Ms. Napier's Class

Under Pressure

2012-01-24T00:20:00.000-05:00

When my son was in his first year of hockey, he had a lucky scoring streak. Nothing that made him a prodigy, but a little streak of a goal every game for about three games. Maybe streak is a strong word for that, but when they score goals before they can write their name parents get a little excited.

Coming off the ice one afternoon, a childhood friend of my husband well-meaningly remarked, "Looks like you inherited your father's hands."

And the streak ended as fast as it had begun. My son didn't score for the rest of the season.

I think this kind of happened to me and the class blog this year. It got a little bit of attention, and I got a few compliments, and my posts promptly dried up. Performance anxiety.

It wasn't that I had nothing to say, or that I didn't know how to say it. Words rarely fail me, and with a captive audience I thought I could go on forever. No, it wasn't that I ran out of topics.

All of a sudden, nothing seemed good enough to post, worthy of the time and attention paid to it. So I posted less and less often, even when I had comments and observations to share about the students. I was over a hundred hits a day for a while. I felt I had to write for an audience, and I didn't know what they wanted to hear.

This week I realized that I still have things to share, and anyone reading the blog does so by choice. So I promise to write, and I hope you'll start to check back. I will do my best to use the blog as I intended - to communicate with parents and students about the learning taking place, and sharing things that I think are thought-provoking and interesting.

My son found a new groove - as a defence man. No one expects a streak, just a solid performance.

Sounds about right.

Writing Assignment: Character Traits

2012-01-11T12:33:00.002-05:00

Students,

Use the link below to identify traits you might use to describe the character in your text.

Character Traits List

French-English Dictionary

Reverso: language translation on-line

Then, for the second part of the exercise, use this site:

Thesaurus

to find antonyms for the adjectives you chose.

Happy Writing,
Ms Napier

Moon & Venus to put on post-Christmas sky show

2011-12-27T16:28:00.000-05:00

I used to teach Science, and I enjoyed teaching it. I have a great deal of enthusiasm for the natural world, and a tremendous admiration for scientists, and I like to think that I conveyed this to the students. Since science is now taught in French, and since I know the limits of my competence, I now have reassigned teaching in other classes while someone else comes to teach science to grade 6. Yet science topics come up form time to time, and the students and I will explore other subjects that have caught their interest, even if they venture out of my prescribed subjects and into more scientific terrain.

It is funny that often the tangential conversations we have in class lead us to notice current events in a different way. Lately we discussed the lunar calendar, as well as the orbit of the Earth and the other planets, and we discussed which planets were sometimes visible in the night sky. The students were very enthusiastic about the possibility of seeing another planet in the sky.

Lo and behold, I found this article while reading the new this morning.

Moon & Venus to put on post-Christmas sky show

Tonight, Venus will be visible to the naked eye (kids, this means without a telescope. Ahem. Really, get your minds out of the gutter.)

Follow the link above to see an article on this, and to lean where and when to look at the night sky to see this cosmic event. I hope you can venture out tonight after dark and see it for yourself!

Creative Play and Managing Risk: An idea from Britian

2011-12-01T21:13:00.001-05:00

This idea is a conversation starter for the students (and perhaps for parents).
What would be the advantages and drawbacks of using such a system here at school?

Rumours, lies, and half-truths

2011-10-05T09:12:00.001-04:00

Sixth grade can be a wonderful middle ground between the playful innocence of the younger years and the more complex teenage years. But it can also be a minefield of hurt feelings and poor choices.

In the last few weeks, we have had a couple of cases of foolish behavior. Playing recorder through the nose and playing lasso-tag top the list. But we have had a couple of cases of rumormongering that concern me more.

The situation goes something like this. One student misreads a situation, and promptly shares their conclusions. Before you know it, the whole group is a-buzz and the poor misunderstood student at the center of it all is in tears.

In the normal course of things, sixth-graders as a group have a tendency to be both tactless and over-sensitive. They don't always realize how their words can hurt others, and they are easily insulted by the careless remarks of others. They roll their eyes, they huff and puff. They can be quick to rush to judgement, and slow to admit fault. Often ruffled feathers can be smoothed and friendships patched up before everyone goes home on the bus.

In the social development of young people, there are certain nuances to be learned. Such as when to tell your best friend a key piece of vital information, and when to keep it to yourself to spare her feelings. When to 'help' someone by telling others who they have a crush on, and when to keep a secret. How to apologize and have people know you meant it. How to give a compliment without making it sound like an insult. This list goes on.

The rumor-spreading is harder to address than any of these. Is it ill-intentioned, or does it simply snowball out of control? Do the students recognize when they are spreading rumours? Most importantly, can they stop?

Some of this they will outgrow, and some of this is a normal part of the learning curve. Nevertheless, ignoring it won't make it go away. You can help your child by discussing with them what kinds of things they should and shouldn't share, as well as how to avoid spreading rumors. Two good rules are that they shouldn't repeat things that are hurtful, and they shouldn't say something behind someone's back that they wouldn't say to their face. Another strategy for fending off 'helpful' remarks that are intended to wound is simply to ask, "Why are you telling me this?"

Helping your child develop strategies to ward off rumors and detect lies will help them navigate the halls of high school that much more easily. But until then, the rumor mill has to stop.

This weekend, tag your child's clothes

2011-09-10T07:20:00.000-04:00

If you have been to school a few weeks into term, you might have noticed that there is an apalling amount of unclaimed clothing in the lost and found box. It has always bewildered staff and parents that children could possibly leave so much clothing behind. Pants, left at school? How? Spiderman tightie-whities that no one wants to touch. How do socks get left behind so often? we ask. You think they'd realize they came to school with a pair of tights and are going home bare-legged.

This week my daughter, who has just begun third grade, told me that there was a terrible argument in the girls' washroom after Phys. Ed. class. All the little girls had changed to go cross-country running outside, something they had not done in previous years. Feeling terribly grown-up, they launched their street-clothes into a pile and headed outside with Martin. When they came in, they found that many of them had similar jeans, in similar sizes, and several girls were not completely sure which was theirs.

How can that be, you ask? How can they not they recognize the clothes they put on their little selves that morning? Well, most of the clothing at this time of year is new, so the children haven't worn it very much. Additionally, many have the same or similar brands, in similar sizes, so sometimes there isn't much to tell them apart.

This is a good example of what seems to be the crux of the problem: many students do not recognize the clothing in the lost and found as theirs. This doesn't necessarily indicate poor observations skills. You would be amazed how many navy-blue mittens come to school. Pink hoodies covered in princesses are a dime a dozen. Some children also have a great deal of clothing, so they (and their teachers) don't associate a certain child with a certain NHL sweatshirt. So writing names or using clothing tags is a way of making sure the clothes you spent your hard-earned money on won't make a trip to school and never return.

The third-graders, Jillian told me, came to an arrangement on what was whose. But she isn't completely sure why, when all was said and done, there was a lonely pair of underpants on the washroom floor. You'd think, she said, someone would know if they had no undies on.

Yes, you'd think so.

Welcome Back!

2011-09-07T21:42:00.001-04:00

Hello Families,

I am very pleased to be back to work with your children this fall. With the first few days of school already behind us, I can say with confidence that the students are ready to be back at work and that they are doing their very best to take their grade six year seriously most of the time.

In the next few days I will be sending home a proper newsletter outlining what we will be working on during the first term. In the meantime, please accept my sincere wishes for a successful school year.

Warmly,
Kathy Napier

Large human study links phthalates, BPA and thyroid hormone levels

2011-07-12T09:13:00.000-04:00

Large human study links phthalates, BPA and thyroid hormone levels

How To Properly Provide Credit For Images - Edudemic

2011-06-24T16:32:00.000-04:00

How To Properly Provide Credit For Images - Edudemic

Happy March!

2011-03-10T15:26:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone,

I hope that everyone is well and had a wonderful spring break, even though spring was no where to be seen.

I am enjoying my sabbatical and have found the time at home passes quickly. Small projects, lots of reading and a great deal of time outside have made the days fly by.

I know that she has already given it to you, but here is the link to Ms Portfors blog:

http://www.missportfors.blogspot.com/

All my best, missing you,
Kathy Napier

Student Writing: The Recycling Center

2011-01-24T10:32:00.002-05:00

Recycling Center

Rebecca

January 13^th, 2011

Today at the recycling center, Nancy talked about what we can recycle and how.

She told us we could recycle plastic, metal, card-board, paper, and glass. She also talked to us about how the system at the recycling center worked and what was the cycle.

Then we went in a big work shop where the peoples where working. I saw many conveyer belts with all the trash on it. I felt like it was dark, dusty, smelly but I still loved it. It had the emotions of being in a gigantic work shop where it was almost just machines working and trash.

The people working there had to take out the things that weren’t at there place. Also 60 percent of the employees are handicapped. Because this job is an easy job, you always do the same thing every day, so it is reassuring them.

Then we went in another part of the work shop where there was trash smashed together in a big rectangle. THERE WAS HUNDRETDS OF THEM. It was really awesome because we saw a big truck tacking the packs and throwing them on the ground. He did that so that after all the trash could be sorted because it wasn’t sorted category by category.

Also there’s some people that put things in the recycling not washed, so it smells bad and at the summer time it attracts flies and rats. So each year they put poison everywhere in the building.

And also some of the plastic is put together to do a plastic mix, which after is sold. And if you throw away aluminum cans in the green garbage, you could of get 5 cents for each one. But they don’t mind you throwing them out because they take them and they feel an 18-wheeler with cans. They get $10 000 by 18-wheeler.

What I learned is what we can recycle and if we aren’t sure what to put in the recycle look under the container and if you see a number between 1 and 7 or the recycling sine, it is recyclable. I can teach others by telling them what, how and why to recycle.

I loved my morning at the recycling center!!!

Recycling Center

Joshua

January 13^th 2011

Today we went to the recycling center.

Our guides name was Nancy.

There we learned about what and what not to recycle.

There were conveyor belts, a press, and a magnet and separators.

I was dumbfounded by all the noise.

Here is the process.

First trucks dump the recycling on the ground.

Then they sort paper from plastic with a special machine.

After that they sort the different types of plastic containers.

On a separate line they separate paper from plastic bags.

Then it gets shipped out.

Ones a dead skunk in a bag got pressed and it stunk for a week.

They some times find wallets there to.

Some times they find money.

In January they smash big bales of recycling.

You can recycle paper, plastic, metal and glass.

Went our trip was over we clambered on the bus and went back to school.

Recycling Center

Ben

January 13^th, 2011

The fieldtrip wasn’t so long but the way Nancy was talking to us made us realized that if the planet would be like in the recycling center, it wouldn’t be so long we would all be covered of dirt. The recycling center smelled bad but the amount of dirt in there was impossible to imagine. There were magnets to take metal or things like that, they would take the recycling and were doing bundles and tied it with metal straps. Nancy talked us about the numbers under the things we recycle; the stuff without numbers under it goes in trash. There are numbers because there are different kinds of plastic. We always need to clean our stuff before putting it in the recycling bin or else it will smell bad and there will be rats in the recycling center. Instead of putting your pop cans in the recycling bin, go deliver it to the store. Each empty pop cans are 5 cents and beer bottles 10 cents. So if you have 60 pop cans you can have 3.00$. it doesn’t look a lot of money but if you collect it you can have a lot of money, like my brother, in about 5 years with all the pop cans he collected and delivered it to the store, the chores he made and the money gifts he got he got about 2000$ and I’m not joking.

Nancy told us about the worst thing that happened in the center, one time it was super smelly in the recycling center for one week and they realized that it was a skunk that they squished with the machines that makes the bundles… WAAAAK!!!

