Merry Christmas!

Hello,

I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

We had a great last few days, with the Christmas Concert performance, the Poinsettia craft and our Inquiry Math hot chocolate session.

Thanks for a great end to the year and I look forward to seeing you in 2014!

A few gifts to share with everyone as well:

Kiva Karousel Photos

Digital Citizenship - The Computer Virus

Digital Citizenship - JM and AL

Digital Citizens - Puppet Pals

Digital Citizens - CSJ

Trapped in the Screen Trailer

Trapped - Accompanying Video

We hope you enjoy their work. Have a great holiday!

Mr. Skinner

Mean, Median and Mode Toads

Hello,

Today we had our dress rehearsal for the Christmas concert and the students were great. Their energy and enthusiasm was amazing. I hope everyone that is able to attend enjoys the show. The primary concert begins at 8:40 and the Junior concert begins at 10:00. The students need to bring all of their props for Wednesday morning's show.

Besides practising, we also found time to return our library books and present our videos on Digital Citizenship. The students were very creative and showed they had learned a lot from the lessons. I am still waiting for the finished product from one group, but I will post links to all of the completed videos on the blog on Wednesday.

We also spent some time exploring mean, median and mode. The students were given a package to start working on, but I will give them time tomorrow. Today was mostly about watching and discussing some great videos about mean, median and mode. Take a look and see what you think.

The Mean, Median and Mode Toads

Hey Diddle diddle - mean, median, mode and range song

Mean, Median and Mode Rap

Warning: These videos will get stuck in your head! However, that's a good thing when you are learning these concepts! I have been rapping the last song to Stella all night.

Finally, this afternoon, the winners of the Kiva persuasive writing task were announced. Congratulations to Natasha and Carter for getting the most votes in our class. I will make a loan to both of your choices!

Have a great evening.

Mr. Skinner

An Amazing Day!

Hello,

This morning was a wonderful experience, as our inaugural Kiva Karousel was a great success. The students did a great job trying to persuade the voters and the students and teachers who voted took the process very seriously. A special thanks to all the parents who visited the Learning Commons to support their children and take part in the event. Thanks so much for coming!

The final results will be announced tomorrow afternoon, as both teachers will give loans to the two projects from their class that received the most votes. Best of luck to everyone!

We also had a very successful practice for the Christmas Concert. The students are displaying great teamwork and energy. I am sure they will put on an incredible performance on Wednesday morning.

Finally, a special congratulations to Adamina, who had her submission for the Meaning of Home Contest selected as a semi-finalist! That means that out of over 7000 submissions, her explanation of what home means to her was ranked in the top-24 overall! Congrats!

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

An Invitation

Hello,

This morning we completed the choreography for our Christmas Concert dance. Yesterday, I posted a link to the lyrics of our medley. Today, I have included the song.

Link to the Christmas medley file - for students only please.

The students are invited to practise their singing over the weekend. Please remember to bring your props on Monday.

On Monday, the students will also need to bring their completed poster boards for the Kiva persuasive letter. All parents are invited to attend our inaugural Kiva Karousel, where students will attempt to convince you that their project is most deserving of the loan. Everyone who attends gets the opportunity to cast a vote. We hope you can attend at 10 am on Monday morning. All students are bringing home an invitation tonight, but I wanted to post it on the blog as well, just in case.

This morning, the two classes worked together as all of the students printed out their good copies and worked on their poster boards. If the displays were not completed in class, students are asked to bring them home and finish them on the weekend, so they are ready for the presentations and discussions in the Learning Commons on Monday morning.

Have a great weekend.

Mr. Skinner

Working on our Good Copies

Hello,

Today, our two Grade 6 classes worked together for the morning blocks. All of the students finished up their Kiva persuasive rough drafts and then used a checklist to edit their work with a partner.

Tonight, the students are expected to make their changes and complete their good copies. Remember that you need to have three main points for why we should donate to the person you selected.

We also looked at advertising techniques and started to work on our display boards that will accompany our Kiva persuasive letters.

Finally, we continued to practice for our Christmas concert. Things are really starting to come together. All students are reminded to bring in their props for tomorrow's practice.

Lyrics for Christmas Concert - for students only please.

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

Persuasive Writing and Concert Practice

Hello,

This morning the students spent some time working on their choreography for the Christmas concert performance. All students are reminded to bring in their props and costumes for the practice on Thursday morning.

The students also had a block to work on and complete the first draft of their Kiva persuasive piece. If you did not complete the first draft in class, please finish it for homework, as we will begin to work on the posters tomorrow.

A special thanks to the boys in our class who went to the lacrosse tournament today. They represented themselves and the school very well. I was so proud of how they worked together as a team, beating every team they faced, and coming home with a perfect record! Way to go Rockets!

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Let the Race Begin!

Hello,

It is a very exciting day for us, as most students have completed their letters for the Great Canadian Mail Race! All completed letters have been mailed today and now we will wait and see who is the first student to get a response from another Canadian student.

We also continued our work on our persuasive piece, about whom we should loan our money on the Kiva website. All students are asked to complete the graphic organizer that outlines the three main points of the student's argument, as well as the supporting points for each of the main points. Once this step is completed, the students are asked to begin working on their rough draft.

Video with more information about Kiva

We also started to work on the next unit for Math - Data Management. Today, we examined data and made conclusions based on the graphs provided. The students are asked to complete the Practice questions.

Have a great night and bring your energy and enthusiasm tomorrow, as we will be practising for the Christmas concert.

Mr. Skinner

Welcome to Kiva

Hello,

This morning the students continued to work on their letters from the Great Canadian Mail Race. Everyone has put the finishing touches on their first drafts. Now, the students need to make sure they have completed their peer editing, select a school to send their letter to, and have Mr. Skinner look over the letter as well.

Our goal is to have the final copies of the letters sent out on Friday.

Now, that we are completing our friendly letters, we are moving onto persuasive writing. We began by discussing ways that we think the school could be improved, then selecting our three best arguments. The next step will be providing examples and evidence to back up the points.

This activity leads us to our persuasive writing project for December. Each student is asked to visit kiva.org and select a person that they would like to help. The site allows people to give loans to those in need, that will be paid back. The students will give their reasons why their person is the best choice and we will select projects to donate to at Christmas time.

The students are asked to take the first step tonight by exploring kiva.org and selecting two possible people that they would like to help. The students need to keep in mind that they will have to explain the reasoning behind their choice. This is the first time we have done a project like this and the teachers are very excited about it. We were very pleased to see the students sharing our enthusiasm this morning.

If parents would like to watch the Grade 6 students sing their hearts out as members of the choir for the Mass, it begins at 10:15. The students are reminded to wear a white or light coloured shirt and dark blue or black pants. Thanks.

