Friday (TGIF) Sept. 24th

Sorry I didn't get the chance to chat with all of you at our potluck last night- the evening seemed to fly by and it was 8pm before I looked at the time!!

Homework and reminders for this weekend
students have a 'puberty' activity- they are to complete by considering their group discussion from class today to make a confidential note of the issues or concerns they personally have in each letter of the acronym I have created for the word PUBERTY (it is probably easier to have a look at the worksheet!!)

Remember no school on Monday Sept 27th
Our staff is attending a workshop on Assessment for Learning on Monday
verification forms are all distributed- some students have left them behind and I will remind them Tuesday to take them HOME!!
t-shirt orders are due by Oct 15th
Only one parent-contact form still to collect!

Have a great long weekend.- see you all Tues. Sept. 28th

General Day

• fabulous positive start in the gym- we played line soccer and there was good participation, some excellent ball skills and lots of good sportsmanship.
• back in class we completed an introductory group activity for our first science unit which is all about Ecosystems. I was impressed at the quality of the posters and have displayed them in the hall if you would like a look-see next week. The students had a chance to peruse each group's poster and assess them as well as self-assess their own participation in the group.
• we rounded out the morning with a look at a problem solving example...5 friends (Lance, Tal, Von, Bob and Andy) want to go fishing but the boat can only hold two of them at a time. How many combinations of two can head out in the boat together? What is the probability that Von and Andy will be drawn first?- interesting to watch some of the different strategies for finding a solution- we answered it just before lunch- perhaps you can ask your son or daughter to show you how to do it and find their solution!!
• Hot Lunch day
• DEAR time - some students were beginning to find it very difficult to settle this afternoon
• Personal Planning- Organizational time first- I want to encourage the students to really be mindful this year about their personal desk and learning organization- we spent some time finding 'homes' for any 'homeless' papers and we did a desk and bin check making sure texts, binders and supplies are in the correct place for easy access and learning efficiency. Transition time is getting a little better but we have a lot of work to do to break some bad habits. It does take time and patience to leaarn new habits.
• PUBERTY was our next foray!! :) I have used the letters of the word as an acronym to kick off our program to look at teenage issues and youth culture. It is always an interesting unit. The students have an activity to complete for homework concerning today's group discussion.
• before computer time we packed up and wrote in agendas
• Computers- today I allowed some free time for the students and another chance to show me the need for a seating plan is not necessary but I'm afraid I'm not convinced. I believe a seating plan will help the students realize the power of the computer aa a learning tool and not just a time 'sucker' for playing games or surfing (not that there is anything wrong with those endeavours). This year I have the luxury of having a volunteer who is very well versed in Info. Tech. teaching and together we intend to provide the students a solid introduction to computer technology. I know I will learn a great deal from her expertise. I'll provide more detail as we get better organized. The 30 minutes just seemed to disappear and before I knew it, the dismissal bell rang before I had properly logged of the machines!! C'est la vie.

Good week all in all.
Mrs. J.