Dec 16 - 20

Wow....we are already at the last week of school before the well deserved Christmas break.  It certainly has gone by quite quickly!  We have learned a lot and I look forward to continued learning after the break.  Thank you for all that you do for your child and their education.  I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  May you have a blessed holiday season and a relaxing time with your family.  ~Mrs. Nelson

Monday

• Library books due

Tuesday

• Library day is TODAY (in case you forgot on Monday)

Wednesday:

• Dress rehearsal for students with last names A-L at Park Meadows Baptist church - we walk over after lunch*
• A-L Winter Concert at Park Meadows Baptist church 7 p.m. (students arrive at 6:30)
• After school skating 3:45 at Adams
• Spelling City is due today

Thursday:

• Dress rehearsal for students with last names M-Z at Park Meadows Baptist church - we walk over after lunch*
• M-Z Winter Concert at Park Meadows Baptist church 7 p.m. (students arrive at 6:30)

*If the weather gets really cold again, we have a Plan B for dress rehearsals. All students will take buses to the church on Wednesday morning. We will be there for the whole day and both groups will do their dress rehearsals. We will not go back on Thursday except for the performance in this scenario. Stay tuned to the agenda for details!

Friday:

• Last day of school for 2013!!
• Energy Day Assemby 8:30 a.m
• Merry Christmas!

Dec 9-13

Oh the weather outside is frightful.....AGAIN!  At least today we got to enjoy recesses outside!  With two weeks left to go until the holiday break we have a lot of work planned for the students and some exciting plans laid out.

Curriculum update:
Math - we are finishing up on geometry, learning about flips, turns and rotations and also moving into another pattern unit.
Science - moving from rollers to the wheel and axle
LA - something exciting - which is a secret!

Monday

• The holiday lunch was today, which was fantabulous!  Thank you to the long list of volunteers who organized, collected sponsors, cooked, served, set up, cleaned and I'm sure there were more things!  To the people that donated their time, there is nothing more precious.  The gift of time and togetherness are so important to give to one another.  Today is one of my favorite parts of working at Galbraith!  The feeling inside the gym for that sit down lunch is something to be experienced.  

Tuesday

• Library books are due - we will be going there today!
•  We say goodbye to Mr Georgeson who has been with us since the beginning of November

Wednesday:

• After school skating at Adams 3:45-4:45

Friday:

• We should be able to frolic this Friday.  Last Friday we did a human log roll in the gym for a combined science/PE lesson! 

Just a reminder about next week - the concert will take place at Park Meadows Baptist Church on Wednesday, Dec. 18 - 7 p.m. (for A-L last names) and on Thursday, Dec. 19 - 7 p.m. (for M-Z last names).  Dress rehearsals will take place the same afternoon at the church starting at 1 p.m. if for some reason you or a grandparent can't make it in the evening.  Your child has been asked to dress in all black.  Please don't go buy anything new, dark blue/navy also works well.  Thank you!

Lastly, our energy day assembly will take place on Dec. 20; 8:45 a.m. in the gym . Feel welcome to attend. 

Dec 2 - 6

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful....and since we'no place to go, let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! For the first of December and Mr. Dallas Harty at Sobey's south climbing up on the roof to raise money for Hampers of Hope - do we expect anything less for the weather.  We do live in Southern Alberta and really, anything can happen!  Please remember to dress for the weather, whether your child takes the bus or walks. 

Curriculum:

• In math we have started the first part of our geometry unit. The other half will take place later on in the year. Part of this unit will be taught through art.
• Our Peace Poems are published and hanging in the hall! Please feel free to come and read them.

Monday:

• Reminder to start recording home reading on the December calendar if you haven't already.
• Library books due as well as Friday letters
• We started our countdown to Christmas.  Ask your child what was in the sock today!

Wednesday:

• After school skate 3:45-4:45 at the Adam's

Thursday

• Field trip to the Nordbridge Senior's Centre to sing carols (during Music class).  Weather dependent.  Right now the weather report is calling for -27 with the wind chill.  If it warms up, we will be walking; if not, we will be staying at school

Friday:

• Frolicking Friday - weather dependent. Right now the weather report is calling for -30 with the wind chill. If it warms up to above -20 we will frolic, otherwise, we will have PE indoors.

Nov 25-29

I want to thank all the parents that came to visit me at parent teacher interviews.  It was nice to catch up with you and I look forward to the more conversations with you. Please know that you are always welcome to send a note in the agenda or email me if you have concerns. 

Curriculum:

• We will be finishing up the time unit in math this week. There will be a review in class today and a quick quiz on Wednesday morning. Look for a study guide coming home.
• In Language Arts we are finishing up our peace poems, and will be posting them on the bulletin board outside our classroom. If you get a chance, you should definitely come and take a look as these poems usually end up to be quite powerful pieces of writing.

News Items:

• It's almost time for our holiday lunch! Order forms will be going home today. Please fill it out and return it no later than this Friday. This is a free lunch provided by School Council so they are asking that ALL forms come back whether your child will be taking part in the lunch or not.  The hot lunch day is Monday, December 9. 
• We had a bus evacuation practice today. Ask your child how to safely get off a bus in an emergency.
• Just a reminder that you can follow the blog by email. You will receive an email every time the blog is updated. See the link on the right hand side.

This week's schedule.
Monday:

• Holiday lunch order forms going home

Tuesday:

• Energy Day Assembly at 8:30 a.m.
• Hot lunch day
• Last day of Book Fair

Wednesday:

• After school skating at Adam's 3:45-4:45 p.m.

Thursday:

• Family Fun Night in the gym 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Friday:

• Frolicking Friday
• Holiday lunch forms due

Nov 18-22

My deepest apologies.  I'm sorry that this was not posted earlier. 

Curriculum Update:
Math - Telling Time. This can be tricky for some kids.  A couple of things you can do to help out at home is to count by 5's, use an analog clock to tell time or use flash cards (home made or purchased at the dollar store) and practice saying times in a variety of ways (6:30 or half past six)
Language Arts - New spelling words given last week.  We will focus on a pattern for two weeks.  This week is short a and e sounds.  Also we have been journaling a lot about peace.  Our end in mind is to create a peace poem. 


