Oh Boy! It's a boy!

Wow!  I can't believe it has been so long since I posted - sorry about the delay!  Life has just been a quite busy lately :)  I am thrilled to announce that Cooper James Charles was born on July 7 (11 days late!) at 2:26 am.  He weighed 8 lbs 3oz and is absolutely perfect!  Autumn is an amazing big sister and she just adores him, as do all of us.  I hope you are all having as fantastic a Summer as I am (although hopefully it is more restful!).  I miss you all and I am so grateful that I got to be your teacher this past year.  I know each and every one of you will find success in life due to your dedication and hard work.  I wish you only the best!

PS  Last awesome of the year

Introducing your child to their sibling

Best.moment.ever.  AWESOME! 

Angry Birds Math

We have been doing so much Math review lately, that I thought today would be a fun day to try our hand at some Angry Birds Math.  So we took the nets that we made the other day (which we had also calculated the volume for) and created large towers to be knocked down.  Each solid had a different point value and the goal was to score as many points as possible.  Not sure what the top score was, but I believe it must have been around 185 000!!!  Wow!  Here's a little clip that shows just how exciting it was!

Friday's Awesome

The Spa

I cannot imagine anything more restful!  AWESOME!

Today's Awesome

Marching to the beat of your own drum

Boo boom.  Boo boom.  Boom Boom Boom.  AWESOME!

EQAO

Day 1 - done.  Day 2 - done.  Only one more left to go!  Yeah!  And the great news is that tomorrow you will get a break from all this testing since it's Track and Field all afternoon!  Woohoo!  Don`t forget to bring in your sunscreen and a water bottle (reusable of course ;)!

Tuesday's Awesome

Splash Pads
 Perfect on a hot day!   Run through that water and soak up some AWESOME!

Wednesday's Awesome

Homemade Treats
Taste fantastic when you've made them, even better when someone else has!  AWESOME!


Today's Awesome

Inspirational Speeches

Nothing beats a great inspirational speech right when you need it.  Perhaps it's meant to help you win that big game, or perhaps it's to bring about social change or perhaps it's just to get you pumped for a big test you are writing.  Think Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech or Aragorn's speech at the Black Gate (Today we fight!).  AWESOME!

EQAO Prep

We have been very busy prepping for EQAO (which starts tomorrow!).  I am sure you all going to do fantastic and I just want to tell you how proud I am of all your achievements!  Best of luck!

Today's awesome

Rubber duckies

Don't they just make you smile?  AWESOME!

Country in a box!

Last week we began our final Social Studies unit, Canada and its Trading Partners.  This is an interesting unit that will allow us to learn more about Canada and the connections it has with countries all around the world. One of the activities that we will be doing is creating a country in a box.  The students will be doing all the written work at school, but the box is to be done at home and is due June 4, 2012.  Students must decorate the outside of the box so that it represents their chosen country.  On the inside, they can include important items (imports, exports, etc.) and they must create a scene that is representative of their country (can include tourist attractions, famous people, etc).  Click below for a link to the project description:


Projet partenaires commerciaux  

 Wednesday's awesome

Angry birds

How can they be so angry and so cute at the same time?  AWESOME!

Thursday's awesome

Decoding license plates

Okay.  So there you are riding in a car and you look up at the car in front of you and notice that there are a bunch of letters stuck together.  You try to read them, but they don't seem make sense.  Keep looking and you will be rewarded when you finally decode that word.  AWESOME!

Friday's awesome
 
Driving in a car with the windows down

Close your eyes and imagine you are riding in a car with the windows down.  Outside, the air is fresh and the wind flows over you.  You feel a sense of freedom and as though you could soar high above the clouds.  AWESOME!

Rock, Paper, Scissors Probabilty

Today we put theoretical and experimental probability to the test by playing Rock, Paper, Scissors.  Who knew there were official rules (so many of them too!)?  Great fun was had by all! 

Thursday's awesome

Praying the rosary

Such a beautiful way to share our faith as a community.  AWESOME!

Friday's awesome

Any Friday before a long weekend

It's Friday, Friday, Gotta get down on Friday.  Especially the Friday before a 3 day weekend!!  AWESOME!

Monday's awesome


Finishing the Great 30 Book Challenge

Woot woot!  I did it!  And with days to spare!  I am very proud of myself for accomplishing this challenge!  I am happy to join the few of you who are already in the club and I hope to see a few more of you in there before the end of the month! AWESOME!


