Congrats!

Hello,

I just wanted to send a quick congratulations to everyone. The EQAO results have been released and you did amazing! Just like I knew you would!

You should receive your individual results at Holy Trinity soon, but the overall school results have been released and you excelled.

You can find the information at: http://www.eqao.com/en/assessments/results

Also, I'm sure many of you have seen this amazing article about Mr. Mendoza, but I was very proud to tell people this week that I have had the privilege of teaching three kids from this wonderful family.

ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/a-new-beginning-in-a-safe-place-ramon-mendoza-no-longer-looks-over-his-shoulder-to-see-whos-following-him

All the best!

Mr. Skinner

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello,

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends!

I also hope you've enjoyed watching the Blue Jays win the last two games!

Have a great evening and Go Jays Go!

Mr. Skinner

New Adventures

Hello,

I'm about to go to sleep, a little bit nervous, but excited about facing a new challenge and experience tomorrow. Sound familiar?

I know that everyone will have a great first day at Holy Trinity and I know that my first day teaching Grade 3 at St. Anne's will be pretty cool too.

Good luck guys! Work hard, try your best, and don't be afraid of new things. Sign up for clubs and teams. Say hello to the person sitting next to you (even if they didn't go to Holy Redeemer). You never know, you could be meeting one of your new best friends!

Have a great day!

Mr. Skinner

More Links - Vimeo videos, Dopbox Downloads and Slides used in Leaving Ceremony

Hello,

I have some more links to share. Please let your friends from Mrs. Boudrias' class know that they can access these links as well.

Mr. Ullrich has made a final version of the outtakes video.

https://vimeo.com/132183770

Also, if parents and students are interested in downloading the full slideshow, the outtakes, and the Rockets dance performance onto their computers, they can be found by following these links to Dropbox.

If the video starts playing when you click these links, right click on the screen and "save video as..."

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31193642/2015%20Grade%20Six%20slideshow%20June2015%201080p.mp4

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31193642/2015%20Grade%20Six%20outtakes%20June2015%201080p.mp4

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31193642/2015%20Dance%20on%20stage%20May2015%20-720p.mp4

Here are the links to the slides used in the leaving ceremony.

Link to Power Points from Leaving Ceremony

Finally, Mr. Ullrich shared some wonderful photos with me, that he took throughout the year. I shared the Google Drive folder with all of my students. I will give you access to this folder for the next week, so you can download some great photos of yourself, if you want them.

I hope you all have a great Canada Day tomorrow.

Mr. Skinner

Thanks

Hello,

I'm a few days later than I had planned, but it took a little longer than I expected to go through nine years worth of stuff.

After cleaning out my desk and cabinets, getting rid of a few things, and moving the rest to St. Anne's, my time at Holy Redeemer has officially come to an end.

When I arrived at Holy Redeemer, I had three years of teaching experience, I was recently engaged and still living with my parents.

Now, I leave Holy Redeemer, ready to celebrate eight years of marriage with my wife, and our daughter's fifth birthday, this month. I think you might have heard me talk about her once or twice, her name is Stella.

A lot has changed in my life, but one thing hasn't: my love for the Ottawa Senators.

Ok sorry, two things haven't changed, my love for the Sens and of course, my passion for teaching.

We had an amazing final week, with the leaving ceremony, talent show, and end of year slideshows. It's been a great time to look back on the year.

This year has been another wonderful experience for me and I hope my students learned as much from me as I did from them.

I have the greatest job in the world because I look forward to teaching my students every single day. I look forward to hearing their stories about the games they played the night before, or seeing their excitement when they master a skill in Math class.

I am so proud to meet former students and see all that they have accomplished already, in their studies and even the work world (yes, I have now been teaching that long). It fills me with so much pride when they tell me that I inspired them to do their best.

I want to thank all of you, students and parents, for being my partners on a learning journey this year. We have all worked hard together and the students have achieved great success this year because of it.

This past week I have received some very thoughtful gifts, none of which were necessary, but all were definitely appreciated. I am most thankful for the amazing notes from parents and students. Thanks so much for your kind words. I am overwhelmed and humbled each year by the feedback I get from parents and students.

Next year will mean new challenges for all of us.

We will all be moving to new schools.

Rest assured, when I am teaching my Grade 2/3 class on the first day of school next year, my thoughts will drift to you, probably at lunch time, when I have some time to reflect. I will wonder how you are doing, and if any of you got lost or forgot your locker combinations, but I will remain confident that we will all be successful at our new schools. Why? Well, because I think we are all pretty awesome!

I will miss all of you, but I definitely plan on seeing you at various Holy Redeemer events. At the very least, my family will have to attend the BBQ, so that Mr. Ullrich can take our annual family photo!

I will post a few things this week, including downloadable versions of the slideshows from the Leaving Ceremony and of Mr. Ullrich's amazing video.

Have a wonderful Summer.

Mr. Skinner

Links to the Slideshows

Hello,

We just finished the best after school basketball session of the year! A special thanks to Dee's Dad for joining us, taking the kids through some fun drills, and challenging them to some games of "Bump".

Report cards should be coming home with the students today. Everyone did a great job! Please go over their evaluation with them, and feel free to praise them for a job well done!

I will write a longer post tomorrow, wrapping up the events of the week, but for now, I wanted to give you access to the slideshows.