Monday

• Lock Down practice - your child did an AMAZING job!
• Friday letters were due back

Tuesday

• Library today
• Faces of Fire - A Parks Canada presentation
• Parent Council was tonight.  The next meeting will be Dec 17.  

Wednesday

• Afterschool famiily skating.  Kids must be with an adult.  All students must have a helmet and adults that choose to join us on the ice must also wear a helmet.  There will be five sessions in total. 

Thursday

• School in the morning.
• Parent Teacher Interviews this afternoon.  I look forward to meeting with you and your child.   I still have some times left on Thursday and my goal is to meet with all of you. 

Friday

• No school for students.  This is a day set aside for interviews as well.  Due to a family funeral, I will not be in the school today.  

Nov 12 - 15

I hope you all enjoyed a great fall break and had some time to relax as well as spend some family time together.  Most of all, I hope you had the chance to reflect and remember the reason we had a day off yesterday.  The discussion that we had as a class on Thursday after our Remembrance Day Assembly was strong and powerful and I hope your child came home to continue the discussion and to investigate their "story" so that they can carry on the importance of Remembrance Day.

Curriculum Update:
1. Math - moving into time.  The students will be introduced to metric notation (writing the date in only numbers); telling time (digital and analog) to the hour, quarter, and minute; as well as learning about elapsed time (the amount of time that passes between activities).
2. LA - peace poems.  The students have been writing a variety of entries based on peace and will be creating their poems in the next couple of weeks.
3. Social - still studying the regions of Alberta.  The students have covered the Rocky Mountain Region and are now visiting the Foothills.
4. Science - Simple Machines.  Last week we had an introduction to the Simple Machines unit using toys and some mystery sounds.  Ask your child what they have learned so far. 

Lastly, we are glad to welcome into the class Mr. J. Georgeson.  He will be with us until early December teaching your child.  He is in his first teaching practicum under the supervision of myself.  He will be joining us for some parent teacher interviews next week.  Should you have any questions that need to be directed to him, you can send them in the agenda or of course email me and I will pass them on.

Speaking of parent teacher interviews - please don't forget to sign up for them!  Go onto the Galbraith webpage and there is a link on the left hand side for Parent Teacher Interview Booking.

Week at a Glance:
Tuesday

• Spelling City due
• Library today

Wednesday

• I will be away this morning for a dentist appointment (I will return for this afternoon)

Thursday

• 9 a.m. MAGIC show!  This is a reward for the Dance-a-Thon fundraiser.  There will be a morning show as well as a parent evening show.

Friday

• Enrichment Friday - we have had a few weeks off and we are excited to return to our routine!
• Clothing orders are due.  There will be a new "logo" on the hoodies as well as a "7 Habits" t-shirt.  I'm excited to order mine! 
• Frolicking Friday!  DRESS for the weather!

Nov 4 - Nov 8

November is here and so is the snow!  Be sure your child is dressing for the weather as they do go outside up to -20 degrees Celsius.  The fresh air is good for the brain and for our learning!

Thank you to the parents that came to our dance-a-thon on Friday, the students and staff had a blast and to Parent Council - thank you!  Thank you to our community of parents, friends and family for their generous support in our fundraiser.  At last notice and count, we had raised $11,439.30!  That is amazing!

Week at a glance:

Monday

• Books to be returned & Friday Letters as well.

Tuesday

• Indy 500 for Tone-It-Up-Tuesday - - students don't forget your water bottle!
• Leaps & Bounds - Teaming Up for Tobacco Free Kids program this morning
• Spelling City is due today

Wednesday

• Mr. J. Georgeson will be starting in our classroom for the next five weeks.  He is a PS1 student from the university and he will be given the opportunity to teach your child under my supervision.  
• New Spelling City assignment given 

Thursday

• Remembrance Day Assembly at 10:30.  Parents welcome.  

Friday

• No school; enjoy the fall break and we will see you on Tuesday November 12. 

Oct 28-Nov 1

My apologies for a late post!  I won't bore you with my evening, but here it is LATE after a night of hockey and meetings and family time! 

Here is a quick curriculum update:
1. We have just finished our first pattern unit in exploration.  We will revisit the pattern unit about four - five times this year. 
2. In math we are moving into adding and subtracting 3 and 4 digit numbers.  An area of help for this unit is using MathFactsPro DAILY (for five minutes).  Once students are able to quickly recall their math facts, the strategy of how to add and subtract falls into place. 
3. Lastly, we are finishing up on the Lights & Shadows unit in Science.  There will be a test on Wednesday this week.  Our next unit is Gears, Levers, Axles, Pulleys & Simple Machines.  I love this unit! 

The week at a glance:
Monday

• Fundraising envelopes were due back in today!  That was my fault to not write in the agenda last week.  If you still have them at home, please return them so we can get a grand total.

Tuesday

• Library today!
• Leaps & Bounds program will be starting.  This is taught to us by the nursing students from the UofL.  It is a 5 lesson program to discuss being tobacco free.

 Wednesday

• Science test 

Thursday

• HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
• Parade at 8:45 a.m.  Please send your child dressed in costume.  You may also want to send a change of clothes. 
• HOT lunch day!
• Energy Day Assembly 12:30 p.m.

Friday

• DANCE -A- THON  

Logins & Usernames

Hi Parents,
Just to clear up some confusion.  I asked all students to write in their agenda their Spelling City username (first 6 of their last name and first two of their first name...with a FEW exceptions) and the password (nelsonkr).  Secondly, MathFactsPro as well.  They will need to know the class is nelsonkr; their name as a login and the password is nelsonkr.

Hope this helps! 

Thank you for the support!
Mrs. Nelson

Oct 21 - 25

Morning!  Welcome to another short week which is fun packed of goodness and learning!  Remind your child that they should be reading daily (don't forget to write the time and book down in the agenda on the calendar page) as well as practicing their math basic facts.  Ask them what the site is that we have been using in class. 

