Hello Families,

We are getting close to the end of the school year and I want to thank you for your support during this  extremely strange school year.  It has been a joy to teach your children and watch their growth.

This week we have been focused on time in math, especially learning how to tell time with an analog clock. In science we have been learning about plants and how they grow. We are growing beans from seeds to watch the process. In social studies, we are building a large fort structure and a TeePee as we build on our knowledge of Alberta's history.  Using stones, we have created beautiful tree art,  connecting to natural materials. 

We will be saying farewell to our Grade 5 students as they move on to Grade 6.  We will be celebrating in-school next Friday, June 25th.  As per the letter that was sent out last week, we would like to show photographs of the Grade 5 students and would appreciate if you could email them to us as soon as possible.

On a sad note,  I will also be leaving Cappy Smart this year and moving to another school. It has truly been a pleasure to teach in this community.

Mrs Coldbeck and the students of Room 14

Learning Leader and Grade 4/5 Students

 

Hello Families, 

This week we completed our science chemistry unit and will be moving on to plants next week. In social studies, we have been researching historic forts built in Alberta and their purposes. Over the next 2 weeks we will be recreating forts and Indigenous villages to bring our history alive. We will be moving on to Time in math and creating art using rocks.

This week we discussed the terrible tragedy that has been unearthed at the former Kamloops Residential School. Today we remembered those 215 lost children by tying ribbons on the school fences. 

We are currently planning our grade 5 farewell and we sent a letter home today with details for Grade 5 parents. The whole school will participate on-line; unfortunately family are unable to join.

We only have a couple of weeks left of school and appreciate your support in ensuring your child continues to attend until the summer break.

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend.

Mrs Coldbeck and the students of Room 14

Learning Leader and Grade 4/5 Teacher

 Hello Families,

It was lovely to welcome the children back into class this week. Most have now brought back their work, can you make sure it all comes back on Monday please.  We are going to start painting rocks and sticks in art next week. Please help your child find a broken branch (not taken off a living tree) and a small rock to bring in to school.

We have continued our focus on measuring in math, and specifically geometry this week. We have been finishing our 3D mobile and will be looking at volume and time over the coming weeks. In literacy we have finished our chapter book Front Desk, and are now writing our own story. In science we will continue with chemistry, studying mixtures and solutions. Our social study project on the Famous Five, resulted in some excellent Slides presentations created by the children and presented to the rest of the class. 

We managed to play our first Disk Golf game at Marlborough Park yesterday, it was fun. We are going back next Tuesday and Wednesday as part of our gym lessons. Today we planted some seeds at the front of the school, sage and nasturtiums. Next week we are going to plant some vegetables, which we can bring home and plant in our own gardens. 

There is no school next Friday as it is an organizational day at Cappy Smart. 

Thank you and have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Coldbeck and the students of Room 14

 Hello Families,

It's snowing, so it must be a holiday weekend!  Today is the last day of school until Tuesday May 25th, when we are scheduled to return to in-school learning. 

Thank you for supporting your child to join on-line learning, it is always a challenge but they have become more independent learners, which is a skill in itself. We have improvised with online kitchen chemistry and self motivated gym lessons. Your children have been learning about angles, area and perimeter and have started to learn how to use a protractor.  We will be revisiting this in school next week.

In social studies, students researched and produced Slide presentations about the Famous Five women who fought for women's rights. In health we have looked at all the aspects of hygiene that affect our bodies. We have been developing our creative skills in art trying to create optical illusions.

We have just finished reading our class novel, Front Desk, which has produced such great discussions about relevant societal topics. The children will now re-tell this story in their own words, then next week, they will plan and write their own story, developing their creative writing skills. 

Please make sure that your child brings all their school equipment back with them, as well as technology if they borrowed any from the school.  I will need their red note books to see what they have completed, as well as the protractors and graph paper to carry on with our geometry unit. 

Thank you, and have a lovely long family weekend.

Mrs Coldbeck and the students of Room 14.

Learning Leader and Grade 4/5 Teacher

 Hello Families,

We can't believe we are heading into May next week, but we are enjoying the improvements to the weather this season brings, even if some of it will be rain.