School Slideshow

https://youtu.be/XDEta6thrqM

Three Versions of Mr. Ullrich's Grade 6 Slideshow (if asked for a password, it is x)

Full Slideshow

https://vimeo.com/131595217

Seven Minute Version

https://vimeo.com/131649653

Two Minute Version - Farewell Message

https://vimeo.com/131648054

Have a great night and enjoy the videos!

Mr. Skinner

Probability Games and Planting Trees

Hello,

This morning, the students had the chance to play and explain their probability board games to their classmates. They had so much fun playing these incredibly creative games, that we are going to play them again on the last day of school!

Probability Board Games

Later, we also had the opportunity to help dedicate the new trees that were planted in our school yard and witness the Kindergarten classes release their butterflies. It was a wonderful opportunity to get in touch with nature.

The students are reminded to practice their parts for the leaving ceremony this weekend. Don't worry if you forgot your paper at school. Just follow this link.

We will be doing a full practice on Monday, so it is very important that every student is present.

Have a great weekend!

Mr. Skinner

The Verdict is in!

Quirky is... NOT GUILTY!

Thanks to everyone who participated and did such a great job. It was a very interesting process!

A reminder that we will be playing and presenting our probability board games tomorrow morning. All students should make sure their games and instructions are ready to play.

We will also be practising the leaving ceremony liturgy tomorrow. If any students have misplaced their parts, they can find a copy at this link.

Have a great evening.

Mr. Skinner

Mock Trial Thursday!

Hello,

Our mock trial has been moved up one day, so it will be taking place tomorrow.

All of the important information for the mock trial process can be found at this link

Our students have the following jobs:

Zirky - Conrad
Mr. Jones - Jayden
Constable Chen - London
Crown Prosecutor - Katie
Defence Lawyers - Claire and Eden
Court Clerk - Chris
Press Members - Bryah, Isaiah and Tim
Bailiff - Austin
Artists - Ayai and Gina
Assistant Judge - Allison Martinko
Jury - Emma, Connor, Ashanti, Ive, Dakarai, Renee, Patrick and Allison May

This morning, we prepared for the mock trial and we finished working on our probability games and instructions. With the date change for the mock trial, we will move our Board Game showcase day to Friday.

It was also an exciting day because we received our "Class of 15" t-shirts and several students represented the school at the Track and Field meet. Every student received their shirt, if they ordered one, so hopefully they all make it home today.

Finally, I shared some news with the students today. This will be my final year at Holy Redeemer. When our Grade 6 students leave for Holy Trinity, I will be moving on as well, to St. Anne, where I will continue to work with Mrs. Campbell.

Thanks so much for making my time at Holy Redeemer so special. It has been an amazing nine years!

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Last Call for Permission Forms

Hello,

I am still waiting for permission form from three students for Friday's field trip. Allison, Isaiah and Evanks, please make sure you bring in the forms on Thursday. Time is running out!

This morning, the students continued to work on their probability board games. They are using cards, dice and game boards to create fun games involving probability. Once their games are completed, the final step is to type or write out their instructions, which explain how to play the game and how probability plays an important role in their games. We will continue to work on this task tomorrow.

Next, the students finished their candle art with their cursive writing names. They really look fantastic.

This afternoon, the students had the chance to try playing Gaelic football, then they had their third-last after school basketball session. It's hard to believe there are only two Wednesdays left in the school year, after today. Time sure does fly!

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

Probability Board Games and Pat Venditte

Hello,

This morning, the students continued to work on their probability board games in their groups. They are coming up with some great ideas and it looks like it will be a lot of fun to play the games when they are completed.

We also had a discussion that combined Math and sports. Ask your child if they can explain the diagram below and how it connects Math to the sport of baseball.

Next, the students showed some real creativity when they designed lantern pictures, using their names written in cursive writing. I won't post any pictures because we are going to use them in the Farewell Ceremony.

Finally, Austin, Ive, Isaiah, Evanks, Tim and Allison still need to bring in their permission forms for the Y Camp trip on Friday, and the hiking trip on Monday. If those students could bring their signed forms tomorrow, it would be much appreciated.

Have a great evening.

Mr. Skinner

Some Amazing Talent!

Hello,

This morning, we were treated to some amazing musical performances in the Learning Commons. I am so happy that Allison, Claire, Eden, Ayai and Julianne will all be able to showcase their considerable talents at the school talent show in a few weeks.

Next, the students chose their seating plan for the rest of the month and we made sure that everyone had completed the "what they will miss about Holy Redeemer" paragraph for the Farewell Ceremony.

Then, the students volunteered for the readings during the Leaving Ceremony Liturgy. The students will receive hard copies of their readings tomorrow.

Finally, we had a discussion in Math about probability, involving dice, and started to plan in groups of 2 or 3, to create our own probability-based board games, which we will play in the class when they are completed. 

Please remember to return the permission forms for the two field trips and to return any overdue library books. Thanks.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Reading over Submissions

Hello,

I was just taking a break from working on report cards to review the submissions I have received so far, regarding what students will miss about Holy Redeemer, and what would be the main ideas of their farewell address.

The submissions have been very well done. In fact, they are so good that I'm struggling not to tear up as I read them. I must need to clean my desk in the resource room. It must be dust in my eye, right?

Anyways, they are very touching paragraphs that you have written so far.

Please remember to make your submission by 2 PM, by following the link in the previous post.