We will be having a Lights & Shadows science test "EARLY" next week.  I will be sending home a copy of the questions that students should be able to answer as well as doing an in-class review game next week. 

We are heading into our second week of fundraising.  If you have filled in your envelope, have your child return it to class.  Thank you!  The funds will be dispersed back to school in a variety of ways.  Ms. Scheldrup did announce this morning a few of the incentives and at $2000, the students will receive a longer recess break!  At $5000, the students will enjoy a popcorn party! 

Monday

• Remember to return your signed Friday letter.
• Library books returned
• Please go vote.  It is our civic duty to do so and it will have an impact on our children.  

Tuesday

• Tone it up Tuesday.  Remember to bring a water bottle.  Parents, if you would like to join us for a workout, you are welcome to come and sweat it out.  It is always nice to have the role models in the crowd of how to do different activities and such.  The time is 2:10-2:40. 
• I will be away this afternoon for an appointment.  Mrs. Wenaas will be in with the kids
• Spelling City assignment is due.

Wednesday

• IN CLASS field trip - - Scientists in School will be here to teach an interactive morning of Lights & Shadows.  If you would like to join us, please let me know ahead of time.  
• New Spelling City assignment will be in place

Thursday

• Today is a half day of school. (morning only!)  This afternoon staff of Galbraith will be completing our Leader in Me training.  Have a great afternoon students!

Friday

• No school today.  Leader in Me training for staff.
• Your homework this weekend is to enjoy the leaves and outside.  Possibly too, carve a pumpkin! 

Oct 14-18

Welcome to a short week! I hope you had a great weekend together with your family. As your children enjoy the day off tomorrow, there are a few websites they can look into.
1. Raz-kids. This is linked on the gal.lethsd.ab.ca website. This is a great reading website at their level and counts for home reading too!
2. Mathfactspro.com I introduced this site last week in computer class and it is a great five minute a day practice of basic facts.
3. Spelling City. Again, this will have an assignment attached each week in which your child will have two weeks to complete.
A few other reminders:
**We will be hosting a clothing exchange next week. If you have some clothing to donate, bring it in before Friday.
**Picture retakes will be on October 21st.
**With Halloween approaching I want to explain how we do things a little differently at the Grade 4 level. We don't do an official Halloween party with snacks rather we have a Halloween-themed-curriculum-based afternoon. We feel that with the kids going trick-or-treating they need an afternoon full of treats as well (and we just had a movie and popcorn party too!). We will still have fun and we are looking forward to seeing the kids' cosutmes! Just a reminder that the students will come to school in the morning dressed to do the Halloween parade and the afternoon will consist of the Energy Day Assembly and fun centers. Feel free for you child to bring a change of clothing if they don't want to spend the entire day in their costume.

Week at a glance:
Monday

• Happy Thanksgiving

Tuesday

• PL Day (I am attending a session in Medicine Hat in regards to the Leader in Me)

Wednesday

• Welcome back!!

Thursday

• I will have a sub (Mrs. Smith) in for me today and tomorrow.  I will be in the building and I know that the students will have a great couple of days.

Friday

• Frolicking Friday

Oct 7-11

It's hard to believe we are venturing into the sixth week of school.  There has been a lot of learning happening in these walls!  And I do want to say thank you to you - parents - for supporting the homework assignments that come home as well as home reading.  Lastly, if you ever have questions regarding homework, please don't hesitate to email me.  If the question pertains to social, please direct them to Mrs. Morrison.  You can email her at colleen.morrison@lethsd.ab.ca

I'm sure to that your child came home on Friday, pumped and buzzing with excitment over Enrichment Friday's.  The first day was truly a success!  We will have three rounds throughout the year with your child being able choose their options.  They give a ranking of 1, 2, or 3 and the committee then tries their best to place them within one of those three choices.

A few announcements:
1. The home reading tracking should be occuring on the October monthly calendar pages.  Your child should be reading for at least 15 minutes a night. 
2.Mr. Davidson is starting a Choir on Wednesdays.  Children will eat their lunch with Mr. Davidson and then sing their hearts away! 
3. I will be introducing Spelling City in computers on Wednesday.  This is an online spelling tool to help with words and working with words.  I have paid for the program and all students have access to it from home.  Eery two weeks, expect a new assignment to come home. Students will be given some time in class to get started, then they will have two weeks to complete the assignments from home. The username for the site is their school login, and the password is my last name. This week the words are homophones (or sound alike words). They are at a grade 4 level and this may or may not be the right level for your child. Don't worry. Assignments will soon be tailored to meet individual students' needs.

Here is a quick recap of the upcoming week:

Monday:

• Library books due
• Friday letters to be handed in
• Social poster due (and a little in class quiz)

Tuesday

• Library today!
• Tone it up Tuesday

Wednesday

• Picture money due

Thursday

• Our first Wanted Assignments Reward Day will take place. Students are invited to wear their pyjamas, bring one stuffy (that can fit in a backpack), and a G-rated movie to vote on. Students who have been proactive about their school work will be permitted to watch the movie and enjoy some popcorn from me. Students who are not caught up will be given the opportunity to complete any outstanding assignments and then join the party afterwards. After all, first things first!

Friday

• Enrichment Friday!
• Frolicking Friday....be prepared for the weather.
• Hot lunch money due

Sept 30 - Oct 4

Sorry for the late post. It's hard to believe that we have completed the fist month of school. Fall is truly here with the weather we had today, so just a reminder that your child is dressing appropriately for it. We have had a great first month of school. We have learned the classroom routines and expectations. Students by now should be taking responsibility for their learning and their belongings. Things included in those categories would be making sure their agendas are filled out and signed and returned daily; home reading recorded in the agenda calendar; Friday Letters signed and returned every Monday and homework assignments returned promptly.

