End of January!

Hi everyone,

Sorry for the long-delayed update!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Our students have had an amazing (as always!) few months.  I'm so grateful to have these days with your children! We have a lot going on right now!

January 31, 2019 - Colour day!  Grade 5s are encouraged to wear YELLOW to celebrate colour day at Fieldcrest!

Feb 4, 2019 - we have had some changes to our schedule, and as of Feb 4, our class will now be having French at a different time.  New class schedules will come home this week. We say a sad farewell to Mme Balke and we welcome Mlle Dukelow into our class.  Please encourage your children to give her a warm Fieldcrest welcome!!

I'll be posting a new schedule once we have everything sorted out.

Feb 5 and Feb 8, 2019 - Most Valuable Organ presentations- please see the sheet that students were given for details!

Feb 6, 2019 - Scientists in Schools - our students will benefit from the knowledge of Scientists who have an in depth understanding of energy. This supports our Science curriculum, and our students are excited to see what the day holds!

Feb 15, 2019 - First Term reports go home - please focus on the Learning Skills more than the grades.  If your child is achieving Gs or Es in his/her learning skills, chances are good that his/her grades in the rest of the subjects are your child's best efforts. Learning Skills are transferable skills that are not subject-specific.

Feb 18, 2019 - Family Day - enjoy the time you have with your families!  See you on Tuesday!

More updates to come! 

Mrs. Skelton Wright :)

Approaching the finish line!

Hi everyone,

Hard to believe, but June almost over!  It is impossible to sum up how this year has gone with this wonderful group of students.  I can't believe that the year is almost over.

We have had a busy month and it continues to be full of events and activities... we will be finishing up various curriculum units, participating in daily events, and enjoying activities that lead us to the end of the year.

Congratulations to all of our athletes who represented Fieldcrest at Track and Field Areas yesterday - we had a great day, and our students were models of excellent behaviour and sportsmanship!

On Monday, June 25, we will be completing an activity in which students will need to know their spirit animal is.  Photos to come, as I don't want to give away the surprise for the students!  They will need to take the quiz on the linked page, and have been instructed to NOT enter any of their personal information on the final screen, but click on "ignore and show me my spirit animal" link.  They should read what the characteristics are and perhaps even print off the page (if a printer is available) for Monday's lesson.
http://www.spiritanimal.info/spirit-animal-quiz/ 

Students have been working on biographies and art pieces for our Art Gallery on Tuesday, June 26. Students are reminded that they should be bringing back any pieces of Art that they would like to share in their section of the gallery. Parents and families are invited to join us!  It will be happening from 2:00-3:00 pm in the library.  Please join us!

Education.com is a website where you can download practice worksheets for your child over the summer holidays. These are from the Multiplication section of the website: https://www.education.com/resources/multiplication/
Here is a sample of the kind of worksheets you could download:



Student work and notebooks will be coming home over the next couple of days, so please encourage your child to bring an empty bag/backpack to school!

Report cards come home June 27!

Only a few days left!

Thanks for reading,
Mrs. Skelton Wright

Track and Field day tomorrow!

Thank you to all students and families who participated in and donated to our Jump Rope for Heart day!  I will post another update when we have the total raised for our school.  If you happen to still have an envelope with donations in it, please send it in to the school as soon as possible :) 

Our annual Track and Field day will be happening tomorrow, May 22, at BDHS.  Parents are welcome to come and see their children participate, however we do insist that you sign in at the gate with Mrs. Skelton Wright (that's me!) and receive a visitor's sticker. Students are reminded to bring:

• sunscreen
• hat
• appropriate clothing
• running shoes (students will not be permitted to participate without proper footwear)
• water
• snacks
• PERMISSION FORM (if it has not come in yet)

We're looking forward to a fun day!  We will meet students at the portables shortly before 9:15 to put on wristbands, take attendance, and get ready to head over to the highschool.

