Monday 30 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 30th

Working on their Science Labs.

*I was in the office as the acting administrator for the morning, so the students had the wonderful Mr. Ngui as their substitute teacher this morning.

To start our day, the students headed to the gym for our beginning of the week assembly.  After returning to the classroom they had AR from 9:18 - 9:38.  We are now up to  5.5 AR Points Per Student with only one week left to achieve our goal of 10 Points.  In ELA the students were given the hour to work on their Pandora's Box Projects.  *These projects (including the written paragraph) will be due on Monday, October 7th.  To end the morning the Grade 8's wrote their Unit Two Exam.


After lunch the students had Phys. Ed with Mr. Fuchs and they participated in some circuit training before heading outside to work on some football skills.  At 1:23 we had Science and the students worked on four response questions from their Abiotic Lab last week.  I've posted the questions on the Science tab at the top of the page, but you can also find them by clicking here.  During the last hour of the day the students had Social Studies with Mr. Csada and they participated in a "Wrist Band Equality Social Experiment".

It's hard to believe that it's been an entire month since we started school. September 3rd seems like so long ago, but I guess it's true what they say, "time flies when you're having fun". We've definitely had a great first month of school and I'm really looking forward to nine more!

Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:
Grade 8: 
*Don't forget to bring your Math workbooks tomorrow.

Religion:

Faith Formation Blog Post is due on Wednesday, October 2nd.

Reminders:
-Picture Day is on Friday, October 4th.

Thursday 26 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 26th



Working on their Pandora's Box Project.

This morning we started off the day with our usual AR period from 9:08 - 9:38. *We are now up to 4.1 AR Points Per Student and with a little over a week to go, as long as everyone continues to read, I'm sure we will meet our goal of 10 Points. After AR we had ELA and the students continued to write their RAD (Reading Assessment District) Tests that they began yesterday. Once everyone has finished the test, we will be participating in a pilot assessment for the RAD's. Instead of correcting their tests first, we will first go over them as a class and the students will have a chance to self and peer assess the exams before I correct them independantly to verify the accuracy of the students evaluation.

In Grade 8 Math I handed back the students quiz from Monday and we went through it as a class. For the rest of the period the students had the opportunity to work on the unit review as well as study for their Unit Exam on Monday. Students, remember that I will be taking in your math workbooks on Monday as well. Please ensure you have completed all the necessary assignments for our unit when you hand them in.

After lunch we had our month end assembly in the gym and the Grade 7/8 students were recognized in front of the whole school for their Faith Formation Retreat last week. I would also like to make a special shout out to all the Cross-Country participants in our room as they were also acknowledged at our assembly today. Once we got back to our classroom the students were given the rest of the period to work on their Pandora's box assignments.  During the last hour of the day the students had Phys. Ed with Mr. Fuchs and they played some tchoukball before returning to the class to break down the day.

Here's some more pictures from today:











Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:
Grade 8:
*Unit Test is on Monday, September 30th.

-Handout 2.3 is due on Monday, September 30th.

Religion:

Faith Formation Blog Post is due on Wednesday, October 2nd.

Reminders:

-Don't forget to bring a small box for ELA.

There is no school tomorrow as it is a TPD day

Wednesday 25 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 25th


Day two of our canoeing field trip!

As soon as the Grade 8’s arrived at school this morning, we took attendance and boarded the buses for Wascana lake. We were very fortunate today to have such wonderful weather to canoe in, as last week was less than ideal. Once again, I was very impressed with how well our students represented themselves as well as their school on our field trip today. 

After lunch the students had Phys. Ed with Mr. Fuchs and they began to look at the skeletal system for the first half of class. To take advantage of the nice weather, the students spent the second half of the class outside playing basketball and football. At 1:23 we had ELA and the students began to write their RAD (Reading Assessment District) Tests. Due to the fact that we had a shortened class, we will continue to write them during ELA tomorrow.

During the last hour of the day we headed outside for our annual Staff vs.Student football game.  It was a great game and nice plays were made on both sides.  Unfortunately for the students, the arm of Peyton Manning...er I mean Mr. Csada was a little too much to handle.  The HON (Highlight of the Night) goes to James for his excellent throw right into the hands of Mr. Bresciani.  Thanks James!

Here's a couple more pictures from our field trip this morning:












Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:
Grade 8:
*Unit Test is on Monday, September 30th.

-Handout 2.3 is due on Monday, September 30th.

Religion:
Coat of Arms assignment is due on Wednesday, September 25th.