Thanks,

Mr. Skinner

Getting Ready for the Farewell Ceremony

Hello,

Could all Holy Redeemer Grade 6 students, please fill out the form below by 2 PM on Friday.

Farewell Ceremony Form

The students are asked to list the one thing they will miss most from Holy Redeemer. Their response will be used as part of the farewell ceremony. Please be sure to explain your choice.

Also, a number of students indicated they were interested in reading during the liturgy, or presenting the farewell address with a partner. Any student who is interested in being considered for the honour of presenting the farewell address needs to answer the second question and explain what the theme of their speech would be in a paragraph.

Finally, a reminder that there is no school this Friday, as it is a PD Day. On Monday we will be holding our talent show tryouts, first thing in the morning, so make sure you bring all of the materials that you need. I'm looking forward to seeing some amazing performances!

Have a good weekend.

Mr. Skinner

Filming Tomorrow

Hello,

A few other quick notes for you.

I was talking to Mr. Ullrich after school today and he will be coming in tomorrow morning to do some more filming for the Grade 6 Farewell video.

He is also still hoping to get more throwback photos and videos of the Grade 6 students when they were younger.

Please send the photos and videos to redeemerslideshow@bell.net

Thanks.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Say Cheese!

Hello,

This morning, everyone finished their EQAO testing. All of the students gave an amazing effort for their final EQAO Math assessment. Everyone worked very hard.

Once we completed our work, we had some fun outside. We brought out the iPads and took some selfies and group photos that might be used on the Grade 6 slideshow. I uploaded all of the photos from the iPads and many of them were very funny.

There is no homework tonight. I just want the students to get a good rest tonight after completing EQAO.

Next, we will be working on some fun culminating tasks for Math and Language and we will start our preparations for the Grade 6 Farewell Ceremony.

Finally, the permission form for the Grade 6 Y Camp trip will be coming home tomorrow.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

One More to Go!

Hello,

This morning, the students completed the first Math section of the EQAO test. For those students who have been here each day during the EQAO testing, there is only one section left.

The students gave a great effort today. For tomorrow, they are reminded to take their time, read over each question carefully and show all of their steps when answering the short answer questions. It would not be a bad idea to review some of the practice multiple choice questions tonight, which we have been doing, to get ready for the EQAO evaluation.

Sample Math EQAO Questions for practice

Just in case you didn't see it on the school website, here is the Holy Redeemer newsletter for June. It contains some big news. Mrs. Campbell is being transferred to St. Anne, to become the principal there.

Holy Redeemer June Newsletter

As promised, here are a few more student-made invitations for the Grade 6 farewell ceremony.

Ayai
Christopher
Allison
Conrad
Evanks
Jayden
Isaiah

Have a wonderful evening.

Mr. Skinner

Deadline Extended One Day

Hello,

Thanks to everyone who brought in their t-shirt orders today, as requested.

There are a few more students who really want to order a Class of 15 t-shirt, so I have extended the deadline one day. The representative of the company is coming to the school to pick up the order at noon, so tomorrow morning is the last chance for students to bring their order form and money for the $13.00 shirt.

This morning we worked in pairs on a variety of multiple choice Math questions, from various strands throughout the year. The students worked very hard and had some great ideas. If any students had trouble deciding between possible options, I would support them and give them an opportunity to discuss possible solutions with me.

Tomorrow, the students will be completing the first of two Math sections for the EQAO testing. They may use their own calculator, protractor and ruler, or I will provide one of each for them. It is important that each student gets a good night sleep, so they are thinking clearly in the morning.

Here are two more invites for the Farewell Ceremony. I will post more tomorrow as well.

Bryah
Dee

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

Class of 15 T-shirt Reminder

Good morning,

This is a quick reminder to bring in your order forms and money (cash or cheque) for your Class of 15 t-shirts.

The cost is $13.00. Don't forget to indicate your size and the quantity of shirts you want to order on the order form.

My plan is to send in the order today.

Thanks,

Mr. Skinner

BBQ!

Hello everyone,

I'm busy working with some members of the tech club right now, getting ready for the Twitter presentations we are doing in the Learning Commons during the BBQ.

Hope to see you here!

If you can't make it, here is a sample of what we will be talking about:

Tech Club Twitter Presentation - Schedule and Outline

I will post more invitations for the Farewell Ceremony tonight, when I get home from the BBQ.

Have a great weekend!

Mr. Skinner

You're Invited!

Hello,

After finishing the third Language section of the EQAO testing, the students worked on Google Slides to make some invitations to the Grade 6 Farewell Ceremony in June.

Here are some of the invitations that were completed today. More will be posted tomorrow as well.

Renee
London
Eden
Katie
Patrick
Emma
Ashanti
Ive
Allison
Claire
Austin and Connor

We hope you like the wonderful invitations and that you can make it to the ceremony in June!

Have a great evening.

Mr. Skinner

Some Important Dates

Hello,

The students finished the second EQAO Language assessment today. By the end of the week the Language portion will be completed. Next week we will be working on the Math testing.

It hit me today that the end of the year is quickly approaching when I realized the next After School Basketball session would be in June!

Some important dates in June for Grade 6 students:

Monday, June 1, 2015 - order forms and payment are due for the Holy Redeemer Class of 15 red t-shirts. The students signed the "15" screen today and the order forms were sent home as well. The t-shirts cost $13 and you can pay by cash or cheque.

