Hello Everyone,
It was great to touch base with so many of you last night. If you were unable to make any of the scheduled times work, please let me know and I will be happy to schedule meetings anytime over the next few weeks after school.
One of the things that we wanted to talk about in conferences (although I didn't always get the chance), was about some of the changes in assessment.
How is My Child Doing in School?
This link will take you to a document that described assessment in the CBE. It does a good job of explaining what the 1 - 4 scale means, and defines some commonly used terms that are often used to describe different programs and assessment methods.
https://www.cbe.ab.ca/programs/curriculum/assessment-and-reporting/Documents/How-is-My-Child-Doing-in-School.pdf
K-9 Mathematics - Revised Report Card Stems
This link will take you to a new document that explains the new math report card stems. Previously, stems were designed to address skills that are relevant to all units and ways of mathematical thinking. These new stems are more of a delineation of the different units. For that reason, not all stems might be reported on in the January report card. Teachers will ensure that competency in the previous report card stems will be described in report card comments, and through the assessments that are conducted through out the year.
https://www.cbe.ab.ca/programs/curriculum/assessment-and-reporting/Documents/K-9-Mathematics-Revised-Report-Card-Stems.pdf
I hope everyone has a great long weekend,
Brandie
Friday, November 22, 2019
Monday, November 18, 2019
Field studies until the end of the year
Hello Families,
Please take note of the rest of the field studies for the year. This will take us all the way to winter break. You will notice that three forms came home today. I know that they all look the same, but please check them carefully. They are each for three different trips. Please return them as soon as possible.
Additionally, as the weather turns, the likelihood of trips having to be cancelled increases. I thank you all in advance for your patience and flexibility.
There will be information coming from our volunteer co-ordinator shortly about how you can help volunteer for one of these excellent days!
Brandie
Please take note of the rest of the field studies for the year. This will take us all the way to winter break. You will notice that three forms came home today. I know that they all look the same, but please check them carefully. They are each for three different trips. Please return them as soon as possible.
Additionally, as the weather turns, the likelihood of trips having to be cancelled increases. I thank you all in advance for your patience and flexibility.
There will be information coming from our volunteer co-ordinator shortly about how you can help volunteer for one of these excellent days!
Brandie
St. Patrick’s Island
Date: November 25
Time: 10:00 - 12:00
Purpose: We will continue to collect data for our longitudinal ecosystems studies. We will also engage is a creative writing task focusing on figurative language.
Volunteers required: At least 2
The Alex Community Food Centre and Fuse 33
Date: Nov. 28
Time: 8:45 – 12:00
Purpose: Students will visit the Alex Community Food Centre, to talk about food shortages and urban gardening in Calgary. From there we will visit the Maker Space at Fuse 33, as this will be providing students with ideas about how to construct a living wall and other structures to build an indoor garden.
Volunteers required: 1
Central Library and the National Music Centre
Date: December 4
Time: 10:00 - 12:00
Purpose: We will be using the library to teach students about different opportunities to engage in research, and the importance of social infrastructure (social studies curriculum connections). This will be a final tour for our structures unit.
Volunteers required: At least 1
Skating at Olympic Plaza
Date: Dec. 10 and Dec. 13
Time: 8:15 - 11:15
Purpose: We will be skating as part of the grade 7 Outdoor Education Program. We will also use this opportunity to do some activities for our Heat and Temperature Unit.
Volunteers required: At least 3
St. Patrick’s Island
Date: Monday, Dec. 16
Time: 10:00 - 2:30
Purpose: We will be doing some heat and temperature activities on St. Patrick’s Island. This will include making a fire, having a cook-out, and building snow shelters (if there is snow!).
Volunteers required: 3
Calgary Zoo
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 18
Time: 8:15 - 12:00pm
Purpose: We will continue heat and temperature activities at the zoo, including examining animal adaptations for survival. We will also revisit our structures unit and look at the structures that have been built for the animals.
Volunteers required: 3
Other Important Dates:
-Inside Education guest speakers in class (Agriculture Program) – November 29th
-Dare to Care anti-bullying presentation – Dec. 10th
-Winter Solstice Assembly and last day of school – Dec. 19th
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Bridge Walk Pictures
November Bridge Walk
While we were on this trip we learned about the different types of bridges - beam, truss, arch, suspension, and combinations of these types. We saw expansion joints on the Centre St. Bridge, learned about aesthetics at the Peace Bridge and how a bridge can change an entire area, and we learned about how suspension bridges sway, and that's okay!
