Grade Seven 2010-2011 Welcome to Our Blog

Welcome to the grade seven Blog.

Newsletter #1 has been sent home today with a parent contact form for you to complete.

I asked the students to check it out this weekend and was hoping that some parents might get the chance to check it out too! I would like to make it a spot that you check frequently.
I think I will put a 'secret message' and everyone who checked us out this weekend will be rewarded ( I need to think about what the message will be so scroll to the end of the entry if you are interested :)

I had a very productive and pleasant day with the new grade seven class although I did do a lot of the talking today to set up routines and procedures. FYI here is a list of the things that I requested the students do this weekend

• take home the class newsletter and have parents fill it out and sign it (once returned they will be entered in a draw for school supplies)
• bring (or get) their school supplies (we will be using binders and dividers just like high school) and bring $10 for the agenda and start up materials that I will be providing (journals, homework folders and clipboards)
• think of a suitable class motto and come prepared to share it in our activity on Monday
• check the class Blog!!!

Today we spent most of the time sharing some ideas and routines that will help get us organized and help us learn together. Today we

• filled in All about Me forms (students give me info. about them and their likes, dislikes, who they work well with and what they want me to know about them)
• completed a Math diagnostic (a review of gr3-6 math basic skills that will allow me to know who needs support in the basics before they move into more challenging material)
• shared a Power Point Presentation about class routines and expectations with a note taking activity which we will complete on Monday
• completed a 30 minute fitness circuit in the gym
• created a name plate for the front of our desks
• completed a reading worksheet with information about what and how we like to read- did some quiet reading (it wasn't quite silent reading yet!!)
• received class bins for overflow supplies that don't fit into our desks
• had some 'free' time at computers 
• fixed Mrs. J's mistakes on the parent newsletter (no need for an apostrophe on 'lives', 'return it' refers to the contact form attached to your newsletter and the potluck is Thursday September 23rd (my mom's birthday!!)

Some former students in grade eight and grade ten came to visit at the end of the day and the students had some questions about high school- so we finished with a question and answer session. It was a neat way to end our day as I introduced this year to the grade sevens as their high school prep year!!

I was very impressed with the first day excitement and enthusiasm and the students listened well and seem to have that bit more maturity that gives me great hope that this will be a good start to a productive year.
I think if I focus on organizational procedures for the first week or so that the skills will help us get through the work more efficiently.

Congratulations if you have managed to get this far. The secret word if you have checked the Blog is

tiddleywinks

I will ask for the word to be written quietly on a piece of scrap paper on Monday and any student who can give me the secret word will be 'rewarded' (probably something edible).

Have a great weekend and enjoy soccer Saturday.

See everyone Monday.

Mrs. J.