 Friday, June 12, 2015 - Grade 6 trip to the Y Camp. There will be hiking, climbing, games, swimming and more. A permission form will be coming home next week with more details. It will be a day trip, leaving in the morning and returning in the afternoon. Students will bring their own lunches. I went with the Grade 6 students last year and it was a lot of fun!

Tuesday, June 23, 2015 - The Grade 6 Farewell ceremony will be held in the school gym. There will be a liturgy and student recognition with certificates and awards. The ceremony will begin at 12:30.

A Great Question!

Hello,

This morning, the students completed the first Language section for the EQAO testing. Each student read two stories, answered multiple choice and short answer questions about each passage, filled out multiple choice grammar questions, and wrote a paragraph about their personal answer to a very interesting question.

Ask your child what the question was and what answer they chose to write about.

There were many interesting choices, but after a lot of thinking, I decided to go with soap (although many students thought I would choose a hockey stick).

The students made me very proud as they worked very hard throughout the morning. It was clear that everyone was giving their best effort. Once everyone finished the task, we went outside for some well deserved free time. A game of manhunt was the chosen wind down activity today.

Tomorrow, we will work on the second language assessment. There is no homework tonight other than to get a good night's sleep.

Have a great evening.

Mr. Skinner

EQAO Starts Tomorrow

Hello,

This morning we went over what the typical EQAO morning will look like. We made sure we had all the needed materials to get started tomorrow. My big message today was that EQAO testing was nothing to stress out about, and the students just need to focus on giving their best efforts.

Today in class we worked on some multiple choice math questions from a variety of strands and we shared our "Lost Ring" narratives, giving feedback with regard to whether or classmates' stories followed a logical progression of ideas, included dialogue, as well as a problem that was solved by the end of the story.

Have a great evening, get your rest, and I know everyone will do an amazing job on the first Language assessment tomorrow. 

Mr. Skinner

Mock Trial Introduction

Hello,

This morning, Kevin and Caity came in and discussed our legal system with the Grade 6 classes, to prepare us for the mock trial we will be having in June.

The students stated their preferences for possible roles during the mock trial. We will do our best to accommodate their requests.

All of the needed information for the mock trial process is included in this link.

In Math, the students worked with a partner to complete the following transformation problem solving question.

Next, we worked with our partners to complete multiple choice questions from a variety of Math strands and discussed our strategies for solving our questions.

Finally, in Language, we started to write short narrative stories about a lost ring that we discovered. Each students is writing their version of the solution to this problem. We will continue to work on this story on Friday, as we have our Track and Field tryout tomorrow morning.

As we will be outside tomorrow, students are reminded to dress properly for the weather and to bring water to ensure they are properly hydrated.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Moon Trees and Rotations

Hello,

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. It sounds like there were lots of fun things going on, and I heard a few stories of tornado (warning) survival.

This morning, we discussed and corrected our responses for "Moon Trees." We discussed how multiple choice options can all seem correct, but that we have to pick the response that best answers the question being asked. We continued to stress the importance of including examples and explaining our thinking in short answer questions.

Tomorrow, we will be looking at the "Get Active Day" plans. Most people already have this finished, but if you don't please complete it tonight.

In Math, we worked with a partner on three problem solving questions, which required the use of translations, reflections and rotations. We used tracing paper to make our transformations, then discussed our responses as a group.

We had some great discussions as we examined the differences between a Level 2, Level 3 and a Level 4 response, as well as the ways we can clearly display and explain our thinking with questions like these.

We will continue to work on transformations tomorrow. There is no Math homework, but the students can practise on Mathletics, in the Geometry strand.

Tomorrow, we will have some special guests, as local lawyers will be discussing our justice system with the class and preparing us for a mock trial we will hold in June.

Finally, some information regarding the EQAO testing should be coming home with the students tonight. The testing will begin next week. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

A New Way to Pay for Things at School!

Hello,

Some of you may have already received information via email about online payment options for items at school.

Just in case you haven't received the information, here is a link:

Online payment information

It was announced late last week that the first class to have everyone sign up will get ice cream. The students were excited by this prospect, so I said I would share the information on the blog, to help their efforts to win the prize!

Have a great weekend! Go Canada Go!

Mr. Skinner

Have a Great Long Weekend!

Hello,

I'm sorry about the lack of blog posts this week. It's been a busy week and we have had a few minor childcare issues for our daughter, so I have found it difficult to find my usual time to post.

The students had a great time filming some shots for the Grade 6 end of year video, yesterday. I am sure the footage will be very entertaining!

This morning, we used the chromebooks to fill out the school climate survey for the students.

Next, the students finished their "Moon Trees" reading activity and the "Get Active" writing activity.

In Math, the students worked on transformations, completing activity sheets on translations (slides), reflections and rotations.

These sheets should be completed for Tuesday. We will continue to look at transformations and complete some hand-on activities for this Math strand next week.

Have a great weekend! See you on Tuesday.

Mr. Skinner

Solving our Fraction Problems

Hello,

This morning, we solved fraction problem solving questions, which were created by another group in the class. Upon completion, the groups gave each other feedback on their strategies to solve the problems, then we posted the work in the hall.

In Language, we used the chromebooks to examine the students' responses for Iceberg Wranglers. We continued to work on providing examples to illustrate our thinking. If Spring Sweetness is not already completed, it should be finished for homework.

