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May 2018

Dear Parents,
    Thank you for all your prayers these past six weeks.  My father's illness and passing has been very difficult for me but I have been overwhelmed by the love and support shown to me during this time.  Thank you for your patience and understanding as I did not post last month.  Please read this post to see what we are working on in our class this month.

Language Arts 
We are finishing our Persuasive Writing essays.  This is a form of Non-Fiction writing in which the students must convince the reader of their argument.  Persuasive writing is a format used in advertising, magazine articles and in government.  The students chose a topic and have learned how to plan, compose and edit the final essay.  We also engage in some public speaking exercises in class where the students are given a topic and must persuade the class of his/her argument.
Please continue to ensure that your child is working on their LCWC (look, copy, write, check) each night for our spelling program.

Math
We are finishing up our Decimals and Fractions unit.  The students are learning how to convert fractions to decimals as well as add and subtract them.  Please read the agenda to see the date for the upcoming test in this unit. The students are becoming very proficient at Multiplication.  Please have your child also work on his or her addition and subtraction skills.  Many students are having trouble adding facts with a sum less than 20.  Our next unit will be Geometry.

Science
We have begun our unit on Wetland Ecosystems.  We are learning how living and non-living things interact in ponds, marshes and swamps.  We are discovering that these fragile environments are being destroyed by humans due to urban development around the world.  The loss of these ecosystems results in flooding and drought damage, water pollution and declines in animal populations.  We began this unit with a trip to Fish Creek Provincial Park to study the wildlife that exists within our own city.

Social Studies
We continue to learn about the early settlement of Alberta (Gr. 4) and Canada (Gr. 5).  We are currently learning about the people who made major contributions to our province and country by writing biographies about these people.  This is another example of Expository writing that we are working on in the Gr. 4/5 class.

Religion
The Grade four students are learning about the people who make up our church.  They are discovering the roles and responsibilities of the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons and Lay people.  The Grade Five class is preparing for the Grade 5 religion exams at the beginning of June.  We are reading various Bible passages and practicing how to understand the message given by Jesus and write a response.  In the next few weeks, I will send home an outline for the test.

Physical Education
Mrs. Lavallee and Mr. Hagar are working on various ball handling skills to help improve the students abilities when playing a variety of sports. 

Art
The students are reproducing drawings from children's picture books.  They are specifically focusing on the work of Mo Willems and his pigeon drawings. 

Music
We have been singing Rounds and Echos which are various devices used in music.  This teaches the students how important it is to listen to others while they sing.  We will be learning about different genres in music.

Health
This unit we are learning about First Aid and why it is important to know how to help others in an emergency.  We will learn basic skills and practice these skills in the classroom.

French
This month Mr. Silva is teaching the students about Seasons. 

Important Dates
May  11th                                         Marian Liturgy
May 18th                                          Professional Development Day: No School
May 21st                                          Victoria Day: No School
May 25th                                          Hawaiian Spirit Day! 
June 12th                                          Field Trip to Glenbow Museum

Important Links
Study Ladder (all subject areas)                     www.studyladder.ca               
Mathletics (works on various math skills)      www.mathletics.com

Have a great week!
Mrs. Rosalie Hnatick


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