Wednesday, 29 February 2012

Lorax Permission Forms are due tomorrow!

It was a mixed bag type of day - a little bit of this, a little bit of that- we did our best to get through it and it seemed like it would never end. Today we started the morning with grad photos. It was nice to see all of you looking so great and professional. You are all growing up and I think Ms.Vincent and Ms.Callahan were impressed to see all of their former students looking so amazing and so much older. Grad photos went smoothly today and I would like to tell you all (including your parents) that the composite photo deadline has been extended to Monday. That means if you are interested in ordering a class composite then, bring in your money or cheque to Lifetouch for $30.00, as soon as you can and orders will be picked up on Monday morning in the office. Please give your orders to me though, as Ms. Kumagawa does not need to deal with all of the grade 8's handing her things.

Today in Growth & Development we covered the topic of preventing pregnancy and STI's. We talked about the various options available to us and their effectiveness. I have attached a photo of the overall learning goals for the Growth and Development unit from the Ontario Curriculum Document. We will be covering all of these expectations in the next few weeks and the students will have some quizzes and assignments based on this information. At the end of today's lesson, Ms.Lawrence asked for the students to think about this: "Now that we have had the information session on what methods are available to you, how can you be safe?". We will take this idea up next Tuesday and students are asked to pose questions they might have in the question box at the front of the class. Ms.Lawrence also asked that students feel free to ask any type of question and she will answer them as best as she can, using the correct terminology. If students would like to remain annonymous that would be fine with her or they may put their names on them, whatever the students feel comfortable with.

For tomorrow:
*Geography is due
*Science lab on cells
*Math quiz
*Bring in your LORAX permission forms and $8.50!
Looking good gentlemen
Black History Month Assembly
More good looking kids
Rachelle and Angela looking cute!
The new Question Box for Growth and Development Class
The ladies!
Jackson and Bory
The beginning of the Black History Month Assembly (great job for everyone who participated!)

Tuesday, 28 February 2012

Grad Photo Day is Tomorrow!

Today started off fast with Ms.Lawrence our school's nursing student introducing the Growth and Development Health unit to our class. Students laid out ground rules for appropriate behaviour during these classes and we have posted the rules in our class so we can read them. I was pretty impressed with the level of maturity that the students showed today and it was great to learn about what students were thinking about and some good options that are available to them.

For homework Ms. Lawrence wants the students to "think" about how students can be safe and what the word consent means to them. We will regroup tomorrow and talk more. I have posted the hotline information from class below and students can feel free to use this information or pass it on to their friends.

After recess we had math. We reviewed some of the word problems from the other night and students posted some of their results on the board and we compared our answers. Students used this period as a review, and as many of the class did not do the homework (because they were working on Science) we postponed the pop quiz I had planned to Thursday. Homework tonight is p.404 #11-13

French was cancelled today because of many of the grade 8's being out for the "Fit for Life" campaign at Samuel Hearne so we used the afternoon for some Literacy. We read some of the book "Speak", had a bit of a discussion about upcoming events and then went out for recess.

To end the day off, we used the double art period to finish off our 3D block letter assignments from last week. Students also finished off other work for this week and did some silent reading.

For tomorrow:
GRAD PHOTOS ARE TOMORROW!! STUDENTS MUST WEAR DRESS WHITE COLLARED SHIRTS WITH DARK TIES FOR THE BOYS. If you want to purchase the composite (of the whole graduating class) you must bring a cheque for $30 to Lifetouch, this is the only opportunity for a composite.

LORAX TRIP FORMS AND $8.50

SATEC & HIGHSCHOOL FORMS ARE DUE TOMORROW!! PLEASE BRING THEM IN!!

Geography p.15 #1-4 due, Science lab (microscope) due, Good copy of Family Story, French collage, Math (yesterday's and today's).

See you tomorrow!

**This is for R.C., it's a stop-motion animation made by a group of students with an impending deadline and is a great image of procrastination, and the things we do when we have a lot of work to do.
Math homework for tonight (in case you forgot your textbook at school)

Monday, 27 February 2012

Monday, Monday! Windy Monday!

