Week 10 - Nov 3 - 7

Hi All. Here is the plan for your post-Halloween week:

L.A.: Refugee continues. This week we'll check back in on our characters, examining how their situations and their choices have changed them. We'll also get into the next section of the book, which leads us into the most challenging and dramatic events for each of the three stories. Enjoy!

Math: Let's revisit rounding and estimating. These are critical mental math skills that you likely remember from previous years. We'll look at when an estimate is "close enough", and when an estimate can help us to double-check our computation.

Science: We'll wrap up our look at the endocrine system this week.

Writing: To this point, our writing has been focused on our ideas. Throughout the year, we will explore six different writing traits, or things to consider when writing and revising our ideas. Your Halloween stories were the result of developing your ideas. Next, we'll turn our writing pencils toward another trait: word choice. The language we choose can significantly influence how our audience understands our ideas. Great word choices can turn drab into dynamic, ordinary into outstanding. Expect some lessons and short writes aimed at developing word choice.

Remembrance Assembly: Due to a quirk in the calendar, our Remembrance assembly will happen early this year - on Friday, Nov 7. You are invited to wear a poppy this week (but please find a safe way to wear it so nobody gets jabbed with a pin, okay?).

Enjoy your week, everyone.

Week 9 - Oct 27 - 31

Boo! We have a full week of classes ahead of us this week, team. Friday is Halloween, of course. Thanks to Constables Nat and Ashley for their safety talk on Monday. (Did you learn anything surprising?) Here is the plan for the week:

Writing: At this point, your first draft should be complete. A first draft is, of course, a work in progress. We will spend some time reading and critiquing each others' work this week. Expect a small task to practice your critiquing skills. You'll look for similar things in your peer's writing as you will in the exercise. Aim to improve your story based on the advice of others. Remember, you'll look to create useful and respectful revision ideas. These include:

• A word choice suggestion
• A place where the message is not as clear as it could be
• A suggestion of a detail that could be added
• A suggestion of a detail to remove
• A place where dialogue is unnecessary and a suggestion on how to rewrite that part
• A suggestion on how the author might rewrite an entire sentence

Your completed and revised final copies are due at the end of the day Thursday. On Friday, you'll get a chance to share your stories in small group settings. Let's create a spooky atmosphere and send chills down each others' spines! 

Math: This week we will continue to practice multi-digit multiplication and to explore ways of showing multiplication. We will look at using array models for in-context word problems and geometry questions. At the same time we'll nail down those basic facts - many of you are pretty good with these, and the work we've done so far is paying off. Remember that I gave you extra practice sheets last week. Continue to work on these at home, okay?

L.A. - We are into our 4th section of Refugee. We're beyond the story's halfway point. It is important to stay current with the reading and the responses. Please don't read ahead - there is no need as you'll listen to the story again in class; and sometimes knowing what is ahead can lead to spoilers for others.

Science - Let's get started on the endocrine system of the body this week. You'll learn about the body's chemical messaging system - glands, hormones, and receptors. You will have heard of some of these chemicals before. Now you'll learn how they direct our body to respond to what it needs. 

Halloween week can be a crazy moment in our school year. It will be hard for some of you to maintain your composure and your peak learning readiness as the week goes on. Please do your best to stay locked in, to remain respectful of your peers and the adults in the building, and to make healthy choices throughout these next few day. Enjoy your week, everyone!

Week 8 - Oct 20 - 23

Here we are, another Mr. Pite's Room blog post ready for your reading and viewing! This is the plan for the short week ahead:

L.A. - We've got some momentum built for Refugee. Expect the chapters to roll a little quicker, and the tasks and discussion to continue. 

Math - Let's continue to expand our multiplication toolkit. In the background, we'll continue to practice the basic facts to 10 x 10. (For those who are ready, we'll see if you can add some facts beyond 10 x 10 to your memory banks!) At the same time, we'll build upon what we looked at last week - using an array model for multiplication of multi-digit values. 

Writing - The Halloween story project has entered its final two weeks. Remember that I've recommended that you have your draft completed by Monday, October 27. That gives you a few days to revisit and revise and practice reading your tale. Many of you have made a great start. Let's push onwards to complete your story in time to share it on Halloween.

