Happy Holidays

Wishing you and your family a restful holiday full of love, laughter, and fun! Looking forward to seeing you in the New Year! Here's a little of our version of "That Power."

Miss Kelly & Mrs. Soper

Time to Carol!

This may be my favourite week of the year.  General Wolfe is so lucky to have this amazing tradition.   We kicked off this morning with a special visit from Miss Kelly, and her sons Oliver, Henry and Joe, as well as Mrs. Segers and her son Samuel.  Mrs. Collins did an amazing job leading us too.  Tomorrow, Ms. Thomas and Mrs. Soper will be leading the carols and we will be visited by special guests Div. 1, 2, and 3 singing "Quand le Pere Noel."  The pop choir will also be helping out with the Hanukkah Song.  We'd love you to join us.


I hope everyone made it to the Winter Concert last week.  Our version of  "The Grinch" was amazing (if I do say so myself).  The kids practiced hard and stayed really focused throughout.  We are very proud of them.


Even with all this fun there is still work to be done:

• Grade 6s have a math test on long division on Wednesday
• Science Test on Living and Non-Living things on Wednesday
• Non-fiction essay rough draft due on Thursday
• Grade 7s are working on a project for Social Studies that is due after the break
• Friday Folders are going home this week too!

On a final note, Division 2 is having our Secret Santa draw on Friday.  Don't forget to bring your gifts so no one is left out.


Miss Kelly and Mrs. Soper

Getting Grinch-y

Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4 are working hard preparing for our contribution to the Winter Concert on Thursday.  It's going to be great!  All students should be at school Thursday night at 6:30 in costume for our version of the "The Grinch." 


Although holidays are fast approaching, we do still have work to do.  We have just begun our Classification Unit in science.  It's one of Miss Kelly's favourite units to teach!  Students are conducting their first labs of the year, experimenting on potatoes in order to examine the needs of living things.  While the rough lab is done in class, a good copy of the lab will need to be typed in students' free time.  The lab template is available on the shared drive at school as well as in the Resources tab of this blog. 


For your reading pleasure, we've attached a cool article from the Washington Post entitled "Are You Raising Nice Kids?"  As the holidays come up, it gives some great suggestions to help kids continue to develop empathy and of course, gratitude.  Hope you enjoy it!


Miss Kelly & Mrs. Soper

The Countdown to Break is On

What a fantastic week in Division 2!  Our field trip to the Planetarium was amazing.  We learned so many cool facts.  Did you know that there is a planet in the Milky Way that is made of diamonds?  Did you know that there are two planets that probably have life of some sort?  Ask your child about exoplanets, Viringous B, or Kepler?  It was a great day!  Thank you to the parents who were able to drive and a special thanks to Mrs. Liapis for joining us.

Last week was the end to our volleyball season.  Everyone worked so hard and improved a ton.  They were a pleasure to watch.  Special thank you to John Kim, Ms. Walker, and Ms. Friesen for coaching and supporting the team.  We will be having an end of season celebration the last week before the break and we are asking players to bring in $5 each for a gift for John and to pay for our pizza party. 

Students wrote a French quiz today and most of the Gr. 7s did not pass.   This test is on the verbs "avoir" and "etre" as well as the adjectives we discussed in class.  Students needed to memorize  those words and this is a skill that needs some practice.  I encouraged kids to try quizlet.com or make themselves flashcards to help them.  There will be a retest on Monday, Dec 8th.  Study!  Repetition is the key!

Division 2 will be performing at the Winter Concert this year along with the other Gr. 6/7 classes.  There will be both an afternoon and evening show.  If your child cannot attend either concert, please let us know.  We will also be singing a French Christmas carol during school caroling on Tuesday. 

Coming up this week, kids should be collecting research and materials to research for their Extreme Environments essay.  On Wednesday, we have limited computer access, so if possible, students are encouraged to bring their own technology, print out online articles, or bring in library books, etc.  Just a reminder that they need a bibliography, so if you are helping them find resources make sure they write down the bibliographic information.

18 days until Winter Break!  

