Pi Day Celebrations

Who would have thought that 3.1415... would be such a great cause for celebration? We had a fun day today!  Friday?  No thanks... I'll have a "Pi"day, please!

Happy Pi Day!

Our portable door

To celebrate Pi Day 2015, we had all kinds of Pi and non-Pi related activities going on!  We started the day by staying in our "Pi"jamas (ha ha!), and then we went on a "Pi" scavenger hunt. The students had to find Pecan Pi, Cherry Pi, Blueberry Pi, Apple Pi, Pumpkin Pi, and Lemon Meringue Pi!

Lots of different types of Pi today!

Students used Pi to solve for the circumference and area of various circles, using the values found under the Pi symbols around the school.  The feedback from them was very positive!

Working hard to solve circle problems during our scavenger hunt.

After second nutrition break and recess, we had some "Pi"zza... but before we did that, we had to find out the area of each "Pi"zza "Pi"e, and find out what the area of two slices would be.  Then we figured out how much "Pi"zza we would need for the 21 students in our class, and if we would have enough with 5 "Pi"es.  Turns out we did, and had lots left over, too! Not our neatest solution, but your grade 8 student can probably explain what we did here.

"Pi"zza problems!

We finished the day with a movie (rare occurrence in grade 8!) - Life of Pi would have been ideal, but instead, we went with "Pi"rates of the Caribbean.  My 8s were awesome and seemed to really enjoy the movie (it IS awesome... I mean, it's Johnny Depp!). We're hoping to finish it one day :)

Thanks so much for a really fun day to celebrate Pi, and to kick off the March Break.  I hope that everyone has a safe and relaxing holiday!  See you back on March 23!

Miss Skelton :)

Talk to Yourself...

Hi everyone,

A couple of weeks ago, our class had an opportunity to do an activity.  We began by watching the following video on facing adversary, and developing resilience skills.

We talked about how the little voice that we hear in our head sometimes puts us down.  We discussed these comments that we sometimes think to ourselves, and worked on finding ways that we could change what that voice says.

Our students came up with a fantastic collection of "rebuttals" for their little voices.  Hopefully we can access these positive approaches more and more frequently and develop that growth mindset that we are trying to foster in our classroom.  With practice, our students can rise above doubt and achieve anything they set their minds to :)

Talk to yourself the way you would talk to someone you love.

Let's enable our students to approach situations with more positivity!

To my students:  you've got this :)

Miss Skelton

Career Day Survey

Hi everyone,

Unfortunately, the last link that we had for the survey was not the correct one - that's my fault!  I'm sorry!

The new link is here, and students need to use their login information to access it (this would be the same information that students use to log in to the school network). For best results, this should be accessed through Google Chrome.

https://docs.google.com/a/scdsb.on.ca/forms/d/1w_AW0ljJBV1eZIZiNPc0bFP2A1d2DYdTXrHq0g5ijCo/viewform?c=0&w=1

Career presentations will be filled in on a first come, first serve basis, so students who complete the survey first will get priority over those who wait until the last minute.

Thanks!
Miss Skelton

Course Selection for High School

Hi everyone,

Today, Mr. Shank visited our school to speak to our students about their course selection for Grade 9.  During this presentation, our students were given the following information that relates to them graduating from Grade 12 in 2019:

Compulsory Credits to be completed:
- 4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)
- 3 credits in Math (1 in grade 11 or 12)
- 2 credits in Science
- 1 credit in Canadian History
- 1 credit in Canadian Geography
- 1 credit in the Arts
- 1 credit in Health and Phys. Ed.
- 1 credit in French as a Second Language
- 0.5 credits in Career Studies
- 0.5 credits in Civics

Minimum of 40 Hours of Volunteer Hours
- non-profit organizations
- no payment received
- working for a family business for "free" does not count

OSSLT - Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
- taken in Grade 10
- can be written as many times as necessary in order for student to pass

Mr. Shank also spoke to our students about the pathways that are available to them (Apprenticeship, College, University), and how their marks help determine whether they go into Academic, Applied, or Locally Developed classes in Grade 9. Students are not required to choose only one of these three choices - they can have a mix of various levels.

