Author: Tiffany Poirier

Hello, 5B families!

Report cards are coming—but they can’t capture the whole story of your child’s growth this year! Every learner is on his or her own “hero’s journey”—and I have been astounded with the progress I have seen each make in term one.

Here is a window into what and how your children have been learning the art of storytelling. I hope this background empowers families to continue fostering these skills and deepen discussion around literacy learning at home.

This term, students have learned concepts and practiced skills to grow as oral storytellers while crafting their own original narratives to share and inspire others in our school community. This valuable life skill builds confidence and creativity, and lays a stronger foundation for core literacy skills. Emphasis on the development of quality ideas over worrying about the mechanics of recording them with a pencil or keyboard removes barriers and fosters inclusion, while at the same time providing a motivation for students to capture their great work by developing those writing skills alongside. Even with the permission that, “you don’t have to write this story down,” many pages were written voluntarily as students took ownership and wanted to fine-tune their tales at the word-by-word written level.

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Learning About Storytelling…

Through direct teaching with modelling and examples, students learned strategies for how to grow their storytelling skills. For examples, students (a.) worked through the “story mapping” process, (b.) built ideas off of creativity prompts, and (c.) learned to use existing stories as templates.

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Jumping Off Point:

I read aloud the story, “The Tiger Who Came to Tea,” and encouraged students to use that tale of an unexpected visitor as a framework for their own: “The __(character)___ Who Came to ____(activity or place)_____”.

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Developing Ideas & Practicing…

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Showcasing Learning: The Story Fair for the Gr. 2 Little Buddies

Each student had the joy and responsibility of creating a 4-minute original story to tell at his or her “story station”, and the grade 2 buddies cycled through and were delighted. It looked like this…

We heard so many wonderful stories this term. For example…

Marko: “The Juggling Seal” – A talented seal enjoys a game of dodgeball and makes some escalating mischief around town.

Andrew: “A Magic Pencil” – A magical pencil embarks on a quest to reunite with its owner.

Kailee: “The Elephant Who Came to Play” – An elephant and a little girl named Rose engage in dress-up adventures.

Elliott: “The Bird Who Came to Dinner” – A clever, persistent hippo attempts various methods to enter a little girl’s home.

Jayden: “Dark Soul” – A detailed narrative set in his favorite fictional video-game world, presented during a spontaneous storytelling challenge on Halloween.

Joaquina: “The Panda Who Came for Dinner” – A panda joins a family for dinner and humorously takes over with its huge appetite.

Lucas: “The Journey to the MLB” – Two professional baseball players who, after accidentally breaking a young boy’s window, inspire and coach him to succeed in the major leagues.

Pascal: “The Dodo Bird Who Came for a Midnight Snack” – A dodo bird embarks on a nocturnal adventure in search of a snack.

Sergio: “The Great Music Mystery” – A child named David solves a problem in Pianoland.

Lochlan: “The Milk” – A man named Jeeuff returns home to bring his wife some milk.

Daniel: “The Boy Who Looked Into the Future” – A young mathematician named John uses a magical potion to step into the future, discovers robbers are coming, and sets clever traps to have them put in jail.

Jun: “Anta Who Came to Help” – Santa catches a cold and calls on his brother, Anta, for help.

Ethan: “The Prince” – A royal protagonist adopts a fish, goes missing, and is eventually found.

Evelynn: “The Giraffe Who Came to Dance Class” – Gia the giraffe aspires to become a dancer and, with the support of Zadie the zebra, overcomes the mean criticism of other animals to deliver a wonderful performance.

Raina: “The Big Bossy Red Book” – A girl named Chloe loves doing schoolwork but is continually distracted by the antics of a magical book.

Sara: “The Orca Who Came to Swimming Lessons” – An orca attends swimming lessons, leading to humorous and unexpected events.

Luke: “The Pig That Went to School” – A clever pig escapes from the farm and tries to enroll in school to prove his high intellect.

