Celebrate another fabulous week of learning!

Reminder:
- Report cards are being sent home today.
- NO SCHOOL on Monday, February 1.
- Health Notice is being sent home today.

We started our novel study of Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker.  What are you ideas about the title and the image on the cover?  Predict what you think this novel is about?  What questions would you ask this author?  Be prepared to share in class tomorrow.

Homework:
-Read for our Non-Fiction Best Book Ever Project due Wednesday, February 10.  Check D2L for task criteria and assessment.

Reminder:
-Report cards - Friday, January 29.
-No school on Monday, February 1.  It is a Professional Development Day.

Excellent job sharing your creative speed stack designs for our Cup Stacking Challenge this week. Share with a family member the instructions you wrote for your stack and the feedback your classmates gave you on this project.

Homework:
Read for our Non-Fiction Best Book Ever Project due Wednesday, February 10.  Check D2L for task criteria and assessment.

Reminder:
-Tomorrow, January 28 is our good bye assembly for Mrs. Traquair at 2:00.  Parents are welcome to attend.
-Report cards - Friday, January 29.
-No school on Monday, February 1.  It is a Professional Development Day.
-No sports club, tomorrow, Thursday, January 28.

In gym, we are working on badminton skills.  What have you learned about how to volley, dribble and serve in badminton?  What sportmanship characteristics do you demonstrate in gym?  What specific evidence do you have to support your thinking?  Be prepared to share!

Homework:
Read for our Non-Fiction Best Book Ever Project due Wednesday, February 10.  Check D2L for task criteria and assessment.

Reminder:
-Report cards - Friday, January 29.
-No school on Monday, February 1.  It is a Professional Development Day.
-No sports club on Thursday, January 28.

We are finished our class read aloud of Hatchet.  Our reflection assignment will include a Step-Inside the main character of Brian from a first person perspective.  Share with a family member your ideas about how Brian has changed since the beginning of the book. What does Brian care deeply about? What does Brian believe? What evidence do you have to support your thinking? Be prepared to share and write a persuasive piece about your ideas.


Homework:
Read for our Non-Fiction Best Book Ever Project due Wednesday, February 10.  Check D2L for task criteria and assessment.

Reminder:
-Report cards - Friday, January 29.
-Information regarding our new principal coming home today.
-No school on Monday, February 1.  It is a Professional Development Day.
- Water Safety and Swimming notice is being sent home today.

The grade 5 students in our class had a presentation from the Calgary Police called About Face Cops for Kids. Share with a family member the important information from this presentation.

The grade 4 students planted seeds today for our upcoming science experiments! Share with a family member which seeds you planted and the ideas you have for science experiments.

Have an awesome weekend!

Vista Heights School has a new Math bulletin board located by the mudroom doors! Our school will be celebrating our Math understandings this year on this interactive display. This week, our school has been brainstorming addition and subtraction action words. What addition and subtraction words do you know? Add your ideas to the bulletin board!

Homework: 
Please review the Math Vocabulary Page on our blog for key math words we will be using in class!

Reminder: 
- Sports Club is today after school from 3:15 to 3:45. Please remember to wait in your classroom until Mrs. Calvert or Ms. Makowski bring you to the gym.
- Please bring any empty yogurt containers you have to school. We will be using these for upcoming Science experiments!

Our class has been reviewing our estimating strategies with Mrs. Brar in Math! Share with a family member the estimating strategies you use when problem solving. Why is estimating important? Find three examples of how you would use estimating outside of math class. We will be sharing our ideas in Math class tomorrow!

The Grade 1/2 Assembly for Room 7 has been moved from Thursday, January 21st, to Thursday, January 28th at 2pm.  At this assembly, we will be saying a final good bye to our wonderful Principal, Mrs. Traquair as her last day is Friday, January 29th. All parents and families are welcome.

Reminder:
Sports Club is tomorrow, Thursday, January 21 from 3:15-3:45.

Homework:
Read for our Best Book Ever Non-Fiction projects coming up soon.

Today we began our Cup Stacking Challenge projects to demonstrate our instructional writing skills.  Share with a family member the design you created.  What do you know about instructional writing structure?  What key vocabulary is important when composing an instructional passage?  What are some extra details that are important to include?

Homework:

Open up the Cup Stacking Challenge link in D2L.  Share with a family member at least 5 examples of action verbs that you can use in your instructional writing.