More information will be available at the Parent Information Night on Thursday, January 15, 2015 at Bradford District High School. All families are strongly encouraged to attend.

We've been reminding students about how important their learning skills with regards to their decisions for Grade 9.  Students with a good work ethic and typically good learning skills tend to be more successful in Grade 9.  We encourage students who struggle with their learning skills to work on them this year, while they have the support of teachers who know them and can help.  Next year, there will be a lot of change, and trying to revamp work ethic at the same time can be very overwhelming. We want to help our students to be fully prepared for what they face in September!

Have a great day,
Miss Skelton :)

Spreading Cheer!

Hi everyone!

Hard to believe that it's December already... our students are hard at work creating some holiday magic for some children in Cookstown!

We are the lucky recipients of letters from grade 2 students... who have written to Santa's elves!  We get to respond to these letters as Santa's elves, and today, some of our grade 8 students were able to start brainstorming their responses.  We even have Elf names!  What's yours?

taken from a really cute Facebook post!

Here are some of our students' names... with even more than what's above!  More to come on Thursday, when Miss Skelton's crew gets their letters!

Here are some ideas that we brainstormed for our letters...

The magic that these letters will create for these little Grade 2 minds will be a memory we hope they hold on to for life.  And your Grade 8 student gets to be a part of creating that!  We are so excited to be able to participate in this wonderful exchange - please talk to your child about their letter and help them come up with other, creative ideas that will take little imaginations even further into the wonder of the season!

Have a great evening,
Miss Skelton :)

November

Hi everyone,

We have a busy few weeks!  Here are some activities and events that are coming up:
TODAY - students will be sharing their science projects on organ systems with their peers today
Wednesday, November 19 - Data Management assessment
Thursday, November 27 - Girls' Basketball Tournament
Friday, November 28 - Science test - cells, organelles, cell theory, characteristics of living things, unicellular organisms
Monday, December 1 - MOCKING JAY at the Cineplex in Newmarket!!  Paperwork to come home early this week :)

I'm sure there is more to be added - I'll update this as more dates come up.

Have a great day,

Miss Skelton :)

Update!

Hi everyone,

The Gallery has been updated (and will continue to be updated) with some Picassos and Fireworks!

Miss Skelton :)

November

Hi everyone,

It's already the 10th of November!  Grade 8 flies, doesn't it?

Last week, we had a great visit to BDHS - students participated in a mock rotary and visited many of their potential classes for next year.  We were able to see several performances (music, dance, drama) before the day was through.  Students are asked to start thinking about their upcoming grade 9 year!

Progress reports went home on Friday.  Notices are being sent home to remind families about conference dates and times.  If these dates and/or times do not work for you and your family, please let teachers know as soon as possible, as they may be able to fill the spots (vdavis@scdsb.on.ca and sskelton@scdsb.on.ca). If alternate times are possible to coordinate, we will do our best to accommodate you and your family. Students are expected to attend conferences, so please be sure to bring your 8!
Conference Dates:  Thursday, November 13 from 4:00-8:45pm
                                 Friday, November 14 from 8:30-11:30am (PD day for students)

This week, we began Data Management.  Students are asked to make scatter plots based on their class data of the following:

Skelton Data

Davis Data

Scatter plots are due tomorrow (Tuesday, November 11).

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day.  Fieldcrest will be hosting two ceremonies:  Junior/Intermediate from 9:30-10:30 and Primary from 11:45-12:30. Parents and community members are welcome to attend.  Students will be given poppies, and we would appreciate any donations.  These will be forwarded to the local Legion.  A special thank you goes to Mrs. Davis and Mr. Davis for organizing the assemblies.

Have a nice day,
Miss Skelton

Last week of October... already!

Hi everyone,

This is going to be a long post, so get comfy!

Last week, we were busy here at FES.  On Friday, we had a couple of visits:

Mr. Shank from BDHS visited during our middle block with some grade 9 students to speak to our grade 8s about their upcoming year in high school. There will be a "Grade 8 Day" at BDHS on November 5th, and on that day students will be visiting the high school and participating in a variety of activities and classes.  They will do a simulated rotary, see some performances, and play some get to know you games with other grade 8 students from our region.  If you have any questions, please let me know!