Unrelated to our fun day of outdoor activity, we will be having a Math test on Wednesday on coordinate graphing. Students have been working on applying these skills for the past couple of weeks. If you're interested in a document that gives some suggestions about how to help your child at home with Math, please see the following link (I wish I'd known about this earlier in the year!): http://edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/parentGuideNumEn.pdf

Enjoy the remainder of the long weekend!  It's a beautiful day!
Mrs. Skelton Wright

Is it true?

Hi everyone,

It's hard to believe, but spring might ACTUALLY be here!  With that being said, we have a lot going on over the next couple of months.  More items are likely to be added, but here's the list at the current time:

Friday, April 27

• PD Day

Monday, April 30 

• Social Studies quiz (students were told to bring their duotangs home yesterday and today)
• Jump Rope for Heart assembly from 10:05-10:30
• deadline for ordering our first ever yearbook for only $21!

Thursday, May 3

• fieldtrip to Ste Marie Among the Hurons (we will be meeting students promptly at 9:10 outside of our portables and making our way to the busses - we will not be waiting for late students); please send students in appropriate clothing for the weather, closed-toe shoes, and with a lunch and snacks.
• students who are not attending the trip will be spending the day in the Learning Centre with Mrs. A. Wright

Friday, May 4

• Science test on the Human Organ System - this test will be OPEN BOOK, and students are strongly encouraged to review their notes regularly before the test to ensure that they have all of the notes and sheets completed. Please encourage students to review the videos on the Science page of this blog.

Tuesday, May 15

• Jump Rope for Heart (rain date is Wednesday, May 16)

Friday, May 18

• PD Day

Monday, May 21

• Victoria Day holiday

Tuesday, May 22

• Track and Field Day at BDHS for Junior students

We have recently sent home some information regarding fundraisers - if you have any questions, please contact our office and they will get you in touch with the appropriate staff/volunteer members that are running them.

Thank you!  Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Skelton Wright

April showers... bring snow??

Hi everyone,

So, we aren't getting the April showers we expected, but we ARE hoping for May flowers! Students are encouraged to remember to wear clothing that is appropriate for the weather/conditions of the field. 

A note from our office:  you may have received a phone call from the school today to let you know about our newsletters.  They will no longer be coming home in hard copy (for those of you who have not opted for e-mail), and will be available on the Fieldcrest website.  If you would like your email address added to the list of people who receive the newsletter via email, please let me know and I will forward your information to the office.

DARE is wrapping up next week!  Officer Rob Enwright, our School Resource Officer, has been visiting us on a regular basis to speak to our students about decision making and bullying.  Please follow up with your child about these discussions, as they have learned a lot over the last few months!  We will be making an announcement soon about DARE graduation, so stay tuned!

We have a fieldtrip on the horizon - on May 3, we will be visiting Ste Marie Among the Hurons to learn more about how some of Canada's First Nations People lived.  Permission forms went home this week, and we are asking to have them back by April 12.

Congratulations to our students who have made it onto the Basketball teams this term.  Please make sure to review the athletic contract that your child brought home if he/she is a member of one of these teams.  I would also like to extend a congratulations and a "well-done" pat on the back to those students who tried out and did not make the teams - keep a positive mindset and try again next year!! You'll get there!

We have PINK SHIRT DAY coming up this Wednesday, April 11! Thank you to our students who have dressed in support of our other "shirt/sock" days recently, and we hope that you'll participate in this one as well!

A last, friendly reminder, our school day goes from 9:15am to 3:35pm - we would love to have your children here for the duration of the day, as arriving late and leaving early interrupts their learning (and others, as we have frequent phone calls in the morning and afternoon for late arrivals and early dismissals, which, in turn, interrupts the learning of all other students in the class).  When possible, we ask that your child attends a full day of school :)

Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Skelton Wright :)

March Potluck

Hi everyone,

Miss Barrett and I have a tradition of hosting a potluck for our students at certain points during the year.  This year, our potluck will be held on the last day of school before March Break!  During the last 100 minutes of the day (3rd block), we will gather our classes in the library and break bread :)

We are strongly encouraging that all participating students contribute something to our feast.  Plates, cutlery, and cups will be provided.