Finally, a bit of sad news. We have had to cancel our field trip on Monday. Their has been an outbreak of illnesses and many of the residents are under the weather, so they can not host us at this time. We will try to re-schedule our visit in January.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Math Test & Christmas Concert Prep

Hello,

This morning, during first block, the students completed their Place Value Math test. I have corrected all of the multiple choice questions so far, and it looks like most students have done quite well.

Please remember to return the previous unit's test signed by a parent and I will conference with students and give them an opportunity to show greater understanding.

After completing the test, we joined up with Mrs. Izsak's class to prepare for our Christmas concert performance. We have decided on a unique Christmas medley performance that will involve dancing and teamwork. It should be a lot of fun.

After finalizing our plans for the concert, we held our last Grade 6 choir practice for Friday's mass. Thanks to Mrs. Hurley's great leadership and enthusiasm the students are very ready to lead the songs. They sound great. We hope that some of you can make it on Friday to be a part of the mass.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Responsible Digital Citizens Project and Math Review

Hello,

This morning the students used the iPads to brainstorm ideas for their culminating tasks for the digital citizens lessons. Their goal is to create a presentation that illustrates how to be a responsible digital citizen and highlights some of the ideas we explored in this unit.

The students came up with some very interesting ideas and in their groups of two or three began to work on their scripts for their commercials, movie trailers, skits, interactive posters and comic strips.

They will continue to work on these projects tomorrow, with the goal of completing them by the end of the morning. Once they are complete, I will post links to the work on the blog for parents to watch and enjoy.

In Math, we did a review task, where students completed a series of questions, checked their answers using QR codes and then corrected and discussed their solutions with a partner. It was a productive block and it highlighted areas we need to work on to get ready for the test on Wednesday. The students are encouraged to use the review task to help prepare for the test, as many of the questions just might be similar to the format of questions on the test - hint, hint.

Have a wonderful evening.

Mr. Skinner

The Great Canadian Mail Race

Hello,

First, let me say thanks to everyone who participated in another great after school basketball session today.

We had a very productive day today, as we discussed what the key components of a friendly letter are, and began our efforts to participate in the Great Canadian Mail Race. Each student will write a one page letter to a school of their choosing in a province or territory in Canada, and the first student to get a response wins!

The students started working on their rough drafts this morning on Google Drive and they are welcome to continue to work on them tonight when they are at home. Each letter should be roughly one page in length and follow the format we discussed in class. The students need to introduce themselves and explain why they are writing. They need to tell a little bit of key information about themselves, their school and their city. Finally, they will ask questions of the person who will eventually read and respond to the letter. We hope to get a lot of responses. It should be a great experience.

We also worked on ordering and rounding decimal numbers. We showed our understanding on the white boards and now the students are asked to work on the Practice questions for the two lessons at home.

The students do not have to complete all of the questions tonight. I have asked them to spend 15-20 minutes on each lesson, a total of 30-40 minutes on Math.

Have a great night and don't forget to display your Rocket spirit tomorrow. Wear red and blue!

Mr. Skinner

Here Comes the Snow

Hello,

This morning, we read a letter Natasha sent to us, detailing the start of her trip and we responded to her as a class, while reviewing the components of a friendly letter.

Our plan tomorrow is to complete the questions and the friendly letter that the students started on Monday, based on the biographies they read about three people who fought for fairness.

We also continued to work on the math activities about sorting and classifying numbers, that the students began with the supply teacher yesterday.

Finally, we spent some time in the Learning Commons, getting our library books for this week and holding a choir practice for the Grade 6 students, to prepare for the upcoming Mass.

If there is a Snow Day tomorrow - sorry in advance to all the students, but I think I just jinxed it for you - I have given the students some work to complete.

Everyone should complete the nine questions from the Biographies on Monday and work on the practice questions for the "Thousandths" math worksheets that I handed out today. If there is no Snow Day, we will work on these concepts in class tomorrow.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Wear your PJ's on Monday!

Hello,

This morning we went to the learning commons and exchanged our library books. Then we discussed strategies for how we can make a positive impact on our school, the community and the world. Next, the students formed groups and planned an activity that will show what they learned this week about digital citizenship, using technology.

Finally, in Math, we had some discussion and used our white boards to show our understanding of place value, expanded form, standard form and decimals. We also self-evaluated our Math tests using a rubric provided for the students. I will look over their self-evaluations this weekend and return the tests to the students on Monday.

Don't forget that next week is Spirit Week! Wear your coolest pyjamas on Monday for PJ Day!

Have a great weekend.

Mr. Skinner

Hope Through Habitat for Humanity

Hello,

This morning we had a guest speaker from Habitat for Humanity speak to the students about the work they do building homes in the area and around the world. We were told how the money raised from our submissions to the "Meaning of Home" contest would be used and she explained to us how these homes create a sense of real hope for the families who live in them.

Next, we worked together with the Grade 3 students in our classroom. We shared our writing for the "Meaning of Home" contest, where we explained what home means to us. Then the Grade 6 students helped the Grade 3 students write their own versions of what home means to them.

During second block we continued our lessons on being a good digital citizen. Today we discussed the reasons why you should not believe everything you read online and we talked about how the students should handle a situation if they are ever treated poorly by others, even their friends, online.

The students were asked to reflect on what they had learned so far, and look forward with regard to how they can make a positive impact on the lives of others.

For homework, the students were asked to fill the foot worksheet with five digital footprints they hope to leave in the next ten years. They were also asked to come up with one big idea and one small idea of how they could help others in the future, how they can make a difference in the world.

Finally, the students sang like angels in the learning commons with Mrs. Hurley, as they prepared to fill their role as the choir for the Advent mass in December.

Have a wonderful evening.

Mr. Skinner

SkyHawks Fly at Holy Redeemer!

Hello,

We were very fortunate to have members of the Ottawa SkyHawks basketball team visit our school today, sharing a message of being fit, helpful and treating each other with respect. They also showed off some of their basketball skills and even gave each student a voucher for free admission to a SkyHawks game this month!

Meeting the SkyHawks mascot, Tommy.

After the talk and basketball exhibition, we continued our digital citizenship lessons. Today, we looked at our digital footprint, and how the things we post online stay there for a long time. As part of the activity, the students were asked to choose a host for a television show from two candidates, but the information that we found online about them made our choice very difficult.

We also talked about how we can use our digital activities and footprint to accomplish great things, like raising money and awareness for a cause we believe in, following the example of Ottawa's Helene Campbell.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

An Awesome Day!

Hello,

Today was so much fun as all of the Grade 6 students watched the Ottawa 67's defeat the Belleville Bulls 9-4. Everyone was very well behaved, but they were also very vocal in their support for the 67's. It was a great day.

Thanks to all of the parents who volunteered to help out today. Also, congratulations to Ethan who did a great job passing the puck during the second intermission on-ice activities.

