Thoughts of the day- December 17

What did we do today?

• We made graham cracker houses today in math. First we estimated how much candy there was.  Then we bought supplies from other people and subtracted it from our budget of $25.
• It was the last day of caroling.  We caroled for so long we only had 5 minutes of library.
• In music we had a double class with room 4 and we watched the Legend of Frosty the Snowman.
• We played dodgeball in gym!

What questions do we have after today?

• What will we do first when we come back in 2016?
• What station will we like the most tomorrow at Winter Sports Day?
• What is our next unit in science?
• I wonder how many people will go away during our winter break?

Thoughts of the day- December 16

What did we do today?

• In math, we estimated the candy we brought in using referents.
• In gym, we played ringette and hockey.  Mr. O was our gym teacher.
• We finished the elf game today, one student made over $7 000.  A lot of students lost all their elves on the last day because they sent all their elves into a blizzard in the mountains.
• During LA, we finished up any assignments that needed to be done before break (aka smorgasbord).
• We also had caroling, tomorrow the grade 1/2 classes are going to surprise us with a special song.

What questions do we have after today?

• Will there be a lot of candies on any houses tomorrow?
• What song will the grade 1/2 classes sing?
• Will Tinsel move out of the paper towel compost bin?

Thoughts of the day- December 15

What did we do today?

• With our buddies, most of us made festive cards.
• We wrote our science quiz this afternoon, we have to have our title pages in by Thursday.
• We continued our elf game today, two students seem to be really lucky with winning the lottery.
• In LA, we continued to practice our cursive writing.
• Today was the first day of caroling and we played a game and learned a song.

What questions do we have after today?

• What will be the best station to do on Friday?
• Who will win the Elf Game?
• What will the hot chocolate taste like on Friday?- Bring a mug/ Fresh Air Friday mug.

Thoughts of the day- December 14

What did we do today?

• In LA, we started some cursive writing.  We practiced "mountain climbers, lumpy letters and downhill daredevils"- which are the small letters of the alphabet.
• In science, we coloured the shadows of our tin foil figures.  We also reviewed for our quiz tomorrow and did a "hard quiz" on BrainPop Jr.
• We played the Elf Game today- there were two lotteries and the mountain road opened up.  Some people have made lots of money collecting trees.  Two students lost all their elves after a blizzard and had to buy some back.
• In math we played Money Money Money in small groups.  You had to estimate how much money there was and then count it.
• We played our third game of floor hockey in gym.

What questions do we have after today?

• What winter sports will there be to do on Friday?
• Who has the most money in the elf game?

Agenda- December 14

Read 30 min
Science test Tuesday
Science test review title page due by Thursday at the latest
Caroling Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9:00am
Winter Sports Day on Friday-dress for the snow!
Graham Cracker house notice
Candy for houses to be brought to class Wed
Icing for houses to be brought to class Thurs
No school Dec 19-Jan 3

Thoughts of the day- December 11

What did we do today?

• We surveyed the Whispering Woods as civil engineers to see if that site is good for building.  Some pros were that the area would provide lots of shelter, there are some open spaces, and there are rose hips for tea and medicine.  Some cons were the open spaces are small, lots of litter/ its a public space and it is not a flat space.
• In science we watched a video on light for review.  We have a quiz on Tuesday.
• We played Fox and Geese and a freeze tag game outside.

What questions do we have after today?

• What will our next science unit be?
• Will the survey of Nose Hill be better or worse than the Whispering Woods for building?

Thoughts of the day- December 10

What did we do today?

• In art, we finished our snowmen artwork using chalk pastels.  They are on display on our bulletin board.  Please come and check them out!
• In science we did an experiment mixing the colors of light.  The colors that we mixed were blue, red and green, which made magenta, yellow, cyan and white.
• Today in math we played a estimating and rounding game called Money Money Money.  We were in two teams.
• In music we played a song called Round and Round the Christmas Tree and we had to dance to it.
• Handwriting practice was added to Daily 5 today.

Any questions after today?

• What will the parents at the Festive Evening think of our art?

Thoughts of the day- December 9

What did we do today?

• We wrote a pen pal letter to ourselves and to people in Peru to show what we have learned about Peru and the Alberta Grasslands.
• In science, we had three experiments that demonstrated refraction.  One had a queen of hearts card beheaded by water!
• Today in math, we solved a number of rounding problems, and then we used the answers to colour a snowman picture on a given grid.

Thoughts of the day- December 8

What did we do today?

• In health, we started to create comics showing strategies to defeat our Unthinkables.
• We had buddies and we helped them go on Mathletics.  
• In science we did a lesson on refraction, which is the bending of light.  We used prisms and flashlights to create a rainbow.
• In math, we continued rounding and we did a rounding review sheet.
• We had a free choice party and we played a game called ghost/mafia.  Did you know we had ultraviolet lights in the music room?
• In gym we played a game of floor hockey.

What questions do we have after today?

• Will we play another game of hockey tomorrow?
• What experiment will we do next in science?
• Where will Tinsel hide tomorrow?

Thoughts of the day- December 7

What did we do today?

• We started our snowmen art.  We are using chalk pastels to create shadows.  Our snowmen are doing different things, such as snowball fights, hockey, skiing, snowboarding, star gazing, and sledding.  There is some great shading!
• In science we did an experiment about reflection.  We used different objects to shine a flashlight on to see if the light reflected off them.
• Today we started floor hockey in gym.
• In word work the big word was precipitation.
• We continued to practice our rounding skills with a dice game.