We also had a visit from Constable Rob Enright and Special Constable Karen Markus to talk to students about responsible technology use.  More information can be found on our Tech page.

Please be aware of the following dates and assignments/events:

Tuesday, October 28 - AM recess - Intermediate Girls Basketball tryouts
                                    - History tests should be signed and returned

Wednesday, October 29 - rough draft of their fairy tale character monologue due for Miss Skelton's students in Drama; Mrs. Davis's students will have theirs due on Monday, November 3.

Thursday, October 30 - Language Assessment - more information to come
                                      - Deadline for all citrus orders - for more information, please contact Miss Skelton or Mrs. Davis

Friday, October 31 - Math Test (angles and angle relationships) - reminder for students to visit Gizmos and complete the Angle Relationships activity (students have their login and password information)
                                  - Dance-a-thon!!  All paperwork and donations are due.  Permission can NOT be given over the phone, and students will not be permitted phone calls.  All forms and money will be accepted throughout the course of the week.

Wednesday, November 5 - BDHS visit - students will be heading to Bradford District High School to participate in a mock-rotary and meet some of their potential grade 9 teachers.

As usual, there will be more added soon!

Hope you enjoyed the weekend,
Miss Skelton

History & Science October

Hi everyone,

Our students have a few assessments and assignments coming up, as well as some important dates to remember.

On Tuesday, October 21, they will have a History Quiz - they've known about it for several days and should be in the process of studying on a nightly basis.

Girls have their HPV shots this week (Thursday, October23) - please make sure that paperwork is returned, whether or not they're receiving the needles.  We need to have parental indication that students are or are not going to be getting them.

Phys. Ed. presentations begin this week - see The Mid-October post for the schedule.

Students have also been assigned a project for Science - they will be researching a system in the human body. More details about this assignment will be added to the Science page of our blog on Sunday.  A due date is yet to be set. The following students will be doing the following systems:

Circulatory System
Davis - Rohan, Muhammed
Skelton - Andy, Christopher, Shreya, Janabi

Digestive System
Davis - Meadow, Morgan, Taha
Skelton - Mitchell, Sajeetan, Jannany, Jason

Excretory System
Davis - Jewell, Nelie
Skelton -

Immune System
Davis - Ashley, Maks, James
Skelton - Angus, Malcolm, Simon

Muscular System
Davis - Justin, Owen, Chris
Skelton - Yash, Reuben, Julia

Nervous System
Davis - Nat, Kathlyn, Kayla
Skelton - Somaya, Tyrese, Brody

Reproductive System
Davis - Amanda, Kris-Anne, Ryan
Skelton - AJ, Madi, Davis

Respiratory System
Davis - Ethan, Jasjit, Deyshawn
Skelton - Hailey, Mackenzie, Nick

Skeletal System
Davis - Bella, Sandra
Skelton - Morgan, Dhanvin, Liam

Students are invited to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) on Tuesday and Friday, as they will have time to research in class on those days.  They are also welcome to bring in outside resources, including information they've found online or books they've been able to acquire, whether from personal collections or the library.  Other text resources will be available as well.

Enjoy your weekend,
Miss Skelton :)

Mid-October Update

Hi everyone,

I hope you had a great long weekend!  We are looking forward to students coming back, refreshed and ready for a great month!

The remainder of this month has a few activities that you should be aware of:

Global Dignity Day on Wednesday, October 15
- for more information about Global Dignity Day, please visit  http://www.globaldignity.org/view/global-dignity-day

HPV shots for girls on Thursday, October 23
- paperwork has gone home and must be returned whether or not your child will be receiving these needles.  For more information, please visit http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ms/hpv/immunize.aspx

Mr. Shank from BDHS visiting on Friday, October 24
- Mr. Shank (our grade 8 liaison from Bradford High) will be visiting students to talk to them about their upcoming visit to BDHS; he will also be bringing some former falcons to talk about their experiences in high school so far.

