Curriculum Happenings:

Gem School

Lights and

Insights

Dates to

Remember:

Nov. 6—Remembrance Day

Service 11:00 @ Rosemary

School

Nov. 7— Teacher Profession-

al Development—No school

for students

Nov. 10 — Lieu Day—No

school

Nov. 11 — Remembrance

Day—No school

Nov. 12 — Photos returned

to school

Nov. 19 —Awards Assembly

Nov. 19, 20 — Student Led

Conferences

Nov. 25—School Council

Meeting @ 7:00

Nov. 3, 2014 Volume 3, 2014—2015

We are making pumpkins to write about for

LA. Our pumpkins are

great. We are thinking of

characters for our pump-

kins like people or ani-

mals. We really like our

pumpkins. I think they

are fantastic!

By Aganetha Klassen This month in Daily L.A. we have been doing a num-ber of different things. We have been reading a bunch of different books, writing book reports for different kinds of books that we have read, and also writing some paragraphs for the books that we read in Café Reading.

Here are some of the titles for the latest books we have read in Café Reading: Odd Couples, Flying Money, Jack at Sea, Heroes of Pea Island, and Shadow Magic. We have been journal writing for some of the readings. About the book report. This month we have been reading fiction books for our book report. We got these sheets for the plan and on it you had to do the introduction, the rising action, climax, falling action and conclusion. In the morning after brain gym,we do Daily Skills which includes sentence wri-ting and breaking words apart. The sentence writing requires an adjective, ad-verb, verb and noun, proper grammar, and capitals and periods. About the

breaking words apart. We have to split the word into the right groups for the syllables for example: ma li cious, in fec tious and so on. So this is what we have been doing in L.A. this month.

Reporter: Matthew Giesbrecht

Gr. 1-3

Gr. 4/5

.

In the grade 5-6 classroom, we do Daily Skills every

morning which includes balancing equations, ques-

tions that ask, « What happened next? », and one last

thing, Think Backwards math problems. The grades

mostly work together . The grade five

students are very hard workers. They

have done lots of patterns and questions

about extending patterns. Then we go to

grade 6. The grade six students are very

hard working and independent kids.

They have done lots of patterns, math sheets, and fac-

tor trees, too. The grade 5 & 6 students , plus their

great teacher, have had lots of fun in the month of

October. Reporter: Ella Hiebert

Can you balance it?

There are four different seasons for weather: Summer, Fall,

Winter, and Spring. Those are the four different seasons. If

the sun is pointing at us that means it is summer. If the sun is

pointing away from us, it is winter. If the sun is half way that means

it’s Spring or Fall.

Reporter: Jason Berg

In science this month the grade 5 and 6 class

have learned a lot more about the waste in our world.

Right now we are doing a board game about it. We are

making cards about how we waste water, sometimes put

things in landfills that can be recycled, and how we pol-

lute the air. Did you know that if you throw away a can

of oil into a sewer, you can possibly kill five fish or even

a Whale!

We also learned that you can help save the earth

and, ``Stay Green.” Just remember to use the 3 R`s: Re-

duce, Reuse, and Recycle! We also aren’t staying green

by burning toxic materials! Well we also learned that

burning toxic materials can produce a layer of gas in the

air called smog! It is the word smoke and fog which=

Smog .It is in the atmosphere and heating up our earth!

Which means it is melting our glaciers! AAAAAAH-

HHHHHHGGGGGGG! Glaciers produce 85% Of the

earth`s fresh water!

We have been learning about some of the poison,

flammable, explosive, and corrosive things in our yard

and house! Remember not to throw any of those things

on the lawn. Stay as green as you can and remember:

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! Reporter : Erin Douglass

We are learning about Iqaluit, Meteghan, and Gem in Social Studies. We are

also learning what it was like about 100 years ago. The Douglass and Chris-

tiansans were the first people in Gem. Did you know that the sun stays up all day in Iqal-

uit? We sent letters to the people who own Google Street View because Gem isn’t on

Google Map Street View. by Robin Klassen

In Social Studies this month we have been assigned to do a critical challenge.

We get to pick a region such as the Cordillera, Interior Plains, Artic, Canadian

Shield, Atlantic, or the Great Lakes Lowlands and research information about the

region. We have to find ten geographical features and then decide on the top five.

Then we have to state our reasons behind it. We put the research onto a poster

which includes some images that represent the diversity of the geographical fea-

tures in the region, information articles, and a caption for each image that will pro-

vide key information about the geographical features. Reporter: Laura Simo

Gem School Lights and Insights Page 2

We are working hard on math. We do plus and

minus and groups (multiplication). We like doing

math a lot. Most of us like math. I do like math

because it is fun to do plus and minus. It is awe-

some! by Chloe Verhoef

Gr. 1-3

Gr. 1-3

Gr. 1-3

Gr. 5/6

Gr. 5/6

Gr. 5/6

20 30

Gem School Lights and Insights

Page 3

Weather

Farm Safety: Oct. 2, 2014.

The grade 5 and 6 class went to Bassano to learn about Farm Safety. We

learned about how much sugar is in a pop. For First Aid we learned to

wear a band aide that looks like an “H” for a moving part. It is important

to wear a helmet when you ride a bike, dirt bike, etc. We also learned to

stay 5 meters away from the railway track. When your parents are not

home and you are hungry, you should chose snacks that do not require

ovens, microwaves and stoves.

