March Update

Thank you everyone for your generous support of Operation Donation, providing support for those less fortunate in our city. This month some special activities include "I love to Read Week" which we are tying into Canada's 150th birthday; and another Canada 150 activity that will include participation of the entire Division, celebrating what is means to be Canadian and how we can make a difference in/for Canada.


Language Arts

The children continue making progress with their individual exploration of spelling patterns and sounds, and this month will begin study of a third pattern/sound set.  In writing, the children have begun creating stories modeled after a book covered in class. We are hoping to share our "Cookie's Week" books with the Grade 4's to celebrate and get some positive feedback for future works. The students have started a first attempt of a nonfiction text, and the different ways information is communicated within these texts. Of particular consideration is including key information and taking time to make illustrations meaningful and helpful to the reader.

VW I Love to Read 2017- Monday, March 6^th to Friday, March 10^th

Theme- Canada 150. We read Canadian! Nous lisons du canadien!

Our I Love to Read Challenges are the following;

1.       To read for 150 Minutes individually OR as a class.  That’s only 2 hours 30 minutes from March 3^rd to March 13th. Students can count the minutes they read at home as well. Of course, books must be by Canadian authors and/or content. I have sent home this recording page today. Please send it back daily so Mme Fillion can record our results with the rest of the school :)

2.       As a school- Let’s take on the challenge of Reading across Canada! Lisons à travers du Canada!

There are approx. 7500 kms from St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador to Victoria BC.

1 book read= 10 kms (Individually read, read as a class- all books count!)

As a school we would need to read 750 books! We can do it!

I Love to Read Week – Special Clothing Days
Thursday, March 9th - Wear Canadian! (red and white, plaid or anything that represents Canada)

Friday, March 10th- Canadian Sport  Day

Chantal Rochon

Bibliothécaire-Enseignante/Teacher Librarian, École Van Walleghem School

Mathematics

The children continue working to build their accuracy and understanding of numbers forwards and backwards within 100 and beyond. The Morning Routine page has changed twice since December in order to target understanding of and accuracy in number patterns and squences. We will continue exploring Canadian money as another way to practice addition, subtraction, and problem solving. The children will also be building recognition of Canadian coins (including the almost extinct penny).

We continue to include a focus in problem solving strategies particularly with respect to what is the problem and is it a one-step or multi-step solution?

Science
Our trip to the Manitoba Museum was enjoyed by all. The children were able to consider the different ways animals move, their covering, habitats, growth rates, eating adaptations, and special adaptions/talents. It was visual as well as hands-on. We are working to complete investigating insects, birds, and fish this month.

Social Studies
We have finished looking at Nova Scotia as a coastal Canadian community and this month will look into Nunavut and Iqaluit as another reality of the variation of land, resources, and community within Canada. Within this unit the children will be focusing on natural resources and customs/traditions. They will use technology to create a visual project that reflects one or both communities.