Today was a busy day, lots to do and cover in class.  We started off the morning with Math, beginning with patterning, algebra and problem solving.  Students got into pairs or worked alone and answered a word problem together.  We took up the answers as a class and students were given time in class to work on their math.  Homework is : p.403  #3-5 and p.404 #6-10.  Thanks to the group who stayed after school for extra help I think it will pay off on the final test.  Anyone else needing help I am available for you at recess and after school.

After recess students had drama and worked on scripts.  I believe they are due to present next week?  Please stay on top of your work as you only have drama once a week. 

At the beginning of the afternoon the French Immersion class and our class got together and watched the ending to the film from Friday, called "Pleasantville".  We had a moment to talk about it and the students in this class were able to hand in their Sport collages to Monsieur.  This unit is almost done, congrats!

At the end of the day we did Science together as a class and started comparing the differences between animal cells and plant cells.  We had a discussion about the functions of all of the parts of a cell and even compared what we knew about ourselves and the world around us to answer the questions on the sheet.  Students are to do: Understanding Concepts #1-4, and have them done for class on Thursday.  We also handed out the lab for Thursday and we will read through the lab and get ready for it soon. 

Some Reminders for tomorrow:
1. Trip forms (please bring in signed and $8.50)
2. Science Lab is due ( I will be checking the bin students)
3. Geography is due Wednesday
4. Grad photos are on Wednesday (bring a $30.00 cheque to Lifetouch for the class composite, get your hair done and be ready for headshots on Wednesday morning).
5. 3D Graffiti poster is due tomorrow, students will be given a double period to finish of the last of their drawings.

See you tomorrow! ;)

Friday, 24 February 2012

Pancake Day

Today was a crazy morning with the smell of delicious pancakes being cooked down the hall and sugary syrup wafting through the air! It was nice to see the teachers, the parents and the students all working together towards one common goal. Thanks to all parents, teachers and students behind the days success my hat`s off to you.

We started the morning off with a Tech period and students were given an opportunity to type up any missed work and do any upcoming work that is due next week. It was hard for everyone to focus because there was a lot going on at school today so we did our best.

Today in English we covered the new topic of Irony. We discussed that it was ironic that we were reading a book called Speak about a girl who does not talk. We also discussed how it is ironic that the Lorax is being used to sell cars, when he himself is an environmentalist and probably wouldn`t support the car industry OR the petroleum industry. We will be exploring irony more the rest of next week and hopefully have some more connections that we can make. You can see the commercial below.
* I have booked a trip to see The Lorax for the grade 8`s on Friday March 2nd (opening day) grade 8`s will get their permission forms on Monday and will be walking over to the Cineplex mid-lunch to see the film in 3D. We are looking forward to it. Please bring back forms & money promptly as we have a short deadline.

After lunch Mr. Ndikumana and I decided that trying to teach all of the crazed teenagers filled with pancakes and off of their routine would be like herding cats (an impossible task). So we arranged to watch a film called Pleasantville, and because of the indoor recess we didn`t get to finish the film because the French Immersion students had supervision at recess and so the film was paused. We will finish the film(about 15 minutes) on Monday but I want you all to think about some of the symbols and ironic situations that happened within that film. Some of you were able to connect with some of the main ideas and you could see how this film related to Black History Month as well. I`ve attached the trailer below, to remind all of you of what we watched today...it`s real swell.

For this week we have coming up:
1. Science lab write up (due Tuesday)
2. Student of the Month (due Tuesday)
3. Geography p.15 1-4 (due Thursday)
4. Art 3D name project (due Tuesday)
ALSO
  • Grad photos on Wednesday bring $29.00 for the grad composite if you want it, also girls and boys are expected to wear a white collared shirt (dark ties for boys). Schedule hair appointments accordingly.
  • Wednesday afternoon is the black history assembly
  • Friday trip to the movies is booked, permission forms will go home Monday.
Have yourself a real swell weekend and I`ll see you all fresh on Monday. ;)

Thursday, 23 February 2012

Pancake Day is Tomorrow so don't forget your TWOONIE!