Today's awesome

Jeopardy

A game where contestants are presented with clues in the form of answers, and must phrase their responses in question form.  What is AWESOME!

Zingy Zaps Math

Ooooooh!  What fun we had today doing some zany zingy zaps math!  We combined so many different math skills: estimation, mean, median, mode, range, decimals, fractions, percents, creating a graph, etc.  I am so pleased with the work you did!  The math fun is gonna keep on coming as we start probability tomorrow.  Probability of you enjoying probability?  Well, being the optimist, I'm going to say 100% :)

Today's awesome

Season finales

Another season wrapped up.  Leaving you on the edge of your seat until it starts up again in the Fall.  Also, means Summer is just around the corner!  AWESOME!

Fraction Showdown

Well today we played Fraction Showdown and can I say how impressed I was by your speed and accuracy?  Fractions.  Decimals.  Percents.  You blew me away!  Get ready for even more fun in Math tomorrow!

Today's awesome

Potty training

So I'm the first to admit that this is SO often not awesome...But when your child starts telling you they need to go and you see the pride in their face afterwards, it truly is a joyous occasion.  AWESOME! 

Are you smarter than a Harvard graduate?

Today the students were challenged to find a way to light a bulb using just a battery and a wire.  When first asked for a hypothesis on whether or not this was possible, many were not certain if they could do it.  However, once the experimentation began, every group was able to light a standard light bulb as well as an LED.  We then watched a video of some Harvard engineering graduates who struggled with the same task.  Congrats to all on your ability to stick with it and create a simple circuit!

Friday's awesome

Dance

Fun to do -  Fun to watch.  AWESOME!

Today's awesome

Outdoor Picnics 

Picture this.  Sunshine. Gourmet sandwiches.  Salads.  Chocolate chip cookies.  Lemonade.  Picnic table.  Family.  AWESOME!

Persuasive Techniques in Advertising

I have been so impressed with the great glogs you each created!  You put a lot of thought and effort into the layout and design and used a variety of advertising techniques that we learned about (emotional appeal, plain folks, caricature, etc.) to help make your point.  I loved how you combined these techniques with the use of technology by adding links and videos to help promote the Humane Society.  You never cease to amaze me with your talents!  Check out Ava's and Sana's glogs and see if you can figure out which techniques they used!  

Catholic Ecucation Week Open House

Wow!  It was great to see so many of you out with your families tonight.  I am sure that your parents were impressed by your work, I know I am!  I was also excited to see the Monsters Dance.  Super job to all the girls in our class that participated, you are going to knock their socks off at the Dance showcase tomorrow!

Yesterday's awesome

Having the support of your family and friends

It always make you feel great when you that you can count on others to be there for you, whether it's to help you through tough times or to celebrate your successes.  AWESOME!

Today's awesome

Getting help when you need it most

What could be better? AWESOME!

The importance of punctuation

We had lots of fun learning about the importance of proper punctuation today.  We saw how improper punctuation could totally change the meaning of a sentence (think "I saw a man-eating lobster vs. I saw a man eating lobster).  We also saw how with incorrect punctuation a love letter could go terribly wrong!  I hope you will now give punctuation the proper respect it truly deserves :)

Today's awesome 
Paper quilling 

An art form  that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create beautiful designs.  AWESOME!

Fun with fractions

Over the past few days, we have been learning all about fractions.  What they are, their equivalencies and how to simplify them.  I'm so impressed with how fast you are learning everything!  Turns out fractions can be pretty fun after all :)  Just wait til next week when we learn more about the relationships between fractions, decimals and percentages!  I think I feel a fraction SHOWDOWN coming on :)

Yesterday's awesome 

The Heart of a cinnamon roll

Did you know that you could buy the heart of a cinnamon roll?  It is seriously made up of just the middle of the roll, all cut up into tasty bite size pieces, topped with icing and filled with caramel.  Doesn't that sound mouth-watering?  Alright, so it's probably not something you should be eating everyday, but as a treat?  "Cinfully" delicious and completely AWESOME!


End of the week awesome

Maple Syrup

A Canadian staple.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...  AWESOME!

PS  I know there are lots of food related awesomes as of late...  Must be pregnant or something :)

It's Electric!

Today we talked about the differences between current and static electricity.  It truly was a hair-raising event!  We still have some exciting experiments coming up in this unit, so stay tuned! 

