Thursday, June 26, 2014

Thank you to all our students for such an amazing school year! We wish you and your families the very best this summer and in the years to come.

Don't forget to cheer on the Netherlands in the World Cup :) Hup Holland Hup!!!

Community Events over the summer:

Vista Heights Youth Council Carnival June 27^th 3:30pm-5:30 pm at the Vista Heights Park

Community Garden visioning: July 8^th at 6pm in front of the Vista Heights School Please RSVP to Megan Dell who will be providing food 403-476-7119.

Community dinner and mobile library July 9^th at 6pm at the Crossroads Community Church

Summer Festival August 9^th 11:30am-4pm at the Vista Heights Park

Lawn Chair Theatre August 21st 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Crossroads Community Hall

Park and Play August 18^th-22^nd

For more information please call Megan Dell 403-476-7119

Monday, June 23, 2014

Important Reminders:

**Stampede Breakfast Wednesday June 25th:

-breakfast starts @ 8:45 am

-students please come into the school and go to your classroom door for attendance (parents can save a spot in the line)

- dress western    

 -put  litter in the proper place  

-enjoy the music and dance

-there is NO breakfast program on Wed; enjoy the pancakes at 8:45 instead

**Animal Life Cycles Research Project presentations:

- begin Tuesday, June 24th

- students are encouraged to review their project research questions and answers, and compose their own script/notes

- students who wish to show a video clip related to their topic must send the link via their educbe (Gmail) account to their teacher's email for pre-approval (teacher emails can be found in the top right of this blog page).

Monday, June 16, 2014

The mosquitos kept us inside for gym this morning, but we managed to continue learning new skills in track & field. So far, we have explored running techniques, shot put, hurdles, starting position for sprinting, and triple jump. We hope to have students choose their preferred events by next week, record and improve upon their best times/results.

Room 3 and 4 students are continuing their study of global citizenship in social studies, using the Fifa World Cup and social justice themes in Brazil to draw personal connections. Students have been discussing the idea of fairness in a soccer match and how rules can be changed to make people's experience more positive. Some students have begun writing poems to communicate their understanding of the inequality that exists in sport and other countries like Brazil.

Grade 4's took to the clocks today, beginning some work on representing time in math. If you have an analog clock at home, see if they can tell you the correct time. Grade 3's have finished their fraction unit and will be moving on to perimeter measurement.

Our animal research projects are well underway. Please ask your child about the animal they have chosen and what they have learned about its physical characteristics and natural habit thus far. They are free to work on their projects from home using their Google Drive account, but this is not an expectation.

(above) Rm 4 students sharing their riddles. See if you can solve this one...

Reminders:
- Tuesday, June 17 (Music sharing assembly) - 10:45a.m. *Parents are welcome to attend :)
- Friday, June 20 (Rm 4 spelling quiz)
- Friday, June 20 (Community Garden suggestions due) - several community garden barrels will be delivered to Vista Heights School in July and we're looking for your ideas about a) what you would like to plant in the barrels? b) what we should paint on the barrels? If you have an idea, please write it down or draw a sketch, which can be submitted to the office by Friday.
- Monday, June 23 (Animal research project due)

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

It was a great day of learning for Grade 3's and 4's!

All students have made their top choices for their Animal Research Project in science and they'll begin their study of one particular creature this Friday.

In math, Grade 4's are completed work on surface area, while Grade 3's are finishing up with fractions. There will be a quiz for grade 3's on Monday.

We enjoyed a spirited game of "Marking Money" this afternoon, which made connections to Global Citizenship and the host country for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Some students were assigned to the North and others to the South. Their team objective was to colour and cut out as many paper bills as possible in the allotted time. They received several challenges during the game, such as stopping to get water, waiting for a doctor to tend to illness, and paying taxes. The North team members found themselves at a great disadvantage and we had a very meaningful discussion about the inequality that exists in this region.

Reminders:

- Rm #4 spelling quiz on Friday
- Thursday, June 12 (Alex Bus at school re: dental support)
- Friday, June 13 (Snack Sale - 50 cents, All books due back to Learning Commons)
- Grade 3 Math Quiz on Monday.

Monday, June 9, 2014

This week's learning began with a tobacco reduction presentation for our Grade 4's, which involved several interactive centres provided by our school nurse. All students approached the topic with an open mind and took away factual information and positive messages.

Many students are eagerly awaiting the 2014 Fifa World Cup, with opening round action kicking off this Thursday. Grade 3's and 4's will be exploring this event and its geographical setting over the next few weeks, achieving cross-curricular learning experiences in social studies, mathematics and health studies. Global Citizenship is a key component of this learning experience.