Faith Formation Blog Post is due on Monday, September 30th

Reminders:
-Tomorrow is Terry Fox Day at Deshaye. Remember to bring a Loonie or Toonie and wear yellow.

-Don't forget to bring a small box tomorrow for ELA.

There is no school on Friday as it is a TPD day.

Tuesday 24 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 24th

Doing some blogging during Religion.
This morning we started the day out with our usual AR period from 9:08 - 9:38.  After AR we had ELA and the students began to work on their Pandora's Box Project while they watched a brief animated video about the myth.  We will be working on this assignment tomorrow as well as Thursday so students need to bring a small box that they can decorate for this assignment. 

At 10:53 we had Religion and the students began to work on their Faith Formation blog posts.  For this blog post the students need to respond to the following questions:

#1 – In four to six sentences, describe the faith formation activities that you participated in. Please remember to use specific examples from the different types of activities that you participated in during our time at Lebret.

#2 – In four to eight sentences, reflect upon the Faith Formation activities that you just described and explain how they contributed to your faith formation during the day. Consider the fact that your faith formation is a facet of your identity as a young Catholic. Again, please remember to cite specific examples when describing how your faith formation was “enhanced” or “improved upon” as a result of this excursion or set of activities.
*Just in case anyone forgot, our classroom blog is at: www.kidblog.org/thebrescianibunch-2/. Feel free to check out my Blogging Rubric as well if you would like to see how I assess the students posts.
After lunch the students had Arts. Ed with Ms. Postma and continued to work on their Portrait Twin Assignment.  At 1:38 we moved on to French and continued to look at the numbers 1-100 as well as some basic salutations and conversational questions.  To end the day Ms. Zwingli came by to teach Health and the students began working on skits about positive and negative relationships. 

Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:
Grade 8: 
*Unit Test is on Monday, September 20th

Religion:
Coat of Arms assignment is due on Wednesday, September 25th.

Faith Formation Blog Post is due on Monday, September 30th

Reminders:

-Grade 8 Canoeing on tomorrow. Be sure to bring a change of clothes just in case!

-Don't forget to bring a small box tomorrow for ELA.

Monday 23 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 23rd

Pandora's Box

This morning we started out our week with a school wide assembly in the gym.  This assembly was a special one because Ms. Steranko gave a brief presentation about Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope.  She also talked about the upcoming Terry Fox Walk on Thursday as well as our "Hats Off for Terry" fundraiser, where each student is allowed to wear their hat to school if they donate a loonie or toonie. 

After the assembly we had ELA and continued to work through our Greek Mythology Unit by looking at the Myth of "Pandora's Box".  At the end of class the students were given a new assignment that directly corresponds with they myth they just read.  For this assignment, the students will be tasked with decorating a box so that it generates so much curiousity that no one could resist opening it.  They will also need to place 5 symbols of evil inside and write a paragraph about the worst evil they picked.  However, no matter how much evil there is in the world, there is always Hope, so the students also need to include one symbol of Hope in their box.  *The full assignment and rubric can be found on the ELA tab at the top of the page. 

In Grade 8 Math the students worked on their Rates, Ratio's and Proportional Reason quiz before beginning the unit review from their text book.  * I have bumped back the Unit exam to Monday, September 30th because we will not have Math on Wednesday due to Canoeing. 

Instead of our usual French class after lunch today, I gave the students a half hour of AR because they missed it this morning due to the assembly.  We are now up to 2.7 AR Points Per Student for the month of September and are well on our way to reaching our goal for the end of the month.  Keep up the good work everyone!

In Religion the students were given a half hour to finish up their Coat of Arms assignments before moving on to a reflection assignment from our retreat last Thursday.  For the reflection questions, students will be tasked with writing a blog post in our classroom group on Kidblog.  This is an awesome site because it allows the students to have thier own personal writing space that is fully protected because the students need to log into the site with a unique username and passworda.  If you would like to check it out just ask your child to log in for you at the following address: www.kidblog.org/thebrescianibunch-2/

During the last hour of the day the students had Social Studies with Mr. Csada and continued to look at Democracy in Canada by investigating the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:
Grade 8: 

*Unit Test is on Monday, September 20th

Religion:

Coat of Arms assignment is due on Wednesday, September 25th.

Reminders:
- Girls Football game tomorrow at Mother Teresa Middle School.

-Grade 8 Canoeing on Wednesday, September 25th. Be sure to bring a change of clothes just in case!