Nancy told us about the best thing that happened in the center, a girl was sorting the plastic papers on the conveyer belt, she found a kind of bag, opened it and found 1500$... WOW!!! INCREDIBLE!!! The girl paid for her vacation to go see her parents.

BUT I FEEL BAD FOR THE ONE WHO LOST HIS MONEY!

Information for Parents on Our Recycling Project

2011-01-13T13:43:00.004-05:00

Several parents have written or stopped by to let me know that our current project on Waste-Free Lunches was wreaking havoc in their homes. They asked for more information. Please have a look at the letter below, which includes websites, to have more information. I will find a way to attach the Bisphenol A factsheet as well.

Hello Families,

We are investigating the use of plastics in relation to a "Waste-Free Lunch" grant we received from the World Wildlife Fund. I showed the children 2 podcasts, one called "Plastic Plague" produced in part by PBS and National Geographic and "The Story of Stuff" (we watched only the last section on disposal). You can find them on the class blog here http://msnapiersclass.blogspot.com/2009/05/plastic-plague.html and here http://msnapiersclass.blogspot.com/ .

As I discussed with the students, we have to be careful of being alarmist and overreacting. Details of the test profiled in the NG podcast showed that the liquid had been in bottles 24 hours, which is not usually the case for lunch box items. As well, BPA is the substance we are warned of, and many plastics are BPA free. One of the difficulties seems to be that BPA has become part of the recycling 'cycle' and is present in trace amounts in many items (there was a Consumer reports article about this sometime last year). Certainly, refillable plastic bottles seem to be preferable to single-use plastics which can sit for long periods of time during the production cycle before being consumed. Canada has declared BPA toxic this fall (http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/10/13/bpa-toxic.html), but has not yet banned it's use.

Thank you for writing, and I would be happy to answer any other questions you might have.

Warm regards,
Kathy Napier

Bill Nye the Science Guy Videos: Waste

2011-01-12T11:31:00.002-05:00

This video, posted in three parts, has interesting information on the topic of waste and recycling. Have a look!

http://www.gamequarium.org/cgi-bin/search/linfo.cgi?id=7901

The Story of Stuff

2011-01-10T15:39:00.001-05:00

Hello Class,

Last week we continued our work on the garbage problem, at school and in the wider world. Have a look at this video
The Story of Stuff
to get a better idea of the big picture and to understand better just why many people believe that we cannot keep consuming at the present rate.

Winter Concert Photos

2011-01-05T15:02:00.007-05:00

Nothing puts us in the spirit in quite the same way.

Hoping that 2011 brings your family health and happiness!

Uncorrected Student Writing: Responses to the Youtheatre Production "Beauty"

2010-12-15T13:26:00.011-05:00

Shadow Puppet Show "Beauty"

By Laurie-Ann

December 9, 2010

The play is about a brown haired girl who lives at the dump and she survives with the garbage that she finds. One day she wakes up brushes her teeth with her finger (she doesn’t have a toothbrush) when she realized that there was dirt on her finger. She tried to wash it off with water but that’s she realized that she did not have any left. She started to panic and look for water everywhere but she could not find any. Just then a blond haired girl with a grey hat and dirty close showed up holding her baby doll and she also looked like she was panicking. Then, the brunette hid behind her metal desk. She looked scared. The blond haired girl was looking for water but she could not find some. All she found was some garbage bags and empty plastic bottles. All that thinking of water made her thirsty but at the point that she fainted. The brunette came out suddenly with a curious look on her face. The blond haired quickly woke up and saw that there beside her was standing a girl. They both backed up but then they realized that there was nothing to be afraid of. In no time at all, the girls were friends and they set off on a journey to find water. After days of traveling in danger they came back to the dump but they were not empty handed. They had found a big red barrel. They opened it and a big light shined out of it. It wasn’t just a big red barrel; it was a magic big red barrel. A few seconds later it started raining. The barrel really was magic. Out of it started growing huge plants. It beautiful!!!

To tell the story the girls used “Shadow Puppet Theater”. They didn’t talk in the play so they had to exaggerate their actions and they had to show their emotions clearly. We also had to figure out the story but I liked it anyway. In the play they used stuff that they found at the dump like the big red barrel. All they had to do was to clean them out.

I personally find that the beauty of the story is the friendship of the two girls. I think that the moral of the story is that friendship is important no mater how different you are. It’s also that some people do live in dumps; some people do run out of water so maybe we could change it by each doing our part and recycling, reusing and reducing.

I personally find that the play was wonderful because it is a combination of three of my favorite things. Drama, art and friendship. I loved the way they presented it. It showed in there work that they worked long and hard on it. They put a lot of emotions and energy in the play.

Beauty Ashley

Shadow Puppet Show December 7, 2010

The play was about the dump, the garbage, friendship and what it was like living in a dump. The play was a lot about garbage we could see all the garbage on the ground and it looked like a dump but not as bad as a real dump. Before they would act they would do a drawing on their table that would describe what they were going to do after. They tried to find a way to have water because they were thirsty and they was all kinds of things in her water that wasn’t good to drink. When they found the treasure everything changed for them they were beautiful plants and beautiful materials. They chowed us that the world could change a lot in a dump.

For the play they told us that they tooked some of the materials at the dump in Montreal. The materials that they had were plants, garbage bags, music, a table, a chair, bottles, old umbrella and dirt. They also used a projector and a light to show their drawings and other materials that were in the box but we didn’t know what they were called. I noticed that the play was a sad play. I notice that the beat of the music went with the actions they were making. I notice to that they didn’t talk in the play so that should of been hard and the last thing I notice is that they were doing Drama and they stayed in character easily. There was some things unusual when she did the sculpture with the bottles, they would get of the umbrella.

The play connects with things I know because we talked about it in class. We talked about how it could effect the planet with all the garbage and pollution we were making. I noticed that it could happened that there could be no more water because of all of the people that are on the earth and it could happened that we would have no food too. I noticed too that if we continue to do pollution there would be garbage everywhere. I noticed that there was no electricity and they did not have what they needed to live. The people that were acting were trying to send us the message to do less garbage and were trying to show us what it was like living in the dump and how it would look like if we were living in the dump.

My opinion of the story is I didn’t love the play because there wasn’t much acting they were almost all of the time drawing pictures of the dump on there table but I liked the fact that they talk to us about it because maybe people will think before putting garbage on the floor or always using plastic bags or things it takes all long time to decompose and other things that pollutes the earth instead of using topper wars and things that could help the earth to not pollute as much as we do now. The story connects to my life because there is a dump behind my ants house and I could see the fire when they would dig the whole in the ground and put the garbage in the whole when to her house. I could also hear the trucks when they would go and dump the garbage. I wouldn’t like to live in the dump because there is so much garbage and it smells very bad. I wouldn’t like it to have a house on top of a dump because it could happened that it catches on fire and for me I would feel insecure to live there.

Beauty

Emile

December 7^th, 2010

The story is happening in a dump two girls were living there they were trying to get a way of drinking water. When the so on her machine she does a plan and than she plays in the sand. They are going to go get some water while they were walking a truck came to get them. But one of them escaped. The one who did not escape eventually escaped. The one who escaped founded a red barrel and it was full of compost when she arrived she opened it. I think she was surprised she started to do a drawing. Her drawing was beautiful she started to take flowers she pulled them out and out it was wonderful.

In the play they did not speak. But there were music and they were using expression with their hands. They were using cardboard they were also using things that were in the dump like bird cages and bottles. They were using soil in the drawings.

The story connects with the garbage because the class and I are doing a project about the amount of garbage. It’s also connecting with the dump because we are reading a book that is talking about the dump and its pretty interesting to know how much people care about the amount of garbage there are.

My opinion about the play is like so-so because first I did not see many play like this and it wasn’t what I was thinking it would be like. I thought it would have been animals that were behind a blanket but when I saw that it was people I was a bit surprised. At the same time the back ground was very interesting all the things they toke from the dump that could have been reused but they were throw it in the garbage can

Classroom Fundraiser

2010-12-15T11:15:00.001-05:00

Oh No! Not another one!
Hello Families,

Thank you for not recycling this paper immediately!

I was offered an opportunity for a quick fundraiser that I believe to be a good value for families. It offers 50% profit for the class and will require a limited outlay of money and time for everyone. As classroom material is costly and needs to be refreshed often, it is an unfortunate reality that teachers and families need to raise money to supply the classroom with learning materials.

I am asking families to sell only two gift cards each for La Cage aux Sport. The cards cost 10$ and are a 10$ value when used in the restaurant for one of three meals. The cards are good until November of 2013. In essence, each family will have twenty dollars of gift certificate for the restaurant, and the class will have made ten dollars profit per family.

Money will be used for classroom material for your child’s class.

Thank you for your support and understanding,

Kathy Napier

Please send back the form as soon as you can, especially if you are not buying cards, so that I can sell them elsewhere.

Offical learning and the teachable moment... Space exploration

2010-11-24T09:39:00.006-05:00

I used to teach science. Before the decision was made to have science taught in French, I taught science to my core group, and I enjoyed it a great deal.

This morning, the students and I went off on a tangent related to a math question. We had a very interesting discussion about space exploration and the possibilities of permanent colonies on the moon or Mars.

I was a student in the 1980s, when shuttles went up all the time and we sometimes watched news bulletins in class.(from a small tv that used rabbit ears for reception). I was home sick the day the Challenger shuttle exploded just after take-off, and I remember watching in disbelief as we all were reminded just how dangerous space travel could be.

What surprised me most this morning was that many of the students believed that humans have been to other planets. No doubt a product of the movies and television they have seen, many students have some fairly serious misconceptions about space travel and exploration.

The following links will bring your child to information on plans for a lunar outpost, the NASA and BBC websites and give them a chance to learn more about this fascinating topic.

Enjoy the pedagogical days,
Kathy Napier

Memory Lane & Multiplication

2010-11-04T18:53:00.004-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX9J7WcYtxI&feature=channel

I ran across this "vintage" video tonight with my kids and the multiplication in it really jumped out at me. Ask your fifth grader how multiplication strategies are shown in this 59 second preschooler video.

And the Firefighters Came Back!

2010-10-31T18:05:00.015-04:00

Grade Five had a pretty special week.

Each year, the Drummondville Fire Department run a number of city-wide contests in conjunction with Fire Safety Week. One, the Firefighter for a Day contest, was won by Lloyd, an he had an amazing day.

Another contest is a fire drill contest. The firefighters are present for one unannounced fire drill at the beginning of each school year. Our school, once again (I must brag) was the fastest school in the city to evacuate and account for everyone (under two minutes).

As a result two classes in the school won a random draw for a pizza lunch sponsored by Mike's. Yay!

But, as if that were not enough, firefighters came and ate with the students, brought three fire trucks to school and allowed the students a guided tour inside the cab of one of the trucks. Students were given firehats and goodie-bags, and were filmed by COGECO for a human interest story.

And... they brought a mascot!

It was a wonderful day, and the students are very grateful for the time and attention shown to them.

Thank you, Drummondville Fire Department!

A Big Day in Grade Five!

2010-10-05T19:22:00.004-04:00

Many thanks to Mr Hamel for the photo.

What a great day it was today!
Congratualtions to the students who ran in the ETSB XCountry Race (2km of the hilliest course these students have seen yet). Who knows, perhaps a lifelong love of running was born as these young athletes tore up the course. You should all be very proud of yourselves!

And also...

A hearty congratulations also goes to Lloyd, who won the city-wide "Firefighter for a Day" contest. Not only did he get to drop the puck during the face-off of the Voltigeurs' game last weekend, but he will also spend an ENTIRE day with the firefighters this Friday (yes, he will miss school - with our blessing). He wrote an excellent essay and deserves this wonderful honour. Enjoy!

