April 7 - 11

Science

Students investigate the internal systems of organisms and explain how they support vital biological processes. 

Relate vital biological processes to a human or other animal’s internal biological systems. 

 

Examine the function of the human digestive, respiratory, circulatory, and musculoskeletal systems. 

 

Identify the digestive, respiratory, circulatory, and musculoskeletal systems of the human body and the major body parts of each system. 

 

Investigate the relationships between body systems that are involved in moving oxygen and nutrients throughout the human body. 

Examine the transport systems of plants and describe their functions.

What did students do?

This week, we continued our work in science. Students learned about the repiratory system and the circulatory system.  Then, on Thursday, we had a very exciting opportunity to work with Mr. T from Teacher's Pet. He led us through an informative, interactive and fun session about our internal biological systems and plant systems. Students were asked to think about how these systems work together to support vital biological processes.  

First, students engaged in an interactive and fun game-based experience where they explored vital biological processes in complex organisms (humans, animals and plants) and learned how all biological systems are interconnected. 

Then, students went off in four different stations to learn and explore further!

At the Guts, Bones & Muscles – Oh My! Station, students examined the function of the human digestive and musculoskeletal systems, as well as investigated many other organs found inside the body. They had fun in a Relay Race where they collaborated with peers to assemble different organs into the correct spot. Then, they explored various biological models up close and learned their functions!

Pump It Up! Station - Students investigated the major organs of the circulatory and respiratory systems and their functions in a fun movement game called Pump It Up! As a group they simulated the movement of blood and oxygen in the circulatory system by getting up and physically moving. Students had the opportunity to examine a heart model and measure their heart rate and blood oxygen level.

Transport Systems in Plants  In this station, students imitated how the transportation system in plants works. Students learned about the xylem and phloem. 

At the VR Station, students got to get an inside look at human body systems. Students observed detailed visuals and videos of human anatomy through their VR set. So fun!

Ask your child to tell you more about the experience and what they learned. Ask them to explain what their favorite station was and why. Students shared that they had so much fun and learned a lot! One student even said that this was his most favourite in-school experience ever. 

Thank you to our parent volunteers who joined us for this experience and for supporting students in their learning! Also, a big thank you to our Parent Association for this amazing learning opportunity!

Coming Up at Sibbald  Coming Up at Sibbald  April 18th – Good Friday   April 21st – CBE System Professional Learning Day – no school for students

    March 31 - April 4

English Language Arts and Literature

Listen to poems to identify beauty or emotion.

Recite or sing a poem from memory.

Examine figurative language that can be experienced for its beauty or emotion.

Investigate poetic structures that contribute to creative expression of ideas, including stanzas.

What did students do?
We had a great week after returning from Spring Break. I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing Spring Break.

This week, students began working on a poetry unit. Students learned about what poetry is. They learned that poets use "the best words in the best order" - Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Students read a variety of poetry books, looking for poems that piqued their interest. They may have chosen the poem because they enjoyed it, saw beauty or experienced an emotion while reading it.  Then, students learned about haikus, the structure of this type of poem and wrote their own. Ask your child to tell you about the structure of haikus and about their favourite poem they wrote. Students published these poems by created accompanying artwork.

Their poems are lovely! Take a look at their work below. 

Coming Up at Sibbald  Coming Up at Sibbald  April 9th – School Council Meeting – 7:00 p.m. (Gr. 1 and 2 Teachers presenting)    April 10th – Gr. 5 Science Workshops – pm (Teacher’s Pet)   April 18th – Good Friday   April 21st – CBE System Professional Learning Day – no school for students

   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