Monday 24 November 2014

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

Tuesday 18 November 2014

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


Tuesday 11 November 2014

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

Monday 10 November 2014

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

Monday 3 November 2014

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