Daily Agenda

Wed, Apr 24

• No news today

Tues, Apr 23

• Math quizzy tomorrow
• Week 2 responses due tomorrow

Mon, Apr 22

• Read blog post
• Calendar dates:
• Friday, 26th: "Oversize" spirit day
• Tues, 30th: Student-led conferences 4:00 - 6:00
• Math: are you caught up? Some of you took home sheets to work on today.
• Independent novel study: Week 2 reading responses due Wednesday. 

Thurs, Apr 18

• No news.

Wed, Apr 17

• Novel Study: Week 1 responses due today. Please make sure yours are complete: double-check your responses. Do they each meet the criteria for the weekly reading task? See the document, "Independent Novel Study: Evaluation of Weekly Reading Responses". 

Tues, Apr 16

• What is Sentence Fluency? Jump onto Classroom right now and look up the Sentence Fluency Writing Guide under the "Sentence Fluency in Informational Writing" task. Pick out one of the keys to achieving Rhythm and Flow for Sentence Fluency. Share about what this means to you. Try writing an example. 
• ex. "They are built differently than one another; clauses, when used, appear at sentence beginnings, middles, or ends" 
• Like this: "Because the sun never reaches that little corner of my yard, grass refuses to grow. I'd like to plant something else there instead, but I haven't had time." Notice how the clause in the first sentence is at the beginning. And the clause in the second sentence comes at its end.

Mon, Apr 15

• Read the blog post
• Share about the "Choice Tasks" you have committed to. How many (2, or 3, or 4)? Which of the tasks do you thing will be challenging? Which will you need to begin right away? Which one will give you the greatest opportunity to show what you know about the book?

Thurs, Apr 11

• Share about Brainstorm

Wed, Apr 10

• Share about math quizzy results.
• Share about Newton's First Law of Motion. Can you think of a way to demonstrate that an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an outside force?

Tues, Apr 9

• Share about the novel study unit:
• What book have you selected?
• Explain your 5-week reading schedule.
• Talk about the weekly reading response tasks, and when each are due
• Discuss a strategy to ensure that you stay current with reading, and that you complete and turn in each week's task
• Share about "Choice Tasks".
• Chat about today's math quizzy. How did it go?

Mon, Apr 8

• Read blog post
• Have you selected a novel to read for this term's big novel study unit? Be sure to read a little of your choice tonight to get a sense of whether you'll enjoy the book or not. And, make sure you have your book here each and every day over the next six+ weeks. Reading at home is fine, but plan to stretch your reading schedule out over five weeks. 
• Math quizzy tomorrow. 

Thurs, Apr 4

• No news

Wed, Apr 3

• Read blog post
• Share school supplies request letter
• Mark April 15 skating trip on your calendar

Thurs, Mar 14

• All $$ home today. Share about the accounting process.
• One day to go! Bring a bag if you have lots to take home with you before the break.

Wed, Mar 13

• Hope you had a great Market Day!

Tues, Mar 12

• Here is your YE Market checklist for tomorrow:
• All of your product
• All product packaging
• Display items:
• table cloth
• racks, hangers, tiered platters, easels, boards, clipboards, lights, etc...
• info cards, info sheets, labels, tags
• your market poster
• Dress well (or dress up!)
• Cash box
• Calculator if you think you'll need it (borrow from Mr. Pite in the morning)
• Float, including a "float note" telling how much you owe the float at the end. Depending on your pricing, consider $20 - $30 for your float
• Journal/paper and pencil
• Your Business Plan Kit and all associated papers (we'll gather these together in the morning)
• Spending Money (YOU ARE NOT TO SPEND OUT OF YOUR CASH BOX!!!)
• Your Smile
• Remember to return to the school at 4:45 - 7:30 for the evening market (which will be open to the public 5 - 7 pm)

Mon, Mar 11

• Read blog post

Thurs, Mar 7

• YE Market countdown: 6 sleeps!
• Check the YEP Marketing Checklist now on Classroom for ideas to enhance your display

Wed, Mar 6

• Science Lap-book, due Thursday, March 14
• YE market countdown: 7 sleeps until market day!

Tues, Mar 5

• Share YE "Sales Pitch" marketing paragraph results

Mon, Mar 4

• Market poster decorating will be happening in class through this week. Be sure to have necessary supplies: markers, glue, decorations, etc. (No glitter, please... too messy!)

Thurs, Feb 29

• Bring your colours and other poster-making supplies tomorrow.

