Mme Evernden's Parent Page

Working together for the students

Blades of Glory Presentation

Jan 27

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On February 6, the grade 3 classes will be participating in a mobile presentation on Pioneer Life that will be traveling to Berrigan by a company called Blades of Glory.  This is a 60 minute experience that specifically addresses the grade three Social Studies curriculum for the Pioneer Life unit.  The cost for this in-school field trip will be $6.00.

During the presentation, participation from the students and teachers is encouraged to help explain certain topics. After a brief introduction about Blades of Glory, a variety of topics will be covered…

  1. What is a Pioneer?
  2. Where did they come from?
  3. How did they get here?
  4. Where did they settle?
  5. How did the Natives help them?
  6. How did they use the natural resources?

There will be time for a question and answer period. Students will also be given the opportunity to examine items such as furs, toys from the 1800′s, transportation displays from the early 1800′s, and native artifacts.

Busses Cancelled Today

Jan 27

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School Bus

For any students who are concerned that not coming today will mean missing out on the class reward, please reassure them that the reward will happen next week instead.

The busses for the OCDSB have been cancelled today.

If your child normally takes the bus to school, you should not call in their absence today.  However, if your child normally walks please be sure to call the school and let us know that they will not be attending.

With over 900 students attending Berrigan, bus days can be very difficult for the office staff and safe arrivals, so your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.

Keep in mind that when the busses are cancelled, they are cancelled all day.  This means that if you drop off a child who normally takes the bus, you will need to pick them up at the end of the day.

This also means that after school activities – such as language classes – are also cancelled.  Fit-4-Kids runs as normal.

Thank you.

Homework this week

Jan 23

Posted by Mme Evernden in Devoirs | No Comments

For homework this week, students should be practicing their addition facts from 0 – 12.

They can do this using flash cards, the back of their agenda or the arcademics website.  We will be checking their skills using an around the world game in the classroom.

If you would like to read about why it is important to practice/know basic facts, you can read this article from the Ontario Math Gazette by Marian Small.

PD Day tomorrow

Jan 19

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D Sharon Pruitt

There is NO SCHOOL for the students on Friday January 20, 2012.

Enjoy the day!

Busses Cancelled Today

Jan 17

Posted by Mme Evernden in Busses | No Comments

School Bus

The busses for the OCDSB have been cancelled today.

If your child normally takes the bus to school, you should not call in their absence today.  However, if your child normally walks please be sure to call the school and let us know that they will not be attending.

With over 900 students attending Berrigan, bus days can be very difficult for the office staff and safe arrivals, so your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.

Keep in mind that when the busses are cancelled, they are cancelled all day.  This means that if you drop off a child who normally takes the bus, you will need to pick them up at the end of the day.

This also means that after school activities – such as language classes – are also cancelled.  Fit-4-Kids runs as normal.

Thank you.

Research

Jan 13

Posted by Mme Evernden in Devoirs, Supporting Your Child's Learning | No Comments

Please do not forget that the research portion of the project is due on Monday.  Students have had some time to work on the research at school but will need time over the weekend to complete their task.

Next week, students will begin working on the rough copy of their project at school.  This next portion of the task will be done completely at school, however, if your child needs to print pictures in colour (for the poster) they will have to be printed at home.

Research and Bibilography

Jan 11

Posted by Mme Evernden in Devoirs, Supporting Your Child's Learning | No Comments

Students told me this morning which plant they were going to research for their project on plant adaptations.  Now, they must get their research.

I ask that students have at least 3 sources for their information and at least 1 must be in French.

Today, we talked about how to take notes when you are doing research.  We discussed that simply copying what you read, word for word, does not count as research but as stealing the thoughts of another person.  We also discussed that not attributing the work to the proper author means you have stolen their thoughts as well.

Students must read the text – or watch the videos, etc – and write what they learned from that particular source in their own words.  They must also keep records of where they found their information.  I ask that each page in their research journal be dedicated to one source.

We also learned how to properly keep track of where information is found.  While I have not taught them specifically about a bibliography, I do expect them to include the information that would be included in a bibliography at the top of each page.

You can find some help on formatting by visiting the Barrie Public Library’s Kids Zone.

The research for this project must be completed by Monday, January 16th.  Thank you for your attention to this.

Summative Assignments for Plants

Jan 9

Posted by Mme Evernden in Assessment, Devoirs | No Comments

As we wrap up our study of Growth and Changes in Plants, students are going to be working on a research project.  Each child will choose a plant that has developed adaptations in order to survive in its particular habitat. Students may choose from any plant in the world – so long as they can find the adaptations.  The idea is for the child to be motivated because it is of interest to him/her.

They will then look at the Menu that has been created for this project and make some choices. The menu is simply a way that allows the children to choose the way they want to present what they’ve learned about their particular plant.

All students will complete:

The two “main dishes”

  • A reflection to be written at the end of this project
  • A test to be written on January 19th about plants

One of the three “appetizer” options:

  • A poster OR
  • A video OR
  • A song about his/her chosen plant and its adaptations

Students may then choose to complete one of the desserts

All of these items will be completed by January 27th.  In order to make this task more manageable, I have broken down the project into different tasks with different due dates which you can find on the Calendar.

This week, homework for the students will be to choose their plant (by January 11) and to begin their research (due on Monday, January 16).

The majority of this task will be done at school, but the research portion will be done mainly at home.  Students will be asked to keep complete records of the sources they use (basically, to have a bibliography) and to write the text in their own words.

Extra French Help at Home

Jan 7

Posted by Mme Evernden in Supporting Your Child's Learning | No Comments

Back in October, I recommended a series of books called MathSmart to help in increasing math skills at home.  The company that produces those books also produces a series called French Smart that can help develop French grammar, and reading skills.

These books are created with the Core French curriculum, so even though the books say grade 4, 5, and 6, they are actually appropriate for younger children in immersion classes.

Having looked through them, I can say that the “grade 4″ book actually fits pretty closely with the grade 1 curriculum in immersion.  Likewise, the “grade 5″ book fits with grade 2; and the “grade 6″ book with grade 3.

The nice part about these books is that they reinforce what your child has learned/is learning in school in French, but also has explanations in English for how all that crazy French grammar stuff works.

I bought a copy of the three levels for my own use, but if you would like for your child to get extra practice at home, they are now available at Costco for approximately $7.

Last day of school, 2011

Dec 22

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Happy New Year!

In order to celebrate the last day of school for 2011 we will be having a – very low-key – party in the classroom.

We will be watching a movie to support our learning of the importance of plants and soil to our lives – the students will tell you all about it when they get home – and playing a few games in the classroom and computer lab.

If you would like to send in treats for tomorrow please remember that there are allergies in the school and that nothing with nuts, or peanuts can be brought to school to be shared.

Thank you very much and Happy New Year!