Today we had a discussion about mental health, stressors in our lives and the strategies we could use to help us, and how we can take care of each other and ourselves. To help spread positive energy around our school we made a some inspiring posters to put around the school tomorrow on Hats ON for Mental Health Day.

What do you do to help yourself?

Happy Monday!

We worked with a new math tool called Cuisenaire Rods to represent fractions today. We worked to find different equivalent fractions using the different rods. Our work with equivalent fractions will continue tomorrow and then we will be moving on to comparing fractions.

We did 2 rounds of literacy this morning. All of us are reading some interesting novels - ask us about what we are reading!

This afternoon we continued working on our plant research project. Students have had almost 2 hours to work on this so far. Parents you are welcome to support the gathering of jot note information at home :)

We also spent some time finishing up our one point perspective watercolour painting that goes with our Edson to Grande Prairie Trail postcard writing.

Reminders:
- Book orders sent home today. Due May 8th. You can use the code CLIFFORD to get free books!
- Hats off for Mental Health is this Wednesday. Students are invited to wear a hat to acknowledge this special day.
- The snow has brought the mud to our outdoor play areas. Please ensure indoor and outdoor shoes are at school!

Fraction Frustration!

This week we have been working on challenging tasks involving fractions, and words flying around our classroom include, "This is impossible!", "How did you do that?", "Oh my gosh! I think I figured it out!"  and "The hard work paid off. I didn't think I could do it and now that I have accomplished the task I feel great!"

Everyone knows that fractions are used when sharing a pizza or cake, but where is the math? We have been focussing on the relationship between fractions using number lines to order and compare them, and on the meaning of equal parts. When sharing a pizza it really doesn't matter if one slice is exactly equal to another, but what if you figuring out something more important?

Students - Tonight try to find all of the ways fractions are used at home and in your community. Be prepared to share what you saw in class!

Happy Tuesday!

Today we made some comparisons between the two most recent novels we have read, Finders Keepers and The Sign of the Beaver. We noticed that in both stories the main character is a boy who learns to appreciate the culture of the First Nations people by making a new friend. Ask your child what other similarities and differences they noticed.


We also spent some time looking at similarities and differences in Alberta in Social Studies. We have started work on a Then & Now comparison project to help us build a deeper understanding of the people who settled our beautiful province.


In Math we have begun working with fractions. Today we learned about the ways to say fractions (ie. 1/10 = one tenth).

Reminders:
- Fun Lunch is Thursday!

We had a fantastic visit to Dr. Martha Cohen School today! Some of the highlights were:

- doing a STEM challenge with the grade 5's
- seeing the CTF foods room
- seeing the Science Lab
- Art room
and everything else!

Please take the time to visit DMCS with your families tonight between 6 & 8.


Have a fantastic weekend, see you on Tuesday!

Today we started our day with some fun and created some personalized license plate ideas for farmers. Here are a few of our ideas: ILVCOWS, MRMOO, GROWR, IFEEDU, MILKMAN.

We reviewed what a fraction is, and talked about numerators and denominators. Then we practiced naming and representing some fractions. We are working towards the curriculum goal:

This afternoon we started working on a comparison of the expected Vs reality experiences of the Settlers who arrived in Alberta in 1910. Next week we will be making some comparisons to life then and now.

Reminders:

- DMCS visits: tomorrow afternoon for students and teachers, Parents and students evening

- No school Friday or Monday

- Large yogurt containers needed

Today we learned about PHOTOSYNTHESIS. We learned that plants make their own food using energy from the sun, water absorbed through their roots, and air.  To help our plants grow we read to them, this will provide them with extra carbon dioxide - hopefully this will help them grow strong!

In math we started looking at fractions. Help us look for ways fractions are used in the world. 

We are finishing up our work with Ukelele's and starting something new.  We wonder what it will be!?

Our school was an election voting site so we had PE outside. It was nice to have some fun in the sun with Ms. Nanavaty!

Reminders:

- DMCS visit Thursday

- large plastic containers are needed for our planting

Happy Monday!


Today we had a presentation from Lemonade Day Calgary. Pamphlets were sent home with information about this Entrepreneurial initiative for kids. Please visit their website for more information.

Lemonade Day 2019


This afternoon we talked about some of the reasons people would choose to move to Canada and looked at some poster advertisements from the early 1900's that were used to entice people to immigrate to Canada. If your family history relates to the early settlement of Alberta we would love to hear it! Please share these stories with your children so they can share them with us.

In Math we worked on answering division questions and problems, and checking with a different strategy or multiplication. Most of us have found a strategy that works for us to solve these. Ask your child which strategy they prefer and why.

FYI:
- PE outside Tuesday
- Grade 4 Intramurals on Wednesdays
- Popcorn snack Wednesday
- Visit to DMCS on Thursday afternoon
- Movie night Thursday night
- No school Friday or Monday

Happy Thursday!

Today we started our day with an assembly run by our Principal and Assistant Principal of the day. Then we did some writing from the perspective of a settler heading up the Edson to Grande Prairie Trail.

During Math we worked on solving some word problems created by our class yesterday. It is always fun to have our own names in the problems!

This afternoon we continued reading The Sign of the Beaver with Ms. Goodall's class and worked a the lifecycle of a plant page in our Visual Journals. In PE we have been working on "making space" games, ask us how we did today!