On another note, I have lost my voice, and will not be at school for at least the nest two days. Let me take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. Make the most of the long weekend!

Kathy Napier

It's Been A While...

2010-10-02T18:13:00.023-04:00

Hello again,
Glad to be back posting. I had been waiting for some consent to photograph slips to be able to post the photos below of our wonderful trip to the Canadian Railway Museum ~ Exporail in St-Constant, Qc.

It was a wonderful visit and I would like to thank our fabulous guide, Caroline, who worked to so hard to balance the mechanical and historical information and make sure the students learned as much as they could about how the railway changed Canada.

A Commonsense Approach to Homework

2010-09-14T07:46:00.001-04:00

Homework is an important part of your child’s education. It allows them the opportunity to review concepts and strategies learned in class, and helps them learn to plan their time outside the classroom. For the parent, it is an opportunity to see what the child is learning at school, to review and clarify ideas with the student, and to gage how well their child has understood.

In cycle three, your child will have approximately forty-five minutes of homework and studying each week-night. This will include the math pages, revising math concepts (such as multiplication), working on English homework, studying French verbs and vocabulary, and revising texts.

Most assignments and lessons are given over many days so that families can have multiple nights to complete the work. Given that many students have extra-curricular activities, parents should review the homework on Monday and plan how it will be completed during the week. Some nights the student may have to choose what to focus on: if a text is due the next day, that may take priority, and math pages need to be completed before we move on to more challenging concepts. Never is a large amount of work given and expected to return completed for the next day.

While it may seem like an obvious statement, homework is to be done at home. The same way parents supervise the completion of other chores, parents need to make sure their child completes their homework. Given that homework is not done in my presence, I rely on parents to ensure that it is completed. I do not give punishments at school for something that was or was not done when I was not present. Teachers would not be expected to give a detention to a child who did not make her bed, because that is a home responsibility. The same can be said for homework. I do not control how the student uses their time after 2:45. That is the role of the parent.

It is my experience that parents generally value schoolwork and want to help their child succeed. Therefore, to make sure homework gets done, we use the agenda and the homework blog to make sure families know what has to be done. Then if work is not completed I take the following steps:

1) the first time work is not done, I write a note in the agenda informing you the work is not done. At this point most parents make sure the work gets competed and investigate why the assignment is incomplete.

2) the second time the work it not done, the student and I call home to inform parents there is a problem and to enlist their help getting the work done.

3) the third time homework is incomplete, parents need to come to school to meet with me to discuss the situation. We discuss why the work is not done and find solutions such as modifying expectations or planning schedules. If the problem is one of the child refusing to do the work, we may seek the outside help of a psycho-educator or social worker to help families solve the problem.

If for some reason your child is unable to complete the work on a given night (unexpected company, family emergency, unforeseen circumstances) please write me a note stating that you know the homework is not done, and letting me know when it will be completed. In this way I know that the student has informed the parent they had work that needed to be done.

I thank you for your help with homework, and for taking the time to support your child in his or her learning.

Kathy Napier

Welcome to a New School Year!

2010-09-06T21:50:00.004-04:00

Hello Families,

It is a pleasure to be working with you and your child this year. I have every confidence that we will have an enjoyable and productive year and that by working together we can help your child continue to experience academic success.

In the month of September, please sign your child's agenda nightly. This will help them get into the habit of showing you the work they have to do and will acquaint you with your child's homework, workbooks and assignments. Using the link to the right you can access a list of the current homework, helpful if students forget agendas or miss school.

For the first term, we will be working on the following units:

Math: Number Sense (read, writing, comparing, adding and subtracting large numbers)

English Language Arts: self-expressive and descriptive writing; punctuation and paragraphing; beginning of the leveled reading program

Social Science: Geography of central Canada; review of French Society circa 1745 and the fall of the French regime; study of Canada circa 1820 and the changes that came about after the Loyalist influx

Over the next few weeks, as your child adjusts to a new teacher, a new class and a different workload, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Warm regards,
Kathy Napier

June is Here!

2010-05-31T12:00:00.002-04:00

Hello Families,

Has the countdown begun in your house?

At school, things are gearing up for the end of the year. Today we finish our Language Arts exam, the Math exam is finished by Thursday and the Inuit and Micmac projects are due (test next Monday). As well, the preparations for graduation are getting under way. It promises to be a very busy time in the grade six class!

In case you had not noticed, I have added a page for the calendar to the blog. Important dates are listed above and you can access the page by clicking the link under the blog title.

Have a wonderful week!
Kathy Napier

Field Games Day: Permission Slip

2010-05-21T13:08:00.002-04:00

Hello Families,
Just a quick note to ask that you remind your child to bring back the permission form for the Field Games Day trip this coming Thursday.

We will be leaving right away, will need to bring a lunch, water bottle, snacks, good shoes, sunscreen and a coat if it is cool.

Students, please remind each other to bring back the form!

Have a lovely and safe Victoria Day long weekend,
Kathy Napier

The end of another week (also known as one week closer to grad) and Special Visitors

2010-05-08T10:51:00.008-04:00

Hello families,

Well, it was another big week here, and I hope you're giving your kids the Flintstones vitamins because from here on out there are only big weeks with many projects, exams and trips. It promises to be hectic and fun, but very hard work, and in my experience keeping 12-year-olds busy (very, very busy) is half the battle.

What battle, do you ask?

Oh, the ongoing battle against hormones and backtalk, arguments and obstinacy (which is a word, but I had to check), sloppy work, bad manners and lack of motivation. But I know I don't have to tell you this. From what I hear, this battle is being fought on all fronts.

Keeping myself ready for this is also what sometimes keeps me from acknowledging, daily, how your children are really great people. Really great people who care deeply about others and their world, who are critical thinkers and who have come a long, long way in the year and eight months we have been together.

I'm tearing up and losing my focus here. Ahem.

We had two special visitors this week. The first was the lovely Kat Usher, Naturalist from the EarthValues Institute in Montreal who came to give her annual presentation to the students. This year's theme was "Colour My World." She is a wonderful speaker and I was sorry to have been out sick that day and miss her talk.

I was also sorry since every time I am sick h-e-double-hockey-sticks seems to break out with the kids' behaviour and I come back to problems. If you heard from me Thursday you know what I mean (if you didn't, your child wasn't involved :).

Our second visitor arrived Thursday morning and was a surprise for the kids. Just in case your own loving 12yr old was less than communicative and forthcoming this week, you should know that I asked an agent of the Surete du Quebec to come and speak to them about drugs. If they didn't give it to you, you should go riffling through their bookbags for the information document for parents about kids and drugs (after hearing what he had to say, perhaps you should riffle through their things regularly). The students had excellent questions and Agent Jutras was a very experienced speaker who handled the information with just enough detail to (hopefully) scare them away from drugs and pushers. It is a good time to reopen a dialogue with your child about the whole subject.

Thank you for your help and support this week, and as we move into the Math and English Exams next week please continue to keep your child as well-rested as possible.

Enjoy the weekend, and Happy Mother's Day to everyone!

Kathy
PS - to let me know you have been here, please click on on the the boxes and/or leave me a comment. it lets me know I am talking to more than just my one-and-only blog-follower

EDITED TO ADD-Hey! I have readers! Thank you for clicking below (and I fixed the typos)! It is great to know I am not writing to myself here, people!

Websites for Studying

2010-05-04T09:47:00.002-04:00

Hello all,

These are a few sites which can provide guided practice of some of the math skills we are reviewing in class. Students should use them to study as they are self-correcting and can give rapid feedback on skills and understanding.

http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/BillyBug/bugcoord.html
Coordinate geometry

http://teams.lacoe.edu/documentation/classrooms/amy/geometry/6-8/activities/quad_quest/quad_quest.html
Quadrilaterals

http://www.innovationslearning.co.uk/subjects/maths/activities/year6/angles/game.asp
angles

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=triangles
triangles

http://cemc2.math.uwaterloo.ca/mathfrog/english/kidz/div5.shtml
long division

http://www.mathplayground.com/fractions_mixed.html
mixed numbers

http://cemc2.math.uwaterloo.ca/mathfrog/english/kidz/order.shtml
order of operations

http://cemc2.math.uwaterloo.ca/mathfrog/english/kidz/decMulti6.shtml
decimal multiplication

Tomorrow IS another day...

2010-04-23T13:44:00.004-04:00

Hello again,

Thank you to all the families who spoke with their child last night. The attitudes were in check this morning and we have had a very agreeable and productive day.

During homeroom these days I am playing the game highlights from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We have had some very interesting discussions about the interviews players give after the game and the ways in which they do or do not support their team-mates while demonstrating sportsmanlike values. It has been very interesting.

This morning I also had this quote from the American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson:

We all need a chance to start again and do better. The kids did that today.

Enjoy the weekend, and for anyone motivated to start studying math this site is helpful: http://www.mathsisfun.com/definitions/index.html

Warmly,
Kathy Napier

Following Instructions, Applying Strategies

2010-04-22T09:34:00.003-04:00

Hello Families,

As our unit on geometry draws to a close, I am not pleased with much of the work being produced in class and for homework. As the students can tell you, and I am very convinced of the necessity for instilling habits that will help them succeed in high school and later studies (as well as in the workplace). Geometry uses a number of formulas and strategies that are immutable and need to be memorized, and work needs to be clear and labeled. This morning, not one of the students had applied the labeling strategy taught for transformations. Not one. Why? Because they were convinced they didn't need to. More than half the class had significant mistakes that could have been avoided.

Now, I am all about creative thinking and discussion. But this is not a situation in which people can deviate from strategies they have barely learned to apply. They can expect to have to apply multiple concepts to complete situational problems, and to do that, they have to be organized and methodological. All the students are able, many do this spontaneously. No one did it with yesterday's work.

Some students seem to think that instructions are suggestions, not requirements. Just now I took them to the bake sale and told them NOT to eat before physical education class. All students heard me. Three chose to ignore the instruction. It may seem unimportant, scarfing down a little brownie before doing gymnastics. However, the greater point is that they aren't interested in doing what they are told, they do what they want.

I am in the midst of finalizing the end of year trip, and overnight trip. If I can't rely on people following instructions, how can I take them?

Please speak with your child. There are a scant nine weeks of school left. We can finish the year strongly, or we can struggle.

I know which I prefer.

New Units!

2010-04-16T09:55:00.003-04:00

Hello Families,

Since the Easter break we have been working on learning new concepts and revising ideas we have already studied. As you will have noticed, the students are again working on texts responses, and at the top of this page you will now find a tab that leads you to a page describing what a response should include at cycle three. As well, we are working to improve creative texts in a number of ways - ask you child what techniques we have been reading and experimenting with!

As well, we are working on transformational geometry (a short evaluation will be following soon). We will soon be investigating solid geometry, capacity, and volume. For those of you would would like to continue to improve your child's calculation skills, the self-correcting games listed in the sidebar of this blog can be a great help.

In social sciences we will be investigating the similarities and differences between modern Micmac and Inuit communities and the territories on which they live. it should be a very interesting module.

As the weather improves, please consider sending a water bottle for your child. They play very hard at recess and are often thirsty during class.

As ever, if you have any comments on questions, I am available by phone or email.

Warm regards,
Kathy Napier

Puberty Lectures

2010-03-31T09:51:00.005-04:00

Hello Families,
The CLSC nurse has now completed her two-part discussion on puberty with the students. I had a questions and answer session with them just now to answer lingering questions. The students were shy, but many had questions and most had heard things (on buses, in locker rooms, on television) that they had questions or concerns about.

You can go to this link http://sexualityandu.ca/teachers/tools-9-3.aspx to see the slide shows the nurse presented to the students.