What questions do we have after today?

• What will the snowmen look like when everyone is finished?
• Which group will win Starbursts™ this week?

Agenda- December 7-11

Read 30 min
Treat day Tues- bring 25¢
Social centers
Festive evening Thurs
POW due Fri
Spelling test Fri

Thoughts of the day- December 3

What did we do today?

• We worked on finishing our alien excuses.
• We worked on finishing our Peru centers.  A few of us are now done.
• It was the last day of the week so we had our spelling test.
• Ms. Jones has shown us what we are going to do in art next- making 3D snowmen using chalk pastels.  They will be based off the book Snowmen at Night.
• We sang a round for Ms. Jones in music-it sounded lovely! We also re-enacted a part from the Nutcracker.  Two boys played sisters in the family.

What questions do we have after today?

• Will we be able to re-enact any other parts of the Nutcracker in music?
• Where will Tinsel hide Monday?
• Will the Hitmen win tonight?
• How will the snowmen turn out?

Thoughts of the day: November 30- December 2

What have we done this week so far?

• Today we tasted Peruvian food from the restaurant INTI Modern Peruvian!  We had angel cake, Peruvian fries, roasted chicken with olive sauce and a purple corn drink.  For some of us, the olive sauce added flavour to the fries and definitely the chicken.
• In art, we did weaving. We painted a paper plate with different colours and patterns and then Mrs. Russell set a spider web on it.  Using yarn, we used an up-down motion to create our pieces.
• We have started to learn how to round numbers in math.
• We are wrapping up our study of Peru, so we are feverishly working to finish our centers.
• Yesterday in science we did a shadow stick experiment where we went out and measured shadows every hour.  At 3:15 pm the shadow was the longest, at 9m 43 cm.  The shortest shadow was 11:15 and 1:15, where they were exactly the same length.  We infer that the shadow was even smaller at 12:15.  
• Tinsel, the class elf arrived and has hidden on the shelf and behind the trundle wheel.

Questions we have after today?

• What will the centers be for India and the Rocky Mountains?
• What will the food taste like for India?
• What will be our next writing project?
• Where will Tinsel be hiding tomorrow?

Thoughts of the day- November 27

What did we do today?

• We did a job that civil engineers do, which is to plan and look at where to build a community.  We went to Barrett Park and did a survey where we assessed the area to see if it would be a good place to build our community.  We used a pros and cons list and looked at if the area had sufficient food, shelter, water, space, and washrooms.  Group 3 found a large branch that could be used as a sled.  We also found items that would not be a pro such as smashed pudding cups and pellets.  Right now it is a possible site, but we will check Nose Hill next Fresh Air Friday.

What questions do we have after today?

• What will the pros and cons for Nose Hill Park be?
• What place will we eventually choose to build our community?
• Will the sled branch still be there when we visit Barrett Park next time?
• What will we be building?

Thoughts of the day-November 26

What did we do today?

• Today was Shave Your Lid for a Kid and two portable students accepted that challenge and helped raise over $5600 towards cancer research.
• In art, we continued to create our aluminum sculptures and keep them standing!
• It was also crazy hat and hair day and fun lunch!
• We played a game in music where every verse of a song would change the directions of the wall, making it easier or harder for the farmer to catch the pig.
• In math, we did a center called candy counting where you chose two cards to skip count numbers.  Unfortunately it did not have real candy.

What questions do we have after today?

• How long does it take to grow back your hair when you lose it?  Does it grow back the same way?
• What will we do next in music?
• Will the amount of raised money stay the same or increase?
• Will we do candy counting again?
• Will we do another big charity fundraiser this year?

Thoughts of the day- November 25

What did we do today?

• It was book CAFE! We learned how to evaluate our peers better.  Recommended reads include: Land of Stories, I Survived series, Magnus Chase, Harry Potter series, Glass Sentence, Precious Moments, Land or Sea, Wings of Fire series and All Fall Down.
• In math we played Place Value Yahtzee.  You had 3-4 dice and you rolled numbers to put in certain categories.
• We started to type out our alien excuses.
• In social we started to finish up our centers.  We are aiming to have them done by the end of next week.
• Rafiki bracelets- The We to Me club are selling these bracelets to help provide education and clean water to the people of Kenya and Ecuador.

What questions do we have after today?

• What will everyone look like tomorrow for crazy hair day?
• What are we doing next Fresh Air Friday?
• What are all the books recommended about?
• Will some of our classmates read the books recommended next CAFE?
• What are we covering next in math?

Thoughts of the day- November 24

What did we do today?

• In science, we explored what items were opaque, transparent and translucent with flashlights.
• We learned how to come up with math expressions with representing a number.  Some of us tried a number in the ten thousands.
• In health, we finished choosing a Superflex strategy to defeat our Unthinkables.
• Today in LA we started to type our alien excuses.
• We continued to work on our social centers, the music one is very popular!
• A sub taught us a tag game and we played take away with basketballs in gym.
• We learned the notes for the song Shake the Papaya.

What questions do we have after today?

• Will we learn a new song using the instruments?
• How much money will be raised for the Shave your Lid for a Kid campaign?
• What will we do in Health next?
• What objects will we have found that are opaque, transparent, or translucent?

Thoughts of the day- November 23

What did we do today?

