Author: Tiffany Poirier

There are several ways to make the hard /k/ sound in English including c, k, ck, ke, qu, ch.

Hello, 4A families!

We are in the middle of a deep dive into the book of Jonah. This book is a prophetic narrative, with satire, irony, and exaggeration.

For homework, students have been asked to present a faithful RETELLING of the story of Jonah to a family member.

How Did We Study this Story?

A goal in our class is to focus first on the Biblical text, in our case that’s the students’ NIV translations.

We go line by line.

We look up word definitions and discuss cultural/historical context.

The book of Jonah isn’t just about a big fish—it’s about God’s huge, surprising mercy.

After reading the Bible, later we explore some of the wonderfully creative retellings of Jonah’s story—while staying alert to what they have left out. (The students especially love watching the Lego Bible stories!)

Some children’s Bible versions of Jonah may be…

MOSTLY “FISH FOCUSED”: Making the story only about the excitement of big fish and treating the fish as the main character, misses out on the central point of God’s mercy.

OVERSIMPLIFIED: Teaching “obey right away or else!” misses the depth of Jonah’s journey through running, resisting, arguing, and sulking and God’s patience along the way.

SHORTENED: Ending the story when Jonah gets spit out and “saved”, leaves out the whole part about his continued reluctance and God’s compassion.

VILLAINIZING: Portraying Nineveh’s people as cartoon villains (especially without acknowledging their repentance), forgets they were people in a violent empire that God cared about and wanted to see change. The people of Nineveh model immediate full repentance when confronted—something Jonah could learn from.

GLOSSING OVER: Saying Jonah finally understood and was happy in the end of the story is not faithful to the original Bible text, which leaves actually leaves the reader with more questions and a thought provoking cliff hanger.

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.

And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

And the fact that end has no closure and no response from Jonah, lets God’s compassionate question hang in the air for us as readers to consider and apply to our own lives.

The book of Jonah is another way God shows…

He is who He says He is: compassionate, gracious, slow to anger.

Hello, 4A families!

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Here are a some dates to mark on your calendars for December:
– Dec. 9th – Christmas concert evening and matinee performances. Tickets can be purchased here.
– Dec. 17th – Whoville Day
– Dec 19th – Festive Sweater Day (last day before Christmas break; dismissal at 11:25)

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BUNNY NEWS! What does our class pet do when he is not teaching in the 4A class? Follow along on Bachelor Bob’s amazing time travelling adventures with this link to his new Instagram account, “Bachelor Bob, the Time Travelling Bunny”: https://www.instagram.com/bachelorbobtimetravellingbunny?igsh=MW55cnpzczBhbWVyeQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Lately in Math, we have been learning how to round numbers to the nearest tens place and hundreds place. We have added a “Rounding Numbers” Math Centre into rotation for extra practice.

As homework, each day students are asked to (1.) bring home their completed math work, (2.) briefly show and explain it to a family member, and (3.) finish any incomplete work they may have missed during class time.

If your child is struggling with rounding, you might share with him or her some YouTube math tutorials such as the ones below or go over the worksheets together.

Here is a copy of the extra practice sheets students will be using this week with answer keys. (You do NOT need to print or use these at home, since we are covering and marking them in class; however, this is here for your reference.)

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In Science class we have been learning this term about scientific questions, planning and structuring lab reports, safety and ethics in scientific inquiry, and how animals such as bunnies sense and respond to their environments. Today also learned about three mains states of matter: solids, liquids and gases.

We even enjoyed an exuberant states of matter game in the gym during which students ran around like particles who work together to demonstrate sudden changes of state.

Science Enrichment: A 4th State of Matter

Some students dove in to challenge themselves by learning about a 4th state of matter: plasma!

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Memory Verse Strategy

“…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”

– Isaiah 40:31

This term in Bible class, students have been learning more about what the Bible says and how to study it closely and meaningfully.

Our goals in memorizing Scripture are to help students grow closer to God’s Word, understand it more deeply, and empower students with transferable skills they can use for the rest of their lives as they read and interpret the Bible.

