Avgen gift card info

Gift cards will be not be available today as expected. They will be ready next Wed, Dec 12. Avgen is experiencing a high volume of orders, therefore they were unable to process our order within their usual time frames. If you have any questions/concerns, feel free to contact Carey Zirk at 978-7994.

Just a note to keep you up to date with what is going on in our class...

Math 7:

            We are wrapping up Unit 3: Fractions, Decimals, and Percents.  Our test on the unit will be next Tuesday when we have completed review and a practice test.   Additional review materials can be found through the Math Makes Sense link at the bottom of this blog.

Our next unit is “Circles and Area”.

Language Arts:          

We are currently working on a unit called “Sending a Message”.  We are taking a look at a variety of ways that we use different media in order to communicate

Social Studies:

            We have begun the “Resources” unit.  Students are working on projects that use diverse resources to meet their wants and needs in survival-type situations.

Health:

            We have completed the “decision making” unit and are now working with the Second STEP program. Students will be learning about positive, respectful conflict resolution through role play and class discussion.

Religion:

Unit 3 “We believe in God the Father Almighty” is our next unit.  We are exploring the themes

-          Who loves me?

-          It’s a “free country.”

-          Who’s in control?

We are also preparing the liturgy for the first week of Advent.

            Art:

Our unit about “Cubism” is in full swing.  There will be six assignments associated with this unit.

            Career Guidance:

Students are writing formal job application letters to work as elves at the North Pole.  They are currently developing background info about their “elf selves” using a “Personal Inventory” sheet.  Next week will bring the letter writing.  Editing with a parent/guardian/older sibling etc. is encouraged.

Christmas Service Project

Advent season will soon be upon us and we welcome support from our families to fill food hampers this year for families in Saskatoon. Last year our school partnered up with St. John School to provide assistance to families in need. We will challenge students again this year, in each classroom, to fill their food hampers which will be placed the classrooms. We will be collecting donations for the next few weeks. Each classroom will be asking for non-perishable food items to fill our hampers at the school. Please look for a memo coming home with your child(s) homeroom teacher. We will continue to collect food until December 14^th.

Drug Awareness and Healthy Lifestyles Presentation

We are going to the "Drug Awareness and Healthy Lifestyles" presentation at Prairieland Park for most of Thursday afternoon.  The presentation is supported by the Saskatoon Police and various agencies throughout the city.  It is a fun afternoon of learning.

We are leaving the school at 12:00, so students who normally go home for lunch will need to bring a lunch.
The return bus leaves the Prairieland at 2:45.

There are several students who have not submitted their health and/or emergency forms.  These forms must be in before students can participate in field trips.  The clock is ticking...

Blog Subscriptions

Thanks to recent parent feedback, I have been made aware of a flaw in the "Follow by Email" way of following the blog.  The updates are not immediate - in fact, they can be taking a day and a half to reach you if you are a follower.

That isn't really what I was hoping for with this technology.

In an effort to rectify the issue, I have added a new way to subscribe - the "Subscribe To tenfortyfour" RSS feed.  (It is on the right side of the page, under the calendar.)

While I am certainly no IT guru, it was very easy for me to follow the blog on my own computer, and I suspect that it will be fairly easy to set up on a smartphone as well.

Please try it out and let me know how it works for you.

Update: It IS pretty much instantaneous.

Subway Lunch

Friday, November 9th is our next hot lunch.  This one will benefit OUR classroom.  Please consider supporting the fundraising efforts.

Thank you to Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Macknak for taking charge on this initiative.

If the form doesn't make it home, gets lost, etc, it can be reprinted from the Shared Documents link at the bottom of this page.