Lily: “The Young Little Fox” – A young fox ventures into the forest and must save himself from a wolf.

Cristobal: “The Soccer Jack” – Two friends learn to play soccer together.

Sofia: “Amanda the Panda” – A panda gets her ears pierced and discovers her love of earrings.

Polina: “The Lizard Who Came for Dinner” – Emily, a girl, receives an unexpected dinner guest—a lizard that causes such a commotion in the house that the family decides to move into a larger home to accommodate their new friend.

Rebecca: “The Brave Owl” – A young raptor who loves to explore falls into a hole and is rescued by a kind tiger who becomes his friend.

Andrei: “The Man Who Tamed a Village” – Set in medieval times, a farmer and his two sons learn the virtues of using a kind, calm voice. When a famine strikes, those who refrain from yelling receive food, express gratitude, and help the farmer replant his crops, ultimately ending the famine.

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Spontaneous Halloween Storytelling Bonus Challenge:

On Halloween, we made the most of the fact that students were wearing their costumes by inviting kids to come to the front of the room and make up a story on the spot. Here are some of those wonderful spontaneous tales…

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The Feedback & Assessment Process…

Students were supported in learning to give helpful feedback to one another, self-assess their own stories, and take action on teacher recommendations.

Hello, 5B families!

Our students have been learning about self-regulation and the tools they can use in class to feel calm and focussed on their learning. Please take a moment to review our guidelines that help students choose and use fidgets in helpful ways.

Purpose of Fidgets

Fidgets are tools (not toys) that may help students stay focused during listening time. When used properly, they may help some learners to feel calm and pay attention without distracting anyone else. In our classroom, everyone’s learning matters. Therefore, we support the use of fidgets that are quiet, small, eyes-free, mess-free, safe, single-user, and non-distracting to others.

How a fidget is used makes a difference. Keeping fidgets in your lap or otherwise tucked away from obvious display is a good way to avoid distracting others.

What Makes an Appropriate Fidget?

1. Quiet: It does not make any noise (no clicking, tapping, whooshing, or other sounds). Ask yourself: Is this fidget silent?

2. Small: It is small enough to fit in your hand and can be used quietly on your lap or desk. Ask yourself: Does this fidget fit in one hand?

3. Eyes-Free: You should be able to keep your eyes on the focus of instruction (e.g. your teacher and the white board, or the text you are reading, or your classmates or work while using it). It is not a book or a game that demands your brain power. Ask yourself: Could I read text while using this fidget?

4. Mess-Free: It does not contain liquid, gel, powders, glass, or other things that spill or break. Ask yourself: Is this fidget free from messes?

5. Safe: The fidget must not be able to harm you or anyone else. Pins, opened up paperclips, bare wire or pipe cleaners with a pointy end, scissors, and other sharp items are a safety risk, especially if you are distracted. Ask yourself: Is this fidget safe? 

6. Single-user: You can use it on your own, without needing help from anyone else. Ask yourself: Can I use this fidget by myself?

7. Non-distracting: A fidget pulls anyone else’s attention away from teaching and learning. It should not have lights, smells, or anything that grabs attention. Ask a classmate and teacher: Have I been using this fidget in a way that is distracting?

Hello, 5B families!

Thank you, everyone!

We begin with a HUGE THANK YOU for all of your thoughtfulness and generosity in supporting our school’s Warm Winter Clothing Drive, as well as our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child Shoebox initiative.

The grade 5 classes together raised awareness and funds to purchase enough toys, school supplies and other essentials to fill 26 shoeboxes that are now in transit on the way to be distributed to 26 children in need around the world. We prayed over each donated item and shoebox, imagining the children who would receive these gifts and holding them in our hearts.

It was such a joy to see how this very tangible process of sorting and praying over these gifts opened up our students’ hearts and minds in beautiful ways.