Weekly Updates - November 17
Weekly Updates - November 17
Hello parents! I hope everyone is having a restful weekend. The weather has been great! Please see below for a list of updates:
Curriculum
Things are moving along in curriculum. In math, we have completed review on simplifying fractions, equivalent fractions, and converting mixed numbers to improper fractions. We will be moving onto ordering fractions and adding and subtracting this week.
In Language Arts we continue to read A Monster Calls. This is a book with very mature themes about death, as the protagonist's mother is dying from Cancer. The students have been very thoughtful when talking about the book. This would be a very interesting conversation to have at home with your children. Ask them what they are reading!
Student's also continue to work on independent reading. We are starting to spend a half an hour reading to start the day every Tuesday and Thursday. Students are keeping reading logs, which is supporting accountability. I will start a new program with all of them shortly using a reading program called "Notice and Note" for their independent reading. If you have questions about it please let me know, or talk to me about it at conferences!
We continue to write in class as responses to A Monster Calls. We are working on grammar, and will be moving onto persuasive writing shortly.
In science the students are working on a bridge building project. They are extremely excited about it.
In social studies we are learning about the 13 colonies the British settled when they came to Canada.
Field Studies
This week's architecture walk is being reschedules. Because of the Bridges project we are not yet ready to study architectural features in our structures unit. I believe it is better for us to finish what we are working on in class, rather than moving on to our next field study.
This week the grade 7 team will be planning the rest of the field studies until the end of December. You will be sent out the volunteer requests shortly. Please remember that without volunteers these field studies do not happen, and if we do not have enough volunteers I will have to cancel trips. This has a tremendous impact on the type of learning we do at Langevin, and is one of the key reasons we are such a special school.
Parent Conferences
This is just a reminder that parent conference bookings are open now. They opened this Saturday. I've copy and pasted the information from the school newsletter about how to book:
Hello parents! I hope everyone is having a restful weekend. The weather has been great! Please see below for a list of updates:
Curriculum
Things are moving along in curriculum. In math, we have completed review on simplifying fractions, equivalent fractions, and converting mixed numbers to improper fractions. We will be moving onto ordering fractions and adding and subtracting this week.
In Language Arts we continue to read A Monster Calls. This is a book with very mature themes about death, as the protagonist's mother is dying from Cancer. The students have been very thoughtful when talking about the book. This would be a very interesting conversation to have at home with your children. Ask them what they are reading!
Student's also continue to work on independent reading. We are starting to spend a half an hour reading to start the day every Tuesday and Thursday. Students are keeping reading logs, which is supporting accountability. I will start a new program with all of them shortly using a reading program called "Notice and Note" for their independent reading. If you have questions about it please let me know, or talk to me about it at conferences!
We continue to write in class as responses to A Monster Calls. We are working on grammar, and will be moving onto persuasive writing shortly.
In science the students are working on a bridge building project. They are extremely excited about it.
In social studies we are learning about the 13 colonies the British settled when they came to Canada.
Field Studies
This week's architecture walk is being reschedules. Because of the Bridges project we are not yet ready to study architectural features in our structures unit. I believe it is better for us to finish what we are working on in class, rather than moving on to our next field study.
This week the grade 7 team will be planning the rest of the field studies until the end of December. You will be sent out the volunteer requests shortly. Please remember that without volunteers these field studies do not happen, and if we do not have enough volunteers I will have to cancel trips. This has a tremendous impact on the type of learning we do at Langevin, and is one of the key reasons we are such a special school.
Parent Conferences
This is just a reminder that parent conference bookings are open now. They opened this Saturday. I've copy and pasted the information from the school newsletter about how to book:
Langevin Families:
We are preparing for the November 21-22 Parent/Teacher Conferences. Bookings open on November 16th (8am) and close on November 20th (11pm). We have asked the booking system to send out reminder emails to families (sent the day before).
Apologies for a reminder email you may have received yesterday regarding two grade nine teachers whose interviews must occur on alternate dates.
Please mark your calendars:
School Conferences | November 21 (3:00 pm -7:30 pm) & November 22 (8:00 am – 1:00 pm)
· Bookings Open | November 16 @ 8:00 am
· Bookings Close | November 20 @ 11:00 pm
· How to Book?
