Tag Archives: Harry Potter

Keeping Warm!!

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Good Morning Everyone!

Anyone else getting a bit tired of our “deep freeze” weather?! Unfortunately it looks like we have a bit more of this until it starts to warm up. With these cold temperatures comes indoor recess. Indoor recess is usually fun for a few days BUT then we all realize how much we appreciate getting outside, getting fresh air and getting the chance to run and play. Has anyone been braving the cold after school?! My Hudson sure doesn’t mind these Arctic temperatures…we are having a hard time trying to get her to come inside!! I’d still rather live in one of the coldest cities than deal with other weather related catastrophes. We are Canadian. We are tough! We’ve got this 😉

What a week we just had!! Here’s a glimpse of what we learned and experienced!

-Since it was the highlight of the week we might as well start with Harry Potter Day!! It took us the majority of the day to watch the whole movie but it was totally worth it! Thank you so much to those of you who contributed snacks, drinks and “props”. There was so much to choose from! One of my favourite parts of the day was watching the kids’ faces as the movie was playing. Whether they’d seen it before or it was their first viewing there was pure joy on their faces!!

We did a reflection and comparison about the movie and the book. As far as movies go I think they did a pretty good job keeping true to the story but there are a few things that are quite different. It’s was fun to spot some of those differences!! I’ve also noticed a lot of kids reading the other books in the series!

-We’ve had two sessions in our Ancient Civilization Book Clubs. I know my groups have been learning a lot about Egypt and I look forward to hear about what the other groups thought about their civilization! We will finish the reading portion this week and then see where the students want to take their learning from there!

-Subtraction is going strong! The students are able to regroup with very few errors!! Try out a few questions at home to see your child’s progress. If you are able to work on additinabs subtraction facts at home I continue to recommend that. We’ve pushed our basic fact assessment to this week. This will really help us do some  targeted instruction and practice.

-We are about 70 pages into Crenshaw and so far so good! Most of the kids think there’ll be a bit of magic involved in this one…we’ll have to keep reading to find out!!!

-The students seemed to enjoy doing our word work (spelling) this week. All students had their word list and an overview of why we were doing this in their mailbox all week (since Monday) so I hope everyone received those! I can only remind the class so many times to empty their mailbox before the responsibility shifts to them! Reminder: assessments will start on Monday (tomorrow).

-We did another research day for our Ancient Civilization projects and I was able to check in with 6 groups. I will continue to check in with the remaining groups to make sure guiding questions have been answered, there is a plan for the written component coming up and that everyone is happy and on track with their progress.

-We’ve had one chance to make our groups and work on our new dance routine. This week we will have at least another two opportunities to choreograph and practice!

-We submitted our Top 5 Reasons that the Jets Should Read to our Class! Keep your fingers crossed that we are selected! We wrote a fantastic persuasive letter as a class. I’d be persuaded if it was me choosing the winner!! #GoJetsGo

-The book orders haven’t come in yet. They emailed that the order was sent out on Wednesday, so it could arrive any day now.

What’s Up This Week?!

-More Crenshaw, more Ancient Civilization research, more book clubs, more subtraction, math fact assessment, more indoor recess?!, more dance AND no school on Friday, February 1st!

-Ms Mary from the Green Action Centre is with us on Wednesday to teach us more about making a positive impact on the environment.

-Murray is with the class on Wednesday, which means Genius Hour time!

I think that is about it for now. Stay warm!!

Until next time,

Danielle

 

The Blog is Back!

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Happy Sunday Everyone!

I’m back to blogging! I never meant to stop actually! Things got really, really busy while I was taking my first university course last term, so I’m taking a break from my classes and doing two courses this summer instead. It is always a difficult decision to stop doing something you enjoy but it’s also difficult to make space for everything we like to do! Instead I am just shifting things around so I can get to it all…in time!

Well 2019 has come in like a blizzard…literally! First we got so much snow and now we are living in a deepfreeze! I met a friend at the airport for lunch today and laughed at how the parking metres need to wear ‘winter coats’. Only in Winnipeg!

Here is what we’ve been up to since the New Year!