Thank you for sharing your time with us on such a meaningfully experience that linked our Religion curriculum with core competency development (communication and personal and social awareness). If you enjoyed this project, consider participate in it as a family next year directly through the Samaritan’s Purse website.

Math: Function Machines!

Students have extended their learning in our science unit on simple machines to inform their creative design of “function machines” in math class.

This open-ended mathematics task invites students to design a machine that apply a series of operations to an input to get to an output, as you can see with the example of the “Number Cruncher 3000” above.

As a class, students collaborated to transform our bulletin board into a giant function machine that will continue to change every few days, offering a new challenge with each iteration.

Students who finish their math assignments early can keep working on their own new function machines or choose items from the Math Enrichment Bin that offers math puzzles, logic puzzles, math literature, and dice/flash cards/calculators for their own open ended explorations.

Term 1 Math Tests

Your child has now brought home their marked Term 1 math test, along with a pink form to be signed and returned. This test was conducted with an open-ended time frame and students were supported according to their individual needs. The results from this test, combined with in-class observations, group activities, and the many numerous unit quizzes, help inform your child’s Term 1 math grade.

I’m so pleased to celebrate that every single one of our 5B students has shown remarkable growth this term! Thank you for the meaningful support you’ve provided at home to help your child continue learning and improving.

To further support student success, I am offering an optional Term 1 Math Test Rewrite on Thursday, November 21st. This is a firm deadline as I need time to mark and then recalculate and change grades (if warranted) to submit to the office the following week. The rewrite provides an opportunity for students to improve their grade if they have demonstrated growth—the rewrite would not lower a grade.

*To qualify for the rewrite, students must study meaningfully for it at home.* That’s it. But I do mean it. Students and families can decide whether or not to participate in the rewrite based on their individual needs.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions, and thank you for promptly returning the signed pink math test forms and tests for our records.

Hallow App for Families!

A wonderful Catholic resource we have enjoyed exploring in Religion class is the Hallow App. We have used it for guiding us in prayer and deepening our reflection upon the Bible stories we explored this term. Our district has purchased licensing so families can use this valuable app at home as well! You can visit the App Store on your home devices now to find and download the Hallow App. Then, students can show you how to login using their school district Google account credentials. We have practiced doing this in class. Enjoy this treasured opportunity to draw upon endless hours of beautifully inspiring content to support social-emotional learning, foster faith and develop cultural and Biblical literacy.

Reminder:
There is no school for students on Friday, Nov. 22nd as it is a professional development day for staff.

Coming soon…

KIDS SHOPPING EVENT: Thurs., Dec. 12th

This annual event is fun and meaningful for students as they get to go shopping (in our school) for Christmas presents for their parents and siblings. (Sorry, they can’t buy for other family members during the first round of buying, even if they live in your house). But on Friday, Dec. 13, after all classes have finished shopping, if there are leftover items, then shopping will be opened up for students to buy gifts for other family members. 

*If you have new or used items in good condition that would be good to donate to this “Kids Shopping Event” (things that would make good presents for parents and kids of all ages), please send those donations to school. Thank you so much!

On GRADE 5 shopping day (Thurs. Dec. 12 at 9:30am) your child should bring:

-one or two reusable shopping bags (large, if possible) with a handle

-a list with the names of the family members who they are buying for (ages of the siblings helps the assistant shoppers) Example: Mom, Dad, Bobby (age 3), Suzy (age 10)

–$2 per gift (Gr. 7s are raising money to buy gifts for less fortunate children)

The gifts will be wrapped & tagged by the Gr. 7 elves (that’s why they need the list of names).

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Thurs., Nov. 21 – Term 1 assessment deadline. Report card grades and comments will be finalized after this.

Tues., Nov. 26 through to Fri., Nov. 29 – Ms. Poirier is away from school, busy with the task of packing and moving her family home (still in town.). Ms. Poirier will not likely be able to respond to emails or questions during this period. *If your child is going to be absent on any of these days, please direct your email to the school office to inform them. For continuity, we are lucky to have the same substitute each of these four days, Mr. Ruffolo, who has worked with 5B—detailed plans will be left to ensure students have a wonderful week of valuable learning together!

