Thursday, 1 December 2011

Winter Event Information for Parents


Dear Parents/Guardians,

The PYP Winter Event is taking place next week Wednesday 7th, December. Please consider the following information in preparation for this exciting day.

·         Place and Time: The Winter Event will take place in the Mulisaal Hall (5 minute walk from the school) and it will start at 17:00 o’clock. Please be in the Hall five minutes before starting time. Thanks.
·         Parking: Please use the school’s car park rather than the small car park near the Mulisaal Hall.
·         Performance Day - Extra Snack: As it is going to be a very long day for your children, please provide them with an extra snack. This will be eaten after school during the two-hour period (between 15:00-17:00) before the start of the performance.
·         Performance Day – Film and Rest: During this period, the children will also have an opportunity to watch a film and rest. Homework will not be set for the day after the performance.
·         Performance Day – Bags and After Performance Arrangements: On this day, the children will not take their school bags to the Mulisaal auditorium.  After the performance, you may opt to go back to the school and collect your child’s/children’s belongings (the school’s doors will be open until 18:00). However, you may also consider going home without them. These personal items will be safe in the building and can be collected the day after.
·         Children collection: Please collect your child/children at end of performance.

Many thanks for your support.

The children and the staff hope you have a great time during our Winter Event.

Best regards,

Alex Cardona


Wednesday, 30 November 2011

Discovering poetry!

 Poetry

Reading and writing can be lots of fun,
Especially when we share it with everyone!
Metaphors, similes, and personification
And getting to leave out some punctuation

Haikus, colour poems and stanzas
Might make you go bananas.
Poems can be expressed in many ways,
I can write tones all the days!

Silly, rhyming and definitely funny
We will make lots of money,
Because our poems are the best
I believe they are better than all the rest!

The Grade Fives have been exploring poetry for the last two weeks; they have been reading poems from various books, and writing their own poems. It is great how they were able to have fun and be silly in their poetry writing as that builds a love for literature and writing.

The students wrote many different types of poems and then chose a favorite to illustrate and make into a good copy.

Below are all the finished good copies.


*Remember to keep reading and writing poetry*

Friday, 25 November 2011

Energy for Work & Play


The Grade Fives have just started to develop their third unit of inquiry. This time, we will be discovering and studying the amazing world of energy. The following are some of the most important aspects to examine throughout the development of this unit:

Subject Focus:
Science and Technology

Central Idea:
Energy exists in different forms and is used in different ways.

Inquiries into:
  • the different forms of energy and their uses
  • the impact of energy use on the environment and society
  • our role as consumers and conservers of energy

Let's work:

The symbols below are Energy Source Symbols. Can you identify them? Write them down in your UOI book:


Let's play:

 
Sudoku is a logic-based placement puzzle consisting of a 9x9 grid of cells. Typically using numbers, this puzzle uses energy source symbols.

To solve the puzzle, each 3x3 region of the grid must contain only one source symbol. Each row and each column of the puzzle must contain only one energy source symbol. There is only one solution. Good luck!

Give it a try, print it out and bring to class!



Thursday, 17 November 2011

PYP Winter Event

On December 7th, ISW will have the PYP Winter Event and each class have been rehearsing songs and musical numbers. To help make this event more successful, the students should practice the songs at home.  
The grade five students need to practice the songs Winter Wonderland and Believe.
Here are the lyrics for Winter Wonderland, plus a Youtube video:

 

Winter Wonderland

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight,
We're happy tonight.
Walking in a winter wonderland.

Gone away is the bluebird,
Here to stay is a new bird
He sings us a song,
As we go along,
Walking in a winter wonderland.

In the meadow we can build a snowman,
And pretend that he's a circus clown
We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,
Until the other kids knock him down.

When it snows, ain't it thrilling,
Though your nose gets a chilling
We'll frolic and play, the Eskimo way,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
We'll frolic and play, the Eskimo way,
Walking in a winter wonderland.



Here is a Youtube video for Believe:
Also, students should bring in their costumes by Friday 25th November.
Have fun!

Wednesday, 16 November 2011

Biographies!

Throughout history there have been many important people who influenced the way others have lived. The grade fives had the opportunity to read about a famous person who, because of their strong beliefs, made a positive impact on society.
The project was a cereal box biography.  Shouldn’t famous people get a chance to be on the front of a cereal box? We gave them that chance.

Here are the finished products:
“At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.”  Martin Luther King, Jr.

I attribute my success to this - I never gave or took any excuse.” Florence Nightingale

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” Winston Churchill

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mohandas Gandhi

“One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it.” Joan of Arc

Wednesday, 2 November 2011

We heart Spirit Day!

Last week we had Spirit day here at ISW. It was a chance for students to become someone else-we had a wolf, witches, zombies, demons, a knight, and Goldie Locks. The costumes were fantastic (and a bit scary really).
Here is a photo of all the students together making a scary face.

Of course, a great part of Spirit day was decorating our classroom door. Our theme was Mummies and Tombs, so they kids designed and created a large, real life-sized Egyptian Tomb and a mummy hiding inside. I think they did an amazing job and they should be really proud of what they accomplished :)
Here is a photo of them working hard to finish the tomb:

The finished tomb:

The creepy mummy dangling inside...

Awesome work, isn't it? Grade five won 'The Most Haunting Door' prize which I think is true. I already cannot wait for next year!

Tuesday, 25 October 2011

Grade 5 Rules!

The Grade 5 used their natural acting skills to portray on video some of the most important school rules. Here are some of their videos:

Leave all electronic devices (mobile phones, MP3 players, Ipod, etc) in lockers or bags.

Bring all your class supplies and materials with you
(pencil cases, notebooks, textbooks, agendas, etc).


Only drink water in school.



 Respect yourself and others at ALL TIMES!



Walk at a normal pace in hallways and staircases.



In the CAFETERIA, always raise your hand to ask for permission to go to the toilet.



On the PLAYGROUND, avoid walking on the sandbox cover.



During Breaks, stay off the grass when signs indicate it.



During BREAKS, go to the designated play areas.







If you follow these rules our school will be a better place!



Thursday, 29 September 2011

Mythology!

As part of the students’ exploration of ancient civilization, the grade fives have been learning all about mythology, especially stories from Greece. We discussed what a myth is, why they exist and what they mean. To make myths more meaningful to them, they wrote their very own myths. We have amazing authors in ISW’s grade five! We have stories about heroes, heroines, the northern lights, rainbows, monsters and lots of gods and goddesses. Pretty great stuff! The students also designed their own cover page to illustrate their story.
Students will share their myth with the class next Friday. Your child will take his or hers home with them after October 7th.
Some examples of the students’ work are below. Please take a look.
 












Friday, 16 September 2011

Welcome to the Grade 5 Blog!

We are looking forward to updating our Grade Five Blog. We will post weekly on Fridays. Items posted will relate to our units of inquiry, upcoming events and other class-related information. 


Blog Subscription:

Dear Grade 5 parents and relatives, please subscribe to our blog by providing us with your email address, so in this way, every time we update our blog, you will get an email reminding you to check our new posts. Type your email address in the box provided (under the Grade 5 group photograph) and submit it to us. We really hope you will be able to witness and enjoy our learning journey this year.


Unit of Inquiry:

Currently, the Grade 5 students are working on their first unit of inquiry: Legacies – An Examination of Past Civilizations.  For their final assessment, students have chosen to research either the ancient Roman or Greek civilization.  Students have chosen a particular artefact and/or system and are examining their importance in ancient and modern civilizations. Students will present the results of their research in the Museum of Time.  More details to come.

Grade 5 in a Roman Theater (Augusta Raurica - Basel)