Today was a great day, thanks for such a productive one everyone! We started the day with a math quiz on patterning and algebra. Most students found the quiz easy, and I was happy to observe that.

After recess students were given some time to collaborate with their lab groups from last week's microscope lab. We then talked about the lab and the results from that discussion are posted below. The lab is due on Tuesday the 28th. So get it done early.

We also did a double period of Geography, and read the whole first chapter. Questions on p.15 #1-4 are homework, and are due next week day 1 which will be February 28th as well. Early submissions will be welcomed.

Just a reminder that tomorrow is pancake day, and students are asked to donate a twoonie for parent council. Monsieur and myself have planned a surprise for you tomorrow as well so do your homework, have a great night and I'll see you tomorrow. Plan for snow!

Leaving for Lucy's swimming lessons in 25 minutes....argghhh!
Geography questions

Wednesday, 22 February 2012

Wednesday, the day that Geography officially begins!

This morning started with a story, a picture book to be exact by the amazing Dr. Seuss. We read "The Lorax" and we discussed the use of symbolism in the artwork as well as the characters, buildings, things, animals and trees. After our discussion, a reflection question was put on the board and the class was given time to work on their answers. You will find a copy of the question below. Reflections are due tomorrow, as a great deal of class time was given for this answer and those who need more time can use this evening to process and type up their answers.

After recess we did a practice word problem on the board, then took it up as a class. Students must remember to: solve the question, show their simplification, solution and then write a sentence to explain their results to get full marks. A straight answer will not get full marks...we need to see how you came to your solution. After all with algebra there is more than one way to solve the questions. Thanks tonight for the students who stayed behind for extra help, it means a lot to me that you are invested in your own success and I am happy to see you trying your best and it paying off. There will be a quiz tomorrow in algebra before we finish off this unit. I will give you some symbols to decode, computational math and a few word problems. Please find the link below to help you practice your math.
http://www.aaastudy.com/equ27fx2.htm
http://www.aaastudy.com/equ28fx2.htm


We began geography and I went over the basic expectations for the students for the first half of the second term. We are moving at a fast pace, so tomorrow we will be revisiting our new text and I will post the expectations on the blog tomorrow after we have gone over them as a class. There will definitely be homework associated with the geography and we will be working on a new vocabulary list for this subject as well.

Have a great night, study hard and I'll see you tomorrow. ;)

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

The Tuesday that felt like Monday!

This morning we started the day talking about some of the new reading initiatives that we will be covering for term two. We began by talking about symbolism and how we deal with symbols all of the time in our everyday lives. We also discussed how many of us interpret symbols in different ways depending on our backgrounds. In our novel "Speak" we have already seen some specific symbols and we discussed what they mean and why the author chose to use them. We have decided that it is almost like a secret code between the reader and the author, we understand more about the story and the characters because of the symbolism of different parts of the story. Students were given a reflection question on symbolism (you will see it below) and the reflection is due Thursday please.

For math we did word problems in partners or trios of students with like abilities. There were two types of questions an easier one and then a more difficult one. Most groups answered both questions well and I have to say that the work I saw get done today was awesome. Homework tonight is p.398 & 399 #11&12, 15 - 19. Please try to do all of the questions for tomorrow, and we will do a practice question tomorrow to help get you ready for the delayed quiz.

History textbooks were handed in today and exchanged for Geography ones. Those students who did not hand in their History books are marked down as missing one and I encourage those students to return them ASAP or they will be responsible for replacing them!

French collages/projects are due soon. Students are encouraged to bring in pictures and magazines of sports sections and athletes for their posters. I did not have a chance to pick up those types of magazines so I am hoping some students can help each other out by bringing in their own resources.