Wed, Feb 28

• Music merch day tomorrow

Tues, Feb 27

• Pink Shirt day tomorrow

Mon Feb 26

• It's Music Appreciation week here at Monterey. Your jobs? 
• Suggest one song for our class playlist (look for a classroom-friendly track, please; avoid "radio-edit" versions of unsuitable songs. Just pick a clean one, okay?) Your pick will be our Friday soundtrack!
• Find some music merch to wear on Thursday.
• Your YE business plan kit may have one or more sticky-noted bits to catch up on. If you haven't done this yet, it is definitely time to get caught up.
• Bring poster-making supplies (markers, ribbon, glue, etc.) for the YE market poster
• Science this week: We're working toward finishing the Solar System lap-book by end of next week. Be sure you and your partner are on pace for this. Do you need to catch up at home?

Thurs, Feb 23

• No news

Wed, Feb 22

• No news

Tues, Feb 21

• Share about today's field trip
• CC day tomorrow. Dismissal is at 11:40

Mon, Feb 20

• Check in with your folks about your Business Plan kit. Do you have receipts, or a clear and precise spending breakdown that your parents can help with? We're on to the financial literacy side of things... this is a great learning opportunity, so please do your best to stay current with it. 
• Field Trip! Field Trip! Field Trip! We're off to the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory tomorrow. Please remember:
• keep your lunch simple: we'll eat when we arrive at the site
• dress in layers: it will be cold in the telescope dome. It will be warm in the building.

Thurs, Feb 15

• Pro-D day tomorrow

Wed, Feb 14

• Share about your Solar System Object project. Will you and your team have completed the research portion by the end of tomorrow?

Tues, Feb 13

• Congratulations on the work you did, and the presentations you made today about your proposed YE charity. Share with your family how you think it went.

Mon, Feb 12

• Read this week's blog
• Have your parents canceled next Wednesday's Hot Lunch order? (We'll be away on a field trip.)
• Badminton began today. 

Thurs, Feb 8

• Share about one of the subtraction strategies we've looked at this week. "Shifting to an easier problem" (a.k.a the compensation strategy), or the "adding on" strategy, or even the traditional algorithm (remember what I said about this... it can be tricky, and unless you really know what you're doing you'll be prone to mistakes. But it can be efficient...) Try subtracting these fractions: 

            54  -  18  =

     50      20

Wed, Feb 7

• Not in Band? Remember that you are responsible for collecting rocket materials: a screw-top plastic bottle (around 1 liter is best), a plastic cup (for a nose-cone), and any materials you'll need for embellishments. These should be here on Thursday, please. 
• Share about the charity research you've been doing. Is there a charity that your family supports? How does your family contribute?
• Talk to your family about the Social Studies video project. What topic or scenario will you tackle with your piece?

Tues, Feb 6

• Share about writing fractions in simplest form. How would you determine lowest terms for these fractions: 30/54, and 68/84?  
• Not in Band? Remember that you are responsible for collecting rocket materials: a screw-top plastic bottle (around 1 liter is best), a plastic cup (for a nose-cone), and any materials you'll need for embellishments. These should be here on Thursday, please. 

Mon, Feb 5

• Read today's blog post. Take note of the reminders in the last paragraph, okay?
• Math quizzy results home today
• YEP - almost all students now have approval to go ahead with their project. Now is the time to gather materials. PLEASE KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS! Parents, later this week I'll be asking students to write up a little loan agreement for any money they borrow from you. It is important that they keep track of the spending, and that they have that agreement in place as a reminder that paying off the loan (and replacing the float that they'll need on the day of the sale), is a significant learning part of the project. 

Thurs, Feb 1

• Math quizzy tomorrow

Wed, Jan 31

• Share about your market research

Tues, Jan 30

• Market research survey should be ready to go for tomorrow. Mr. Pite will print yours and supply a clipboard. You will supply your prototype, and your outgoing, talkative self (consider this as practice talking to strangers on market day!)
• Math quizzy delayed until Friday.
• Seven students still have not returned their field trip forms. Several more haven't yet paid for the trip. Please do this soon!
• GSA club is collecting for Our Place. Please consider a donation. Thanks.

Mon, Jan 29

• Market research week this week. Prototype must be here. Booklet must be here. Four great questions must be written by Wednesday. This is a critical step! Forgetting is not an option!
• Field trip forms went home last week. If you haven't returned yours, please do so tomorrow. 

Thurs, Jan 25

• Pro-D day tomorrow.