As promised, here are my late awesomes (warning: there are many!).

Last Wednesday's awesome

Cleaning the Capital 

A school-wide effort to clean up our community and put an end to littering!.  AWESOME!


Last Thursday's awesome

Our Lorax Presentation

Do I even need to say it?  AWESOME! AWESOME!  AWESOME!


Last Friday's awesome

Scavenger Hunts

What's not to love about running around like a pirate looking for treasure?  AWESOME!


Monday's awesome

Baby kicks

While they don't always feel very comfortable, there are two major advantages to these.  1)  It lets you know baby is doing alright in there.  2)  It's kinda funny to see your belly move :)  AWESOME!

Tuesday's awesome

The Humane Society

An organization committed to helping animals who are neglected, abused, exploited stray or homeless. They help raise awareness of humane treatment of all animals and find homes for animals in need.  Even more awesome than the organization?  The grade 6 girls who fund-raised for them and made $440 to go to a great cause!  AWESOME!

Today's awesome

Static electricity

OK, so I know it doesn't actually have a real purpose like current electricity.  But the way it can make your hair stick out?  AWESOME!

Hopefully this will be the last time I'm this far behind :)

A STOMPin Good Time

Wow!  What a fantastic time we had today in our special STOMP workshop!  Everyone participated so well and you guys looked fantastic!  It was really great to learn not only about dance and rythm, but also about the importance of standing up to bullies.  Not to mention the power of collaboration.  I saw the STOMP show when it was in Ottawa years ago and it was phenomenal!!  Here is a little clip so you can see what the show is all about! 

PS  I know I am really behind on my awesomes - promise to catch up tomorrow!

Special Guest

Today we welcomed a very special guest into our classroom! Mrs. Hertner, a Language Arts teacher from Holy Trinity came to visit our Language block to see what a grade 6 class looks like.  She was very impressed with all of you (as was I!).  We planned a lesson together that you will get to see on Thursday.  I am very excited and I think you will be too!

Today's awesome

When something works out better than you had ever imagined 

Isn't that just the best?  AWESOME!

Youth Summit

Today was a very exciting day!  We got to participate in a Youth Summit put on by Free the Children.  Facilitators came from Montreal to run sessions on residential schools and Haiti.  We also got to see a special presentation on where and how all the funds we raised will be spent.  Along with Mrs. Lewis' class, we chose to have the money go to Kenya for the purpose of giving them access to clean water.  We chose water because:
"The clean water component of the Adopt a Village model provides communities with localized clean water sources and sanitation facilities, reducing the spread of waterborne diseases and ridding children of their daily treks to collect water, freeing them to attend school".

We chose Kenya because: " In the Narok South District where Free The Children focuses its efforts, one in 10 Kenyan children still die before reaching their fifth birthday. One third of children under five years of age are stunted, reflecting chronic under-nutrition".

The best part of our day was that we got to spend the day mingling and making new friends with St. Anne's students.  Now you will know more faces at Trinity next year!  We also got to partake in a lovely lunch (thanks to all the parent volunteers who helped!).

Friday's awesome 
Tax refunds
Woot woot!  Unexpected money!  AWESOME! 

Today's awesome 
When the tables turn
So for years, when I would meet any teachers who worked for our board, they would always say "Oh, your Teddy Charles' wife.  He's an amazing teacher!".  Finally for the first time yesterday, he got "Oh, you're Kristen's Charles' husband".  We had a good laugh :)  AWESOME! 

Way to go!

We found out today that our class raised the most money for our coin drive for Free the Children!  A very exciting moment that I am sure the whole neighbourhood heard :)  Thanks to everyone's generosity, our class raised approximately $320 and the school raised about $1700!  I am sure the representatives from Free the Children will be very impressed when we see them at our Youth Summit on Monday.  Now all that's left is to decide where the money should go and how it should be spent! 


Yesterday's awesome

Google Docs

So much fun!  Being able to work on a document on more than one computer while never having to save it?  AWESOME!

Today's awesome

Finding out Neil Pasricha's #1 Awesome

For four years, Neil has been counting down his 1000 awesome things and today, he finally revealed his #1 awesome thing.  While it may seem to many that his journey has ended, I would argue that it is just the beginning.  Once you start looking for awesome things, you realize just how many there are all around you and how lucky you are to get to be a witness to them.  Finding out his #1 awesome thing?  Pretty cool.  Reading the explanation behind it?  AWESOME!

