We did it! Our final week of school was sure a busy one! We spent some time reflecting on our learning experiences, shared some fond memories together, we laughed and even cried as we said goodbye to friends, teachers and other staff members. I would like to thank all of my students for their hard work and their families for your continued support throughout this school year. Our many field study experiences would not have been possible without your support and commitment. I truly have been fortunate enough to work alongside some wonderful families and students this school year. I am so proud to see how much the Grade 4/5's have grown and know that you all will continue to achieve success at school in the future. I wish everyone a safe and restful summer holiday!
Mrs. Darlene Kear
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I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you And I think to myself what a wonderful world I see skies of blue and clouds of white The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night And I think to myself what a wonderful world The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky Are also on the faces of people going by I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do They're really saying I love you I hear babies crying, I watch them grow They'll learn much more than I'll never know And I think to myself what a wonderful world Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world What another incredible busy week! Our last field study of the year was a special one, at Bebo Grove Fish Creek Park. Students went on a nature hike, and explored natural wetlands, found some interesting critters during our pond dipping activity and even spotted a dear on during our exploration time! A HUGE thank you to all of our amazing parent volunteers who met the requirements (and more for some!) and volunteered to join us on our many field studies this school year. Without your support, our off-site hands-on experiences would not be possible! Students enjoyed a lovely breakfast this week, courtesy of the Rotary Club--many thanks to the Rotary Club for filling our bellies that morning! Our National Indigenous Day Sports Day was a huge success! Students learned some traditional Indigenous games and demonstrated great sportsmanship and integrity during this time. Great job everyone! An important letter went home today from our new school principal, Shawn Palmer. We are eagerly anticipating Ms. Palmer's arrival to Valley View School next year. Students have been working hard on a farewell for Mrs. Wallace. We have put together a little song for Mrs. Wallace. Lyrics to the song are below (if students wish to practice at home): See You Again – Somebody special version It’s been a fun year, with you our friend And we’ll tell them all about it when we come back again We’ve come along way, with you our friend And we’ll tell them all about it when we come back again When we come back again Yes, who knew all the places we been Good sites we been too That we’d be standing here talking to you, about the fun we had Know we love to always learn and laugh But something told us that it wouldn’t last Had to switch up, look at things different, see the bigger picture Those were the days, hard work always pays now we will see you in a better place How could we not talk about you when you have been so amazing Everything we’ve been through you were standing there by our side And now we’re here saying our last goodbyes It’s been a fun year, with you our friend And we’ll tell them all about it when we come back again We’ve come along way, with you our friend And we’ll tell them all about it when we come back again When we come back again Oh….Oh….Whoo….Whoo…Whoo….. First we started here day one And the vibe is going strong It was small turned into long And long grew into a bond And that bond will never be broken And you will never be forgotten And we did so much learning Growing and having fun Exploration time and we thank you for the fun You have been so amazing We will remember you when you’re gone How could we not talk about you when you have been so amazing Everything we went through you were standing there by our side And now we’re here saying our last goodbye So let the light guide our way, hold every memory in our hearts And every road we take, will always help us grow, whoa… It’s been a fun year, with you our friend And we’ll tell them all about it when we see you again We’ve come along way, with you our friend And we’ll tell them all about it when we come back again When we come back again Oh…oh…when we see you again…oh, oh….when we see you again. It is still not too late to return the potluck celebration form! Please sign up to bring a dish that our classroom will share on the last day of school (Thursday June 28). Please note Thursday June 28 is a full day of school. Thank you to the parents who have already returned their forms for the potluck. We are anticipating a great day together as we say good bye to our Grade 5 students and celebrate our successes this school year! Our final week of school will be a busy one. Students will be tidying up classrooms and taking home work each day. It would be a great idea for students to bring in a few clean plastic bags on Monday to store their belongings for going home. Have a wonderful weekend everyone! What another incredible week of school! Here's a quick recap of our learning this week:
Students in Room 16 had a fantastic experience at Jumpingpound Forest yesterday. Despite the wet weather, we were able to explore some native plants, we spotted some dear on our hike, and did some digging and discovered some spiders, insects and microbes! What an amazing wonderful day spent out in nature! Our Social Studies Road trip projects are almost complete! Students will present their findings with their group members early next week. I can't wait to see all the historic sites, natural resources and important people the students meet along the way as they travel across Alberta and Canada! We started a mini-unit on probability this week. Ask your child to share some examples/events using the words "possible, impossible, and certain". We are also learning some fun and interactive games to compare the likelihood of two or more possible outcomes. We will continue to work on probability/data analysis next week. Book talks are rolling right along, thank you to the students who have shared some great reads so far! Please remember to have your book ready on your day to present! Our school year is quickly coming to an end! Please continue to check our blog often as there are many special events and dates upcoming to end our school year! Important reminders/events: 1) Fish Creek field study forms/payment are now past due. Please send any past due forms/payment in as soon as possible as we are heading to Fish Creek on Tuesday. We are still in need of one adult volunteer to join us. Please contact me as soon as possible if you have valid clearance and would like to join us on Tuesday June 19. Thanks in advance! 2) National Indigenous Day/Pancake breakfast on Thursday June 21--stay tuned for updates! 3) Grade 5 Celebration assembly on Wednesday June 27 - stay tuned for more information 4) Last day of school is on Thursday June 28, report cards go home on this day 5) Appeals/Org. Day on Friday June 29, 2018 Enjoy your weekend everyone--Happy Father's Day! What an amazing week full of hands-on learning and exploration! Here's a quick recap of our week:
We had a fantastic hands-on learning opportunity from Seed Survivor today! Our presenters brought a wealth of knowledge involving agriculture, farming, the water cycle and water shed. Our students got the opportunity to plant some sunflower seeds, which they all got to take home with them! In the next few weeks, please remember to care for your sunflower and transplant your plant when it needs more space to grow! For more information click here: seedsurvivor.com/just-for-kids/ For students who wish to try the Farmer game from our presentation, click here: www.farmers2050.com/ Our Social Studies Road trip projects are well underway! Students in Grade 5 are designing a Road trip across Canada and are continuing to collect data and information about natural resources, famous attractions, historical events, and famous people who have shaped Canada's identity today. Students in Grade 4 are focused on designing a similar Road trip with a focus on Alberta. I am looking forward to seeing all of our completed projects next week! We had a great presentation from Calgary Public Library about a wonderful summer reading adventure! For more information on this fantastic reading experience, please click here: calgarylibrary.ca/ultimate-summer-challenge/ Book Talks are well underway! Thank you to the students who have already presented their books, we already have some great summer reading material to start us off this summer! Please check the schedule below if you have not presented yet, so you are ready to present on your day: Book Talks: June 4: Anu and Manya June 5: Junaid, Mennat June 7: Aaz and Neha June 8: Soham and Sulov June 11: River and Malik June 12: Prakriti and Dharuv June 13: Hannah and Muadh June 15: Dawson and Harjeevan June 18: Suhayla and Riley June 20: Aanab and Samer June 21: Zaid and Malaika June 22: Sarah and Danvi Important reminders and updates: 1) Jumpingpound field study and money are past due. If you have not sent your forms/money in please do so as soon as possible. Our trip is on Thursday June 14. We do have enough parent volunteers for this day, thanks volunteers in advance! I will send an email to all of our volunteers early next week with more information regarding our trip. 2) Fish Creek Park forms/payment are due on Friday June 15. We are still in need of parent volunteers for this day. Please contact me as soon as possible if you have valid clearance and would like to join us on this day. 3) Rotary breakfast on June 21, National Indigenous Day and Sports Day 4) Last day of classes on June 28. Report cards go home on this day Book Talks starts in early June!