Friday 20 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 20th

 
Making Popcorn People!


Smile!
 This morning we began the day with the usual AR period from 9:08 - 9:08.  *We are now up to 2.4 AR Points Per Student and with 2 weeks to go, I'm positive we'll reach our goal of 10 Points.  After AR we headed to Ms. Sutherlands classroom to meet our little buddies in kindergarten.  Once everyone found their buddy they began to create a "Popcorn" person using construction paper and well, Popcorn of course!  I was so impressed with how awesome the Grade 7/8's did with the kindergarteners today.  Each and every student did an excellent job and I think some students really did learn that patience is a virtue! I know the kindergarteners really enjoyed meeting their new "Big Buddies" and had a great time. Well done guys!

In Grade 8 Math the students were given the hour to work on their 2.3 assignment as well as a practice test to help them prepare for our Unit Exam next week.  *Don't forget that we have a quiz on Monday, September 23rd with the Unit Test on Thursday, September 26th. 

After lunch the students had Phys. Ed with Mr. Fuchs and they participated in some circuit training before playing a game of their choice.  At 1:38 we went down to Ms. Sutherlands room again to meet our little buddies from the P.M. Kindergarten class.  The students were paired up with new students and once again worked with their buddies to create "Popcorn People".  During the last hour of the day the students had Social Studies and looked Canadian Identity and how it may change in the different parts of our countrty.

Some more pictures from today:


Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:
Grade 8:
Pg. 67 (Due on Monday, September 23rd)
A) 4, 6, 8, 9, 19
B) 5, 6, 8, 9, 14, 19
C) 6, 8, 9, 14, 19, 20

-Quiz on Monday, September 23rd.

*Unit Test has been moved to Thursday, September 26th

Reminders:
-Boys Football Playoff game against St. Gabriel is at Deshaye on Monday, September 23rd.

-Grade 8 Canoeing on Wednesday, September 25th. Be sure to bring a change of clothes just in case!

Thursday 19 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 19th

The view from the the Fourteenth Station of the Cross. 
 



Just Arrived!
This morning we quickly gathered in the classroom to take attendance before boarding the bus for Lebret.  After a 45 minute bus ride we arrived at Sacred Heart Church in Lebret, which was our home base for the day. The church was absolutely beautiful inside and the students really got to experience a true piece of history as the church is 148 years old.  (Yes! That means it's older than Mr. Csada...oh and Canada!) Once we got everyone settled inside Mr. Meyers, who is the Co-ordinators of Catholic Services for our school division, lead us in a wonderful liturgy as well as some people bingo. 

At 11:00 we boarded the buses again and headed to the Dairy Queen for lunch.  I have to admit I was a little concerned about having 100 students receiving and eating their lunch in one small restaurant.  However, thanks to the hard work of Mr. Csada and Mr. Braun, our lunch ran like a well oiled machine and we were able to finish up right on schedule and head back to Lebret. 

Stations of the Cross
Once we arrived back at Sacred Heart Church, we walked to the base of the Lebret hill to begin our Stations of the Cross.  Mr. Meyers also led us in this activity and it was such an amazing experience for the students to have.  As we went through the fourteen stations, we also worked our way up the hill, with the fourteenth station befing on the very top.  As you can see from some of the pictures it was an absolutely beautiful walk up and an even more breathtaking view from the top. 

I would just like to say how impressed I was with all the senior students today.  Everyone was so well behaved and did a wonderful job representing Deshaye Catholic.  Before I end my post I would also  like to thank everyone who helped make today such a wonderful day and an awesome experience.  Thank You!

Here are a couple more pictures from the day:

Reading at one of the Stations of the Cross
Reading at another Station of the Cross











Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:
Grade 8:
Pg. 67 (Due on Monday, September 23rd)
A) 4, 6, 8, 9, 19
B) 5, 6, 8, 9, 14, 19
C) 6, 8, 9, 14, 19, 20

*Unit Test is on Tuesday, September 24th

ELA:
Creation Story Questions are now overdue. Make sure to hand them in tomorrow

Reminders:

-Grade 8 Canoeing on Wednesday, September 25th. Be sure to bring a change of clothes just in case!

Wednesday 18 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 18th

 
The Grade 8's were in a good mood after canoeing!

