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Hello, 5B families!

Here are some highlights from this past week you could discuss with your children to continue the learning connection at home…

Academic Highlights:

This week we focussed on storytelling skills, reading a clock, calculating elapsed time, goal setting, and being creative using the design process.

In Language Arts, we enjoyed reading aloud the story “The Tiger Who Came to Tea” as a creative prompt. Students were invited to create and tell their own spin-off story of “The ____ Who Came to ________”. We talked about storytelling skills and about the upcoming opportunities students will have to tell their stories to our little grade 2 buddies later this term. *Please invite your child to tell you his/her story and offer your support and feedback.

As well, we set up our Personal Spelling Dictionaries, which students will use to record new words, including words I underline and correct for them on their writing assignments.

Please Note:
I have vetted all the videos I post on this blog as both age appropriate and useful teaching content. The videos can help to reinforce and review our classroom learning.

If your child needs more help with the concepts we covered in class, please help your child to continue study at home in some way, such as watching these tutorials I post.

In Math class we have working on reading an analog clock, and beginning the skill of calculating elapsed time. Here are two videos that review the concepts…

In Career Education, we explored the concept of goal setting and did a creative visualization activity to inspire students to picture themselves in 20 years achieving their own definitions of success. Some students volunteered to share their wonderful work with you here. Come to our classroom to see more!

In ADST (Applied Design Skills and Technologies), we learned about the design process while enjoying a creativity challenge based on transforming a toilet paper roll! What an amazing gallery of new creations! Here are some examples of works students volunteered to share…

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COMING UP…

Mon., Sept. 9 is our first Phys. Ed. class. Please wear gym strip. Also, the Comfort Kits are due back, and please make sure you have all your school supplies. *Some students are still missing important items like binders: please ask your child what he/she still needs and refer to the supplies list. Thank you!

Tues., Sept. 10 – Welcome Back BBQ & Meet the Teacher, 4:30-6:30pm

Fri., Sept. 13 – Grade 5 Soccer Jamboree at Carnarvon Park 

Tues., Sept. 17 – Terry Fox Run (Wear Gym Strip this day) at 9am

Fri., Sept. 20 – Pro-D, no school for students

Mon., Sept. 23 – Photo Day, full uniform

Thurs., Sept. 26 – Welcome Back Mass, 10:45am

Mon., Sept. 30 – National Truth & Reconciliation Day, school is closed

Hello, 5B students and families!

I am delighted to welcome you to our class for what will be a very special grade 5 year. 

My name is Tiffany Poirier, and students call me Ms. Poirier (pronounced “PWAH-ree-ay”). I am a wife and a mother of three sons—two who are attending this school: one is in grade 2, and another is in kindergarten, and my oldest son attends high school. I have two fluffy cats named Cookie and Mozart, and I love doing art, spending time in nature, being with family and friends, and deepening my faith. I have been a teacher for 18 years, and you can learn more about me by checking out my bio and other tabs on this website. 

This blog is your source of information for our 5B class. Please take the time to refer to it regularly and when I send you email notifications about new posts.

This year we will have fun learning and exploring our creativity, discovering new interests and gifts, and challenging our thinking skills. We will build new connections, reflect deeply, and grow in faith as we create and contribute within our supportive class community and beyond.

This first blog post of the year offers a quick introduction; we will have it’s more information to come this week. 

I will send you new blog posts and email updates throughout the year—I love working hard for families by sharing frequent communications including photos, videos, and lesson descriptions to help everyone feel connected to our classroom learning.

If you’re curious, you can scroll back to see the blog posts from the last few years. Students and their works are only photographed and featured on my blog with written consent from both parents plus verbal consent from students themselves. I will email you a reminder each time I make a new post, and check this blog frequently for the updates.

Tomorrow will be a lovely morning (8:40am-12:00pm) with a school assembly and then time to settle in, get to know one another, unpack supplies, set some goals, talk about guidelines and our vision for the year.

I’m looking forward to meeting you! 

Sincerely, Ms. Tiffany Poirier

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TO DO: Please make sure you have completed the online form for field trip and photo permission. Click here to do the form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSediH2I6CmwF838OUy9iLwXo_uP8KpHi_LHCXBNC3YqYHQvoQ/viewform

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Dates to Remember:

Wed., Sept 4 – Welcome Back, school starts at 8:40am and dismissal is at NOON. Wear your regular uniform and bring all of your school supplies as we will be organizing them into desks. *Make sure to bring your INDOOR SHOES for this day (black dress shoes and gym shoes)

Thurs., Sept. 5 – Assembly – Wear FULL UNIFORM! Out of School Care begins for students registered in the program

Fri., Sept. 6 – Welcome Back Coffee, primary playground 8:45am

Mon., Sept. 9 – Phys. Ed. Day – Wear gym strip.

