporation has to make cutbacks because of the down turn in the economy. You are the head of an HB system. You need to make a persuasive argument to the board of directors in order to make them keep from cutting you off.
Math
Just over a week ago the students had their first mid-unit quiz on place-value. Overall I was pleased with the class's results - Well done! For those students who were not as successful as they would have liked, the overriding problem did not seem to be difficulty with the Math, however was in fact an issue with reading the question, understanding what it was asking, and going over answers before handing in the quiz. This will be a main focus as we continue to learn about place-value, moving on to the somewhat tricky topic of decimals.
Refrigerator Reading
Thank you for your support with the Refrigerator Reading Calendar for the month of September. The students will continue in the same manner for the month of October.
With October brings a trip for bus patrollers, Thanksgiving, the October assembly (which our class is hosting!) and the Halloween parade. It's going to be a busy one!
Mrs. Plunkett
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Dear Parent(s), Guardians and Students,
Welcome to 4/5P! It's been a busy first week back for the class members as they have been adjusting to new classmates, a new teacher and new expectations. I'm pleased to say that the students are adapting well and that the class is quickly settling in to routines and procedures! Joining our class this year is Hiba whose family has recently moved to the Greensville community. Hiba's friendly nature and smiling face is a welcome addition to an already great class.
Newsletters will be sent home every month. I am hoping to recruit some student helpers in upcoming months to inform families of our classroom accomplishments. Every newsletter will include a calendar with important dates (quizzes, trips, assemblies, etc) which should make juggling the busy schedule a bit easier.
Important days
Phys. Ed. periods this year are on Thursdays and Fridays. Students should be prepared with proper dress code (loose clothing, no jeans, running shoes, etc). Library book exchange will take place every Friday.
Agendas
Students are required to write homework, upcoming events, etc. in their agendas. I will be checking agendas every morning and at the end of each day. Please check and initial your son or daughter's agenda at the end of each day to indicate you have checked their homework as well as any important messages. I appreciate your support in this!
Homework Expectations
Homework will generally consist of individual work not completed throughout the day or could be a reinforcement activity related to a new theme or concept. In addition, students are expected to read at home a minimum of four nights a week, between 20 - 30 minutes at a time. A letter explaining how this will be tracked will be sent separately (look for "Refrigerator Reading" calendar). I understand that many students participate in after school activities (which I fully support!) and that the weekdays can become very busy. If there are any concerns/problems with the homework load, please let me know and together we can work out an alternative solution.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to write a note in your child's agenda or email me at Caitlin.plunkett@hwdsb.on.ca.
I look forward to meeting many of you on "Meet the Teacher" night which will be held Wed. Sept 16th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Plunkett
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