Reminders:

- Rm #4 spelling words posted on Google Drive
- Wednesday, June 11 (Calgary Public Library presentation)
- Thursday, June 12 (Alex Bus at school re: dental support)
- Friday, June 13 (Snack Sale - 50 cents, All books due back to Learning Commons)
- No soccer club this week (*soccer club has now finished for the year)

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Here are a few reminders for parents and students in Room 3 & 4.

Homework:  Grade Four Math:  Students need to complete the first page of their math booklet for Friday.

Grade Three Math has started working on Fractions and explored how a shape could be divided into equal parts.

Room 3 continues to learn about how different pitches can be created by varying the length of wind instruments.  We created Pan Flutes made from straws measured to various lengths to create a five note scale.  We are now looking at ways we can damage and protect our hearing.

OLYMPIC School Visit

Our school has been selected to participate in Olympic  School visits as part of the 2014 Celebration of Excellence. 

The Canadian Olympic Committee will be bringing Olympians, Paralympians and Coaches fresh off the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to the Calgary area to celebrate the Olympic Movement.

 

Our school visit will be on Thursday, June 5^th.  The Olympians will arrive about 11:10 am and share in the gym for an hour.  This presentation will go into our regular lunch time.  If your child(ren) goes home for lunch they are welcome to bring a lunch and stay on June 5^th.

 

If you would prefer to have your child go home for lunch or day care, please let your teacher know and we will dismiss them at 12:00 pm and they can return at 12:45 pm.

 

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Wednesday Updates:  Please see Tuesday's blog for additional information about what we are working on in class.


Grade Four:  Health Homework:  Please complete and return all assignments signed by your parents.
                     Math:  Decimal worksheets due on Friday.

Grade Three:  Math:  Please have your math test signed and returned by Friday

Room Three has been studying Hearing and Sound and a few students created instruments at home with their parents.  Here are a couple of samples.

All students experimented with blowing air through straws of varying length to create 4 different pitches.  The pictures shows a sample of our instruments.

Some of our students viewed a live broadcast of the NASA launch to the International Space Station
Please visit NASA's website to view a recorded version of the launch.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Congratulations to all those Vista Heights students who won a pair of inline skates in today's raffle, which were kindly donated by the Alien Inline Skating program. Please remember to always wear the wrist, knee and elbow pads provided, along with a helmet when skating.

Grade 3/4 students, please take a moment to vote for our next class novel from the Time Warp Trio series by clicking on this link and selecting your top choice.

There is a large focus on Health Studies this week. Our grade 4's are participating in an important health and life skills unit, while the grade 3's are creating their own public service announcements about the need for fitness and exercise in our lives. Speaking about fitness, all students are demonstrating their own personal commitment to exercise while learning and practicing their frisbee skills in gym this week.

Reminders:
- Grade 4's: Math homework ("Adding & Subtracting Tenths" - front and back page) due tomorrow (Wednesday)
- Grade 4's who are participating in the Health & Life Skills unit this week, please return your "Ask and Adult" interview slip and "Changes" activity sheet.

Friday, May 23, 2014

It has been a busy week for our grade 3's and 4's. We've been taking to the outdoors for daily bocce ball lessons. Please ask your child about their experience and how the game is played?

Yesterday, our kindergarten students hosted a school assembly where they shared a green-screen production about "Abiyoyo", based on Pete Seager's retelling of the African story. Miss McCune shared several musical performances they have been working on as well. All our students appreciated the commitment and effort that these young children demonstrated.

Room #4 is continuing their study of plants in science, while room #3 students further explore the science of sound and vibration.

Grade 4 students are working on decimals in math. See below their exploration of money as it relates to decimals. Grade 3's are finishing up their division unit.

Today our students completed an assessment for the French focusing on parts of the body and classroom objects.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Reminders:

- Room #3 science materials for string instruments must be brought to school for MONDAY morning. Please bring empty pop bottle (500mL or smaller).

- Grade 3 Math test Monday, May 26

- Alien Inline forms must be returned for Monday, May 26

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

We hope that everyone enjoyed their long weekend. Our students had great experiences to share this morning.

Today we had additional music practice with recorders, as our grade 6's were writing provincial tests and Miss McCune was happy to spend some time with our group.

In science today, Room #4 students began focused observations for the bean seeds they planted approximately two weeks ago. Students will be monitoring their growth, making observations, and connecting their findings to scientific learning outcomes.