To support this, today we practiced a step-by-step strategy using Isaiah 40:31. Here is the process we followed:

1. Break the verse into meaningful chunks

We divide the verse into shorter lines so students can focus on one thought at a time.

2. Identify key words

Students highlight or underline the most important words in each line and discuss why those words matter.

3. Explore different translations

We look up how these key words are translated in different Bible versions. (e.g. We compared the NIV and ESV today). Students discovered that slight differences in translations’ wording can enhance and help reveal deeper meaning. (In the students’ NIV version it says “hope in the Lord,” while in the ESV version it says “wait for the Lord,” which means that one translation seems to emphasize trusting confidently in God’s goodness and promises, while the other seems to emphasize being patient and trusting God’s timing. Students are encouraged to think, pray, and check with their families to round out their understanding of each memory verse.)

4. Draw or symbolize each line in a Scripture Map

Students create simple illustrations or symbols for each line of the verse. This becomes part of a “Scripture map,” which helps them build a visual memory of the passage.

5. Build memory with both auditory and kinesthetic connections

Students create hand or body actions for each part of the verse. Both speaking a verse aloud while acting it out helps anchor the words in mind and body.

CLICK HERE: https://bced.vretta.com/#/en/bced-landing/fsa/secure

Hello, 4A families!

Reminder:
There is no school on Monday, Nov. 10th (Pro-d) and Tuesday, Nov. 11th (Remembrance Day)

Also, there is no school on Friday, Nov. 21
for a pro-d as well.

In Bible and Crew, we have been studying the story of Joseph and his coat of many colours and the many lessons we can learn from this Bible story. I asked students to consider what gifts they understand as blessings from God and how they might share them with others…

We’ve explored this story through the original Bible text and as well seen numerous other children’s Bible story book versions and online video adaptations.

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The Learning Coats Project…

In a few weeks, all the grade 4 classes are starting a yearlong inquiry called The Learning Coats Project. A letter is coming home tomorrow about this, and I have posted it below here too.

If you’d like to see how another local school experienced The Learning Coats Project, you can watch the video above.

Please Bring: Each student will need something to use as the base of a Learning Coat, such as an oversized white or light coloured, second hand dress shirt or lab coat.

Ideally, we would love to have all students
ready to start decorating their coats on
Monday, Nov. 24th

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Who Will Be Prepared to Serve and Courageously Lead the Church in the Years Ahead?

In our Bible classes and Crew time, we’ve been exploring the opportunity each of us has to share the fruits of our biblical study, personal stories, and faith testimonies in ways that can inspire and encourage others.

We’ve been watching examples of sermons—including some given by young people—and discussing how the process of preparing and sharing God’s message can be a powerful act of worship, learning, and service.

As students begin thinking about their own faith talks or short sermons to share in our class or beyond, we’re learning how reflecting, writing, and speaking about what God is doing in our lives can draw us closer to Him and help others grow in faith as well.

Here is one example of a youth giving a thoughtful sermon with a meaningful personal connection.

Together, we’ve discussed how sermons proclaim God’s Word, point people to Jesus, help believers grow in faith and obedience, and build up the Church for God’s glory. Sermons often include personal stories or modern-day illustrations that connect with listeners—while humbly keeping the focus on what matters most: God’s truth and grace.

We are blessed with such a rich, wise, and experienced group of 4A families who can share insights about what makes a sermon meaningful and impactful. Please take time to discuss with your children what you believe makes an effective sermon.

My hope is to invite a few guests who have experience writing and sharing sermons to visit our class and talk with students about their process.

Hello, families!

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Spelling

We’ve been learning spelling skills since September (especially contractions and homophones) but have waited until now to begin spelling quizzes so we could first focus on building confidence, classroom routines, and foundational reading and writing skills. 

Lately, we have been learning how to add –ed and –ing to words ending in –y (for example: cry → cried, hurry → hurrying).

Our spelling quiz will be on Thursday, Nov. 6th, followed by a rewrite the next day on Friday.

Our spelling program focuses on understanding patterns and rules, not just memorizing word lists. By learning how words work, students develop strong spelling strategies that help them in all areas of reading and writing.

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S.S. – The Fur Trade

Here are two videos that may be helpful for students in their review of term one Social Studies. The first video we created today when researching question: What impact did the European traders have during the Canadian fur trade?