• It was our first day of basketball in gym.
• In science, we did an experiment where we had to line up three index cards and shine a flashlight through the holes on the cards.  We had to move the second card 2cm to the left.  In conclusion, we found out that light travels in a straight line.
• Our big word this week for spelling is communication.
• We worked more on our alien excuses and added connective words to them.  Some of us are now typing.
• In math, we added expanded form as a way to represent numbers.  We also played Go Big with a partner, where you had to create the biggest number.

What questions do we have after today?

• What will our big word be next week?
• When will we start Ms. Pearson's centers in social?
• What will be our next country/ region to study?
• What are the alien excuses that other people wrote sound like?  Will they be intriguing?
• What read aloud book is next?
• What will our next science experiment be?
• When will we start games in basketball?

Agenda- November 23-27

Read 30 min
Alien excuses due Tuesday
CAFE Wed afternoon-have book and sheet with you
Crazy hat/hair day Thurs
Fun lunch Thurs
Shave a lid for a kid Thurs
POW due Fri
Spelling test Fri
Health homework- finish Superflex strategies
Rafiki bracelets-$10 Monday last day to buy them
Social centers
Fresh Air Friday tomorrow- be ready to be outside at Barrett Park

Thoughts of the day-November 19

What have we done over the last three days?

• We finished our Bollywood routine and practiced new moves with room 4.
• Yesterday we started a new art project, which was to create a human sculpture with aluminum foil, pipe cleaners, paper towel and plasticine.  We will be using these in science.
• In music we learned the melody and read the notes to a canoe song, which we played on the instruments.
• We cleaned our desks-I hope you will be amazed!
• On Tuesday, we started our new social centers, which include looking at music, transportation and how people in Peru live.  The Alberta Grasslands looked at the natural resources.
• In LA, we started these new stories about an alien who was late for school.  They are based on the book Baloney, which we read in class.

What questions do we have after today?

• How will our conferences go?
• What will we do with our people in science?
• What excuses will our aliens come up with?  What will they look like?
• What song will we cover next in music?

Thoughts of the day- November 16

What did we do today?

• Today some of us finished our Ivan art.
• In social, we were introduced to 6 new centers, the Grasslands got three as they will be starting a new region soon.
• We had our second Bollywood class.
• We had a student council meeting- we will be have an art, sports, french and dodgeball club.  There will also be math competitions during blue days. There will be colour days, bring your favourite sport to school day, and privilege day.
• In word work, we got our new spelling words and the big word was elephants.

What questions do we have after today?

• What will next week's big word be?
• What clubs will be offered this year?
• What will the other classes dances look like?
• How long will Ms. Jones's centers be this time?

Agenda- November 16-19

Read 30 min
CAFE next Wed
Treat day Tues.-bring 25¢
Spelling test Thurs
POW due Thurs
Student parent conferences Thurs/Fri- book asap
No school Fri
CAFE next Wed

Thoughts of the day- November 13

What did we do today?

• We went outside with Room 4 and we played this tag game where there are different animals and they had to get their food from other animals (carnivore would "eat" a herbivore).  There were omnivores, carnivores, decomposers and herbivores.  The carnivores could eat the herbivores, the omnivores could go after both, and the decomposers chased everyone.  he herbivores had the hardest job.
• We studied space and area.  We had to fit sheets of paper which were our habitats in a given space.  If they overlapped, you would "die" because you were sharing and competing for food, water, nutrients, shelter.  The space was 4m by 5m and we had to fit 47 kids.  We were able to figure it out on the third try, we went row by row like how a farmer plants their crops. Afterwards we drew or cut out tiny pieces of paper onto a given space to show what we learned.

Thoughts of the day- November 12

What did we do today?

• We started Bollywood dancing in gym.  There is a bit of jazz, a bit of hip hop and tradition Indian dance.  You usually look at your hands when you make a sweeping movement- there is acting involved too.  We also got to listen to the different music they play.
• In social, we did a catch up and next Monday we are starting different centers for the same region.
• We did more work on our Ivan art and we cut out our shapes for the characters body.  Some people started working on their heads, which we will change to a Picasso inspired face.
• In daily 5, we worked on a word work activity.  Ms. Jones introduced a new activity called Place Value Words.
• During music we earned free choice, where we played a lot of games.

What questions do we have after today?

• Will we have the same groups in social?  What will our next centers be?
• What is the next part of our dance for Bollywood dancing?
• What will our next novel be?
• How will our Primate Picasso pictures turn out?

Thoughts of the day-November 10

What did we do today?

• Today in science, we learned about the two types of light: natural and artificial.
• The school participated in the Remembrance Day assembly.
• We did word work today and in health we finished our Wordle art.
• Our big words were coordinates and decorations.  You can spell both words with the same letters!
• In music we played a canoe song with glockenspiels, metalephones and xylophones.

What questions do we have after today?

• What will we do in music on Thursday?
• What will be our next project in health?

Thoughts of the day- November 9

What did we do today?

• We had a catch up day to work on our social centers.
• In science, we learned about how the eye works.  We had to draw a partner's eye with the lights on and off and watched what happened to the pupil.  We missed word work because it was an interesting topic and we lost track of time.
• In gym we played Fish Under the Sea.  
• We planned our shapes for our Ivan Picasso piece.
• A group in guided reading read a book on Greece and myths.

What questions do we have after today?

• What will be our next big word?
• How long can an eye stay open without blinking?
• What is our next novel?
• Will there be more snow next Fresh Air Friday?
• What are we going to do next science class?
• How will the Picasso pieces turn out?