As well, I would encourage you to have a look at this Government of Canada website http://sexualityandu.ca/home_e.aspx
for more information to will help you discuss these issues with your child if needed. I reviewed much of the material, and while they do not need much of this material right now, it is better as parents to be prepared and to know what kind of issues they may be hearing about when they aren't with us. As well, it give us an idea of what kinds of behaviors teenagers are engaging in and what kinds of misinformation they may be exposed to.

I hope that you find this information helpful.

Enjoy the Easter long weekend!

Kathy Napier

Second Portfolio Afternoon

2010-03-29T17:11:00.003-04:00

Hello Families,

As there were several families not able to attend Portfolio Evening last week, I am making myself available Tuesday, March 30th from 3 to 5:45. If you are able to come to school with your child, they would enjoy showing you examples of their hard work!

Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
Kathy Napier

Chores for Haiti

2010-03-14T17:51:00.002-04:00

“We, the grade six class, were shocked of (sic) all these terrible earthquakes in Haiti. We knew we could help, but we just didn’t know how, just yet. We had a really interesting discussion going on in the class.” –W.R.

“ The Chores for Haiti Project was to raise money for the Haitians because of their enormous earthquake. So we decided to send a letter home to tell children to do chores to help their parents and the parents could pay them.”-A.B.

“This project was about helping a nation in need.” --J.C.

“Our project consisted for (sic) the students of the school would do extra chores they do not already do at home and get paid by their parents. They would then donate the money they earned to us to give to the Red Cross.” – J. C.

“We undertook this project because we are grade six, and a lot of the students were keen on this idea of helping Haiti. Even if we had lots of things to do at that time, we undertook it anyway.” -S.B.

“We undertook the project because we saw some horrible pictures of what was happening in that country.” –G. St-O.

“We undertook this project because this issue mattered to us and we believed we could help. We should be proud.” –C.G.

More to follow, families. There is a lot to be proud of here....
Kathy Napeir

School Nurse Visit on Monday

2010-03-12T09:41:00.004-05:00

Dear Families,

Just a quick note to let you know that the CSSS nurse will be here Monday afternoon to discuss puberty with the Grade Six class. This will be the first of two sessions, each lasting about one hour.

I will be present in the classroom for the talk, which will take place in French. My experience with this in the past is that the students have an opportunity to ask questions and to have factual information presented to them. They are given information about reproduction as well, but the nurse informed me that her discussion would focus more on biology than behaviour.

If you have any questions about what she will discuss, she can be reached at the following number:

Celine Martel
CSSS (819) 474-2572 ext 441

Warm regards,
Kathy Napier

2010-03-09T20:51:00.002-05:00

Hello Families,

Over the past few weeks while we have been working to finished up projects, I have neglected this blog. My apologies.

There has been much to blog about, and I will let the students tell it on their own, here and at home, but I did want to say one thing.

I am proud of them.

Yes, the pre-teen angst (X26) can be overwhelming at times, but your kids are really good people. Their work with the Chores for Haiti project, and with other classes and teachers around the school, has shown their more mature and responsible side.

I am proud of their work, and their compassion.

If they haven't told you all about it, ask them about the Haiti project, and I hope to have a longer post on this later in the week.

Best,
Kathy Napier

Olympic Athlete Comes to Grade 6!

2010-02-08T09:11:00.005-05:00

Today grade six was lucky to have a surprise visit from Benoit Gaudet, Olympic athlete and world class boxer.

I would love to say that I had gone to get him to come and discuss his Olympic experience, but he came with Drummondville Radio station "Rock Detente" to give the teachers a surprise present - a week's subscription to his new gym! The PPO entered the school in a city-wide Teacher Appreciation week contest and won this for the staff. All our thanks!

I took the opportunity to ask Mr Gaudet to come and speak to us about his Olympic experience. Graciously agreed and spoke to the class in English about his travels, his competitions, when he started his career and what his training routine is like. The students had a number of interesting questions.

What I wanted to highlight of his impromptu discussion was that he credits his success to his effort, and not his aptitude. He told us that when he started boxing he did not set himself the goal of going to the Olympics: he wanted to be a hockey player. Success followed success, and he found that he had the ability and the drive to go further. More that once, he let the class know that discipline made the difference, and that his sport had offered him opportunities to go places and see things he wouldn't have been able otherwise.

A big thanks you on this Monday morning to Mr Gaudet, and to the PPO for bringing him to us!

World Maths Day is Coming!

2010-02-01T09:43:00.002-05:00

YouTube Sidebar Widgetgreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

We will be participating in the lead up again this year, but World Maths Day takes place during our Spring Break, making it impossible for us to participate as a class. Students can log in with the username and password I will give them, and it is a great opportunity to practice our calculation skills. The students are really looking forward to it!

Toronto Globe and Mail article on the math program we are using:Program could help kids get jump-start in math

2010-02-01T09:28:00.003-05:00

Grade 6 students work on math exercises as John Mighton teaches their class at the Mabin school - a private school in Toronto. Charla Jones/The Globe and Mail

John Mighton isn't a teacher, but the mathematician's methods could help regular students become more fluent in math.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/program-could-help-kids-get-jump-start-in-math/article1433199/
by Anne McIlroy

From Saturday's Globe and Mail Published on Friday, Jan. 15, 2010 7:44PM EST Last updated on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010 3:29AM EST

John Mighton writes the 9-times table on the board and asks the Grade 6 students to look for patterns.

The children stare at the numbers 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81 and 90 and make a few quick observations: The digits in each number add up to nine. One plus eight is nine, two plus seven is nine and so on.

Within minutes, every kid in the class is using the sum of the digits to determine if a number is divisible by nine. If it isn't, they learn to predict what the remainder will be.

They practise on half a dozen three-digit numbers. Then Mr. Mighton scrawls 121,252 on the board – a much bigger figure than they have tackled so far.

“What is your prediction?” he asks.

“Easy peasy lemon squeezy,” one girl says as she copies the bonus question down in her notebook.

Mr. Mighton is not a certified teacher. He's a writer and mathematician who devotes most of his time to JUMP, a charity that helps youngsters learn to think mathematically.

Since he founded it as an extracurricular tutoring program in 1998, he has amassed compelling anecdotal evidence that it helps struggling students. The question now is whether it also works in regular classrooms, where kids have a wide range of mathematical abilities. It's under study, and the way Canadian students learn could ride on the answer.

“There is a perception that JUMP is only for weaker students and that it will hold faster kids back,” Mr. Mighton says. This Grade 6 class at the private Mabin school in Toronto shows how JUMP can work for all children, he says.

The teacher, Mary Jane Moreau, started using JUMP last year, when the children were in Grade 5. Beforehand, she gave the students a standardized math-computation test: Their marks ranged from the 37th to the 75th percentile. After a year of JUMP, she says, all but one were in the 91st-to-the-99th percentile.

“It is like they are a gifted class,” she says. “But they aren't a gifted class.”

One thing that's obvious to an observer is that these kids now love math. Even the shyest children volunteer answers. Some seem giddy.

One class, of course, isn't proof. Ms. Moreau is an exceptional teacher, keen to use what brain scientists have found about learning to help her teach more effectively, which is why she was drawn to JUMP. She also has the luxury of teaching just half her class – nine students – at a time.

But Tracy Solomon, a researcher at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, is doing a study that should show if Ms. Moreau's class is an anomaly.

She is comparing 300 children in an Ontario school board: Half are being taught using JUMP methods and half in the regular manner, which stresses problem solving. Like the Mabin-school children, they started JUMP in Grade 5 and now are in Grade 6.

Dr. Solomon's hypothesis is that kids taught with JUMP will have better math fluency than the control group. If that proves correct, she wants to dig deeper and learn what makes JUMP work so well.

“It's an opportunity to marry two things separated for far too long – research and education,” she says, “and draw on the substantial body of knowledge from psychology, cognitive science and neuroscience and infuse those findings into education.”

(It may seem strange that a hospital researcher is studying math teaching, but Sick Kids takes the view that education is intertwined with long-term mental health.) Recent results from a smaller group of students in Britain suggest that children who are already at grade level can progress at a rapid speed with JUMP. In the Lambeth school district, all of the 74 students in Grades 5 and 6 who were close to meeting expectations for their age were able to perform beyond their grade levels after one or two years with JUMP. By the age of 11, 57 per cent of those students were three grade levels ahead.

Rising in the west

In Canada, JUMP has its strongest foothold in Vancouver, where Mr. Mighton has trained 400 teachers, and is also being used, although to a lesser extent, in Edmonton and Winnipeg. Teachers in Western Canada often have more autonomy to choose programs for their classes, he says.

The program has met with more resistance in Ontario, where it began. Many school board officials prefer the current approach, which helps students discover and understand mathematical concepts through problem solving. Still, JUMP is getting attention there: Mr. Mighton has trained more than 100 teachers in the public and Catholic boards since September.

The JUMP method breaks mathematical operations into small steps that kids practise and master before they move on. In learning subtraction, for example, children might do a whole page of identifying which questions require regrouping (what used to be known as borrowing).

This builds confidence to go on to the next step. Mr. Mighton says that's essential: “If kids feel inadequate, their brains aren't going to work well.”

This approach taps into what brain scientists have discovered about learning: Practice helps to consolidate memories, and mastering small steps or skills can lead to big jumps in performance. Experiments have also shown that confidence can affect ability, and we may learn more from getting answers right than from getting them wrong.

JUMP has evolved, over the years, from a tutoring program to a charity that trains teachers and produces free teaching guides. It also sells workbooks that cover the curriculum from Grade 1 to 8 – the profits go back into the charity.

But many in the education field remain unconvinced that JUMP offers a better way for children to learn math.

Diane Muckleston, curriculum co-ordinator at the York Region District School Board outside Toronto, says research shows that the best way to help kids understand a concept is to come up with a rich, conceptual problem that everyone in the class can help solve.

Last year, for example, she visited the class of a primary-school teacher who had noticed that all the kids were wearing odd socks. The teacher came up with the concept of a sock factory, and the kids all brought in socks. Each child was given a different number of socks and their task, as a group, was to find a strategy that would combine them.

“But it wasn't, ‘This is the way you would add the numbers,'” Ms. Muckleston says. “There is a fundamental pedagogical difference in [Mr. Mighton's] thinking on how a kid learns mathematics and what the worldwide research is about it.”

But Dr. Solomon disagrees. She says research does not support the idea that the “discovery” approach to teaching math is the most effective. “It is a mystery why we ever went down that route.”

There is whopping evidence that memories get laid down through meaningful practice, she says, and that has to come before putting that learning to novel and clever uses in problem solving.

It is like learning to speak a language or to play a musical instrument: “The creativity comes once you have mastered the basics.”

Mr. Mighton describes JUMP as guided discovery: “You need a balanced program that recognizes the strengths of the brain, that kids can make discoveries. But you also need to recognize the brains' weaknesses: We have poor short-term memories. We are easily overwhelmed by too much information. Neurologists are now saying we need practice to consolidate ideas. Sometimes we need rigorous guidance.”

The idea is to provide teachers with a spectrum of approaches to find the best ones for each student.

Teaching the teacher

Mr. Mighton starts the lesson at the Mabin school with a quick introduction: “If you don't get something today, it is my fault, so stop me.”

The children quickly grasp that if the sum of the digits in a number is nine, then it is divisible by nine. The number 217, however, can't be divided by nine, because two plus one plus seven is 10.

What about the remainder? At first, they learn a simple approach. In many cases, it will be the difference between sum of the digits and nine. So when 217 is divided by nine, the remainder will be 10 minus nine – one.