To check it out yourself go to:
1000 Awesome Things #1

We had lots of fun today talking about algebra.  We explored variables and expressions and learned that algebra is not really all that scary after all :)  I was really impressed with how quickly everyone understood!  You guys are awesome! 


Yesterday's awesome

Lemonade

So fresh and cool. Makes you think summer is just around the corner.  AWESOME!



Today's awesome

Read-alouds with expression


I love, love, love listening to stories.  Especially when the reader uses a sing-song voice or reads with great emotion.  Today's reading of the Lorax was especially phenomenal and totally AWESOME!

Titanic Tribute

In honour of the 100th anniversary of the fatal sinking of the Titanic, we spent all day immersed in learning about this historical tragedy.  We looked at a Titanic timeline with an interactive Smart board lesson, we had a read aloud of one of the survivor's tales, we watched a video on how the Titanic sank, we read a French book and summarized the important points, and last but not least, we did lots and lots of Titanic math (my favourite)!  I hoped you enjoyed learning as much about the Titanic as I did!!!

Thursday's Awesome

Facing your fears

Well, you all know how I feel about public speaking...  So when I was offered the chance to present in front of other teachers at a conference, I wasn't exactly thrilled.  However, everyday day, I encourage you to take risks in our classroom (which you all do so well!), so I felt that I should lead by example and face my fears.  While it did not go exactly as planned, I was able to get through it and feel confident that I would do a much better job the next time (especially if my husband isn't around ;).  Facing your fears may seem scary, but in the end, it is nothing short of AWESOME!

Friday's Awesome

Glitter

Makes everything look just a little bit more festive and special!  AWESOME!

Fighting like cats & dogs

Over the past couple of days, we have been discussing the advantages and disadvantages of both cats and dogs.  Having asked students which one they preferred, I then asked them to form groups, switch sides and write a persuasive piece on why either cats or dogs make a better pet.  Since we previously looked at the main three types of arguments, students were well prepared to create their persuasion map with a strong thesis, 3 main arguments and supporting points.  As you all have to argue the opposite of what you believe, I am looking forward to seeing how you use pathos to help convince your reader.  Talk about higher-order thinking!

Yesterday's awesome

Paper Recycling

Getting rid of all those boxes and clearing up some much needed space in your garage.  Yeah!  You can walk around again!  AWESOME!

Today's awesome

Updating the look of your blog

So imagine my surprise when I saw that KidBlogs had new background templates!  I was so excited when I saw the combo of my favourite colour, funky font and cool graphics!  I smile every time I open the link!  AWESOME!

Stations of the Cross

Wow! What a beautiful presentation you did of the Stations of the Cross. You did a great job with your readings and the lighting of each station was perfect! Your artistic representations for each station were beautiful and I couldn't resist putting them up on the blog. I hope everyone had a lovely and restful Easter with their families and I can't wait to hear all about it tomorrow!

And now for some awesomes...

Thursday's Awesome

Knowing you have a four-day weekend ahead of you

Awesome!

Friday's Awesome

Taking a nap in the middle of the day

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..... AWESOME!
Monday's Awesome

Getting much anticipated bedroom furniture

Finally! After 3 years of just sleeping on a mattress in an empty room, our furniture has arrived and it looks fabulous! So excited to have a nightstand to put my books in! AWESOME!

BEDMAS Hopscoth

We took our math outside today so that we could learn about order of operations while playing BEDMAS hopscotch. It was great to see you hopping around while yelling out: Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction. I especially loved the sing-song quality of your voices :) However, my favourite part had to be the equations you created and solved in chalk to show your understanding! What a great math block!

Oops! Time for some awesome!

Yesterday's awesome

White chocolate brownies

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... AWESOME!

Today's awesome

The Lorax (or really anything by Dr. Seuss)

Grickle-grass, Truffala Trees, Bar-ba-loots, Swomee-Swans, Humming-Fish... A cleverly written story that teaches us how we must treasure our planet and be weary of deforestation and pollution. It also shows how each person must care for the environment, because, as the Lorax says: "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not". AWESOME!

