Fast Forward

We all moved our clocks forward an hour in anticipation of warmer days - but alas, spring has not yet fully arrived! Despite its late appearance, we have moved forward in our learning at school.

Social Studies
Grade 4 students have begun their First Nations research project. The project will be spread out so that students work on one aspect at a time. Students should have brought home the criteria for the project. Due dates will be spread out over the unit to allow students to focus on one aspect at a time. Watch for these dates in the planner! Grade 3 students have been learning how natural resources and transportation routes have impacted the history of communities in British Columbia. They are now beginning a unit on Government. Our learning intention is to understand the responsibilities of community government and to develop an awareness of the different levels of government (municipal, provincial, and federal). We enjoyed our field trip to City Hall where we learned how council meetings are run.

Science
We have been working our way through the last part of our weather unit. Students have been learning about using weather patterns to predict the weather. Questions we have investigated:

• How do mountains affect precipitation?
• What effect do oceans have on temperature?
• How does high or low air pressure help us predict the weather?
• How do different types of clouds help us predict the weather?
• What are some ways that weather affects living and nonliving things?

We will kick-start our next unit on Animal and Plant adaptations with our field trip to Stanley Park (Heronry, Lost Lagoon, and the Aquarium) on May 4.

Language Arts
This is an exciting time in language arts as we have several new learning activities. In independent reading, we are meeting with a reading partner about once a week to share our interests in reading and build a strong reading community. We have also begun Book Clubs. Students are reading one of four chapter books around the theme: Kids Can Do It! They will be completing reading responses, character maps, book summaries, and participating in discussion groups. Students are being asked to pay attention to the strategies they are using (visualizing, connecting, questioning, and inferring) as they read and using sticky notes to mark their thinking. In addition to many wonderful reading opportunities, we have begun a short poetry unit. Our unit began with the question - What are the three R's of poetry? They are rhythm, repetition and risk. We will be exploring topic choices, word choice, as well as tools poets use (simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration).

Physical Education
In the gym, we are currently working on a creative dance unit. We are also beginning each class with a more structured dance to warm up. Off to a Running Start has continued with several students now reaching the 3 Lap Club. Most are able to run at least one lap without stopping - our goal is 2 laps running by June!

Music
Students are very excited to begin learning the recorder. I have enough loaners for students to begin. If you wish to purchase a recorder, I will send home an order form. Please do not send in the cheaper dollar store recorders as these often do not produce a nice quality sound. Hopefully, we will be ready to perform by the Spring Concert!

Upcoming Events:

• Balding for Dollars - donations are being accepted for BC Children's Hospital cancer research
• Walkathon - collect those pledges
• Field trip to Stanley Park