Why Some Kids Try Harder

Division 2 continues to talk about hard work as the theme this year.  Students have received various assignments back marked over the last couple weeks.  The results of those assignments have been directly connected to the work put into them.  This kind of self-reflection is a new way of looking at themselves as learners and as well as a new way for you as parents to see them.  No longer do we say "you are good at..." but instead "I am impressed how hard you worked on..."  Attached is a recent article from the Huffington Post based on Carol Dweck's research.  Check it out:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tracy-cutchlow/why-some-kids-try-harder-and-some-kids-give-up_b_5826816.html


In classroom news, thank you to all the parents who are driving to and from the Planetarium this Thursday.  Just a reminder that there will be no hot lunch that day and there will not be access to vending machines.  Students will need to bring their own lunch.


Upcoming Dates:
Monday, Nov 24 - French Crazy Family Project Due
Tuesday, Nov 25 - All Science Stations due
Wednesday, Nov 26 - Signed 5-Paragraph Essay Sheet Due
Wednesday, Nov 26 - Last Regular Season Boys Volleyball Game
Thursday, Nov 27 - Planetarium Field Trip
Thursday, Nov 27 - Last Regular Season Girls Volleyball Game
Friday, Nov 28 - Professional Day - No school for students!
Sunday, Nov 30 - Last day to register for Cognitive Skills Test
Monday, Dec 1 - Sentence Structure Quiz

Miss Kelly & Mrs. Soper

Weekly Update - Nov 17th

We have a field trip to the Planetarium planned for Thursday, Nov 27th to finish up our unit on Space.  To keep the costs down, we are looking for 5 parent drivers to assist us.  We will leave the school at 9:15 and we will depart the Planetarium at approximately 2:15.  Please think about volunteering your time to support us. 


Just a few quick reminders:

• This is a Friday Folder week.
• Field Trip Permission forms are due Monday, Nov 24
• Practice your multiplication tables at home!!

Have a great week.


Miss Kelly & Mrs. Soper

New Ideas about Praise

On the last Professional Day Mrs. Soper had the pleasure of hearing one of her favourite educators speak, Carol Dweck.  She is the author of Mindset. It is a very interesting book, and while not ground breaking, it is definitely pushing education in a new direction.  She thought she would share a little video about Dweck's newest data on praise.  We are huge fans of praise!  It builds confidence and creates a safe environment for kids to try new things.  We always try to make praise specific, but Carol's research goes a step further.  What we should celebrate is the effort itself and not the success...


http://youtu.be/NWv1VdDeoRY

Short Week Fun

Even though it's a short week, it is jam packed!  Volleyball practice starts at 7:45 Wednesday morning.  The boys play Wednesday after school and the girls play Thursday after school. The Articulation to high school meeting for all Grade 6 & 7 parents is Wednesday evening from 5:45 - 6:45.  Come with your questions! 


Don't forget to bring in your Purdy's and Poinsettia Orders in this week.  Both of these are camp fundraisers to bring down the cost of camp.  Ask your neighbours, family, and friends and let's try to get the costs of camp down.  Purdy's orders are due Friday! 




Ms. Kelly and Mrs. Soper have swapped days for the following week.  Ms. Kelly will be there on Monday the 17th and Mrs. Soper will be at school on Friday the 21st.  We're keeping things fresh!


Hope you all had a great extra long weekend.  See you Wednesday.


Ms. Kelly & Mrs. Soper

November Notes

Big things are happening as the countdown to report cards is on!  Here is what our week looks like in Division 2:




Mad Minutes: As you may know, General Wolfe has chosen math fluency as one of its school goals. In Grade 6/7 that means that students are able to answer 50-60 easy multiplication questions in 60 seconds.  It's tough, but its an important goal as research has shown that children who are fluent in math facts are better at higher level thinking and reasoning.  Both the Grade 6 and 7s are doing "Mad Minutes" in class each week to practice, but they need more practice at home.  Check out sites like http://www.multiplication.com/games or http://math.about.com/od/multiplication/ig/Times-Tables-Worksheets/ for some practice sheets.  More importantly, if you notice your child still counts on their fingers - it's time to put those fingers away!  Practice single digit adding and subtracting equations over breakfast or in the car, just get those facts down.


