mrpolsky

Tick Tock - June Update

Sunday, June 11, 2017 10:07 AM

So this is some real math coming at you… we’re looking at 13.5 more days of school until Mr. Polsky will be at the Canada Day Blue Jays game against the Red Sox. WE are excited. I guess that also means we’re looking at 13.5 days until I have to say goodbye to this fantastic group of student - seriously my least favourite part of the year. Anyways… moving on before we get mushy and sentimental... June kicked off at a furious pace and we just finished the best week ever; 3 field trips in 5 days plus Sports Day. I don’t know about you, but I slept like a rock on Friday night. With jsut 13.5 days of school left, we still have plenty to do so here’s what we’ve been up to and what you can expect to hear about over the next few weks. 

Math - Prepare to be Transformed

We’ve started our last focus of the year - Geometry and Shape & Space. We will quickly review  the meaning of “dimensions” as in  1D (a line), 2D (a shape) and 3D (an object) and how that affects/dictates the units we use in measurement. We will begin by exploring regular vs irregular polygons and other 3D objects. This will set us up for  transformational geometry. We’ll be working with the three types of Transformations (Translations, Rotations and Reflections) which is a lot of fun as we get to throw different types of Polygons around in different, random directions. You can also check out some of the class notes that the students will be using.

Social Studies - The Regions of Canada

We’re deep into our research on the Regions of Canada with the students quickly becoming experts on the characteristics and unique qualities of our enourmous country. In finishing up our overview of each region, the students will begin a focussed project on an individual region, allowing them to teach their classmates about why their region is the best. Who knows, maybe you’ll soon be convinced to take a vacation to one of these regions - the students can be awefully convincing when they want to be. Oh Canada. If time allows, we may even have the students create their own cover of their favourite pop song to teach us about a region. 

On the Social Studies Resources page, and the Regions of Canada page, you can find links to video tours and guides from the different region’s tourism boards. We really do live in a good lookin’ country.

Science - Electricity & Magnetism then Wetlands

We’ve begun our study of Wetland Ecosystems and had a fantastic field trip to the Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre (you can check out photos here). While there, Shalane introduced us to different organisms and features of a wetland while also helping us learn just how important wetlands are. Feel free to take a spin through the Unit SLEs, the Wetland Web Links and the Wetland Vocabulary for a sense of what will be covered. Students will be examining the different types of wetlands, exploring the impact that environments have on adaptations of animals as well as the role of food chains in our ecosystems. For their focus on animal adaptations, students will begin creating their own animals this coming week. Prepare for some scary (or not so scrary) creatures coming home in the near future.

Language Arts - Creative Writing

We’re close to finishing  our work on making great stories - and have worked on editing and giving feedback to each other. We focused on the parts of a Story, character development and traits, and the overall planning/writing process. We worked with the Pixar Story Rules as well as the Creative Writing links on the Language Arts resources page to help us be even more successful. At their core, every good story has a clear problem and an equally believale solution (no “all of a sudden aliens appeared!!!” or “it was all just a dream”). Mrs. Barva has also been working with us on exploring poetry. We’ve looked at all different kinds and have been enjoying finding the poems that make up our favourite singer’s songs.

Odds & Ends

With the end of the year fast approaching, please let me know if your family is planning to get out of town early. Report cards will be distributed on June 29th. If you are leaving town before then, please let myself or the office know if you plan on grabbing it in September or if you would like the school to mail it to you (you will need to provide a large envelope and postage).

On June 29th, we will have a quick little party in the morning and we will then dismiss at 11:40. Report cards will be handed out just before the bell. At that point I will sadly have to say goodbye to the students. To my understanding there will be bussing for those students requiring it. If that changes, I will let you all know. 

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Thanks again to those parents who were able to volunteer for any/all of our trips last week or for Sports Day. It was quite the week. So, the sun is shining, patios are open and there are literally 13.5 days of school left - that is insane. 

Please watch for emails in the coming days as we work to wrap things up. Thanks for all your support this past year and here’s to an awesome end of the year. Giddy Up!