As well, I hope to show students that more than doing tests and writing essays, there are many ways to share their Social Studies learning!

Happy weekend!

Personal Interest Projects

📖 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” — 1 Peter 4:10

Our students are doing great work on their yearlong Personal Interest Projects—learning, creating, and contributing something new to the world! 🌎

Some are taking up crochet and sewing, another is compiling a culturally inspired cookbook, a few are designing a new fashion lines, one is recording a podcast, some are coding a video game and others are learning business skills and engineering solutions to real-world problems.

I can tell this year will be an especially powerful one! What an indescribable blessing it is to witness the joy and new milestones hit each day.

Natural Textures Art

Students are learning some pencil techniques through a project realistically representing 24 textures found in nature.

Homophones and Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words

We have been investigating homophones (your/you’re and there/their/they’re) how words are put together. Over the next week we will focus especially on spelling with the –ed and –ing endings

Real World Math

We have made excellent progress as a class in our multi-digit addition unit using the traditional method, hands on activities with money, and base ten blocks to help anchor understanding. Here is a tutorial video to help home practice…

Students have brought home their addition quizzes and are welcome to rewrite these as many times as they like. We are now focussing on subtraction for the coming week, but we will continue to circle back to addition skills weekly all year.

The Impacts of the Fur Trade

In Social Studies, we have been investigating the impacts of the Canadian fur trade from different perspectives—encouraging students to think critically, act as historians and form their own perspectives. We are working on making a video about this learning.

Bible: Jacob, Joseph, and Moses

In Bible class, we have been working our way through powerful stories in the Old Testament by reading the original text and children’s Bible story versions, discussions, and video. We have been talking about creative ways we could faithfully adapt and dramatize the story of Moses and the plagues of Egypt in our class.

Happy Times…

Hello, 4A families!

In Math, are focusing on addition of multi-digit numbers with regrouping, while also doing fun, hands-on Math Centres to get deeper practice of multiplication, telling time, and doing calculations with money.

In Language Arts, we continue to work through lessons on writing well organized expository paragraphs, telling stories with attention to character and plot, and strengthening vocabulary, spelling, and grammar skills—and we have a huge selection of fun Literacy Centres for even more practice! Ask your children to tell you about the literacy centre activities below or click this link to learn the details and rationale for these activities.

Reminder: No costumes at school on Friday, Oct. 31st, but we are having a fun “Pyjama Day” instead! Then, because other classes in the school are doing their pyjama day on Monday, our 4A class is also welcome to have a second pyjama day then too.

On Mon., November 10 there is NO SCHOOL (Non-Instructional day).

Coming up:
Addition quiz on Thursday!

Also, keep practicing the homophones there/their/they’re and to/too/two and also how to correctly form contractions. Use your “Word Study” duo-tang content for review!

Hello, 4A families!

Each morning in “Crew” we aim for some sparkly moments to set the tone for a great day! The students explore a learning provocation inspiring G.R.A.C.E. (Gratitude, Respect, Acceptance, Caring, and Engagement).

A sense of belonging can happen organically, but we’re also intentionally trying to help students co-create a warm sense of community on purpose.

Yesterday, the surprise was a hockey table and the classic Canadian tale “The Hockey Sweater” with some powerful themes.

Bachelor Bob, our lop-eared learning coach, also did his part to drive the inquiry and keep team members focussed on the big goal!

Crew sessions like these hit learning standards across the curriculum, such as those in Language Arts, Physical & Health Education, Career Education, ADST, and more!

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P.I.P. UPDATE: As a part of our Career Education goals, students are working on their own personal interest projects. They are welcome to work on multiple smaller projects or focus on one larger goal.

A popular interest in our class right now is textile arts, and many students are learning sewing, knitting, and crochet.

*If your child is interested in learning to sew, please send me an email granting your child permission to use my class set of sewing needles and have from me in sewing. 

Students can bring in their own material, but I only permit students to use in class the needles I provide and track by number, so I can more easily supervise the safe sewing practices at all times. (No random sewing without permission—we can’t risk losing needles in class.) All students who sew must be reliable in following class safety guidelines. 

