March Newsletter
Division 5
The permission form below will be sent home so that you don't have to print it.
February flew by with all the activities going on in the classroom. Thank you for your contributions to the class multicultural lunch! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it!
In language arts students have been working on writing persuasive essays. First, they studied an essay about the need for people to wear a bicycle helmets, then they all wrote about whether there should be zoos. (Most students decided they were against zoos after doing some research). Currently they are writing a persuasive essay on a topic of their choice. For most students this will turn into the speech that they present to the class this term for the speech competition. During the third term a major assignment for language arts and social studies will be a culture project. Grade four students will research the culture of First Nations groups, while grade five students will research immigration in Canada. In math our next unit is on fractions and decimals. Students wishing to participate in the optional math league contest will receive one past contest to try each week. Practicing contests from previous years is the best way to prepare for the contest. Substance abuse prevention will be the focus in HACE after spring break, while in PE we will be doing badminton, track and field, and gymnastics in the third term. We are also going to have a group come in to teach the student urban cycling skills, but don’t have a date yet. In Fine Arts we will continue with visual arts and do some drama in the third term.
Assessment and reporting in Surrey is changing. A new tool called Fresh Grade is being piloted as a new way to communicate student learning. It is based on the belief that education is shared between home and school and that communication is important as we work together to support student learning. Research tells us that placing a number or letter grade on everything a student does can negatively impact motivation and learning. Giving fewer marks and more feedback is key to improved student achievement. I would like to use Fresh Grade in the third term in addition to the traditional report card. I do need your permission to report to you in this way. Please complete the attached permission form for this to happen.
Technology has been a wonderful tool in many ways. However, now more than ever before, parents and teachers need to be technology savvy. We have done a Nearpod lesson on social media and talked about using the Internet responsibly. However, social networking, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google + are coming up in the classroom more than ever before. Below are some tips if your child is on social networking sites.
Talk to your child about sharing information. Facebook is very public (and you need to be thirteen years old). Many people are viewing your child’s information. Discuss with them what kinds of things should be kept private. Only post something that you would put on a bulletin board.
Use strict privacy settings. Facebook’s privacy settings change frequently. When you download new applications it can automatically take off your privacy settings. Check your child’s settings frequently.
Pre-approve tags. Choose the settings that allow you to see everything you've been tagged in (including photos) before the tag links to your page.
Use notification settings. You can tell Facebook that you want to be notified of any activity performed on your name, including photo tags.
Don't post your location. You don’t want to post your location for security reasons. However, people who know what they are doing can learn the location of ANY picture that you post on the Internet.
Please mark the following dates on your calendar:
Friday, February 27th -February Progress Report went home
Tuesday, March 2nd -Kids’ Café (Congratulations to all participants)
Friday, March 27th -Report Cards go home
Friday, April 24th - Math League contest (optional)
Tuesday, April 7th -First Nations Story Telling workshop
Wednesday, April 8th -Surrey Art Gallery clay workshop
Tuesday, April 14th- -SWAP presentation on waste reduction (in-class)
Tuesday, May 5th -Early dismissal (Parent Interviews)
Tuesday, May 19th -Potlatch & Paper button First Nations Workshop?
Tuesday, June 2nd -Salish mini-blanket First Nations workshop
June TBA -Bear Creek water park
Please either write a note, e-mail, or phone me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Colp
“Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or in the same way.”
-George Evans
Dear Parents/Guardians, March 2015
I would like to use Fresh Grade as a tool to communicate student learning with you third term. It is my hope to share more communication between home and school. Good communication is key as we work together to support your child’s learning. This type of learning will include:
• Learning goals
•Student voice
•Evidence of learning (photographs, videos, audio, anecdotal comments)
•Teacher comments
•Goal setting
Most important is that you, as parents, receive information in a timely manner so you can provide support and communicate with your child’s teacher when it is most needed. I hope that this communication will allow you a clear understanding of your child’s progress.
What you need to know as parents:
Fresh Grade provides teachers with an online space to collect formative assessment on your child’s progress in various subject areas. While the teacher has access to your child’s account, the account is private and requires a username and password. Fresh Grade is a company based out of British Columbia. All information from Fresh grade is stored in Canada and meets all of the FIOPPA regulations.
In order for your child to participate in the Fresh Grade, we require your permission based on the information provided above. Please read and sign the permission form below. If you have any questions or concerns about the pilot, please contact the school. I look forward to working and learning together with you during this process!
Sincerely, Mrs. Sandra Colp
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------______YES, as the parent or guardian of the student named below, I give my consent for my child to be part of the school Fresh Grade pilot. In order to share information about your child’s learning I NEED YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you haven’t already shared it. Please share this information below. If you do not have an email address, please indicate below.
______NO, as the parent or guardian of the student named below, I do not give my consent for my child to be part of the school Fresh Grade reporting.
Student Name: ______________________Email: ____________________
Cell: ______________________ Parent Signature: ____________________