Please click on the following link for more information and sign up for the potluck - be sure to list all ingredients in the dish (recipe not required!) so that our students with allergies can make informed choices about their food. Cultural foods are welcome and encouraged, as we would like students to share something that is one of their "favourites"!
*We have students with severe peanut and tree nut allergies - please do not send in food that contains these items*

Sign up here:
Potluck sign up

Thank you!  We look forward to enjoying a lovely afternoon with our students before the March Break!

Mrs. Skelton Wright :)

December is here!

Hi everyone,

It's hard to believe it's December! Our students investigated coding today by visiting the Scratch website - they'll be having another 5 sessions before the winter break.  Here's the link, if you're interested to see what it's all about:

Scratch

Students will need to create an account (it's free!) in order to access the program for the next several sessions.  Please have students record their username and password for Scratch in their agendas.

Have a great day!
Mrs. Skelton Wright

November News

Hi everyone,

We've had a very busy month - let's look at what's happened, what's happening, and what's ahead!

We had our Remembrance Day Assembly last Friday, and Miss Barrett and I were very proud of our students who participated in our presentation of "Highway of Heroes" by the Trews.  Some students sang, others placed flowers, all were respectful.  It was also a school spirit day, where students were asked to dress up in formal wear, and we were not disappointed.  Our students looked wonderful that day and demonstrated excellent behaviour and character.

Progress Reports also went home on November 10th.  We've asked that envelopes be returned so that we can reuse them for the Term 1 and Term 2 reports.  You're welcome to keep them after Term 2 is done!

This week, Miss Barrett and I welcomed Teacher Candidates from Lakehead University into our classrooms.  Miss Madison Byblow and Miss Alana Czapran will be with us in a learning/teaching capacity until December 15th.  Please join us in welcoming them into our community!

In Math, over the past few weeks, students have been learning about angles and triangles. Tomorrow they will be having a test on identifying triangles based on side length and angle type.  We used Plickers on Tuesday as a review - have you heard of Plickers?  Ask your child to explain it - it's a great tool, and students get immediate feedback! The following graphic may be helpful in preparing for the assessment.

We have conferences coming up in the next two days - we have them from 3:50-9:00pm on Thursday, and from 8:50-11:50am on Friday morning.  Please make all attempts to be on time, as Miss Barrett and I have 52 conferences to conduct and we will be on a very tight schedule! We appreciate your consideration :) If you don't know your conference time, please ask your student to confirm tomorrow, as we will not be able to do so once our conferences begin. *This means that Friday is a PD Day for students - please do NOT send your kids to school!! We love them, but don't want them all there that day!

#choosekind

We are going to see Wonder!  On November 29, the Grade 5 and 6 classes at Fieldcrest are going to the theater in Newmarket to see Wonder, which is an incredible novel that many of our students have enjoyed. Food options are available for a price of $6 (popcorn and a small drink) and $7.50 (nachos and a small drink). Please include this in your payment.

Looking ahead, we have many activities planned for late November and December - please stay tuned for these important days!

Have a great evening,
Mrs. Skelton Wright :)

Congratulations! Sept & Oct Award Winners!

Congratulations to the following students on receiving awards at our assembly today!

September Caring Award - Sheliyah
October Cooperation Award - Quinton
September Falcon Award for helpfulness - Sofia
October Falcon Award for excellent effort - Zoe

Well done, Falcons!!  Looking forward to our next Character Assembly in December, where we'll celebrate Courage and Empathy. 

Have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs. Skelton Wright

Assemblies and Presentations

Hi everyone,

Our students are going to be presenting/performing at Friday's Character Education assembly.  The Junior/Intermediate Caring and Cooperation assembly is open to all community members, and all are invited and welcome to attend! The assembly begins at 11:45, so we ask that you arrive a few minutes earlier so that you can sign in at the front office. You may notice that we have "crazy hair" that day, and you're encouraged to join us!!

The families of students who will be receiving awards have been notified, and we will continue to do so throughout the year so that you may share in the excitement with your child!