Science - We will finish up our look at the excretory system before diving into our next body system - the endocrine system.

Photo Retakes will happen on Tuesday.

You get the day off on Friday for a Pro-D day.

That's all for this week, folks!

Week 7 - Oct 14 - 17

We are into our seventh week together, folks. I hope that you have found a rhythm, that our routines seem familiar, you are feeling organized, comfortable, safe and happy. Please come and talk to me if there's anything bothering you about the way the year is unfolding for you. I'm happy to troubleshoot with you, or to make adjustments to the way we do things around here!

More learning is coming your way this short week:

Math - we've launched into a review of the basic facts of multiplication. Each day we'll buzz through the facts associated with one number, 2 - 9. We took care of the perfect squares last week (quick! what's 7 x 7?). We've also done the twos and now the fives. And through the week we will tackle the rest of the multiplication table. This stuff is really important! Learning these facts is the key to unlocking much of the rest of what we'll do in math this year. Please know that I recognize that, for many, it isn't easy. Here is your chance to conquer these facts once and for all! If you don't have them by the end of the week, I will offer you a second copy of the practice pages to try at home. 

At the same time we will explore a few strategies and concepts related to multiplication that I find help students earn a broader understanding of just what we're doing when we multiply.

L.A. - Refugee continues this week. If you are away for any reason, know that we take on around two chapters each day. Please catch up when you return - you are responsible for missed work. As of Tuesday this week, we've read the first 100 pages or so. There have been some pretty dramatic scenes. What is a moment that has stood out most for you from each of the three storylines?

Science - This week we'll get involved in a little "learning lab" - a series independent learning tasks about the excretory system. 

Writing - The Halloween Story is well underway. It's time to get those great ideas of yours out on paper (or on screen). Expect a few opportunities to sit down and write your story this week. Remember, the story is due on October 30th, but you'll need to leave time to revise your tale before then. Aim to have your story drafted before October 27, leaving a couple of days to read, review, revise and rewrite the bits that need it. 

That's all for this week, team. Keep up the great work!

Week 6 - Oct 6 - 10

Well hi there! We're back with an almost full week of classes. (You get off an hour early on Tuesday - more on this below.) Here is the plan:

Math - Let's wrap up our look at subtraction strategies. You'll get a quick intro to the "compensation strategy" for subtraction. This is one I like for the mental math skill it promotes. I've got a little video here on the blog that I made years ago that can help explain how it works. Expect a bit of time to practice, then we'll see what you know with a quizzy. 

L.A. - Refugee continues this week. At the same time, please be sure to have a book at the ready for quiet reading times. And remember, as you read books, make a "What's on Your Bookshelf?" card for our collection. 

Social Studies - For now, Socials will echo the themes and storyline of Refugee.

Science - We'll continue our look at the excretory system. Expect demonstrations and a "learning lab" about how our body deals with wastes.

Writing - I have begun to trickle out expectations and criteria for our Halloween story project. Be sure to land on a plot idea this week, okay? It will be important to get started promptly when it comes time to craft your story. Don't get left behind! Take a minute and review the criteria that's been posted here on the blog. 

Skating - is coming at you on Friday. This is our first of six rec center trips this year. If you haven't returned your permission form yet, do that as soon as you can. We'll talk about expectations for these trips in class. Remember to bring your helmet, and skates if you've got 'em.

Interviews: Tuesday afternoon and evening is my chance to sit down for 10 minutes with your parents. I look forward to meeting with you then! Parents, if you haven't yet picked up an appointment time, please check back to last week's email from the school office for the link.

Enjoy your week, everyone.

Week 5 - Sept 29 - Oct 3

Well, hi! This post has arrived a little late this week. With Tuesday being a day off for Truth and Reconciliation Day, the week is a little muddled. Here's what we'll do with our shortened time together:

Math - we're continuing to look at ways of finding the difference between two values. Let's look at turning our number line knowledge 90 degrees and construct our "adding on" strategy vertically. We'll also explore ways of showing "taking away" without using numbers (or symbols).

