October

Week of October 30th

Hello parents!

Here is your update for this week.

Social Studies

  • Tomorrow, we’ll be having a double quiz about both the social structure and popular culture of Japan during the Edo period.  In preparation for this, students were given a study guide and the opportunity to create a small notecard of information that they can use during the quiz.  Following the quiz, and for the remainder of the week, we’ll do a quick overview of what was happening around the world while Japan was isolated for about 250 years, and how their period of isolation came to an end.

French Language Arts

  • By now, students should all be writing the rough copy of their short story and / or working on editing it.  To improve their written work, students are asked to get feedback from three different peers, and they are also using the BonPatron website to check their work for spelling and grammar.  Our focus this week will be on moving from the rough copy to the good copy as their edited work becomes better and better.
  • Please note – some students have not yet finished their plan, and will not be able to catch up unless they put in some time at home.  Please check PowerSchool to see whether or not your student has finished up their plan, and if not, please help them set aside some time for this work this week.

Reminder – Halloween tomorrow!

  • Obviously, tomorrow will be a blast!  As a reminder from last week’s email, students’ costumes may not include any weapons (no matter how fake), inflatable costumes must be deflated for moving around the school, and masks may only be worn for judging during the costume contest (if applicable).  In the days that follow, please remind them that their sweet sweet Halloween candy is best saved for break and lunch (as opposed to breakfast), and that any and all candy wrappers should end up in the garbage can and not on the floor.

Thanks, and have a great week!

Katt

 

Quick things - Friday, October 27th

Hello parents!

I just have two quick things for you before next week.

Photo Retakes Monday

  • Photo retakes are happening on Monday.  If students were here on the original photo but are unhappy with their photos, they must return the original photo envelope and proofs to school and give them to the crew from Lifetouch photography for their retakes.
  • If students were absent for the first round of school photos, they will just go and have their photo taken.

Info for Halloween (Tuesday)

  • Students may choose to dress up for school on Tuesday.  Please keep in mind the following guidelines.
      • Costumes may not include full face masks (but they can be worn for costume contest judging if required)
      • Inflatable costumes must be deflated for moving around the school
      • No weapons of any kind, no matter how obviously fake they are

Thanks so much, and have a great weekend!

Katt

 

Week of October 23rd

Hello parents!

I hope that you’re staying safe and warm on this snowy day!  Here is your update for the week.

Social Studies

  • Last week, students finished up their journals from the point of view of two different people from the strict social hierarchy.  If, for whatever reason, students did not get a chance to finish this work by the deadline, the last day that I will accept the work is this Friday, October 27th.  After that, any incomplete work will remain at Limited.
  • Now, we’re focusing on the popular culture of Japan, and how it flourished during the Edo period as people moved to the cities and the merchant class became more wealthy.  Students will take notes about the different types of popular culture, which we’ll go over on Thursday.  After that, they’ll have a study guide for a quiz that will discuss both the popular culture and the social structure.  Students will write the quiz next week.

French Language Arts

  • This week, the focus is on planning and writing the rough copy of the students’ Frisson-inspired short story.  You can ask them to show you the planning template (either on paper or as a resource in Google Classroom) if you’d like to see what’s being asked of them.  Once students are done their plan, they meet with me quickly for any feedback and / or help before starting their rough copy.  All students should be writing the rough copy by the end of the week.

Getting chilly?  Bundle up!

  • Now that the cooler weather is here, please chat with your child about the importance of being dressed for the weather.  We only have indoor recess if it’s colder than -20, and students are expected to be outside at lunch recess.  Hoodies are great, but jackets and toques are even better.

Thanks so much!

Katt

 

Week of October 16th

Hello parents!

Here is your update for this week.

French Language Arts

  • By now, students should have completed their small-group novel study.  Assignments for weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4 should be done and handed in.  Please check PowerSchool to see if this has been done, and if not, please encourage your child to finish up this work at home.
  • Tomorrow, I’ll be introducing our new unit, a short-story writing unit focused on creating a fictional work for younger French Immersion students.  I’ll read them the book Frisson, l’écureuil, and we’ll look at what makes this a good story.  Then, I’ll share examples of stories from previous years with them so that they have some examples of things to try and things to avoid.  The remainder of our time this week will be spent on planning, in detail, their own story.

Social Studies

  • Last week, we focused on brainstorming ideas for our social structure journals.  This week, we are focusing on writing these two journals and editing them for content, spelling, and grammar.  Students are completing this work in Google Classroom, and their work should be completed by the end of the school day on Friday.

Have a great week!

Katt

 

Week of October 10th

Hello parents!

Here is your update for this week.

French Language Arts

  • This week, we’re wrapping up our small-group novel study!  By now, students should be done reading their book, and they’ll get their Week 4 / Final assignment tomorrow when we go to the library.  They should have enough time to finish this up during our French classes this week, but if not, they should complete it over the weekend.
  • Once students are done their final assignment, they can return their novel of choice to the library.