For Art we began our Graffiti unit, beginning with block letters. I will attach some links to help students get their block letter groove on. We will be focusing on lettering for a few weeks and working ourselves up to our final projects (that will be used for grad). I am looking forward to the results. You will find the project outline attached and the success criteria is there too. Check out this video for those still struggling. I will also attach a template for those of you who may need this kind of thing to help you out. ;) Small art projects will be due February 28th, 2012


If you go to the links below they will allow you to type in your name and it will show you how it looks in that font, there is also a way to print up the alphabet and you can copy their style and use it as your own.

http://www.dafont.com/graffiti-treat.font

http://www.dafont.com/graffonti.font

This is an example of 3D lettering from a Toronto Artist (you're welcome W.B)
Symbols we noted so far in the book
Art Project (it's a small one)

Thursday, 16 February 2012

Thursday, the last day before the long weekend!

It was a busy day today with lots to cover, and we did a great deal of work when we were together. We began this morning with Math. We took up one of the word problems and different students put up their solutions on the board. We really had a mix of results and many students did a great job defending their point of view. We began the process of calculating algebra using the balance and check method. We did a calculation on the board and then watched a couple of Khan Academy videos in the afternoon. Homework tonight is: p. 397 # 4&5 and p.398 #6-9. You can see the videos attached and I recommend that you follow the links so that you can practice this new skill online as well this weekend. As next week we will do some word problems and there will definitely be a quiz!

If you go to this link and click practice at the top you can test your knowledge and get some feedback on whether you are solving the math right. So practice! http://www.khanacademy.org/video/two-step-equations?topic=solving-linear-equations

After Math today, students went to drama. I am not sure what Ms. Nieto has going on but there is some serious dancing happening for the Black History Assembly, and it sounds and looks great.

For French, students did a mind map using new concepts in French. Booklets are still being worked on and it is important that students are keeping up on their work, as this work will be part of the end of year marks and our class has a really low average...we need to work on this!

At the end of the day we reviewed the concepts behind the Characteristics of Living things. Students were given a handout (which should have been filed in their Science duotang), we also did a lab using the microscopes and investigated the different powers of the microscopes as well as what powers were most useful to look at slides. We will be using the microscopes a few times this unit to look at real cells and so far the students showed a real responsibility towards the handling and use of this science equipment. After the lab we took up some of the results (see the picture below). The students will understand what it means, and they will have an opportunity to work with their small lab groups to discuss how they might answer the other questions in the lab as well as how to present their data.
Homework is: Characteristics of Living things #1-4 (due Thursday) and the lab will be due that day too.

A few housekeeping notes:
-Good copies of Family Stories are needed for the new display (I have 9 between the whole 2 grade 8 classes)
- Science Apple Juice investigation write up is past due----HAND IT IN ALREADY!
- Math homework due Tuesday
-Science new questions #1-4 Thursday
-Science lab write up (microscopes) due Thursday
- Chris Brown write up...I need more please!
-Venn diagrams (c`mon this was due Monday!)
-Infographics!!

** Chocolates will be in tomorrow morning - I`d say if you went to the school around 10am there will be cases waiting for you. Please make sure Ms.Harroun knows you have them...as I will not know if you do because I will not be there tomorrow. Please have a great long weekend, and enjoy your FAMILY DAY!

Good night!
Sahifa, trying hard to get the microscope to focus on the newsprint with the tiny on it.
Thanks to this team for helping to set up this afternoon recess, we couldn`t have done it without you!
Lab results...the students should know what this means...hopefully.
Science Lab Seriousness...all students focused and on task.

Wednesday, 15 February 2012

Wednesday, Day 3!

I know that this post is a little late, but I took Lucy out for a little fun tonight so hopefully this finds you all in good spirits, after an enthralling intro to the new season of "Survivor" (you know who I'm talking about).

Today we started the morning with our January Student of the Month choice. There were many strong writing pieces and I have to say it was a difficult decision. The winner for January is...CHRISTIAN! The writing piece that won was written by Tommy, so the two of you will have to pick your day and place for the celebration lunch. For February's Student of the Month the character traits we are looking at are: MOST IMPROVED, TRUSTWORTHINESS & SENSE OF HUMOUR. We also decided as a class that we would try to nominate people that haven't been nominated at all yet this year. That list is in the classroom on the board and students are encouraged to write about those students if they can. Good luck everyone!
The soft due date is Friday February 24th and the hard due date is Monday the 27th. Get those nominations in people...so that we are not waiting and waiting to make the decision because of lateness!