PA Day on Monday, October 27
- staff will be at Fieldcrest this day, but students are not

Dance-a-thon on Friday, October 31
- two forms will be coming home - one that gives permission for students to attend the dance (which must be returned, whether your child is going or not), and a pledge form on which students can record donations
- all donations go to our school library and go toward updating our library's selection of books for students of all ages.

*students will be presenting their Phys. Ed. games of low organization over the next several weeks.  The schedule is:
Mon. Oct. 20 - Brody, Simon, Jasjit, Taha, Malcolm
Mon. Oct. 20 - Justin, Kathlyn, Sandra, Ashley
Thurs. Oct. 23 - Davis, Mitchell, Yash, Sajeetan
Thurs. Oct. 23 - Dhanvin, Reuben, Rohan, Christopher C
Tues. Oct. 28 - Angus, Tyrese, Andy, Nat
Tues. Oct. 28 - Ethan, Maks, Muhammed, Liam
Fri. Oct. 31 - Somaya, Shreya, Kris-Anne
Fri. Oct. 31 - Owen, Nick, James, Chris L
Tues. Nov. 4 - Kayla, Amanda, Morgan R, Madi
Tues. Nov. 4 - Nelie, Jewell, Bella, Jannany
Fri. Nov. 7 - Meadow, Julia, Hailey, Janabi
Fri. Nov. 7 - Ryan, AJ, Mackenzie, Morgan G, Deyshawn

BDHS Grade 8 Visit on Wednesday, November 5
- students will walk over to BDHS and participate in simulated rotary that will introduce them to what a typical high school day might be like

There are always things to be added, but this sums up the next few weeks nicely!

Have a great evening,
Miss Skelton :)

Studying Tips

Hi everyone,

We've been discussing studying tips in class.  These tips will help students as they prepare for upcoming assessments, and as they prepare for entering grade 9.  This list is by no means exhaustive, and students may come up with their own study strategies that work.  Hopefully this gets them moving on the right track!

Studying Tips from Miss Skelton

Have a great weekend!
Miss Skelton :)

Picasso Head Art

Hi everyone,

Some of our students have been experimenting on http://picassohead.com! Please check them out at The Gallery on our blog!

How fun!  Please send me your Picassoheads at sskelton@scdsb.on.ca and I'll add them to our growing gallery!

Miss Skelton :)

Math Test - Squares and Square Roots

Hi everyone,

Students received last week's Math test back today - I'm asking that they are signed and returned as soon as possible.

Next Tuesday, we will be having a math assessment on squares and square roots.  Students have a double number line in their notebooks to help them with estimating square roots of numbers that are not perfect squares.
Because Grade 8s will have their picture day on Tuesday, October 7 as well, the test may be postponed until the 8th (but please don't EXPECT this!).

The following will be on the test:
- perfect squares
- finding squares and square roots of perfect squares up to 144
- using the double number line to estimate the square root of a number that is NOT a perfect square
- applying squares and square roots to multi-step problems

Check out what we did in Science today!  Fun fun!  http://grade8falcons.blogspot.ca/p/science.html

Have a great night!
Miss Skelton :)

In October...

Hi everyone,

Thank you again to those who attended Meet-the-Teacher night!  What a great way to end September :)

I am continuing to work on getting last week's math tests marked - thank you for your patience!  Typically the turnaround time with assessments will be significantly shorter.

In the upcoming month, we have several things going on (with more to be added to the list as the month progresses!):

Wednesday, October 1 to Friday, October 3 - Book Fair
Thursday, October 2 - We Day - we have several students going!
Tuesday, October 7 - Math assessment - squares and square roots AND French vocabulary quiz
Wednesday, October 8 - Flag Football - we have several students going to this, too!
Thursday, October 9 - Character assembly (9:30-10:30 am for grades 4-8)
Monday, October  13 - Thanksgiving holiday
Thursday, October 23 - HPV immunization needles for our female grade 8 students - there will be two more dates in the new year, as this needle is given three times.  Paperwork will be coming home soon.
Friday, October 24 - Technology Talk with our community officers, Cst Rob Enwright and Spec Cst Karen Markus.  The discussion will be surrounding appropriate and safe use of cellphones, social media, and the Internet.
Monday, October 27 - PA Day - students can sleep in!

