Hello Parents!

Today the students started off their day with Gym! Following that, Hatch Canada arrived early, so we were able to start our workshop earlier. The students were given a new customized account, and they were assisted throughout the period by the instructors.

After lunch, we took up the math homework, and went through questions that the students were confused with. After, they worked on a reading survey for their DRA, and then they had Music. I joined them during this period, and together with the help of Mr. Oliver, we came up with how we are going to arrange our songs for Arts Night. We were able to complete many successful run throughs!

After second break, the students had a shortened French period, and then we all headed outside to water balloon the teachers (a reward for reaching out goal for the Spring Fundraiser). Immediately after, the students got ready to go home.

Just a few important notes before I go:

1.       UOI: Coding activity. Students are to cut out the “objects,” and should glue at least 5 of them down on the other page (in the display grid). Then, they must cut out the “code blocks,” and they must use them to describe what to do in the “console
 section. Students should attempt to work on this for homework, and we can continue during class time tomorrow, if they need the extra help.

2.       Math: No workbook homework. The Unit 11 test will be on Monday, May 29^th, so students are encouraged to start studying (since this will be the last unit test for the school year!)

3.       Novel Study: check out www.shannensdream.ca and begin thinking about some Action ideas. How will you educate others on Shannen’s story, as well as advocating for education for First Nations children? (Creative ways to teach others: flyers, posters, speeches, skits, a recorded video/ commercial, a fundraiser, etc.). Be creative! I will be typing up an outline for students to use soon.

4.       Spelling: Lesson #27 test on Thursday, May 25^th.

5.       We have one more P.E. trip that the grade 5’s will be participating in- Tree Top Trekking- Friday, June 2^nd. I will post more details as soon as I get some.

6.       We had Hatch Canada come to our classroom to teach the students about coding! Coding is our last UOI topic! Hatch will be with us every Wednesday for the month of May. It is important that your child is present for these lessons, as they will be teaching important concepts. The fee is covered by the school, as this is a new Unit of Inquiry. We are looking forward to learning all about coding!

7.       The SJA Spelling Bee was a great success! Congratulations to Mehar, for placing second in the Grade 6 competition! He will go on to face the winners from The Maples, as well as the winners from Sunnybrook School (a school in Toronto) on Thursday, June 1^st. Any questions regarding the spelling bee can be directed to Ms. Chang, at vchang@stjudesacademy.com 

8.       Due to the amount of lost items, the school is promoting iron-on name labels! They cost $5.00 for 15 labels- I can provide the order form, if you are interested!

9.       The lunch ordering system is now open for June. Please ensure you place your order no later than Friday, May 19th at 4:00pm. Lunch payment is due by May 23rd 4:00 or unfortunately your lunch order will be cancelled for the month of June. Please keep in mind that there are no reimbursements for field trips or absences. You can go online at http://mydigitalmailroom.com/sja/

10.   I have completed my term 3 phone calls last week. Thank you to those who filled out and returned the forms so promptly. If you did not mention a preferred form of contact, I will be sending out an email with a quick update on your child’s progress tomorrow morning. If you have any questions regarding your child’s progress, feel free to respond back through the email thread tomorrow.

11.   There is no school on Friday, May 19^th and Monday, May 22^nd.

12.   The Grade 5 class will be contributing to the bake sale, which has been pushed back to Arts Night! This means any NUT FREE baked goods brought in for the bake sale, will be sold during our Arts Night exhibition. 

13.   Arts Night will be on Wednesday, June 7^th! We will be having a daytime rehearsal at 1pm (parents can attend), and our final performance starting at 7:00pm.

14.   The PYP Grade 3-6 Promotion Ceremony will be on Wednesday, June 14^th at 9am.

15.   The last day of school will be on Friday, June 16^th! Report cards will be sent home this day. Only 20 days of school left!

That pretty much sums it up for today. I hope everyone has a wonderful night!

Ms. Ramnarine

Grade 5

St. Jude’s Academy