In math, we have finished our first unit on whole numbers. In grade four, students are expected to know numbers up to the ten thousands place and understand all of their components. They should be able to give the number in standard form (32,573), expanded form (30,000 + 2000 + 500 + 70 + 3), base 10 name (3 ten thousands, 2 thousands, 5 hundreds, 7 tens, 3 ones), base 10 picture (draw big cubes for ten thousands, cubes for thousands, a square for hundreds, a stick for tens and a dot for ones), ordinal number (32,573rd), words (thirty-two thousand five hundred seventy-three) and place value (there is a 3 in the ten thousands place, etc.). How you can help at home: have your child read numbers for you, give you the place value of certain digits, show them when you write a cheque, get them to teach you how we made numbers using playing cards, go on a number hunt while in the car or through a newspaper. Show them how we use numbers in real life and make it fun!

This week's schedule:

Monday: •Friday Letters due

Tuesday: •bring a water bottle for Tone it Up Tuesday

Thursday: •Swimming from 1-3 p.m. Dress for ANY weather - we will be walking over.

Friday: •Frolicking Friday - again, dress for any weather and wear proper outdoor footwear for running and walking

Sept 23 - 27

It's hard to believe that we are in the last week of September already! We are looking forward to our first "energy day" assembly tomorrow morning at 8:30 in the gym. You are welcome to join us!

Thank you to all the parents and families that came out last week for our Welcome Back to School/Meet the Teacher BBQ. It was a huge success! If I didn't get a chance to meet with you in the classroom, last week your child should have brought home a package with what I shared that night. Please look for it in the backpack.

Lastly, if you would be interested in volunteering to be our Parent Rep on council, please let the office or myself know. It doesn't take a lot of time and I honestly won't make you work that hard! (Promise!)

Here is a glance of this weeks coming events....

Monday

• Author visit - Celia Lottridge - ask your child what they learned.

Tuesday

• Energy Day Assembly - 8:30 - Colour Day theme - wear your favorite colour!!
• Tone it up Tuesday - wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle.
• Library day - books should be back!

Wednesday

• Bring in your white T-Shirt for the colour run today! (please label the shirt)

Thursday

• Terry Fox Colour Run Day! Bring in your Toonie for Terry to support cancer research.

Friday

• Frolicking Friday

Sept 16-20

My biggest apologies for posting this so late! I will try my best to not be this late - - all the time! Last week was a great week and I'm looking forward to the week ahead (and getting the chance to meet you tomorrow night!) Toonies for Terry will be starting tomorrow. The container is in our classroom and students can bring in a "Toonie" (or any other denomination) to support the cause that Terry Fox started many years ago. Tuesday *Library day! *Welcome Back BBQ & Meet the teacher *Tone it up Tuesday - bring a water bottle and wear something comfy Thursday *PICTURE DAY! Friday *Frolicking Friday - the students are enjoying this time!

September 9 - 13

Well, I have some good news!  We all survived the first week of school and decided to come back today for a full week of learning!  I love my job and the kids that come into the classroom every day.

Just a reminder, that agendas need to be signed daily and that home reading should be happening at home for about 15 minutes.  Remember to sign the calendar portion in the agenda with what your child is reading.  (Look at the label as an example.)

Monday

• Friday letters were to be handed in today with a parent signature.  Thank you to those of you that took the time to write back to your child. 
• Highlights forms also went home today.  They need to be signed and returned with NO obligation to purchase anything.  The bonus - is that more forms that are returned, the more free goodies we can get for our classroom!

Tuesday

• First official day of "Tone it up Tuesday"!   Be sure to ask your child about this half hour gym class.  Bringing a water bottle for this is encouraged.
• Library today!  Your child will be bringing home their library books and they need to be returned next Monday.

Wednesday

• Our first Grade Level Assembly - ask your child what those are all about.

Friday

• First Book Buddies today.  Be sure to ask your child who our class is paired up with. 
• We will begin to present the "Introducing... Spectacular Me" projects. They look awesome!  (and spectacular!!) 

Welcome to the new year!!

I am so excited to welcome you to my class this year!  I can't wait to see the awesome learning and adventures that you child and myself will embark on.  It was a pleasure to meet some of you this morning as well as your child and I'm thankful that they are here.  I only ask one thing of your child and that is that they try their best.  Please take the time to ask your child what the rules are of the classroom (and they should be able to tell you as I only have two!)

I use this blog as a tool to help keep you informed with upcoming events, learning happening in the classroom and little things that can be done at home to help out the school environment.  I do my best to update this blog once a week (every Monday) but I would like to make it a goal this year to add some other posts. 

A couple of other pieces of information before I give you the weekly update:

1. Please read and sign your child's agenda. Please do this every day even if there is not a message.
2. Home Reading is a very important component of a child's learning and it starts now! Please take note of the labels in your child's agenda on today's date (Sept. 3) and on the calendar for September. (I will place this label in there tomorrow.)
3. There is an option to the left to "Follow by Email." If you would like to receive email notifications of when my blog is updated, please sign up.

This week at a glance:

Tuesday:

• Welcome to school! 
• "Introducing... Spectacular Me" assignment sent home

Wednesday:

• School Council meeting 7:00 p.m.

Friday:

• "Introducing... Spectacular Me" assignment due
• Welcome Back Assembly 8:30 a.m.
• First day of Frolicking Friday - wear appropriate outdoor footwear. 

Thank you for leaving your child in my care this year.  It is an honour. 

Long Division Card Game

We played this game in math today.  It is a fun one to reinforce the steps of long division!

Each player draws four cards. The first three numbers are the dividend and the last card is the divisor. Both players must work through their division problem. Each player will use a calculator to check the partner's answer. The player with the larger quotient keeps all the cards. Play continues until one player holds all the cards.

June 10-14

Wow!  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you! To the parents who were able to join us on the field trip and to all the amazing kids you sent me that day to take to Waterton.  The weather was gorgeous!  The learning was engaging!  And of course, the students were awesome! 

It is hard to believe that we only have three weeks left before summer holidays start and still a lot of learning will be occuring.  This week in math we will be finishing up on long division and learning about Venn & Carroll Diagrams.  Social, we continue to find out more about our province.  In science, we will be having a final test on the plant unit and starting a new fun end-of-the-year unit!  In L.A., we will continue to work on our Lorax unit making committments to the environment. 

