We are working on: readiness for middle school, proficient skill building in basic Language Arts and Math skills. We are also working on motivating units in Social Studies and Science, hands on learning, multiple intelligences, brain based learning and developing consideration for others.

These are just some of the underlying themes that Division Two concentrates on through out the year.    For more information, please read this article, What to Expect in Grade 5.

Mrs. Brookes endeavors to create the kind of environment that enables students to be the best they can be and motivates them to do their best. Please feel free to email me with any questions I check my emails early morning and in the evening M-F. kbrookes@sd61.bc.ca

This term we will be working on: (there are also other topics that are not included)

Some useful sites that we will be using and visiting are:  click on the links below

Math

• Basic numeracy skills of adding, subtracting multiplying and dividing
• Place value
• Number patterns
• Double and triple digit + – x /
• Problem solving
• Weekly graph – Power of ten strategies and card games
• How many ways
• Fractions, decimals and percent

Language Arts

· Spelling word list – words given on Monday – sentences or other word activities due Tuesday. Spelling City activities can be done at home during the week to practice for the spelling test every Friday.

• Silent reading every day
• Novel studies – White Jade Tiger/Secret World of Og/Julie of the Wolves/Lion the witch and the wardrobe (choices of others as well)
• Picture books – several a week
• Home reading
• Reading Strategies and Comprehension
• Grammar, punctuation, writing topics, journal writing
• Current events, newspaper usage, editing skills
• Novel projects 5 due before May 30th

Science

• Experiments
• Human body systems
• The brain
• Renewable and non-renewable resources

Social Studies

• Immigration to Canada
• Canada’s political geography and landforms
• Canada’s government sytems

French

• French food – restaurant ordering
• Greetings, conversation, basic needs and politeness
• Shopping
• Travelling
• Numbers
• Animals

Career/health and Personal Planning

• Goal setting
• Personal evaluation
• Health discussions and goals
• Virtues
• Internet safety
• Many other topics for weekly discussion

Physical Education

• Gym – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday – please have indoor runners to keep our floors scratch and grit free
• Floor hockey, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, basketball
• Games – cooperative and competitive games
• Stretching, warm ups, cool downs
• Running – goal – to run an 8 min mile or 1.61 km in 8 minutes. Can we do it?

Fitness runs happen Wednesday and Fridays at 9:00 – join us !

• Our loop through Rosedale Park is 0.67 km from our classroom and around the out side of the tennis court and back.

Division Two Nature News

On April 22 during Earth Week Division Three put into action their plans to help Rosedale Park.  They called their action, Rosedale Rescue. Students identified areas of concern and broke into groups to create inquiry questions, complete research on their topic and develop an action plan to address problems that they found. The class created the following groups:

1. Broom Bashers
2. Ivy Pullers
3. Wild Flowers
4. Garry Oak Ecosystem Trees
5. Litter
6. Problems with Doggy Doo Doo in the Park
7. Killer Cats in the Park

The Broom Bashers and the Ivy Pullers developed a skit starring Garry the Wise Old Oak who is  threatened by nasty ivy and mean broom. They presented this production to each class to explain the problems caused by these invasive species. They also highlighted two other characters, Ivy Jack and Broom Jack, who are lot like lumber jacks but for ivy and broom! They taught the students how to remove these plants and keep safe while doing it.

The Litter group created a presentation for each grade as well. They taught about the problems caused by litter and how we can all Pitch In to help reduce or clean up litter. Then they had each class sign up to clean an area around the school including Rosedale Park, Strawberry Vale Garry Oak Corner, the Native Plant Garden, the school grounds, the pond, and Strawberry Vale Knoll Park.

The Wild Flowers and Garry Oak Trees group each created posters and presentations to teach about these important species in the Garry Oak Ecosystem.  The Tree group found out that we live in the Douglas Fir/Garry Oak, Biogeoclimatic Zone. The Flower group found out that the wild Camas was an important food source for the local indigenous cultures. They both taught these facts that helped our whole school develop an awareness and sense of the place in which we live.

Click the link below to see theses students in action.

Rosedale Rescue Day

On May 12th Div 3 travelled to Beaver Lake Park to release the Salmon Fry. We have been raising and caring for the salmon since January when they were delivered to our incubation tank.  200 Coho eggs soon hatched as little alevin that lived the large rock gravel at the bottom of the tank.  After about a month they absorbed their yolk sacs and started to swim freely in the tank searching for food. Students in the class cared for the fish every day, feeding, recording the temperature, and checking on air flow to make sure the fish were healthy.

Finally we were ready to release the salmon fry. We explored the Colquitz watershed and found a perfect place to release the salmon just south of the outflow from Beaver Lake.  Our class along with Jen’s class met Dave Norton, DFO Fisheries Officer, and Dave Hockley a retired principal and district science coordinator, who helped the children release the salmon and conduct an aquatic invertebrate study to see if there would be lots of food for the fry in their new habitat.

After releasing the fry students moved downstream to measure water quality features like temperature, pH, turbidity, and salinity to make sure the Colquitz was a good habitat for fry. We then ran a rubber ducky race to establish the flow rate of the river was sufficient to ensure their would be sufficient dissolved oxygen for the salmon to breath.

It was a great day for young fry and young students alike. Please click on this link to see the video.Thanks to Jen Moniz for the super video work.