This morning the Grade 7's headed to Mr. Csada's room while the Grade 8's boarded the bus and headed to Wascana Lake to do some canoeing.  At the time of our departure the weather was actually pretty good, and it was looking to be a great morning for canoeing.  However, once we all got into the middle of the lake it decided to rain buckets on us.  We headed back to shore as fast as we could, but unfortunately that wasn't enough to save us from getting soaked. While today may not have been the ideal situation for Canoeing, I was really impressed with our Grade 8's througout the morning for doing such a great job representing Deshaye Catholic.  Mr. Brian Lewis, our guide, also sang the students praises because he didn't hear a single complaint from anyone and everybody kept up such a positive attitude the entire time we were on the lake.  Well done everyone! 

After lunch the students had Phys. Ed with Mr. Fuchs and they spent the period working on Circuit Training.  In Science we continued to look at Biotic (Living) Organisms and Abiotic (Non-Living) Components in our world.  We also looked at the different types of Biotic Organisms: Producers, Autotrophs and Consumers and two students were assigned the definitions for next class.  To end the period the students were given a picture of a jungle and were tasked with answering questions about the Biotic Organisms and Abiotic Components present.  To end the day Ms. Zwingli stopped by and taught the students Health.

Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:
Grade 8:
Pg. 67 (Due on Monday, September 23rd)
A) 4, 6, 8, 9, 19
B) 5, 6, 8, 9, 14, 19
C) 6, 8, 9, 14, 19, 20

*Unit Test is on Tuesday, September 24th

ELA:
Creation Story Questions are now overdue.  Make sure to hand them in tomorrow

Reminders:

-Grade 7/8 Spiritual Retreat at Lebret is on Tomorrow, September 19th.  Be sure to dress for the weather and bring appropriate footwear. 

-Grade 8 Canoeing on Wednesday, September 25th

Tuesday 17 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 17th

Our "Campfire" during ELA.

This morning we began the day with our usual AR period from 9:08 to 9:38.  After the students put away their books we had ELA and continued learning about Greek Mythology.  However, today's class was quite different than classes we've had so far.  To tie in with the myths we would be learning about, the students gathered in the middle of the classroom and layed on the floor.  As we learned about the Myth of Orion, a data projector projected the stars on the ceiling of our classroom for the students to view while they listened.  At the end of the myth students were able to see the constellations of Orion's belt and Scorpio as if they were looking at them in the night sky.  The second myth we learned about was the Myth of Prometheus and the Creation of Humans.  Due to the fact that this myth deals with Prometheus stealing fire to give to humanity, we created our own fake campfire to gather around as they listened.  Once we finished up with the myths, students worked on a quick assignment that tasked them with identifying a picture each God using what they've learned so far in this unit. 

At 10:53 we had French and students spent the period working on their first assignment of the year that dealt with the numbers 1-100 in French.  We are quickly reaching the end of our review unit and once we look at basic salutations and "ER" Verbs it will be time to begin our first official unit on Travel. 



After Lunch the students had Arts. Ed with Ms. Postma and began to work on their "Portrait Twin Assignment".  *Remember, you must have your painting chosen by September 26th and you will be photographed as your portrait twin on October 2nd.   In Religion the students continued to work on their Coat of Arms assignment from yesterday.  I have not given a due date for this assignment yet but will decide on one during our next class time 

During the last hour of the day the students had Health with Ms. Zwingli and they continued to look at the impacts of Positive and Negative Relationships. 

Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:
Grade 8:
Pg. 67
A) 4, 6, 8, 9, 19
B) 5, 6, 8, 9, 14, 19
C) 6, 8, 9, 14, 19, 20

*Unit Test is on Tuesday, September 24th

ELA:
Creation Story Questions are due on Tomorrow, September 18th.

Reminders:

-Boys Football game at Holy Rosary tomorrow, September 18th

-Grade 8 Canoeing is tomorrow and September 25th.

-Grade 7/8 Spiritual Retreat at Lebret is on Thursday, September 19th.

Monday 16 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 16th

We looked at Medieval Coat of Arms during Religion!

We started off our morning with a school wide assembly in the gym.  After the assembly the Grade 7 & 8's stayed in the gym and Ms. Norris shared her expectations as well as our plan for the field trip to Lebret on Thursday. * Please remember to bring back the DQ forms with money tomorrow if you plan on eating DQ for lunchIf you are not eating at DQ remember to bring a non perishable lunch on Thursday.  Once we got back to class we had ELA and students were given the entire period to finish up their six Greek Mythology questions from last class.  These questions will be due on Wednesday, September 18th.

In Grade 8 Math we spent the first part of class going through the 2.1 assignment that was handed in last week.  Students were given the rest of class to work on their first assignment for "Proportional Reasoning".  *If you have not handed in 2.2 please get it in as soon as possible as it is now overdue. 