Holy Week

This week is Holy week, the most important week in the liturgical year. This is a perfect time to reflect on our Lenten promises and spend time with loved ones. There will not be any homework this week to ensure that everyone enjoys this special family time (plus you convinced me with your fabulous letter!)! Our class, along with Ms. Dougan's, is responsible for the Station's of the Cross liturgy on Thursday, parents are welcome to join as at 1:00 pm in the Gym. The students have been working very hard to interpret and recreate the stations through art. The paintings are almost finished and are turning out beautifully! I can't wait to see the final products!

Monday's awesome

Learning about persuasive techniques

What could be better than learning about various strategies to get others to agree with your point of view? Pathos, ethos, logos, claims, research... So many ways to help you strengthen your argument! Still don't agree that persuasive techniques are awesome? Perhaps you will agree with the one of the most famous Greek philosophers of all time, Aristotle " In making a speech one must study three points: first, the means of producing persuasion; second, the language; third the proper arrangement of the various parts of the speech".
Name dropping to help make your point? AWESOME!

Powers of Persuasion

Last week, we worked on creating a collaborative piece of persuasive writing that would convince me to not give any homework out next week. We started by brainstorming our arguments (there were many!) and then went on to create a persuasive map to help us organize our ideas. It really helped the students see how a persuasive piece should be organized. Then we got to work on our persuasive letter. What can I say, but I was blown away by your powers of persuasion. As such, there will be no homework for this short week :)

Click on the letter below to see why I was persuaded!

No homework

Here are my late awesomes, accompanied by my sincerest apologies for my tardiness:

Wednesday's Awesome

Art

What a boring and uninspired life we would lead without it! A great chance to express your creativity and let your imagination run free! AWESOME!

Thursday's Awesome

Pinterest

My favourite website and a great digital scrapbook of all things that inspire me. Looks like it's time to pin some AWESOME!

Friday's Awesome

Earth Hour

Pretty cool to think that over 135 countries now participate in Earth Hour! It shows how great things can be achieved when people come together to work towards a common goal. Lights off for a great cause? AWESOME!

SMART Goal Baselines

Well, for the past couple of days, the students have been very busy writing baselines for our school's SMART Goal which is to increase the level of students writing a persuasive text at a level 3 or 4, while providing evidence from the text and making meaningful connections (say that 3 times fast!). I can't wait top start learning more about persuasive techniques that you will be able to use to increase the strength of your arguments!

Beginning of the week awesome

Kauzbots

Cute little robot stuffed toys with a purpose. Each one donates 10% of the cause close to the robots heart. I chose to order Kruz, a robot with a heart for clean water (an issue that is

close to my own heart). Now Cooper has a super cool robot for his room and I feel better knowing that I contributed to a worthy "kauz". Talk about a win-win. AWESOME!

Today's awesome

Sharing books

What a great way to save money and help the environment at the same time! You're almost guaranteed it is a good read since someone recommended it. Plus, it helps you get ahead in your 30 book challenge! AWESOME!

Social Justice Fair

What can I say but, WOW! WOW! WOW! I was blown away by your participation in St. James' first ever Social Justice Fair. Your booths looked great and you were all very knowledgeable about the children's right you were presenting as well as the organization that protects it. I know that everyone that came through that gym was impressed with all the work you had done, students, teachers, parents and Mrs. Fitzgerald. I can't tell you how proud I am to be the teacher of such an amazing group of students :) Thanks for your commitment to such a wonderful event, it surpassed all of my expectations (which were in fact quite high already!)! Way to go!

Friday's awesome

Being proud of someone

You know the feeling. Your heart swells up and your eyes get a little teary. In that moment, all you can think of is how lucky you are to be a part of that person's life. I'd like to thank all of you, because today, I felt that feeling in a way I never have before. I am very blessed to get to spend this year-long journey with you! AWESOME!

Greetings from sunny Kanata!

I really enjoyed reading the French postcards you wrote in your groups! Some of you chose exotic locations to write from such as Hawaii, while others chose to go back in time to tell me about their encounters with dinosaurs! I can't wait to read the postcards you write from another planet! I am looking forward to seeing how you combine your imagination with facts about the planet you chose! Should make for some great reading!

Yesterday's awesome

The return of sunny days

Welcome back Sun! We missed you for a while, but we are glad you have decided to rejoin us. There is nothing better than feeling your warm rays beat down on us! AWESOME!

Skittles

Taste the rainbow. AWESOME!

Welcome Back!

We wasted no time this morning getting right back into the swing of things! We started by looking at our social justice projects (which are looking fantastic!). We then found patterns in multiplying decimals and whole numbers by the power of 10. We then took a close look at postcards during French by looking at its characteristics and by writing a class postcard. Busy, busy, busy!