Before we went to the game we did some correcting of our previous place value and expanded form work. We also discussed some of our feeling about our novel, "Out of My Mind" and whether any of the answers Sharon Draper provided in her YouTube interview surprised us.

We will continue to work on our Math and explore new lessons about being a good digital citizen tomorrow morning. You have no new homework tonight, except for resting your vocal chords after all of your cheering today. Let's go 67's!

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Wear White for the Hockey Game

Hello,

I hope everyone is excited for the Ottawa 67's game on Tuesday morning! The bus will be picking us up at the school at 9:15 for the not so long trip to the Canadian Tire Centre. We will be back to school for the last block of the day.

The 67's have asked that we all wear white to the game. Food will be sold at the concession stands, but you can bring a bagged lunch with you. Remember, they will not allow us to bring in backpacks. Students who order pizza through the school will receive their slices when they return to the school after the game.

This morning, we took up the inquiry Place Value questions we started on Friday. We also began to correct the worksheets the students completed last week on this topic. The only homework for tonight is to finish Number 3 on the first sheet, which looked at expanded form.

In Language, we watched the interview with Sharon Draper, the author of Out of My Mind. We were very excited to finish the book on Friday and it was very cool to hear Mrs. Draper talk about her process for writing this great book. I asked the students to take notes from the interview about questions and answers they thought were interesting and we will be discussing the interview further, later in the week.

Have a good night and don't forget to wear white!

Mr. Skinner

Summaries, Books and Good Samaritans

Hello,

In Language this morning, we continued to read "Out of My Mind" and the students worked on a Google Doc that summarized what they had read the day before. We discussed how the summary should include all of the important events that happened during those chapters. We are almost at the end of the book! I am very excited that we might finish it tomorrow!

We also went to the Learning Commons to return our books and take out new reading material.

Finally, we proceeded with the next lesson of the Digital citizenship program. We worked on a lesson that examined the story of the Good Samaritan. We discussed how we can be good digital citizens, by taking care of our own personal information and treating our friends and family with respect online.

Please remember to complete the new Introduction to Place value sheet. We will be looking at this concept more closely on Friday.

Also, please remember to bring in your permission form for next week's 67's game, so that we can confirm our final numbers and let our possible parent volunteers know if their names have been drawn. Thanks.

Have a wonderful evening.

Mr. Skinner

Samaritans on the Digital Road

Hello,

Over the last two days we have started to learn about some new and exciting things.

In Math, we are beginning to explore number and where we have seen them in our daily life, during a Chalk Talk activity. The students were asked to talk about the biggest and smallest numbers they have seen this week. They were also asked to share what they knew about decimals and to explain and describe the number one million.

Today, the students looked at place value and were asked to complete four questions about the different values of numbers.

In Language, we are continuing to read "Out of My Mind." While reading the novel, the students have started to work on sketch art that portrays the main character of the story, Melody, using standard pencils and charcoal pencils.

Lastly, we have been working with a great resource provided by the Board - Samaritans on the Digital Road.

We will be working on these lessons over the next week. First, we discussed how we should treat each other if we want to be good citizens in our daily life. Next, we will focus on proper behaviour when we are online.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Remembrance Day

Hello,

This morning we were fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of the audience for a wonderful Remembrance Day ceremony at the school. Congratulations to all of the students from our class who participated in this great presentation.

With approximately half of the Grade 6 students preparing for the ceremony during first block, Mrs. Izsak and I merged our two classes to work on one of our social justice projects. The students worked on making "plarn" from milk bags, which will be used to make sleeping mats for those in need in Haiti.

Students hard at work, but having fun.

In the photo, you can see the instructional video, which took the students through the proper cutting process, playing in the background.

Finally, I wanted to say how great it was to get a chance to speak with so many parents on Thursday evening. Even though I was under the weather, I left feeling excited about the great discussions we had and the steps we can all take together to ensure success for each student in the class.

If I did not get the chance to speak with you on Thursday, I will be calling you this week to discuss your child's progress.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Interview Schedule

Hello,

Here is the class interview schedule for today:

3:10 - Ethan
3:20 - Adamina
3:30 - Justin C
3:50 - Joseph G
4:00 - Jamie
4:30 - Alexander
4:40 - Kaitlynne
4:50 - Carter
6:00 - Samantha
6:10 - Natasha
6:20 - William
6:30 - Mama
6:50 - Michael

I will also be having phone interviews for Adam, Anthony, Joseph M, Justin D and Chelsea.

For the phone interviews, I will call you over the next few days. I will try to call some of you tonight, but you don't need to be waiting by the phone at your designated time because I might have to stay in the gym at that time.

I'm looking forward to seeing many of you tonight.

Mr. Skinner

A Late Post

Hello,

Sorry for the delay this evening.

I have a sick little girl at home who is either dealing with allergies or a virus that has left her with quite the rash. I rushed home after basketball tonight to help look after her and I finally got her to go down to sleep!

Short but sweet tonight - I hope everyone is using our review sheet and the work we have done throughout the Math unit to prepare for Thursday's test. Good luck everyone! We had some good discussions today and I feel quite confident that the vast majority of the class is ready to ace this evaluation activity!

For Language, I am looking for everyone to have all of the Edmodo posts for Out of My Mind completed. I have been reading all of your posts, but I will be commenting on them this weekend and checking to make sure you have answered each question.

I look forward to seeing most of you at the interviews on Thursday afternoon and evening. I will send a reminder to my subscribers in the morning that will include my interview schedule.

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

Cool Chrome Apps and Math Review

Hello,

Today we went to the Learning Commons to get new library books during first block and we explored some very cool and useful Chrome Apps as well.

Please, try them out at home as well. I believe that the apps will transfer from one computer to another on your accounts, but you might have to download the extensions again.

A list of very cool Chrome apps

There are so many cool Chrome apps that can help you with your writing, reading, spelling and more! I encourage you to explore, we will be using these apps and others in the classroom.

The students also had the opportunity to respond to some new questions I posted about "Out of My Mind" on our Edmodo group. If you did not post responses for each question, please complete them for homework.

In Math, we had some great discussions while correcting our unit review activity in small groups. It seems like most students have a very strong grasp on multiples, factors and prime and composite numbers.

The students were given some worksheets for some practise today. We will continue to work on them tomorrow. Remember to complete Numbers 1 - 5 on the green sheet, number 1 on the back of it and Number 1 (a, b, c) on the white sheet.

We will now be having our test on this unit on Thursday, so please be ready to correct and discuss any questions you have tomorrow, so that everyone can display a great depth of knowledge when completing the test.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Happy Halloween!

Hello,

I hope everyone has a great night tonight! Try to stay dry!

Thanks to everyone who returned their report card envelopes and interview confirmation sheets.

This morning we continued to read "Out of My Mind" while the students worked on creating a 1-3 page narrative with a Halloween theme. Melody needs to be one of the characters in the story.