After Lunch we had AR from 12:38 - 1:08 before moving on to Religion. *We are officially up to 1.9 AR Points Per Student for the month of September.  We have a little over two weeks to get to 10 AR Points Per Student, so everyone make sure you are doing your part and reading!  In Religion we continued our unit "Do I Belong?" by looking at identity through the medieval Coat of Arms and Crests.  We talked about the symbolism behind it and students were each tasked with creating their own personal Coat of Arms. 

During the last hour of the day the students had Social Studies with Mr. Csada and they continued to look at Democracy in Canada. 

Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:
Grade 8: 
Pg. 67
A) 4, 6, 8, 9, 19
B) 5, 6, 8, 9, 14, 19
C) 6, 8, 9, 14, 19, 20

*Unit Test is on Tuesday, September 24th

ELA:
Creation Story Questions are due on Wednesday, September 18th.

Reminders:

-Boys Football game at Holy Rosary on Wednesday, September 18th

-Grade 8 Canoeing is on September 18th and September 25th. 

-Grade 7/8 Spiritual Retreat at Lebret is on Thursday, September 19th.  Remember to bring DQ forms in tomorrow.

Friday 13 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 13th

Taking the air temperature during Science class!

This morning we started out our day with an AR period from 9:08 to 9:38.  After AR we moved on to ELA and students were given the entire hour to work on the 6 response questions from the wonderful video we watched during yesterdays class.  I have to say I was very impressed with how hard and how effective our class worked during this hour.  There was a lot of quality work produced today and I can't wait to read them next week when they are turned in.  * These questions will be due on Wednesday, September 18th.

In Grade 8 Math we moved onto the last concept of our unit, Proportional Reasoning. Today's period was spent learning different ways to solve both number and word problems involving proportional reasoning. We will continue to work on this concept during our class next week.  *Remember 2.2 is due on Monday and our Unit Test will be on Tuesday, September 24th. 

After lunch the students had Phys. Ed with Mr. Fuchs and did some more circuit training in the gym before heading outside to work on different football skills.  At 1:23 we had Science and headed straight outside to complete a lab about Abiotic Factors.  For this lab, students worked in groups and selected three locations outside where they could observe Abiotic Factors.  Some of these factors were: Air Temperature, Soil Moisture, Soil Type, Light Meter Reading, Wind Velocity and Wind Direction.  Using different tools (Magnifying glassse, Thermometers and Wind Socks) they had to measure and record their findings for each Abiotic Factor.  On Monday we will come together as a class and compare the results from each of the locations. 

During the last hour of the day the students had Social Studies with Mr. Csada and they began to look at Democracy in Canada.

Here's some more pictures from our Science class today:








 Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:Grade 8: 
Handout 2.2 is due on Monday, September 16th

*Unit Test is on Tuesday, September 24th


Religion:
-Expectations assignment is due on Monday, September 16th

Reminders:

-Boys Football game at Deshaye on Monday, September 16th

-Grade 8 Canoeing is on September 18th and September 25th. 

Thursday 12 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 12th

The awesome video we watched during ELA today.

This morning we began the day with our first offical AR (Accelerated Reading) period of the year.  For the rest of the year we will begin each day with AR, which is a half hour period of silent reading from 9:08 - 9:38.  AR is also very important in our class because if we can reach an average of 10 AR Points Per Student this month we will have an afternoon movie party.  In order for our class to reach this goal each person needs to do their part and ensure they are reading each day. 

In ELA we continued our Greek Mythology Unit by reviewing the creation story that we looked at during yesterdays class.  We also watched a brief animated movie (with absolutely stellar acting!!) about the Titans vs. the Olympians and students were given six response questions that we will work on in tomorrows class.  

In Grade 8 Math students were given the hour to finish up their assignment from Pg. 60 as well as work on their new assignment on handout 2.2.  *Reminder: Pg. 60 is due tomorrow and handout 2.2 will be due on Monday, September 16th.

After lunch the students had Arts. Ed with Ms. Postma and they continued to work on drawing facial features as well as shading.  At 1:38 we had Science, and as a continuation of our lesson from yesterday, students shared the different categories they used to group their items.  We also discussed how other cultures classify things differently with a specific focus on First Nations culture.

At 2:23 the students had Phys. Ed with Mr. Fuchs and they went straight to the gym and played a game that helped practice different skills and movement patterns associated with Football. To end the day the students were given 20 minutes to finish up any homework they had this week. 

Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:Grade 8:
Pg. 60: (Due Friday)

A) 1-5, 6, 8, 10, 13
B) 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10-15
C) 6, 7, 8, 14-19

Handout 2.2 is due on Monday, September 16th

Religion:
-Expectations assignment is due on Monday, September 16th




Reminders:

-Boys Football game at Deshaye on Monday, September 16th

- Grade 8 Canoeing is on September 18th and September 25th. 

Wednesday 11 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 11th

Some of the items from our Science Lab today!

This morning we were greeted by Ms. Folk right after the bell and she had some wonderful news to share with us....the library is now offially open!!!  She even invited us to come down the Library to be the very first class to sign out books this year.  Students then spent the next 20 minutes looking through the Library to find a book to read for the rest of this month.  Being able to be the first class in the Library this year was awesome because it gives us a bit of a head start over the other classes for AR points.  If everyone does their part and reads consistently this year we should have no problem winning the Battle of the Classes as well as earning a AR Party each month. 

After we got back from the Library we had ELA and we continued to work through our Greek Mythology Unit.  Today we went really far back in the Mythology and looked at the Greek Creation Myth and compared it to creation stories from other cultures.  We learned all about the Titans and the Olympians and the eventual war that led to Zeus being the ruler of Olympus.  To end the lesson, students were tasked with reviewing the Creation Myth and filling in the 10 most important events in the proper order.

In Grade 8 Math we continued to work on Rates (especially Unit Rate and Unit Price) and students worked on a new assignment from Pg. 60 of their text book.  *This assignment will be due on Friday, September 13th.

After lunch the students had Phys. Ed with Mr. Fuchs and they continued to work on circuit training as well as various football skills.  At 1:23 we had Science and we reviewed the 7 Characteristics of Living Things that we discussed last class.  We also looked at the term "Ecosystem" and how it applies to Living and Non-Living Things before moving on to our mini lab.  For this activitiy each student was also given a number of different items and were tasked with grouping the items according to their own categories. (Colour, Shape, Size etc.)  We began to share each persons different method for categorizing but unfortunatley we were cut short by a Fire Drill, so we will continue this lesson tomorrow.   During the last hour of the day the students had Health with Ms. Zwingli and continued their lesson from yesterday.

Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:Grade 8:
Pg. 60: (Due Friday)

A) 1-5, 6, 8, 10, 13
B) 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10-15
C) 6, 7, 8, 14-19

Handout 2.1 is Overdue

*Remember to bring a sketch book for Arts. Ed by Monday

Important Dates:

-Boys Football game at Deshaye on Monday, September 16th

- Grade 8 Canoeing is on September 18th and September 25th. 

Tuesday 10 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 10th

Don't forget tonight is Meet the Teacher Night!

This morning we started off our day with ELA from 9:08-10:38.  To start our lesson we read the story "Jason and the Golden Fleece" before moving onto the first assignment of the unit.   For the this assignment, students got into pairs and were tasked with reading three short Greek myths: "Pandora's Box", "The Twelve Labours of Hercules" and "Perseus".  After reading each story, the students used a comparison matrix to find similarities between them.

At 10:53 we had Religion and the students continued to work on the first part of their expectation assignments from yesterdays class. Once we finished up part one, students then moved onto the second part which included reading a passage from the Bible about the Holy Spirit as well as searching for definitions for words in the passage.

After lunch the students had Arts. Ed with Ms. Postma and they spent the period looking at Art with a specific focus on drawing facial features.  At 1:38 we had French and we continued our brief review unit by looking at the days of the week, months of the year and the numbers 60-100.  To end the day the students had Health with Ms. Zwingli.

Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:Grade 8:
Pg. 51 (Overdue)

a)1-6, 9, 11, 12, 19
b) 5, 6, 9, 11-18
c) 5, 6, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21

Handout 2.1 is due on Wednesday


-*Remember to bring a sketch book for Arts. Ed by Monday

Important Dates:

-Boys Football game at St. Augustine on Wednesday, September 11th.

- Grade 8 Canoeing is on September 18th and September 25th. 

Monday 9 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 9th

We officially kicked off our Greek Unit in ELA today!

This morning we started out our day in the gym for the beginning of the week school-wide assembly.  After the assembly we headed back to the classroom and officially kicked off our Greek Mythology Unit in ELA.  For our first lesson, the students were each given a list of various words from Greek Myths and were asked to place them into different categories.  Once the students finished up their lists, we created a master list on the board using the categories created by the students and also discussed each of the words from the list in detail. 