Uh,oh! Looks like I was short an awesome for that last week before March Break - here goes!

Friday's (last day before the break) awesome

Getting some well deserved R & R

Here's to us and taking a well earned break after all our hard work! Make sure you take the time to appreciate all of that relaxing AWESOME!

Today's awesome

Homemade smoothies

Toss in some frozen bananas (new trick is to peel, cut them in slices and freeze them before they go brown), frozen strawberries, yogurt and milk. Who needs Booster Juice? Healthy, tasty and totally AWESOME!

Almost break time!

Well, one more sleep to go until March break! I can feel the excitement in the air! You have all been working very hard lately and I definitely think you deserve a break! Plus, then you will come back nice and rested and we can work even harder ;)

Oops! Looks like I am running behind on my awesomes!

Tuesday's awesome

Live performances

Nothing like being treated to a fabulous rendition of a song you love! AWESOME!

Wednesday's awesome

Getting a price adjustment without asking for one

So I got an email today telling me I was getting an $11 refund on an item that I bought. Apparently, it had a low price protection guarantee and they found it cheaper somewhere else so they decided to give me some of my money back. You can bet I'll shop there again! Having a company return some of your money without ever asking? AWESOME!

Today's awesome

Registering your child for extracurricular activities

Okay... So I just registered Autumn for Soccer and Hip Hop lessons. How cute is that? I can't wait to see her kick that ball around and show off her moves (which after all she says are like Jagger. I know it's a weird song for her to sing, but it's also pretty hilarious!). Just two weeks until I get to see some AWESOME!

Real World Math: Coin Drive

Today we combined our love of social justice with our love of math :) A new Lenten fundraiser was announced by Mrs. Fitzgerald this morning. Each class has been challenged to raise as much money as possible through a coin drive. These funds will go to the Free the Children organization, for their Adopt a Village program. The class that raises the most money will get to choose which country will benefit from the funds as well as how the money will be spent. To get our fundraiser going, we estimated how much money will be raised through hat day and how much each class and student would have to bring in approximately. We also brainstormed ways to earn money for our coin drive. I brought in my own Piggy Bank (glow in the dark nonetheless!) and we did a visual estimation of how much money was actually in there. While most students guessed around $12, it actually ended up being close to $27!!!! Looks like we are off to a great start!

Today's awesome

Loose change

It adds up so quickly! You end up having WAY more than you thought you did! AWESOME!

Free the Children Youth Summit

Today, the grade 6s learned about a very exciting opportunity that is happening in Montreal on Saturday March 24, 2012. They have been invited to join young people in cities all over the world by taking part in Free The Children's annual youth event. Please review the note that was sent home and return the permission form if your child wishes to participate.

To learn more about the Summit, please visit: http://www.freethechildren.com/whatwedo/local/youthconference/

End of the week awesome

Getting a sale on a sale

Oh, how I love getting a sale! There is just something exciting about knowing how much money I saved. And a sale on top of a previous sale price? There could be just one word for that.... AWESOME!

Way to go Blazers!

Well, today the St. James Blazers took their egg drop to the Science and Tech Museum to compete with 42 other schools. I am proud to say that they had a stellar day and no egg was broken because of them! Make sure you congratulate them on their hard work when you see them!

Today's awesome

Competing in a regional competition

How cool is that? AWESOME!

The Queen makes an appearance

Over the past couple of days, Queen Y has been showing up to judge the explorer competition (not sure why the King hasn't made an appearance as of yet!). From what I hear, the explorers have been wowing her with their knowledge and talent (baking skills and something about a song and dance?). I have no idea how she is going to choose which explorers to send to the new island! Thank goodness I am not in her shoes!

Yesterday's awesome

Epiphanies

That ah-ha moment when you come to an oh so important realization. AWESOME!

Today's awesome

Super-duper, nothing can go wrong kinda days

Gottta love em! Awesome!

NRC Engineering Challenge!

So today we had our in-school Engineering Challenge. For the past 6 weeks, the grade 6s have been working hard to perfect their designs and presentations for their egg drop. Their egg had to survive a 6 foot drop, roll down a ramp and get as close to the target as possible. It was a very intense competition and every team did amazingly well! I a so proud of all your efforts, especially since you gave up many of your lunches to participate in the challenge. I hope you all found it to be a very valuable experience! I am sure we have some future engineers in our midst! A HUGE thank you to Mr. Dobson, the super engineer who has been coaching us along the way! Also, a HUGE congratulations to the Blazers who won the competition!!! Best of luck at the regional competition on Thursday - to be held at the Science and Tech Museum!!!

