Some Drama To Look Forward To

Drama: We finished up our final presentation of first term’s plays. During the first term, the dramatic focus was on delivery - knowing their lines, demonstrating proper vocal modulation and enunciation. During second term, the focus is on vocal delivery and the incorporation of props. The third term will involve vocal delivery, use of props and creativity with costumes.

I have several more areas to delve into, but I will address those (hopefully) over Winter Break.

December, the Month of Giving

December usually reminds me of all the marking I have to do over the holidays (hence the book pictures) but it also makes the students of my class 'shine' in their generosity.



December has also been a busy month for giving - both in charity and amongst friends. We have several important causes/events to celebrate.

Gift Jars - (December 13th was jar shopping day) The PAC has come up with a wonderful idea for fund-raising. Each child was encouraged to bring a gift themed jar. These jars may contain a ‘bath’ theme, ‘candy’ theme, ‘toy’ theme, ‘sticker and stamp’ theme, ‘coffee and tea’ theme etc.



The class (Mrs. Webber's) who brought the most gift jars, received cookies and milk and the opportunity to go 'jar shopping' first! (Well Done!)

Classes followed in the order of number of jars collected. The class with the second largest submission of jars were chosen to go shopping, and so on, through all of the classrooms. Wow! What a fabulous idea and an amazing set up. The gymnasium was filled with tables offering jars for $5.00, $2.00 and $1.00! Such a great bargain for Christmas shopping and a great idea to raise money for the schools. Already, students were discussing next year's "Jar Sale". I even received a couple of gift jars courtesy of Devon and Eric C., which was very thoughtful. As usual, Willoughby's Parent Advisory Committee presented a unique fundraising idea and made it successful. Kudos to PAC.




A big thank you to Mrs. Chan for coming in and helping our students craft a fabulous gift. Everyone was able to produce a card craft that looked as though it was bought in a gift store (but better). Such a professional touch. I later talked Mrs. Chan into helping out with Mrs. Sofiak's class. Heh! The poor woman was put on the spot! But we all know that Mrs. Chan is an outgoing and amiable woman, so she graciously signed on to present to another class.

Another fundraising drive, Toys for Tots, also went well. Overall, I am pleased with Division Four's charitable and generous nature. I am proud of my students’ willingness to rise to any occasion.

Last, but not least, our students enjoyed a Secret Santa exchange. Unfortunately, I missed the event due to an ill child and the exchange wasn't handled quite the way I would have liked it. One student did not receive her secret Santa gift, but being the ever-so-classy gal, she didn't make a fuss or blow an angry fuse. She wanted to speak to me first before she reacted. As it turned out, her gift had been stored away in my file cabinet for well over a week but my Teacher on Call failed to understand with the note I left. Christmas is a hectic time for everyone, including TOC's, so the misplaced gift is just 'one of those things' that happens to all of us and I am sorry that I wasn't there to sort things out.

As usual, Division Four responded to the girl's situation with charitable generosity; offering to share just-opened Secret Santa gifts with her, and offering to purchase a new Secret Santa gift which they would bring in the next day. Such an amazing group of kind-hearted children. I am proud to know them.

Huge Grade Six Social Studies Project - Due Nov. 9th

Imaginary country assignment

This is a huge part of the students’ first term Social Studies' grade.

Due: November 9, 2007

Working ON YOUR OWN or in groups of 2 or 3 (no more than 3) Complete the following assignment.

Please Note: You will be given plenty of time to complete this at school. You may do some at home, but never leave your work at home. (You will lose points as this is your work, remember - not your parents.

Project Assignment:

Create an island/partial mainland that shows the following topographical features (see handout and/or Visit Go to Landforms Definitions link on our website if you are unsure of the feature.)

Criteria:

• The island base may not be larger than your desk top. You will lose marks if it is larger.

• 2 mountain ranges with 2 peaks

• 1 fjord

• 1 Valley

• 1 Isthmus

• 1 Cliff

• 1 Bay

• 1 strait

• 1 peninsula

• 1 reef

• 3 lakes

• an ocean

• another island

• a partial mainland

• 3 rivers

• identified lowlands and highlands

• 1 swamp

• The island must have each of the features labelled and named ie: Bailey’s Bay

Oral Presentation Must Include

• your island model

• A poster with the following information:

1. Government and Laws - What are the laws of your country? Is it a democracy, oligarchy, monarchy, dictatorship? Who is/are the leaders? What is against the law? How are people elected?

2. Religion & Customs- What religions are practised on your island? Are their any specific cultural holidays? What books, music, art do the citizens like? What type of foods are eaten?

3 Physical Environment - What is the capital city? What modes of transportation are available? Do they have any natural resources that they may export for money?

4. Economy - What type of currency is used? (Create a sample to share with the class). Are there rich people and poor people? How does the government look after the poor or the sick? How does the government make money? Are there taxes? What kind?

5. History - What is the history of your island/country? How was it founded and by whom? Was there any wars or was it a peaceful settlement. Were people brought from another country to populate this country?

Helpful Hints for creating a papier mache island:

A few drops of oil of wintergreen stops the papier mache from rotting over the years.