Students will present their stories to the class tomorrow morning, and prizes - the leftover candy from my house - will be up for grabs. Anyone who wants to win needs to finish their stories tonight. I will give the students 15-20 minutes in class to put the finishing touches on their stories in the morning.

In Math, we corrected the problem solving factor questions. I also handed out the unit review task we will work on tomorrow. We will be using it to prepare for the test next week.

Good luck tonight! Don't eat all of your candy at once!

Have a good evening.

Mr. Skinner

A Later Than Usual Post

Hello,

I'm sorry for the late post tonight. I was at school late working on the apps for the iPads, then when I got home I wanted to spend some quality time with my daughter before getting her ready for bed.

This morning, all of the students worked in pairs to edit their "Meaning of Home" writing. Then we submitted the final copies. The winners will be announced in January. Hopefully someone from our class will be a winner.

I also continued to read from our novel, "Out of My Mind." The students are asked to respond to the two new questions I posted today.

Finally, in Math I continued to conference for patterning. I only have one student left to work with now. We also did an inquiry math activity in pairs. The students had to work together to solve two questions dealing with multiples. We didn't have time to correct the factors work, numbers 5-11 today, so if you didn't get your work done, it must have been your lucky day. We will be looking at these questions on Thursday morning.

Next, we will work on a unit review, which will help us get ready for a test next week.

Don't forget to wear orange and black tomorrow!

Last but not least, the progress reports went home today. Please review them as a family and return the interview form to me. If you can't make your assigned time for next week's interviews, I will be happy to set up a time for a phone interview to discuss your child's progress.

Have a great evening.

Mr. Skinner

What is a Home?

Hello,

This morning we continued to work on our "Meaning of Home" writing submissions.

Meaning of Home contest

The students have submitted completed rough drafts - 50 to 300 words - to me, about what home means to them. If any students have not completed their rough drafts, they are asked to complete their work tonight. Remember, you can check examples from previous years for inspiration.

Next, we examined and corrected the first four questions, dealing with factors and Prime and Composite numbers. Everyone is asked to complete questions 5 - 11 tonight.

Thanks to the six students who gave me their Math notebooks yesterday. The work was well done. I have collected five books tonight. The final 7 students are asked to have their notebooks ready on Wednesday.

Finally, a reminder that we will not be having after school basketball on Wednesday, as we played at lunch recess today. There will be after school basketball on Friday afternoon.

Have a good evening.

Mr. Skinner

Math Review and Chalk Talk

Hello,

This morning we corrected our five "multiples problem solving questions" and looked at the importance of reading the questions carefully, so we are sure we have answered all parts of the question.

Next, we reviewed two digit, by two digit multiplication and all of the steps involved.

Finally, while I continued to conference with students, everyone worked on their Prime and Composite Number questions. All students are expected to complete questions 1 - 4 tonight.

Over the next few days I will also be taking a look at all of the Math notebooks. Thanks to the six students who volunteered to hand in their books first. Please make sure that all assigned work is complete.

We also had an interruption during Math class this morning - a fire drill!

Kudos to the entire class for being so well behaved. Despite the cold temperatures, they waited in line with me before entering the school and set a wonderful example for all of the younger students.

During second block we had a great Chalk Talk activity, where the students brainstormed on chart paper what "Home" means to them. In small groups, the students wrote responses on chart paper, about home, without speaking. They came up with some great ideas, which will be posted, to help them complete their "Meaning of Home" writing assignments when we have the netbooks in the morning.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Silent Communication

Hello,

This morning, we started by reviewing factors, and prime and composite numbers. I gave the students some time to complete the work assigned by the supply teachers the previous days, while I worked on my conferences with students, as we went over the previous Math unit.

The rest of the two-digit multiplication sheet is for homework tonight. We will be correcting this work, and the multiples problem solving tomorrow. We will also continue to work on factors.

Thanks to all of the students who returned their signed Math tests today. I am still looking for signed tests from: Jamie, Justin C, Adamina, Justin D, Anthony, Mama, Joe M, Michael, Adam and Kaitlynne. Please return them to me as soon as possible.

During second block, the students found out what it would be like to communicate like Melody from our novel, "Out of My Mind."

Using Communication Boards to have a conversation in class.

The students used communication boards to have conversations with one another and to perform basic tasks throughout the school. It was an eye-opening experience. Many students said it was difficult to keep track of what the other person was trying to say and that their choice of words on their boards really impacted how well they could communicate. Both classes were in the same room and you could hear a pin drop. It was amazing! We will continue our discussions about how this activity went tomorrow morning, before we begin carving pumpkins.

Yes, we will be carving pumpkins tomorrow morning to help decorate the gym for tomorrow night's Halloween Family Fun Night!

Halloween Family Fun Night Information!

The pumpkin carving might get a little messy (hopefully not), so don't wear your nicest clothes. Unless you are taking part in the photo re-takes, then bring your nicest clothes too!

One final note. I wanted to share this article from Wednesday's Ottawa Citizen, which profiles a young man, whom I had the privilege to work with, many Summers ago, at a day camp in Kanata.

As I mentioned in class today, he refuses to let obstacles get in his way, and always strives to achieve his goals, just like Melody, in our novel. 

Tommy Des Brisay profile - Ottawa's First Fastest Runner

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

Multiplication and Communication Boards

Hello,

I hope everyone had a great day while I was at my Math workshop.

Today the students put the finishing touches on their Communication Boards, with their 40 words, number line and alphabet. We will use the boards for a communication exercise on Thursday, with the other Grade 6 class.

In Math, the students were asked to work on the final three Multiples problem solving questions and a worksheet that examined two-digit multiplication. Each student should have at least one page completed from the multiplication worksheet.

I will be at a resource workshop on Wednesday, so After School Basketball will have to be re-scheduled. I will probably hold a session at lunch recess on Thursday, as my afternoons are booked solid this week.

See you on Thursday.

Mr. Skinner

Choose Your Math Questions this Weekend

Hello,

This morning the students started the day by picking 40 words they will use on a Communication Board next week to simulate the communication experiences of Melody in "Out of My Mind."

They also completed a self-evaluation of their learning skills for the year so far. I will be sending these evaluations home next week, so that they can be reviewed and discussed as a family.

Their final task in Language class was to complete a Grammar worksheet that examined synonyms and antonyms. The students are asked to have this sheet completed for Tuesday.

In Math, the patterning tests were returned to the students. Everyone is asked to return the signed tests next week. I am happy to conference with anyone next week who would like to work on more questions, so that they can show increased understanding and improve their final mark. I had originally said the conferences would start on Monday, but since the students will be gone on their field trip to the Bill Mason Centre, we will hold the conferences later in the week.

We also corrected questions from our Multiples worksheets and examined strategies students used to solve the questions.