Beginning of the week awesome

Sudden death overtime

So intense. Forget what's happened. Winner takes all. AWESOME!

Exciting Project!

Today, with the help of 3 Ottawa U students; Olivia, Natasha and Megan, we unveiled a new and exciting project! Through a fun activity, a beautiful picture book and a captivating video, the students learned all about children's' rights around the world. Every student has been put into a group, and every group will be researching and presenting an organization that helps promote and protect a different right of the child. The group will be preparing a poster as well as an accompanying piece of their choice (Photostory, video, poem, skit, song, etc.) to help promote their chosen right and organization. This info will all be shared during our first ever, Social Justice Fair on March 23! This is a very exciting project and I can't wait to see all the creativity that each group brings to the fair!

Thursday's Awesome

Getting to thank teacher who helped you along the way

So today I got to see a teacher who truly inspired me and helped me become the educator I am today. It's amazing how someone can have such an impact on you even though you are with them for a short period of time. I am thankful for all the amazing teachers Ive had along the way, but I'm even more thankful that I got to let one of them know, years later, how much I appreciated all they did. Truly and totally AWESOME!

Friday's Awesome

Children's Rights

I think that children's rights are by far the most important rights there are. Children need special protection and care and they must be able depend on adults to protect their rights, look after them and help them reach their full potential. The United Nations have ensured this by creating the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Together, St. James students will help spread the word about these rights and organizations that protect them. Children spreading the word about this convention? Awesome!

Ash Wednesday

Since today is the first day of Lent, we had our Ash Wednesday Liturgy. As we prepare our hearts for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we should set out specific spiritual goals we would like to reach before Easter and decide how we will pursue them. In their faith journals, each student has thought of a specific goal that they would like to achieve over the next 40 days that will help bring them closer to God (ex: pray every day, give up a favourite luxury, etc.).

We also had our "grad/leaving" photos today. You all looked fantastic! I'm sure those pictures will turn out beautiful and will be a great reminder of the wonderful times you shared at St. James.

Yesterday's awesome

Breakfast for dinner

Cheese pancakes with maple syrup for dinner? Mmmmmmmmmmmm. AWESOME!

Todays' awesome

Divisibilty rules!

So we all know a number is divisible if it can be divided evenly with no remainder, but did you know all about the divisibility rules that can help you figure out if a a number is divisible? Once you learn them, division becomes much easier! Becoming a Math Magician? AWESOME!

Free the Children

Wow! What a busy week we had! I am sure we will be resting this long weekend! On Wednesday, a representative from Free the Children came to explain the organization. We learned how it was started by a 12 year old boy, Craig Kielburger, after he heard the tragic story of Iqbal Masih (yes, our Iqbal!). We learned all about his journey to help children around the world receive an education, have access to clean water, get needed medical care and create a sustainable source of income for their parents. The presentation was inspirational and called us all to take action. To learn more about it and/or the Youth Summit or Take Action summer camps, you can visit:

http://www.freethechildren.com/

Wednesday's Awesome

Student Led Conferences

I was so impressed to see all of you take charge as your parents came to visit our classroom and learn all about the great work you have been doing. You each worked very hard to create a portfolio that was all your own! Awesome!

Thursday's Awesome

Choosing a theme for your baby boy's room

Hello modern robots! Awesome!

Friday's Awesome

Winter Carnival

What's not to love? Fun, games, hot chocolate and my very own students acting as the responsible leaders of the day! Awesome!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Well, today we finally finished the novel we have been reading for the past little while. Iqbal is the fictional biography of a true hero, Iqbal Masih, a young Pakistani boy who was forced into bonded labour at a very young age. At 10 years old, he escaped the carpet factory he was working at and became an international spokesperson against child labour. Sadly, in 1995, at 12 years years old, he was shot in his hometown. He remains today, an example of courage, leadership and integrity. I think I speak for the entire class when I say how much we enjoyed reading this book and I believe it also helped us hone our inferring skills.