Purdy's Fundraising: Camp fundraising starts now!  All students in the school will be bringing home a Purdy's brochure for holiday treats tomorrow.  Please encourage your loved ones and friends to buy their holiday treats from you and help keep camp costs low.  All orders will arrive the first week of December so you have lots of time to give them away.


Be Active Every Day Challenge:  Division 2 has signed up to participate in the "Be Active Every Day Challenge" that runs from Nov. 3 - 28th.  Students are challenged to:

• Be active for 60 minutes each day
• To eat 5 or more vegetables and fruit a day
• No more than 2 hours of screen time a day
• Cut out all sugared drinks (including juice)

Please support your child with healthy snacks and beverages.  Encourage them to turn off that technology, and grab a book, or go for a walk.  The best learners take care of their body to feed their brains. 


Upcoming Dates:
Tuesday, Nov 4 - Science Station
Tuesday, Nov 4 - Dance for P.E.
Wednesday, Nov 5 - First Boys Volleyball Game at Livingstone
Thursday, Nov 6 - Rough Copy of Goals
Thursday, Nov 6 - Rough Draft of Persuasive Essay
Thursday, Nov 6 - First Girls Volleyball Game at Livingstone
Friday, Nov 7 - Girls & Boys Volleyball Practice at 8:00 a.m.
Friday, Nov 7 - Science Station
Friday, Nov 7 - Problem Solving
Monday, Nov 10 & Tuesday, Nov 11 - No School
Wednesday, Nov 12 - Articulation Meeting for all Gr. 6 & 7 Parents






Have a great week!


Miss Kelly and Mrs. Soper

Welcome Back Ms. Kelly!

We are so excited that Ms. Kelly is back in the classroom with us in Division 2!  Please feel free to drop by and say hello!  She is in the classroom every Friday and alternate Tuesdays, and in the library every Wednesday. 


It is another busy week.  Grade 7 students are handing in their "Day I Was Born" projects today.  We are so excited to see them all.  Grade 6 students have a math quiz on Place Value this Wednesday.  There will be a Code Red drill that day as well.  Students are also working on a dance in P.E.  The dance will be presented to the class on Tuesday, Nov 4th.


Halloween is this week too!  Students are encouraged to wear their costumes to school.  Just a reminder though, that there are no masks or weapons allowed at school.  We will be having a school-wide costume parade at 9am that morning.  Remember to be safe Halloween night! 


It's going to be a great week!


Ms. Kelly & Mrs. Soper 

What's New in Div 2 - Week of Oct 20th

Just a few reminders about this week:

• Wednesday and Thursday are 2:00 p.m. dismissals for Goal Setting Conferences.  I am looking forward to meeting with you and your child.  If you don't have a conference scheduled and you'd like to meet, I still have some spots open so just send a note or email me.
• Friday is a Professional Day. There is no school for students.  I will be at a conference on Education and Neuroplasticity.  I am looking forward to learning more about how we learn and how to best help kids understand the way our brains work.
• Friday Folders are this week, although they will be coming home Thursday.  Just a reminder that both the Bi-Weekly Progress Report and the Folder need to be signed.
• Attention Grade 7 parents: Mini-School information meetings start on Wednesday night.  Be sure to check out the following website for more information. http://www.vsb.bc.ca/programs/mini-school-registration

Hope you have a great week!

Friday Folder 101

First, hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving weekend! 


On Friday, your child took home their first Friday Folder.  The red folders will be going home every second Friday. They contain a snapshot of your child's success at school over the last two weeks.  No checkmarks are good; checkmarks are bad. Parents should sign both the Bi-Weekly Progress Report and the Friday Folder sheet indicating that they received all the documents that should have been in the folder.  The folder needs to be returned on the first day back to school which this week is Tuesday. If you or your child has any questions, feel free to email.


Grade 7 Parents should have signed a sheet for the "Day I Was Born" project earlier last week.  Students will have 4 classes to work on this project, but they need to bring in material to research that is not on the computer as well as any device that may help them.  The project needs a complete bibliography so remind them when researching to keep track of their sources.  The project is due Tuesday, Oct 28th.