Thank you so much for all your amazing support of our creative learners!

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Crochet Club (a P.I.P. Option)

If your child has expressed interest in joining the in-class Crochet Club with Brooke (our grade 9 TA), please read the information below…

PASSION FOR CROCHET: We are blessed to have Brooke, a grade 9 PCS student, working with us on Wednesdays and Friday afternoons as a TA (teacher assistant).

Brooke is a multi-talented entrepreneur who runs her own crochet business selling her handmade creations. She has offered to teach any interested 4A student basic crochet skills during our inquiry blocks. (I personally do not know how to crochet, but I will directly supervise the sessions.)

FEASIBILITY: Crochet is a challenging skill that can take lots of one-to-one guidance for younger children to master, so it is best taught in smaller groups rather than as a whole class activity. So the plan is for Brooke to start working with one group of about 4-5 students next Wednesday, and then start a new group in a few weeks until each interested student has had a chance to be taught by the end of the year.

MATERIALS: Our school does not have crochet hooks or the specific yarn and other materials needed, and I have not been able to secure donations yet—but I am looking into that for the future.

For now, since Brooke has her own business, she is able to purchase crochet materials at wholesale prices. Brooke has offered to buy bulk quantities of yarn, crochet hooks, and the other materials needed for our students to get started in crochet, and she put together a “Learn to Crochet Starter” kits for students to purchase from her that includes materials to make a duck. The kits will include the following:

– 3 crochet patterns for stuffies 

– 5mm crochet hook 

– 7mm crochet hook 

– Fluffy yarn to make the duck

– Thin yarn to make square/coaster/dishcloth 

– Stuffing 

– 4 stitch markers

– 6 pairs of craft eyes (for duck and other extra

  projects) 

– 2 darning needles (to sew in the ends,) they are NOT sharp, very dull and made from plastic, and not a safety hazard.

Brooke has priced the cost of the kits, after her wholesale discount at $25 each—there is no profit for her, just material costs.

If your child would like to work with Brooke and do the “Learn to Crochet a Duck” project, you can send in $25 cash (which will go directly to Brooke for the kit material).

Purchasing the hooks and materials for the project directly on your own is also an option, but the cost could be higher.

Students who are interested but are not ready to commit to doing a full duck project yet and just want to experiment with basic skills are welcome to use my yarn and try finger crochet in class. (Today we introduced the basic slipknot.)

Or, feel free to send in crochet materials with your child and Brooke and/or other classmates can work together as time allows once the duck project students have finished.

THIS IS OPTIONAL: So, to be clear, there is no expectation or pressure for any child to do the “Learn to Crochet a Duck” project or purchase a kit. It’s simply a neat opportunity—and a student can decide later in the year to join in. We are blessed to have Brooke with us all year!

NEXT STEP: If your child has a strong interest, a likelihood of following through with the project, and you would like this opportunity for him or her, then send in $25 to initiate the kit purchase or email me if you have other questions.

Hello, 4A families!

Today we read “Yetsa’s Sweater” by Sylvia Olsen — a story that opened our eyes to the beauty, meaning, and history woven into every authentic Cowichan sweater. Through stories, videos, and voices from Cowichan people, students learned how this Coast Salish art form connects generations through skill, family, and identity.

We discovered how early encounters and trade between Indigenous peoples and European settlers led to new ideas and exchanges. There were times of cooperation and times of conflict. We also discussed the harm of cultural appropriation and the need to honour and protect authentic designs.

Students examined real Cowichan sweaters and authentication labelling, and talked about ways we can support Indigenous artists’ work.

This connects with our BC Grade 4 Social Studies learning about how First Peoples and newcomers interacted and influenced one another and how art reflects identity, values, and relationship to place.

This learning also grows from our earlier reflections on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Becoming more aware of the history of our local area (and of the peoples who have lived here for thousands of years) is an important part of our journey toward truth, understanding, and reconciliation.

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In Math and Science, we have been learning how to accurately organize, record, and share data using bar graphs. Students designed and conducted their own polls, collecting their peers’ responses in tally charts first and then compiling their data in bar graphs.