Good morning R7A Families –

This is an important week for many of you as you celebrate Eid. EID MUBARAK to you and your loved ones.

For everyone, this is a 4-day week. Friday is a PA Day designated for teachers to begin work on their term 2 report cards.

On Monday, June 3rd, tomorrow, the whole Intermediate Division is heading to the Supreme Court of Canada for a guided tour in French, and then will be doing self-guided tours to places such as Parliament Hill and Major’s Hill Park. Let’s hope the weather cooperates. Please remind your children that we all have to be very respectful on the guided tour, and stay with the group and listen with the teachers and volunteers when in a group. We are scheduled to be back at school by 1:15. Thank you to Norah’s mom for volunteering to be one of the parent chaperones.

In Health Education, we have concluded our study of substances and keeping ourselves safe. We are now embarking on a brief unit on Healthy Growth and Development where we generally study female and male changes during adolescence, and most importantly, healthy relationships and communication. A letter informing you of this unit is attached.

The Natural Disaster presentations by students will start on Tuesday. We will then be looking at Canada’s natural resources and general, related issues.

A final field trip, a Carleton University Sports Day, is planned for the end of the month. More information will be coming soon.

Lastly, I am posting some fun photos of the R7As creating 3-D shapes from nets. They were all engaged and proud of their

building.

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Have a very good week,

Ms Swail

Hello R7A Families –

Hope you all had a good weekend on the National Capital Race Weekend. It is wonderful to see colour back in Ottawa – lush, green lawns, bright flowers,  blooming crabapples, and lilacs. Finally! And, there are only 5 more weeks of school!

Next Monday, June 3rd, we will be going on an Intermediate Division field trip to the Supreme Court and downtown Ottawa. Should be lots of fun! Thanks to so many of you for getting your permission forms in on time. The whole trip was organized by Mme Deere.

In Guided Reading, many students will be starting a novel to enrich and finish the school year. They will be choosing their novels this week. Geography continues with natural disaster projects and then we will move on to natural resources, looking at how natural resources enrich countries’ economies, play a large role in history and colonialism and are a large part of today’s environmental issues.

I think it would be a good idea to complete the year with a community potluck. Please e-mail me at heather.swail@ocdsb.ca if you are interested and can contribute to the potluck. It will probably be in the second-last week of June.

Another great Canadian citizen has come to be. Our own Saabrin became a Canadian citizen with her sister on Friday.

Enjoy your week. Get outside and play, if you can. Today, my ongoing training for our big summer trek, was to hike for 8 km in beautiful, muddy Gatineau Park. There were white trilliums everywhere in the woods, a few red ones, gushing streams and many, many mosquitoes that make you hike a lot faster.

Ms Swail

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Good morning R7A Families –

Happy Victoria Day weekend. A long-serving British monarch’s birthday grants us an extra day on the weekend to enjoy the city and nature. I hope you had an opportunity to get outside and enjoy some actual warmth and blue sky. My family and I spent the weekend at our cottage and, at times, I hung out with turtles. Not sure how pleased they were but I got some great photos and didn’t fall out of my kayak!

Last week at school was really busy. All weeks from now until the last day of school will be packed full of activities. On Tuesday last, a few R7A students had the opportunity to participate in a blanket exercise, an interactive lesson on what has happened to indigenous peoples since the coming of the European settlers. On Wednesday, Ms Prokaska brought orchestra members, including some R7A students, to the annual musical showcase at Fisher Park/Summit school. All through the week, all VM students participated in our FIVE DAYS FOR FREEDOM where we learned about the 5 essential pillars of a healthy community (health, education, clean water, food security, financial opportunity) and the differences between the global south and north. It was a really successful week and some R7A students were heavily involved in the planning and the running of activities.

This coming week and the next will be relatively quiet as it is EQAO testing time for grades 3 and 6.

In Geography, we are working on natural disasters. On Tuesday, we will be having a natural disaster film festival with short videos chosen by R7A students that explain about 9 different kinds of disasters. We will then move on to natural resources and learn how closely and importantly natural resources such as trees, water and minerals are linked to OURSTORY and immigration. In Language Arts, we continue with guided reading and integrating geography research with non-fiction, expository writing. I will be conferring with the students this week on what they would like to do for our last unit on media literacy.