We will add more in further blog posts, but this should get us started for this month!

Miss Skelton :)

Meet-the-Teacher

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our portables to say hello tonight!  It was lovely meeting many of you, and it was great to see familiar faces!

If you were unable to make it tonight, many parents who attended signed up for November conferences.  Anyone who hasn't signed up yet is welcome to email me (sskelton@scdsb.on.ca) or Mrs. Davis (vdavis@scdsb.on.ca) to book a time.

It's looking like the remind app didn't get many of your phone numbers... or if it did, there's a code that you need to send back.  The code is @e2809.

Thank you so much for subscribing to our blog and for signing up for Remind - it will be a great way to stay up-to-date on what's going on in our classroom!

Have a great evening - looking forward to seeing you again!

Miss Skelton :)

For Students Not Attending Kandalore

Hi everyone,

So, we hope that you enjoy your three days, even if you're not attending camp!

One of the activities we've left for you is about Terry Fox (in honour of our Terry Fox run on Thursday).  The following links will help you gather information on this great Canadian:

http://www.terryfox.org

http://www.terryfox.org/TerryFox/The_Early_Years.html

http://www.terryfoxawards.ca/about_terry_fox.html

http://www.terryfox.org/TerryFox/Facts.html


Also, here are a few images to help with one of the sections of the assignment:

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

Also use resources/images from books in the library to help you with your in-depth investigations of Terry Fox's life.

There will be another package left for you that we hope you will complete as well.

Have a great three days and we'll see you on Thursday!

Miss Skelton :)

Kandalore tomorrow!

Hi everyone, 

We leave for Kandalore tomorrow!  That came up fast!  

Students who are not attending Kandalore are expected to be at school.  If students will not be attending, please contact the school using our Safe Arrival line (905-778-2011) to inform the office of the absence. If students are attending school, they need to line up with their class (if their class has been switched due to reorganization, they are to line up with their new class and teacher) for attendance.  Once attendance is done, these students will gather their materials, receive a work package, and make their way to Room 240 (Mr. Minns' room) for the next 3 days.  Mrs. Morrison will be their teacher. If students' homerooms are portables, they will NOT have access to those classrooms over the three days.

The following are some questions that have been asked regarding the Kandalore trip:

My child has special dietary requirements - how will those needs be met?
As long as you let your child's teacher know, we can make arrangements with the camp to provide appropriate meals for them (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, no dairy, etc.).  If there is a specialty item that your child requires, we have access to the fridge at the camp, so we can store it for your child.
What kind of security measures are taken?
Students will be supervised by camp staff or their teachers at all times.  Fieldcrest has hired a security person that will do rounds of the camp every half hour from 11pm to 7am.  In the event of an emergency, students may find this security person at the office by the dining hall.
Are there lifeguards?
Yes - all camp staff have their Bronze Cross certification.
Will my child be forced to do activities that he/she is uncomfortable with?
No - Kandalore's philosophy is "Challenge By Choice" - students are encouraged, but never forced to participate in activities.  We celebrate if they climb 3 feet or 30 feet!
What do I do if my child requires regular medication?
For any medication, SCDSB policy requires that we have appropriate paperwork filled out that has a doctor's signature (it was the "medication" form that was sent home with Kandalore paperwork). Please include clear, detailed information about time and dose of medication to be administered.
For all medications, please give them directly to Mrs. Swaile Black upon arriving at Fieldcrest before leaving for camp. Regardless of what kind of medication it is, it must be stored and administered by a teacher.
Can my child bring a cell phone?
It is recommended that students leave electronics at home. Neither Fieldcrest nor Kandalore will be responsible for any lost, stolen, or damaged items.  With the activities that we will be doing at the camp, there is a chance that the device will be damaged due to being dropped from a height or being dropped into water. We also expect that if you DO choose to send your child with a cell phone or other electronic device, they will be responsible about its use and ensure that it is not on/out/seen during camp activities. As far as contacting your child goes, we like to think of it this way:  "If you don't hear from us, they're great!"!