· Parent Guide (click to open the step-by-step with screen shots).
· How to access:
My (School) Conference For Parents
All parents with children enrolled in the Calgary Board of Education schools have access. Parents must first create a new PowerSchool parent account to be able to use this CBE application and the guide link below.
Parents login: MyCBE | PowerSchool > myCBE Apps > my School Conferences
See you all soon!
Brandie
Dare to Care
Hello Parents,
Please see the below information about the anti-bullying program that will be coming to the school in December. There will be two presentations at the school (Dec. 10 for 4 - 6, and Dec. 12 for 7 - 9), and there is a special evening for just parents. Many of the surveys parents have filled out express a concern about bullying in schools. This is one of the many ways we are working at Langevin to address those concerns, and to continue making our school a safe and caring place to learn. We hope to see as many of you there as possible.
Brandie
Please see the below information about the anti-bullying program that will be coming to the school in December. There will be two presentations at the school (Dec. 10 for 4 - 6, and Dec. 12 for 7 - 9), and there is a special evening for just parents. Many of the surveys parents have filled out express a concern about bullying in schools. This is one of the many ways we are working at Langevin to address those concerns, and to continue making our school a safe and caring place to learn. We hope to see as many of you there as possible.
Brandie
December 4, 6:30 - 9:00
PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT: BULLY PROOFING YOUR CHILD
All parents want their children to be happy and successful. Finding out that your child is having problems because of bullying, either at school or online (cyber-bullying), can be an upsetting and stressful experience. Bullying behaviour is not always easy for adults or children to recognize or define. A fight between friends or siblings or rough play between children with equal power is conflict, not bullying. Bullying is when a person or group of people repeatedly and intentionally use their power to hurt, embarrass, threaten or exclude another person.
Participants in the 2.5 hour Parent Information Night will learn about the scope of the problem in schools/sports today as well as the difference between normal peer conflict and bullying. Tips and guidelines will be provided so parents can help their children make positive choices both on-line with social media and other technology and in their daily face to face interaction. To conclude the evening, parents will also learn six, non-reactive life skills. Since it is likely that all children/youth will experience some form of bullying or cyberbullying at least once during their school career, parents will be able to reinforce these skills at home and, as a result, children will feel more confident and competent in dealing with bullying situations.
The Dare to Care program is the recipient of the coveted Imagine Canada award and was recently awarded the Government of Alberta Inspiration Award for Leadership in Bully Prevention.
All parents are strongly encouraged to attend.
Friday, November 8, 2019
Math and Science Unit Tests
Hello Parents,
Your child should have brought home their math and science tests last night to go over them with you. I have asked that they are returned by Monday with your signatures on them. We also worked on some goal setting around the results, which they put on the back of the science test and on Iris. Please have a discussion with you child about this, in particular, how do they intend on achieving their goal?
Thank you all for your support at home.
Your child should have brought home their math and science tests last night to go over them with you. I have asked that they are returned by Monday with your signatures on them. We also worked on some goal setting around the results, which they put on the back of the science test and on Iris. Please have a discussion with you child about this, in particular, how do they intend on achieving their goal?
Thank you all for your support at home.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Field Study Pictures
Hello Families!
Below are some great pictures from the field studies we have had so far.
Grammar Unit
Hello Families,
All 7A students will be working on an online grammar unit for the next two weeks. Can you please remind your child to bring headphones to school every day?
The Grammar unit we are on now is all about nouns! If you want to see what the kids are working on, go to Khan Academy and search, "Parts of Speech: The Noun".
www.khanacademy.org
Thank you!
All 7A students will be working on an online grammar unit for the next two weeks. Can you please remind your child to bring headphones to school every day?
The Grammar unit we are on now is all about nouns! If you want to see what the kids are working on, go to Khan Academy and search, "Parts of Speech: The Noun".
www.khanacademy.org
Thank you!
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Class Update - November 6th
Hello families of 7A Students,
I updated the website last week on a Wednesday, so I'm going to do another update this Wednesday. After this year it should be pretty regular on Thursday's or Friday's.
Language Arts
-We continue exploring theme in A Monster Calls. All students have their own books so they are following along as we are listening to the audio book. We are also reading aloud as a class, individually, and in small groups.
We are going to start doing concentrated grammar lessons during our writer's workshops.