The OCDSB is once again offering summer school for grades 7 and 8 in July, in math and literacy. Please contact me as soon as possible if you are interested in summer school for your child. Here is the link: https://www.ocdsb.ca/continuing_education/summer_school_programs/summer_school_grade_6_7_8

The annual National Capital Tulip Festival started this long weekend and there are many activities. https://www.ottawatourism.ca/ottawa-insider/canadian-tulip-festival/

Have a very good week, all.

Ms Swail

To all families celebrating Ramadan, I wish you all the best, a month of kindness, reflection and family time.

This week, R7A will be busy with lots of different kinds of work. In Language Arts, we are working on geography-related vocabulary and expository writing – which is a type of writing that explains a topic simply with factual details. Our topics have to do with the big ideas concerning physical geography, such as “What is the difference between the concepts of climate and weather?” or “What evidence do we have of current climate change?” Expository training helps students identify the most important ideas in texts and then communicate those ideas in their own way, using word choice and organization.

In Geography, we will be having a small assessment on latitude and longitude. We will then be moving on to studying and teaching about natural disasters.

In Health Education, we will be watching a video about substance abuse, specifically the story of a Kanata teenager who got addicted to painkillers. All of the information we are learning in Health class goes toward building a better, more informed awareness for young people.

On Friday, the Intermediates will be going to Hillcrest for an assembly on Black Excellence. These assemblies are excellent and feeder schools are always invited. We learn about African-Canadian history, music, art and achievements.

I will need one volunteer for the field trip which is scheduled around noon, and should take about 1.5 hours.

Thanks,

Ms Swail

Good morning families –

After a very busy weekend, I am back to do some learning and have some fun with R7A. This week we have lots going on.

The Multi-cultural dinner is on Thursday, May 2, 2019 here at the school from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m..  We are still recruiting families to come to this wonderful, long-standing VM event. Bring a favourite traditional family dish and all will be shared. If you are interested in coming, e-mail me, Ms Swail, directly at Heather.Swail@ocdsb.ca on Monday and I will send home a form Monday. PLEASE DO COME!

 Take good care,

Dear R7A Families –

I am writing in green throughout this post because it has been so long since we have seen green, and this weekend, it re-surfaced. I even saw small daffodil shoots and some tiny, budding narcissus in my travels. I hope you and your children all had a good long weekend. Everyone – including their teacher – will return rejuvenated and ready to go! Speaking of green, the swamps in the countryside were full of frog song. They are singing their little froggy hearts out, rejoicing in spring!

We have a short but busy week. Tuesday morning is Grade 7 orchestra practice. On Wednesday, we have a Spring Extravaganza at our school (see below). On Thursday, yours truly gets “pied” with other teachers by students raising money for the David Suzuki Foundation. Hope the pie is good! On Friday afternoon, the Student Council is holding a Spring Fling Dance.

In Geography this week we will be looking at climate change and the effect it is having on the occurence and intensity of natural disasters and humans. In Language Arts, we will be doing some serious editing of our writing and engaged in guided reading.

🌹 SPRING EXTRAVAGANZA🌹

What is the Spring Extravaganza? The G5/6A and the EF4A classes are participating in a project called the Entrepreneurial Adventure. The objective is to make a change in the world. Our main goal is to reduce climate change by reducing methane pollution. We would also like to help protect species at risk and our coastal waters. We have organized a fundraiser called the Spring Extravaganza to donate money to the David Suzuki Foundation.We are selling a variety of goods like candy, baked goods, cake raffles, arts and crafts, and other great products! We are inviting you to come and enjoy yourselves at our event. Please ask your class to bring some money to help support this great initiative. If none of these times below work for your class, please contact Kim Shiau.

On Thursday, May 2nd, we will be holding our annual, wonderful Multi-cultural Dinner, just before Ramadan. Please come, and bring food for the potluck. There will be an Art Show on the first floor from 4:30 – 5:00. Dinner is from 5:00 – 6:00. The Fashion Show will be held from 6:00 – 6:30. I sent an orange sheet home asking about participation and volunteers. I will remind the R7A students tomorrow. Our own Rua will be one of the hosts of the Fashion Show!

