Reminders

Here's a copy of the note I sent home on Monday, just in case it didn't make it to Mom and Dad! :)

One thing I forgot to remind you about today was to bring your digital camera for our photo rally!

We will be leaving the school at 10AM.  It will take approximately 30 minutes to get to Candy Cane Park from the school on our bikes.  If you are planning to meet us at the park, please let me know ahead of time so that I can connect with you about our meeting place. We will be playing games until about 11:30 or so, and then we will eat lunch.  We will plan to leave between around 1PM (depending on how we're feeling!), making a stop at DQ on our way back to school.

Here is a reminder checklist for things to bring:
•     Bike (please check to see that your bike is in good riding condition and your tires are filled with air!)
•     bike helmet (a must)
•     running shoes
•     bug spray
•     sunscreen
•     water
•     picnic lunch
•     light rain jacket
•     up to $5 for a treat at DQ

Photography Portfolio

This assignment was handed out to students today...

For your final assignment in photography, you will use the techniques and skills you have learned and practice in class to create a portfolio on a topic of your choice.

Your portfolio should include:
-Cover Page, including
    -name
    -due date
    -title of your portfolio (what is your topic? Be creative)
-Your ten best photographs focused on the topic
-A paragraph answering the following questions:
    -Why did you choose this theme?
    -Describe how your photos demonstrate photography techniques we have learned.

Your pictures should not be random; they should be focused around a theme and each one should demonstrate a technique you have learned during the unit.   Some of the techniques we have discussed include:
-line (leading lines, S curves)
-angle
-the rule of thirds (think tic-tac-toe)
-distance

You may either print off your photos at home, or, bring them to school on a memory stick or email them to Miss McMillan by Monday, June 13.

Due Date: Friday, June 17.

Timeline Maker (Science)

Go here to make your Flight Timeline!

I love this!

My new favorite webtool- it's like Wordle, but better!  Click to see TAGXEDO.

The Wonders of Wings!

Smartie Party #2!

Crooked Valley

Check out the new slideshow!

I have updated the slideshow on the sidebar!  Double-click on the images to view the slideshow with enlarged images.

Photography Unit!

We are starting a digital photography unit in our visual art class.  We will be studying the art of photography!  To do this, we need students to bring digital cameras to school.  If you do not have a digital camera at home, don’t worry.  I am sure we will have plenty of cameras for students to work in pairs.  Students should bring them and also take them home on Day 5s.  The first day students should bring their camera is Friday, May 13. 

Thanks in advance for your help!  We will ensure that the cameras are well taken care of and used only for our art class.  You can check The Chalkboard for student work!  I’m really looking forward to the exciting learning opportunities in this unit!  If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask. 

Quick Peek!

Here's a quick group photo from our adventure today!

Book Clubs Underway!

Each student has been placed in a Book Club.  Each club is reading a different novel over the next six weeks.  Students will have different roles to complete for each section of the book.  At four different points in the book, clubs will hold a Book Club Meeting to discuss key ideas and themes in the story.  Each student has a Book Club Folder to use throughout the study.  Our spelling words will also come from the books.  We will continue to build stamina with our Daily 5 routine.  

The first Club Meeting is set for next Friday, May 13.  Students need to have the first section of the book read, the first role sheet completed, Wonder Words assignment completed, and a journal response.  

Welcome Back!

I hope you enjoyed a wonderful spring break!  It's hard to believe that we have less than two months left in our school year!  Let's aim for an awesome finish!
Don't forget about our field trip to Crooked Valley on Wednesday.  Please remember to return the consent form and $4.50 for bus money.  Also, refer to the checklist sent out before the break to remember what to bring for our day. 
See you tomorrow! Pics of Ukrainian Easter Eggs and the Smartie Party coming soon....;)

Spring Team Poetry!

Here are some team poems that we wrote last week!

Spring is a radical thing
Birds laugh, play and sing
Bugs and spiders crawl around
All the snow melting in town
Flowers are now in bloom
And puddles are coming soon!

-by Charlie, Damond, Zack and Kordell


Spring is coming with Easter on its tail
Chocolate raining down like hail
Sunshine is coming through the dark trees
People are screaming in fright of bees
Flowers are coming with bugs all over
And the next thing you see is a lucky four leaf clover
Winter is leaving,
Summer is coming,
Do you say "Yay" or "Nay"?
We say Hip-hip-hooray!