Finally, the students received a new problem solving worksheet. Everyone is reminded that they do not have to complete all of the questions. They need to select two questions from Numbers 4, 5 and 6 on the front page, and two questions from the problem solving section.

Have a great weekend.

Mr. Skinner

A Day to Give Thanks!

Hello,

This morning the Grade 6 students displayed great teamwork and faith as they worked together to prepare a delicious fruit salad and delectable soup for lunch.

First, the students brought in and prepared all of the food, under the supervision of the Grade 6 teachers. Then, they shared prayers of Thanksgiving and enjoyed the feast together. It was a great morning.

As we spent most of the morning working on this team-building task, and completing an online survey about Math, there is no new homework tonight. Please make sure to have the assigned Math and Language tasks completed, so that we can move forward tomorrow.

Have a great night. Thanks to all the students for working so hard and making today such a wonderful experience.

Making Fruit Salad.

Mr. Skinner

Congrats to the Class!

Hello,

We were crowned the winners today for the Junior division in the spirit category at the Walk-a-thon! Everyone did an incredible job dressing up and participating in our singing, chanting and dancing.

I was going to post the song, but I thought I would test the memories of the students and ask them to teach the song to their parents tonight.

Special thanks to Natasha, for choreographing the dance moves for "What does the fox say?"

A class photo of our tickled pink and green to grow theme.

We won a pizza party which we will have later in the year. We usually have them just before a holiday (Christmas, March Break etc.). More details will follow in the near future.

It wasn't all Walk-a-thon preparations today, we also read from our "Out of My Mind" novel study and responded to questions about the novel on our Edmodo group. Students are reminded that they can post on our group at home as well.

Any students who did not complete the "Ring story" are expected to finish it tonight, so that it can be handed in tomorrow.

Finally, in Math we will wrap up our introduction to Multiples. Please have as much as possible of the second multiples sheet completed tonight, so we can correct the work and move onto factors.

A reminder to everyone to bring in their assigned food tomorrow so that we can all contribute to our Grade 6 post-Thanksgiving feast.

Have a wonderful evening.

Mr. Skinner

Tickled Pink & Green for Growth

Hello,

After some discussions and voting today, we decided that we would select a theme of tickled pink and green for growth for the walk-a-thon. The choice of colours shows support for Joe (Green) and for Cancer research (pink). All of the students are encouraged to wear these colours and bring their pledges in the morning. We will select our final version of our chants and songs in the morning as well.

We also read another chapter of "Out of My Mind" today and took out new books at the library. The students also used some work time to complete the language activities assigned by the supply teachers last week. Please make sure that the Iceberg Wranglers and Strange Job sheets are completed. It would also be much appreciated if all the students brought in some lyrics for our walk-a-thon songs.

Finally, for Math, please have the introduction to multiples double-sided worksheet completed. We will continue to work on the second multiples sheet tomorrow.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Have an Amazing Thanksgiving Weekend!

Hello everyone,

I hope all the students had a productive day with the supply teacher on Thursday. The Math is not for homework, we will continue to work on multiples next week, but feel free to work on the sheets if you want to get ahead and get some extra practice.

For Language, I expect that you have completed all overdue work (comic strips, jobs worksheet and Iceberg Wranglers questions). We will continue to work on the Edmodo group postings next week.

As for our theme for the Walk-a-thon, I know we have not had a chance to think about and discuss it yet, but I was thinking we could possibly wear pink. My friend Wayne was in the Ottawa Citizen this week after participating in the Walk for the Cure and I thought he looked pretty cool. We wouldn't have to dress as crazy as him. He was just my inspiration for the idea. Let me know what you think on Tuesday.

Finally, I wanted to share an awesome video that we watched today about working together to overcome obstacles and succeed as part of our PD Day activities. I thought it was incredible and wanted to share it with you too. 

Have a wonderful weekend with your families. Happy Thanksgiving!

Mr. Skinner

Wear Your Green Clothes Tomorrow!

Hello,

I was at a workshop this morning, so this will be a quick summary of what the students were supposed to work on, and what they assured me at After School Basketball that they had completed.

First, the students read a story called "Iceberg Wranglers" and answered multiple choice and short answer questions about the story in the language duotang.

If they completed this task, they started to write a narrative about finding a ring on the sidewalk. Both of these tasks were from EQAO tests from past years. I want them to be comfortable with the types of tasks they will need to complete, so it will seem like our usual routine when they write the test in the spring.

For Math, the students examined multiples and lowest common multiples. They were given a double sided worksheet of practice questions to complete in class. I will give more time to work on these questions in class on Thursday, but if you didn't get much done, it would be a good idea to work on the questions tonight.

Don't forget to wear green and bring in money if you would like to support him and to help fund his treatments as he battles Dravet Syndrome.

Have a good evening.

Mr. Skinner

Edmodo Posts, Library Books and New Seats

Hello,

This morning we started the day with a trip to the Learning Commons to take out new books for the week. Thanks again to Natasha and Chelsea for helping everyone check out their books.

Next, we did our monthly seating change. We kept the desks in the same formation, but the students had to sit besides someone new for the month. The entire class was so well behaved and worked so hard for the month of September that I decided to let them choose their seating partners for this month as well.

Next, we read more from "Out of my Mind". We learned about a teacher that really annoyed Melody with her teaching methods. I hope that none of the students ever feel that way about me.

I posted some new questions on our Edmodo group and the students posted their responses, using the netbooks. If you haven't responded to all of the questions yet (except for the most recent one, as we haven't read to that part), please type your responses tonight. I will moderate and approve answers later this evening.

I am also still waiting on a few comic strips. I approved a few more comics today and I will check again this evening to see if any more have been submitted to me.

During second block we worked on a task involving proportional reasoning. The students had to answer the following three questions:

1. If you cut a piece of wood into 3 cm pieces, 1 cm is left over. If it is cut into 4 cm pieces, 1 cm is still left over. How long is the original piece of wood?

2. A recipe for 8 muffins uses 2 cups of flour. Choose a different number of muffins - either 10, 12 or 14 muffins. Tell how you will change the amount of flour. How many extra muffins did you make? Why do you not add that many cups of flour to the recipe?

3. Ross has a picture on his computer of a rectangle that is twice as long as it is wide. If he enlarges the shape so that the length is 50 cm, what is the width?

I will be using the data collected to help guide discussion at a Math workshop I am attending on Thursday with Math teachers in our School Board.

It was very interesting to see the responses of the students and the results will help to guide my instruction going forward. Ask your children if they can explain how they solved the questions. We have not corrected them yet.

Our Math took a little longer than expected, so the note about the Thanksgiving Grade 6 lunch will be sent out on Wednesday. The students will also be selecting what they would like to contribute as part of the meal.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

What are we Thankful for?

