Welcome to December, everyone, the last month of 2017.

Three more weeks of school in 2017 and we have lots to do!

In Literacy, the students will be receiving their full Ideal School assessments this week. They will be bringing the assessment summary home for your signature. If you have not already, please ask to hear about their ideal school. There will be a vocabulary review test on Wednesday, December 6th and I will provide more time for the R7A students to prepare tomorrow. Our Guided Reading Boot Camp starts on Thursday with about 5 groups reading different texts and answering comprehension questions. In some groups, students will have specific tasks such as facilitator, summarizer and recorder. I will be continuing the Hana’s Suitcase read-aloud and we may be doing some story-telling of our own on the special story-teller chair. In Geography, we will be finishing up our viewing of a BBC documentary on Natural Disasters and starting our own project research. We are also focusing on reading comprehension in Geography. In Visual Arts, I am determined (!) all will be done their beautiful Morning Star adaptations and we will be moving on to a new project for next week. I will make sure that I post photos of their art pieces and explanations of why they created their pieces.

Fears and Phobias unit: the students did a good job in researching phobias and distinguishing the difference between fear and phobia. Here is an excerpt from a Maya Angelou poem, “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” and my own photo of a beautiful frog perched in November leaves in the Pine Grove green space

“Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” by Maya Angelou

Don’t show me frogs and snakes
And listen for my scream,
If I’m afraid at all
It’s only in my dreams.

Tissues and Tea: our noses still require more boxes of tissue. Thanks to those families who sent in boxes. The students seem to be enjoying their Thursday tea. Any interesting herbal teas would be welcome.

Macskimming Event Photos: here are a few pics from our great field trip, the first being a class picture.

Great Things Happening in Ottawa

This week on Thursday, December 7, the NCC will be hosting an Illumination Ceremony on Parliament Hill when all of the Christmas lights will be turned on. It is a free event and worth attending. As well, the newly renovated, re-charged Science and Technology Museum opened last weekend. It is on Lancaster Road, just east of St. Laurent. On Thursdays between 5 and 8 p.m., the museum is free

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ENJOY YOUR WEEK,

Ms Swail