In Grade 8 Math we continued our unit by finishing up Ratios and moving onto Rates.  Today we looked at two different kinds of Rates, "Unit Rate" and "Unit Price".  Students learned two different ways to calculate Rates through word problems.  We will continue with this concept during our next class on Wednesday.  *Don't forget handout 2.1 is due on Wednesday, September 11th.

After lunch we had our very first French class and for the first half of the period we reviewed the expectations for French as basic conversational phrases.  For the second half of the period we reviewed the numbers from 1-100 and students participated in two review games on the projector. One was a French number version of Deal or No Deal and the other involved getting answers right in order to catapult their teacher.  Both were very entertaining to watch and I was impressed with how well the students did with the review today. 

At 1:23 we had Religion and to continue with our Unit entitled, "Do I Belong", students worked on assignment all about expectations.  A copy of this assignment can also be found on the Religion tab if you would like to view or download!

During the last hour of the day the students had Social Studies with Mr. Csada and they continued to learn about Canada through a mapping assignment. 

Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:Grade 8:
Pg. 51 (Overdue)

a)1-6, 9, 11, 12, 19
b) 5, 6, 9, 11-18
c) 5, 6, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21

Handout 2.1 is due on Wednesday

-*Remember to bring a sketch book for Arts. Ed*

Important Dates:

-Meet the Teacher Night Tuesday, September 10th

-Boys Football game at St. Augustine on Wednesday, September 11th.

Friday 6 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 6th

The book we read this morning!

This morning we started out our day by voting on which Fairy Tale character we wanted to be for AR this year. The voting was pretty close and in the end Rumpelstiltskin barely beat out Robin Hood to be our character for the school year.  Once we finished up our voting, we kicked off our ELA Greek Mythology unit by reading the picture book, Cyclops by Leonard Everett Fisher. The book told the classic story of Odysseus and his men leaving the Battle of Troy and ultimately crash landing on an island inhabited by a giant Cylops. 

At 10:08 we moved on from ELA and continued to learn about the concept of Digital Citizenship.  For this lesson, each student was asked to respond to various questions and statements regarding Digital Citizenship using the wireless Mimio Vote handsets. 

In Grade 8 Math we continued to look at Ratio's and students were given time to work on their textbook assignment from last class as well as handout 2.1.  Note: The textbook assignment will be due on Monday, September 9th and 2.1 will be due on Wednesday, September 11th.

After lunch the students had Phys. Ed with Mr. Fuchs and spent the period working on the different movement patterns and skills associated with Football.  Once they got back to class we had Science and continued to look at the characteristics of all living things.  We compared the list we created yesterday to the one from the textbook and I was really impressed how similar the two were. We've sure got a bright class!
During the last hour of the day the students had Social Studies with Mr. Csada and they started off the year by looking at various Symbols of Canada.  Our class also took the Canadian History Quiz and Mr. Csada said he was really impressed because we were the only class to get 100%.  Well done!

We definitely had a great first week of school and I can honestly say we have a really special group of students in our class this year.  I'm so excited to have such an awesome group of students and I know we are going to have an amazing year!  I hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday.

Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:Grade 8:
Pg. 51 (Due on Monday)

a)1-6, 9, 11, 12, 19
b) 5, 6, 9, 11-18
c) 5, 6, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21

Handout 2.1 is due on Wednesday

-*Remember to bring a sketch book for Arts. Ed*

- Boys & Girls Football - Remember to get your permission forms and driver forms signed and returned.


Important Dates:

- Boys & Girls Football games at St. Pius on Monday, September 9th.

-Meet the Teacher Night Tuesday, September 10th

-Boys Football game at St. Augustine.

Thursday 5 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 5th

http://lmfarley.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Multiple-Intelligence-wordle.JPG

This morning we began our day by finishing up the Digital Citizenship Power Point from yesterday's class.  We will be continuing to look at Digital Citizenship tomorrow and hopefully finish up the lesson by the end of Monday.  At 9:38 we switched gears and the students were each given a Multiple Intelligence survey to work on.  These surveys were really cool because they helped the students discover which which ways they learn best.  After completing the survey, the students took what they learned about themselves and transferred it over to a graph to show their different learning strengths.  It was very interesting to see how unique each student in our class is and I'm sure everyone learned something new about themselves today.