Lots of big things happened this past week.  The Senior Boys Soccer Team, kicked some butt! The grade 7s voted on a design and ordered their "Grad" hoodies and all Wolfe Wear orders were submitted. Plus, we all bought some great new books at the Book Fair. It was nice to meet so many parents at Meet the Teacher night as well.


Coming this week:
Hip Hop Performance 2:15 Tuesday
First Humanitarian Club Meeting Wednesday Lunch
First Main Choir Practice 8:00 Wednesday


See you Tuesday!

Welcome to Div 2!

What an amazing class we have this year! Welcome to Division 2!  In our first week, we've had the Terry Fox Run, started a Hip Hop unit, and even begun talking about 5-paragraph essays (my favourite).  This past Friday, 3 notices went home: an information letter about Div. 2, a letter about Wolfe clothing and "Grad" hoodies, and finally school fees.  Please ensure that you read the information letter and send your fees in as soon as possible.


Just a reminder that Thursday night is "Meet the Teacher" night at Wolfe.  I hope to meet many of your there. 

Welcome Back!

Thank goodness summer is over!  :)  We are so excited to be back and can't wait to see everyone.  Students from Div. 2 will attend for one hour on Monday (9-10 am).  For the rest of the week, Div. 2 students will be divided up to join either Div. 1 or 2 as they attend different social responsibility stations.  Teacher and Administrators will be working to compose classes this week and we hope to have everyone organised into their new classes by the end of the week.  Look forward to seeing you all!

Slow Start to Year

Just a quick note to say that we miss you all!  Hopefully we will be back to school soon, but in the meantime, here are a few things you can do to prepare:

1. Spend 15 min a day reviewing basic math facts: addition, subtraction, and multiplication.  Try websites like multiplication.com.
2. READ, READ, READ! Pick a novel to end the summer.  Try something light and fun, but at grade level.  Try the Artemis Fowl or Percy Jackson series.
3. Have you held a pencil this summer?  Rarely, I bet.  Grab a pencil and write something: a grocery list, a chore list, your Fall schedule, a letter.
4. Learn a new word every day.  Check out http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/ and try to use it.  Write a sentence with it.
5. Play Sudoku, do a crossword, play scrabble.

Enjoy the sunshine! 


Mrs. Soper & Ms. Kelly

 

 

Thanks for a Great Year

So it's looking like this strike will not be resolved before the end of the school year.  On behalf of Ms. Kelly, Ms. Harper, and Mrs. Soper, thank you for the great year.  We really enjoyed spending our days with each and every one of you.  You never failed to make us smile, even during the crazy days.  Thank you.


To those of you off to high school, you are well prepared.  Make new friends! Join clubs and teams! Expand your horizons.  To those of you coming back to Wolfe, you will make amazing Grade 7s.  Ms. Kelly and Mrs. Soper look forward to seeing you in September.


Enjoy your summer.  READ! Relax! And have fun. 


Ms. Kelly, Ms. Harper, and Mrs. Soper

Yucky Stuff

Hey all,


It's with a heavy heart that I must cancel upcoming Humanitarian Club, Pop Choir, and Track & Field practices in the near future.  While the teachers were making a statement with our rotating strike day, we tried very hard not to interrupt student learning or extra curricular activities.  Unfortunately, starting today the BC Government has restricted our access to our classrooms, punishable by disciplinary action.  Since I am no longer able to mark or plan outside the hours of 8:15 and 3:45 and I am not allowed in my classroom during recess or lunch, I need to use every last minute to prepare my lessons and mark your child's work.  I am not sure what that will mean for report cards, especially since I spend at least an hour per child's report, not including marking.  We will just have to make the best of it and go with the flow.


In regards to upcoming assignments and support.  Due to the government's restrictions, I am no longer able to communicate with parents or students outside of school hours (so no more late night emails asking for help!)  Also, I am no longer able to help students with their work outside of school hours or during recess and lunch.  We have a large Novel Study assignment and Persuasive Essay due Wednesday.  Students will not have computer access at school.  Please ensure that you touch base with your child about these assignments and support them in any way possible.