After lunch we discussed that a lot of items were due but not a lot of people are getting them in! Just as a reminder:
  • Speak Journal
  • Chris Brown reflection
  • Infographics - I have about 8 (that means I`m missing 20!!!)
  • Science Investigation (A.J., Sand, Yeast)
  • Venn Diagram - Melinda vs. Jonah

French Sport booklets are still being worked on...Mr.Ndikumana was disappointed with behaviour today, and to be honest he is willing to detain students after school until 4pm if it does not improve. He told me that students are talking when they should be working and not sitting in their seats (they are running around the class like crazy people). He is serious about the behaviour and is looking for more focus during his class. I am hoping that for next week it improves.

To end the day off we did a math word problem in groups, where students had to solve a question using the balance and check method of algebra. Many students got their answer easily, however their strategies varied and we had some groups post their results on the board. We discussed different strategies for solving word problems and then students were given some work in their notebooks to start during class (and honestly if they used the class time efficiently there should be no homework this evening!). The homework is p.392 - 16 & p.393 -19-23. We will take it up tomorrow in class and perhaps an evaluation will happen as well. Please get your work done!

See you tomorrow! ;)

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

Happy Valentines Day!

What a fun day! It was nice to spend a little time relaxing and celebrating the fact that term 1 is officially over! How time flies! Thanks to everyone who brought in food, valentines and candies for the class. The day went smoothly and it was fantastic to see you all having a good time. The movie this afternoon was so unpredictable as are most teen films, and for once we actually got to watch a film to the end.

Special thanks to the party planning committee, we couldn't have done it without you! Back to the grind tomorrow, so have a good night!

Ms. K ;)

Please enjoy yet another tune by Kina Grannis...perfect for Valentines with a cool flip-book-stop-motion-domino animation effect. Happy Valentine's Day!

Monday, 13 February 2012

Report Card Day

Today was another busy day with many events in a short bit of time. We started the morning off talking about The Grammys and its relationship with singer Chris Brown. We unpacked some of the ideas surrounding his 2009 attack on partner Rihanna and his 2 year absence from The Grammy Show. The discussion was a heated one, and we looked at the article that we read and decided that the author needed to tell us more about what she wanted to see happen to Brown and the whole situation. Please see the photos attached with the overall themes of the article as well as the discussion question. The write up is due on Wednesday (soft due date) or Thursday (being the hard due date). As always I am available for help with this assignment but we did have an extensive discussion this morning so I am looking forward to the writing that comes out of it. Below you will find the link to the article we read in class.









http://hellogiggles.com/im-not-okay-with-chris-brown-performing-at-the-grammys-and-im-not-sure-why-you-are

We spent time after recess looking over our report cards and writing the comments for the student evaluations. Many students took their time writing their own comments and setting goals for themselves. By the time the whole class was finished we were 5 minutes away from lunch, so any hopes of starting Geography were dashed. Interviews this term are reserved for students who have received a C or lower on their report cards, I have sent home interview request sheets for those students in my subjects who are receiving those grades and parents seeking an interview may fill out the report card or send a note in the agenda to request one. So far I have one interview scheduled for tomorrow night, and Thursday is starting to fill up.

After lunch we settled the details for the Valentines celebration for tomorrow. Students got paper bags to collect their Valentines in and if students want to, in lieu of cards they can get (peanut/nut free) chocolates to give to all of their classmates. There were a lot of requests by the party committee and the students to be able to hand out cards and so I am willingly obliging the masses. We have a bit of an agenda worked out, with games and activities in the morning and a movie in the afternoon. Some students have committed to bringing in treats and I am grateful to them for bringing them in (also thanks to the parents who have sent them in with their kids). For Valentines the class names are:

  • Aparajita
  • Justyn
  • Will
  • Rachelle
  • Tommy
  • Mhogan
  • Nicole
  • Martina
  • Dennis
  • Angela
  • Caytlin
  • Tomas
  • Adnan
  • Kiri
  • Fatima
  • Sahifa
  • Bory
  • Jackson
  • Alex
  • Terry
  • Renis
  • Samara
  • Christian
  • Arhum
  • Ayeesha
  • Sara
  • Dylan
  • George
Just a few reminders for Wednesday:
Venn Diagram (Melinda/Jonah)
Chris Brown writing assignment
Science Write up from cells investigation
History text books (dig them up)
Good copy/edited and fixed Family Story due
Science labs handed back in...to display in the classroom


On this Valentine's Eve, I leave you with a cute video featuring a love song. I think I like it so much because the tune is catchy and because the entire video is made with Jelly Belly jellybeans...it took over a year to make the video and it's just so cool. Enjoy! ;)

Thursday, 9 February 2012

Valentine's Dance!

Today we started our algebra unit, using balance and check methods.  We watched two instructional videos (as you can see below) and started some activities in our math books.  Hwk tonigh is: p. 391 #4&5 and p.392 #6-15.  Please practice and this will be checked on Monday, as tomorrow is Winter Activity Day!


Use this link to practice the concepts in this video : http://www.khanacademy.org/video/simple-equations?topic=core-algebra


Links to practice this concept this weekend: http://www.khanacademy.org/video/equations-2?topic=core-algebra


Just a reminder that, Science is due Monday along with good copies of Family stories as well as Venn Diagrams.  Please use this weekend to work on missed items.  We are moving quickly and some of you are going to be really behind! 

Hope you had fun at the dance!? Have fun at Winter Activity Day...and don't forget to thank Mr.Church for organizing such a nice day! 

;) Have a great weekend, and see you on Monday! 

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Chocolate Day!

Today was another busy day, with many things we had to get done.  The day started with Tech period where students were given the opportunity to type up their good copies of their family stories and work on their science reports from yesterday.  I hope students were productive during this period because the library cannot be used at all times of the day and printer use will be curbed by Mr. Knierim if he sees that computer privileges are being abused.

After recess we covered a story about a boy named Jonah, we watched his video (see below) and discussed what was going on with him.  We had a discussion about the video, unpacked some of the main ideas of why this video was made, the mental state of Jonah and how he is connected to the main character Melinda in the book we are reading in class ("Speak").  Students were given a Venn Diagram activity to do in class and this is due on Monday February 13th. 

After lunch we discussed February 14th, and we have decided to celebrate the end of term 1, with a little Valentine's Love and celebration.  Valentines will be handed out by each student for each student, we will have a morning of games and an afternoon of film. Film choice selections can be made by commenting on the bottom of this blog entry, so make a suggestion and we will take a vote on Monday.  We are also looking for food donations for the afternoon so the party committee will be taking a list and hopefully everyone can think about what they might want to bring on Tuesday. 

Today was also the day we handed out the cases of chocolates and we had a meeting with all of the students in grade 8 and went over the ground rules for the chocolates here is a summary of what we discussed:

1. How much do the chocolates cost?  How much is the case of chocolates? How much money can I earn per case for my trip to Quebec?
The bars are $3.00 each for sale. 
The entire case of chocolates costs $90.
The amount of money that you can earn per case towards your trip is $46.78 so SELL, SELL, SELL!!

2.Can I sell the chocolates on school property to teachers and students? 
Officially the answer is no, we are not allowed to sell the chocolates on school property to students and teachers at recess.  However we suggest that you get creative about your marketing strategy.

3.Can I sell the chocolates off of school property? 
Sure.  We recommend that you get permission from retail stores in order to sell the chocolates as well as using your parents to help you.  If your parents work in an office or place of business that people might be interested in buying the chocolates then they are more than welcome to sell the chocolates at work to their colleagues and friends

4. What does the box look like? 
There are 3 types of chocolate bars; milk chocolate, rice crisp and caramel.  They are stacked inside the box in a creative way, and the box is actually a display box (directions are on the back) that you can set up in an office for sales.  There is also an envelope to collect and record money.  All money must be recorded on the envelope along with the student's name in order to be applied to their trip balance.