In gym, we are beginning a mini-unit on bocce ball. Students will make the best of the weather by taking the game outside this week :)

Reminders:
- Grade 4 students please return signed Health & Life Skills permission form if you do NOT wish to have them participate
- Room #3 student please bring supplies tomorrow for building musical instruments
- Room #4 - new spelling words posted on Google Drive (quiz on Friday, May 23)

Thursday, May 15, 2014

We hope to see you all at the Family Move and Groove this evening. The school doors will open at 6:30pm and the event will run until 7:30pm. All students who attend are expected to be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the dance. 

Have a fantastic long weekend!

Monday, May 12, 2014

Happy Mother's Day to all our student's moms! We hope you enjoyed the thoughtful craft and poem that you child brought home for you this past weekend :)

This week will be our last chance to practice for the Family Move & Groove, which will take place this Thursday at 6:30pm in our gymnasium. We hope that everyone will be able to make it. Please ensure that your child is accompanied by a parent/guardian for the duration of the event.

Today we had a practice fire drill and our students demonstrated their responsibility with one of our best times yet. We also discussed our school lock-down procedures so that we are safe and well prepared at all times.

Room #4 students have been following various organizations and educational resources through our class Twitter account. Today we checked in on mayor Nenshi and began the first of our personal reflections. We also continued our study of plants in science, exploring that pollination process. Each student has planted their own "magic" bean seed which they will be nurturing and monitoring over the next month.

All grade 3/4 students are continuing our study of the early settlers in Alberta, and we're building our knowledge of the trade industry and relations at that time in history. We also had a chance to share our "new words" that students have been working on in language arts. Students proved to be strong detectives, using clues to guess the true meaning on these new words.

Reminders:
- Math homework (Fractions & Decimals) for Grade 4's (due on Wednesday)
- Tomorrow (May 13th) CBE First Nations guest speaker
- Soccer Club (grade 3/4) - Wednesday, May 14th @ 3:15pm
- Family Move & Groove this Thursday, May 15th @ 6:30pm (Vista Heights Gym)

Friday, May 9, 2014

This week was busy for our grade 3's and 4's. We had many creative projects and activities on the go. Students completed the My New Word activity, inspired by our class novel "Frindle", and we are in the process of sharing their clues between our classes. We are now moving on in social studies to exploration of the early settlers in Alberta. We also completed our perspective artwork, which is now displayed outside the main office. In math, grade 3's are finishing up with division skills and patterns. Grade 4's are moving on to decimals after completing their work with fractions.

Have a great weekend!

Reminders:
- Homework (grade 3): Chapter 10 math review for those who are not finished.
- Homework (grade 4): Activity sheets #171, #172 (and bonus #173).
- Tuesday, May 13th (CBE First Nations guest presentation)
- Family Move & Groove - Thursday, May 15th (6:30-7:30pm) *see May newsletter. Students/siblings must attend with a parent/guardian.
- Friday, May 16th (PD Day) - no school
- Monday, May 19th (Victoria Day) - no school

Monday, May 5, 2014

After a gloomy weather weekend, we spent our morning burning off some energy while grooving away to the electric slide and the macarena. Our students are picking up the steps and we're looking forward to the Family Moove & Groove on the evening of May 15th.

Room 3 & 4 students are continuing work on their NEW word and perspective art projects, which we intend to display around the school in the near future. We are also working with partners to create comic strips focusing on stress management techniques for Health, which are quite creative.

Room 3 is continuing their work on hearing & sound in science, and those students are asked to bring in objects/items for tomorrow that can produce sound for testing purposes.

In Math, Grade 4's are finishing their work on fractions and will be transitioning on to decimals this week. Grade 3's are making progress with division skills (Grade 3 math homework due on Wednesday).

Reminders:

Snack Day this Friday, May 9th (students bring 50 cents)

Friday, May 2, 2014

Yahooooo!!! We did a great job learning the Cadillac Ranch line dance and today we learned the Electric Slide line dance to Michael Jackson's Triller.  We even tried the moon walk!

Math
Grade Four:  Continued to learn about Fractions and have a workbook that needs to be complete for Monday.
Grade Three:  Explored the connection between Multiplication and Division by writing fact families.    A few students may have the 6 practice questions for homework.

Health:  Today we explored strategies to manage stress in our daily lives.  We identified long term and short term stressor and discussed situation and problems that cause students stress.  Students enjoyed examining a cartoon with a humorous outlook on stress and are now creating their own cartoons about stress management.

Home Work
Grade Four Math:  Complete your math Fractions workbook for Monday!!
Grade Three Math:  6 fact families (most students finished in class)

Room Three:  Bring in interesting objects that can make sound for our Sound Exploration Table.---Be creative and find unique ways to make sound!