Reminders:
- Tomorrow is Jersey Day
- DMCS admin visit tomorrow morning
- large containers (yogurt, etc) are needed for planting

Today we watched a video about the Edson To Grande Prairie Trail. We learned a lot about the people and their experiences settling the West:

- it cost $10 for a 1/4 section of land
- you needed to clear the land 
- you needed to build a house on the land
- there was a summer road and a winter road
- people thought it was easier to travel in the winter because the land was frozen
- sometimes people needed to help clear and even build the trail
- they ate beans, pork belly, and rabbits cooked over a campfire
- the oxen moved slowly
- they dragged trees behind their sleds to keep them from running over the oxen when going downhill
- people hauled everything they owned
- many people had no idea what they were getting into in this new place
- people came from all over the World for new opportunities
- sometimes the pack animals needed to be unloaded 
- people sometimes needed to walk and carry the items
- women were all wearing dresses with heavy "bloomers" underneath
- there were no places to stop, some farmers would allow travelers to stop 
- Sturgeon Lake became a good rest stop for travelers
- it was advertised as a "Good Road" to Grande Prairie
- the settlers were very resilient and never gave up
- sometimes when traveling the people decided to unload some of their belongings to make it easier to travel
- bones, fancy clothing, pianos, etc. littered the sides of the trail
- every Spring the trail needed to be repaired
- they travelled 8-10 hours a day with limited food
- a Caboose was the preferred method of travel in Winter. It had a stove, place to sleep and some storage
- they would spread bags of food on the floor and sleep on top of them
- moccasins were worn on feet
 -some babies were even born on the Trail
- sometimes wagons and sleds broke during the journey
- if an animal was injured there were no vets to help it, many animals died on the journey
- it took 2 weeks to 4 months to get there
- in 1916 a rail line finally arrived in the area
- only 2 people died on the Trail

Today we worked on our Seed Dispersal booklets. We used computers to find information and examples of how seeds travel from the parent plant. We watched a few videos you can see here:

seed dispersal

Exploding seeds

Important Dates:

• Thursday, April 11 - Fun Lunch
• Friday, April 12 - Jersey Day 
• Wednesday, April 17 - Popcorn Snack Day
• Thursday, April 18 - Open House at Doctor Martha Cohen from 6 -8 pm
• Thursday, April 18 - Family Movie Night
• Friday, April 19 - Good Friday -No School
• Monday, April 22 - Non-Instruction Day -No School
• Wednesday, April 25 - Fun Lunch

We had a special visit with Constable Mattice today! She read us a story called, You Are Special , and talked with us about how we are all special and unique. We discussed how it is more important to care about what you think of yourself than what others might say about us. In the story the characters were giving each other stars and dots, and we learned how important it is to give each other “stars” not “dots” . We all have the power to make a positive difference in the lives of others - let’s make a positive change in the world!

Thank you to our wonderful volunteers for joining us for our fantastic experience at Aggie Days today!

We had a great day exploring and learning about Agriculture today. I am sure your children will have lots to tell you about all that they saw and learned! Here is a video and a few photos from today:

OUR STUDENT TEACHER for the day has called tomorrow a PAJAMA Day! If you would like wear your PJ's go for it :)

AGGIE DAYS TRIP TOMORROW!

Coming prepared will help make this an amazing day for you. Things to remember are:

• empty extra items from your backpack (you will be carrying it all day)
• pack a big lunch and snacks (just for you, not for animals)
• dress in comfortable shoes and layers (we will be inside all day)
• if you think you might be allergic to dust, animals, plants, etc. consider taking an antihistamine before coming to school, also pack your inhaler, etc. if required
• get a good night's sleep and arrive at school on time

Today we investigated seeds and learned about Seed Dispersal. We looked closely at some seeds found near our school and tried to identify how they would be dispersed. We also learned about a new word "germination", ask one of us to explain this term to you!

Spring is definitely in the air. We are loving this sunshine and warmer weather!

Today we did some handwriting practice and writing about what we know about plants. HW shared some information she had gathered at home about Photosynthesis - thanks!

In Math we continued working on division and reviewed how to check with multiplication. We also had some time to explore some games and a shape challenge.

This afternoon we took a look inside a bean seed. What do you notice? Then we had a chance to plant some seeds - fingers crossed they all grow!

Reminders:
- Aggie Days trip on Thursday
- Read-A-Thon money due
- Movie ticked orders are first come, first served

We had a busy first day back after Spring Break! The sun was shining and we were all happy to see each other again.

This morning we had a chance to share some of the fun things we were up to last week and took some time to write about our experiences. We filled in our April calendars - almost every school day has something for us! Then we reviewed division and talked about the Hamburger strategy (see image and have your child explain).

In the afternoon we read some of our novel with Mrs.Goodall's class and talked about "agriculture". We looked at a few different seeds and predicted what they would grow into. It is amazing that something so tiny can grow into something so big, and that we can eat what it produces!

Reminders:
- Aggie Days Trip on Thursday (students will be carrying all of their belongings with them ALL day so please plan accordingly when packing for the day)
- Read-A-Thon money due
- Pizza lunch orders for next week need to be placed ASAP