Fri., Nov. 29th – Wear pink accessories in memory of Adaea (info in Nov. 25 newsletter)

Tues., Dec. 3 – Wear FULL uniform, Advent Mass. Grade 5s are supporting Mass by doing readings.

Wed., Dec. 4 – Early dismissal

Fri., Dec. 6th – Kids Night Out (registration deadline is Nov. 29, but space is limited and may fill up before then) See newsletter for details & registration link

Tues., Dec. 10 – Wear civvies during the day for the concert rehearsal) then wear FULL UNIFORM to the Advent Concert at 6:00 pm, St. Andrew’s Cathedral. ALL students are involved.

Wed., Dec. 11 – Pyjama day!

Kids Shopping Event for grade 5 (see details above)

Fri., Dec. 20- Wear Christmas-themed Civvies: red/green clothes; school is dismissed at noon for Christmas vacation

Dear 5A and 5B Families,

This year, the grade 5 classes are supporting Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child. This charity invites us to share God’s love by filling shoeboxes with new items for children worldwide, especially those in impoverished or war-torn areas who may rarely receive new gifts.

How You Can Help
We invite families to participate as little or as much as they would like:
● Donating small, new gift items to be packed in shoeboxes that the charity supplies (e.g., school supplies, toys, toothbrushes, small musical instruments). Ideas can be found here.
● Contributing cash donations to help purchase additional items and cover shipping costs.

Please remember that shoeboxes cannot include liquids, used or breakable items, food, candy, medications, or war-related items.

Important Details
● Collection Deadline: Thursday, November 14 (You can start bringing items now. We will work together to sort and pack the shoeboxes on the 14th.)
● Ages We’re Targeting: The idea is that one shoebox is filled for one child. Gifts will be sorted into boxes for either a boy or girl in the following age group: 2-4, 5-9, and 10-14.

Once items are collected, students will sort, pack, and prepare the shoeboxes for shipment. We’ll conclude by praying over these gifts, sending our love and best intentions to the children who will receive them.

This project is part of our Religion course and social justice education, aiming to teach generosity, global awareness, and gratitude. We hope this experience will help students understand the blessings we have and the joy of sharing with others.

Thank you for joining us in this meaningful initiative. For more details, please watch for a follow-up email with links and resources.

With blessings,
Tiffany Poirier and Catherine Hicks
The Grade Five Teachers

Hello, 5B families!

We had so much fun with our art on Monday, that we went deeper in our illustration explorations inspired by nature. Please enjoy these wondrous creatures you might see out and about on Halloween…

Hello, 5B families!

Wow! Our 5B class has come alive with excitement for simple machines in our Science and ADST classes. We are so excited to share with you the creative projects students envisioned and built upon over the last few weeks.

Tomorrow each student will bring home his or her “Simple Machines Quiz” and project assessment rubric; we have learned so much that goes beyond what any quiz or project grade can capture! I am so proud of all students for their efforts and learning achievements! They inspired one another and really grew as scientists and innovators!

Enjoy these photos, and we will keep adding a few more in the next few days. You can scroll to the bottom to see the assignment set up and criteria…

Background Information…

Project Description & Criteria

Hello, 5B families!

What items in nature are safe to use in our crafts?

In Health Education today, students learned to identify a few naturally growing items they may encounter in our school community that pose a safety risk: death cap and amanita muscara mushrooms and poison hemlock.

We talked about the identifying features of these mushrooms and poison hemlock, their lookalikes, the possible life-threatening side effects of their accidental ingestion, the signs of toxicity, and the need to avoid touching these things and protect oneself by hand washing and never eating any foreign items found in nature!

