Team LS News
10.11.19
Important Dates
Parent Conferences: October 14 - October 17
October 17- No School Founders Parent Conference Day
October 18 - No School
Parent Conferences October 21- October 24
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Team Time & Little Smarties Morning Meeting
Each Friday afternoon students enjoy about an hour of Team Time. This time is set aside for students to choose activities to enjoy within our larger team. Although it may look like, "play", there is a multitude of skills being developed: collaboration, problem-solving, cooperation, communication, and of course, just plain fun! One thing you will not see during this time is screens...this is a non-technology time of day.
We had a combined Morning Meeting last week with all 44 students. It was great fun to mix it up a bit and practice greeting each other with a friendly smile, firm handshake, and eye contact. We hope to have these meetings more frequently.
With the goal of students feeling a part of each homeroom and for us to get to know each student on a personal level, we are switching homerooms for morning meeting each Tuesday. Mrs. Legris' homeroom comes to Mrs. Savio and vice versa. Relationships and connections are the building blocks to effective teaching!
Fun Run
Dancing with the Bobcat!
Warm Ups!
Another Lap Around the Track!
Mindfulness with Ms. Palermo
https://www.mindfulschools.org/training/mindful-educator-essentials/.
We also spend five mindful minutes after our busy morning each day. Students are learning how to listen to their body cues, (increased heart rate, racing mind, etc.), and strategies for calming their bodies and getting their minds ready for an afternoon of learning.
The mindful challenge for students this week is to use mindful listening sometime during their day. A fun way to make this happen could be to remind your child to sit with a friend or family member for just one minute and listen... then compare "notes". What did one person hear, the other?
Literacy News
During Writers Workshop we have continued to focus on character development and the arc of the story. Students have determined an idea for a story, developed a character, complete with character traits, (both interior and exterior) and understand that these pieces all need to fit together in order to create a cohesive character. Next week we will consider secondary characters and settings. This is a group of eager writers!
Social Studies
STEM LAB and Mystery Science
Mystery Science: Introduction to Rock Formations
The introduction included learning about volcanoes and their placement patterns around the world.
Tennis ball Challenge
Making a pulley system
Engineering an initial design
Math News:
Number Corner: This month's calendar grid focuses on fractions and decimals. Computation fluency is practised using a number line and a game called Put it on the Line. During October the students were also introduced to creating a ratio table which is a great model for students to use when solving more challenging problems.
Bridges Unit Lessons: Students have been learning and practising strategies for subtraction. Fourth grade is the year that traditional algorithms for addition and subtraction are introduced. We have been using manipulatives to connect the concepts with the algorithm.