Reminders

May 6 - orders open for Healthy Hunger Pizza Lunch on May 30

May 9 - snack sale yogurt tubes (50 cents)

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

We have almost mastered the Cadillac Ranch dance. Tomorrow, we tackle the Electric Slide.

After gaining inspiration from our class novel "Frindle", students spent the morning inventing their own new word. We have begun writing paragraphs about our new words without ever mentioning the real name. Students will eventually be sharing their writing and making guesses as to what the new words really mean.



In math, Grade 3's continued practicing division skills, while Grade 4's worked on equivalent fractions and comparing fractions.

Room #4 shared interesting facts about various First Nations people and traditions that we researched and we finished off the day exploring seedless plants and the process of photosynthesis.

Room #3 students went on a hearing and sound walk this afternoon to explore some of the new concepts they are studying in science.

Reminders:

Homework (Room #4 - science "A Tree is Like a Hungry Kid" activity sheet) - Due tomorrow!

Last day for submitting a picture of the school logo is on May 1st... Students/parents can check the bulletin board outside the office for the logos students will vote on.

May 6 - orders open for Healthy Hunger Pizza Lunch on May 30

May 9 - snack sale yogurt tubes (50 cents)

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

We started the day in true Calgary fashion with an introduction to the Cadillac Ranch line dance. Dancing along to "Achy Breaky Heart", students now know that Billy Ray Cyrus is not just Miley's father, but was also a pop country icon during the late 80's/early 90's :)

Today we concluded our class novel, "Frindle". Ask your child how the story ended. We will be making connections to the story tomorrow with a creative writing activity.

Social Studies:  We continued to chart the First Nations resources in each Region of Alberta, building on our recent studies. Students also explored non-fiction literature about the First Nations people, focusing on specific tribes.

Language Arts:  Both classes should be finished their good copies of their family stories.  We will start oral story telling later this week.

Reminders:

Last day for submitting a picture of the school logo is on May 1st... Students/parents can check the bulletin board outside the office for the logos students will vote on.

Monday April 28, 2014

Today we hoped to continue our dance unit but due to a technical difficulty with the sound system, we played Doctor, Doctor Tag instead.  Tomorrow we will learn a country line dance!

Math:  Grade Four continued with fractions and Grade Three is working on writing division sentences and solving division problems.  Many Grade Three students did not complete their multiplication table homework.  Please complete all home work for tomorrow!

Social Studies:  We are charting the First Nations resources in each Region of Alberta and we read the story,  "Hidden Buffalo" which furthered our understanding of the foods and types of transportation that the Cree and Blackfoot First Nations used in Alberta.

Language Arts:  Both classes are finishing their good copies of their family stories.  We will start oral story telling later this week.

Reminders:

Last day for submitting a picture of the school logo is on May 1st... Students/parents can check the bulletin board outside the office for the logos students will vote on.

Room 4 Home Work --Science "Plant Vocabulary" activity sheet Due Tuesday

Friday April 25, 2012

Today Rooms 3 & 4 welcomed Ms Pringle as a guest teacher for Mr. Vanderlinden.

Grade 3/4 enjoyed the Earth Day Assembly.  Grade one and two had fantastic costumes and did a really great job!  Our students especially enjoyed the Division 1 choir and all the hard work they did for their song.  Great job to the grade 3 students who were a part of the choir.

In gym we continued to practice our new dances and added "The Twist" to our list of known dances.

Room Three continued their work on their Art project focusing on perspective. 

Room Four started their good copies of their family story and Mr. Vanderlinden would like them handed in for Tuesday.  Students will bring them home on Monday night.

In math, Grade four had 3 problems to solve and if students were not finished they are to complete them for homework this weekend.  Grade three continued to work on division problem solving and had a Multiplication table to complete for homework.  Math is Due on Monday.

At the end of the day both classes listen to the story, "The Return of the Buffaloes" by Paul Goble.  This continues to deepen our understanding of the First Nation People in Alberta and the stories they told.

Room 4 students should be completing the following homework items (due on Tuesday, April, 29):
- final completed copy of their "Family Story"
- Science "Plant Vocabulary" activity sheet

Reminders:
- Room 4 - Spelling Quiz Monday, April 28th
- May 1st (Deadline for submitting final copies of school logo designs)

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Today we continued our dance practice with many classic moves and grooves.

Congratulations to our Recycling Awareness Poster winners (as voted by fellow students). See their creative designs below. These posters will be displayed throughout our school for the next several weeks to help raise awareness and encourage our students and staff to make responsible decisions with their waste.

