Friday, September 30th

Language
1) Read for 20 minutes each evening.
2) Personal Narrative - published copy & draft(s) (due Tuesday).  Please type using a word processor and print a copy.  You can print at school on Monday or Tuesday if needed (or you can send it to me via email and I'll print for you).

Math
1) Lesson #4 (3, 4, and 8) and Lesson #5 (5)

Social Studies
You will have 1 or 2 more classes to prepare your PowerPoint presentation.  If you think you'll need more time, finish it at home.

Have a great weekend!
Go Blue Jays Go!

Tuesday, September 27th

Reminders
1) Terry Fox walk (Thursday)
2) Pizza day (Friday)

Language
1) Read for 20 minutes each evening
2) Today we talked about using transitions to emphasize changes in time, setting, mood/tone, etc....  We looked at a BIG list of transitional words and phrases (linked in Language Arts section of blog) and then set our goal for today to add transitions to our draft.

Math
1) Reading and Writing Numbers, p. 40-41 #4-9
2) IXL - see Math section of blog

Social Studies
Continue to research your First Nation and answer your inquiry questions.  Next time you will meet with your group and decide how best to present your information.  Remember that you need a map and images/illustrations.

Monday, September 26th

Reminders
1) Terry Fox walk (Thursday, September 29th)

2) Pizza Day (Friday, September 30th)

**Note: I've added a link to the right side of the page - 5 Cool Things to Discover on Your TDSB Virtual Library.  This is the video you watched in the library during homeroom this morning.

Language
1) Read for 20 minutes each evening

2) Today we discussed how to add tension and a resolution to your narratives.  Check to see if your narrative has both, and if the tension could be heightened by adding internal dialogue, more action, punctuation (!).  Remember that tension results from the problem/conflict in your narrative, and should be rising (building) in your story until it reaches a climax (the point where the tension or suspense is at its height).  Then, resolve your conflict and reveal the moral/lesson of your narrative.

3) Spelling Week 3 - 4 different spellings for 'f' ('f' as in 'football,' 'ff' as in 'efficient,' 'ph' as in 'phonograph,' and 'gh' as in 'paragraph').  Work and test are due Friday.

Math
1) Do You Remember #1-5 (due tomorrow at start of the day)

2) IXL (see Math section of blog for sections relevant to this unit)

Friday, September 23rd

Reminders

1) Picture Day is on Monday, September 26th

2) Terry Fox Walk is on Thursday, September 29th

3) Pizza Day on Friday, September 30th

Language

1) Read for 20 minutes each evening

2) Continue revising your Personal Narrative.  Focus on adding strong description (small details, sensory details) to make the writing come alive.  Also, check to ensure your writing has a problem (conflict) and that you are building the tension to a climax, and then to a resolution.

Math

Next week we begin our Number Sense unit.  Here are the relevant IXL sections for this unit:

6-A.1

6-A.2

6-B.1

6-B.2

6-B.4

(I've also posted this in the Math section of the blog)

Social Studies

We'll continue to work on the First Nations presentations next week.  Aim to be completed by next Friday or the following Monday (depending on how everyone is progressing next week).

Have an awesome weekend!

Go Jays Go! 

Tuesday, September 20th

Language
1) Read for 20 minutes
2) Spelling due Thursday/test Friday

Social Studies
Famous Canadian paraphrase sheet

Science
9V battery

Math
1) IXL: complete 7-S.5 and 5-O.7
2) Patterning test on Thursday, September 22
3) Here is a problem we worked on today:

There were two methods we looked at for solving this type of problem....

1) Identify the pattern rule, which is "start at 10, add 4 each time," and then create a table to find all the terms up to 15.

2) Identify a recursive pattern rule and use it to find only the number of tiles in the 7th and 15th designs ("start at 10, add 4 one less time than the design number").  So for design 7, the answer would be 10 + (6x4) = 10 + 24 = 34.  

For design 15, the solution would be 10 + (14x4) = 10 + 56 = 66 

Friday, September 16th

Language
1) Read for 20 minutes (nightly).
2) Bring a personal narrative discovery draft to class on Monday so we can begin to revise it.  Aim for 1 1/2 to 2 pages.

French
French clothing page (due Monday)

Have a great weekend!
Go Jays go!!

Thursday, September 15th

Language Arts
1) Read for 20 minutes (nightly)
2) Spelling test/work due Friday
3) Personal Narrative draft (bring to class Monday)
4) Reading response for Fox (answer one question from Inferring handout.  Use complete sentences/paragraphs.  Use a combination of your own ideas and specific details from the text for support.  Be sure that the book title (Fox) and the author's name (Margaret Wild) appear in your response.

Math
1) Mid-Chapter review, #1-4
2) Quiz Friday (tomorrow)

Social Studies
Famous Canadian biography - Paraphrase, 3 Facts, and a question (due Tuesday, but we'll work on it in class tomorrow)

Reminders
Curriculum night is tonight.  See you in Room 158.

Tuesday, September 13th

Language
1) Read for 20 minutes each evening.
2) Spelling practice due Friday.
3) Spelling test Friday.
4) Writing - fill one page of your Writer's Notebook.  Choose one of your seed ideas and write it out, or continue to make lists of seed ideas.

Math
No homework.

Social Studies
No homework.

September 7th

Math - Today we discussed some Math procedure stuff (how to set up a notebook, for example), and discussed the importance of showing your thinking when working through a problem.  Then, we worked through a growth pattern problem in pairs and as a whole group.  Finally, the students were assigned 'Do You Remember' #1-4, which is a diagnostic review of last year's learning.  Due tomorrow.

Language - We read aloud from A Wrinkle in Time, stopping to discuss the types of strategies we use when beginning a book (questioning, back up and re-read, predicting, connecting).  Then, we had a discussion about how to choose good books, followed by some independent reading.

In IT, we set up our TDSB login, checked out AW, and tried to access the student email (which we could not do).  Try to access AW from home if you wish.

Homework:
Math - Do You Remember #1-4
Language - Bring a reading book to class
Art - Get sketch book (9x12 spiral bound)
Other: Bring in start of year forms

September 6/16

Welcome to 6B!  I am so happy to be starting this year at such an amazing school.  I look forward to meeting each of you over the coming days and learning how I can help you succeed this year at the highest level.

Since I'm new to most of you, I'll tell you a little bit about me first...I taught at LKS four years ago as an LTO, and then moved on to Earl Haig for three years.  I loved my time here, and was very excited to have the opportunity to come back.  I am married to my lovely wife, Jackie, and we have two boys - Oliver, who is almost four and started JK today, and Quinn, who is 2 months old and sleeping like a champ (fingers crossed!).  We spent summer in Toronto for the most part, going to the zoo, Science Centre, ROM, and to High Park almost every day.  It was a relaxing, hot summer, but I am eager to get the school year started.

This year I will be teaching your child language arts, math, social studies, drama, physical education, and health.

A few important notes...

• The best way to contact me is via my email, which was recorded by the students into their agendas on the first day.
• Our class will visit the library every Day 5 at the end of the day.
• If you miss a quiz or test as a result of an illness or absence, please come to school at 8:00 am the following day.  If you are away for longer, please see me when you return. 

I will try to update my blog as much as I possibly can.  Here you will find daily homework, assignments, reminders and announcements.  On the subject specific pages you will find links to helpful websites and downloads as they are needed.  Mostly, this main page will provide you with all the information you will need.

Again, I am thrilled to be teaching at LKS and I look forward to meeting you all soon.