Social Studies
We have completed looking at French immigration to Canada, and are now moving to British immigration to Canada.
Science
We are currently working on summarizing our learning in the structures unit so far. The students have chosen a famous building from somewhere around the world and are doing a structural profile on it. They are being assessed on their use of technology (to put together their presentation), conceptual understanding, and how they completed research.
Math
Students have completed their integer unit test and we are moving onto Fractions. Tomorrow we will start representing equivalent fractions, and simplifying fractions. This is review, but it is an important concept to go over and ensure there is a solid understanding.
Important Dates
I updated the website last week on a Wednesday, so I'm going to do another update this Wednesday. After this year it should be pretty regular on Thursday's or Friday's.
Language Arts
-We continue exploring theme in A Monster Calls. All students have their own books so they are following along as we are listening to the audio book. We are also reading aloud as a class, individually, and in small groups.
We are going to start doing concentrated grammar lessons during our writer's workshops.
Social Studies
We have completed looking at French immigration to Canada, and are now moving to British immigration to Canada.
Science
We are currently working on summarizing our learning in the structures unit so far. The students have chosen a famous building from somewhere around the world and are doing a structural profile on it. They are being assessed on their use of technology (to put together their presentation), conceptual understanding, and how they completed research.
Math
Students have completed their integer unit test and we are moving onto Fractions. Tomorrow we will start representing equivalent fractions, and simplifying fractions. This is review, but it is an important concept to go over and ensure there is a solid understanding.
Important Dates
- November 8: Remembrance Day Assembly
- November 11: Remembrance Day - No School
- November 12: Bridge Walk 1 - 8:15am - 12:00pm
- November 13: Junior Achievement presentations in class
- November 14: Bridge Walk 2 - 10am - 2:00pm
- November 19: Architecture Walk - 10:00 - 2:30pm
- November 21: Half Day, Parent-Teacher Conferences
- November 22: Parent Teacher Conferences, No School
- November 25: Inside Education Presentation - In School
- December 4: Calgary Central Library and the National Music Centre - 10:00am - 2:00pm
- December 9 - 13: Skate Shack at the school
**I was asked to create a calendar function for this blog, but I have been unable to do it. My apologies. Please continue to regularly check this blog or the class website for information.
Remembrance Day Assembly
Dear 7A Families,
I want to let you all know that the grade 7 classes have been working hard on the Remembrance Day assembly. The assembly will be from 10:00 to 11:30.
Students have created art that is symbolic of the theme, "Why we remember".
All grade 7 classes will be presenting during the assembly.
Our class specifically will also be representing the MC's, and will act as ambassadors. The ambassadors will go to each class and lead them to the assembly.
We are asking, if possible, that students dress in formal way in red, white, or black colours.
Please ask your child about the assembly and the ways they have contributed to it!
I want to let you all know that the grade 7 classes have been working hard on the Remembrance Day assembly. The assembly will be from 10:00 to 11:30.
Students have created art that is symbolic of the theme, "Why we remember".
All grade 7 classes will be presenting during the assembly.
Our class specifically will also be representing the MC's, and will act as ambassadors. The ambassadors will go to each class and lead them to the assembly.
We are asking, if possible, that students dress in formal way in red, white, or black colours.
Please ask your child about the assembly and the ways they have contributed to it!
Student Services
Student Services: A note from student services
Hello,
Please see the attached November calendar and special events for Teen Programs at our Renfrew location. Our programs provide a safe and inclusive space for all teens.
Most of our programs are FREE. The only charge for our programs is for off-site trips and we charge $10/youth. Youth need to have a membership package filled out in full to attend off-site trips. Transportation is provided from Renfrew.
If you have any questions regarding the calendar please feel free to e-mail myself or the youth programs e-mail.
Cheers,
Chyenne LaRose
Youth Programs Coordinator
Pronouns: She/Her
Boys & Girls Clubs of Calgary
Mobile: 403.968.9600 Youth Programs Coordinator
Pronouns: She/Her
Boys & Girls Clubs of Calgary
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Hello Parents of 7A students, I'm sorry for the lack of updates recently. It has been very busy since we returned to school, with rep...
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Hello Families! Below are some great pictures from the field studies we have had so far. -
Hello Everyone, It was great to touch base with so many of you last night. If you were unable to make any of the scheduled times work, pl...