Students in Room 16 are starting Book Talks for the last month of school! On select days, a few students will present their favourite book to the class and discuss why it is their favourite. Seeing as we are in the Science program, all students are encouraged to choose books that focus on Science/Math/Technology, but are also welcome to choose books from other topics and/or themes as well. Students are welcome to bring in a copy of their book, or a photo of their book, with the title and author clearly listed (if they do not have their own copy). When all students have shared, I will compile a Book Talks list which will become great summer reading material for all students to access over summer break!! I am super excited to get Book Talks started and look forward to hearing about all the wonderful books out there! Please check the list below for Book Talk presenter days: June 4: Anu and Manya June 5: Junaid, Mennat June 7: Aaz and Neha June 8: Soham and Sulov June 11: River and Malik June 12: Prakriti and Dharuv June 13: Hannah and Muadh June 15: Dawson and Harjeevan June 18: Suhayla and Riley June 20: Aanab and Samer June 21: Zaid and Malaika June 22: Sarah and Danvi What another incredible week of school we have had! The warm weather and bright sun has been in our favour! Please remember to dress appropriately (short sleeves, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug spray, etc.) and all students are encouraged to bring a water bottle to school that they keep on their desks during the day to stay hydrated!
Our Grade 5 students had an important Fire Safety presentation this week, where students learned about the importance of fire safety and were even able to have a peak inside a fire truck! Ask your child to share some of their learnings with you! Wednesday's field study to Fort Calgary was fantastic! A huge thank you to Lesley and Stephanie, from the NLC (Niitsitipi Learning Centre) for leading the day with their wonderful knowledge and teachings. Students were given opportunities to observe, journal, wonder and reflect. We also visited the Labyrinth, the confluence of the Elbow River and the Bow River (Moh'koh'sis - Blackfoot word meaning Calgary), enjoyed lunch outdoors and visited some natural playgrounds in the East Village! Thank-you to all parents of our walking students on this day who were very patient in our bussing confusion. We apologize on behalf of Southland Bussing Company for the mix up in our busses and thank the office staff and parents for their cooperation on our late return! On Thursday, we had an in-school presentation from Don George who is from "Agriculture in the Classroom". He spent an hour with us discussing farming, food, seeds, plants and farming equipment and it's importance to our Alberta economy. We learned that so much science is involved with agriculture and that so much of our food comes from a farm! Thank you to Mr. George for such an engaging and inquiry-based exploration presentation! Grade 5's will be getting a letter sent home next week in regards to our human sexuality unit that is part of the Alberta Health Curriculum. As this is part of the Grade 5 curriculum, it is expected that all students will take part. However, if you are not comfortable with your child participating in school, you will need to sign the form and indicate that you would not like your child to take part in school and that you will teach it yourself at home. All students who do not take part will be sent to another classroom for this 1 hour lesson each day. If you are curious or wondering what we will be covering during our 4 lessons spanning over the first week of June, you are more than welcome to contact me (see links page for contact info) or visit the Learn Alberta website to view our lesson plans that we follow very closely each day. Click here for Learn Alberta Lesson Plans Thank you! It is not too late to still volunteer to meet your minimum of 3 volunteer opportunities this school year! If you have valid CBE clearance, are over 18 years of age and are available for our final 2 last trips this year, please contact me as soon as possible. Please note that as your child is in a program of choice in the Science Program, students are expected to attend 10-20 field studies per year, and parents are required to volunteer for a minimum of 3 field studies per registered student. Important Dates for June (Please keep watching as there are bound to be additions to this list): Friday, June 1st: Volunteer Tea at Valley View Friday, June 8th: Seed Survivor Bus at Valley View Saturday, June 9th-Sunday, June 10th: Diversity Cup Soccer Tournament Thursday June 14th: Jumping Pound Field Study (Mrs. Kear's class only) - please contact me if you have valid CBE clearance and wish to volunteer as soon as possible for this trip Tuesday June 19th: Fish Creek Park (last field study of the year!) - please contact me if you have valid CBE clearance and wish to volunteer as soon as possible for this trip Thursday, June 21st: Rotary Breakfast + National Indigenous People's Day + Sports Day Thursday, June 28th: Last day of classes for Students, Report cards go home (All final IPP's to be signed by