Valentine's Day Awesome

Food shaped in the form of a heart

So pannekoek is pretty great on its own (dutch pancake, covered in this case with smoked salmon, cheese and hollandaise), but it takes on a whole new meaning when it is shaped in the form of a heart. Served on a heart plate too? Who said romance was dead? I think my husband was trying to make up for the door he got me for Valentine's day :) Well, it worked. AWESOME!

Portfolio Prep

The students have been busy preparing for student-led conferences on Wednesday. They have been doing a lot of reflection on their growth and on the goals they still wish to achieve. One thing is for sure, I am very proud of you all for the amazing work you do every day! You never cease to amaze me with your brilliance :)

Today's awesome

Vivid Vocabulary

Oh, how I love words. Short words, long words and those in-between words. There are sole words that are poems without the need for companions. Ravishing, majestic, squeal, not to mention AWESOME!

Friday's awesome

Catching up on a show you've missed

So maybe you've been to busy lately to catch your favourite show. I've seen it happen before. The good news is your reunion will be that much sweeter as you remember how much you've missed it. So give yourself a few minutes to sit down, turn on that TV and get comfortable. You are about to watch an episode of AWESOME!

Thursday's awesome

National Sweater Day

It's about time sweaters got their own day! Your granny works so hard to knit them and they are so recklessly thrown at the bottom of your closet. Well, not today! Today is sweater day, a chance for you to take a stand against global warming by turning down the heat and turning up the sweater. Turning up the sweater? How about turning up the awesome? AWESOME!

Planet Walk

Today we learned more about our solar system. We talked about interior and exterior planets, the asteroid belt that separates them and much more@ Then we took our explorations outside. Its hard to visualize the size and distances between these planets by just looking in books. To try to make a representation that was true to scale, we got all bundled up and started walking. What we is discovered is how close the interior planets are from both the Sun and themselves. The exterior planets you ask? Not so close! By the time we got to Neptune, the Sun was nowhere to be found!

Yesterday's awesome

Picking a name for your little one

Picking the perfect name is really hard. You think and you think and you think... And then you think some more. But finally it comes to you and nothing could be more perfect than finally starting to call your little miracle by their given name, in this case, Cooper James Charles. AWESOME!

Today's awesome

Educational DPA

What could be better than going outside to learn about Science, while getting in some DPA? 298, 299, 300, 301, AWESOME!

PS Don't forget to your sweaters tomorrow!

Class Dojo

Today I introduced a new classroom behaviour tracking tool. It's called Class Dojo and every student is given an avatar. They then earn (or lose) points based on positive (great insight, helping others, participation, etc.) or negative (disrespectful, disruptive, etc.) behaviour. The avatars are not much to look at yet, but once a student has earned 20 points, he or she will be able to choose his/her own monster avatar. I can't wait to have a class full of little monsters ;)

Beginning of the week awesome

Finding out....

It's a boy! AWESOME!

Teriffic TESSAllations

Wow! Can I say how blown away I was by your amazing tessellations? You really put your transformational geometry to good use today as you you created some beautiful MART! I will get a gallery posted soon but until then, consider this Tessallation as a sign of good things to come!

End of the week awesome

MART

Love math? Love art? How about trying your hand at some MART? AWESOME!

Shining bright as a light to others

Today 5 grade 6 students held an assembly to tell our school about their special fundraising project that begins tomorrow. They are raising funds for Salvaide, a Canadian not-for-profit organization that has been helping the people of El Salvador since 1985 as they build social justice, democracy, and economic development. They will be selling beautiful scrunchies ($2 each) and and inspirational bookmarks ($0.75 each or 3 for $2) so that they can provide lunches to students in El Salvador. Congratulations to Caitlin, Grace, Jillian, Brooke and Kate! Your presentation was amazing and we are all very proud of you!

Yesterday's awesome

Realizing you're affecting change

So today we conducted our first waste audit of the year. Last year in February, we calculated 12.8 kg of garbage in one day and we were able reduce that to 4.05 kg this year! This is phenomenal!!! It is amazing to see what a positive impact we can have on our world by working together! Talk about AWESOME!

Today's awesome

Being inspired by others who are affecting change

There is nothing I love more than seeing people who are passionate about a cause. Today, I was inspired by my students who had found an injustice in our world. Instead of turning a blind eye, they chose to raise funds by creating eco-friendly products to be sold. The money they raise will be put to good use by those who are much less fortunate than ourselves. Mahatma Gandhi says "Be the change you wish to see in this world". I say AWESOME!