Agenda-November 9-13

Read 30 min
Bring donation for poppy
Assembly Tues @ 10:45 am
No school Wed
Book orders due Thurs
Spelling test Friday
Social center homework due Thurs
Fun lunch forms due Nov 19
Choir forms for Hitmen game due
Sign up for conferences on Saturday for next week

Thoughts of the Day- yesterday November 5

What did we do yesterday?

• We did a math test.
• We read more Ivan and he was moved from the Big Top Mall to a zoo.  He met his new troop of gorillas and watched them on television and through the glass.
• We got our science tests back, and had library.
• In art, we painted a background based from the book The One and Only Ivan.  We also learned about an artist named Picasso.

What questions do we have after yesterday?

• How will Ivan end?
• Will Ivan ever see Ruby again? How about Julia, George or Bob and Not Tag?
• What will Ivan's new troop think of him?  Will he be a good silverback?
• How will our Primate Picasso pictures turn out?

Thoughts of the Day- Fresh Air Friday November 6

What did we do today?

• We went outside to the Whispering Woods and we looked at the woods as 4 different people/animals: as ourselves, as a dog, as a senior and as an early settler.
• As ourselves: watched a woodpecker and chased a bunny; balanced on a fallen branch; avoided thorns; looked for trees to climb; heard the crunching of grass, birds tweeting, kids laughing and footsteps; could smell the fresh snow and the aroma of pancakes.
• As a dog: saw sticks and bunny scat; felt rocks; the snow felt cold on my paws; felt thorny branches and saw long grass; saw dogs playing in the snow; found scissors, a broom and Hershey's wrappers; looked for bunny tracks; found stinky foam; fell in a hole; smelled dirt and an old feather; felt hot in the sun; felt the wet leaves; saw a mouse and a squirrel and felt a cold wind.
• As a senior: was very hilly, slippery and gravelly; heard loud pesky children; blurry trees and grass; confusing pathways; it felt cold, windy and wet; saw sticks I could trip on; heard branches swaying; saw signs and bumpy bark; the walk was tiring after a while; and I saw a water bottle on the ground.
• As an early settler: no water to be found; saw berries for paint, food and medicine; plants for medicine; bunny tracks; found sap for candles; saw trees and cut branches for a shelter; and animals for food and clothing.

Thoughts of the day- November 4

What did we do today?

• In science we started a new unit called Light and Shadow.  We wrote down things we already know.
• In Ivan, Julia and George spelled out Ivan's "Home" sign.  Mack took responsibility for the sign.  A television station came to do an interview and filmed the claw stick so now protesters are out with signs to free Ruby.
• We played a new game called Bump to practice our spelling words.
• In social, we worked on our centers.
• In math we used SMARTIES to figure out place value and got to eat them afterwards! Two students got the same number!  We also built numbers using base ten blocks and your partner got to guess.
• Ms. Jones ACTUALLY taught gym again.

Questions after today?

• How fast does light travel from the Sun?
• What are we doing next in gym?
• Will Ivan get moved into a zoo with Ruby?
• How did we do on our science tests?

Thoughts of the day- November 3

What did we do today?

• We started new centers in social.  We went to different classrooms and started our first centers there.
• In Ivan, he got angry for the first time because Julia and George did not understand his paintings and they were going to give them to Mack to sell.
• In music we learned a French Canadian song.
• In daily 5, we all did a different activities and some of us helped the kindergartens on the computers.
• In health, we worked on our positive wordles.
• We did hula hoop routines that included all the stuff we have learned in this unit.
• We started place value in math.

What questions do we have after today?

• What are we doing this Fresh Air Friday?  Will it snow?
• I wonder what Julia and George will do with Ivan's paintings?
• Will we learn more French songs?

Thoughts of the day- November 2

What did we do today?

• We worked on our social centers and tried to finish three of them.
• We read a dark part in Ivan today, but now he has a plan to save Ruby.
• We have new spelling words.
• When we read to self in Daily 5, we now have to choose activities from a menu to complete.
• We completed two easy problem of the days.

Agenda- Nov 2-6

Read 30 min
Math quiz Thurs- review page 
No POW
Choir Wed
Library Thurs
Spelling test Fri
Bring in items for the Food Bank
School photos due Nov 9
EverActive consent due Friday
Science quiz to go home

Thoughts of the day- October 28

What did we do today?

• We had our first book CAFE!  We presented a book to another person and gave recommendations.  Those recommendations: The Girl Who Could Fly, Amulet, The Jack Russell series and the Percy Jackson series. We also got to drink awesome hot chocolate!
• In social, we worked on finishing the social center(s) we have been working on.
• In gym we did four stations for skipping- Ms. Jones finally taught gym today.
• Grade 3's are DONE their SLA's.

What questions do we have after today?

• What books will be brought in in our next CAFE?  What will we experience?
• What new books are there in the library?  We were told there were some.
• Will Ms. Jones teach gym next Wednesday?  She needs to teach her 3rd gym class.
• I wonder what we will do tomorrow for skipping?

Thoughts of the day- October 27

What did we do today?

• In health, we worked on our strategies and when we can defeat our UnThinkable team.
• We watched a video in science to review what we know about rocks and minerals and we have a test on Thursday.
• It was our second day of guided reading with different groups.
• In Ivan, he told a story of hope to Ruby because he promised Stella he would take care of her.
• We continued working on our social centers.
• We listened to four different kinds of music and we drew what we pictured in our heads.
• In gym we started double dutch skipping, which is really hard.