But what happens next shocks even Mr. Mighton: The class discovers a better way, one that works with all numbers. The sum of the digits of 217 is 10 – and if you add those digits, 1 plus 0, you arrive at the remainder.

“I was stunned. I didn't know that,” Mr. Mighton says.

After some further practice, it is on to the easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy bonus question.

Every hand in the class shoots up. The number 121,252 is not divisible by nine, one student tells him, and the remainder will be four.

“You are brilliant,” he tells them. “You are all brilliant.”

Anne McIlroy is The Globe and Mail's science reporter, specializing in learning and the brain.

Our Trip to the McCord Museum of Canadian History

2010-01-24T19:06:00.001-05:00

Many thanks to Isabelle Bouffard and Cecile Gruber for accompanying us on our field trip!

Update on Activities Old and New

2010-01-14T11:13:00.005-05:00

Scaryside Academy
In October, some of the grade 6 and grade 5 students acted in a Halloween play, Scaryside Academy: “You Are What You Eat,” that our lovely secretary Mrs. Hodak wrote in honor of Halloween. The people who acted in this play did a great job. The characters were Ms. Crabtree the teacher (Leila), Wendy the witch (Alyssa), Frankie Frankenstein (Meagan), Vinnie the vampire (Samuel), Greta the ghost (Laurence), Wally the wolf (Daren) and Scott the skeleton (Jacob). In this comedy, Ms. Crabtree organised an operation to know what Vinnie had been eating these past few days. They operated on Vinnie and when someone pulled out a skipping rope they found out that he had been skipping a few meals! This play was the best play we have ever seen.
Written by: Leila & Jessie

Cross-country on October 8th
On October 8th Grade 6 students Sam, Jonathan, William, Jacob, Jacob, Gabriel, Juliano, Leila, Naomie, Justine, and Alicia went to Lennoxville for a 1.9 kilometre running competition. They had lots of fun and laughter. Most of the athletes were close to having an award but had an entertaining and amusing day just the same. The race was longer than what was practiced at school but most people finished before 30th position. When not running, team-mates were tremendously encouraging and the runners appreciated it greatly. Martin, their Phys. Ed. Teacher, was also vastly encouraging and trained them well.
By Samuel and Alicia

Winter Concert
On December 16th, D.E.S held a wonderful Winter Concert. Each class performed different songs and executed the songs in an enjoyable way. Grade six and kindergarten began with “The Twelve Cats of Christmas,” and “Must be Santa.” Grade six followed with “The Cherry Tree Carol,” “Fa la la la la,” and ended the concert with “ A Soalin’” bringing many audience members to tears. Grade six even had musicians who accompanied on different parts of the songs (Laurence on the piano and Leila on the guitar). The students practiced hard and it was worth it.

New Low in Underfunded Schools

2010-01-01T09:41:00.007-05:00

Irish children told to bring loo roll to school to save costs

Telegraph.co.uk URL below
Published: 7:00AM BST 07 Oct 2009
Children at an Irish primary school have been asked to bring their own lavatory roll in order to help save money.

Pupils at a St John's girls' national school were asked to bring their own supplies of toilet roll Photo: GETTY

Pupils at a St John's girls' national school, in Carrigaline, in the southern county of Cork, were asked to bring their own supplies in one of the starkest examples yet of the death of Ireland's "Celtic Tiger" economy.

Catherine O'Neill, the school's principal, said, in a letter to parents: "From time to time we will request your daughter to bring in a toilet roll to her class teacher. These rolls will be specifically for your daughter's class and will be dispensed by the class teacher."

She said the measure had been taken in order to save money in the face of education funding cuts.

"We are endeavouring to trim down expenses and ensure we use our grants towards [educational needs]," she wrote.

Irish parents are already struggling to buy schoolbooks and uniforms in the face of a deep recession.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ireland/6267269/Irish-children-told-to-bring-loo-roll-to-school-to-save-costs.html

* Private toilet paper manufacturers stepped into the breach. While their well-publicized generosity is no-doubt appreciated, it doesn't address the real issue.

Must be Santa

2009-12-11T21:02:00.003-05:00

One of our songs for the Winter Concert will be the Raffi version of "Must Be Santa."

Here are the words for students who would like to practice
Must be Santa

Who’s got a beard that’s long and white?
Santa’s got a beard that’s long and white
Who comes around on a special night?
Santa comes around on a special night
Special night, beard that’s white-
Must be Santa, must be Santa, must be Santa Santa Claus

Who’s got boots and a suit of red?
Santa’s got boots and a suit of red
Who wears a long cap on his head?
Santa wears a long cap on his head.
Cap on head, suit that’s red,
Special night, beard that’s white-
Must be Santa, must be Santa, must be Santa Santa Claus

Who’s got a big red cherry nose?
Santa’s got a big red cherry nose
Who laughs this way, “ho ho ho.”
Santa laughs this way, “ho ho ho.”

Ho ho ho, cherry nose,
Cap on head, suit that’s red,
Special night, beard that’s white-
Must be Santa, must be Santa, must be Santa Santa Claus

Who very soon will come our way?
Santa very soon will come our way?
Eight little reindeer pull his sleigh,
Santa’s little reindeer pull his sleigh,

Reindeer sleigh, come our way,
Ho ho ho, cherry nose,
Cap on head, suit that’s red,
Special night, beard that’s white-
Must be Santa, must be Santa, must be Santa Santa Claus
Must be Santa, must be Santa, must be Santa Santa Claus

Early next week I hope to post catch-up new from the class about the Bake Sale, the Green Apple Grant, the Concert and our field trip. Check back soon! In the meantime, enjoy the weekend.
Ms Napier

Have a Wonderful Day with Your Guest Teacher!

2009-11-29T20:22:00.011-05:00

Good Morning, Grade Six!

This is what I am doing today.

This is what all teachers do when we aren't with you. We call it workshops (wink wink).

And on ped. days we run up and down the halls in our socks chewing gum. I shouldn't tell all our secrets, but hey, you won't tell, will you?

Seriously, though.

In all the excitement Friday I forgot to mention that I will be at a workshop today. I was too caught up in the discussion of tokenism, sexism, electoral tampering, what scientists know and might not know about gender differences, what we mean by representational government, and what we learn from the election process. What a day!

Today I am in Magog learning more about the "6+1 Traits of Writing" form Lynn Senecal, the mastermind behind the Soundprints program. She is an excellent, erudite speaker and I always enjoy her workshops. I know that I will come back to class feeling like this (see picture above) and just full of great ideas to help us all write more and better.

You, my little liebchens, will have a great day with Mrs Jacinthe. I hope to hear you were all wunderbar.
See you tomorrow!
Ms Napier

PS extra points to those who figure out the vocab.
Sidenote - this post is intended to be droll, not facetious or flippant

Disposable to Reusable: Green Apple Grants

2009-11-23T09:08:00.007-05:00

Good News!
Our class was awarded a $1000 grant for a proposal made to Metro Groceries Green Apple Grant Program to fund an environmental project at our school. This project, based on our work and study of the problem of waste, will seek to eliminate disposable tableware at our school.
We are very grateful to have the collaboration of the Parent Participation Organization in carrying out this project, with whom we have been exchanging letters since September in an effort to find ecological solutions for our school. Metro, with this grant, has given us $1 000 to fund the project and develop educational presentations for our school community.
The next step for us is to elaborate a plan for carrying out our ideas. Hopefully, the students talk to you at home about this exciting project and how they are becoming responsible citizens working to improve their community.

My Fire Fighter Story

2009-11-06T13:20:00.002-05:00

October 1st, 2009

!!!!! Fire fighters more than just putting out fires!!!!!

Hi my name is dots, I am a firehouse dog. I help by sniffing stuff and find clues. I am a big help to fire fighters. Everyone knows that fire fighters put out fires. They might put out a forest fire they might put out a fire caught in a building or a fire in a car. They risk their lives to save us from injury or burning buildings. But that’s not all.
-Fire fighters respond to medical emergencies and motor vehicle accidents, they come to car accidents if there is something needed.
-They make fire safety practices for schools and shops (ect.) and they teach the public about fire preventions. By doing this they help to save peoples lives, just talking to them.
-They have conducting inspections, rescue operations and they emergency patient care.
-They respond to emergency hazardous material situations.
-They donate stuff and they create contests. They give Halloween candy all that by showing the example and being safe. Helping people is leadership. Being a fire fighter is a big job and it is a dangerous job at the same time.

From: Drummonville Elementary School
By: Chelsy Gill

A Friend Far Away

2009-10-30T12:48:00.003-04:00

My name is Jesse and today is my last day at Drummondville Elementary. This school has taught me a lot over the past year. It has given me more confidence and gave me chances I may have never been able to do in the United States. I have made new friends that I will stay with me for a long time. I was able to learn a lot about Canada. I learned who discovered it and who lived there. I was able to use computers at school , improve and harden my math abilities. I will miss my amazing teachers Mme. Lucie, Ms. Napier, Martin, Mr. Robinson and of course Ms. Hodak. They all helped me in different ways. When i move back to the United States i hope to stay in touch with this school and to also bring a little bit of Canada to the United States

Firefighter for Day Contest

2009-10-14T13:00:00.006-04:00

Our class is very proud that two of our students won the Drummondville "Firefighter for a Day" Contest.

Here is the winning entry from Elisee, our runner-up.

Fire Fighter

Hello my name is Elisee, and I would like to won the contest so this is my piece of writing. It is not a story but it is a little piece of what I already know about you, I hope you understand English. So here it is.
When there is a fire the fire-fighter risks their lives for us. Even if many risks are in that job we should respect them. It is not a 9 to 5 job it is a 24-hour a day, seven days a week public service that involves working weekends and holidays. They work about 42 hours per week over a four week period. They are very courageous to do all of this for us, if they weren’t there, many people would have lost their lives but because they are there they save lives from burning fires.

When they don’t put out fires they respond to medical emergencies and motor vehicle accidents, they educate the public about fire prevention and fire safety practices. They even get the cats that are in the trees. They always work none stop. So this is a job that requires courage, strength and intelligent people. Thank you and see you maybe on the week of October 6th.
The End

Elisee won a telephone for her room and her text was printed on a certificate presented to her by two members of the local Emergency Response team. Congratulations, Elisee!

Bullying and What to Do About It

2009-10-06T21:39:00.003-04:00

Image taken from http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adults/tip-sheets/tip-sheet-27.aspx

Hello Families,
A very disturbing and disappointing situation has been brought to my attention, and I am asking for your help. Students in the class have come to me to let me know about a situation that has gone from teasing to bullying.
The student being targeted has not come to me.
I have spent some time looking for resources and strategies to deal with this in class, and we will discuss it to sensitize the student to the different types of bullying and what it looks like. We will talk about how to stand up for ourselves, and how to stand up for others (which is what research says really works). And we will be vigilant, and make an effort to look out for and care for each other.
The situation is remarkably complex. Confronting the bully and sidekicks isn't recommended, as it generally backfires. General work about bullying is easy to disregard. Parents will need to be contacted, and discussions will be long.
I need your help. Please review the information at the link below, and speak with your child about what they see and hear at school. Please talk with them about the difference between teasing and taunting, and how they can help make the school safe for all the students.
As always, I am available if you hear something I should know.
Thank you so very much for your help,
Kathy Napier

http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adults/tip-sheets/tip-sheet-21.aspx

I can hear it from here...

2009-09-25T20:24:00.004-04:00

I can.
You might think I can't, but I can.

It is the sound of 27 families kvetching about the weekend's homework.

I know I usually don't give homework on the weekend (save for reading, which I refuse to consider work). But I had to.

I did. I had to. And not only is it homework. It is the recorder. I can hear the groans from here.