Wed, Jan 24

• Field trip notice home today. Please have parent sign it, pay for the trip, and return the permission slip asap.
• Take a moment and open up your Mysterious Object writing piece. Share your work with a parent. Point out where you used Dual Quality Adjectives and Dual Strong Verbs. Finally, share about some of the word choices you made when you revised your draft. Not done yet? We'll have about half an hour to work on this tomorrow. If that won't be enough time, please spend a little time on this tonight.
• Spirit Day Alert! Twins day tomorrow!

Tues, Jan 23

• Share about Earth's seasons activity today. While explaining to a parent, consider replicating the demonstration with a ball (Earth), a lamp (the Sun), and a point in the room to represent the north star.
• Monterey's GSA club is running a toonie drive to support Our Place. Please consider making a donation this week.
• "Twins" Day on Thursday!

Mon, Jan 22

• Y.E.P.: share about your project presentation. Was there a bit more information needed from you before you can earn approval for your idea? Was it a budget consideration that was missing? Had you thought about who your customers might be, and whether or not your piece is something they need? Have you not yet built a prototype? Did you still need to test your prototype? Do you still need to figure out how long it will take to build your item? Consider your responses carefully! Don't be tempted to skip these next critical steps. You don't want to, at the beginning of this long project, end up with a project idea that isn't satisfactory. Be sure your idea satisfies all of the criteria that we've talked about in class!
• Y.E.P.: a small number of you didn't get a chance to pitch your idea today (we ran out of time!). Be prepared tomorrow, please!

Thurs, Jan 18

• Y.E.P.: drawing of your idea, with materials and tools list done today. Share about your progress. Expect to take your Business Plan booklet home over the weekend. And remember that your prototype (or your super-detailed and labeled design image) is due on Monday.

Wed, Jan 17

• No news

Tues, Jan 16

• Share about today's YEP (Young Entrepreneurs Project) task. What 4 - 5 goals have you set for yourself? Why did you choose those goals?
• Are you able to access Google Classroom from home? Please let me know tomorrow if you are having trouble.

Mon, Jan 15

• Read today's blog post to a parent.
• Discuss your project idea(s), and develop a plan to create either a prototype or a detailed and labeled diagram by next Monday.

Thurs, Jan 11

• No news.

Wed, Jan 10

• No news.

Tues, Jan 9

• No news.

Mon, Jan 8

• Read the blog post.
• Return report envelope
• Share about the book that you have to read at school this week. Many of you did not borrow a book from the library today. Can you explain why?
• Bundle up! It's going remain wet, and it will get chilly. How do you plan to stay warm outside?

Thurs, Dec 21

• Reports home tomorrow

Wed, Dec 20

• Did you borrow a book from the library today? What choice did you make and why?
• Spirit Day tomorrow - it's PJ's Day! 
• Optional gift exchange thingy happening tomorrow p.m.
• School supplies inventory home today. What items are in short supply? Please share your wish list with your family.

Tues, Dec 19

• No news

Mon, Dec 18

• Read new blog post.

Thurs, Dec 14

• Share about Young Entrepreneurs program presentation. As excited as you might be to get started, remember that the program will take you through a step-by-step process that includes earning teacher approval for your business idea. DO NOT START BUILDING PRODUCTS! Its great to start thinking about an idea, but we won't begin until January.

 

Wed, Dec 13

• Small change to the events schedule on the main blog page. "Insanity" is now scheduled for next Friday, block 2.

Tues, Dec 12

• No news

Mon, Dec 11

• Read this week's blog post
• How is your "How To" comic going? Almost finished? Already done? We'll move on to other things this week, so if yours needs more work, find the time at home or at school to complete this task.

Thurs, Dec 7

• Using examples, explain to your family the difference between your autonomic and your somatic nervous systems. Can you tell about an autonomic function that you can consciously take control of? 

Wed, Dec 6

• New exploratory rotation began today. What exploratory are you doing now?
• Share about your How-To comic. Is it going well? What are you explaining with your comic?

Tues, Dec 5

• No news

Mon, Dec 4

• Read this week's blog post
• The Social Justice/GSA club Bake Sale pre-orders are due Thursday this week.
• Check your desk supplies this week. What are you missing? It's wish list time!
• scissors?
• glue stick?
• black pen?
• pencils?
• pencil crayons?
• highlighter?
• paper?

Thurs, Nov 30 

• Walkies tomorrow. Please be prepared for the weather, and wear reasonable shoes.
• Animal Spirit Day tomorrow. What will you wear?

