So long September, Hello October

Hello!

This is an odd situation to be in. It's the end of the month, and it's where I share my plans for the academic learning for the next 30 days or so. Yet, I can't say with any certainty how much of that time we'll be together in the classroom. To quote the communication with the division, "[I am] hopeful that both parties will return to the bargaining table soon to reach a resolution. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this challenging time." I'm going to share my update under the assumption that a resolution will be achieved very quickly and learning will proceed more or less uninterrupted. If that's not the case, we'll obviously have to adapt and I'll communicate more details when I'm able.

It's been a wonderful first month of school! We've worked hard as a group to build routines and become comfortable with the expectations for grade 4. Please make sure that your child has indoor shoes, as they will be required to take off wet and muddy shoes when they come in from recess. The weather is changing, and this will soon become a reality for us. It's hard to believe that a whole month has passed already. Check out the video below for some of our highlights in September:

Please see below for our academic focuses in October:

Writing:

This month, we are spending a great deal of time on writing Realistic Fiction narrative stories. Students will learn how to develop complex, believable characters, with struggles and motivations, and how to build a story around those characters. In the second half of the month, we'll look deeper at editing, revising, and publishing. If all goes well, I'm hoping to host a publishing party at the end of the unit, so look out for an invite in the coming weeks!

Reading:

Students will continue to spend time reading good-fit books. We're also scheduling our fall round of individual reading assessments to collect data and inform our instruction for the year. We'll begin looking at a few comprehension strategies as well, including re-telling, summarizing, and inferencing.

Math:

In October students will finish our first topic, Decimals and Place Value, before moving on to our first Operations topic, Expressions, Equations, and Order of Operations. We'll have our first couple math assessments, so please look out for information on those, and feel free to check in with your children to see if they are choosing to do the Check Your Understanding pages

Science:

This month we will be finishing up our first project, our Dr. Plaxton Waste Portfolio as well as going on a field trip! For the project, students will be learning about types of waste and methods of waste management/disposal, reflecting on the practices and opportunities our school has, and ultimately giving Dr. Plaxton a grade! Our first field trip is scheduled for next week, Tuesday Oct 7th, to the Waste and Recycling Center.

Social:

Near the end of the month we will transition into social studies, looking at the diverse regions of Alberta and beginning a fun research-based project.

Wellness:

In the physical education portion of our Wellness time, we will continue to utilize shared centers with Mr. Firth and Mrs. Norton's classes, though the content of the centers will shift, allowing us to begin teaching some skills to small groups each day. In class, we will continue with our focus on gratitude and preparation, including some goal setting and personal portfolio development.

Art:

In art, students will do a Gratitude-based craft for Thanskgiving, then begin learning about colour-mixing and colour-schemes, culminating in a fun Autumn-influenced project.

Important Notes for the next month:

Oct 7th - Class Field Trip to Lethbridge's Waste and Recycling Center
Oct 13th - NO SCHOOL for Thanksgiving
Oct 21st-24th - Scholastic Book Fair
Oct 22nd - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS (Assessment Day in AM, then Parent Teacher Conferences in PM)
Oct 23rd - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS (Parent Teacher Conferences in AM and Professional Learning for staff in PM)
Oct 24th - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS (Professional Learning for Staff)
Oct 31st - Halloween Party, Costume Parade, and Halloween Dance

Thanks for reading,

Mr. V