Friday, May 22

 

SWIMMING CONTINUES TUESDAY - don't forget your swimsuit and towel!

Classroom Update

Math -  We started to look at transformations this week.  The first one we worked on was translations which is moving a shape across a grid.  Students have to give directions using the grid and redraw the original shape in its new location.  There was also some review of telling time and problem solving.

Home Practise:   Students can work on multiplication and division facts to increase speed and accuracy.  They are encouraged to quickly review some that they already know and spend more time with facts they find more challenging.  Students should also feel confident with multi-digit subtraction at this point of grade 3.

Language Arts - We started working on poetry this week.  In grade 3, we work on certain kinds of poetry that involve skills we have already worked on.  First up.......limericks!  Limericks have a very specific rhythm and rhyme that needs to be followed and are usually quite silly.  We will be ready to share our limericks soon.

Science - Our focus continued to be on food chains / food webs.  We started a project about a chosen ecosystem and the food chain / web that exists there.  Some of the choices were rainforest, ocean, savannah, mountain.  Students began representing their ecosystem food chain on a poster.

Social Studies - Students continued to study symbols of our province like the wild rose and big-horned sheep.  They then created their own shield with symbols that represent them.

*PREDATOR / PREY GAME - We were pretty tired after swimming so did not get outside to play our game.  Depending on the weather next week, we are planning on playing our game at a different park close to the school Monday afternoon.   The park we are planning on visiting is the princess / pirate park which gives us opportunities to use the trees and equipment as part of our game. 

Upcoming Dates

May 26-28                                Grade 3 and 4 Swimming lessons at YMCA Seton

May 27                                     Fun Lunch - Subway

June 5                                      Volunteer Tea (More Information to Come)

June 8-15                                 Grade 3 and 4 - Alien In-Line Skating

June 17                                    Fun Lunch - Coco Brooks

June 25                                    Sports Day - Wear your Red & White for Canada Day!!

June 26                                    Last Day of School

Thursday, May 14

 SWIMMING STARTS TUESDAY - don't forget your swimsuit and towel!

Classroom Update

Math -  We continued working on pre-algebra questions this week.  We also solved some problems and answered some questions using information on graphs.

Home Practise:   Students can work on multiplication and division facts to increase speed and accuracy.  They are encouraged to quickly review some that they already know and spend more time with facts they find more challenging.  Students should also feel confident with multi-digit subtraction at this point of grade 3.

Language Arts - During word work this week, we focused on the suffixes "tion" and "sion".  In writing, students continued working on a "graphic novel" representing parts of a novel they have read or I have read to them this year.  

Science - Our focus continued to be on food chains.  We played a big game of predator/prey outside where we all had different roles.  Some students were producers while others were consumers.  Each student had a role and could only tag the students that represented their "food".

Social Studies - Students reviewed the municipal and provincial levels of government this week.  They also learned about all of the symbols that represent Alberta.

*PREDATOR / PREY GAME - depending on the weather next week, we are planning on playing our game at a different park close to the school.   The park we are planning on visiting is the princess / pirate park which gives us opportunities to use the trees and equipment as part of our game. 

Upcoming Dates

May 15                                     Non-Instructional Day - NO SCHOOL

May 18                                     Victoria Day - NO SCHOOL

May 19-21                                Grade 3 and 4 Swimming Lessons at YMCA Seton

May 26-28                                Grade 3 and 4 Swimming lessons at YMCA Seton

May 27                                     Fun Lunch - Subway

Friday, May 8

 

Classroom Update

Math -  We continued working on pre-algebra questions this week.  Finding missing numbers in equations takes flexibility and an understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  We also continued to practise problem solving and rounding numbers.

Home Practise:   Students can work on multiplication and division facts to increase speed and accuracy.  They are encouraged to quickly review some that they already know and spend more time with facts they find more challenging.  Students should also feel confident with multi-digit subtraction at this point of grade 3.

Language Arts - During word work this week, we focused on the suffix "ist".  In writing, students continued working on a "graphic novel" representing parts of a novel they have read or I have read to them this year.  We also participated in the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra's presentation of "Wandering with Wonder" and talked about how music can communicate certain emotions or represent certain things like animals.