See below for information on the VM Legacy Fund, also in the last school update. 

Dear Grade 7/8 Parents,

For some of us, our children’s journey at Vincent Massey is quickly coming to an end.  We thought it was a good time to give thought to a legacy gift back to our school.

The Grade 8 Legacy Fund is a gift from the graduating class to the current/future Vincent Massey students.  This gift can be used to enhance education or overall student experience.

We thought it would be great idea to extend this idea out to all intermediate families to provide Vincent Massey with something that supports physical activity for our children.  Having basketballs, volleyballs, footballs and soccer balls available to students will promote physical activity not only for our children but all students of Vincent Massey for years to come.  From our own experience, our children have spent countless hours playing with the DPA balls.  Socialization and team play skills are great added benefits.

If you are interested in providing support for The Grade 8 Legacy Fund, please contact us.  We are accepting cash donations as well as donations of any sport balls (basketballs, volleyballs, footballs, soccer balls) until Thursday April 18, 2019.  We would be happy to arrange picking up any donations you would like to make.

Thank you,

TJ and Becky (mothers of Grade 8 students)

TJ Bains – 613-601-9557 or krupka3@hotmail.com

Becky Gallinger – 613-295-3895 or beckygallinger@hotmail.com

TVO Mathify

TVO has a new platform at www.tvomathify.com that provides online learning tools combined with live after-school math tutoring. It is a free service available to students in Grades 7 to 10 every Sunday to Thursday, 5:30-9:30pm.  

Take good care –

Ms Swail

Hello R7A Families –

Another short week with no school on Friday. Next week is the same story with Monday being a holiday.

This week, we will be wrapping up Our Story and setting out on learning about physical geography, beginning with natural disasters, their causes and consequences for humans and the environment. In Language Arts, we will be completing historical diaries centring on the 1837 rebellions. We will also be focusing on Guided Reading and improving comprehension skills. This week in Health Education, we will be talking and learning about addiction, with a focus on Ottawa and the opioid crisis.

It has been an extremely long winter and I am hoping this week will give us all a welcome reprieve and launch into spring.

Below are some wonderful posters created by the students, and some shots of nature. I had the opportunity to travel to our family cottage on Saturday. It was a beautiful day and there were many signs that reluctant winter was being overtaken (finally) by natural spring: ferns and moss, melting ice and a robin!

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Take good care,

Ms Swail

Hello R7A Families –

This is a short week as there is no school on Friday. It is a PD Day.

Our Language Arts and Ourstory will be taken up with learning more about the 1837 Upper and Lower Canadas rebellions, and taking a side: are you a government loyalist or a rebel, and WHY? We will split up into Upper Canada and Lower Canada and the different factions that were in conflict over how government should run in BNA, heading up to Canadian Confederation in 1867, only a short thirty years after the rebellions. The students have been challenged to think about the BIG ideas behind our country’s story and to take a more philosophical slant in our discussions. For example: do you need conflict to bring about change; what kind of government do people want?; what makes people angry and want change and reform?

In Health Education, we are focusing on mental health, balance and learning about addictive substances such as drugs and alcohol. The R7A class will be having a mental health workshop with our social worker, Larry Gauthier, on Monday. I am also arranging a Collaborative Problem Solving workshop with Ms Davies this month.

April is Daffodil Month organized by the Canadian Cancer Society. I will let you know if daffodils are being sold at school in case your family would like to purchase some lovely spring flowers and support cancer research.

Take care of each other –

Ms. Swail

HAPPY APRIL FOOL’s DAY – 

Let’s hope the warmer temperatures this week are not a joke!

This week in Language Arts, we will be focusing on guided reading and reading comprehension in our 5 groups. We will be integrating literacy with Our story. As we learn about the rebellions of 1837, students will be writing up diaries, wanted posters and engaging in other fun projects that show their understanding and strengthen their writing skills.In Ourstory this week, we will also be teaching each other about the War of 1812 through a group exercise called Jigsaw. Ms Trivedi and I will also be starting to re-assess student reading levels to give them data for new goals into the spring and toward grade 8.

Gravel Burn! The Intermediate yard if full of gravel used throughout the winter to counter the ice. The gravel is very slippery especially when people are running around in running shoes. Please ask your children to continue to wear boots until the snow is gone.