Begin bringing old newspapers to begin the project.

The school will provide the wallpaper paste to assist with the papier mache.

Try to cut a plywood (thin) platform that measures no bigger than 13” x 13” (sorry, I only had my prehistoric ruler.)

Grass and moss have lots of good uses for forests, lowlands, etc. Sand is good for beachfront. And pepples from outside are fabulous for reefs and rocky shorelines.

Some students have even used coffee grounds for a dirt appearance!

Above all - enjoy this project. It is amazing what one learns about landforms when one has to recreate them! Enjoy!

For more information/clarification - Please feel free to email me at calbrecht@sd35.bc.ca or telephone at 604 790 5849

Nightly Multiplication Drills

Math Drills

Article Contributed by Sean M.

The students in Division 4 were given a packet of multiplication drill sheets to take home. After we look over the sheets with our parents, we will choose one of the drills to officially ‘start’ our practise drills.

(After we have chosen our starting drill, we will tell Mrs. Albrecht and she will run off a copy on a transparency. Then we can practise the drill as many times as we want without wasting a lot of paper. We will just wash off the ink and be ready for the next try.)

Once we have received our ‘official’ starting drill, we have to practise every night (only once a night). However, we can attempt the drill as many times as we wish. The drills are between the 4x and the 12x tables).

(In February, Mrs. Albrecht will be adding some division and fraction drills as well.)

We are practising our drills because the faster we can recall facts, the easier it is to do all mathematics. Also, we want to be able to ‘beat’ our own recorded time. We will write down how long it took to complete the drill the very first time we try it, and then we will try to ’beat’ that time.

For example, if it takes someone 4 minutes and 18 seconds to do the 8 X drill on Monday, then hopefully by Sunday, it will take him/her only 4 minutes 3 seconds to finish. Mrs. Albrecht will be very happy if we improve upon our first time and hopes our parents will write her a note in our agenda, so she can encourage us.

If we can finish the entire drill within 3 minutes and 30 seconds (with only 2 mistakes or less) we can bring back the drill and pick a new one.

If we become too frustrated with a drill, we can exchange it for a different one after two weeks. Sometimes it is really hard to reach the 3.5 minutes time, and Mrs. Albrecht will be happy if we show improvement.

Mrs. Albrecht has to receive a note from our parents before she will give us a new drill. The note will either report the time it took us to complete it, or it will say that we are too frustrated to continue.

Mrs Albrecht says, Ready...? Set...? Start your drill...!

Welcome Division Four to Grade Six 2007 to 2008

Welcome to Mrs. Albrecht’s Division Four class website.



We are finishing up our second week of grade six and if these last two weeks are any indicator of what is to come, the 2007/2008 school year is going to pass incredibly fast.

During the first week, all of the grade sixes were divided into two groups. The two groups alternated between Mrs. Sofiak’s and Mrs. Albrecht’s classroom. Mrs. Sofiak had the students conduct interviews, then use the information gathered to formally introduce their peer to the class.

Mrs. Albrecht had the students study three selling techniques used in commercials. The students had to incorporate the techniques learned, into selling an imaginary product of their own.



September 10th arrived and the students were ready to formally begin grade six. In spite of our homework board listing several assignments, the students will only have homework IF they were not able to utilize their class time wisely. Each assigned task is allotted a full period (or more) to work on the task. If the assignment is not completed during the time given, your child is expected to take the work home for completion.


We experienced a death this week and held a funeral/farewell for the deceased. No, it was not an actual physical death, but the death of a learned response that has been detrimental to our students.

On Monday, students were asked to list every school task, behaviour, thought, expression etc.,they feel they CANNOT do. The students were taken aback by this negative request. After some initial hesitation, our children were soon filling their lined sheets with every conceivable I CAN’T thought. The students were then asked to hand the sheets in to me.

It was a fabulous feeling - I had every I CAN’T, every self doubt, or thought that held your/OUR children back from succeeding in my hand.

I announced that there would be a cremation and burial of the I CAN’TS the next day. Students were encouraged to prepare a sentence, paragraph or thought to say goodbye. We also needed to prepare for (and accept) the non existence of the words I CAN’T in our classroom.



The next morning was crisp and clear and perfect for a funeral. After a quick cremation (in a metal cooking container) we lined up, single-file, to dig up then bury the ashes of the I CAN’TS.

The Cremation:



The digging up:



Sarah begins the farewells:



The Burial:





Finally, the class of 2008 is ready to start their grade six year - free of those pesky I CAN’TS!



Since Wednesday, we have spent several sessions creating our Puzzle Profiles for Personal Planning (what a tongue twister).

One of our learning outcomes is for the student to “describe their own individuality within a social group”. By using the format of a jigsaw puzzle, the students are able to pictorially demonstrate how many pieces make up their personality. Some students have added more pieces, making their personal puzzle more intricate. This is true in real life as some of us have many, intricate sides, and others have fewer, yet more open personalities.

I have been learning a lot about the students by reading their profile puzzle pieces, and hopefully we will all learn a little more about each other as the project continues.



We will be writing more about the Community Corn Roast Dinner and posting pictures of the fabulous turnout!