Rest assured, Ms. Harper and I will continue to provide your child with the best education we can deliver, but these new restrictions limit our planning and assessment time - unpaid, personal time.  Follow the news and I will update again if anything changes. 


Thanks for your support.


SS      

Final Term Fun!

It's hard to believe the year in almost done!   Things are really rolling along.  Many students in Division 2 participated in this year's Spring Concert in the band and choirs.  They all did a fantastic job.


We are two weeks away from finishing our novel studies for the year.  The kids have really enjoyed their novels and I've loved hearing about their books.  Please ask your child about their final project.  They should be in the planning stages this week. 


Division 2 has also been working on persuasion.  Have you noticed?  Their debating skills are outstanding!  More to come!


A letter will be going home this week asking Grade 6 parents to help with the Grade 7 Stepping Up ceremony.  They'd love you help and support.

Student Led Conferences

Just a reminder that Wednesday and Thursday is early dismissal for Student Led Conferences.  Students will be given a block of time in which you are welcome.  At the conference,  students can show off their learning and set their goals for Term 3 with their parents.  Ms. Harper and Mrs. Soper will also be around to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing everyone!   

Report Cards and Student Led Conferences

What a great term this has been!  We've learned about international refugees camps, electricity, Ancient Egypt, geometry, and are enjoying some amazing Literature Circle novels.  We have been so impressed with the discussion during Literature Circles!  Everyone is so engaged and interested. Be sure to ask your daughter or son about their book and look out for the Setting Scrapbook Assignment that they will be working on between now and Spring Break.


Just a reminder that Report Cards go home March 7th.  Student-Led Conferences will be held on Wednesday, March 12th and Thursday, March 13th.  Those days are also early dismissal at 2:00 p.m.  A form will be sent home next week to sign up for a spot!  We look forward to seeing you.


Mrs. Soper & Ms. Harper   

Hamber Field Trip

Just a reminder that Division 1, 2, & 3 are heading to Hamber tomorrow to see a student production.  We will be walking, so dress for the weather! 

Hello from Miss Kelly!

Good Morning Division 2,

How are you all doing? Believe it or not, as fun as it is being home with my crazy boys, I miss seeing you.  Grade sevens, I hope you are doing well and staying focused despite high school articulation and placements.  I'm going to have to talk to Mrs. Soper to find out who is going where next year.
Grade sixes, I feel like I was just getting to know you when I left. Sorry I was there for such a short time! I'm glad we got some time together so I at least know who you are when you are (hopefully) back in division 2 again next year. Just a heads up... I'm already excited to teach science next year! 

As for me, the boys and I are doing well. Joseph is, so far, a lovely and fairly mellow little guy (which is a definite bonus when I have crazy Henry here already!). He's generally happy to sit in his bouncy chair and watch things around him. He likes to sleep (and I love that!).  Joseph is currently about 16.5 pounds which may not seem like a lot but it's more than double what he weighed when he was born (now imagine if you had doubled your weight in the last 3 months!).  He's quite a gloriously chunky guy with particularly roly-poly legs.  He is starting to "chat", loves to smile, and is just figuring out how to laugh and how to grab things.  Tonight he was quite proud of himself for grabbing a blanket that was on him and being able to chew on it a bit.  He also seems to want to be a thumb/finger sucker but he can't quite get it together yet.  He's got a long way to go before he can grab purposefully and with any accuracy but he is trying hard.  He has also started to notice toys as you can see in the photo where he is staring at the yellow bug toy. He and I went for a walk and I put the toy on his stroller. I don't think he looked at anything else. Apparently the toy and the fresh air wore him out though.

My days are busy with Lego (why is it that little boys seem to feel they need to take all the people apart?? I spent a morning just locating body parts and attempting to reunite them with each other), gymnastics, walks, bike rides, and preschool. It's a lot of fun but so different from working with you all.  I miss our conversations and, to be honest, I miss math classes (how crazy does THAT sound?!).
I would love to come and visit but we've all had nasty colds which we are working on getting over and I'm hesitant to come there at the risk of picking up a different bug. My dad isn't well right now and I can't go spend time with him if the boys and I are sick. I hope you understand. I just wanted you to know I'm thinking about you and hope you are well.