Don't blame me. The Quebec Education Program says they have to learn an instrument. So off we go on a musical odyssey from "Mary Had a Little Lamb" to "Ode to Joy" in twelve weeks. So if we are going to get there, we have to start somewhere. This weekend it's the notes G A B and an overview of the sheets in their duotang.

If your sixth-grader is squeak-screeching around the house this weekend, check their fingering to make sure the air isn't leaking out the sides of their little fingers.

Then send them out to serenade the neighbors. ;)

Interesting Presentation on Motivation

2009-09-03T22:09:00.005-04:00

Have you seen the TED talks?

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, and the talks are given by experts from around that world who are given 20 minutes to explain their research, findings, theories or new ideas. I am hooked on these talks, which are like a little "brain spa."

If you have 20 minutes, watch this. It is about motivation, and how reward systems backfire:

The speaker makes the point that there is a mismatch between what science knows and what business does. I couldn't help but think that the mismatch applies to schools as well. Often, kids are already in the "what's in it for me?" paradigm that reward systems can foster, and we have all seem scenarios in which the carrot and the stick are the only tools someone has for making someone do something. And I don't just mean with the students.

Autonomy, mastery and purpose not only work better, it seems, but allow everyone to keep their integrity.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Welcome Back!

2009-09-01T20:08:00.000-04:00

Hello Families!

It has been a pleasure to have the students back these last two days. They have settled in remarkably well, gotten into the routine and adapted to the changes that we have brought. Everyone seems rested and healthy, and they seem anxious to do their work well (even if they are not happy about having homework).

You will be hearing more form me in the next few days, but I wanted to remind you that I am available my phone and email if you have any questions or concerns, and we can arrange to meet if you so desire.

A little information you need:
Physical Education class will take place on Thursday and Friday
Mr Rutherford will be teaching Science in French
Mme Lucie will be teaching French Monday through Thursday
I will be teaching all other subjects (schedule to follow)

All my very best wishes for a wonderful school year!
Kathy Napier

Plastics: What action are we prepared to take?

2009-05-26T10:01:00.001-04:00

photo from the Alagita Marine Research Foundation.
Students have been investigating the issue of plastic and the effects of plastic trash on the environment, particularly the oceans. Right now they have mixed opinions about whether parents and other adults are prepared to act to change the way we depend on single-use plastic in our daily lives. Sadly, some students believe that parents and other adults are not prepared to sacrifice convenience in order to protect the environment.

This week students are challenged to present their opinions about the situation in persuasive essay. The essay must reference other texts and use quotes and data to support their opinions.

I look forward to reading their texts on Friday!

Ms Napier Absent: be good to your guest teacher!

2009-05-22T07:27:00.001-04:00

Hello Class -
I am at home today because I have not been feeling very well and hope to get rid of a nagging headache. Sharon has PLENTY of work for you, so please do it well.

Below, you will find two podcasts about the environment. Please respond carefully and using details from the texts to support your opinions.

The mathfrog site is also listed it the same post; copy and paste to be able to practice long division.

Keep scrolliing down until you find the posts.

Also, I have posted an article I took from the RDS website. The interview with Guy Boucher was excellent and he seems to be a very motivational coach. There are a number of similarlities between teaching a class and coaching a team, and many leadership books use examples from sports. There are many lessons that can be drawn from this arcticle. Which do you find?

Work hard, class, and enjoy the weekend!
Affectionately,
Ms Napier

RDS Article on the Volitgeurs

2009-05-22T07:20:00.000-04:00

Guy Boucher ému par ses joueurs
Jeudi 21 mai 2009
LA PRESSE CANADIENNE

Guy Boucher (Ghyslain Bergeron) RIMOUSKI - Si les Voltigeurs de Drummondville se rendent jusqu'au bout à cette Coupe Memorial MasterCard, leur entraîneur Guy Boucher aura l'air d'un génie. Car les champions de la LHJMQ ont beau s'être qualifiés pour la demi-finale, ils n'ont plus rien dans le réservoir. Il faudrait un petit miracle pour qu'ils atteignent la finale de dimanche et y battent les Rockets de Kelowna.

"Ce sont les joueurs qui sont les génies", a toutefois insisté Boucher, jeudi midi, en attendant de savoir si son équipe allait disputer la demi-finale de vendredi contre l'Océanic de Rimouski ou les Spitfires de Windsor. Ces formations devaient s'affronter jeudi en match de bris d'égalité.

"Ce sont les joueurs qui jouent et qui paient le prix, a ajouté Boucher. Moi, derrière le banc, je n'ai jamais de rondelle ou de coude en plein visage, pas de bâton dans le front. Je suis là pour leur donner une direction. Et la direction qu'ils prennent, c'est tout à leur honneur parce qu'ils sont tellement dédiés."

Boucher ne l'a pas caché. Il n'a aucun espoir de voir ses joueurs récupérer d'ici la demi-finale de vendredi, du moins suffisamment pour retrouver le niveau d'énergie qui leur a permis de dominer la LHJMQ cette saison. Les trois quarts de ses effectifs sont amoindris par les blessures ou la maladie, a-t-il indiqué.

"La récupération, on peut oublier ça. La seule chose en ce moment qu'on peut faire, parce qu'on a une journée de congé, c'est de conserver ce qui nous reste. On n'ira pas chercher du repos, on a trop joué de matchs.

"Des matchs rapprochés durant la saison, c'est difficile, mais ce n'est rien comparé à ce que les jeunes vivent en ce moment. Ils sont bien au-delà de ça, physiquement et émotionnellement. (Mercredi, contre Rimouski), il y a des joueurs qui avaient les larmes aux yeux, le visage ravagé. Ils étaient assis à leur casier, incapables de bouger. Ils sont complètement vidés."

Mais pas question d'abandonner, a précisé Boucher.

"J'ai toujours pensé que la tête va plus loin que le corps. Si tu commences à écouter ton corps, t'es cuit, a-t-il lancé. On est toujours en position, dans la vie, de trouver une solution. Cette saison, on avait préparé les gars en leur disant qu'ils allaient éventuellement devoir dépasser tout ce qu'ils ont jamais vécu dans leur vie en terme de limites personnelles et collectives. On en est là.

"A notre premier match (de la Coupe Memorial), on était encore sur l'adrénaline. Le deuxième, on a été bons, mais on était deux ou trois coches en-dessous de ce qu'on est d'habitude. Et l'autre d'après, trois coches en-dessous de notre match précédent. Plus ça va aller, pire ça va être. Je le sais, je l'ai vécu en 2005 avec l'Océanic.

"Dans la situation actuelle, on est obligé de réinventer des façons de jouer pour pouvoir s'en sortir."

Après Saint-Patrick, Saint-Marco?

Si les Voltigeurs ont pu battre l'Océanic et décrocher une place directe en demi-finale, mercredi, c'est grâce à leur gardien Marco Cousineau. Drummondville l'a emporté 3-2 en prolongation malgré une domination de 41-20 au chapitre des tirs de Rimouski.

"Durant la saison, on a eu très peu besoin de prestations extraordinaires de nos gardiens, a fait remarquer Boucher. Habituellement, on marquait assez de buts, et on avait assez de jus pour garder l'équipe adverse longtemps dans sa zone, ce qu'on ne peut pas faire en ce moment.

"De toute façon, si le Canadien a gagné (la coupe Stanley) en 1986 et 1993, c'est à cause de Patrick Roy. Dans un tournoi comme celui-là, à un moment donné, il faut que ton gardien t'en vole une."

On craignait, après le match de mercredi, que Maxime Frenette ait subi une fracture au pied, mais en fait il ne s'agit que d'une fêlure, a indiqué Boucher. Il était possible qu'il puisse jouer vendredi. Sean Couturier, malade, n'allait pas mieux jeudi, tandis que Marc-Antoine Desnoyers et Andrew Randazzo étaient simplement déshydratés et devraient être en mesure de jouer vendredi.

"Les autres bobos dont on ne parle pas s'aggravent tranquillement. Mais on n'a pas le choix, on est en demi-finale et il faut passer par-dessus", a ajouté Boucher.

Un entraîneur ému et comblé

L'entraîneur des Voltigeurs a répété, jeudi, qu'il avait été très ému par la façon dont ses joueurs ont résisté à l'Océanic la veille.

"De continuer et de croire encore... Sur le banc, c'était incroyable. Parce que je le sais, moi, de l'intérieur. On ne vous dit pas tout. Les gars qui sont blessés, il y en que ça n'a tout simplement pas de bon sens. Je ne peux pas croire qu'ils sont encore en train de jouer. A un moment donné, il y a une limite à ce que le corps humain est capable de prendre. Et on est rendu à la limite.

"Si mes enfants finissent par avoir le courage que ces jeunes-là ont, je vais être un père comblé.

"Aujourd'hui, on récolte ce qu'on a semé comme culture d'équipe, a ajouté Boucher. Et la culture d'équipe, c'est qu'on est toujours capable d'en faire plus, il y a toujours un moyen, on n'a pas le droit de se plaindre et il faut que tu fasses tout pour le gars à côté de toi.

"On n'a pas de jus, mais on va trouver une solution", a répété l'entraîneur.

So, this isn't just here because we love our hometown team, but because I think that this coach gave an excellent interview and described well that there are several elements that go into being a winning team.
Students, can you identify the quailties of a winning team from this arcticle?
How could the words of this coach transfer to your life?

Math Frog and Other Interesting Sites

2009-05-21T13:01:00.001-04:00

Math Frog self correcting long division:

http://cemc2.math.uwaterloo.ca/mathfrog/english/kidz/div5.shtml

Plastic Interview with Charles Moore

Plastic Plague, from National Geographic's Strange Days on Planet Earth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1glVFMej_3g

BBC World News

Plastic Plague

2009-05-18T09:04:00.000-04:00

Our class has been looking at and responding to podcasts about the environment. This National Geographic video is worth a look.

Summer....Almost

2009-05-04T19:26:00.001-04:00

Hello Families,

With the warm weather many (but not all) of the kids in my neighborhood have taken to the streets. It is wonderful to see everyone outside again.

I know that my students are also enjoying the nicer weather, and I want them to. I love to see kids outside, unplugged, and enjoying the fresh air and each other's company. Truely, I do, and I kick my own kids outside as much as I can. Princess Rollerblade over there can vouch for me.

As teacher, however, I have to ask for your help. The kids are tired, and many admit to later betimes so that they can 'profit' (sic) from the warm evenings. Today in class my audience was so sleepy it was like trying to teach multiplication of decimals to a bag of potatos.

The kids need to go to bed, and they need to do their homework. They may rush it, they may 'forget' work, but they have to read, to do their work for the time that is left in grade five. Please don't let them drag out the after-dinner games too late.

I hope to make the most of the few short weeks that are left, feel free to blame the early bedtime on me. I can take the heat, but they need their rest.

All my best for a beautiful week,
Kathy Napier

Vocabulary and Reading Strategies

2009-04-20T18:17:00.000-04:00

Helli Families,

I am most of the way through a new round of reading evaluations and with few exceptions I am very pleased with the improvement that students have made this year. Many who were hesitant readers, had trouble recalling what they read and/or had trouble inferring information have gained in confidence and improved their recall and reading comprehension. It is wonderful to see all that hard work bear fruit!

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, single biggest need in terms of English skills and abilities is the need for greater receptive and expressive vocabulary. What do I mean?

Receptive vocabulary is the term used for the words that we understand when we encounter them.

Expressive vocabulary are the words that we can generate on our own in a given language.

Often we notice that students' receptive vocabulary is larger than their expressive vocabulary. Students are usually able to make meaning in context, but when the information is sketchy or the text complex, they are simply unable to figure out what a word means and at times this makes it hard or impossible to fully understand what they are reading or hearing.