Otherwise, the only homework for the students is to make sure they look nice for tomorrow, when the Ministry of Education will be filming our amazing work in Math. I'm going to get a haircut after school. Who knows, I might even wear a tie!

If the students want to be able to appear in the video, they need to make sure they have returned their signed permission form.

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

Great to see everyone!

Hello,

It was wonderful to see so many parents at the muffin breakfast and then joining us for our Math lesson. In Math, we discussed fractions, decimals and percentages and how they are used outside the classroom. Next, the students worked in pairs to create problem solving questions, which involved fractions, decimals and percentages, which other students will solve on Monday.

In Language, the students finished their short answers for "Iceberg Wranglers" and "Spring Sweetness" and then worked on a "mystery" task involving connections to some of their favourite stories. The answers for the two short stories should be completed for Monday and the "mysery" task should be given to all the amazing mothers on Sunday.

Please remember to return your permission forms, if you want to be a part of the educational video being filmed in the class on Tuesday.

Finally, here is the awesome video of the dance team, filmed by the incredibly talented, Mr. Ullrich. (The password is x).

Rockets Dance Video 

Have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day!

Mr. Skinner

Muffin Breakfast Tomorrow!

Hello,

Yesterday, the students worked very hard on their proportional reasoning evaluation task. Upon completion, students answered questions about two non-fiction texts - Iceberg Wranglers and Spring Sweetness.

Unfortunately, I was not feeling well yesterday, so I went home yesterday and rescheduled after school basketball to this afternoon. Sorry for any inconvenience. Thanks for your understanding.

Today, the students finished up the responses to the non-fiction texts and began to explore transformations in Math. There were 20 Station cards, with tasks to complete, and the answers which could be read from a QR Code. We will be discussing our responses and observations from the activity on Monday, once all of the students (including today's missing dancers) have had a chance to work on the cards.

We look forward to seeing many of you at Friday morning's Muffin Breakfast. Once you have filled up on delicious muffins, please stop by the classroom to join in a wrap up discussion about proportional reasoning, (with some problem solving fun) and perhaps even some debates about our preferred jobs involving being out in nature! 

Have a great evening.

Mr. Skinner

An Amazing Dance Performance!

Hello,

This morning we started the day with the following word problem, which involved proportional reasoning:

A Grade 6 class is having a fundraiser. The class buys 3 bags of apples. Each bag has 24 apples. The total cost of the 3 bags of apples is $12.24. The class sells the apples for $0.75 each. How much money will the class gain per apple? Show your work.

It was very interesting to see the strategies the student pairings used, in our Math Inquiry books, and we discussed our solutions.

We are reaching the end of the unit, so we will have an evaluation task. As many students will be attending the dance showcase on Thursday, we decided as a class, to complete the evaluation task tomorrow. The students should review their work, but they do not need to spend hours studying. We went over the types of questions they can expect on the task, so there should be no surprises.

 In Language, the students finished their volunteer paragraphs and began to a non-fiction piece called "Iceberg Wranglers". We will be answering multiple choice and short answer questions on this selection tomorrow morning, after the Math activity is completed.

Finally, this afternoon, we were lucky enough to see the Dance team's performance. It was amazing! Congratulations to all the students from our class who were involved in the performance. I'm sure it will be great on Thursday too!

Have a good evening.

Mr. Skinner

Education Week Easter Mass

Hello,

This morning, we had our Education Week Easter Mass with Father Pierre. The class was well behaved while I helped operation the slide show for the Mass.

Working with Fractions

We also continued our group work on the white boards in Math. We did some great work on Friday and continued to put fractions, improper fractions, mixed fractions and decimal numbers in order. We corrected one side of the sheet today and second side (p. 226) is for homework, if it was not completed in class.

In Language, we will be wrapping up our work on our volunteer paragraph tomorrow. If you don't have much done yet, you might want to spend a few minutes working on it tonight.

Have a great day.

Mr. Skinner

Walking Sticks, Common Denominators and Showing our Skills!

Hello,

This morning we explored common denominators for comparing fractions. We had some great class discussions. It was interesting to hear the strategies students used to solve problems at their table groups.

For example, if all students in a class cheer for either the Senators, Leafs, Canadiens or Oilers, and 3/5 cheer for Ottawa, 1/10 cheer for Toronto, and 4/15 cheer for Montreal, how many students in the class cheer for Edmonton?

Clearly, this is a smart class, as the majority of students cheer for the Senators. Feel free to ask your child to explain this question to you and solve it tonight at dinner.

We also worked on some multiple choice questions related to the last three units we have completed. I was impressed by the strategies the students used, their ability to explain and eliminate incorrect options, and how easily they could recall the important information needed to solve these problems.

In Language, we exchanged our books in the learning commons and continued to work on our responses for the "Walking Sticks" text. We will be discussing and evaluating the multiple choice and short answer responses tomorrow, so if they are not already finished, the questions should be completed for homework.

Finally, the students need to brainstorm their ideas for possible volunteer activities at the school. We will be working on completing our paragraphs on this topic tomorrow morning.

Have a wonderful evening.

Mr. Skinner

Travel Expo and Fractions

Hello,

Over the last few days, we have finished and presented our travel brochures and slide shows for our travel expo. I feel like I know so much more about Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Niagara Falls, Jasper, Calgary, and even Ottawa, that I will have to try and visit a few of these cities this summer!