Construction around St. Dominic

To: All St. Dominic Parents/Guardians

On Thursday, November 1st, our school will begin to look more like a construction
zone. Our school will have two new roof top heater units installed using a large crane to
add them to the roof. On Thursday, Nov. 1, we ask all students/parents of Preschool
– Gr. 4, to use the parking lot entrance away from the construction for safety
purposes. Students from the Grade 1 and Precious Tots Preschool rooms will be
relocated for the day while installation occurs. ALL students will experience in-door
recess and lunch hour to promote safety during the construction time.
As well, our east entrance by the gym will have a fence installed for temporary heat
system while our two heat boilers are replaced over the next few weeks. We ask
students to please stay away from the fence as construction occurs over the next
few weeks.
Thank you for your assistance and understanding,
Duane Johnson
Principal St. Dominic School.

GSCS Cyber school math access

There has been some renewed interest in this information, so I am reposting it.

Join the Mathematics Learning Community for GSCS parents, guardians, and students and gain access to the student textbooks (Grades 3-9) and Student Practice and Homework books (Grades 1-9).

To register for this learning community, visit the cyber school website: www.scs.sk.ca/cyber and scroll down to the bottom of the page.  Under "Stuff" select "Math Learning Registration".  Scroll down on this page and select "I Agree".  Fill out the registration form and within a few days you will be emailed a user name and password.

Once you have your user name and password, you can access the learning community by going to the cyber school website: www.scs.sk.ca/cyber and logging in under WebCT Log In.

Murder Mystery Wrap-Up

Wednesday is the wrap-up for our murder mystery and our mystery unit.  We are going to dress in character and share our guesses about the murderer.

There will be a treat for the students as we share (provided work is up to date and submitted!)

The theme is "early sixties" and there have been several suggestions as to what a costume could look like.  This is meant for fun, and does not need to be complicated.  I will be pulling out my Converse All-Stars and a jean jacket, for example.

After a seasonal activity or two, we will be starting our new unit "Send a Message" next week.

Community Council Fundraiser

We are having the 3rd Annual Stocking Stuffer Market.

Located at St. Dominic School - Montgomery, Nov. 17th from 10-3.

There will be over 30 vendors, home businesses. We will have a Christmas Cafe, with lunch available or if people just want to have a coffee and treat! A children's area! 50/50, raffle draws! baking tables and more

Get all your Christmas shopping done under one roof!

For more information or if you are interested in being a vendor, please call the school at 659-7290 and they can direct your call to a committee member who can provide more details.

Education Week

Next week is education week. Here are the details:

 

Parents are invited to our classroom to talk about their education (how it has helped you to get your job or how it has helped you in your life).  Grade six and seven students are often hesitant to have their parents present to the class, but if this interests you, please email me!

 

Monday: Wear your house colours. We will have a community walk.

 

Tuesday: Career Day

Wear something that shows the career you want when you grow up. Please DO NOT buy anything for this. We want to make it as easy as possible.

Wear a badge, hat or bring a (safe) object people use in your chosen career.

School wide pot luck lunch!! Parents are encouraged to have lunch with us. Please provide one item to share with the entire class.

 

Wednesday and Thursday: Fine Arts day. Nothing is needed from parents.

 

Friday: Hallway dance party

Book exchange day. Bring a book you no longer read to trade with your classmates.

Wrap -up assembly.

October Update

I try to publish an update every month to make sure that parents know what units we are working on.  At this point, perhaps because of the later start to the school year, there is currently very little to report.  In all but one area, we are still working on the same units as outlined in the September update.

The one exception is Math.  We completed Unit 1: Patterns and Relations this week, and have started Unit 2: Integers.

Not everybody did as well on Tuesday's Unit 1 test as they would have liked.  Please take the opportunity to discuss test results with your son or daughter.  If you need more info, please send me an email.  A retest for interested students will take place Tuesday.  Anyone wishing to take the retest must complete at least 2 review sheets to be eligible.  Sheets are available from me (upon request) or through the Math Makes Sense Extra Practice link at the bottom of this page.  If a student improves with the retest, an average of the two tests will be recorded.