Maple sugar festivals are everywhere in and around Ottawa. Check them out!

Things to Do in Ottawa in April

Have a very good week! Please make sure your children are reading every day! Below are two photos – one of the Rainbow Mountains in Peru Ms. Prokaska and I trekked last August and one of the beautiful rainbow cupcakes made for the Primary Cupcake Walk Sale the Leadership group held on Wednesday. We raised close to $600.00 for school initiatives in the developing world.

Ms. Swail

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Happy spring, whatever your perspective –

One picture makes it easy to define an equinox: it’s when the Earth is as different as night and day. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) captured the glory of that fleeting moment on Wednesday in a photo taken by one of its Geostationary and Polar-Orbiting Weather Satellites. The GOES-16, as it’s known, is positioned approximately 22,300 miles away from Earth and is lined up at 75.2 W longitude and the equator. The distance is far enough away to provide the breathtaking “full-disk” imagery of our planet.

Twice each year, during a vernal and autumnal equinox, the sun is directly above the Earth’s equator during its orbit, which means the amount of daylight and darkness is almost exactly equal at all latitudes. The photo taken by the GOES-16 on Wednesday, the first day of spring, illustrates this celestial phenomenon in dramatic fashion.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/heres-what-the-vernal-equinox-looked-like-from-22-300-miles-away/70007765

THIS WEEK:

Language Arts:  We are getting back into Writers’ Workshop on Monday when Ms Trivedi and I work with the children on various aspects of the writing traits and grammar. Please reinforce reading at home -it improves both reading and writing. We are also embarking on a concentrated guided reading segment where we will be looking at shorter pieces and then progressing to some very interesting novels. I have started a read-aloud of Alan Cumyn’s “The Secret Life of Owen Skye”. Lots of fun and so relaxing for the children.  https://houseofanansi.com/products/the-secret-life-of-owen-skye-digital. Alan Cumyn is a highly talented and funny author and a friend of our family’s.

Ourstory and Geography: In the next two weeks, we will be on an intense, learning journey, learning about the War of 1812, attempts to create inclusive government and the little-known but very important rebellions of 1837 in Quebec and Ontario. Please ask your children for their Ourstory assessment rubrics that you need to sign. It has been two weeks and they are becoming historical documents! Geography will start right after with our first unit on Natural Disasters. I am including a short clip on climate change, strongly related to natural disasters, that I showed last week. It involves a very articulate and courageous young woman from Sweden. Please take a look.

As well, I thought you might like to read about my personal connection to the 1837 rebellions. I am the direct descendant of a Quebec rebel, a Patriote, whose family was firmly with the English government (despite Irish background). That rebel part is is why I love teaching Intermediate students! Family stories have it that Cornelius McNaughton, against his family’s wishes, sided with Les Patriotes to fight the British for more accountable government. After receiving some gunshot in an unfortunate spot (his buttocks), he fled Quebec with a bounty on his head, settling in Lousiana. He changed his last name to Duson (the son, roughly translated?). Although he was pardoned, he never spoke again with his family and never returned to British North America, later Canada. I have met his Louisiana descendants and they are lovely.

He was born Cornelius Duson McNaughton in Canada into an English loyalist family, but his sympathies lay with the French. So much so that he participated in attempts of the French to overthrow the Government and therefore became a fugitive from the English. He escaped from Canada at the age of 18 and dropped his last name and became Cornelius Duson, going first to Boston then later to Louisiana . His family searched for him in vain and he had been pardoned by the government. Cornelius knew of the search for him and the pardon. He had a friend who visited Quebec regularly, and who had secretly kept Cornelius informed about the family, but the friend never divulged Cornelius’s secret to them. With terrible determination Cornelius kept his vow to his people that if the French cause was lost they should never hear of him till “green grew the grass over his grave”

FUNDRAISING: The Student Council is selling Vesey Bulbs (flowers, vegetables) to raise money for the Grade 8 trip to Kingston in June. Order papers will go out on Monday. They are due on April 5th.

The Leadership Group is hosting the Primary Cupcake Walk on Wednesday with all proceeds going to education projects under the WE Foundation. About 5 of our students and I are making cupcakes.

Have a great week!

Ms Swail