Examples we have come across lately include nouns like attic, headlight, twilight, dusk, and webbed, but happens as often with other parts of speech.

Over the next few weeks your child will be coming home with vocabulary exercises. Please have a look at your child's work and help them name their world.

Warmly,
Kathy Napier

TeacherTube

2009-04-08T20:03:00.000-04:00

Our class was visited a few weeks ago by Dale Mackenzie, one of the people in charge of ibook implementation in our school board. He interviewed me and some of the students, and filmed our class working on various projects (ComicLife and our Wiki). He put together this video together.

Kid's Site of Canadian Trains

2009-03-23T09:57:00.000-04:00

The Last Spike Ceremony. Edward Mallandaine is peeking out from behind Donald Smith, who is holding the hammer
Source: Library and Archives Canada/C-011371
© Public Domain
nlc-4711

In our class with our student teacher we are discussing how the use of the train changed Canada. Visit this site

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/trains/kids

to learn more!
Have a great week,
Kathy Napier

2009-03-12T22:48:00.000-04:00

What We Learned in Social Studies by Justine

2009-03-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

In social studies we learned lots of interesting and important information. We learned about the war between New France and Great Britain in 1759. It was an important battle. General James Wolf and his troops defeated Marquis de Montcalm and his troops. Both, Marquis de Montcalm and James Wolf died in the battle. It only last 30 minutes. We also learned about the Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies. There were two sides to the battle. One of them were the Rebels. The Rebels wanted independence because they thought the taxes were too expensive and that the king did not let them choose and express themselves enough. The other side of the battle was the Loyalist. They did not want independence. They wanted the protection of the British army. The Loyalist also thought it was reasonable to pay the taxes. The taxes were to pay the British army. This led to a war and the Rebels won. This is why the Thirteen Colonies are now called the United States of America. After the war, Loyalist settled near Lake Ontario and Lake Erie until 1791. In 1791, the province of Quebec got divided in two: Upper and Lower Canada. The Francophones were settled in Lower Canada and Anglophones settled in Upper Canada. The Ottawa River served as border between Upper and Lower Canada. We learned much more but it would take me trillions of pages to write it.

Spring Break!

2009-02-28T13:49:00.001-05:00

Hello Families!
The students were ready for this break! Over the last week they have been getting more and more tired, and more students have been ill and missed school. Let's hope we can all rest up and be healthy for the next term!

Several families spoken to me about good English television for their children. Here are some of my recommendations:
Discovery Kids Channel
Discovery Channel
Animal Planet
PBS

Some shows that are good include:
Popular Mechanics for Kids
Cyberchase
Mystery Hunters
Get Outta Town
Timeblazers
How it's Made
Mighty Ships
Mythbusters
Project Earth
Postcards from Buster
Zoom!

Another strategy for improving vocabulary is to have kids watch a movie they have already seen in French and have them watch again in English. Since they already know the story and don't have to concentrate on the plotline they can pick up more words and expressions. One thing that some families enjoy is to watch the show with the closed caption display, which lets kids read the words as they are spoken.

If the kids are on their laptops over the break, they can always have access to the learning sites I have posted in the sidebar. Free Rice has interactive grammar drill that some students really enjoy, and don't forget the World Maths Day site is active until March 4th.

Enjoy the holiday, and see you on the 10th!
Ms Napier

Cross your fingers for me...

2009-02-25T20:59:00.000-05:00

Just now, while procrastinating, I entered a contest to do something I have always wanted to do . I entered my name and hope to be chosen as an Olympic torch bearer.

I was in high school during the Calgary Olympics, and was very envious when another student was chosen to help carry the Olympic flame across the country. So this time I wanted to enter.

Anyone 13 years and over can enter, and they flame is coming through our city. All that is asked is a pledge for how you plan to make a better Canada. Here is my pledge:

I pledge to work to make stronger Canadians, one learner, one class of students at time. I pledge to renew my strength so I can enter the classroom each day ready to meet the challenges my students and I will face together. I pledge to help them to be their best, and to strive to be a model for them by working toward personal excellence, learning from mistakes, and taking risks. I pledge to try to show each person compassion, and respect their differences while encouraging their talents. And most of all, I pledge to show them that we have a responsibility to each other to work toward the common good, seeking excellence and building a better world in any and every way we can.

As a fifth-grade teacher with 29 learners, I have responsibilities to build a better Canada, and if it weren't too grandiose a goal it would be written in the job description! In essence, that is what my job is - to help instill the skills and values the children need to guide them, and to help us all guide this country in positive directions. I have the chance, every day, to make a positive impact on my country, one child at a time. That's why I get out of bed in the morning, not to teach reading and writing, but to teach kids.

It wasn't hard to write, it is just hard to live up to. So every day I make myself I promise that I will do one thing at a time, and do it as well as I can. My fingers are crossed that my pledge makes the cut....

World Math Day

2009-02-24T08:42:00.000-05:00

Right now grade 5 is practicing their calculation skills by taking timed tests against other 11 year olds around the world. The site is called worldmathsday.com and it gives students calculation drills in the form of "face-offs" among 4 children. We can see the children's avatars, as well as their locations, and as the teacher I can see my student's scores, averages, and our class total of correct answers.

The students are really excited. The games are leveled so that the more a child is able to do, the harder the questions become. Individualized learning - everyone gets the math that challenges them, and all can practice at the same time and get instant feedback on right and wrong answers.

Students can log in using the passwords I gave them. The site closes after March 4th.

Hello from Laval!

2009-02-09T14:06:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone,

I am writing from a CEFRIO workshop taking place in Laval. This morning we talked about different technology tools we can use to collaborate on educational projects.

What is interesting is that a number of the tools discussed are already in use in our classroom, but within the group. We aren't using the tools to reach out and work with other classes for larger projects.

For the rest of the month, we will be studying the Loyalists, and how the movement north after the American Revolution. I have asked the organizers of this workshop to send out a call to other teachers to see if there is someone in the former 13 Colonies willing to participate in a discussion about the conflict between the Patriots and the Loyalists, and to look at how the events of that period affected our respective countries.

I know that there are people following the blog who are teachers from afar. Anyone interested in having our students collaborate?

napierk@ped.etsb.qc.ca

History and Geography

2009-02-01T09:40:00.000-05:00

So last week we had a short geography quiz on the provinces territories of Canada. Students had to identify the provinces and territories, as well as note (but not locate) the capital cities of each province. They also had to spell everything correctly (although I did not take off a point if students added a "u" to Iqaluit, since this word does not conform to the spelling rule the students have learned.

The results were not impressive, despite having had a week to study, having gone over the content in class, and having had a map in their duotang for 3 months.

So, this week we will be reviewing how to study, and the test will be given again, until each child masters the content.

Spelling included.

Have a good week,
Kathy Napier

Skype

2009-01-28T12:08:00.000-05:00

Hello Families,

We had our first Skype call with a class from North Carolina this morning. It was very interesting - we were able to see each other, ask questions and discuss some of the similarities and differences between our schools and our locations. We also spoke with a school from Alabama and 2 teachers from Vancouver Island. There were things I would change about the way it all happened, but in general it was a good first experience.

Some of you have written me to ask about Skype. It works like a phone, but with the optionof having video as well, like th TV phones we imagined when we were little. It is an application that allows us to have video, audio and text communication, as well as send and receive files. It is free when you call computer to computer, but costs money if you call computer to a phone.

It has a great deal of potential, not only for personal but for school uses. Students who are absent could still participate using Skype from home, as could students away on vacation. I know of teachers who have used Skype for university courses, making it unnecessary to travel long distances or leave home in bad weather. It allows us to connect with people over any distance for any number of purposes, for free.

You can find more information at his site:
www.skype.com

If you join, let me know and I can add you to my contacts.

Best,
Kathy Napier

Comic Life +Ricky

2009-01-21T13:19:00.001-05:00

This has been a big week in our class, as students have been completing their mini-project using the application Comic Life. The travel brochures they have made are very attractive - check back to see samples!

We worked on this project as a way to develop understanding of the research process. Copies of our research process time-line can be found in the front of the social sciences duotang. You can help your child by asking them to explain the process and why we need to proceed in a certain way.

As well, we finally have our Voicethread finished - it was hard to find time and help to get the audio recording done. I have tried to embed it in our blog, but could only get it to appear in the homework blog. Click on the homework image on the right, then hit the "play' arrow to have a look!

Enjoy the weekend,
Kathy Napier

Right back at work!

2009-01-12T17:50:00.000-05:00

So, the first week back after the break was punctuated by snow, the hope of snow days, and many, many absences that kept us from getting on with a new project.

Hopefully your child has spoken to you about their mini vacation project. In teams, they have to put together a weekend getaway for a family of four in a city given to them at random. The project will be complied using the application Comic Life, and will have to include:

-the cost of airfare from Montreal
-the cost of a hotel for Friday and Saturday
-activities for Friday, Saturday and Sunday (including entrance fees, if applicable)
-total cost (food and souvenirs not included)

The presentation page must include:
-2 maps (country and city map)
-photos (with photo credit)of the activities or locations listed
-text
-details of the getaway

The students are very motivated, and are just beginning to identify what information they need and where they think they may find it. You can help at this stage by helping them pose relevant research questions and narrow down possible topics to be explored.

It should be fun to see what they find and what they choose, and we will look for a way to post their final products.

All my best,
Kathy Napier

Track Santa with NORAD and google Earth

2008-12-24T18:17:00.000-05:00

Hello all,

I hope that you are doing other things tonight, but just in case you hadn't heard, it is possible to track Santa tonight. NORAD satellites are following him and using google Earth to map out his last seen location. For techie geeks like me this is just too cool not to share.

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html

You can click on his current location and see video of all kinds of locations he has already visited.

My kids just saw him visit Monaco and hustled it off to bed. I'm off to read "The Night Before Christmas " and "The Christmas Orange."

My very best to you all, and may the season bring you joy and laughter!

Kathy Napier

Ouf! Some day!

2008-12-01T20:16:00.000-05:00

Anyone will tell you that it is harder to teach in December, but it is only the first and it is hard to keep the students on-task. This afternoon was not our best.

There is a disjunct right now between what the students need to learn and their perceptions of how they are doing. I am having a hard time convincing some students to take ownership of their learning, and to see that there is progress that has to be made. Many seem to believe they are already fine, and there is no reason to improve their work. In some cases, they are actually arguing with me about the content, insisting that they already understand concepts they are simply fouling up.

In all this, the student who wants to learn has a hard time being heard.

Report cards go home this week, and I will be meeting with many of you Thursday night. I hope that you will have had a chance to read thorugh the comments and discuss them with your child. I know that some of the comments will be unexpected.

It would be easier to stick my head in the sand and overlook what is hard to address, but it would do the students an injustice. I have a professional responsibility to call them as I see them, as unpleasant as that is right now. And although it will be unpleasant to hear, the students have to meet me half-way.

So, the question to ask your child - are they putting in their best, or just putting in their time?

See you soon,
Kathy Napier

Fractions Fractions Everywhere!

2008-11-26T14:57:00.000-05:00

Hello Class!

You have been working so hard naming fractions, creating fractions, and comparing fractions. How about a little fraction fun?

Try out these sites in the link at the right:

Cyberchase

Fraction Flags

http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/fractionflags/ffthirds.html

http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games/equivalentfractions/index.html

Each site has games that help you to name, recognize and create fractions, and the site will tell you if your work is correct.

Have fun!

Mini-Project: Drummondville and Our School

2008-11-09T16:21:00.000-05:00

Hello Families,

This week, following up on the work we started with Ricky Raccoon, we will be continuing a mini-project on Drummondville and D.E.S.. In our project, we are trying to answer 2 main questions:

What is special about Drummondville?