Book Talks

Students started "Book Talks" a couple of weeks ago.  This is an ongoing activity where students share details and opinions about books they have read.  While their ability to speak about things they have read is being evaluated, it is also my hope that students in the audience will learn about books that may interest them.  After a survey of the students, one of the most telling (and pervasive) responses was how few students actually ENJOY reading.
Perhaps if they can find books that are recommended by peers, they will find something they like.

Book Talks take place every Thursday afternoon, and students present on the same day as the other members of their guided reading groups.  This makes for a 5 week rotation.  The evaluation can be found under "Shared Documents"  in the "LA" folder.

I also have a few fun read-alouds planned that should be engaging, even for some of the non-readers.

Morning Prayer

Starting Thursday, September 27, the grade 6/7 class will be responsible for the morning prayer over the intercom.

The prayers are now available to the students, and it is HIGHLY recommended that they take the opportunity to practise before they read over the intercom.

The initials of the prayer reader will be included on the blog calendar, and the schedule can also be found in the binder with the daily prayers.  I will upload the prayers to the shared documents folder in case you need to practise but have forgotten the sheet at school.

Extended Learning Opportunities Program

To:              Parents & Guardians

From:          D. Gallays             Classroom Teacher

                   A. Thompson        Teacher Librarian

                   P. Kindrachuk      E.L.O. Catalyst Teacher

          The grade six/seven  students are currently working on a unit of study in the subject area of English Language Arts.  The unit, Mysteries, has been planned by the Classroom Teacher, Teacher Librarian, and the E.L.O. Catalyst Teacher.  The team of teachers will all take part in teaching and evaluating the unit.  Students will be exposed to a number of different enrichment strategies that have been created to challenge each child at their level of learning ability. 

          The unit is one part of the Extended Learning Opportunities program offered at St. Dominic School.  The teachers expect this to be an exciting and enriched learning experience for all children.

          If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the team of teachers involved.

Sincerely,

          P. Kindrachuk

Cotton Candy Sale

On Monday, October 17, the grade one class will be selling cotton candy during the afternoon recess.  It is $1 per bag, with a single bag limit.

Welcome Back

Just a note to keep you up to date with what is going on in our 6/7 class…

Academic stuff:

Math:

The grade sixes are working with Mr. McCormick.  His blog can be found at http://mrimccormick.blogspot.ca

The grade sevens have recently started the “Patterns and Relations” unit. There will be a test on the first unit’s material near the beginning of October.  (Check the calendar for the exact date, as it approaches.)  In preparation for the test, students are encouraged to review the lessons, particularly the Assessment Focus questions.  This should give them insight as to their areas of strength and weakness.  Additional review materials can be found on CD-ROM available for loan from the school.  I would also strongly recommend signing up for the materials available through our division (outlined in the previous post).

            There are links to various math sites linked to this blog and the St. Dominic website if you are looking for additional resources.  Many of them are actually fun!

Language Arts:          

We are currently working on a unit called “Mysteries”.  Students are reading from the Nelson Literacy anthology.  We will be working, twice a week, with Mrs. Thompson (teacher librarian) and Mrs. Kindrachuk (ELO catalyst teacher) on projects related to our theme.

Social Studies:

            We have begun the “Location” unit.  We are familiarizing ourselves with maps and atlases, and will, in October, have an open-atlas a quiz.  When we are comfortable in this capacity, we will be exploring globalization and global/international organizations.

Science:          

            Students are working with Mr. Doll on the “Earth’s Crust and Resources” unit.  Mr. Doll’s blog can be found at http://stdomscienceroom.blogspot.ca/

Health:

            We have started the year with a unit on decision making.  Students will be working on a lengthy assignment that requires them to track their own health-related habits, and then encourages them to make any positive changes where they discover the need.

Religion:

Unit 1 “I…We” is our current unit.  We are exploring the themes

                                                Who am I?

                                                Am I normal?

                                                Do I belong?

Finally…

Please take a minute to email me with your name and your child’s name, so that I can add you to my contact list.  This is probably the most efficient method of communication for most things, though phone calls will work better for some things too…

Dan Gallays

dgallays@scs.sk.ca

659-8451