Science - This week we focused on building food chains that contain producers, consumers and decomposers.  Students have shown a solid understanding that a whole ecosystem can be destroyed if even one part of the food chain collapses.

Social Studies - Students focused on the municipal and provincial levels of government this week.  They learned about who is the head of our municipal and provincial governments and what role the different levels play.  For example, the city takes care of fire stations and the provincial government is responsible for education.

Upcoming Dates

May 12                                     Class Photo Day

May 15                                     Non-Instructional Day - NO SCHOOL

May 18                                     Victoria Day - NO SCHOOL

May 19-21                                Grade 3 and 4 Swimming Lessons at YMCA Seton

May 26-28                                Grade 3 and 4 Swimming lessons at YMCA Seton

May 27                                     Fun Lunch - Subway

Friday, May 1

Classroom Update

Math -  We continued working on pre-algebra questions this week.  Finding missing numbers in equations takes flexibility and an understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  We also continued to practise problem solving and identifying right angles.

Home Practise:   Students can work on multiplication and division facts to increase speed and accuracy.  They are encouraged to quickly review some that they already know and spend more time with facts they find more challenging.  Students should also feel confident with multi-digit subtraction at this point of grade 3.

Language Arts - During word work this week, we focused on the suffix "or" and "ar".  These are tricky suffixes to remember as they sound like the "er" suffix when we say the word.  In writing, students continued working on a "graphic novel" representing parts of a novel they have read or I have read to them this year.

Science - We discussed the role of plants in ecosystems.  We also used our science vocabulary to label plants as producers (make their own food) and animals/insects etc. as consumers (have to eat things).  Consumers then get broken down into 3 categories - herbivores, carnivores and omnivores.

Social Studies - Our focus this week was on starting a conversation about different levels of government.  The discussion centred on how both federal and provincial governments control parks.  We talked about how Banff is a national park and how Fish Creek is a provincial park.  Both levels of government work to preserve and care for certain areas.

Upcoming Dates

May 4                                       STAR WARS DAY - May The 4th Be With You!!! (dress in your star wars shirts or as your favourite movie character)

May 6                                       Grade 3 and 4 Students visit McKenzie Highlands

May 7                                       Grade 3 Field Trip to Calgary Philharmonic

May 12                                     Class Photo Day

May 15                                     Non-Instructional Day - NO SCHOOL

May 18                                     Victoria Day - NO SCHOOL

May 19-21                                Grade 3 and 4 Swimming Lessons at YMCA Seton

May 26-28                                Grade 3 and 4 Swimming lessons at YMCA Seton

May 27                                     Fun Lunch - Subway

Thursday, April 23

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Spring Celebration.  And a huge thank you to Mrs. Darr for planning and organizing everything.

Classroom Update

Math -  We continued working on pre-algebra questions this week.  Finding out missing numbers in equations takes flexibility and an understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  We also continued to practise time, subtraction and division.

Home Practise:   Students can work on multiplication and division facts to increase speed and accuracy.  They are encouraged to quickly review some that they already know and spend more time with facts they find more challenging.  Students should also feel confident with multi-digit subtraction at this point of grade 3.

Language Arts - During word work this week, we focused on the suffix "er".  We explored how the "er" ending on words changes the meaning of the word.  We also tried to figure out when we have to double the final consonant ex. swimmer.  In writing, students continued working on a "graphic novel" representing parts of a novel they have read or I have read to them this year.

Science - We started our next unit called Living Systems.  We discussed how plants and animals respond to stimuli from their environment.  Our focus this week was plants.  We talked mostly about how plants protect themselves from harm like growing thorns or releasing irritating chemicals.

Social Studies - This week we continued to focus on some of the people that decided to settle in Alberta.  We talked about why they came and how land was promised to them.  We started reading a book called "Ticket to Curlew" which is set in the time of settlers.