In Language, we have started to read about the insects known as Walking Sticks and complete a paragraph about possible volunteer work we could do to help make a difference in our city.

I was also excited to share some of the resources I enjoyed at our technology workshop on Monday. This morning, the students explored Thinglink Education an amazing multimedia display board, which allows students to present information with links, on an interactive board. I also introduced the students to overdrive - an Ottawa Public Library program that allows students to borrow, and even listen to, a variety of e-books.

In Math, we continue to work on fractions, reducing fractions, finding common denominators and ordering fractions and decimals. Tonight's homework is to complete the word problems sheet. Each student should pick their favourite problem, so that we can all become experts and present and explain our favourite problems to groups of students within the class tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Mr. Skinner

Have a Great Weekend!

Hello,

I'm taking a quick break from our very interesting workshops this morning. I am learning some cool, new things, which I can incorporate into my Math and Language lessons.

For those of you who are finishing up your brochures this weekend, I have some good news for you! All groups will have one more day to get ready, as I will be attending a technology workshop at the Board Office on Monday. We will now have our travel expo on Tuesday.

Mr. Ullrich came to after school basketball on Wednesday and took some amazing footage! He told me that he would love to get more photos and videos from the students. If you're looking for something to do today, send your photos and videos to the address listed in the previous post. You could also spend some time on Mathletics, exploring fractions, percentages, decimal numbers, rate and ratio. If you've lost your log-in and/or password, send me a request via Google Docs.

Have a wonderful weekend! Go Sens Go!

Mr. Skinner

Slideshow Reminder

Grade Six slideshow needs your old photos/video!

Can you believe there are only about 10 weeks until the Grade Six class graduates?  Please help us make you laugh & cry at the Leaving Ceremony’s slideshow.

Most of the slideshow is from this school year, where we already have lots of photos, but we look to the parents for your ‘throwback’ shots.  Please dig through your old files or shoeboxes for any photos/video that would entertain the class/teachers/parents, particularly if it is:

1)     Old:  mainly from around 2007-2011, which is JK to Grade 2, for a real throwback

2)     Funny:  cute is good, but something universally funny is even better

3)     Little-seen:  it has more impact if the image has never/rarely been seen by the child – or maybe by the parent!  So in addition to shots of your own kids, see if you have something of your kids’ friends

4)     School-related:  from events at school, field trips, or getting dressed up at home for something like crazy hair day.  We don’t need much from Christmas concerts except for from JK/SK.  If your child only moved to Holy Redeemer recently, that’s ok, a shot from another school works too.

The throwback section of the slideshow is only about 2 minutes long, so with 45 students we can’t put in many shots of any given one.  So try to narrow it down to your one funniest photo or few best video scenes.  Apologies in advance that we won’t be able to fit in everything that’s submitted, but it’s good to have lots to choose from.  More details:

·           Video and photos:  video is great if you have it, even if it’s just a 5-second scene

·           Resolution:  please don’t shrink the file to submit it; send the full-resolution photo (ideally at least 1000 pixels high) or full-sized video (at least 480p)

·           Close-ups:  a wide shot of the class on stage is good, but a closeup of one child laughing or hugging a friend is better

·           Email files as an attachment, up to about 20MB per email to:  redeemerslideshow@bell.net  Please mention in the text who’s in the photo/video.

·           For larger files:  if you have an account onDropbox (free up to 2GB) or other service, email us the link to the file, or justsend in a USB stick to Mr. Skinner

Please submit what you can by Friday April 24.  Anything submitted will ONLY be used for this one slideshow.

Calculating Percentage

Hello,

This morning, the students put the finishing touches on their travel brochures and slide shows. We were missing six students today, due to the basketball tournament and illnesses, so we decided to do our presentations and travel expo on Monday.

In Math, we worked on equivalent fractions, lowest terms, and ordering fractions, decimals and percentages, from least to greatest.

Next, we did some problem solving, finding free throw percentages for two basketball players, by converting from fractions. Then we discovered if a local business had earned enough money to buy a lantern, using our knowledge of percentages. It was interesting to see the variety of strategies the students used to solve the problems.

Don't forget, it's a PD Day tomorrow.

Enjoy the game Friday night! Go Sens Go!

Have a great weekend!

Mr. Skinner

Happy Earth Day!

Hello,

This morning Mme. Helbecque hosted a school assembly to celebrate Earth Day. We heard some very interesting facts from students in the Earth Care Club and watched an interesting slide show.

Next, we continued to compare Mixed numbers and improper fractions, then we worked on the white boards to explore equivalent fractions and the relationship between fractions, decimal numbers and percentages. For example, 5% = 0.005 = 5/100 (or 1/20).

Finally, the students worked on their travel brochures. All groups are expected to have their information collected and sorted by 9:00 AM Thursday, so we can have our travel expo during second block.

Have a great night and enjoy the game! Go Sens Go!

Mr. Skinner

Fraction Relationships

Hello,

This morning we explored the relationship between mixed fractions and improper fractions (5 and 1/2 vs 11/2) through discussions and correction of previous activities. I also handed back the algebra evaluation activities. During our conferences, the students were able to show a great level of understanding, which most achieving a Level 3 or a Level 4. They should be coming home tonight, so the students can show their great work to you. If they didn't bring them home, they were probably at ambassador duty when I handed them back, and they will bring them home tomorrow.