-by Maddy, Paeton and Carson


Spring is a time of renewal
It brings things with wings
Spring dyes bunnies brown
Easter eggs excite everyone
Spring lures insects out
Now that's our spring thing

-by Himavan, Tytus, Rohan and Alex


Bugs and baseball
Dirtbiking and dandelions
Rain and riding bikes
Easter and excitement for football
Masters and mud puddles
Playoffs and petunias

-by Carter, Tannor, John and Davis


Spring break, spring break,
Time to have some fun
Bike rides, partying, and playing in the sun
Flowers are blooming and no more snow
Time to get up and go, go, go!
Rain is dancing with the wind
Ice is melting and getting thin
Counting down the days to ten
And now we're back to school again!

-by Sierra, Ann, Lauren and Ayesha


Insects, animals come out now
Cats and kittens go "meow"
Trees are green and roses are red
Everyone gets out of bed
Ice and snow slowly melt
Bird feathers feel like felt
Flowers blossom and they bloom
Bursting coolers go "kaboom!"
We love spring, it is so cool
So come jump with us in our pools-
We have no major rules!

-by Tatiana, Dasha, Ryan, Aiden and Arslan

Tongue Tied!

Today we started a new unit on Poetry!! To kick things off, we hosted a Tongue Twister Championship!  We learned about using alliteration as a poetic device, too.  Add your own tongue twister to this blog posting by adding a comment.  Don't forget to use your iGo account to log-in.

Awesome.

 

Boggy Crew Survivors 2011!

Friday was a FUN day for Grade 6.  More pictures to come...

Field Trip

Hi, everyone!  Just a reminder that this week we have TWO science field trips!  The first one is on Thursday afternoon, when we will go to the Science Center to explore exhibits, and then watch Hubble 3D at the IMAX!  Our Winter Ecology field trip has been rescheduled for FRIDAY!  We are lucky because it was the last possible day to have trips reschedule for the year.  Let's hope for good weather! 
Please remember to return the $14.50 required for our trips- including swimming, our trip the U of R this past week, and the trip to the Science Center.  Thanks!

Field Trip Today Canceled :(

We announced it at the end of yesterday, but in case someone has forgot...today's field trip is canceled due to the crazy cold weather.  We're hoping to reschedule and I will let you know as soon as I find out.  If it is not rescheduled, I will return the $4.50 paid for the trip.  Thanks!

Lunar Maps

Here is the link for lunar maps.
Also, here are the two links we talked about in class that can help you in tracking moon phases.
Moon Calculator
Weather Network

Update

(this was sent home in a note on Friday)

Dear Parents,                    

               
It is a busy time of the year for Grade 6!  We have many different activities happening in our classroom and around the school.  This note is just an update to remind you of what is coming up, as well as a request for money to fund some of the different activities!

Important Dates

•    Tuesday, March 1: Science Field Trip to Boggy Creek (see previous note for more information; consent form and payment should have already been sent to school)
•    Wednesday, March 2: Rough Draft for Speech is due
•    Thursday, March 3*: Afternoon field trip to the University of Regina.  The cost is $1.50 for the bus ride.
•    Thursday, March 3: Be ready to share your story with the class!  Students should have practiced their reading fluency, expression and reading strategies in preparation for this.  (This is the “Storybook Project”)
•    Friday, March 4: No School for Students (Teacher Convention)
•    Wednesday, March 9: Final Draft for Speech is due
•    Thursday, March 10*: Afternoon Science (Space) Field Trip to the Science Center.  We will be exploring the exhibits and then watching the IMAX movie, Hubble 3D, at 2:30pm.  The cost for the admission and the bus ride is $9.  The concession will be available for the movie.
•    Tuesday, March 15: Classroom Speakoff (Speeches must be on cue cards and students should be ready to share with the class)
•    Swimming Dates*: We swim for one hour in the afternoon on the following dates: Feb. 25, Mar. 24, May 31 and June 24.  The cost for these 4 sessions is $4.

*The total cost for the activities starred above is $14.50.  Please send cash or cheque for this amount by the end of next week. 