Today our class visited Arts Common for the National Geographic Live Presentation: Gorongosa Reborn! Thank you to the parent volunteers who attended to make this valuable learning experience possible. Share with a family member the important information from the presentation today. Why is conservation important? What challenges did the team overcome to restore Gorongosa National Park? Should areas in Alberta and Canada be protected? Why are national and provincial parks important? We will be discussing these topics in class tomorrow.

Homework:
- Share our D2L discussion thread with your families. What new questions do you have after viewing the presentation? Add these new questions to our digital discussion.

Reminder:
- Accountability Survey notice is being sent home today.

Our class has been reading The Hatchet by Gary Paulsen for our class read aloud. We are close to finishing the book! Make a prediction for how you think the novel will end. Reflect on how Brian's character has changed in the book. Think of examples to support your ideas. We will be discussing this topic in class next week.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Reminder: 
- National Geographic Live field trip is Monday January 18! The bus leaves Vista Heights School at 9:15 and we will be back to school at 12:00.
- Measles vaccine notice is being sent home today.

Our class has been working on our curling skills in Phys. Ed.! Explain to a family member the rules for how to play. What tips can you give for how to accurately throw the rock toward the house? What strategies has your team been using in class?

The virtue for the month of January is Sportsmanship. How have you demonstrated sportsmanship in Phys. Ed.? How have you seen your classmates show this virtue?  Be prepared to share your ideas with the class tomorrow.

Homework: 
- Show your family the new Vista Heights School Math Blog: http://mathatvhs.blogspot.ca/

Reminder: 

- Sports Club is today from 3:15 to 3:45. 

- Please return your signed National Geographic Live field trip forms to school by tomorrow (January 15). Our field trip is Monday January 18! 

Our class has begun to examine Alberta's fossil history! Share with a family member how a fossil is created and the different types of fossils we have learned about. What questions do you have about Albert's fossils? What connections can you make to our study?

Homework: 
- Go to http://www.2learn.ca/kids/listSocG4.aspx?Type=578 and select the Virtual Dinosaur Dig link to complete an excavation of a fossil.

Reminder: 
- Sports Club is tomorrow (January 14) after school from 3:15 to 3:45.

Today our class reorganized for Math! Students in room 2 will continue our Math learning in our classroom with Ms. Makowski and Mrs. Brar. We are looking forward to having Mrs. Brar join us in our learning journey.

Share with a family member goals you have in Math. What strategies will help you achieve your goals? What worries do you have about our reorganization or upcoming units? What are you excited for in Math?

Reminder: 
- Please return your signed National Geographic Live field trip forms as soon as possible!

Celebrate our first week of learning for 2016!

Reminder:
NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 11. It is a Professional Development Day.


 

Our class has been working on instructional writing this week! Share with a family member our instructional writing text structure:

1. What: What is the task or goal?
2. What: What materials do you need?
3. How: How do you complete the task?

Look for examples of instructional writing at home and school. What makes excellent instructional writing? What examples of transition words can you find? Be prepared to share your ideas in class tomorrow.

Reminder:
Sports Club is today at 3:15-3:45.
NO School on Monday, January 11.  It is a professional development day.
National Geographic Live Field Trip notice is being sent home today. Please have your parents sign it and return it to school by January 13.

Homework:
Math: Floor Design projects are due tomorrow.  Please check the project criteria and assessment in D2L.

We have begun our study of instructional writing today! Share with a family member what you learned about excellent instructional writing. Try writing instructions for how to brush your teeth for a family member. What feedback did they give you?

Reminder:
Sports Club tomorrow, Thursday, January 7: 3:15-3:45.
Zumba Club for grade 5 students is Fridays at lunch.

Homework: 
Continue reading for your next book project!

We've been looking and discussing the works of famous artist Pablo Picasso to complete an art critique.  Please discuss with a family member what you learned about critically thinking about art.  How is the piece put together?  Is there are story being told? What colors are being used? How does the piece make you feel? What makes a good work of art for you? Why?

Homework:
-Read! Read! Read!

Reminder:
- Zumba Club notice is being sent home with students in Grade 5. Please return this form to school if you are interested in joining!

Welcome back to a new year of learning!  Today we celebrated achievements from 2015 and set new learning goals for 2016. Share with a family member the Google Form you completed in class today. What 2015 achievements are you proud of? What goals do you have for the new year? Share the strategies you came up with to help you achieve your goals.

Why is goal setting important? Be prepared to share your ideas with the class tomorrow.

Homework:
Keep reading a new book project will be announced this month.

Reminder: 
- January Newsletter is being sent home today.