Education City homework has officially wrapped up for the year.  Thank you for your support at home.  Without practice at home, skills learned at school are easily forgotten.  Education City and RAZ Kids will continue to be available over the summer.

Monday

• Registrations for the Grade 4's who are moving on to Grade 5, your form needs to be in.  Mrs. Van Son (in the office) will be contacting you if you haven't already done so.

Tuesday

• Library books are due!
• Hot Lunch money is due!

Wednesday

• Last day of library - no books will be checked out.
• HOJA field trip to Wilson at 1 p.m.  All Grade 4/5 students will be walking over.

Thursday

• Grade level assembly to learn about S for Safety portion for Galbraith CARES.

Friday

• Frolicking Friday

June 3- 7

Wow!  June is here already!  This year has been a great one and I'm excited for our last month together.  My general rule of thumb to the students is that if we work hard all year, we will play in June.  This will be mostly true, keeping structure and routine for the students.  We still have curriculum to cover, only it gets more enjoyable! 

Here is a rundown of what we will be learning this week

• Math - back to division facts and long division
• Social - finishing up the CPR build and reasons why people moved specifically to Alberta
• Science - learning about seed types and how they are dispersed in nature
• LA - doing a debate in support of the Lorax or Once-Ler and then writing a story with what happens next
• Spelling - last week of words and then we will continue with a review

DON'T FORGET!  Grade 4's - I am still in need of some registration forms so that class lists can start being created and also, if you want to join AMA patrol, get your form in soon!

Wednesday:

• Last day to sign books out of the library - due next Tuesday
• AMA School Patrol forms due
• School Patrol picnic for our patrollers
• School Council AGM 6:15 p.m.

Thursday:

• Last Education City of the year due
• Field trip to Helen Schuler and the Waterton Park Front

Friday:

• Frolicking Friday

Week of May 27 - 31

My deepest apologies!  I told the kids it would be a late post last week and not to check right after school, but apparently the week got away from me and here we are - - on the last week of May!  How did that happen?  With that being said, here is a run down for the week...

Monday
 - New spelling words
 - Picture ofders due today

Tuesday
 - Spelling City will start today
 - Education City is due today
 - HOT LUNCH day!!
 - Energy Day Assembly - 12:30 p.m.
 - Wear your MOUSTACHE for our assembly.

Wednesday
 - Grade 4 patroller training (for next year)

Thursday
 - Scientists in School - Plant Life
 - Almost Tunes in June - walk over picnic to Churchill for the lunch hour.  They will be selling pop/hot dog and chips.  Parents you are welcome to join us. 
 - The last Family Fun Night in the gym
 - LAST Education City homework will be assigned!

Friday
 - Frolicking - dress for the weather

Week of May 13-17

After all the many crazy weeks we have had, I think this one is fairly normal with (do I dare say it) ...no... interuptions!

Monday

• New spelling words and assignment through Spelling City
• Library Books are due tomorrow
• Bring a water bottle for Tuesday (Indy 500)

Tuesday

• Hot Lunch money is due in

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

• We frolick! 
• Friday letters will be coming home today, just a reminder to bring them back signed. 

Enjoy the long weekend!  I'll see you on Tuesday!

Quick Summary of Upcoming Events

May & June in Grade 4/5 in Mrs. Nelson’s Class

Please take note of the upcoming important dates:

• May 9 - 8:45-9:30 Volunteer Breakfast
• in Galbraith Gym
• Please join us for breakfast if you have volunteered at Galbraith this year.
• May 10 - No classes for students
• Professional Learning Day for teachers
• May 20 - School is closed
• Victoria Day
• May 21 - 10:50-12:20 Cemetery Tour
• we will be taking a bus to the cemetery to learn about our history
• hosted by the Galt Museum
• please dress for the weather - we go rain or shine!
• I will need at least 3 parent volunteers to make this happen.  If you are able to, please contact me. 
• May 28 - Hot Lunch & Energy Day Assembly at 12:30
• May 30 - all morning - Scientists in School
• we will be learning more about PLANTS!
• If you are able, I will need at least 2 parent volunteers as they are put into small groups for instruction.
• May 30 - lunch time - "Tunes in June" at Winston Churchill
• We will be walking to Churchill over the lunch hour.  Students are asked to bring a lunch or they can purchase their lunch their (Hot dogs, chips, and pop will be available from Churchill Student Council)
• We will enjoy the music and tunes from their bands for an outdoor picnic.
• Parents, you are welcome to join us in our Picnic!
• May 30 - 6:30 p.m. - Last "Family Fun Night" (in the gym)
• June 6 - ALL DAY - Field Trip to Waterton Park Front
• transportation by bus
• We start our morning at Helen Schuler Coulee Centre and head off to the Waterton Park Front for an engaging day of Plant Life and other activities.
• Please pack a lunch and dress for the weather.
• In order for this day to happen, I will need at least 4 parent volunteers (or more!)  If you are able to, please contact me.  It is a great day to spend with your child.
• June 18 - Hot Lunch (Hot dogs) & Energy Day Assemby at 8:30 a.m.
• June 21 - all morning - SPORTS DAY
• a parent volunteer form will be coming home for this day from the committee
• June 26 - afternoon - Swimming at Westminster Pool (outdoor!)
• June 27 - 8:30 a.m. - Farewell Assembly
• this is to say goodbye to our Grade 5's and staff that are retiring and/or leaving
• this is also the LAST DAY for STUDENTS! 
• dismissal is at 11:45
• June 28 - Enjoy your summer holidays!! 
• Teaching staff is in the building for Professional Leanring.

Week of May 6 - 10

My apologies for the late update!  I thought at one time to write down my post and then got sidetracked - really sidetracked! 

So here is a quick run down of the week.  It's short and sweet....

Quick run-down this week:

Monday:

• No new spelling words - we are catching up from last week
• Music Monday was a success! 

Tuesday:

• Grade 4 registrations coming home; due June 10th
• Rugby in a.m. (This was our first session and the kids did an awesome job!)
• Education City is due tonight

Wednesday:

• Rugby in a.m.

