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.

Marissa H. Wins District Poster Contest

The next couple of entries for Albrecht’s Updates should make up for our recent lack of online activity. Not that Division Four hasn’t been newsworthy - quite the contrary! Between report card assessments, play rehearsals, writing to Canadian soldiers in Kandahar, creative country presentations, Frindle novel study displays, volleyball playoffs, and STOMP recitals, we still managed to share our Anti- Bullying message during November. Division Four has been a veritible ‘hive’ of buzzing activity.

Willoughby Elementary took part in the School District’s Wear Blue on Friday to demonstrate our unity against all forms of bullying. Furthermore, we submitted entries towards a poster contest that visually demonstrated the impact of cyber-bullying. Not only did the students’ drawings make all of us realize how pervasive and threatening cyber-bullying is, but our own Marissa H.’s poster made such an impact that she was a winner of the district wide cyber-bullying poster contest. Her poster will appear in the 2008 Cyber-Bullying Awareness Calendar. Each Winner and Honourable Mention will receive a calendar and Marissa has won her class a Sony cyber-shot digital camera.

The 2008 Calendars will be selling for $5.00 (proceeds to support further Cyber-Bullying Awareness activities). If you are interested in buying a calendar, please contact Sandra Averill: saverill@sd35.bc.ca

Marissa H. was the overall winner from Willoughby Elementary, and some (posters) honourable mentions are:

Andy K. - Willoughby, Rebecca L.- Willoughby Kelsey O. –Willoughby

(Slogans) honourable mentions:

Michelle C-Willoughby

Grade Six Frindle Project for Language Arts

Frindle Final Projects - Choose ONE task for presentation. Due October 30/2007

The following assignments were selected after a thorough examination of all the students’ learning styles. For our classroom's Frindle Final Project, I chose projects that were voted the most popular amongst the students. The students' main interests were with projects that contained an artistic or 3-D/ involving assembly) component. Our next novel, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh will provide a more in-depth, student-directed final project.

BACKGROUND

Here are the assignments for the students’ Frindle Novel Study Project: All projects are due on October 30 2007.

Please have your child do most of the work. I know some eager and creative parents are dying to offer some advice... And YES, your child is more than welcome to accept your ideas - parents generally come up with great ideas and/or creative solutions.

However, when marking, I am keenly aware of students who received EXTRA PARENTAL HELP (A good thing) as opposed to students who received NO EXTRA HELP from their family. Students who received NO assistance will be graded using a separate set of criteria. Not all of us are blessed with amazing parents who offer great ideas and assistance.

(For example, I know a teacher who gets home around 6:30 - 7:00 p.m. each evening, briefly acknowledges her darling son (whose mouth is forming some words about needing 'help with his math homework') only to receive a blank stare from his mom, which translates to: “What? Huh? Who? Me?!" This poor boy does all of his assignments on his own as his Mom - who is also a teacher - named Mrs. A. - Whoops! Now how did my son's homework predicament get in here?

ASSIGNMENTS OFFERED

1. A photo album summary

You will submit a photo album with photographs detailing the events that occurred in Frindle. You may have to ask other friends to assist you with your scene set ups.

• Photo 1 may have Nick and Janet outside discovering a pen (with the caption - “Nick thinks of the word Frindle” mod podged onto the picture.)

• Your could have a picture of the outside of a store with some children lined up getting ready to ask for a ‘frindle’ Make sure to add some context.

2. Story Quilt:

Using 22 cm by 22 cm (9" X 9" or 10" X 10") square pieces of paper - illustrate, paint, or draw 9 important events from the book, Frindle. Later, the squares will be mounted on a piece of construction paper to look like a quilt. Be sure to design and colour each piece differently.

3. Create a diorama

Take a shoe box and create a miniature scene of Nick’s adventures with his ‘frindle’. Ideas could be:

• diorama of Nick sitting n Granger's classroom (with her dictionary) signing the note

• Nick on the Conan O'Brien Set showing his frindle and the dictionary it has been published in

• Show Nick and friends lined up in the store to purchase a frindle.

• If you can think of another time (that centers around the pen - then feel free to create the scene.)

4. Draw a poster

Your full sized poster must give a summary about the story without giving the ending away! It must make the reader want to go and buy the book because they read your poster.

• Throw in some rave book reviews from other newspapers ie: Two thumbs up from the New York Times Have the poster brightly drawn with a couple of scenes from the book illustrated (Flet Pens stand out). Above all, Make the pictures relevant to Frindle.

5. Design a boardgame that is relevant to the book.

• Your game pieces should be mini pens, books, glasses, etc. and you need to provide dice and cards (if needed)

• The boards should not be too big (try not to exceed a half metre in length (if rectangular).

• Boards should have rewards for Nick winning the word war, ie: Move forward three spaces)

• Or go back two spaces for whenever Granger makes a good counterpoint.

Have a great, imaginative name for your Game Board.

6. Comic Series

Design a cartoon detailing nine important events from the book.

• You may exceed 9 but not 12 squares for each cartoon event.

• Each square will be approximately 7cm X12 cm.