In Language, we continued to work on our travel brochures for a Canadian city of our choice. Our goal is to finish this work in class tomorrow, so that we can hold our own travel expo, promoting these cities, in class, before the end of the week.

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

Travel Brochures

Hello,

Over the last few days, we have started a fun group assignment for our Language studies. After reading a passage about funny city names in Canada, the students were asked to get into groups of three or four to create a brochure, highlighting the tourist attractions in the city of their choice. The students will continue to work on this task tomorrow.

Over the last few days we have also had some great discussions about our responses for "Under the Rice Moon" and "Morning Girl." We continue to emphasize the importance of explaining our thinking, and using examples to prove our points.

In Math, we have been discussing adding and subtraction of fractions, ordering fractions (while examining relationships between fractions and numerators and denominators) and improper fractions and mixed numbers. Through discussion and the use of concrete materials, the understanding of the students continues to grow.

Please remember to send your photos to Mr. Ullrich. He is also planning to attend after school basketball this week, so that he can get some great action shots of the students playing. It should be a lot of fun!

Have a great night.

Mr. Skinner

Morning Girl

Hello,

This morning I continued my Math conferences with the students. They have shown great understanding of Algebra during our conferences, I have been quite impressed.

We also discussed and corrected some of our introduction to fractions work.

Tonight, the students should complete the page they started today, which looks at Mixed fractions.

In Language, the students read a story called "Morning Girl."  Next, they created three to four questions, with a partner, for another pair to answer. The questions and responses are on a Google Doc, so they can continue their work at home, or they can finish it in class tomorrow. All answers need to be completed by the end of second block on Thursday.

Have a good afternoon. It's time for after school basketball!

Enjoy the game tonight! Go Sens Go!

Mr. Skinner

Math Conferences

Hello,

This morning, I was happy to be back in the classroom. I did some basic review of fractions.

Intro Video to Fractions

Then, while the students were finishing their work from last week - the three fractions worksheets in Math, and Under the Rice Moon questions and Transition Day recount in Language - I started to conference with the students to review their understanding of last week's Algebra evaluation task.

I will finish the conferences tomorrow. The students need to make sure the work from last week, listed above, is completed for homework.

Lastly, don't forget about the McDonald's Night tonight and to send your photos for the slideshow to Mr. Ullrich!

Have a great evening!

Mr. Skinner

Two Posts today

Hello,

Sorry about the lack of posts over the last week. I have been at various workshops and meetings, but I will be back in class tomorrow.

Last week, we had a great Transition Day at Holy Trinity. I hope your child told you all about it. If they didn't, please have them read to you their recount of the day, which they shared with me on Google Docs.

Also in Language, we have been working on our questions for Under the Rice Moon. I shared the document with the students on their Google Drive and if they have not already finished it, they should be completing it for homework.

In Math, we finished our evaluation task for order of operations and algebra. I will be going over this task with the students on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Now, we are starting to explore fractions. For example if there were two identical sandwiches and one student ate 3/4 of his sandwich and another student ate 8/12 of her sandwich, who ate more of their sandwich. Ask your child to explain their answer and thinking to you.

Have a great night!

Mr. Skinner

Call for photos for the Grade Six slideshow!

Grade Six slideshow needs your old photos/video!

Can you believe there are only about 10 weeks until the Grade Six class graduates?  Please help us make you laugh & cry at the Leaving Ceremony’s slideshow.

Most of the slideshow is from this school year, where we already have lots of photos, but we look to the parents for your ‘throwback’ shots.  Please dig through your old files or shoeboxes for any photos/video that would entertain the class/teachers/parents, particularly if it is:

1)     Old:  mainly from around 2007-2011, which is JK to Grade 2, for a real throwback

2)     Funny:  cute is good, but something universally funny is even better

3)     Little-seen:  it has more impact if the image has never/rarely been seen by the child – or maybe by the parent!  So in addition to shots of your own kids, see if you have something of your kids’ friends

4)     School-related:  from events at school, field trips, or getting dressed up at home for something like crazy hair day.  We don’t need much from Christmas concerts except for from JK/SK.  If your child only moved to Holy Redeemer recently, that’s ok, a shot from another school works too.

The throwback section of the slideshow is only about 2 minutes long, so with 45 students we can’t put in many shots of any given one.  So try to narrow it down to your one funniest photo or few best video scenes.  Apologies in advance that we won’t be able to fit in everything that’s submitted, but it’s good to have lots to choose from.  More details:

·           Video and photos:  video is great if you have it, even if it’s just a 5-second scene

·           Resolution:  please don’t shrink the file to submit it; send the full-resolution photo (ideally at least 1000 pixels high) or full-sized video (at least 480p)

·           Close-ups:  a wide shot of the class on stage is good, but a closeup of one child laughing or hugging a friend is better

·           Email files as an attachment, up to about 20MB per email to:  redeemerslideshow@bell.net  Please mention in the text who’s in the photo/video.

·           For larger files:  if you have an account on Dropbox (free up to 2GB) or other service, email us the link to the file, or justsend in a USB stick to Mr. Skinner

Please submit what you can by Friday April 24.  Anything submitted will ONLY be used for this one slideshow.

The show is compiled by one of our school’s rocket dads, Mr. Bob Ullrich.  See last year’s slideshow here:  https://vimeo.com/99040966

Thank you!