What questions do we have after today?

• When is the "floater" guided reading group going to start?
• How much bigger will the crystals get?
• What is our next unit in gym?
• What is Ivan going to remember?
• Is he going to keep his promise to Stella?
• Will Ivan move into a zoo with Ruby or stay at the Big Top Mall?
• What will our science be hard? (multiple choice and fill in the blank)

Thoughts of the day- October 26

What did we do today?

• Started our centers in social.  We got our plane tickets and took off to one of six centers that looked at climate, fashion, symbols, food, festivals and landforms.
• We started guided reading groups today.
• In math, the grade 3's are reviewing patterns and did a partner activity while the grade 4's learned about Carroll diagrams.
• We got new spelling words- the big word was frightening!

What questions do we have after today?

• We ran out of time today, so hopefully your child can discuss one with you at home.

Agenda- October 26- 29

Read 30 min
Cafe Wed pm at 2:15- bring book and book questions
POW due Thurs
Halloween parade Thurs pm
Spelling test Thurs am
Science test Thurs- science title page due Mon
Math equations- two days late

Thoughts of the day- October 23

What did we do today?

• We went geocaching by the Briesbois Drive bridge and we found a toy praying mantis with a message in a tube, a metal green tube hanging from a tree, a box with little trinkets, and in a hole in the hill we found one in a tube.  We would have had to fill it with water to have the geocache float up.
• On the way we found a pink leaf, a pair of safety glasses, a hanging sock and a moldy teddy bear and a bird's nest.
• We had our spelling test.
• We also checked on our crystals and we did our second observation.

What questions do we have after today?

• Will the Blue Jays win tonight?
• What will our crystals look like when we come to school Monday?
• Will there be crystals or will they melt?

Thoughts of the day- October 22

What did we do today?

• In science we made crystals with epsom salts and food colouring.  They are now in the freezer and we are waiting to see the conclusion.
• We had library exchange.
• In music, we played pass the kitchen broomstick around while singing.
• Our problem of the day had us using years to figure out how old Melanie was in 1994 and what year she was born. 
• We started to write our descriptions for our Van Gogh artwork.

What questions do we have after today?

• Will our crystals turn out the way we think they will?  When will the crystals form?  How big will they be?
• When are we going to read more Ivan? (Monday)
• I wonder how everyone's description of their artwork will turn out?
• What is our next POD going to be about? (time)
• What will we be doing tomorrow on Fresh Air Friday? (geocaching)

Thoughts of the day- October 21

What did we do today?

• In Ivan, Mack's wife left him one day after lots a days yelling.
• We started a new art project today using tissue paper and Wordles.
• We finished the SLA's today!!!

What questions do we have after today?

• When Mack sees all the x's on Ivan's wall, what will he do?
• Will Helen come to see Ivan?
• Why did Ivan not use tally marks?  Will he stop marking how many days he has been at the mall?
• Will Ivan save Ruby?  Will he escape?

Thoughts of the day- October 20

What did we do today?

• In health, we chose our Unthinkable team and we will be learning strategies to defeat them when they pop up.
• We looked at minerals and geodes and we assessed their properties.
• We had little buddies, so we helped them log on to Starfall and learn the letter t.
• The teachers explained our centers for Thursday and we finished "packing" our suitcases.
• We read Ivan today! His parents called him Mud.  He was raised as a human child and went to baseball games.  Go Jays!
• We made a video of us singing in music.
• In gym we played a hula hoop musical chairs game and we spun hula hoops.
• We talked about the Liberals and Justin Trudeau being our new prime minister.

What questions do we have after today?

• Why is Helen not with Mack anymore? (Ivan)  Why did they raise Ivan like a human child?
• Will the Blue Jays win tonight?
• What did Ivan mean when he said that with his sister, "the vine broke"?
• Will Justin Trudeau keep his promises?

Thoughts of the day-October 19

What did we do today?

• We started skipping in gym, with a lot of rope competitions.
• In social, we packed suitcases to travel to Peru/ the Alberta Grasslands.
• We got a new word in word work.  The big word was elections.
• In science, we learned the difference between minerals and rocks.  A mineral is made in nature.  Fun fact: Snow and ice cubes (water) are minerals.
• The grade 3's continued their SLA's, writing about the school they would create.
• In math, we did a problem of the day and solved equations with missing numbers.

What questions do we have after today?

• I wonder if room 4 will bring in minerals?
• I wonder how we are going to make geodes and crystals?
• When are we going to read The One and Only Ivan book again?
• What are second and third on the MOHS hardness scale?
• I wonder who is going to win tonight's election?

Agenda- October 19-23

Read 30 min
Treat day tomorrow- bring 25¢
Picture day Wed
Choir Wed
Fun lunch Thurs
Social: suitcase, passport cover due Thurs
Library Thurs
Spelling test Fri
POW due Fri
CAFE next Wed
Food Bank donations
Math homework: addend/minuend work due Mon

Thoughts of the day-October 16

What did we do today?

• Today we did an orienteering scavenger hunt.  Trading maps and directions we used our skills with the compasses to find the hidden "treasure".  The portable hid little Pooh bears (and one Eeyore), sticky notes and balloons while Room 4 hid name tags. Some maps were confusing, as "true" north kept moving in different directions.  
• We also had Daily 5 where we did some journaling and reading.
• On a side note, go Blue Jays go!

What questions do we have after today?

