Dear Parents and Adults at Home,
Our theme for the final term of the year is Responsibility. This past week, the students brainstormed examples of what responsibility means to them. In groups, they categorized each example of responsibility.
Novel Study: The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Parvana felt the shadow before she saw it, as the man moved between her and the sun. Turning her head, she saw the dark turban that was the uniform of the Taliban. A rifle was slung across his chest as casually as her father's shoulder bag had been slung across hers...
The Talib kept looking down at her. Then he put his hand inside his vest. Keeping his eyes on Parvana, he drew something out of his vest pocket.
Parvana was about to squish her eyes shut and wait to be shot when she saw that the Talib had taken out a letter.
He sat down beside her on the blanket.
"Read this," he said.
Imagine living in a country in which women and girls are not allowed to leave the house without a man. Imagine having to wear clothes that cover every part of your body, including your face, whenever you go out. This was life in the 1990s in Afghanistan, where the Taliban, members of an extreme religious group, ran most of the country.
Deborah Ellis has been to Afghan refugee camps and heard many stories like Parvana's. All the royalties from this book will be donated to Women for Women in Afghanistan, dedicated to the education of Afghan girls in refugee camps in Pakistan.
Mathematics: Your child's class has begun a mathematics unit on fractions, percents, ratios, and rates. In this unit, your child will:
Express fractions in simplest form.
Relate mixed numbers and improper fractions.
Compare and order mixed numbers and fractions.
Explore percents.
Relate percents to fractions and decimals.
Estimate and calculate percents.
Use ratios for part-to-part and part-to-whole comparisons.
Explore equivalent ratios.
Explore rates.
Fractions, percents, ratios, and rates are used daily in many different situations. Encourage your child to find examples in the world outside the classroom. For example, the advertising sections of the newspapers is one place to find fractions and percents. Ask your child to explain what each fraction or percent means, given in its context.
If you are making salad dressing or preparing juice from concentrate, have your child name the ratio of oil to vinegar or water to concentrate. Then ask him or her to name the ratio if the recipe were to be doubled or tripled.
While shopping, encourage your child to look for examples of rates such as three grapefruits/$0.99. Ask questions, such as: "At that rate, how much would you pay for one grapefruit? Six grapefruits?"
See the homework schedule below for math assignment details.
Writing Circles: I have sent home CDs with the students' stories recorded in podcast format. Have a listen!
This Past Week's Homework Assignments
Read at least 20 minutes each evening
Health and Reading Log update
Reading Comprehension:
Black Group - Ask About: pp. 47-51
Blue Group - Art and Music: pp. 32-41
Next Friday's ID test (April 11) will be on Birds #6 and Africa #19-24 in the Study Guide (Students receive a bonus mark on each of their tests if they have their tests signed by a parent and returned).
Math - Fractions: pp. 279-280, 283
Website of the Week: Measure Your Eco-Footprint
The Zerofootprint Kid's Calculator measures the direct impact of a child's lifestyle on the planet. The idea behind the calculator is that all of our decisions and patterns of behaviour add up to a "footprint," which is just a way of measuring people's demands on nature. The more we consume, the bigger our footprint is. Indeed, our footprint is global. Much of our food, our goods, our fuel, and our resources come from somewhere else. Plus, our waste, particularly our greenhouse gas emissions, can have an effect on people everywhere.
http://www.zerofootprintkids.com
Don't forget to check out my website at linktoschool.blogspot.com . It has many links to other great educational sites and safe, kid-appropriate search engines.
Important Dates in 2008
April 21 Cultural Event - Comaigri VniDansi @ 1:00 pm
April 23 Interim Reports go home
April 29 Celebration Assembly @ 9:00 am
May 2 Pro-D #5 - District-wide - No School
May 19 Victoria Day - No School
May 28 Celebration Assembly @ 9:00 am
June 20 Celebration Assembly @ 1:00 pm
June 23 Year End Assembly @ 10:30 am
June 24 Sports Day
June 25 Grade 7 Graduation @ 10:30, Final Report Cards sent home. Last day of school for students, early dismissal @ 1:30 pm
June 26 Pro-D #6 - No school
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to phone, email or drop by the school.
Sincerely,
Michael Link
Forsyth Road Elementary
10730 139 Street
Surrey BC V3T 5L4
Phone: 604-588-8394
mikewilliamlink@gmail.com
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