today) Friday, June 29th: Teacher PD day Have a wonderful weekend everyone--enjoy the sunshine! What another busy week at school we have had! Our field study to the Calgary Zoo was an amazing one! Students took part in a Plant-Edu Trek program where we explored various coniferous and deciduous types of plants. We learned that aspen trees produce a powder that can be used as a natural form of sunscreen! The rest of our time at the zoo was flexible and students had the opportunity to visit various animal exhibits and enclosures! Another highlight of the day was having time to view the Giant Pandas on loan from the Toronto Zoo! Have your child share some of their new learnings from this day with you! Students have completed their Natural Disasters projects and have been sharing them this week! It has been so wonderful to see the effort and hard work that has gone into these projects. Students have been working hard on their natural disasters project, making meaningful connections to climate change, the impact of human action and some have offered their insight and opinions on how we can prevent/predict these disasters from occurring. A few groups have yet to present and will do so early next week. Good job everyone! We have been looking at 3D objects in Math and comparing and contrasting rectangular prisms to triangular prisms. We will continue to strengthen our problem solving skills by working on 3 Act Math challenges. Updates and reminders: 1) No school on Friday May 18 (PD Day) and Monday May 21 (Victoria Day) 2) Moh'Koh'Sis (Fort Calgary) field study forms and payment due on Tuesday May 22. Our field study is on Wednesday May 23. We are in need of at least 3 parent volunteers for our class, please contact me as soon as possible if you have valid CBE clearance and wish to join us on Wednesday. Thanks in advance! 3) Fun Lunch this Thursday May 24. Please remember to pack a lunch if you did not order fun lunch. 3) All Sport One Day registration takes place on Tuesday May 22. For more information about this fantastic free opportunity, click on the link: www.sportcalgary.ca/all-sport-one-day/ Here is some information from our Leadership Environment Club: We are asking that who ever packs your child/childrens lunches to use reusable containers and send less snacks with wrappers so that our garbage level goes down. Our leadership students have been working very hard for this to happen. Thank you for cooperating with us. If you go GREEN, we can be CLEAN. From Valley View Leadership Below is some information from our school nurse:
We welcomed some new students to our classroom this week as most of our Grade 5's were away at Outdoor School. It was wonderful to see how our new group of students were able to work cooperatively and so many were actively engaged in our STEAM building challenges this week! Our STEAM challenges focused on building wind powered cars, building a life-saving device such as hoist/pulley and building a functional pipeline. I am super proud of all of our great learning that took place this week!
Updates and reminders: 1) Calgary Zoo field study on Monday May 14. Please remember to pack a lunch, water bottle, and a few healthy snacks. The weather is forecasted to be warm and sunny, so students are more than welcome to bring sunscreen and bug spray. Please remind students to NOT share their sunscreen and bug spray with any others due to allergies. Thank you to the parents who expressed interest in volunteering for this trip, and we now have 3 confirmed parents who will be joining us on Monday. 2) Fun Lunch forms and money are due on Thursday May 17, 2018 3) Have a wonderful Mother's Day everyone : ) Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine! This was another busy week in Room 16! Students have been busy working hard on their Natural Disasters project and some groups will be ready to present their projects next week! I look forward to viewing their projects and presentations next week and possibly into the following week. Our schedule next week will change a bit as some of our Grade 5's will be away at Outdoor School. Keep in mind, teachers have been busily planning together as a team and will ensure that both Grade 4 and Grade 5 concepts will be focused during this week.
Students focused on problem solving, mathematical reasoning and estimation skills this week through a fun and interactive capacity game. Ask your child to share this game with you and what they learned! In Social Studies, we are in the early phases of starting a road trip project through Alberta (for our Grade 4's) and through Canada (for our Grade 5's). Stay tuned for more info regarding our informative and fun road trip journeys! Updates and reminders: 1) Outdoor school for Grade 5's - starts on Tuesday May 8, please ensure all supplies and equipment are packed and you are ready to go on Tuesday! 2) Calgary Zoo field study forms and payment are past due. Please help ensure all forms and payment are returned before the deadline. 3) Grade 4 Health forms are past due. Please circle the appropriate choice for your child as we plan to begin these Health lessons early next week. Have a fantastic weekend everyone! |