• I wonder where the Pooh bears we didn't find went to?
• What will we do next Fresh Air Friday?
• Will we get to go geocaching?

Thoughts of the day: October 9 and 13

What did we do?

• On Friday, we weeded with Tessa from the zoo.
• In music, we got our free choice class.  We played games such as wax museum and host of the party.
• We got a new seating plan in music and are changing our seating arrangement in class too.
• In social we made a list of what we need to know about a place we are traveling to before we go (again, as Ms. Jones lost the last one)
• The written part of the SLAs started today, but the grade 4s discussed it as well.
• We had buddies!
• We learned more about our Unthinkables.
• On Friday, we did a scavenger hunt using compasses and tried to locate signs.
• In math, we started algebra with missing variables.

Agenda- October 13-16

Read 30 min
Fun lunch forms due Fri
Picture forms
School council Tues
POW due Fri

Thoughts of the day- October 7 and 8

What did we do today (and yesterday):

• We went outside into the Whispering Woods to collect some soil.  We found a whole bunch of tree roots and clay.  There were also pebbles.  Using that experience we described the colour and texture of each soil layer.
• We had library.
• Yesterday we started our descriptive writing about our pet rocks.  Today some people started their stories.
• In music, we continued our music review of our notes.
• We played our first game of soccer in the field.
• Go Blue Jays Go!

What questions do we have after today?

• What will the rock stories be like?
• Is our sample from the Whispering Woods the same as Room 4's?
• I wonder what books will be discussed during our cafe?

Thoughts of the day- October 6

What did we do today?

• We had buddies and we helped them log on to more Starfall.
• In gym, we played crab soccer, where we crab walked while kicking the ball.
• Grade 3's did SLA's again, some are finished the digital assessment.
• We had music in our classroom, and we did a sheet that helped us memorize our music notes.
• In science, we finished analyzing our soil samples.  They were all different in texture and colour.
• For math, we practiced working with patterns and Venn diagrams.

What questions do we have after today?

• When will we start learning about Carroll diagrams?
• When will we start guided reading?

Thought of the day- October 5

What did we do today?

• Grade 3's started math SLA.
• We came up with a lot of words for our word work today.  The big word was hibernation.
• In gym, we started soccer and we did relays.
• We have planned for our stories for out pet rocks.  If not done, it is for homework.
• We read more Ivan it was sad! :(  We found out Stella the elephant died because of an infection of her foot.  Mack cares more about money than his animals.
• In science, we started to study the soil samples we collected from Barrett Park.

What questions do we have after today?

• What are we doing Friday?
• Will we get all the soil samples done this week?
• Will Ivan keep Stella's promise?
• What story will Ivan tell Ruby?
• What will happen next in Ivan?
• When will we start to play actual games of soccer in gym?

Agenda- October 5-9

Read 30 min
Pet rock web due Tues
Choir starts Wed
Library Thurs
Spelling test Fri
Fundscrip forms
Book orders due Oct 13
Fun lunch form due Oct 16
Fresh Air Friday tomorrow
No school Mon

Thoughts of the day- October 2

What did we do today?

• We had our second spelling test.
• We went to Barrett Park and collected soil samples.  We found LOTS of different ladybugs.  There were black ones with yellow rings around the spots, and yellow ones with a wavy pattern. The ladybugs were crawling all over us! We were looking for clay, loam and sand.  We found loam and sand but not clay. There were also worms and wasps and a hare in the park.  We also did a reflective journal about what what we saw, and we labeled the pictures.    

What questions do we have after today?

• What will we do next week?
• Why is there always a rabbit when we go to Barrett Park?  Is it's home there?
• Will the ladybugs be hibernating when we visit Barrett Park next time?
• How many different species of ladybugs are at Barrett Park?
• Will the pears be gone next time?
• What will be the big word next week?
• Does the soil go through a cycle?
• What are the ladybugs doing right now?
• Will the ladybugs find a nice and safe place to hibernate?

Thoughts of the day- October 1

What did we do today?

• We were introduced to word work in Daily 5.  To practice our spelling words we can Rainbow Write, Backwards Words, Waterfall, Colourful Words or make Silly Sentences.
• In art, we painted our Van Gogh pictures of the nature ground/ Nose Hill Park.
• Worked on another POD (Problem of the Day).
• We learned a game to go with the song Entry of the Gladiators with cups in music.
• We read more Ivan in LA. We predict Ivan will compare himself with a wild gorilla and we had library.

What questions do we have after today?

• What will happen next in Ivan?
• What will our pictures in art look like when they are dry?
• What will our next project in art be?
• Will our prediction be correct?
• Is anything going to happen to Stella the elephant's foot?
• How did the grade 3's do on the literacy assessment?

Thoughts of the day- September 30

What did we do today?

• We used crayons as rocks and went through the rock cycle.  This included melting, cooling, crushing into sediment, mush with plasticine and using heat and pressure to mix two sedimentary rocks to make a metamorphic rock.
• It was the Terry Fox Run!  Our class completed 136 laps and we have raised $299 so far!
• Grade 3's started their first SLA assessment today.
• We are starting our stories about our pet rocks.

What questions do we have after today?

• What will some of the stories be like for our pet rocks?
• What will we see with our SLA's tomorrow?
• How much money will the school raise for cancer research by Friday?

Thoughts of the day-September 29

What did we do today?