Room 4 students should be completing the following homework items (due on Tuesday, April, 29):
- final completed copy of their "Family Story"
- Science "Plant Vocabulary" activity sheet

Reminders:
- Room 4 - Spelling Quiz tomorrow! (Friday, April 25)
- Friday, April 25 (Subway Lunch!)
- Friday, April 25th (Grade 1/2's will be hosting a school assembly)
- May 1st (Deadline for submitting final copies of school logo designs)

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Today we teamed up with all the grade 3/4's and learned the "Mexican Hat Dance". We'll be professional dancers in no time at all :)

Our grade 3's continued with division skills in Math, and our grade 4's are working on Fractions.
* Some grade 3 students have homework that will be due tomorrow.

We also had the opportunity to enjoy a display of all our Recycling Awareness Posters, and we finished the day with a gallery walk. We voted for the top posters in our classes and the results will soon tell which posters will be featured in our school hallways.

Reminders:

- Friday, April 25 (Subway Lunch!)
- Friday, April 25th (Grade 1/2's will be hosting a school assembly)
- May 1st (Deadline for submitting final copies of school logo designs)

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Tuesday April 22, 2014

Today Mr. Vanderlinden was away ill.  We hope he will be back soon.

We started our dance unit in gym and learned basic dance steps.  In social studies, we continued to learn about Alberta's First Nations and how they used the buffalo in many different ways.

On Friday, the Grade one and two classes will host a school wide assembly at 1:45.  Everyone is welcome.

Both classes had Music today, please make sure your child has their recorder at school for Tuesday and Thursday.

Please check the blog for new information daily.

Thursday April 17, 2014

Thursday April 17, 2014

Reminders:

No school Tomorrow (Friday, April 18th)
No school Monday April 21, 2014 (Teacher Professional Day)

Wellness Health Expo and Celebration of Learning

The grade 5/6 students hosted the school and many guest sharing their final projects from their 2 week Open Minds School at Cardell Place.  Rooms 3 & 4 visited the Health Expo and really enjoyed seeing their creative projects.  Ask your child about the Expo.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Just when we thought spring was finally here, it's snowing again. Nooooo!

Today we had a spirited game of floor hockey to start our day. Too bad we can't cheer for our Calgary Flames in the playoffs this year. Maybe next time :(

Our math routine has recently changed, with Mrs. Anan leading the Grade 3 instruction and Mr. Vanderlinden taking on the Grade 4's. This should benefit all student learners as we continue to deliver a comprehensive math curriculum.

We're continuing to create Recycling Awareness posters in science, which we'll soon be completing. Our students will be making some difficult decisions about which posters deliver the best message and will be featured in our school hallways. Look for them that next time you're here!

Reminders:

- Grade 3's are encouraged to work from home in IXL (click here) on "Division"(Grade 2 or 3) skills. Grade 4's are encouraged to work on "Division" (Grade 3 or 4) skills & can begin with "Fractions" (Grade 3) skills. 

- Sub Lunch last day to order online is April 17^th  www.healthyhunger

- NO school for students on Friday, April 18^th & Monday, April 21^st

- School Logo Design entries *good copies due May 1st* ONLY PUBLISHED COPIES ACCEPTED

Monday, April 14, 2014

Today we had a visit from the Alberta Ballet! We all learned a thing or two about what it takes to become a professional dancer. Some of us will have tired legs tonight :)

We began work on our Recycling Awareness Posters and students are bubbling with creative ideas. Our goal is to choose several posters to be displayed in our school, encouraging all students to think twice about their recycling habits. 

Our grade 3/4 classes have started new a novel ("Frindle"), which we are spending time with daily. Along with some excellent discussion, we will be exploring various themes, literary devices, and reading comprehension. 

Reminders:

- School Council FUNDRAISER ITEMS  will be delivered to the school on Wednesday, April 16^th.  Come to the staffroom between 3:10 -4:10 pm to pick-up your order.

If you cannot pick-up at that time call Nova at 403-604-5531 to discuss other arrangements.

- Sub Lunch last day to order online is April 17^th  www.healthyhunger

- NO school for students on Friday, April 18^th & Monday, April 21^st

- 'Hat Day' - April 16th

- School Logo Design entries *good copies due May 1st* ONLY PUBLISHED COPIES ACCEPTED

Welcome to our new blog!

Welcome parents and students to our new Grade 3/4 blog!

The old blog sites have been discontinued and this will now be your source for school-specific updates, important events and information about our students.

We will be posting the most important information as it becomes available, including any homework assignments or important information, so please check our blog daily.

Please explore the "Learning Links" that are posted in the right navigation menu. These are great resources for home learning and additional practice in different subject areas.

As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Our contact information can be found at the top-right side of this page.

Mr. V. & Ms. Anan