Next Stop, Holy Trinity!

Hello,

No, it's not June yet, but we will be going to Holy Trinity tomorrow for our Transition Day.

All students will need to return their signed permission form tomorrow morning.

I know it's short notice, so if anyone forgot the form at school, here is a link to the document.

Transition Day Permission Form

This morning we went over our expectations for the day and we also prepared for the Algebra test that the students elected to take this Thursday.

We completed a study sheet in class. I shared it with all of the students on their Google Drive.

Have a great evening.

Mr. Skinner

A couple of fantastic days!

Hello,

The last two days have definitely been "fan"-tastic. Yesterday, with many of the students from the class attending "We Day," we held a spirited debate about whether people should be allowed to have pets, based on "The Secret Cat" story we read recently. Then, we worked in the same groups to solve some algebra problems. In the end one team won a fantastic trophy. Yes, it was a fan, which will be displayed proudly in the classroom.

However, all the participants were winners, as they all received some chocolate eggs today. I also made sure that the "We Day" participants received some eggs as well.

Today, the students who participated in the Stations of the Cross did an incredible job. It was clear that they took this performance very seriously. The audience was also very respectful. Congrats to all involved!

Stations of the Cross Performance

During second block, we exchanged our books in the Learning Commons, then we finished our discussions about the Secret Cat and read "Under the Rice Moon" as a class. Finally, we brainstormed some questions in our table groups, that we could ask about the text. On Tuesday, we will construct some questions together, which will require the students to use examples from the text and their own experiences to explain their thinking.

This weekend, the only homework is to enjoy time with your families over this important holiday.

Happy Easter!

Mr. Skinner

Strategies for finding the missing number

Hello,

This morning, we continued to correct our work on algebraic expressions. We also discussed strategies to find the missing numbers in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division questions. It was great to talk about the various strategies people used to find their answers.

Next, we discussed our multiple choice responses for "the Discombobulator" and the short answer responses for "the Secret Cat." We discussed the key points needed for our summaries and our inferences regarding the author's intended message.

Tomorrow, we will have a small class, as many students will be attending "We Day". However, it should be a fun day, as I am planning to have some debates connected to topics that relate to texts we have read recently, and we will do some group problem solving for prizes! I'm looking forward to it, but I know everyone who is attending "We Day" will love it. It was a lot of fun last year!

As scheduled, we will have After School Basketball tomorrow.

Finally, don't forget to bring your money for the Easter basket raffle!

Easter Basket Raffle

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner  

The Secret Cat

Hello,

This morning, we continued to work on our questions for "The Secret Cat" story. The students answered three questions on a Google Doc, which required them to summarize, infer and make connections. If any students did not complete the three questions, they should be finished tonight for homework.

In Math, we continued to work on algebraic expressions, puzzles and problem solving. We corrected our work on variables and the students had some time to work on the puzzle questions. The first page of the problem solving questions is for homework tonight.

Finally, don't forget to bring in your money if you would like to buy tickets for the Easter basket raffle, which will be held this Thursday. Good luck!

Have a wonderful day.

Mr. Skinner

Books and equations

Hello,

This morning, the students exchanged their books in the Learning Commons.

Next, we continued to work on algebraic equations on the white boards. The students are really developing their skills.

Ask your child to show you at least two solutions for this problem.

5a - 3b = 9

Finally, we looked at the "Discombobulator" poem about roller coasters. The students were asked to read the selection and answer the multiple choice and short answer questions. If they were not completed in class, they should be finished for homework. The students are reminded to include specific examples from the text to illustrate their thinking in their responses.

I will be heading to the visitation this afternoon, to represent the class and to give the remaining cards to Isaiah, perhaps I will see some of you there.

Visitation and Service details

Have a good night.

Mr. Skinner

Beautiful cards

Hello,

This morning we discussed the sad news that I posted on the blog yesterday and then we made cards for Isaiah and his family. The students did a great job and created some caring and heartfelt cards, which included drawings, poems, scripture verses and inspirational messages.

Mrs. Campbell delivered the cards this morning and I am sure Isaiah was happy to receive them.

If your family is interested in attending the visitation and/or the service, the information can be found here.

In Math, we discussed equations and did some multi-step algebra questions on the white boards. Ask your child to solve the following problem:

a + 6 = 9
b - 2 = 5
abc = 105

What is the value of c?

Have a good evening.

Mr. Skinner

Some sad news

Hello,

This morning, we began the day by correcting our work on equations in Math.

Next, we went to the Learning Commons for our Hamburglar photo shoot. Go Sens Go!

Mr. Skinner's Hamburglars!

During second block, we finished our work on our March Break haikus, and our bitstrip comic for one of our selected haikus. If the students have not completed the haikus and the bitstrip, it should be completed tonight for homework.

Also, Jen, from the Hazeldean branch of the Ottawa Public library, visited our class to discuss some great new books that the students might be interested in reading. Each student should be coming home with a bookmark, which highlights Jen's recommended readings for this month.

Finally, some sad news. Isaiah's father was recently hospitalized, due to illness, and passed away over the March Break.

Anyone who wishes to attend the wake, or the funeral, can find the details provided in the link below.

Mr. Peart - Visitation and Service arrangements

Have a good night and keep the Peart family in your thoughts and prayers.

Mr. Skinner