We will also be performing a song at the November 10th Remembrance Day assembly.  It will begin at 11:40 and run as long as necessary.  The song "Highway of Heroes", by the Canadian band The Trews, is the one we will be singing, and students are encouraged to practice at home as well as with the class.  This video has the lyrics, as well, so students can learn the words to the song. Our hope is that lyrics won't be necessary by the day of the performance.

For students who have restrictions stating that they cannot sing, we are including them in the assembly and performance in different capacities. They will be assisting in the "production" piece of our performance. As another spirit day, students are asked to wear clothing that is a bit more formal out of respect.  Students who participate in Cubs, Scouts, Guides, Cadets, or other organizations outside of school, are encouraged to wear their uniforms.

We will be providing poppies for all students, and we welcome any donations that families would like to make to the Royal Canadian Legion.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child's participation in this song or in the assembly, please contact me via email at sskelton@scdsb.on.ca or through the Remind app. 

Have a great evening,
Mrs. Skelton Wright

October Update

Hi everyone,

With the cooler weather upon us, we are reminded that winter is not too far away.  With that being said, we are strongly encouraging all students to have an appropriate pair of indoor shoes that can be used for phys. ed. classes as well. Being in the portable, we strive to keep our custodian's job minimal by being responsible members of the school community :)

In the month of September, our office's data shows us that 58% of Grade 5 students had perfect attendance.  Being present for lessons is an important component of successful learning, and students who are away miss key concepts and important class discussions, even if they "catch up" upon return. Students who arrive to school late disrupt the learning of those already engaged in tasks, so we ask that attendance and punctuality become a priority for our students. Thank you for your support with this :)



We are in the beginning stages of our Dance unit for the Arts.  Please communicate with Miss Barrett or me if you have any restrictions on your child's participation, so that we can arrange alternate instruction/lessons for them in this area.

Upcoming Dates:
There is a PD Day this Friday, October 20 and a Character Ed assembly on Friday, October 27 at 11:45.  Please remind your child to continue practicing and preparing for the weekly multiplication and map quizzes that happen on Day 2. 
If your child tells you he or she has no homework, multiplication practice could be the answer! A particular focus on the 6, 7, 8, 12 times tables is strongly encouraged, as these are where students' overall scores are weakest.  

Thank you!  Have a great week,
Mrs. Skelton Wright

Math Test Friday

Hi everyone,

This Friday, we will be having our first Math Test of the year!  (I'm excited... I wonder if the students are!).  This test will focus on reading, writing, and representing numbers to 100,000.  Decimal representations will be next week, so they will not be on this assessment.

The three forms of representing numbers will be:  standard form, written form, and expanded form.

Standard form is how we usually see numbers... as a set of digits, grouped by threes (called "periods") into units, thousands, millions, etc.
e.g.,      489, 337
       (thousands)   (units)

In written form, this would look like: four hundred eighty-nine thousand, three hundred thirty-seven
In expanded form, it would be: 400,000 + 80,000 + 9,000 + 300 + 30 + 7

Please watch the following video from Khan Academy to review how to express the expanded form of a number.  Students should also be able to give the value of the digits in the standard form of the number.



Success criteria for writing numbers in written form are as follows (generated by students):

• comma after "thousand"
• hyphen after "-ty" (e.g., thirty-one), but NOT when a -ty is used on its own (e.g., forty thousand)
• spell check!  Words are on the wall!
• no millions or higher in grade 5!
• no "and" unless it's for a decimal

We will review all concepts before Friday's assessment.  Students are encouraged to bring notebooks home to review notes, however it is essential that all notebooks are at school during instructional time. 

Thank you!  Have a great evening!
Mrs. Skelton Wright :)

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

Thank you to all who made it out to Meet-the-Teacher night!  It was wonderful to meet you all :)  If you did not have a chance to sign up for Parent-Teacher conferences in November, information will be coming home soon with available times.  Miss Barrett and I will be conducting our conferences as a team so that you get a complete overview of your child's academic progress.