Tues., Sept. 10 – Welcome Back BBQ & Meet the Teacher, 5:00-7:00 pm

Fri., Sept. 13 – Grade 5 Soccer Jamboree at Carnarvon Park

Tues., Sept. 17 – Terry Fox Run (Wear Gym Strip this day) at 9am

Fri., Sept. 20 – Pro-D, no school for students

Mon., Sept. 23 – Photo Day, full uniform

Thurs., Sept. 26 – Welcome Back Mass, 10:45am

Mon., Sept. 30 – National Truth & Reconciliation Day, school is closed

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REMINDER: NO NUT PRODUCTS PERMITTED

As we have students and staff with life-threatening allergies, do not send lunches with nuts or products containing nuts. If your child has nuts at home before school, make sure that hands and face are washed and teeth are brushed.  Thank you for helping keep everyone safe!

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ROAD WORK & DELAYS:

Please note that there’s a lot of roadwork around the city, causing delays. Fort St. is particularly affected. Consider parking elsewhere and walking in. Do not park in the VIHA lots to avoid being ticketed, as enforcement is strict.

If picking up by car, please stay in your vehicle and watch for your child to keep traffic moving. Follow staff directions for traffic control.

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HEALTHY EATING AT ST. PAT’S:

We are not to distribute food items to our classes (such as cupcakes for birthdays). We encourage families to avoid sugary items in lunches/snacks where possible. Thanks for your support.*Gum and candy are not to be brought to school. Thank you!

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WASTE-FREE CLASSROOM:

We encourage a waste-free lunchbox where possible. All packaging will go home in your child’s lunch kit. Thank you for your time packing lunches in re-usable containers. We appreciate your support of this environmental initiative. (Please also note that we eat snack inside the classroom, and no food is allowed outside.)

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WEEKLY SCHEDULE:

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UNIFORMS:

Mondays and Wednesdays: 5B students wear GYM STRIP (even though we have our monthly assemblies on Mondays, our class can wear gym strip unless specifically requested to wear full uniform.)

Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays: 5B students wear regular uniform

Any Mass days, special assemblies, or other special events: FULL UNIFORM (this includes the white dress shirt, tie, and crested v-neck sweater)

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SCHOOL SUPPLIES:

Please bring all of your school supplies to school on the first day.

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COMFORT KITS:

Hello, 5B families!

It has been a truly wonderful year of learning with 19 fabulous students. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support of learning this year and for your generous gifts and cards and kind words. Although this is my last blog post for the school year, you are all forever in my heart and prayers. Always feel welcome to come and visit me—I love to stay in contact with students and families!

LOOKING AHEAD TO GRADE 6: Here are some of the projects we enjoyed checking out and taking inspiration from at the grade 6’s entrepreneurial fair on Tuesday…

Hello, 5B families!

How exciting! We have had more exciting “Simple Machines Project” presentations. Please enjoy the videos and photos below—and keep scrolling for more updates from our class.

In Math, some students chose to explore the following enrichment concepts in data: range, mean, median, and mode.

As well, in Math we have done review of metric measurements.

Also, students are working on a creative mathematical project on transformations. Each student is making a bold graphic representation of reflection, translation, and rotation.

Our grade 5 class joined our grade 2 buddies in Mrs. Sikkel’s class for an afternoon of service: painting yellow salmon on the road beside our neighbourhoods’ storm drains. The purpose of the “Storm Drain Marking Program” is to raise awareness about the importance of using drains appropriately—especially because they carry water to our oceans where salmon live. This was a meaningful connection to our “water” unit from term two—and a powerful, personal reminder to us all that we are responsible for keeping this world clean, safe and healthy for all. Thank you, Mrs. Sikkel, for organizing this big project and for inviting us to join in!

This year the St. Patrick’s community bids farewell to our beloved Father William as he is moving on to lead another parish in Langford. The 5B students created a heartfelt card full of reflections and memories. We thank you and will miss you, Father William!

REMINDER:
The 5B Celebration of Learning is on Monday, June 17th in our classroom from 2:00pm-3:00pm.

We hope we will see you there to enjoy looking through portfolios, seeing the certificate presentation, and watching a few wonderful student-created productions of the parables from the Bible.

We continue to enjoy the 5B students’ parables presentations—the last project in Religion class this year. The only way to see these amazing little plays is to visit us live in person on Monday, June 17th at 2pm-3pm. We hope you can make it! Here is some background information on the parables…

Hello, 5B families!

In Math we have been learning to create double bar graphs and derive insights from them.