5. What if I am not going to Quebec? 
The money that those students raise is going into the graduation celebration fund.  There is a dinner, dance and ceremony to pay for and that is an expensive evening.  The money raised will go towards all of the grad celebrations and to be honest, grad is an expensive celebration so we can use all of the help we can get.

6. What if I only sell a few chocolate bars?  
That's okay.  Please return all unsold chocolate to the school as we are able to add the bars into one case and return it for our money back.  We will also try to unload some of the extra bars onto the staff and local community to help raise the money we need for graduation and Quebec.
 
7. What if I sell the whole case and I want more?  
That's great!  We have more than enough cases at the school.  All you have to do is tell Ms.Kearns that you have taken an extra case and you can sell as many cases as you want!

8. Are there any prizes? 
Yes!  The top two sellers will have the choice of one of two prizes; A set of family passes to the movies that includes drinks for all (four) guests and popcorn OR a 5lb CHOCOLATE BAR (and yes, it is ridiculous looking!)! 

9. How long are we selling chocolates? 
We will see how sales are going but, last year the 8's sold them until April.  I'm not sure if the momentum will keep up but we'll see how it all goes, as a group the 8's seemed happy with mid-April, so we'll stick with that for now.

Good luck 8's, it's all up to you now!  I've decided to send a case to my husband's police station so...hopefully that will help too!  I want all of you to go on this trip and to have the best grad possible so I'm happy to contribute. 

For tomorrow:
1. Good copies (edited) of Family Story due
2. Science labs - Mass and Volume & Some Liquids don't Mix (marked returned to me to display in the classroom)
3. Work on Science write up for next week
4. Venn Diagram activity from today (get it done and then you don't have to worry about it for next week)
5. Grad composite $ due for the 29th of February on photo day (if you want it)
6. Pizza lunch $
7. $2.00 for the dance tomorrow afternoon!

Have a good night...I'm zonked!

I leave you with a little Marcel the Shell 2...love it!

Tuesday, 7 February 2012

Evenin' Eights!

Whew! What a busy day and a busy night for me! Lots to do and we covered a lot today, so great work to everyone!

We started out with a quick math test in measurement. The area of a circle, it was a quick test and as of right now (8:15pm) they are not marked...maybe after Lucy's bath and a load of laundry...they will get marked! Fingers crossed.

After recess a few students had to finish off their tests, and we got ready for Science. We started off the unit with a bang! We investigated what happens when you take sand and dry yeast and add it to cool apple juice. We collected our data before lunch but left the yeast and sand brewing over the lunch period. After lunch we looked at the apple juice with yeast again and to our surprise it was all foamy like a root beer float. We recorded that data (as a drawing) and then discussed the investigation as a class. You can see the investigation notes attached and it left us wanting to know more. This unit is going to be fun, as we are going to do some microscope work...and investigate plant and animal cells a little more in-depth together. Science investigation report notes are due next Monday Feb. 13th (soft due date) or Tuesday Feb. 14th (hard due date). Please write these notes up and we decided that it did need a title page.

French presentations are still happening and from what I have heard from Monsieur, they are well done. So congrats 8's!

Today marked the end of our History unit, all of the provinces joined together and we debated whether colonies were willing to join Confederation or not. Canada East maintained that they did not need Confederation, but I have to say many people were critical of their decision. P.E.I was under scrutiny as well, and many great questions and points were made! Great job grade 8's again, it was a good ending to the day and I'm glad we finished History on such a positive note! Please find the photos attached.

Please hand in:
1. Student of the Month!!!
2. Family Stories
3. Science - buoyancy investigation and #1-4
4. Speak journal
5. Infographic

****All items are PAST DUE, DO NOT PASS GO & DO NOT COLLECT $200 DOLLARS!!

Tomorrow you have an opportunity to use the computer lab time to type up missing work and the investigation from today...use your time wisely in there!

Have a good night! ;)
Rs after lunch