Upcoming Dates

April 24                                     Non-Instructional Day - NO SCHOOL

April 29                                     Fun Lunch - Coco Brooks

May 6                                       Grade 3 Students visit McKenzie Highlands (those attending MHS next year)

May 7                                       Grade 3 Field Trip to Calgary Philharmonic

May 12                                     Class Photo Day

Friday, April 17

 Classroom Update

Math -  We have been working on pre-algebra questions this week.  This is when an equation has a missing number and we have to find out what it is.  For example it could be 8 x a = 56 or it could be 24 + a = 90 and we have to figure out what number "a" would be.  We also continued to practise time, subtraction and division.

Home Practise:   Students can work on multiplication and division facts to increase speed and accuracy.  They are encouraged to quickly review some that they already know and spend more time with facts they find more challenging.  Students should also feel confident with multi-digit subtraction at this point of grade 3.

Language Arts - During word work this week, we continued to focus on adjectives and adverbs.  We also practised finding nouns and verbs.  In writing, students have started a "graphic novel" representing parts of a novel they have read or I have read to them this year.

Science - We continued working on a moving cart created using simple machines.  Students spent the week building and testing their carts to make sure each part worked.  

Social Studies - This week we focused on some of the people that decided to settle in Alberta.  We talked about why they came and how land was promised to them.  When they arrived, they had to figure out how to build a house and grow enough food in a prairie landscape.

Upcoming Dates

April 23                                     Grade 2 & 3 Spring Concert (details below)

April 24                                     Non-Instructional Day - NO SCHOOL

April 29                                     Fun Lunch - Coco Brooks

May 6                                       Grade 3 Students visit McKenzie Highlands (those attending MHS next year)

May 7                                       Grade 3 Field Trip to Calgary Philharmonic

May 12                                     Class Photo Day

Grade 2 & 3 Spring Concert

McKenzie Towne School is excited to present "Singing Through the Seasons," our Spring Concert for the Grade 2 and 3 classes on Thursday April 23rd. 

The dress rehearsal is open to families to come watch. Please note, there may be pauses during this performance to fine tune some details. 

Dress Rehearsal:

Grade 2: 11:00am -11:30am

Grade 3: 1:30pm - 2:00pm 

Evening Performance:

Grade 2: 5:00pm - 5:30pm (doors open at 4:30) 

Grade 3: 6:30pm - 7:00pm (doors open at 6:00) 

Thursday, April 2

 Classroom Update

Math -  We continued reading and interpreting graphs this week.  We also continued working on multi-step word problems and algebra questions.

Home Practise:   Students can work on multiplication and division facts to increase speed and accuracy.  They are encouraged to quickly review some that they already know and spend more time with facts they find more challenging.  Students should also feel confident with multi-digit subtraction at this point of grade 3.

Language Arts - During word work this week, we focused on adjectives and adverbs.  In order to know what our adjectives and adverbs are, we also had to remember how to find nouns and verbs in sentences.  We also completed some descriptive writing where the focus was adjectives and adverbs.

Science - We continued to focus on simple machines.  This week we built structures with simple machines using Knex kits and also started designing a moving machine for a project that combines science and social studies.

Social Studies - This week we focused on reviewing the promise of treaties and how that has affected the structure of Alberta.

Upcoming Dates

April 23                                     Grade 2 & 3 Spring Concert (details below)

April 24                                     Non-Instructional Day - NO SCHOOL

April 29                                     Fun Lunch - Coco Brooks

May 6                                       Grade 3 Students visit McKenzie Highlands (if they are attending MHS next year)

May 7                                       Grade 3 Field Trip to Calgary Philharmonic

May 12                                     Class Photo Day

Grade 2 & 3 Spring Concert

McKenzie Towne School is excited to present "Singing Through the Seasons," our Spring Concert for the Grade 2 and 3 classes on Thursday April 23rd. 

The dress rehearsal is open to families to come watch. Please note, there may be pauses during this performance to fine tune some details. 

Dress Rehearsal:

Grade 2: 11:00am -11:30am

Grade 3: 1:30pm - 2:00pm 

Evening Performance:

Grade 2: 5:00pm - 5:30pm (doors open at 4:30) 

Grade 3: 6:30pm - 7:00pm (doors open at 6:00)