Thursday:

• Volunteer breakfast
• Rugby in p.m.
• New Education City homework will be assigned today. (Due next Thursday)

Friday:

• Staff learning day - no school for students

April 29 - May 3

We are into the busiest time of the year!  And it is hard to believe that it will end before we've realized it has started!  There are many upcoming field trips and special events in which I will try my best to keep you posted, but the agenda may be the best place for those announcements!  The Galbraith webpage is also updated with school events, so be sure to check it out on a regular basis.

Monday

• Welcome to WINTER? SPRING?  I'm really not too sure! 
• Library books are due back tomorrow.

Tuesday

• Energy Day Assembly - WEAR BLUE for AUTISM
• Hot lunch today for those that ordered
• New Education City starts - due next week, May 7

Wednesday

Thursday

• Helen Schuler field trip in the morning.  Thank you to those parents who volunteered to come with us.  I am still in need of a couple of helpers.  Please let me know if you are able to join us for a few hours. 
• Parent orientation at Wilson for Grade 5 parents at 7 p.m. in the gym

Friday

• Grade 5 students to go to Wilson for orientation at 10:15 a.m.
• Frolicking Friday - please - DRESS for the weather!

April 22 - 26

HAPPY EARTH DAY!  Today we made Wall-E pledges to help do our part to save our only planet and earth.  Ask your child what their pledge is.

Also, just a reminder to the Grade 5's to get their registration and band forms back to the school.

Monday

• Ask your child about Music Alive.
• Library books are due tomorrow.
• Newsletter for Helen Schuler in your child's agenda today.

Tuesday

• New spelling words and spelling city assigned

Wednesday

Thursday

• Education City due today

Friday

• NO School today- -Professional Learning Day

April 15 - April 19

Well, hello winter!  Oops, I meant spring!  Umm, really, I'm not sure what season we are in and the weather is CRAZY!  So in thoughts and wishes of having a snow day we read "Snowed in at Pokeweed Public School" off of our 100 Books list.  The kids wrote about what the best part of being stuck at school in a snowstorm would be.  Ask them what they wrote!  We're hoping it doesn't really happen though.

Monday

• Note about the Step into Spring event
• No new spelling words - practice last week's and finish spellingcity.com assignments

Tuesday:

• Hot lunch money due - my apologies as I had the kids write in their agendas for Wednesday!
• Education City homework due

Wednesday:

• Recycled Robots art afternoon - please have all materials here by then
• Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Christianson from Wilson Middle School will be here to talk to the grade 5s

Thursday:

• New Education City homework set - due April 25

Friday:

• Step into Spring

Lastly, I have asked your child to bring in some photos of you Mom!  For an upcoming Mother's Day project we are in need of photos that include Mom with their child or just of Mom.  The pictures will come back to you unharmed but if you would prefer that we take a copy of it, we do have the capability or the pictures could be emailed to myself if they are digital.  I am hoping that the pictures range in "age" as old as your child is.  I can't wait to do this project!  Thank you in advance!

April 8-12

I hope you all had an enjoyable week off!  It was nice to come back this morning (in the snow!!) to see all the kids' smiling faces!  Really, we are on the home stretch with the school year and still a lot of learning to happen!  :-)

Monday

• New spelling words were assigned today.
• Ask your child about our Grade Level meeting with Ms. Loewen.
• Gymnastics equipment arrives today and will be ready to go tomorrow.  Please refer to the note that went home about the dress attire. 
• Library books are due tomorrow!
• Wilson Middle School Band is here this afternoon.

Tuesday

• Education City starts today!
• Remember your gymnastic shorts!  (Girls, elastics for long hair and no jewelry please.)

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

• Frolicking!  Dress for the weather!

March 25-29

Wow, it's hard to believe that we are just about at the end of March!  The more we learn, the quicker the days (and months) go by!  Thank you to all of you who joined us for the Celebration of Learning.  I hope you enjoyed watching your child share with you their learning and how very proud they were to have you in the classroom. 

This week in math our focus is going to be on division.  Please take the time, daily, to practice the basic facts for dividing.  Ask your child about the story we read today in class and what special activity followed with it. 

Monday

• Note went home about our field trip to Sterndale Bennett Theatre

Tuesday

• Library books due
• Education City due
• Hot lunch today!
• Assembly - 12:30 - Silly Hat Day!

Wednesday

• Collage of the Arts (by Wilson Middle School) at the Sterndale Bennett Theatre

Thursday

• Education City set and due for April 4

Friday

• No school for Good Friday

Wishing you all a great Easter break!  Remember there is no school next week and school will resume April 8 at 8:22!  See you all then! 

March 18-22

Again, we venture on a busy, busy week!  One fun thing we did today was go on the Khan Academy website.  You can search the topic you would like to see a video about or do an activity on.  We are going back to multiplication this week in math.  Now we are taking it beyond basic facts to multiplying 2- and 3-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers.  Grade 5s will also learn how to multiply 2-digit by 2-digit numbers later on.  Knowing the basic facts is crucial for being able to move on to activities that require another step in the process.  If students are struggling with the basics, they will find it especially difficult to apply the basic facts to higher level skills.  Please practice the basic multiplication tables (to 10) at home until this is mastered. 

Monday:

• Our class visited the Book Fair today.  If you forgot your money, don't worry.  The Book Fair is still open tomorrow, and will remain open through the Celebration of Learning.
• No new spelling words this week.  Please finish Spelling City assignments if you haven't already.
• An important letter went home, please ask your child to see it.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
• Please bring in an empty box (or two).  This is for a writing project.  The box size can vary from a cereal to granola box size.

Tuesday:

• Celebration of Learning!!!  I love to celebrate my students, and I'm sure you do too.  Please drop in tomorrow evening between 6 and 8 p.m. so your child can show you around the classroom and wow you with everything they have learned this term.
• Library books due
• New Education City set

Wednesday:

• WORK! WORK! WORK!

Thursday:

• Safety City is coming to do a presentation on cyber bullying in the afternoon.  Ask your child what they learned about cyber bullying that day.

