March 10-14

Art 

Shapes can be abstracted or reduced to their essence.

Different drawing techniques; e.g., seeing basic shapes,

Arrangements of forms into shapes and patterns can tighten a design, direct attention and hold interest in a composition

Students will develop themes, with an emphasis on global awareness, based on: Plants and animals; Environments and places

 Math

Show the line of symmetry of a 2-D shape.

Describe the order of rotation symmetry of a 2-D shape.

Explain the standard algorithms for multiplication and division of natural numbers.

What did students do?
This week was another great week! On Monday, students had a very special opportunity to work with Anna from Passion for Glass. They had designed a piece of art for the theme "Canada is Beautiful". Students chose a landscape or an animal to show the natural beauty that Canada has. They constructed their art using glass. It was amazing to see everyone's piece come together. We are so excited to see how our finished pieces turn out!

In Math this week, students investigated the concepts of lines of symmetry and roational symmetry. Students created a visual reference of these concepts by cutting out shapes, showing the lines of symmetry and by rotating shapes to show rotational symmetry. Ask your child to tell you about these two concepts. Perhaps they can identify lines of symmetry using shapes around you. Ask them to explain why a square has a rotational symmetry of order 4.

In math, students also began reviewing division. They learned about key vocabulary like: dividend, divisor, quotient. They related division to multiplication. Students played a math game to activate their background knowledge and understanding of division from their learning last year. As we move forward, students will be working on learning alorithms for division and they will work with division involving remainders. 

On Friday, students had the opportunity to learn and play with the math games that have been purchased by Parent Association for families to borrow and play at home. We are very lucky to have this collection of math games for students to take home to further build their math fluency skills. They are also a fun way to involve family members in fun learning! Stay tuned for information about these games and how students will be able to sign them out and bring them home. Ask your child to tell you about the game(s) they played and which one they may want to sign out in the coming weeks.  

Coming Up at Sibbald  March 20th – No school for Kindergarten (Conferences all day)  March 20th – Parent Teacher Conferences – 4:00 – 7:30 pm   March 21st – Parent Teacher Conferences – 8:00 am – 1:00 pm  March 24th – 30th – Spring Break for students and staff   March 31st – First day back after Spring Break   April 2nd – Fun Lunch

  March 3-7

Social Studies

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the people and the stories of Canada and their ways of life over time, and appreciate the diversity of Canada’s heritage.

-appreciate the complexity of identity in the Canadian context: • recognize how an understanding of Canadian history and the stories of its peoples contributes to their sense of identity 

-examine, critically, ways of life of non-European immigrants

What did students do?

This week, students went on a field trip to The Confluence.  See below for a screen capture of an "About Us" page from The Confluence's website.

-The Confluence

(https://www.theconfluence.ca/about-the-confluence)

We began our day at The Confluence with a land acknowledgement. Then, students had the opportunity to explore and learn about how push and pull factors influenced immigration to Canada in the past and in the present. Students discussed factors such as living conditions, opportunities and jobs as pull factors that drew people to Calgary and Canada. They also learned that push factors such as lack of freedom and poverty may have been potential reasons for why people may have felt the need to leave their home country. Students had great questions and discussions while uncovering these factors. 

Then, students had an opportunity to do a scavenger hunt to find historical documents about a local Calgarian that played a significant role in Calgary's history. They read the documents and identified the push and pull factors that drew these people to Calgary. The individuals highlighted offered diverse stories and perspectives. Ask your child to tell you more about their historical figure. Students presented their findings to the group.

After lunch, students met with a staff member from the artifacts department. They got a sneak peek of various Indigenous artifacts that will be part of The Confluence's new exhibits. This was very exciting and special to see!

Students went on a guided tour of the surrounding land. They saw a Metis House, went to the Confluence (where the two rivers meet) and learned about the significance of these places and spaces from an Indigenous perspective and for Europeans during the Fur Trade. The Confluence has worked hard to preserve and maintain artifacts from this time. Ask your child to tell you about their favorite thing that they learned about during the tour. 

Then, students played a variety of Indigenous Games. They had such fun engaging in challenging games that tested their strength and stamina. They played a game that involved hand eye coordination. It was tricky! 

Coming Up at Sibbald  March 10th – Gr. 5 Field Trip to The Confluence (Mrs. Sampson’s class)  March 10th – 14th – Passion for Glass Residency   March 12th – School Council Meeting – Online   March 13th – Nickle Open House (Current Grade 5 families – 6:00 pm)   March 20th – No school for Kindergarten (Conferences all day)  March 20th – Parent Teacher Conferences – 4:00 – 7:30 pm   March 21st – Parent Teacher Conferences – 8:00 am – 1:00 pm  March 24th – 30th – Spring Break for students and staff   March 31st – First day back after Spring Break   April 2nd – Fun Lunch

 February  24 - 28

Mathematics

Recognize symmetry in nature.

Recognize symmetry in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit designs.

Show the line of symmetry of a 2-D shape.

What did students do?

This week, students investigated symmetry. Students learned about what symmetry is and how shapes/objects can have lines of symmetry. Students identified objects in the classroom that had symmetry. Then, students used loose parts to build and construct symmetrical designs. Students created beautiful and complex designs. Take a look below!

Then, our Grade 5 classes went to Fish Creek Park to identify and notice examples of symmetry. Students noticed examples of natural and non-natural examples of symmetry. They noted their findings by drawing and labelling lines of symmetry.