Social Studies

  • This week and next week, we’re doing a larger written project about the social structure of Japan during the Edo period.  Students will choose two different social groups (given the choice of samurai, peasant, artisan, merchant, pariaj / eta, or non-human / hinin.  They will use the back of the assignment outline to plan their journals, ensuring that they know the answers to six major questions as they describe a day-in-the-life of their people of choice:
    1. How is their life? Easy? Difficult?  Why?
    2. What do they do during their daily life?
    3. Who do they interact with during the day? (Who do they NOT interact with?)
    4. How is their social group organized?
    5. Where do they live?
    6. Any other important details?
  • Following the planning, students will begin to write their journals as an assignment in Google Classroom.  As part of starting this written work, I’ll discuss how Google Translate may be used for an unknown word, but that writing the work entirely in English and then translating it into French is not an acceptable practice.
  • Students will have this week and next week to plan and write their journals, and also edit them for spelling and grammar.  These finished journals are due on Friday, October 20th.

Walkathon on Friday!

  • Our 50th annual Walkathon is taking place on Friday.  This will likely take up most of the day, and students should be dressed for an active day of walking in whatever weather we have!  They should wear good walking shoes (we’ll be down at the Cochrane Ranche) and layers, and they can bring a water bottle and any Halloween-sized snacks they feel like sharing with their favourite Social Studies teacher.  😊
  • If you’d like to donate, you can use the following instructions to do so on School Cash Online.  These instructions can be used for everyone whether they have an account or not, so feel free to share with friends and family:
    1. Go to rockyview.schoolcashonline.com.
    2. Click on the ITEMS tab in the top right area
    3. Click Make a Donation in the top right area.
    4. Under the Gift Information, enter amount of donation, pre-set amount or other.
    5. In the Fund Destination drop down menu, choose Manachaban Middle School.
    6. Under the Tribute Information (optional, but preferred), select This gift is: then choose In Honor Of: enter student's name
    7. Select No for send a Tribute Card.
    8. Under Message to School Board: please enter Donation for Walk-A-Thon.
    9. Click Add to Cart, click Continue, at this point be sure to click Continue as Guest, fill out payment information and click Continue.

That’s it for me! Have a wonderful week!

Katt

 

Week of October 2nd (sent October 3rd)

Hello parents!

Here is your update for the week.

Social Studies

  • To start the week, we got all caught up on our vocabulary work, filling in some definitions that we learnt throughout September.  If anyone was away, I’ve posted a photo of the words we defined in Google Classroom, so students can put that on their vocab sheet.
  • Now, our focus is on the strictly hierarchical social structure of Japan during the Edo period.  After I introduce the concept and give a general outline of the eight classes, students will take more detailed notes.  This will be an area of focus for us over the next week and a bit, as students will later be doing a summative assignment by writing a day-in-the-life journal of people from two different social classes.  So, notes first, then students will be given an assignment outline and a planning sheet for their journals.  We’ll do some brainstorming about what they would include in their journals, but that will likely happen next week.

French Language Arts

  • Today in class, students did a quick little formative check-in, letting me know if they had completed each of the following…
    1. The pre-reading assignment (pink page)
    2. Reading the first quarter of their book
    3. The Week 1 assignment (blue page)
    4. Reading the second quarter of their book
    5. The Week 2 assignment (green page)
    6. Reading the third quarter of their book
  • Students also had the opportunity to let me know how the reading was going and request any help that may be required.  For the rest of the week, students are either catching up on their third section of reading, or, if they’re done, finishing up the Week 3 assignment (yellow page).  I’d love to get these yellow pages before the long weekend, but if students aren’t done, they could finish it up and give it to me on Tuesday the 10th.

Health – MADD Presentation tomorrow

  • Tomorrow, all of the Grade 8 students will have a special presentation from MADD Canada, focusing on the dangers of driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs.  The program is excellent, and is targeted at Grade 8 students, as some of them may be getting their Learner’s License this year.  Related to this, we are discussing alcohol as part of the Health outcomes, and students will make an informative poster about alcohol and it’s short and long-term side effects.

Quebec Trip – Sign-Up Deadline Thursday

  • Just a quick reminder that the deadline to sign up for the trip is this Thursday.  The spots on the trip are rapidly filling up, and in order to be formally registered to go, we need the student to be signed up with the deposit paid on the Jumpstreet portal as well as a completed set of forms handed in to me.  Spots are being filled first-come, first-served, and if someone has done one but not both of the required elements, they may be bumped to the wait list if someone else completes both elements of the registration.

Reminder – Long Weekend

  • This Friday, staff will be doing some professional development, and then Monday is a holiday.  Classes will resume as usual on Tuesday.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Katt

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