-We’ve finished Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone! I really enjoyed sharing this special book with all the students. Whether they’ve read it before or this was their first time hearing this magical story, students were hooked! We will be watching the movie soon! Perhaps as soon as Wednesday, January 23! We have a volunteer baking some “sorting hat cupcakes” and some requests to dress in the Harry Potter theme. The students and I will do some more planning tomorrow (Monday) and will let you know official plans ASAP!

 

-We’ve been doing LOTS of writing! The students did their 3 writing assessments (narrative, informational and persuasive). This gives us a benchmark of the growth made since last time we did these three assessments and also directs our lessons moving forward. We’ve also wrapped up four “Writing Craft Workshops”. Each student has rotated though four stations (3 lessons per station) that was led by Helen, Stacy, Ms Solomon or myself. The students learned about “The First 4 Words”, “Telegram Notes”, Topic Sentences” and “Gems That Make Writing Sparkle”. Doing these workshops have helped improve our students’ writing…especially informational writing.

-Word work in the form of spelling high frequency words with 122 & 126 has come to an end for now! The students have been working hard on learning to spell the most commonly used words in reading and writing. These words are becoming our “No Excuse Words” for spelling. IF you know how to spell them then you shouldn’t be making errors and when you do make an error you should be able to find it as you edit your own work!

-Subtraction is in action! The students are doing a good job working with subtraction. They are making connections with place value and regrouping. We are also working hard to develop instant recall of our subtraction facts. Using flashcards at home for subtraction (and addition) is very helpful for those students who are not able to recall the facts in 3 seconds or less. It only takes a few minutes each day. You can even make it a game!

-Ancient Civilizations are being discovered! Our research projects are in full force! Ask your child what civilization they are learning about their guiding question(s).

-We have a new volunteer! Handa, a retired teacher, is coming to our school three afternoons a week to volunteer with the 3/4s! She is spending some time reading with us and helping with projects. What a kind thing to do! Reading aloud to others is a great skill for the students to have and they really enjoy doing it! If you haven’t listened to your child read for awhile see if you can make some time to hear how far they’ve come!

What’s Coming Up:

-Book orders were submitted last week and hopefully will arrive by Friday!

-We will be starting a new read aloud book…Crenshaw! There is a giant, talking cat…what’s not to love?!

-We will finish up our subtraction books and do an assessment to see what we still need more practice with!

-Ancient Civilization Book Clubs start this week! The students have chosen what they’d like to learn most about and we were able to assign them to their first or second choice. The 4 civilizations we will look more in depth about are: the Vikings, Japan, Maya and Egypt. We will do 4 lessons and at the end will do a Maker project  so groups can teach each other about the civilizations. *Most students are learning about a civilization different to what their research project is about.

-As we finish up our research we will be ready to write an informational piece. We can put all our Writer’s Craft Workshop lessons to work!

-I will be sending home spelling words this week. These are words that I have found in each student’s Writer’s Notebook and are individual for each student. Starting next Monday (January 28) I will assess the students on their words. The reason I am sending them home is so you can work on them at home too if you want to. We will continue to work our way through the Fry’s Word Lists (high frequency words). If you would like a copy of these words for home please let me know 🙂

-Murray will continue to work on Genius Hour projects on Tuesday while he is with the 123 students and I am doing Friluftsliv with other classes in the school. Students are at different stages of their projects which is great. Some students enjoy working on their project at home as well as at school which is great too. Any questions regarding Genius Hour can be directed to Murray 🙂

-We will take all of our ideas about “Why the Jets Should Read to us” as part of the Reading Takes Flight program and submit a group writing piece. Maybe this is the year that we are chosen!!

-By popular demand we will do another round of dance choreography! The students enjoyed creating a movement piece to a holiday song in December and have been asking for round 2! Ask and you shall receive!! What will they come up this time?!

 

Stay warm!

Until next time,

Danielle

Summer Book Club: Final Thoughts!!

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I just wanted to touch base about our Summer Book Club one more time on here before I see you in person!!

I’d love for everyone who has read the book this summer to leave a comment about the book, the experience of being in a book club,about something else you’ve read over the holidays, or about something else you’d like to share!