Wed, Nov 29

• No news.

Tues, Nov 28

• Share your math quizzy results.
• Share about the progress you've made on the Trouble is Brewing writing piece. 
• Agenda Check!

Mon, Nov 27

• Read this week's blog post
• Share about today's little math quizzy. How well do you feel you understand "interpreting remainders in problem solving contexts"?
• Share about the library book you borrowed today. Do you have other books to return to the library? Bring those back to school soon, okay?

Thurs, Nov 23

• Be prepared for a little math quizzy tomorrow about remainders in problem solving contexts. For a preview, see Wednesday's Daily Agenda!

Wed, Nov 22

• We've been working on interpreting remainders in division problem solving contexts. Explain to a family member which of these problems you should ignore the remainder in the question response, and which you should make the response one larger. Justify your thinking.

• Carlos is solving a jigsaw puzzle. He adds exactly 7 pieces to his 100 piece puzzle each day. How many days will it take him to complete the puzzle?

• Beth has $90. A Grande White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew costs $7. How many of those drinks can she buy?

• It is CC day tomorrow; dismissal at 11:40. Enjoy your well-earned afternoon off.

Tues, Nov 21

• Read this week's blog post.

Thurs, Nov 16

• Math quizzy results home today.
• CC day letter home today.

Wed, Nov 15

• A few Dialogue Only stories remain unfinished. These are now overdue and should be completed at home. If you haven't already, share yours with a parent!
• Expect a letter home tomorrow regarding CC day.

Tues, Nov 14

• Read this week's blog post.
• Share your "Dialogue Only" story. Tell about the task criteria, and explain your reasoning for your story idea. If it isn't finished yet or hasn't yet been turned in, please make a plan to complete this piece really soon.
• Expect a quizzy on division concepts on Tuesday.

Thurs, Nov 9

• No news

Wed, Nov 8

• No news

Tues, Nov 7

• No news

Mon, Nov 6

• Today we discussed the conflict in Israel. It is a challenging topic, and you asked some really great questions. Share with your family one thing that you learned through the reading and the discussion.

Thurs, Nov 2

• Share about the reaction speed activity you did in Science today

Wed, Nov 1

• No news

Tues, Oct 31

• Happy Halloween! Enjoy yourself tonight!
• Parents, please help by monitoring student lunches and backpacks for sneaky candy. Help by limiting to two pieces per day.

Mon, Oct 30

• Read this week's blog post
• Halloween tomorrow! Fun!

Thurs, Oct 26

• We'll head out for a walk tomorrow morning. Please dress appropriate for the weather. 
• If you haven't already, please Turn In your spooky story.

Wed, Oct 25

• Thank-you to those of you who submitted your Spooky Story task today. For those who didn't, please do your best to turn this in soon. Your story will need to be completed at home. We will be moving on to other writing tasks soon, so don't let this drag on past this week, okay?
• Explain to a parent how the divisibility rules for 2 and for 3 are related to the divisibility rule for 6.

Tues, Oct 24

• Spooky Story task due tomorrow. If you are working on this at home, remember to Sign In using your school ID: (That's your 7-digit student number, followed by @sd61learn.ca) Navigate to Drive, or simpy open Docs. Having Signed In, your work-in-progress should be there for you to continue working on. 
• Can you explain to your folks why it is impossible to divide by zero?

Mon, Oct 23

• Share your "First Write" feedback
• Share the result from last week's multiplication strategies quiz
• We missed "movie Monday". The intended video is here on the blog. What lesson did 100 learn through his actions?
• Agenda Check! (Remember to Sign In to your Google account before attempting to respond.)

Thurs, Oct 19

• Pro-D day tomorrow

Wed, Oct 18

• No news

Tues, Oct 17

• Due to limited response, I have left the Agenda Check open (see Monday's Daily Agenda items) to see if anyone else has read this week's blog. Click and have yourself counted!
• Share about today's Health lesson. How did you respond to the questions: "When was a time you worked hard to learn something new, but felt like giving up? Why did you feel like giving up?"

Mon, Oct 16

• Read the blog post
• Share about skating (and walking back to MMS in the rain)
• Photo proofs have gone home
• This evening, to do the Agenda Check!, I suggest you Sign In to a Google account (your school Google account is best). Then, navigate to this super-short survey. (Parents, this survey is for kids, not for you. It is a simple way for me to check in on how many students are reading the Daily Agenda and the weekly blog post.)