Friday:

• No school for students because of interviews.  Parents do not need to book an interview unless one was requested in the report card or unless there is something you would like to discuss with me and the Celebration of Learning is not the time or place to do it. 

Coming Up Next Week:

• Tuesday - Silly Hat Day for the Energy Day Assembly
• Friday - no school for Good Friday

March 11-15

The invention projects came in today and we started presenting them.  I was so impressed by the creativity of all!! Hats off to you!

This Week:

Monday:

• Hot Lunch forms going home today due Friday.
• New spelling words are coming home today. 
• New Spelling City assignments have been set.  Due March 21.
• Science Invention projects are due today.

Tuesday:

• Library books due.
• Bring a water bottle for Tone it up Tuesday

Wednesday

• Swimming this afternoon! 
• Don't forget your towel and suit and a quarter for the locker.  Otherwise, no other money needs to be brought as we will be swimming most of the afternoon and there is no time to get treats from the machine.  (It also causes stress for other children if they don't have money).  Thank you!

Thursday:

• Book Fair begins!

Friday:

• Report cards go home.
• Basketball tournament at Gilbert Paterson Middle School

Sunday:

• Don't forget to wear green for St. Patrick's Day!

Coming Up Next Week:

• Celebration of Learning on Tues. Mar. 19 from 6:00-8:00pm

March 4 - March 8

Welcome to March!  In like a lion - which it sure did!  I'm glad that most of the kids made it in this morning to enjoy the snowy day.

Here is the week at a glance:

Monday

• Ask your child about the "A is for _____________" presentation this afternoon by Ms. Loewen.

Tuesday

• Library books are due.
• Bring a water bottle for the "INDY 500" (during Tone-it-up-Tuesday)
• Education City is due.

Wednesday

Thursday

• New Education City will be assigned.
• Misss. Geancarlo starts today!  

Friday

• No School as it is a Professional Learning Day for teachers.

Just a reminder too that invention projects as well as the write ups are due next Monday.  I can't wait to see them!

Feb 25-March 1

It was good to get back to school this morning and see all the kids!  They look well rested and ready for anything!  I hope the week off treated you all well and that you were able to spend a little family time together.  I enjoyed the days I had with my family.

Teacher's Convention was great!  The keynotes were both inspiring and motivating.  I attended a couple of great workshops and did some shopping!  Thank you Parent Council for your generous gift that allowed me to pick up a couple of new resources.

Monday

• Welcome Back!!

Tuesday

• Energy Day Assembly - 8:30 a.m.
• Library Books due
• Eric Wilson visit - 1:00 p.m.
• Tone it up Tuesday - bring a water bottle.  Kids may also bring a yoga mat if they choose as sit ups and push ups are hard on the gym floor.
• Education City starts today - due next Tuesday
• Spelling City starts today.  Class time is given and it is due March 7.

Wednesday

• PINK Shirt Day - If you would like more information you can click here.

Thursday

• HOT Lunch - Taco Time

Friday

• Frolicking Friday....dress for the weather!

Have a great week!

Feb 11-15 - addition

A couple of things I forgot to mention yesterday....

Exciting news!!  Eric Wilson, the famous Canadian mystery author, is coming to Galbraith!!  He will be here on Monday, February 25th at 9:00am for about 70 minutes.  I highly recommend checking out his website: www.ericwilson.com as there are loads of good things there.  You can get a free PDF copy of one of his books, "Murder on The Canadian"; the ability to purchase PDFs of his other books for $3; the first chapter of every book he has written; a link to join his mystery club; and much more!  I have encouraged the kids to sign out one of the school's 14 copies of his books, or to read one of my copies during class.  However, there are not enough copies to go around, so if your child didn't get a copy I recommend the public library.  Other suggestions made by the class were to get a copy on an e-reader or to purchase one from somewhere like Chapters.  This is not required reading, but it is a good idea to be familiar with Eric Wilson before he arrives. 

Don't forget with the week off of school it would be a great opportunity to work on the science invention project.  They are due at school on March 11, 2013. 


Next Week:
Monday - Family Day - stat holiday
Tuesday, Wednesday - reading week break for staff and students
Thursday, Friday - Teachers' Convention - no school for students

After the Break:
School resumes on Feb. 25th (the same day as Eric Wilson). 
We will also be having our science unit test this week.  There is a copy of the review sheet on the Grade 4/5 Science page on the Galbraith webpage.  Thank you.


Lastly we promised the students today that we would post the workouts to Tone-It-Up Tuesday.  We mainly use a site called BackOnPointe.  She is a dance instructor and has designed workouts to be done without "a gym".  For the most part, the students are enjoying the workouts and I hope you too enjoy their tiredness when they come home! 

February 11-15

After years of planning, the centenniaql is FINALLY here!  It was great to see so many - old students and teachers - come through the doors for our open house Friday afternoon.  We made the news in fine fashion!  (You can click here to see the cast, it's about four and a half minutes into the news.)  I want to thank all the families that came out for our school "Old Time Barn Dance".  The kids certainly danced up a storm and enjoyed the popcorn and lemonade.  Thank you to parent council for providing that as well as to our DJ service who did a fabulous job.  As a staff, we concluded the weekend with old collegues and friends to visit at the Galt.  We had a nice turn out, with one teacher who worked in the school in the 1950's! (oops, this was corrected due to a misprint I had!)  Hats off though to our own Mrs. Emerson as she was the teacher who has taught the longest at Galbraith....33 years! (at least from those in attendance the other night!)

This week will also be a busy week of centennial festivities.  Be sure to ask your child the different things that are occuring in the classroom, I'm sure it will be a great discussion!

Monday

• Ask your child about the seating arrangement.