I’ll go first! I have really enjoyed the book club for a few reasons… I have liked being connected to so many people even though we didn’t see each other! I like that we had an idea and made it work! I have liked watching you connect with each other! I have liked finding out that some of you are going to continue with the series. I have liked being accountable with my reading, knowing you were relying on me to make the blog posts!

I’ve read a few other books this summer…all of which seem to be for “kids”! Helen & I have been pre-reading books for the upcoming year! We are trying to find books that are exciting and hopefully new for most of the classes. There are a few that my “old grade fours” would probably enjoy, so if you are looking for a recommendation come and see me!!!

Thanks again for taking part in the Summer Book Club…anyone interested in doing another one?!

Until next time/See you on Wednesday 😉

Danielle ⚡️

Chapters 21&22!!!!!!

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Well my friends…we did it!!! We have completed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ⚡️⚡️⚡️

I’m so excited that we set out on this journey together. Thank you for being part of my very first book club!!

This week’s questions are…What is your favourite Harry Potter book and will you continue to read or reread the series?

My favourite book is book 1, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. I just love the beginning of the series. It’s so exciting to watch Harry find out he is a wizard and see how his life is about to change forever (although he has no idea how much his life will change!!!) I will not continue to reread the series at this time. I read all 8 books last summer and now the first 3 with you, so I think I’ll be looking other books to read for a bit! I do hope those of you who are interested will continue with the series. Just know that they get somewhat “darker” as the books go on. As long as you like that…you’ll love finding out just how this amazing series ends!!

Check out the gift a friend gave me for my birthday!!! It’s a scarf of the Marauders Map!!!

We will have one more opportunity to post comments on the book. Basically I just want to give you some time to gather your thoughts and then post one final comment!!!! Can’t wait to hear from you!!

Until next time ⚡️

Danielle

Chapters 19&20

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Hi Everyone!!!

Well well well…we are almost finished our book!!!

This week I’m wondering what makes J.K. Rowling such a great author??? What are your thoughts?!

I don’t often reread books…but I often find myself rereading the Harry Potter series! I actually don’t know how many times I’ve read these books. Sometimes I end up just reading one or two of them at a time and sometimes I read the entire series over. There is something about J.K. Rowling’s writing that inspires me to read and reread. I look for something new in the books or really focus on a character or even look for inconsistencies in the storyline. I think that Rowling has created a whole world that is so exciting and has put so much thought in the details and that’s what makes her such a great author. I have recently purchased a series of books that she writes under her pen name that are geared toward adults. I wonder if I’ll be as captivated as I am when I read the Harry Potter series!

Happy Reading!!!

Until next time ⚡️

Danielle

Chapters 16,17&18

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It’s Fri-Yay and time to get the ball rolling on our next book chat!!!

First things first…when I was dividing the book up into our reading schedule I did not really consider how we might feel near the end of the book. How many of you want to keep reading and are disappointed that I’ve asked you to stop at Chapter 18, then next time at Chspter 20?!?! How about this…you read what you want to read and comment without spoiling the book for everyone else. Sound good?! I know that when I finished Chapter 18 I totally wanted to finish it off (even though I’ve already read this book multiple times lol).

Anyway, this week we are kind of continuing our discussion on witchcraft and wizardry because I’ve asked you to share what kind of magical power you’d want and why!

Here’s my little list! I’ve thought that flying could be fun, but might freak people out pretty easily! Mind reading is just asking for trouble! Potions would be really fun if you love math and science experiments. Transfiguration would be pretty cool! Not too sure about divination…seems too inaccurate for me. Maybe just having an overall sense of magic would be best. Something you could use when you really need it! Something to make the world a better place 💙🌎

I can’t  wait to hear what you would want as a magical power!!!! Choose carefully my friends 🌂(Pretend that’s Hagrid’s pink “wand” 😉)

Hmmmm…what kind of magic power would Frankie want to have?!!

Until next time ⚡️

Danielle

Chapters 13,14&15

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Hello Again!

Well Hudson and I are back at the cabin and the heat is gone 😢 It’s raining and chilly here today. I guess we should’ve came last week when we were in the middle of a heat wave!