Science - Let's jump into our first unit. In grade 5 you probably explored some of the body's systems - the digestive, repiratory, circulatory and skeletal systems. Great! Grade 6's curriculum expands on that knowledge. We'll start with the body's excretory system. 

L.A. - Refugee continues. We will continue to profile the story's characters, analyze the author's choices, and decipher the figurative language held within the pages of the book. Do your best to keep up with the class's reading. If you are here every day and read along with the audiobook (keep your eyes on text, folks!), then you will have no problem keeping up. Be sure to stay current with the written work, too.

Writing - Our exploration of the "Ideas" writing trait continues. Ideas is the first of six traits of writing that we will explore this year. Your writing territories remains "home base" for your ideas. But we will also reach into our creative and spooky idea buckets - those dark recesses of your mind where inspired, yet terrifying ideas creep. This week we will build characters that might feature in an upcoming Halloween-themed story. 

French - will now only take place on Mondays and Tuesdays. I'll outline the timetable adjustment in class.

This week, a form will go home about upcoming skating and swimming field trips. Please have your parent sign and return the permission slip. And please ask your folks to pay for the trips. Thanks!

Have an awesome week!

Week 4 - Sept 23 - 26

Hi Team 13! This is the final week of our Terry Fox Foundation campaign. Thanks for asking your parents to donate. Every little bit helps. We're still quite a ways from our class goal ($50 from each x 25 students = $1250). If you haven't yet made a donation and you are willing and able, this is the time to do it. Ask neighbours, grandparents and family friends. Send them this link to donate. Or, bring cash. Thanks!

We're into our fourth week together and we're starting to get this year really rolling. Please try hard to bring your best self to school each day. Sometimes this can be difficult - we're tired, the days are shortening, we're busy after school with activities. Oof! It feels like a lot. So, how best to prepare for learning?

- Eat healthy

- Wash your hands

- Go to bed on time, every time

- Limit screen time

- Breathe

- Relax

- Smile

Here is the plan for this short week:

Math: Last week's addition strategies stuff seemed to go over pretty well. Nice work, gang. You are ready to move on to the next. For that, we'll take some of what we learned about number lines and use it to help us subtract. Here's a little secret: I've got a way for you to calculate a difference between two numbers without actually subtracting anything. Don't tell anyone, but you may never have to subtract again! 

Social Studies: This week we'll look at a brief overview of the global conflict of the 1940's. Each of the  places central to the conflicts we've explored - Syria, Cuba, and this week, Germany - will be featured in our upcoming novel study. We will also read and discuss the term refugee. 

L.A.: We will launch the novel Refugee by Alan Gratz. Throughout this novel study, we'll listen to the audiobook version while reading along with the text. Expect in-class tasks and discussions of the book. The story ties in well with our Social Studies curriculum, but it is also entertaining, exciting, and beautifully written.

Science: We will launch into our first unit this week. Some of you might remember studying one or more body systems last year. In grade six, we explore different systems of bodies, different functions that help keep us alive.

Finally, a note about participating. Middle School represents an amazing time in your lives. This school in particular tries to offer many different ways to be involved outside of the classroom. These opportunities are free and fun. Basketball and Cross Country are undereway. Others are just getting started. Have you considered playing Ultimate? Badminton? Have you thought about joining the Drama club? The Art club? There are more lunch clubs about to start, too - Magic the Gathering, Rubik's Cube, Cheer, and Chess will all start soon. There will be others as the year goes on. Be brave and be willing to try something new this year!

Enjoy your week, everyone!

Week 3 - Sept 15 - 19

Hi again! We're into our third week together. We're beginning to get familiar with classroom routines and expectations. We know each others' names and are learning about each other. We are ready to dive deeper into the curriculum. Thank you all for bringing the best of yourself to Division 13 each day. Keep up the great work!

Language Arts - Last week we looked at "inferencing" as a reading strategy (we were "reading" pictures). This week you'll get to show what you know about inferencing through study of both pictures and written language. We'll also begin to tie L.A. with Social Studies as we launch into a study of the novel Refugee. 

Writing - You'll be introduced to a "Gist" - a writing framework that limits you to just 20 words. These precise little summaries can be challenging to write, and are a great thinking and writing exercise. We'll also continue to build our Writing Territories.