In Science, we have had our first “Simple Machines Project” presented. Ansley shared her Lego world with a working pulley system and wheel and axels. Projects are due for presentation on June 10th.

In Social Studies, we have been exploring Indigenous stories. Today we read and analyzed message in the book “Flight of the Hummingbird” by Haida artist, Michael Nicoll Yagulanaas. Students made connections between this story and Catholic social justice themes.

In Social Studies, we have also continued with our “Time Traveller Report” presentations; keep scrolling to the bottom of this post to see some more incredible videos and photos from our travels to other times and places! You will be inspired!

Coming up next in Math, students will learn about transformations (reflection and rotation) and prisms and pyramids through some hands on arts activities.

Hello, 5B families!

We have been enjoying a rich Social Studies unit on Canadian government. We’ve learned about levels of government (federal, provincial, and municipal), elections and voting (past and present day practices), and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

As well, we have explored topics specific to BC politics in preparation for our exciting field trip to the parliament buildings. While we were there, we watched and participated I. a fabulous travelling theatre presentation called, “My Place in Politics”. Students were encouraged to learn about their rights and seek ways to participate in democracy.

Hello, 5B families!

In Religion and Health Education, we have been exploring strategies for self-regulation, reflective listening, and prayer. We enjoyed this beautiful book by Katie Warner, “Listening for God”. Students have been invited and supported to create their own peaceful moments in the day to recharge and refocus their minds, bodies, and hearts.

In Language Arts, we revisited expository writing to ensure we are retaining the skills taught earlier in the year. Fabulous news: we have wonderful writers capable of crafting cohesive, engaging, well-structured prose!

The students chose their own topics and showcased their learning of how to craft hooks and topic sentences, use transition words, develop ideas with supporting details, write meaningful conclusions, and self-edit. Enjoy!

Hello, 5B families!

Congratulations to all of our hardworking TRACK PARTICIPANTS! We heard you represented our school so well, gave it your best efforts, and had fun!

For the next two weeks, we have lots of important projects, writing assignments, and year-end Math and LA assessments on the go, and so we are taking a pause this week from Spelling tests to focus our energy.

Students are working to finish the following: “Time Traveller’s Reports” in Social Studies (due May 30), Simple Machines projects in Science (due June 10), two perspective stories (due now), group parables presentations in Religion/Drama (due by June 15), and personal interest projects (due by the last day of school, but I will do weekly progress check-ins starting now, and students will be expected to share their progress with classmates on June 11).

In Math class, we have wrapped up our probability unit and are now learning about money! We have been reinforcing adding and subtracting with decimals by doing various money calculations. As well, for enrichment, some students have been keen to learn how to calculate sales tax. Using a fake money set, students have been practicing adding up coin and bills and making change. Great mental math! Today students were challenged to create their own toy stores, and then create a series of word money problems related to the stores. Students have also been doing one-to-one “money meetings” with me where they play the banker and perform calculations. Please keep practicing this real-life skill at home.

Please note that this Thursday is our grade 5 “Parliamentary Tour” field trip. We leave the school at lunch time and return by 2:55pm. There were no parent volunteers needed for this trip since we have 4 St. Patrick’s staff attending, and less than 40 people permitted on the tour as per the tour capacity rules. Please note the parliament’s posted behaviour expectations.

Behavioural Expectation Reminder
BC’s Parliament Buildings are working buildings and visitors are expected to talk quietly, behave in a calm and courteous manner and follow public health policy during their visit.”

-BC Parliamentary Tours Guidelines.

POISON HEMLOCK INFORMATION:

CRD information sheet: https://www.crd.bc.ca/docs/default-source/es-watersheds-pdf/invasive-species/poison_hemlock__factsheet_v5.pdf?sfvrsn=5fc1afca_6

News Story: https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/vancouver-island-child-hospitalized-after-eating-poisonous-hemlock-on-school-grounds-1.6795336

Invasive Species HAT: https://hat.bc.ca/blog/poison-hemlock?format=amp

Hello, 5B families!

In Math class, we are learning about probability and also doing review of the major concepts explored this school year.

In Religion class, our inquiry has grown from this question: Why did Jesus use parables to teach, and what can we learn from these parables today? Students are working on reading, researching, retelling, and dramatizing Jesus’s parables and discussing their meanings.

In Science, we are now exploring a unit on simple machines. Students will demonstrate their understanding of this content through discussions, a unit quiz, and a creative project of their choosing. (Project criteria and ideas below!)

In Language Arts, we have exploring perspective and point of view. Students are now working on writing two short stories, each about the same situation but from a different point of view. ***Reminder that we have our spelling test tomorrow. The word list is in the previous blog post.