Special Events

Name Character

Miss McCrimmon Meg from Hercules

Mrs. Heryford Minnie Mouse

Mrs. Klassen Miss Mary Poppins

Mrs. Simo Pumpkin

Mrs. Rose Jesse from Toy Story

Anna Princess

Abram Policeman

Frank Mickey Mouse

Liam Pirate of Carribean

Brianne Mirada from Brave

Oliver Batman

Ryan Robber

Tailor Cinderella

Robin Elsa from Frozen

Jason Goofy

Chloe Teenie Bopper

Nick John Wayne

Matthew Woody from Toy Story

Tyson Fix It Felix

Laura Witch from Wizard of

Oz

Mia Si Robertson from Duck

Dynasty

Ella Ursula from Little Mer-

maid

Erin Luna from Harry Potter

Celtic performance: Oct. 15,2014.

The Gr. 1-6 students went to Rosemary to

hear fiddling from Kiera. She played music

from Ireland and she used different fiddles

to play different music.

Firemen Presentation: Oct. 24, 2014 Two

fire chiefs came to our school to teach us

what to do if a fire starts in our houses.

We learned to crawl under the smoke and

to test your smoke alarm every month.

We also got to watch a funny video from

“Sparky the Fire Dog” about kitchen

rules such as, you have to stay three

feet away from the oven if you are a

kid, and you have to be as high as

the microwaves before you use

them.

Disney Dress Up Day: Oct. 31, 2014. Everyone in

our school dressed up as their favorite Disney

characters. Aganetha was absent so she is not on

the list. Mrs. Simo, who was a pumpkin, is wait-

ing to be turned into a coach for Cinderella. It’s a

good thing the witch did

not bring her wand because

she might have turned Mrs.

Simo into a coach or pump-

kin pie!

By Tyson Hiebert

Reporter: Nick Berg

Playing Skylanders

The grade 4/5 class has designated every Friday as PPF— Parent Phys.Ed Friday! We have had two game days with the following as the final scores:

Game one—parents 27—students 22 Game two—parents 32—students 39

Health & Wellness

Gem School Lights and Insights Page 5

In health our students are learning the safety drills. The first one we learned was “Hold and Secure”. That

is where you go into your own classroom, lock the doors and windows, and just keep doing what you

were doing. It is if some weird animal or something was on the school grounds. The second one we

learned is the “Lock Down” where you go to the nearest room that has lockable doors, lock the doors,

close the curtains, turn off the lights, and hide somewhere where you won’t be seen by any windows.

Those are the safety drills we have learned so far.

We also are doing a lot of healthy eating. Every morning grade 5 and 6 kids go around the school, check-

ing each lunch box for all the food groups (milk products, grain products, meat and alternatives, fruits,

vegetables). If a child has the food group of the day, they can put a coupon with their name on it into a tin

can. On Fridays Mrs. Heryford picks a name out of the can, and whoever’s name it is, they get a prize.

Liam has been really lucky because he has been picked as the winner two weeks in a row! We make sure

all the children are getting all the nutrients that they need.

SEEKING PART TIME EMPLOYMENT THAT MATCHES YOUR SCHOOL CHILDREN’S SCHEDULE? Have you thought about becoming a school bus driver? We will train you. Grasslands Public Schools is currently

looking for spare bus drivers in all areas including Bassano, Gem, Rosemary, Duchess, Rainier/Scandia, Rolling Hills, Tilley and Brooks.

Reporter : Mia Klassen

Page 6 Gem School Lights and Insights

Board Bits for October

It was exciting news when the Grasslands School Division was included in the provincial government’s

plans for modernization and maintenance programs. The Duchess School will receive a much

needed new roof. The E’cole Le Ruisseau will receive a new school in a joint project involving

modernization and expansion of Eastbrook School. The portables, used by the French School, will

remain at Griffin Park School, which will help alleviate the need for more space.

The Grasslands School Division has a three year agreement to continue to work with Siksika Board of

Education. Students from Siksika are able to attend school in Bassano School in the Grasslands

School Division. The two parties have worked together for years in what has been mutually benefi-

cial for the district and students in both jurisdictions.

The Board of Trustees at Grasslands Public Schools is in the process of developing a strategic plan to

meet the needs of local students and families as well as the larger community.

The Grasslands School Board has asked to be given a non-voting seat on the Joint Services Committee,

which is made up of elected officials from the City of Brooks and the County of Newell. The

Grasslands School Board has held annual meetings with other elected officials, but having a regular

seat will keep all parties abreast of what is happening in all jurisdictions.

Trustees will be in Edmonton in November for the Alberta School Boards Association Annual Confer-

ence. Policies will be discussed and voted on, which are sent to the provincial government. This is

also a good opportunity for trustees to attend sessions and learn, as well as to get together with trus-

tees around the province to discuss education.

Staff Professional Development

Mrs. Rose spent Sept 2oth at Central Office with Speech Therapists and

Occupational Therapists working on learning strategies that will help to

develop student independence.

On Oct. 22,23 Miss. McCrimmon attended a workshop on Leveled Literacy In-

tervention.

Mrs. Heryford was in Calgary on Oct. 27, 28 at a Literacy Conference.

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