Social Studies - Your Universal Declaration of Human Rights posters are looking great. We'll finish these this week. Unfortunately, basic human rights are not always respected. Over the next weeks we will be exploring the situations that people find themselves in that force them to seek asylum outside of their home countries. Learning about refugees' experiences can really shake up our comfortable, peaceful suburban lives. Come into this with an open mind, be prepared to speak up and share your thinking. 

Math - A few number concepts are coming your way this week, including how to read and "speak" whole numbers. And let's explore number lines, comparing and ordering whole number values (>, <, =), and writing and reading numbers in expanded form. And let's also begin reviewing or exploring new ideas in addition strategies.

Science - I am hoping to get our first Science unit underway this week. Stand by for more info about this as the week goes on. 

The Terry Fox fundraiser continues. Online donations can be made here. Cash and coins can come in any time, or you can collect at home and bring in money all at once. We're off to a good start, folks. Keep that money coming in so we can reach our class fundraising goal of $1200. 

That's all for this week. Enjoy!

Week 2 - Sept 8 - 12

Welcome back to the blog. Thanks for visiting again. We are settling in and getting to know each other. I've learned your names. Have you learned everyone's names? (If you haven't, please set this as a goal for the week. It is super important to know who you'll be sharing the classroom with for the year ahead!) 

We are getting organized, and will be kicking off a few things that look like schoolwork this week. Most of you have arrived with close to a full complement of school supplies. If you haven't yet, please bring  what you need as soon as you can. It is really helpful to start off the year organized and prepared. I've included a new tab here on the blog with a list of items we will use this year.

While you're exploring the tabs at the top of the page, check out our class timetable. 

Parents, please consider making a donation to our Terry Fox Foundation fundraiser. Find our class page (Division 13) to make it count toward our class fundraising goal. Thanks!

Tuesday is Monterey's Meet the Teacher event. Our PAC runs a social outside from 5:30 - 6:30. Parents, I'll meet you in the classroom from 6:30 - 7:00. And our school's music program teacher will run a presentation 7:00 - 7:30. See you then!

About Music... an informal poll with the students showed only limited interest in our school's music program. Band 6 gets underway soon - it is not too late to join. But it will be important to make the decision to join the band this week if that's the direction you would like to go. Taking advantage of the (free) music lessons now could set you up for a lifetime of music-making! Send your parents to the info session Tuesday night after Meet the Teacher...

Here are a few of the things we're going to try to accomplish this week:

Language Arts: Our first term looks at reading skills like inferencing, sequencing, determining cause and effect, and differentiating fact vs. opinion. We will begin with inferencing using pictures to identify and practice the skill.

Writing: I love writing. I love teaching writing. And I love to see student-writers develop their confidence and skillsets. We'll play around with language a bit this week, and begin building an inventory of ideas for future writing tasks. 

Math: We'll ease into some basic ideas in math this week, including subitizing, estimation, and graphing. You each now should have a math binder, divided into four sections ("notes", "sheets", "data" and "results"). Please do your best to keep this binder organized throughout the year. 

Social Studies: We will begin to explore human rights this week. We'll build our understanding of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

That seems like a lot. I'll wrap this post up for now. Enjoy your week!

Week 1 - Sept 2 - 5

Hi Everyone! This is the official blog of Division 13 at Monterey Middle School for 2025 - 2026. Your blog author is Mr. Pite.

It is really great to see that you have found my blog! This week all I am going to offer is a huge WELCOME ABOARD! to you. 

Notice the tabs at the top of the page. Currently, the Timetable is a work in progress. The Daily Agenda has been cleared and stands by ready to keep you up-to-date. We'll chat with you about what "agenda" can mean for you, and how to decide on an agenda system that will work for you.

For now, please bookmark this site. I'll be asking you to check in weekly on this space. This is the post for week 1, so your job is done for now. Be on the lookout for Week 2's post on Monday, Sept. 8. In the meantime, please consider donating to our classroom's Terry Fox Foundation fundraiser.

Parents, I hope to meet you all on Tuesday, Sept. 9 for our Meet the Teacher evening.

That's it for now!