• We made our pet rocks today using materials like wire, googly eyes and string.
• The grade 3's did a practice SLA today while the grade 4's were working on their math journals and passport covers.
• We went over what we need to know before we travel to our first location.
• In music we got our music journals and we listened to a song called "Entry of the Gladiators".  We wrote about what it sounded like.

What questions do we have after today?

• I wonder what everyone will write about in their rock story?

Agenda for September 28-October 2

Read 30 min
Bring money for Terry Fox Run 
Terry Fox Run Wed morning
Spelling test Fri
SLA letter
POW due Fri
Conferences Wed night- bring in parent viewpoint
School picture form
Parent letter
Word work homework due Fri

Thoughts of the day- September 28

What did we do today?

• Listen to reading was added to our Daily 5.  We can use either Raz-Kids or Tumblebooks.
• In science, we made a rock cycle.  A volcano erupts and spits out magma, then the magma cools down and hardens and become an igneous rock.  The igneous erodes into sediment and through deposition and cementation the sediment hardens into layers becoming a sedimentary rock.  The sedimentary rock with heat and pressure turns to a metamorphic rock, which can melt back into magma.
• Tomorrow we are going to make pet rocks and write a story about them. 

What questions do we have after today?

• How much money are we going to raise for Terry Fox tomorrow?
• How long does it take for a rock to go through the entire rock cycle?
• I wonder what kinds of rocks people will bring tomorrow?  What will they look like?
• Has the big rock in Okotoks gone through the rock cycle?  Where is it in the rock cycle?  What type of rock is it?

Thoughts of the day- September 22

What did we do today?

• In social studies, some of us will be traveling to Peru as others will be traveling Alberta.  We also started to make a passport.  The last three groups shared their facts about transportation, clothing and the government in Canada.
• We learned how each of the three types of rocks are made.  
• We met with our little buddies today and read a book to them.

What questions do we have about our learning today?

• What will our next experiment be for our rocks study?
• In social, what other things will we be making?
• How did I do on my spelling?

Thoughts of the day- September 21

What did we do today?

• We made rock krispies to learn how rocks are made.  Metamorphic rocks are made of minerals (Skittles, M & Ms and gummy bears), sedimentary and igneous rocks (rice krispies), pressure and heat.  They were AMAZING!
• Our POD was tricky today because instead of adding to the highest number it always added to the original number.
• We shared a few more facts in social about families, food and weather.
• We started Daily 5 today.

What questions do we have about our learning after today?

• What facts will we learn tomorrow in social?
• I wonder what we are going to do for the igneous and sedimentary rocks?
• I wonder if our POD will be harder tomorrow?
• When will we start multiplication and division PODs?

Agenda- September 21-24

Read 30 min
Spelling test tomorrow
Book Fair is Thurs and Fri.
Parent conferences are this Thurs and Fri
No school Fri
POW due Thurs

Thoughts of the day- September 18

What we did today:

• We collected leaves, sticks, mushrooms, rocks and pinecones from Barrett Park and the Whispering Woods.  We recorded them through tracing, print making, rubbings and drawing, as well as wrote about where we found it and our observations of each one.  Each one is different.
• In Barrett Park we saw a bunny, leaves on the ground and a whole bunch of twigs, 3 pear trees, and one had four pears on it.  There was also spiders, an interesting mushroom by the pine trees and a stick that looked like a pitchfork.

What questions do we have about our learning today?

• I wonder if those pears will last?
• Why did one of the pear trees have pears?
• I wonder if Barrett Park will get smaller?

Thoughts of the day- September 17

What did we do today?

• We sketched a picture of either the nature ground or Nose Hill Park.  We will then use Van Gogh techniques to make our artwork.
• Our final day of read around was in Room 4.  Ms. Pearson read us Stanley's Party.  We also had library.
• In Ivan, we were introduced to Ruby, a baby elephant.
• In math, we made a pattern tree and we took off one row every minute.  Then we answered questions about the pattern.  The grade 4's worked on mathletics, do increasing and decreasing patterns.

What questions do we have about our learning today?

• I wonder how the Van Gogh will look like after they are done?
• What will happen to Ruby, the baby elephant?
• I wonder if Ivan is going to start liking Ruby more?

Thoughts of the day- September 16

What did we do today?

• We brought rocks from home and studied them.  There are three types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic.
• Today's read around was with Mrs. Lim and Ms. Cowdy.  They read us Everybody Needs a Rock.
• We shared our research about Canada in social studies. We read our posters out to the class.
• In gym we played Dr. Dodgeball after a cooperation relay.  
• We changed our POD, it was a bit tricky!
• We chose our first spelling words today.  The big word was volcanoes.
• Happy birthday Jambo!  He would have been 46 years old!

What questions do we have about our learning today?

• I wonder if the Jersey Zoo celebrated Jambo's birthday?
• What is our next book in the read aloud?
• How many different rocks are there?
• How many colours can a geode be? In one rock?
• Why are there only three types of rocks?

Thoughts of the day- September 15

What did we do today?

• We studied two more rocks, and classified them by their properties.  We had to do a streak test to see if it left any marks on the paper.
• In LA, we started word work.  We had to make up words using the letters a,e,o,o,c,l,n,s and v.
• Mr. Pedenko read us the book Rules of the Wild in the class read around today.  He thought we were wonderful!  (as we are!)

What questions do we have of our learning today?

• I wonder what the big word is for word work?
• What kind of rocks are people going to bring tomorrow?
• What book will Ms. Cowdy read us tomorrow?