This week we started learning about measuring weight in math, comparing kilograms and grams and weighing different items for ourselves. Please take some time to measure items using a bathroom or kitchen scale at home. Next week we will explore volume. In literacy we continued our novel study and learned how to use similes and metaphors to enhance our writing. 

We built on our study of matter, learning about mixtures and solutions. This coming week we should be carrying out some experiments, which will be hands on and fun. In social studies we are studying the impact on settlers on the Indigenous peoples and the changes they brought.

Early in the week we took our baseball skills outside and  measured how far we could strike a ball. Back in the gym we had a couple of choice days, where students selected what they wanted to do. Next week we will be practicing our frisbee skills, in preparation for playing disk golf at Marlborough Park. a letter will be coming home to you regarding that.  

In art we concluded our work in clay by creating some art to recognize Ramadan, which many of our students are observing. We also started our pointillism art to create different images. In health we are examining personal responsibilities and boundaries.

On Monday we are fortunate to have Elder Shirley join us on line for some Indigenous teachings. She joined us last year in the building, and the children loved it. This year we are focusing on transportation, different forms of energy and the impact of human migration on the natural habitat and human history.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend,

Mrs Coldbeck and the students of Room 14

 Hello Families, 

Yet another week has rolled by and we find ourselves in the middle of April. 

With improving weather, we were able to take our math outside this week, making paper airplanes to measure distance in metres and centimetres using trundle wheels. In literacy we continued with our class book study, 'Front Desk.'  All students are enjoying tis book written from a child's perspective.  

We have been finishing off our Slides presentations and dodecahedrons, to record our understanding of Alberta's regions. I have such a creative class :) In gym we have been learning the skills associated with baseball, and started learning how to play the game. We concluded our Human Sexuality health lessons this week. Such a mature group of students, asking sensible questions to build their understanding of puberty and body changes. In art we created painting using a pointillism technique and started building sculptures out of foil. 

Grade 5 students joined an on-line meeting with Dr Egbert as an introduction to the school. 

Thank you for continuing to support your child in keeping us all safe, by coming into school with masks on and keeping them on as they leave at the end of the day.

On a sad note, we lose our Student Teacher, Ms Peters today. I'm sure you have heard her name mentioned by your child. She has been a wonderful asset to our classroom and we all wish her well in her future endeavours.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Mrs Coldbeck and the students of Room 14.

Learning Leader and Grade 4/5 teacher 

 

Hello Families,

We have settled back into school very well, following Spring Break.  This week we have focused on measurement in math, looking at metric length. In literacy we have finished writing our chapter books and have moved on to our class novel study, "Front Desk." Today we have been doing an Escape Room Challenge related to our Social Studies project on Alberta. We have also been finishing up our dodecahedron art project related to the regions of Alberta. They are going to look amazing. We are also concluding our focus on the weather and climate in science, and will be moving onto chemistry in the coming weeks.

We joined the Tyrrell Museum online this week to learn about fossils in our province. The children enjoyed this interactive experience.

Over the next couple of weeks, our health focus will be on human sexuality education.

Grade 4: Describe physical, emotional and social changes that occur during puberty

Grade 5: Identify the basic components of the human reproductive system, and describe the basic functions of the various components.

All families have received a letter about this. If you wish your child to participate, you do not need to return the letter. Your child will be included. If you wish your child to refrain from taking part, please return the letter.

In art we will be building tree sculptures, based on the work of Indigenous artist, Leah Dorion. In gym we have started learning baseball skills, and as the weather has improved, we will be able to move this outside. The weather continues to be changeable, so having access to a coat and sensible outdoor shoes is essential. 

Next Wednesday, our Grade 5 children will be joining Dr Egbert School on-line for a virtual tour of the school. You will have received a letter inviting you to join a virtual meeting next Thursday, April 15th.  Please connect with us if you have any questions. 

Incredibly, we now have only 11 weeks left in school before the end of the school year. We continue to be grateful for our amazing children and their families for how this very difficult year has been managed. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Mrs Coldbeck and the Grade 4/5 Students of Room 14.