A side note of concern from your children's teachers... we have noticed a high volume of students leaving during instructional time to use the washroom.  We consistently reinforce that students should be using washroom facilities at Nutrition Break and Recess, as the constant leaving during instruction disrupts learning of many students.  Our policy is that students must travel in pairs (for safety), so it not only interrupts the learning of one student, but also that of the student who escorts him or her into the school. We recognize that emergencies do arise, and are absolutely willing to accommodate in those situations. Please review this with your child so that we may minimize the disruptions to student learning. Thank you :)

We are continuing to accept food bank donations, as Thanksgiving is just around the corner!  Please consider donating to this worthy cause.

Hot lunch orders are due no later than Tuesday, October 3. Orders can be placed via paper copy (that was sent home last week) or by the online portal for parents.

Our calendar has been updated (see the bottom of the home page of the blog), and there are some quizzes, assessments, and important dates coming up.  Please add them to your calendar at home!

Thank you, and have a great Sunday!
Mrs. Skelton Wright :)

Surprise!

Hi everyone,

We welcomed three new students to our class today. We hope that they enjoy being members of the Skelton-Barrett crew!

Happy Tuesday!
Mrs. Skelton Wright

Up and Coming...

Hi everyone,

We have had a great start to our school year!  Our students have settled in and we are ready to tackle grade 5 with a positive attitude!

Meet-the-Teacher night is coming up, and we're looking forward to meeting you.  On Thursday, September 28, we will be in our portables from 6:00-7:30pm, and we ask that you pop in to meet us both!  For the duration of Meet-the-Teacher night, there will be an opportunity to sign up for the November Parent Teacher conferences (this will be located in the Gym).  Miss Barrett and I run our conferences together, so that you can get the full scope of your child's learning.  That being said, we will not only have the evening of November 16 and the morning of November 17, but we will also have several other time slots available.  Our conferences will be around 10 minutes, instead of the typical 15, mainly due to the fact that we have twice as many.  If a longer meeting is required, we can certainly arrange something that works for all involved.

Current happenings at Fieldcrest:

• thank you to students who bought ice cream to help support countries affected by the hurricanes
• this week, students are invited to bring gently used clothing donations to be sent to those affected by hurricanes.  More information on other needed items will be given early next week.
• we are beginning our food drive. Please consider donating non-perishable food items, if you are able to do so.
• school-wide reorganization will happen on Tuesday, September 26. Fortunately, our classes are unaffected by any changes.

Looking Back....

On Friday, September 22, our students and staff recognized Orange Shirt Day. The following excerpt is taken from our SCDSB website, explaining the significance of the day:

On Friday, September 22, students and staff across the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) are participating in Orange Shirt Day, wearing orange shirts and starting conversations regarding residential schools. The day is recognized nationally on September 30.
“As we move forward in the spirit of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians, it is critical that we understand our history, which includes residential schools, and how it affects students today,” says Alison Bradshaw, Principal, Indigenous Education. “Orange Shirt Day is a great visual way to honour those who attended while educating our students.”
The Orange Shirt Day, Every Child Matters campaign is a commitment to ongoing reconciliation in Canada, and brings awareness to the former students of residential schools. Orange Shirt Day began in 2013 during the St. Joseph Mission Residential School Commemoration Project in Williams Lake, BC, when Phyllis (Jack) Webstad told the story of her first day at residential school as a six-year-old girl. Her new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, was taken away from her. 

Looking Ahead...

Our annual, school-wide Terry Fox run (organized by Miss Barrett) will occur on Thursday, September 28, weather permitting.  Thank you to those families who have made contributions to our fund-raising efforts.

Enjoy the beautiful summer weather on this, the first official weekend of fall!