Coming Up at Sibbald  March 4th – Gr. 5 Field Trip to The Confluence (Ms. Chen’s class)   March 3rd – 6th Basketball residency for K-5 students      March 6th – Fun Lunch   March 10th – Gr. 5 Field Trip to The Confluence (Mrs. Sampson’s class)  March 12th – School Council Meeting

February  18 - 21, 2025  

Mathematics

Students estimate and calculate area using standard units.

-Express the area of a rectangle using standard units given the lengths of its sides.

-Compare the perimeters of various rectangles with the same area.

What did students do?

Students calculated the area and perimeter of various given rectangles through different activities. They were then given a specific area (24 square units and 60 square units) and used tiles to create all of the possible rectangles for their given area. They represented these on graph paper, calculating and comparing the perimeter for each. 

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Maker Time

Students were introduced to programming using LightBot and Hour of Code during their maker time this week. They worked in pairs and had to use critical thinking skills to achieve their desired results.  

Coming Up at Sibbald  February 24th – Mon/Wed Kindergarten and Gr. 3 Celebration of Learning (9:30)    February 26th – Pink Shirt Day, Mary Lambert presentation for K-5 students     February 28th – Professional Learning Day for Staff – no school for students   March 4th – Gr. 5 Field Trip to The Confluence (Ms. Chen’s class)   March 3rd – 6th Basketball residency for K-5 students      March 6th – Fun Lunch   March 10th – Gr. 5 Field Trip to The Confluence (Mrs. Sampson’s class)  March 12th – School Council Meeting

February 10-12

ELAL

Analyze mentor texts to determine how word choice can influence the purpose or audience of a text.

Create expressive descriptions by selecting vocabulary to convey mood or sensory images.

What did students do:

Students learned about creating mood through watching a video and exploring and analyzing mentor texts. After watching a video on how mood is created in different ways, we looked at specifically how authors create mood in their writing. As a whole group we read some mentor texts and determined what mood the author was conveying. We looked for words and phrases that helped create the desired mood. Students were then given some short texts to examine and determine mood as well as the vocabulary used to create it. They then applied their learning to their own writing with another set of pages of their Journey text. Using their writing toolbox including their newly entered mood word list, they began creating mood in their writing. They are now writing about the character getting captured by the guards in the book but she escapes with the help of the bird she released and draws a magic carpet that they fly through the clouds on. These pages provide an excellent opportunity to move from a mood of fear, hopelessness and desperation to one of joy, freedom, and belonging. Students can't wait to share their amazing stories. 

Student Writing Sample: 

The guards dragged her into a cage like she was an object. Locked in the cage she cried for help but nothing came out. The cage was small and tight. She felt like she was suffocating inside and out. She was terrified. She started to wonder whether she would be able to get out or not. She got desperate and started to shake the cage clank clank clank! “I'm stuck here, I'm stuck, I miss my mom! I wanna go back home!” She crumples into a ball. She looks out to the night sky and imagines being back home warm with her mom and dad and sister.

Student Writing Sample:The guards grabbed her and kept on pulling her and pulling her across the ship. Lila was miserable and nervous she was wondering where they would take her. Lila couldn't do anything to save herself.The guards dragged her further and further across the Wood bridge into the metal cage they threw Lila in. She hit her head hard against the back of the cage. The metal bars felt like ice Lila said “Ow” to the guards but they didn't help her they just laughed they slowly lowered Lila down.She was floating above the dark grey sky the cage was small, tight and cold it was so scary lila just sat there didn't do anything to get out of the cage. She felt like did at home, invisible,empty and desperate for help.

Coming Up at Sibbald

February 13, 14th  - Teacher's Convention - no school for students

February 17th – Family Day holiday – no school for staff or students     February 24th – Mon/Wed Kindergarten and Gr. 3 Celebration of Learning (9:30 am)    February 18th – Scope and Sequence documents for parents go home this week      February 26th – Pink Shirt Day, Mary Lambert presentation for K-5 students    February 28th – Professional Learning Day for Staff – no school for students   March 4th – Gr. 5 Field Trip to The Confluence (Ms. Chen's Class)   March 3 – 7th Basketball residency for K-5 students      March 6th – Fun Lunch   March 10th – Gr. 5 Field Trip to The Confluence (Mrs. Sampson's class)  March 12th – School Council Meeting

 Feb 3 - 7

Science

What Did Students Do?

This week, students investigated displacement, buoyancy, buoyant force and gravitational force in Science. They also had opportunities to predict and test materials to determine whether they sank or could float.

Firstly, students developed their understanding that when an object is placed in water, water will be displaced. We did a demonstration with students where two balls of clay of the same weight were used. One stayed in a round ball shape. The other was shaped into a boat that could float. Ask your child to tell you more about the demonstration. Was the same amount of water displaced? Different?

Then, students were given two pieces of tin foil of the same size. They had to use one piece to create something that could float and the other piece to make something that would sink. Ask them to tell you about what they created, how they adjusted it and what they noticed.

Students learned about buoyant force and gravitational force. Ask them to explain the diagram below.

Students brought in items from home and used classroom materials to predict and test whether it would sink or float. Students had fun experimenting and many of them were surprised by some of their findings. Ask your child to tell you about the items they tested.

 

 

Coming Up at Sibbald          February 12th – School Council Meeting – Grades 3 and 5 to share Teacher Report   February 13 & 14th – Teacher's & Support Staff Convention – no school for students   February 17th – Family Day holiday – no school for staff or students