What is special about our school?

This project is allowing me to assess the research and teamwork skills the students possess. Different students will have different foci, and we will work together to complete the overall project as a Voicethread (you can see this using the Ricky link under "Learning Sites") and perhaps as an iMovie or podcast depending on how the work unfolds.

Also, a family asked for information about Magazine subscriptions for their children. I have added some links in the parent section to some magazines the kids really enjoy. Maybe just in time for Christmas ;)

Have a great week,
Kathy

RICKY RACCOON IS HERE!

2008-11-05T14:09:00.000-05:00

Today our class welcomed Ricky Raccoon, a puppet that is travelling around the province visiting English schools. We have him for 3 days.

In those three days, we need to put together a part of Ricky's project. We must share information about our school and our town.

What should we say?

Tonight I am changing the homework. Please talk about what makes our school special, and why our town is a great place.

Please write your ideas in your yellow exercise book. We need to work on this right away, since Ricky leaves Friday!

Let's see what we can put together!

October 21st: Update + games

2008-10-21T17:08:00.000-04:00

Hello Families,

Things are rolling along, and with the students I am putting together a list of what we expect to see in their writing. Look for it in the coming days, and next week they will have to polish a text they wrote using the criteria we establish.

As well, students have a new response assignment this week, responding to the poem "Something Told the Wild Geese." You should see them use their dictionaries for this assignment.

I spoke recently with the mother of one of the students about using board games and card games to practice math skills and different strategies. A couple of games I find very good are:

Blokus (visual spatial strategies, planning skills)
Tock (calcualtion practice, planning, teamwork)
Labyrithne (visual spatial skills, planning)
Zoologic (visual, process of elimintation, working backwards)
Crazy 8 (planning, assessing multiple criteria)
Guess Who (looking for criteria, asking questions, eliminating information guess and test)
Puzzles (visual organization, sorting, classifying, working backwards, elimination, guess and test, looking for patterns...)

Many games can be found all over town, but the mother of a former student of mine works in the children's section of Renaud-Bray, and she is wonderful about finding games that stimulate and are fun to play. I don"t know if she would appreciate my mentioning her on the blog, but ask me and I will tell you who to look for.

Which games do you play with your kids? Let's build this list together.
Have a great week,
Kathy

Happy Monday!

2008-10-06T18:54:00.000-04:00

Hello Families,
I had a great day with the students. We had to work on the Ministry Math exam, but apart from that we had a great discussion about a favorite book of mine, 'Whose Mouse are You?' by Robert Kraus, and we worked on grammar and text response using the book as a springboard. It was interesting to hear the students express their ideas and to share opinions with each other.

This week there are a few particular things I want to call you attention to:

*Interim Reports went home today - they need to be signed and sent back to school

*Cross-Country Run will take place Wednesday for students involved. I will accompany them to the race, and we will have a supply teacher for those who stay behind.

*Thursday the nurse from the CSSS (former CLSC) will be giving the students a 2-hour first aid course.

* There have been cases of lice in the school. Please tie up long hair to help prevent lice spreading.

* Back to school time is now over, but it is a good time of year to have your child's eyes checked. Exams are free for children under 12 years,and recommended for all, particularly if one or both parents wear glasses. At this age it is important to keep track of this, especially if your child complains of headaches.

As always, please ensure that your child reads every night, adn you can keep track of homework using the link on the right.

All my best to you! Have a wonderful week,
Kathy Napier

Ministry of Education Math Exam

2008-09-29T13:35:00.000-04:00

This morning the students began the end of cycle 2 math exam created by the Ministry of Education. I received this test last week and was asked to give it as soon as possible.

This exam consists of 6 "short" questions - 15-45 minutes each, and one "long" question which is explored over 4 days.

This exam is intended to measure what students learned in cycle 2. Therefore there is no need to study or review, since we want to know what the students remember and assimilated from the grade 3 and 4 program.

Please help your child stay relaxed about the exam, and keep in mind that the data about student performance is used to help improve instruction. Each student's performance gives us an idea of what they know and what they need to improve, but it is not the only evaluation I will do. The exam is marked by teams of teachers from many different schools at a later date.

Since we are doing so much math in class, I am not assigning homework this week. I am not allowed to preview questions or assign work that will invalidate the test results, so please do not ask for reinforcement at home for now. I will be able to review and remediate after the test is complete.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

Best,
Kathy Napier

Note: the instructions on what happens to the tests vary from year to year, but in general we are allowed to share the results and then must file the tests. Last time I gave the test (2 years ago) we put them in the portfolio. Right now I don't know when they will be 'officially' corrected - that is, by a team of teachers who do not correct their own student's exams, and therefore are unbiased. I'll keep you informed!
K

Computers!

2008-09-23T20:41:00.000-04:00

The students were very happy to see their computers today, and the laptops are all in and charging. However, it is important to know that this year the school and parents have to pay for damages that were covered under warrenty before. We'll need to be more careful than ever!

Yesterday I was in Montreal at a LEARN Quebec workshop on collaboration and technology. The idea is to connect teachers and students through technology and to explore the ways in which such connections can improve student learning. I am involved for the year, and hope to share my projects as well as be involved with other teachers and what they are doing in their classes. I'll keep you posted.

it is important for you to know that the ibooks will be coming home form time to time, but only when there is an assignment stduents need to complete. There are many other "low tech" activities students of their age should be engaged in, and will all the "screen time" our kids have it is important to make sure that we use the computer in novel ways, and not just as a word processor. When we use it, it is as a learning tool and to do something we cannot do as well in another medium.

What do you think, as parents? How do you feel about homework on the laptops? You can leave comments here.

Things are moving forward!

2008-09-11T13:48:00.000-04:00

Hello families,

Just a quick note to let you know that things are moving forward, and students are adapting to the routines of the class. They are all trying very hard to do what I ask, and participation is high. You have lovely children!

Thank you also to parents for keeping tabs on the homework and signing notes in the agendas. It helps things run so much more smoothly in class.

We are all looking forward to our outing to the Sherbrooke Science and Natre Museum next week, please send permission forms as soon as you can.

Also, we need a photo of your child for a classroom assignment - 4" by 6" is ideal. Please send it as soon as you can, and please send a note if you cannot so that I can plan for alternate arrangements. I don't want to say too much - I want the students to be able to surprise you with their work!

My best to you,
Kathy Napier

A word about homework...

2008-09-09T21:13:00.000-04:00

Good evening all,

This morning I had a very unpleasant surprise when 8 of 28 students arrived with untouched math homework. Not work that was too hard for them (because they completed it well in class and when called upon to give answers), but work that they did not even begin.

There were various explanations given.

My philosophy on homework is that it should provide reasonable practice of the skills and information we are using in class. It is NEVER new work the students haven't seen before, and ususally practice for what we have done in class that day.

It isn't busy-work, and it is important.

In order to make sure the students know what they have to do, we write the date on the page of work, and we write in the agenda that there is work to be done. In this way, students have seen the page of work and know where to find it. As a parent you can identify it by the date.

Math homework is always due to next day, since we need to correct and review before going on to new concepts. Math homework is found in the exercise book or in the green duotang.

Language Arts homework is usually assigned on Monday and collected Thursday, giving the students several nights to complete their work. Notebooks will vary depening on the assignment.

Reading is to be done every night, because every piece of educational research related to reading done in the last fifty years states that consistent and frequent practice of reading is the most important 'work' that students can do to improve their language skills and general learning. Read every day, and if even if you do nothing else, have them read. Read for pleasure. Read alone or together, but please read.

Homework in other subjects is rare and will be given ample time to complete.

If for some reason your child cannot complete their homework (appointments, unexpected events, practices and lessons), please let me know this in a short note in the agenda. I will always accept such notes, because they let me know that you are aware there WAS homework, and it wasn't possible to complete it.

It is very important to your child's schooling that you are informed of their progress. If they have not done their homework, I take three steps to correct the situation:

The FIRST time homework is not done:
I send a note home in the agenda, to be signed by a parent (please, not a babysitter or grandparent unless they are the legal guardian).
This solves the problem most of the time.

The SECOND time homework is not done:
Your child and I will call you, from school, to let you know the work is not done and to see if we can find a solution to this situation.
This generally solves most homework issues.

The Third time a student's homework is not done:
I call and ask for a meeting with you to discuss your child's progress in school and how to accomodate homework in your lifestyle.
I have had to do this only once since beginning teaching in 1998.

The reason I do this, instead of, say, giving detention, is that I cannot supervise the completion of homework - I can only assure that your child works in class. Homework is, by definition, to be done at home. It is a way for you to know what your child is learning, and to supervise and participate in their learning in a one-on-one way which is not possible in the classroom.

If you are having a hard time getting your child to do the homework, there are different strategies and approaches we can discuss, so please contact me and it will be my pleasure to speak with you.

If you have comments or questions, please feel free to respond to this post, or to contact me directly.

My best to you and your families, I am off to bed!
Kathy Napier

The First Full Week Back at School

2008-09-08T13:06:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone,

It was wonderful to see all the students last week, and to start to get to know everyone. Thank you to all the parents who sent in the materials requested. Having an organized classroom helps us focus more of our time on learning!

In this first full week we can leave the organization of materials behind and begin to concentrate on developing strong work habits, knoweldge of routines and procedures, and appropriate English communication. In everything we do I am assessing the students' knowledge and skills, and as a result we will be touching on many different concepts over the next few weeks.

In math we are working with large numbers, and the unit will review the following concepts and skills:
rounding and estimation
reading and writing large numbers
place value, standard notation, expanded form
calculation (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division)
and the Metric System.

As well, we will be working on developing strategies for answering word problems fully and completely. Ask you child to tell you what 3 things word problem solutions must have in order to receive 3 points!

In Language Arts I will be reviewing writing skills and reading strategies, as well as developing vocabulary and correct grammar while having the students write about themselves and read books that are a "good fit." It is my intention to individually evaluate each student's reading skills this month so that we can use a guided reading program which is matched to each student's abilites. I can begin to do this as soon as the class is autonomous and responsible enough to work on their own while I read with each child.

Your child will be bringing home a book he or she chose to read, please ensure they ready for at least 20 minutes each night, either aloud to you or alone. When they are reading, we want to make sure they can do three things:
-that they can remember text information accurately
-that they can infer information (read between the lines)
-that they can think critically about what they have read.
If your child has trouble with any aspect of this, it may be that the book they are reading is too hard, or that they need to develop different reading strategies.

That's enough for today! I need to get correcting, but please feel free to comment or ask questions about this post, either by email at napierk@ped.etsb.qc.ca, in a note or by phone. It is my pleasure to speak with you about your child!

Warm Regards,
Kathy Napier

Welcome to Cycle 3!

2008-08-31T20:49:00.000-04:00

In just over a day, I will welcome my students back to a new school year, and into a new class. Although I know many of the students already (since we are such a small school), I am looking forward to getting to know them and to working together for the following 10 months.

As a parent, I always want to know more about how my children spend their days, and I want to participate in their education as much as I can. Over the years I have met hundreds of parents, each of whom has been as involved as they can be given everything they have to do. I wanted to make it easier to have a dialogue about what is happening at school, and give parents a chance to participate and have information about what their children are learning.

This blog is an experiment for me. I hope that this allows us to communicate more easily, and to exchange ideas among students, teachers, and parents. Over It is a place to post comments and questions, and for the students and I to share our work. It is a dynamic document, meant to grow and change according to how we want to use it, and meant to reflect what we do and what is important to us.

Please take the time to subscribe and comment - your participation will guide how this develops.

All my best wishes for a wonderful school year,
Ms. Kathy Napier