Thanks,

Miss Kelly

Flick!

Some Wolfe teachers attended an iPad learning session after school last Wednesday and we discovered a new app... Flick.  Flick is a program that allows electronic devices on the same network to share documents.  This way, if students want to send me something or I want to send them something, we can "flick" it to each other rather than email it and wait for the document to go through the vsb firewall.  It works on PCs, laptop, Mac, iDevices, and some tablets, and it's free!  Here is the website to find it, as its not searchable at the App Store at the moment. 


http://getflick.io/


Let's try it out and see if it makes our lives a little easier! 


SS 

Internet Safety Reminder

Just a quick reminder that Division 2 is studying Human Reproductive Health this term.  They are curious many of them may have questions about what we discuss in class.  Unfortunately, some students will turn to the internet to answer those questions.  Please ensure that you have proper parental controls on your search engines so they don't see images that are inappropriate and be sure to check your internet search history.  


Hopefully this unit will lead to some interesting discussions! 

Term 2 is in Full Swing!

It's crazy to think that Spring Break is only 7 weeks away!  You can probably feel it at home though as there are projects galore.  Upcoming dates and deadlines:

Thursday, Jan 23 - Refugee Essay Rough Draft Due
Friday, Jan 24 - Gr. 7 Tupper In-Boundary Applications Due
Monday, Jan 27 - Real & Surreal/Distortion Art Due
Tuesday, Jan 28 - Skating
Wednesday, Jan 29 - Good Copy of Refugee Essay with Bibliography Due
Thursday, Feb 6 - Div. 2 Science Fair (Renewable Energy Project Due)
Friday, Feb 7 - Gr. 6 Part One of Country Project
Friday, Feb 7 - Gr. 7 Hamber In-Boundary Applications Due
Thursday, Feb 13 - Carnival Presentations
Saturday, Feb 15 - Cross Boundary Applications Accepted
Tuesday, Feb 18 - Gr. 6 Part Two of Country Project
Monday, Feb 24 - Skating
Tuesday, Feb 25 - Skating
Thursday, Feb 27 - Pink Shirt Day

We also have some charity intiatives that the Humanitarian Club is running.  For the month of January, kids are collecting spare change for the "Bucks for Bricks" campaign that funds the construction of schools in the Third World.  Please send your donations to school over the next couple weeks.

Special thanks to the parents of Div. 2 who volunteered to join us on our snowshoeing trip.  It was great fun!

Basketball Season!

Just a special thank you to two talented and dedicated parents of Div. 2.  Both Shea's dad Patrick and Liam's mom Carrie have volunteered to coach our Senior Basketball teams.  Another Wolfe parent John Kim has also volunteered to coach the Junior Boys.   It should be a great season! Don't forget to come to the games and cheer us on. 

Jr. Boys

Games - Mondays.

Practice - Friday 3pm - 4pm

Coach - John Kim, Jeff Grant,

Teacher Sponsor - Elisha Bonnis (Games) and Sarah Collins (Practice)

Jr. Girls

- Playing with Senior Girls

Sr. Boys

Games - Wednesdays.

Practices - Friday 8am - 8:45am

Coach - Carrie Van Kalsbeek

Teacher Sponsors - Shannon Soper (Games) and Cynthia Harper (Practices).

Sr. Girls with Jr. Girls.

Games - Thursdays

Practices - Monday 8am - 8:55am and some Thursday mornings (TBA).

Coach - Patrick Baker & Susan Segers

Teacher Sponsor - Linda Andrews & Arlene Wise (Games)  

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone has had a fantastic holiday and a happy New Year!  Welcome back to Division 2.  2014 is going to be great.  We start the year with snowshoeing and skating field trips.  We also have our refugee essays due on Jan 27th.  I can't wait to read them!


2014 and term two will also begin with a bunch of cool projects.  In Social Studies, students are beginning to explore Egyptology.  In Science, Division 2 students will be creating models on renewable resources.  French students also have a project coming up about the Carnival in Quebec.  It's going to be  a great term!