What should my child pack?
Students need to be able to carry ALL of their own luggage/bedding in one trip, so please make it manageable! Here's the list that Kandalore sent to us to send home (it was at the back of the package that came home with the paperwork last week):

• 1 packed lunch (we will be eating lunch once we get to Kandalore - please make this lunch as "garbage-free" as possible!)
• 1 jacket
• 1 fleece jacket or warm sweater
• 2 pairs of pants (jeans not recommended)
• 2 pairs of shorts
• 2 long sleeve shirts
• 3 t-shirts
• underwear (more than one pair!)
• 4-6 pairs of socks (wool or fleece are warmest)
• 1 hat for sun/rain
• toque/mitts for cool evenings
• 2 pairs of shoes (appropriate shoes for running around)
• 1 bathing suit (the one that "covers the most")
• 1 towel
• 1 sleeping bag
• 1 pillow
• 1 water bottle
• 1 rain jacket (and pants, if possible)
• umbrella
• sun screen/bug spray
• flashlight
• toiletries
• camera, watch, sunglasses are optional

This is by no means a "must-have" list.  If you feel that your child needs more or fewer of the items listed above, please include them.  Students will be responsible for toting all of their items, including sleeping bags and pillows, so no more than one bag to pack all other items is recommended.

Just a reminder, as well, of items that Kandalore recommends students DON'T bring:

• junk food - the camp is a PEANUT-FREE ENVIRONMENT
• valuables (e.g., iPod, video games, cell phone, etc)
• knives, lighters, etc.

We plan to leave by 9:30am on Monday, so normal arrival time is fine for students, however they cannot bring their gear/luggage on the bus, so a drop off is preferred.  We'll bring them back between 3:30 and 4:00pm on Wednesday afternoon.
Can't wait!  See you then!

Miss Skelton :)

Math, Science, History, unraveling the mystery.... and some art, too!

Hi everyone,

Our students have a very busy week ahead!  The following are important dates for students to remember:

Tuesday, September 16, 2014
All Kandalore forms and money are due - we won't be accepting late forms.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014
History title page is due

Thursday, September 18, 2014
Math assessment - Prime Factorization, divisibility rules, greatest common factor and lowest common multiple
For more information on Prime Factorization, please watch this video from the Khan Academy:
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/pre-algebra/factors-multiples/prime_factorization/v/prime-factorization

Friday, September 19, 2014
Visual Arts activity due - Chuck Close self-portrait
Science assignment "It's Alive" due - please see our Science page for detailed information about the assignment.

Also important to note:  We have phys. ed. on days 1 and 3.  This week, that will be on Tuesday and Thursday - please remind your child to bring appropriate gym clothing and shoes, as being prepared for gym will contribute to their overall mark for Physical Education for first term.

Thanks!  Hope you've had a great weekend,
Miss Skelton

Kandalore Info Night

Hi everyone,

Thanks to all who attended our Kandalore Information Night.  Brock Sheppard (camp director) made the trek down from the camp to answer questions about our Kandalore trip.

Some key points included:
- the camp is nut -free - please encourage campers to leave nut snacks at home
- forward food allergy information to your child's teacher and we will make sure your child has appropriate food made for him or her
- students will be supervised overnight by camp staff - our school has arranged for night time security; if there are any issues, camp security is available to help
- campers will be supervised during activities by camp staff; teachers will visit groups throughout the days
- students are encouraged by Kandalore staff (and Fieldcrest teachers) to leave electronic devices at home to "disconnect"; disposable cameras are encouraged
- please refer to the package that went home for a list of gear that should be brought/packed
- students need to be able to carry all of their own stuff - they won't have help, as everyone else will have stuff, too!
- all medication must be given to teachers upon leaving Fieldcrest - campers must NOT have their medication in their cabins
- students must wear lifejackets when they are within 10 feet of the water
- Kandalore has an outstanding safety record; many safety precautions are put in place, with camper safety being a number one priority above all else
- all activities are "choose your challenge" - students will be asked to challenge themselves, but not forced to go beyond what they're comfortable with

Please remember that all paperwork for camp is due no later than Tuesday, September 16. 

If you have any questions, please contact Miss Skelton or Mrs. Davis!

Looking forward to camp!
Miss Skelton :)