March
Week of March 25th
Hello!
Important – Robb Nash Field Trip field permission required
Please see the following message from Mrs. Wiskar:
Hi parents,
We are attending the Robb Nash concert on April 10th. We just checked to see how many students have signed the online permission form through school cash online and we don’t have very many. This is an opportunity for students to participate in a free activity, however, if we need to, we will end up cancelling buses and not bringing all students to this.
Please log in to school cash online and sign the permission form by Thursday, March 28th by 10:30 AM. After this we will ask students that don’t have their form signed to stay at school and attend regular classes that day.
We also need parent volunteers to attend the concert and if we don’t get enough may need to cancel the trip as well.
Thank you,
Mrs. Wiskar
Social Studies
- This week, we’re doing a note-taking practice for an upcoming mini-research about influential people of the Renaissance. In order to find different info sources, take notes, and check the information for validity, students are being provided with a note-taking template that they will use to take notes and determine which pieces of info they’ll use to write a biographical paragraph. In order to practice this, I’m providing the students with the template and articles about three composers (who lived AFTER the Renaissance), and once they’ve got the chance to practice this type of note-taking in a guided group setting, then they’ll choose their person of focus and start to take the notes on their own. Suggestions are being provided for both people to choose and informational website that are useful (but not overwhelming!)
French Language Arts
- Last week, we finished up all of the oral presentations (unless your child was away all week!), and we moved on to our novel study of L’Assassin impossible. We did Chapters 1 and 2 together to ensure that students had a good foundational knowledge of the book, and on Friday, students began working independently on Chapter 3. We’ll continue with this work throughout the week, and students’ marks on their work will be reported on PowerSchool chapter by chapter (as formative work), with a final summative mark posted at the end.
Spring Break next week!
- Just a reminder – students do not have classes this Friday, nor do they have any classes all of next week. Classes will resume as normal on Monday, April 8th. Encourage your child to bring a bag or two to help them clean out their locker before the break!
A request for a conversation with your child
- With Spring in the air and the promise of a new start at Cochrane High just around the corner, some of our Grade 8 students have been struggling with making good choices related to their actions. For example, some students have started coming to class late on a consistent basis (despite being in the building), others have been wandering the halls during lunch (when they should be either in their own homeroom or off-campus), and messes are often left behind (both in classrooms and in the halls). At times, a staff member will ask a group of students to do something, and are met with rolled eyes and deep sighs. Although we are addressing this with our students, I am asking that you do the same. Please have a conversation with your child about the importance of respecting both their fellow students and school staff) and also the building that we share.
Thanks so much, everyone!
Katt
Week of March 18th
Hello parents!
Here is your update for this week.
French Language Arts
- Our goal this week is to finish up the oral presentations, having made good progress with the presentations last week. This will likely take us until the end of the week, but if we finish early, we’ll begin to dive into a new novel, L’assassin impossible.
Social Studies
- This week, our focus in on changing ideas. We’ll learn about the factors that sped up or slowed down the spread of ideas during the Renaissance, and then we’ll begin to look at some of the newer ideas, especially in the areas of philosophy (such as humanism), the arts (such as perspective), science (such as the concept of time), and other areas including language and religion. This week will include more of an overview, with students going more in-depth in the weeks to come.
Upcoming Field Trip – Free, but Permission Required!
- On Wednesday, April 10th, our Grade 7 and 8 students are lucky to attend a concert and presentation by Robb Nash, completely free of charge. This event will be taking place at the Jack Singer Concert Hall in downtown Calgary, and all of the associated costs are covered by Robb and his team. I’ve attached the info letter here, and you can fill out the permission form through School Cash Online.
- We will require parent volunteers for the trip (we need a minimum of one adult for every ten students), so if you’d like to attend a rock concert in a concert hall, let me know!
Have a great week!
Katt
Week of March 12th
Hello parents!
After a great day at Telus SPARK today, here’s your weekly update!
French Language Arts
- This week is all about presentations! Each student will be doing their prepared oral presentations over the next few days; encourage your child to practice their speech with you, ensuring that they speak fluently, with expression, and with their very best pronunciation and eye contact!
Social Studies
- Tomorrow, both classes will write their quiz about the three city-states that we’ve been studying over the past little bit. Students can use the pamphlet they created last week. Absent? Lost it? Check out Google Classroom so they’re prepared and ready to go!
- Following this, we’ll look at how ideas spread during the Renaissance, which will set us up for a research project on influential people of the Renaissance, which will get underway next week.
Cochrane High Forms
- Students were given registration and option selection forms for Cochrane High during their visit last week. Please ensure that those are completed and returned to the office ASAP!
Have a great week!
Katt
Week of March 4th
Hello parents!
Here is your update for the week.
French Language Arts
- By now, students should be done writing their oral presentations in French (using the three main types of passé composé verbs). We’ll be printing these out so that students can practice their presentations out loud, and the presentations will start either later this week or early next week.
Social Studies
- We are continuing to learn about three of the main city-states of the Italian Renaissance: Florence, Venice, and Genoa. We’ve finished the notes for Florence and Venice, and just have Genoa left to go. As students are taking notes, they’re also making an informative pamphlet which shows the information with both words and images. Later this week, we’ll do a review activity to make sure they understand the elements which set each city apart from each other.
Semaine de la Francophonie
- To celebrate Francophone culture, Mme Yersh has put together a week’s worth of fun francophone-themed activities. Yesterday, we did some online activities including French wordles and understanding French expressions, today we did some French Zumba, and tomorrow and Thursday we’ll continue with a dress-up theme day and watching some French-themed videos. For Wednesday’s dress-up day, 8-1 picked the theme of “All black” and 8-2 picked the theme of “fancy”. Please remind your student about the dress up day in the morning. Student may also choose to participate in a lip-sync contest and a “guess how many maple candies” contest.
Upcoming Events
- As a reminder, we have the following events taking place within the next week:
- Wednesday morning, March 6 – Grade 8 Orientation with Cochrane High School
- Monday, March 11 – No classes for students (PD for staff)
- Tuesday, March 12 – Field trip to Telus SPARK – one parent volunteer still required!
If you are able to help us out and volunteer with Telus SPARK, that would be great. We require one more volunteer, so please let me know if you can join us!
Have a great week!
Katt