Thurs, Oct 12

• No news

Wed, Oct 11

• Share about Brainstorm
• Share about the opportunity you took today to nominate a classmate for Stormwatch. Who did you nominate for recognition? Why?
• Please return your skating field trip form tomorrow. Thanks.

Tues, Oct 10

• Skating field trip form home today.

Mon, Oct 10

• Read this week's blog post
• Share about your Spooky Story idea. Which story starter did you choose?
• What's on your bookshelf? 

Fri, Oct 6

• If you were away today, please catch up by: completing the "First Write" task assigned on Tuesday. Be sure to Turn In your piece through Classroom
• Most paper-and-pencil Science tasks are now posted to Classroom. If you've missed, please do your best to get these done.
• Enjoy the long weekend!

Thurs, Oct 5

• Share about Brainstorm activity
• Friday is Monterey's first spirit day: it's Sports Day. Wear a team jersey, hat, or whatever you've got that is sporty! Prize draws for classes with lots of participation.

Wed, Oct 4

• No news

Tues, Oct 3

• Parent-teacher interviews tonight
• PJ's day tomorrow

Thurs, Sept 28

• Share about today's Terry Fox run.
• For those who haven't had a chance to ask for a donation, there is still time. $ can come in up to Tuesday next week.
• A reminder that tomorrow is Orange Shirt day at our school.

Wed, Sept 27

• Share about "What's the Problem?" picture book group activity. Are you feeling prepared to attempt this activity on your own next time?
• Terry Fox Run tomorrow! 
• Last chance to bring in $$!
• Wear reasonable shoes for the run!
• Represent the Red Wolves team by dressing in red.
• Immunization consent forms home today. These are due back by Friday this week. Please demand that your parents read and respond and return these forms asap.

Tues, Sept 26

• Our class has now raised $332. Do your best to donate by Thursday this week!

Mon, Sept 25

• Read this week's blog post. Be sure to note important dates: these should be in your agenda!
• Keep bringing in Terry Fox donations this week. As of today, our class has raised $274. 

Thurs, Sept 21

• Pro-D day tomorrow

Wed, Sept 20

• No news.

Tues, Sept 19

• Band instrument choices have been set. Check in with your folks about instrument rental night, and how you plan to transport your instrument to and from school. Check the schedule (to begin with, horns and woodwinds are on different schedules for their a.m. sessions).
• Keep fundraising for Terry! So far, our class is up to $73.

Mon, Sept 18

• Read this week's post. Take note of the bit about Terry Fox fundraising.
• Did you know that Tuesdays are one of three Exploratory days? You now have a copy or two of Div 13's timetable. If you don't have it at home you can find a digital copy here. 

Thurs, Sept 14

• This is your last call to return signed Music choices paperwork. Please do this by tomorrow, even if you do not intend to take music. Parents, please note that more than one student has talked to me about maybe possibly changing their mind and opting in to a music program, rather than opting out. Maybe time to revisit this conversation? Act fast because forms are due tomorrow.
• Terry Fox pledge forms will go home tomorrow. Our school's goal is to raise $5000. Please do your part to help us get there. Remember that if each student in our school raises $11, we'll surpass our goal. And here is my pledge to you, Div 13's: for every student who raises at least $10, I'll donate $1. For every student that raises $20 or more, I'll donate $2.

Wed, Sept 13

• No news

Tues, Sept 12

• Meet the Teacher night tonight. I'll meet your parents at 6:30 after the PAC social. 
• Share about Team activity #5.
• Quiz yourself. There are 28 students in the class. How many of them could you name? How many of these have you had a chance to work with or speak to over the last week? We'll continue to work on getting to know each other as the month progresses.

Mon, Sept 11

• Read this week's blog post
• Note how this Daily Agenda page works. Do you see where last week's entries are? The most recent entry will appear here at the top of the page. Remember to check back each night, Monday - Thursday.
• Share about the two Team activities you did today
• Jr. Strings begins Tuesday this week (that's tomorrow!). Bring your instrument.

Thurs, Sept 7

• Please return signed forms in envelope asap
• Music information sent home today. Please review, sign, and return by Sept 15 at the latest
• Share about balloon boats, and share about your Team Rotation activity with Ms. Reksten

Wed, Sept 6

• Please return signed forms in envelope asap

Tues, Sept 5

• Welcome to the Daily Agenda page here on the blog. Keep up-to-date about work expectations, forms and field trip information. Check in here Mondays to Thursdays after 4:30 pm.