Hello,

After an incredible retreat at the church to end last week, we were back to work today.

First, let me say how proud I was of our students at the retreat last Friday. Everyone was very quiet and focused during the morning Mass. Then the students had a lot of fun participating in a variety of games and discussions. Of course, they enjoyed the pizza lunch and they learned a lot from the informative tour of the church.

Hopefully the students enjoyed the day as much as I did and some might start attending the Rock youth group if they are looking for something productive to do on Friday nights.

Upon our return to the school, the students wrote thank you letters to Cathy, the youth coordinator at Holy Redeemer Church, for all of her hard work, preparing for the day.

The two classes got together again today to start planning a Thanksgiving lunch we will have as a group next week. A letter will be sent home on Tuesday. In groups of four, the students also composed prayers that highlighted some of the many things that the students are thankful for.

Earlier this morning, our class continued to read "Out of my Mind." The students posted their responses about the book and the characters on our Edmodo group. We also had some discussions about how Melody would feel during her visit to the doctor and in her classroom.

A reminder that all students should complete their recount comic strip. No more class time will be given for this task. It will now be completed during recesses on the netbooks with Mr. Skinner, or at home.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Time to Correct

Hello,

This morning I went through the Math tests with most of the students. I was very impressed with the results and the explanations of their strategies that the students provided. Many of the students were clearly working at Level 3 or Level 4 and we will work next week with the rest of the students to get their level of understanding to Level 3 as well.

While I was working with the students, individually or in small groups, on their Math, the rest of the students worked on the netbooks. Everyone finished the good copies of their Summer recount. Students are reminded to have their comic strips completed for Monday.

I would also like the Strange but True Job Files worksheets handed in on Friday morning.

I will continue to give feedback regarding the test in the morning, before we go to the church for our Grade 6 retreat.

I am really looking forward to the retreat at Holy Redeemer Church and I hope the students are too. I still need permission slips from Joe M., Justin D., Chelsea and Jamie. Please bring them in on Friday morning.

Have a wonderful evening.

Mr. Skinner

Our First Test is Done!

Hello,

This morning the students completed their patterning math test. At first glance, the students look to have done quite well.

I will be correcting the tests tonight and going through their work with the students tomorrow morning.

The one thing that I will continue to remind all students to do is show all of their work. If they show their steps, they can still get credit if they make a calculation error.

After we completed the test, we read from "Out of my Mind". Tomorrow morning we will be discussing the character traits of the major characters of the story.

We will also have the netbooks, so the students will have a final opportunity to work on their Summer recounts and comic strips.

Finally, don't forget to bring your permission slips for the church retreat on Friday.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Practice Makes Perfect

Hello,

I hope everyone had a productive day while I was at the Board office working with Grade 3 and Grade 6 teachers. We were discussing strategies for best preparing our students for success during the EQAO testing period.

With their supply teacher, the students corrected the rest of the Practice Test and worked on some growing pattern questions to help them get ready for tomorrow.

Before we start the test, I will take any questions in the morning to ensure understanding of the concepts.

The students then completed a reading and questions examining strange and interesting career that some people have. Next, they started to work on some videos about collaboration and responsibility, using the iMovie app on the iPads. We will continue to work on these videos later in the week.

Once we complete the test tomorrow we will read more of "Out of my Mind" and continue our class discussions.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Introducing Edmodo and Out of My Mind

Hello,

This morning the students were introduced to our Global Read Aloud novel - Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper.

The students logged into the group I created on Edmodo and posted predictions about the book. I will invite the students to post comments and answer questions as we read. I will moderate and approve each response before it is posted on our discussion group.

While we had the netbooks, the students also had the opportunity to work on their editing of the recount paragraphs and their comic strips. The good copies for both of these activities should be completed by the end of the week.

In Math, we corrected the multiple choice section of the Math Practice test. We started to correct the open response questions, but we ran out of time. We will continue our correcting tomorrow and work on some more practice questions to get ready for our test on Wednesday. I was working on some problems after school today for you to solve in the morning and I think I can provide solutions and explanations that will clear up any confusion regarding the growing pattern questions today.

Have a good evening.

Mr. Skinner

Variables and Graphs

This morning we shared and solved our variable questions. We also began to graph some of our patterning data, in line graph form.

Tomorrow we will begin to work on a review task that looks back on all that we have done during our patterning unit.

The students also completed their responses for the "Peacocks and Band-Aids" story. The students will use the netbooks to work on the good copies of their summer recounts and their comic strips on Friday morning.

Have a great evening.

Mr. Skinner

Working Together to Overcome Differences

Hello,

We just finished up another great session of after school basketball. Thanks to everyone that attended.

This morning we completed and corrected our Math work on pattern cores. Next, we began to explore variables, solving problems on our white boards, such as:

n + 8 = 20
n - 7 = 13
n x 3 = 18
n divided by 9 = 7

For each question they had to isolate n and find its value.

Tonight, the students have been asked to create a challenging question involving variables for their friend to solve tomorrow.

We also participated in an interesting group discussion with Mrs. Izsak's class as we talked about our experiences during the Alpha Beta game. We talked about how the groups were different and the barriers we had to overcome when we tried to join the other group. The main differences we found were language and cultural, but we talked about how we collaborated to overcome these obstacles and achieve success in the games.

Then our class read a story about different cultures and talents called "Peacocks and Band-Aids". The students started to answer comprehension questions about the main ideas and different characteristics of the story. They will wrap up their work on these questions tomorrow in class. It wasn't assigned for homework, but if anyone did bring the questions home they are welcome to work on them tonight.

Have a great evening. I look forward to seeing some challenging Math questions in the morning. You can even create variable word problems if you want!

Mr. Skinner 

Alphas, Meet Betas

Hello,

This morning we had a visit from Cathy Koss, the Children and Ministry Coordinator at Holy Redeemer Church. She discussed the theme of faith with the children and explored the idea that God was watching over all of us, as our guardian angel.

We also took books out from the school learning commons for the first time this year. Thanks to Chelsea and Natasha for helping the other students to check out our books.

Next, we took some time to examine the core of a pattern. The students were asked to complete questions 1 to 4 on the worksheet provided today.

Lastly, we played a very interesting game with Mrs. Izsak's class that explored cultural themes and communication issues. Two groups, the Alphas and the Betas, with very different assigned cultures and communication styles, had to attempt to interact successfully in their respective homelands. It was very interesting to see how the students worked together and the roadblocks and difficulties they faced along the way.

Both groups will be having a debrief session tomorrow to discuss how things went and how they feel this activity relates to real life. I'm looking forward to a fascinating discussion.

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

More 67's Tickets are Available!