Mrs. Skelton Wright :)

Tech use in school

Hi everyone,

We attended an assembly run by our administrative staff yesterday and they highlighted, in detail, some of our school's expectations with regard to technology and personal/school devices.  The following is a summary of the message that students received yesterday:

• as soon as students are on school property, their personal technology is expected to be turned off and out of sight;
• if parents wish to contact their child, they must do so through the office, and the same expectation stands for the students - if they wish to contact a parent, they must have permission to use the classroom or office phone. Personal technology is NOT to be a communication method between parents, families, and students during the school day;
• technology is to be used only for instructional purposes and under supervision of a teacher or adult in the classroom;
• if students are caught using technology when they should not be, it will be confiscated.  The technology will be sent to the office and the student will have to collect it in the office at the end of the day.  Continued confiscations will result in a conversation/conference with parents and administration.
• students are never to be taking photos of classmates at school, and under no circumstance should pictures of classmates/schoolmates be posted online in any way. This becomes a privacy issue and is taken very seriously.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this post.  Please consider following up with your child.  We appreciate your support in upholding these expectations at Fieldcrest.

Mrs. Skelton Wright :) 

Thank you

Hi everyone,

Thank you for a great start to the school year!  Our class appreciates all donations of tissues and paper towel - I think we're stocked up for a while now!

Just a friendly reminder of a few things:

• please join us on REMIND - this is where you'll get the most up-to-date information about our class (please see the PARENT section of the blog)
• students need to have indoor running shoes for the cleanliness of our portable, and for gym class
• school-wide reorganization will be on September 26, based on the number of registered students at Fieldcrest.  While we hope that our students are NOT moved, there is a possibility of that happening. Information will come home with your child prior to September 26 if they are moving classrooms.
• Meet-the-Teacher night is Thursday, September 28.  I'm looking forward to meeting you all! Miss Barrett and I will both be available to meet all families of students that we teach.

We have changed our format for assemblies this year.  Instead of one assembly per month, there will be one assembly every two months, to recognize 2 character traits.  If your child will be receiving an award, we will send you information so that you can (hopefully!) arrange to be there. The assembly scheduled for October will be held on Friday, October 27 at 11:45.  The character traits are "caring" and "cooperation".

As per our assembly today, there are a few new school rules that students are asked and expected to follow:

• no gum on school property
• hats off upon entering the building
• technology is to be used ONLY under the direct supervision of the teachers
• students are NOT to be leaving backpacks by the portables in the morning, as there is no supervision on that side of the yard; they are to go to the West yard and wait for the first bell.  Once the first bell has rung, they may make their way to the portable.

Please subscribe to our blog - occasional updates and photos will be posted throughout the year.

Thanks!  Have a great day,
Mrs. Skelton Wright

Famous Failures

Our students enjoyed discussing this video in class on Friday - perhaps you'd enjoy it, too!  We had several ask if we could watch it again, but we had a time constraint, so I'm uploading it here so that students and families can watch it.  An incredible video about people who persevered, despite difficulties, negativity, and hardships.

Welcome to Grade 5!

Hello students and families!

Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year!  

My name is Mrs. Stephanie Skelton Wright and I will be your child’s homeroom teacher this year.  This is my 18th year of teaching at Fieldcrest, and I love this school and community.  During the upcoming months, Miss Barrett and I will be sharing teaching responsibilities for your child.  I will be teaching Math, Science, Visual Arts, Drama, and Phys. Ed., while Miss Barrett will be teaching Language, Social Studies and Health. Students will travel between our two classrooms to receive instruction. 

While our school provides many supplies for your child, we welcome donations of tissues and hand sanitizer.  Students are also required to have a  pair of indoor shoes (preferably running shoes, as these will also be used for gym).

Fidget toys (including, but not restricted to, spinners and cubes) and technology are discouraged for the first few weeks of school, as we want our students to socialize, get to know one another, and develop a close classroom community. Please encourage your child to keep these items at home unless indicated in the agenda or through our REMIND messages (for details, please see the handouts that were sent home in your child's agenda on the first day of school).

Please be aware that Tuesday, September 26 is our board-wide staff and class reorganization.  There is a chance that our class may change by that day and that students may be reassigned to different classes.

Thursday, September 28 is our Meet-the-Teacher night from 6:00-7:30 - please join us! 

Thank you for your support!

I’m looking forward to a great year with your child!

- Mrs. Skelton Wright -