Then in Art class, we contrasted the previous discussion with attention to the many beautiful and safer natural items we can see in our school community, including various fallen leaves, pinecones, sticks, tiny crab apples and more. Students were reminded to always wash their hands after handling things found outside.

We appreciated the beautiful autumn colour scheme, and then students were challenged to use greyscale (white, grey and black) illustration to transform natural items into entirely new concepts.

Enjoy the gallery of artworks below…

In Math class, we have finished our unit on rounding and have been working on comparing and ordering numbers.

In Science, we continue to enjoy students sharing their simple machines projects—a special blog post with all the highlights is coming soon!

Students will also show their learning in this unit through writing a quiz on simple machines tomorrow. (They have had class time and support for studying this content for the last four weeks.)

In Language Arts, students have been finishing up writing projects, adding to their spelling dictionaries and getting prepared for their oral storytelling showcase.

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REMINDER…

Students are welcome to wear a costume this Thursday. It needs to be appropriate for school (not scary, no weapons, no masks, safe for playing and sitting at a desk, appropriately sensitive and not insulting to anyone’s culture, race, gender, etc.).

Feel free to reach out if you have questions.

For our school’s Halloween Howl event in the gym this Thursday afternoon, students may bring a flashlight–but it is not necessary to do so. 

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Hello, 5B families!

In Social Studies, the 5B class has been enjoying a unit on government—with a recent focus on understanding the democratic process and the BC election. Here is an overview of our learning journey…

We did independent research to learn about the parties and candidates using a variety online sources and friends and family. At all times, students are encouraged to think for themselves, form their own views based on evaluating information for themselves, and note how language choice and the omission or emphasis of certain information can shape opinions and reveal bias.

We watched and analyzed the leaders’ debates, taking notes on key points.

We explored a student resource kit that was graciously sent to us from Elections BC.

We took a bird’s eye view of some key election issues and each campaigning party’s stance and promises.

We conducted our own election simulation in class, endeavouring to follow protocols.

Then we tallied the results and three students choose to role play the leadership candidates and dramatized their responses to hearing our grand announcement: 1 vote for NDP, 7 votes for the Green Party, and 13 votes for the BC conservatives.

John Rustad (played by Lucas) gave a great impromptu acceptance speech and took tough questions from audience. He was quick on his feet to answer how he planned to deliver on his campaign promises—also adding he could make up any budget shortfall with “a lemonade stand in my yard.” The audience loved it! David Eby (played by Ethan) of the NDP and Sonia Furstenau (played by Lochlan) of the BC Greens gave gracious concession speeches and showed support of their competitors…what we witnessed as an audience was first class sportsmanship! There was lots of laughter and tonnes of learning!

Today, students are finishing writing paragraphs to answer this question:

If you could vote in the 2024 B.C. election, which party/candidate would you vote for, and why?

I walked students through an example of how to pull together ideas, and gave a paragraph framework they can follow or adapt to make their own. I asked students to provide at least three detailed reasons for their decision. *I clarified that I will be evaluating the ways they express and support their positions (not their positions themselves). Alternatively, students had the option to write about the reasons why no party/candidate earned their trust and vote at this time.

MORE STUDENT WORK
COMING SOON!
It is enriching for us to see and celebrate the kind of great research and critical thinking the 5B students have been doing.
So, I will keep updating this blog post with examples of students’ paragraphs once they are complete.

Work will only be shared with a student’s consent and all names removed for privacy.

CELEBRATING 5B STUDENTS GREAT WRITING…

Wishing all 5B families a happy Thanksgiving!

Our open-ended creative challenge for students on Friday was to make any kind of 2D or 3D Thanksgiving art they like by meaningfully using and/or transforming papers printed with a collection of Bible verses on the theme of gratitude, thanks, and appreciation for God and His creation.

Students created beautiful autumn scene paintings, leaves, and even sculptures of Thanksgiving turkeys! 🦃 🍂 🍃 🍁