Anyway…back to the book chat! This week’s conversation starter is about whether or not you’d want to be a witch/wizard and why!

I think it’d be pretty cool to be a witch because you’d probably have a neat power. However…With power comes great responsibility! I’m sure there would be all sorts of rules about when and where you could use magic and who could know. It’d be really hard to keep it a secret from your friends and family (if you didn’t come from a wizard family and were scared you were going to freak everyone out if you told them you had special powers!!!). It also would be fun to go to a school like Hogwarts, but they are so far away from their homes for such a long time, so that too might be difficult (unless you were unfortunate like Harry and school was more of a home than is actual home). Maybe I feel undecided about whether I’d like to be a witch. I think I’d want to try it out and see first!!

I have a feeling that many of you would like to be a witch or wizard…can’t wait to hear from you!

Until next time ⚡️

Danielle

Chapters 10, 11 &12

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Hello again!

I hope this blog post is finding you well 🙂

I can’t believe how hot it is today! I think I better head back to the lake soon…Hudson agrees!!!!

                         

It is also hard to believe that we are more than half way done the book!!! This week’s discussion is about favourite characters. As I read,  I thought about characters that I can relate to. First I was considering Hermoine because she is a “rule follower” and I really don’t like breaking rules! Then I thought about all the rules that Hermoine has technically broken and realized that she’s too much of a risk taker for me 😉Next I thought about Hagrid. Okay…I don’t see myself as a giant or anything…but I find him to be so loyal. He’d do anything for Dumbledore, Harry and Hogwarts. I find myself to be very loyal too. Maybe I am more like Professor McGonagall. She is fair, but can be strict 👩🏻‍🏫 It’s hard to choose. Maybe I need to think about this another way and choose someone I really admire for being completely different than me! Fred and George really crack me up 😂I’m sure they would make for very naughty students, but they are good for a laugh! However, I do know that there are a list of characters that I cannot relate to nor do I consider as my “favourite” by any means…They all seem to be from the Slytherin for some reason 😉

I’m very curious to hear who your favourite characters are and why you’ve chosen them to be your favourite. I wonder how many other readers are undecided like I am!

This is a sneak peek of some of the treats I saw online from @jennaraecakes. They are Golden Snitch macarons! I wonder what else they will have in stock?!

My friend Rachel made me this Harry Potter inspired cardigan. It has all the house crests! Pretty cool hey?!

Don’t forget to wish Harry a Happy Birthday on Monday, July 31st!

Until next time ⚡️

Danielle

 

Photo from 🇦🇺

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Good Morning Everyone!

Here is the photo that Mr. Stefaniuk was talking about. How cool is it that he made a Harry Potter connection all the way from Australia?! 🇦🇺

Here is another Text to World Connection…I read on Instagram that they are celebrating Harry’s Birthday this weekend at Jenna Rae Cakes on Academy with some tasty treats. I’m going to try and make it there and pick up a macaroon or two! Anyone know how old Harry will be on July 31, 2017?! #MontroseSummerMath

Until next time ⚡️

Danielle

Chapters 7,8&9

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Happy Friday Harry Potter fans!

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading (or re-reading) chapters 7,8 & 9 . Before I read these chapters I went back to remind myself of what the book chat question was going to be this week. I’m glad I did because it helped me generate ideas as I read. This week’s theme is all about connections (as well as anything  else you’d like to post -other than spoilers that is 😉 As I read, I was reminded of reading to the class and having the students take turns with the ‘big book’. The new hardcover Harry Potter books that are being printed with full illustrations sure are gorgeous. I’m so excited that we all got to share the first two together and see how someone else interpreted the story. I sure hope they continue to put one out each holiday season!

I also really enjoying finding the small connections between the Harry Potter series and other books. Earlier in the year I read The Girl Who Drank the Moon…just because there was magic involved!

I can’t wait to hear about the connections to self, connections to text, connections to world and connections to media that you’ll want to share with us! Maybe it’ll be a memory or something new that the rest of us haven’t thought of yet. Thanks so much for connectIng with each other through the blog. I’m really interested in how you are finding this whole book club process so let me know!!!

My book pile!

Happy Reading ⚡️

Until next time,

Danielle