In Grade 8 Math we continued to look at Two and Three Term Ratio's as well as the various ways ratio's can be represented. We also began to look at equivalent ratio's and how to solve for a missing number.  The students we given their first assignment of the year which can be found at the end of this blog post. 

After lunch the students had Arts. Ed with Ms. Postma and participated in a cool drawing activity before heading to the gym for the annual QSP fundraiser.   Once they got back to our classroom we continued the Science lesson from yesterday by comparing the living and non-livings things from the student's lists.  The students were also each given a card with a living and non-living thing and were asked to find the differences and similarities between the two.  Using this information we compiled a list on the board that characterise all living organisms. 

During the last hour of the day the students had Phys. Ed with Mr. Fuchs and worked some more on their procedures before doing part of a circuit.  Then to end the day we finsished up our list from Science. 

 Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

Math:Grade 8: 
Pg. 51

a)1-6, 9, 11, 12, 19
b) 5, 6, 9, 11-18
c) 5, 6, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21
-*Remember to bring a sketch book for Arts. Ed*

- Boys & Girls Football - Remember to get your permission forms and driver forms signed and returned.


Important Dates:

- Boys & Girls Football games at St. Pius on Monday, September 9th.

-Meet the Teacher Night Tuesday, September 10th

-Boys Football game at St. Augustine.

Wednesday 4 September 2013

What We Learned Today...September 4th


http://theeducatorsroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Goals.jpg

This morning we started our day by working on some goal setting for this term as well as the year.  We discussed SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely) and why it is important to set goals for ourselves.  Students then made goals for themselves in each of their subject areas and also looked at what they needed to do in order to reach those goals. I was very impressed with how hard all of the students worked on this assignment and how knowledgeable they were in goal setting!

At 10:08 we switched gears and began looking at what it means to be good Digital Citizens.  The students were fortunate enough to view another wonderful (and totally not boring) Power Point about the topic.  We will continue to look at the concept of "Digital Citizenship" for the next few classes so we can begin using various forms of technology in our classroom next week.  

In Grade 8 Math we dove right into our first unit of the year on Rates, Ratio's and Proportional Reasoning.  In today's class we primarily focused on Ratio's, with a specific focus on Part-to-Part Ratio's and Part-to-Whole Ratio's. 

We kicked off our Math class by watching the video below. I hope math is no where near as frustrating for us this year as it is for the guy in this video!

 
After lunch the students had Phys. Ed with Mr. Fuchs and headed to the gym and went through their procedures for Phys. Ed class.  At 1:23 we had Science and kicked off our first unit of the year, "Interactions within Ecosystems", by making a list of Living and Non-Living things.  The students then got into groups and headed outside to make list of as many Living and Non-Living things they could find in our school yard.  We will compare our findings during tomorrow's Science class. 

During the last hour of the day the students had Health with Ms. Zwingli and looked at different kinds of positive and negative relationships. Students also played a cool game at the end of class called the "Relationship Stoplight Game". 

Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

-Remember to get your Procedures Handouts signed and returned.

- Boys & Girls Football - Remember to get your permission forms and driver forms signed and returned.


Important Dates:

- Boys & Girls Football games at St. Pius on Monday, September 9th.

-Meet the Teacher Night Tuesday, September 10th

-Boys Football game at St. Augustine.
-

Tuesday 3 September 2013

The First Day of School


Our first day as a Grade 7/8 class at Deshaye went amazing and we got a ton accomplished!  We learned about classroom and school procedures though an amazing Procedure Power Point Presentation that had the students begging for more after I was done! (No?? Well maybe it was just me!) Before heading out for Recess we participated in a ball toss team building activity and the students set a record of 1:04.  At 10:53 we headed down to the gym for a school wide assembly where Ms. Norris and Mr. Fuchs went over some of our new school procedures and introduced all the new staff to Deshaye. 

After lunch we had ELA and the students worked on an assignment that will help the teacher get to know them better.  They also took some time to write down the expectations they have for Grade 7/8 this year. Due to the nice weather today, we headed outside before recess and participated in another team building activity.

During the last hour of the day we spent some time playing people bingo before working on a few questions for our Time Capsule.  It was definitely an awesome first day of school and I can't wait to come back tomorrow! Even though it's only been one day I can already tell we have a real special group of students and we're going to have a great year!

Upcoming Due Dates & Homework:

-Remember to get your Procedures Handouts signed and returned tomorrow.

-Girls Football - Remember to get your permission formed signed and returned

-Bring Phys. Ed Clothes tomorrow.