 

Holy Redeemer has been given free tickets to more Ottawa 67's games through the Adopt A School Program thanks to our sponsor Capital Security & Investigations. The games dates are:

 Friday, September 27th (7:30pm)

Sunday, September 29 (2pm)

Sunday, October 6 (2pm)

Friday, October 11 (7:30pm)

Sunday, October 13 (2pm).

 If you would be interested in tickets for one of these games please send a note to school with your child.

 Please be sure to indicate your child's name, homeroom teacher, and the number of tickets you would like.

  A maximum of 4 tickets can be given per family.

 A draw for tickets will be made from all submitted requests. 

 Thanks very much!  Let's go 67's!

 

 

 

A Great Trip to the Library!

Good afternoon,

We had a great trip to the Ottawa Public Library - Hazeldean branch. We definitely got our exercise as we walked to the library and back to the school.

We also exercised our minds, as we learned about the many resources available at the library.

Every student who brought their library card, or who was given a new one, had an opportunity to take out one or two books. Remember that they have to be returned in three weeks.

Thanks so much to our volunteers that helped us out with the walk. It was a blessing that we were all able to go to the library. It was closed on the weekend, due to a leak in the roof from the heavy rain.

Thankfully, the library was open for business today and we could go on our tour.

Have a great evening. Enjoy reading all of your new books!

Mr. Skinner

Bring your Smiles!

Hello,

Tomorrow is Picture Day, so please remember to dress up and bring your nicest smiles! I would also really appreciate it if all permission slips and registration form for our trip to the library next Monday could be returned tomorrow. All parents who indicated they are available to volunteer are welcome to attend. We appreciate your help. I will call you tomorrow to confirm your attendance. Thanks again.

This morning we continued to work on our reading response strategies, with a focus on providing evidence and examples for our answers. The students read a story called "The Green Detective" and answered multiple choice and short answer questions in the blue language duotangs.

Next, in Math we continued to explore Input and Output patterns and discovered some interesting rules and patterns that helped us to solve the questions. Ask your child if they can explain how the multi-step Input/Output pattern works. Then we worked on changing sequence patterns. The students should be bringing home their worksheet if they didn't complete the questions during class time.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner  

Patterns, Patterns Everywhere!

Hello,

We just finished another great session of After School Basketball. Thanks to all of the Grade 6 students that participated.

This morning we worked on some Math patterning problems on the whiteboards to check for understanding. We went over some of the concepts from yesterday's Input/Output questions and the students are asked to complete any questions tonight that they left blank on Tuesday night.

We also examined changing sequence patterns. The students are asked to indicate the pattern and the next two numbers in each sequence in their Math notebooks.

1. 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29, ___, __

2. 25, 22, 19, 16, ___, ___

3. 100, 80, 85, 65, 70, ____, ___

4. 25, 30, 40, 45, 55, ___, __

5. 17, 13, 19, 15, 21, __, __

In Language, we reviewed "The Answer Sandwich" method for making sure examples are provided for answers to reading response questions. The students are asked to review and edit their answers for the "Mountain Monsters" worksheets.

Students are also reminded to return their permission forms for next week's trip to the library. Thanks.

Have a good evening.

Mr. Skinner

At a Workshop Today

Hello,

I was at a workshop for resource teachers at the Board office today, so the Grade 6 students had a supply teacher.

I am sure everyone was very productive and worked hard on the assigned Language and Mathematics tasks.

If they didn't have time to complete the tasks, the students are expected to complete the "Mountain Monsters" story responses in their blue language duotangs.

They also need to complete the patterning Jump Math worksheet in their black Math duotangs.

If class time was used wisely, there should not be that much homework for the students to work on.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Save the World with your patterning skills

Hello,

This morning the students worked with me to edit their Summer recount paragraphs on Google Drive. I gave them feedback on how they can improve their work and they have been asked to make changes before they continue to work on the Bitstrip that will accompany the paragraph.

I will continue to edit the paragraphs tonight, so check your Google Drive to see if I have provided some new feedback on your work.

In Religion, we created name tags that will be used in a display that will stress the importance of our name and how we all have an important role to play in the group that is our class.

In Math, we corrected our work from last week and played a fun game that allowed us to help save the world by using our patterning skills. The students did very well and helped to thwart the evil forces.

If you would like to give it a try with them, try the game at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/maths/number/number_patterns/play/popup.shtml

After you play the game and save the world, solve this question too.

Tyler collects coins each day. He collects 3 coins on Day 1. The number of coins he collects each day is double the number of coins he collected the day before. On what day will Tyler collect exactly 96 coins?

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

Recycling and 67's tickets!

Here is some interesting information I have been asked to post on my blog, to help spread the word:

1. Ottawa 67's Home Opener - Free Tickets

The school has been given the opportunity to distribute free tickets to this Friday's home opener of the Ottawa 67's at the Canadian Tire Centre. Game time is 7:30 pm. 

If you are interested in receiving tickets, please send a note to school with your child. Please be sure to include your child's name, their homeroom teacher and the number of tickets you would like to have. Tickets will be distributed on a first come-first served basis. 

Thanks very much to the Ottawa 67's for this opportunity!

2. Do you know what we collect at Holy Redeemer?

Holy Redeemer is proud to be a Silver Eco School this year! Each day we collect a variety of items that in addition to helping care for the environment, also assist various charities and social justice projects. Should you have any of the following items, please send them in.  There are collection containers just inside the front entrance of the school. 
1. used batteries including rechargeable and button cell batteries (for responsible recycling)
2. used ink cartridges (for responsible recycling)
3. outer milk bags (to make plarn used in sleeping mats for developing countries)
4. pop can tabs (to assist various charities)
5. egg cartons (to assist an Ottawa food bank in distributing donated eggs to clients)

Have a great day. My usual daily recap will be posted this afternoon.

Mr. Skinner

Bitstrips for Schools

Hello,

This morning we continued to explore patterning. We discussed our previous work solutions and completed some new practice questions in our notebooks. If the questions were not finished, students are expected to work on 6 (a, b, c) and 7-8.

For an extra Math challenge, solve this question:

Ten students in our classroom all shake hands with each other once. How many total handshakes will there be?

During second block we worked on the netbooks. We explored a site called Bitstrips for Schools.

The students created their own avatars and will be using the program to create comic strips that will illustrate the stories of their Summer recount paragraphs. The students are encouraged to continue to explore the site.

Have an amazing weekend!

Mr. Skinner

So Proud

Hello,

All of the students did an amazing job at today's Mass. We practised this morning and then took part in the Mass at 10:15. The students set a high standard for the other classes, as they did a great job with the readings and the songs. They also set a wonderful example by listening quietly throughout the entire Mass.

This morning we also completed the writing portion of our t-shirt assignment. The paragraph that explains the design was glued to the shirt and will be displayed on their desks for parents to see at Meet the Teacher night, tonight at 6:30.

We did not have enough time to work on the Math pattern problems this morning, so if anyone didn't get them done, it's your lucky day. We will correct them on Friday.