Thank you very much for your support this year.  I am thoroughly enjoy this group of kids- they are so much fun to teach!

Ski Day!

Moon Phases Rap!

Here are the links for the videos we watched in science!
Phases of the Moon Gangsta Style
Moon Phases Video

Geography Challenge Champs!

Congrats to Jordan, Alex, and Himavan for their OUTSTANDING performances at the Geography Challenge!  Alex was awarded second place, and for the third year in a row, Himavan took first!  We're proud of all of you! 

School Oratory

Each spring, our school has a school oratory.  Grade 6 is the first year that students participate in the oratory.  Each student is writing a speech on the given topic, "If I were leader of the free world, the first issue I would address would be...".  Our classroom speakoff is on Tuesday, March 15 and Wednesday, March 16.  I have divided the work up into three sections and due dates, as follows:
Wednesday, March 2- Rough Draft due
Wednesday, March 9- Final Draft due
Tuesday, March 15- Classroom Speakoff (Cue Cards Ready!)

Your child should have brought home a package outlining the assignment.  We will have limited class time to work on the speech, so students should definitely plan to work on parts of this assignment at home.  It will also be included on the report card mark in Language Arts.  The top two students in each class will be chosen to participate in the school oratory contest on Wednesday, March 23 at 1:00pm.
Parents are encouraged to help by suggest ideas, helping in the revision and editing process, and encouraging lots of practice!
Thanks for your support, everyone!  Happy speech writing!

Helpful Site for Learning About Seasons

A useful simulation for helping you understand why we have seasons!
Seasons Interactive

Kung Hei Fat Choy!!

Happy Chinese New Year!  Follow this link to learn all about Chinese New Year and create your own lucky red pocket! 

Typing Time!

We're going to spend some time developing our typing skills. 
First, go to this link and find out your current typing speed, so we know where you're at!
Next, start at Lesson 1 and work through the typing activities.
Lastly, choose a game you would like to play from the following sites:
Typer Shark
Frogs
Various, including PacMan

Links for your Picture Book Project

Here are the two links you need to complete the graphic organizers:
Story Map- Setting, Character, Conflict, Resolution (you need to complete all four and print them off when finished)
Plot Diagram- Choose the "Beginning/Middle/End" option, unless you would like try the more advanced second option.  Print your Plot Diagram off when finished.

Book Swap

We will be having a Book Swap on January 21 for Literacy Day.  Please bring any books that you would like to swap on January 17-20.

7 Billion.

A note from Miss McMillan...

Happy New Year!  I hope you enjoyed a relaxing and fun holiday with your families.  I had a great time with my family in Calgary, with plenty of nieces and nephews to enjoy!  It is good to be back into the routine of things at school, though, and it has been a good start to 2011 in Grade 6!  Yesterday we discussed "new beginnings" and the value in marking a new year.  Today we are going to look back at our "Top Ten Moments of 2010", and then we'll look forward to our hopes for 2011.

In math we are working on multiplying and dividing decimals.  Many students are having challenges with recalling multiplication and division skills, and I would like to encourage you to help your child spend time practicing at home.  I've included a page with links that students can you use to practice.  Go HERE for that link (you can always find this link on the sidebar of this page- "Miss M's Links").  Thanks for your support!

We are starting "Project 107" in our class this week.  There are 107 school days left, and we will be taking a photo per day to capture our favorite learning moments.  One student will be responsible for this job per week, and we'll post our photos on Fridays.  We hope you enjoy seeing what we're up to, from the eyes of students in our class.

We will be going cross-country skiing twice in the next month.  Our first session is on Tuesday afternoon, and the second is on Thursday, January 27, in the morning.  Please remind your child to dress warmly!  If you would like to join us, you are more than welcome!  I really enjoy these sessions- great exercise and lots of fun together outside.  You can meet us at Douglas Park or take the bus with us from school (on Tuesday we will leave the school at 12:45pm).  

Also, I wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU for your generosity before the break.  Thank you for the awesome gift card (you must be getting to know me- Sport Chek is certainly a favorite of mine!), and thank you for the thoughtful gifts sent by many.  I am very grateful.

All the best to you and your family as you start a new year!

Miss McMillan

A Winter Smartie Party!

We had a great time at our first Smartie Party!  Here are some pictures (click to enlarge).