Thoughts of the day- September 14

What did we do today?

• We went to room 7 for the school read around and Mrs. Saunders and Mrs. Lee read Click Clack Moo.
• We saw the real story of Jambo.  A boy fell into a gorilla cage and Jambo the silverback gorilla comforted him until he was rescued, and then he led the other gorillas away.
• Started some research about Canada.  We are looking into government, services, transportation, traditions, housing, landforms, food, clothing, weather, families and languages.
• In science, we found out what lustre is.

What questions do we have about our learning today?

• Why did Jambo protect the boy?
• What country/ region will we learn about first?

Agenda September 14-18

Read 30 min
Bring rocks Wed
Who I Am due Wed
Library Thurs
Welcome back BBQ Thurs
POW due Friday
Book orders due Sept 21
Spelling test next Tuesday

Thoughts of the day- September 11

What did we do today?

• We went to Nose Hill Park and explored to find different types of rocks through a rock scavenger hunt.  We had to find a rock smaller than a marble, a rock bigger than an apple, a smooth rock, a rough and jagged rock, a glassy rock, a rock that was one colour and a rock that was two colours.  
• It took us over 1 000 steps to get there!
• On the way we saw grasshoppers, spiders, a purple rock that might be amethyst, a cat, lots of wasps, beetles and lots of ants.  There was huge goats beard on the hill, a gopher, some dogs and different kinds of grasses.

What questions about our learning do we have after today?

• How many insects are in Nose Hill Park?
• What will we do next Friday?
• Will we have a project to do with the rocks we found?

Thoughts of the day- September 10

What did we do today?

• We used our inner artist and practiced our Van Gogh techniques- swirls, sideways strokes, circles and curves.
• We had our first library exchange today.
• We went to Mrs. Hamby's class today and she read us "If I Only Had A Green Nose".  We also read more Ivan and found out he can draw a beetle.  We also found out another elephant is coming and learned story of Jambo.

What questions do we have about our learning today?

• Is the new animal in the story going to be an elephant or a new gorilla?
• Is the big top mall going to close down?  What is going to happen to Julia's mom?
• What is the true story of Jambo?  We will find out Monday?
• How far is the walk to Nose Hill Park?  How many steps?  Our guesses are: 2 500, 2 020, and  5 000.

Thoughts of the day- September 9

What did we do today?

• We started a read around in the school.  We went to Ms. Boyer's room and she read the book "Beekle".  It was about imaginary friends.
• We were rock detectives and studied different types of rocks.  There were unique rocks and we got to use magnifying glasses and magnets.  
• We learned about the countries we are going to study this year and mapped out countries that we do know.

What questions do we have about what we learned today?

• I wonder what happens in the Ukraine?
• Who will we visit tomorrow for the read around?
• What rocks will we find at Nose Hill Park on Friday?
• How many different types of rocks are there?
• What will tomorrow's POD question be?

Thoughts of the day- September 8

What did we do today?

• We started our new science unit on rocks and minerals.  We also started social.
• Our first music class was today- we played games like 'Who has the button?"
• We had our first POD today (problem of the day).  We had to figure out a word problem by adding then subtracting.
• Read even more Ivan!

A question we have after our learning today?

• Where will our social and science units take us?  Will we learn about the minerals? What types are there? Who will get the rights to the North Pole?  How much oil is there?  

Agenda- September 8-11

Read 30 min
Rocks web (5 facts) due Wednesday
Hitmen raffle Wednesday
Welcome back BBQ form-due Mon
Welcome back package forms-demographic, fees
We are going to Nose Hill Park Friday- wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring 2 snacks, water bottle, hat, sunscreen

Thoughts of the day-September 4

What did we do today?

• It was Fresh Air Friday! We went outside and did an alphabet scavenger hunt. We also did a five senses sheet about the Whispering Woods.  It wasn't as cold as the field.  Some of us need to bring better clothing next week because they got cold.  We should have gloves, a good jacket, a hat or something that covers your ears (toque, earmuffs), a scarf and boots.  We got to work with a buddy from Room 4.  We saw a bunny, grasses, vegetation, a garter snake, beetles, bird's nest, a mouse, mushrooms, large weeds, Canadian Thistles, grasshoppers and wild blue flax.  When we closed our eyes we heard the wind, voices,  loud, rustling footsteps, sticks cracking, leaves crinkling, bugs chirping and trees moving in the wind.

What questions do we have about what we did today?

•  What is Fresh Air Fridays going to be like in the winter time? June?
• What is happening next week on Friday?

Thoughts of the day- September 3

What did we do today?

• We did mad minutes to show Ms. Jones what we know and what we need to learn.
• Read more from The One and Only Ivan.
• We had an assembly and we sang our school song.  There are important forms to bring home!
• We wrote about our summer breaks.

What is one question we have after today:

• Will Ivan's plan work?

Thoughts of the day-September 2

What did we do today?

• Started the book The One and Only Ivan.  He is an artistic gorilla!
• We did a spelling test today to show Ms. Jones what words we need help with.
• We had draw ourselves by tracing our hands and feet and drawing our heads.

What questions do we have after today?

• How did I do on my math scavenger hunt and spelling test?
• What are the Unthinkables?
• What countries are we going to learn about?

Agenda for September 2-4

Read 30 min

Welcome back package due Friday
Welcome back assembly Thursday @ 10:00am

Fresh Air Fridays start this Friday- dress for the weather 
Hitmen tickets draw
Handbook letter