There is no new homework today. Just remember to bring in your pizza orders and if you are free tonight, stop by the school at 6:30.

Thanks for your great participation and effort so far this year, in the classroom, during Masses and even in the gym for after school basketball. We are off to a great start!

All the best.

Mr. Skinner

Bonus - optional task requested by some students:

In a hockey arena, the first row has 276 seats, the second row has 288 seats and the third row has 300 seats. Each row after this continues to increase by the same number. If the arena has a total of 6 rows, how many seats are in the arena?

Getting Ready for the Mass

Hello,

This morning we were preparing for Thursday's Mass. We read our parts and worked on a display for the gym. Each student who is reading a section for the Mass has a hard copy to bring home for practise time tonight. All parents are invited to attend the September Mass, which will be held on Thursday, at 10:15.

In Language, we continued to work on our paragraph writing. The students used the netbooks to type their descriptions of how the shirts they designed represent them. They will be displayed at tomorrow night's Meet the Teacher session at the school. If the students did not complete their paragraph during class time, they will be expected to finish it tonight.

Finally, the students shared their solutions for last night's problem solving questions. We had some discussions and did some re-teaching to help clear up any difficulties the students were having with the patterning questions.

Tonight, the students are asked to build on our solution to last night's final question and respond to the following in their Math Notebooks.

Now that we know that 18 people can sit at 4 tables pushed together and 22 people can sit at 5 tables pushed together, how many people can sit around 15 tables?

How many tables would be needed to seat 100 people?

Have a great evening.

Mr. Skinner

Another Busy Day

Hello,

This morning we worked on the netbooks and the students worked on their Summer recounts and their descriptions of how the shirts they created reflect their personalities.

We will continue to work on the shirt activity. The students are expected to have the Summer recount paragraph completed, so they can start working on the comic strip.

In Religion, we selected our roles for the Mass on Thursday. We will practise our parts tomorrow and I will give each reader a hard copy in the morning.

In Math, we continued to work on patterns. We explored term values and growing patterns. The students are asked to solve the following problems in their notebooks tonight. Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

1. Stella ran a 10 km race.

She ran the first kilometre in 5 minutes.

She got tired and slowed down, and each kilometre after that took 1 minute longer to run than the kilometre before.

How long did it take Stella to run the race?  Show your work.

2. Craig saves $12 each month from his paper route with the Kanata Kourier.

a) Write a pattern of numbers that shows the amount Craig saves in 1 to 4 months.

b) Write a pattern rule to calculate the amount he saves in any number of months.

c) Use your pattern rule to calculate the amount Craig saves in 10 months.

d) Craig wants to buy a new hockey jersey for $100. For how many months does he need to save? Show your work.

3. Mr. Skinner’s class  is getting ready for Meet the Teacher Night.

Six people can sit around one rectangular table.

When two tables are pushed together, 10 people can be seated.

When three tables are pushed together, 14 people can be seated.

How many people can sit around 4 tables? How many people can sit around 5 tables? Show your work.

Shirts That Represent Us

Hello,

This morning we shared our solutions to Math problem I posted on the blog this weekend. I was very happy with the discussions the students had and the explanations provided for their thinking.

Ask your child what the correct answer is to ensure they can explain their thinking independently.

We also worked on an introductory lesson to patterns on the SmartBoard this morning. We had great participation. Everyone was involved. The students solved a variety of patterning questions and they will create their own question Tuesday morning for a partner to solve.

During second block we collaborated with the other Grade 6 class. The students cut out pictures and words from magazines that they felt represented them and glued the items on a shirt cut-out that will be displayed in the classroom. The students worked hard and had a lot of fun searching for the perfect pictures to represent who they are.

https://twitter.com/MsKimIzsak/status/377082360308563968/photo/1

We will be working on a writing activity that connects to this task on the netbooks tomorrow. We will also continue our work on our Summer retell paragraphs that we started last week. It will be a busy Language block as we will be working on two writing tasks, as well as putting the finishing touches on our shirts. It is recommended that each student takes some time to review and edit their recount paragraph on Google Drive, so they are ready to move forward tomorrow.

Please return the student information sheets (Sept. 11) and the pizza order forms (Sept. 13) by the requested dates.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Sample Math Question - Working out the kinks on the feed

Hello,

I wrote a post on Saturday, made changes to fix the feed, and subscribed, but I never received an e-mail, so I am trying to work out the problems before Monday.

Here is a question we started to tackle on Friday morning. Some groups were able to solve it and share their answers with me. See if you can solve it with your child before we discuss the question further on Monday.

Consider how 30 is written below as the product of prime numbers.

 

30 = 2 x 3 x 5 

 

Write 168 as the product of prime numbers.

 

Show your work.

Don't forget to bring in your magazines! Have a great Sunday!

Mr. Skinner

How We Learn

Hello,

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. Thanks to everyone who wore red on Friday. There are definitely a lot of you reading the Blog.

Several students told me there was an issue with the e-mail subscription option. I checked some of the coding and I think the issue is resolved now. Some of my old subscribers might have to sign up again, due to the changes to the feed.

If all else fails, you can always go directly to the Blog.

In the morning I shared a little bit of my personal story, and how God helped me through some difficult times after my birth, almost three months premature.

The students also did some sharing. They explained their choices and calculations for their Back to School shopping activity.

We also explored the different ways people learn, when we read a passage about Multiple Intelligences. The students completed a survey and created a graph to illustrate their learning strengths.

All students are asked to bring in any magazines they have for Monday. We will be working with the other Grade 6 class to make art that illustrates who they are.

See you on Monday!

Mr. Skinner

Hello Netbooks

Hello,

This morning we had access to the netbooks, so I had everyone sign on and make sure they could still access their school accounts and use Google Drive to share assignments with their teachers and peers.

Almost everyone was able to log in and access their Google account. I will be talking to the IT staff with the Board to make sure everyone can get online effectively.

Once the students accessed Google Drive I asked them to tell me a little bit about their Summer, in a paragraph or two, and share the file with me. I have been reading about some very interesting stuff. I wish I could have been there with you for some of the fun activities you described.

Next, we finished our Back to School Shopping activity. We posted them on the wall outside the class and we will present our work in the morning.

Finally, we started to work on Multiple Intelligences Surveys, to help discover the many different ways our students learn. We will finish this activity on Friday and create graphs with the data.

We were so busy working on our shopping activities that we didn't get a chance to write in our agendas today. Sorry about that.

Your only homework for today is to show the blog to your parents and return the Activity fees and the Parents as Partners forms.

Anyone can say that they read the blog with their parents, so here's a little test. I want everyone to wear something RED tomorrow - shirt, pants, shorts, socks, it doesn't matter what, just be sure to wear some red!

Have a great night!

Mr. Skinner