Tuesday

• Miss Giancarlo will be joining our class today for an orientation.  She will begin her PSII round of teaching after the Family Day - Week break.  She is currently a student from the University of Lethbridge and we look forward to welcoming her in to our classroom.
• Library books are due! 
• Bring a water bottle for Tone-It-Up Tuesday

Wednesday

• practice day for our Centennail Showcase

Thursday

• Happy Hearts Day!  Please remember to bring in your Valentine's Cards (hopefully handmade :-) so we can exchange them in the morning.  With the day being crazy as well, I will be providing all students with a snack for the lunch in lieu of a party. 
• Please don't send extra Valentine's treats for the students unless they are packaged up so that they can go home.  Thank you!
• Centennial Showcase Assembly - 1p.m.  This is a performance based assembly that you are welcome to attend.  We will also be opening the time capsule from the 75th anniversary and then sealing our 100th time capsule. 
• Remember to dress in period clothing to honour this day. 
• Boys - white shirt, dress pants (or dark jeans) - - don't go and purchase anything.
• Girls - dress
• Education City due!

Friday

• Evergreen Theatre Production at 9a.m.
• Friday letters will come home today, be sure to sign them and return them the week following

Lastly, enjoy the Family Day weekend and the entire week off!  We will see you all February 25!  Thank you!

Valentine List

Here is a list of the students in our class. With it falling on the day of our centennial showcase assembly, valentines day will be low key. I'm asking that the valentines be handmade-in conjunction with 100 years ago, but if you have already purchased them, then please don't fret. Remember valentines day is about kindness and friendship. Tyler                 Austin                Josh                  Nathalia
Daniel               Ricardo              Marshall           Gloria
Jayden               Grace                 Kaiden              Allina
Hayden              Micah                Claire               Owen
Alyssa               Abril                   Dalton              Cole
Zack                  Dayton               Logan               Tori
Taya                  Jordan
Mrs. Nelson
Ms. Pocock
Mrs. Richardson

Feb 4 - 8

The week we have all been waiting for has quickly arrived.  The end of this week will mark the centennial festivities!  We ended up having our class photos done this morning, so your child will not need to wear the white shirt and dark bottom attire.  Those students that were absent, the photographer will be there tomorrow morning to catch up.  Here is a look at the week at a glance.

Monday

• New spelling words assigned

Tuesday

• Spelling City - assigned, due Feb. 14
• Education City is due today!
• bring a water bottle for our Indy 500 during Tone it Up Tuesday
• Library Books are due today!

Wednesday

• Winter Walk Day at 12:30.  Please, dress for the weather!

Thursday

• New Education City assigned today!

Friday

• PL day for students - no school for them!
• Open House for our Centennial 1 - 3
• Galbraith Centennail Old Time Barn Dance & Socail for our student body 6:30

February 14 - is our Centennail Showcase Assembly - 1p.m.

Jan 28 - Feb 1

Well, if you are peeking at the time, please don't!  It is not any earlier than last week, but I really do appreciate you looking at the blog and should you have any comments or suggestions, please don't hesitate to help me out!

Monday

• We had a presentation by Ms. Heimbecker our FMNI liason from Board Office about the book called "Fatty Legs".  It is tied into our social curriculum and we will be beginning to read the book shortly.  Ask your child about it as it will prove to be an interesting conversation.

Tuesday

• HOT LUNCH! I love these days from a Mom perspective!
• Assembly at 12:30.  Wear your favorite winter wear clothing.
• Tone it up Tuesday - be sure to bring your water bottle for a great workout!
• New Education City homework set will be ready to go.

Wednesday

• Hot chocolate and cookie at lunch time provided by Parent Council as a thank you for our Read-A-Thon fundraising.

Thursday

• Family Fun Night in the gym starting at 6:30.  Students need to come with a parent.

Friday

• Frolicking!  Remember to come dressed for the weather!

Jan 21 - 25

Wow, three weeks into January and it is busy, busy, busy!  Not to mention, it's hard to believe that we are less than three weeks away from our big school celebration of turning 100!  A lot will be happening and the planning is coming together nicely.  Dont' forget to read through the newsletter about the "Once in a Lifetime Photo Opportunity" that went home today (and also to send in your money).  As for this week, here is an update.

Monday

• New spelling words coming home

Tuesday

• New spelling city assignment
• Tone It Up Tuesday - bring a water bottle!  Another great workout in which your child will want to be hydrated!
• Library books due
• Patroller skating with the Hurricanes

Thursday

• Education City is due

Friday

• Frolicking Friday - dress for the weather please

Next week, just a heads up.  It is our hot lunch and assembly day on Tuesday, January 29.  The assembly is at 12:30 with a Winter Wear Day theme.  Students can wear their favorite winter hats, etc. 

Have a great week!

Jan 14 - 18

Wow, it's hard to believe we are already half way through January!  These next couple of months will certainly fly by!  It is a time that a lot of learning occurs and growth, which we look forward to celebrating at the end of March. 

Just a couple of reminders:

• Education City will be due tomorrow, January 15 and a new assignment will be ready to go for Thursday, January 17. 
• The snowshoes are here and we will try to get out as much as we can with them, when the schedule allows us.  We got out this afternoon and it was nice to see all the smiles in the snow! 
• Booster Juice hot lunch forms and money is due in by Wednesday. 
• On Friday, we will frolick as well, so be sure to dress for the weather! 

Thank you for taking the time to keep up to date with your child's education.  If you have any comments, concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to leave a note in the agenda, email me or post a comment on here!

Happy Monday!!

Week of January 7 - 11

Welcome back!  I thought it was going to be hard to get out of bed and out the door on time but with excitement to return I was early than usual!  It was nice to see all the smiling faces this morning! (Yet they were tired too!)  I hope you all had a restful break and are settled in for the next chunk of time to work, work, work!

A couple of things this week to remember:
Monday:

• Snowshoes have arrived!  This means a lot more outside PE time so please dress appropriately for the weather.  It may not seem very cold out, but that wind is most unpleasant after 30 minutes out in it. 
• New spelling words are coming home today.  Please review and practice the sort with your child.  Spelling City has also been set and is set to their current words (which will be assigned to them tomorrow in computer class)

Tuesday:

• New Education City homework will be set.  Due Jan. 15.

Wednesday:

• Parent Council meeting is at 6:30pm and is open to all parents.  This is a good way to have your voice heard when decisions are made for our school.

Thanks for a great Monday! We look forward to a quiet week!