December 18 - 22

 I can describe the location of a point on a Cartesian plane using coordinates.

In Grade 6, we learned that a coordinate grid is a set of horizontal and vertical lines that allows you to describe positions on it. The horizontal axis is a number line called the x-axis, and the vertical axis is a number line called the y-axis. The axes meet at the origin, which is the point (0, 0).

To name a point on the grid, you describe how far to move horizontally from the origin to the first coordinate and how far to move vertically to the second coordinate.

We practiced our skills on the first quadrant of the cartesian plane in an artistic way! Students  designed their initials in block letters on the cartesian plane. Next, they identified the ordered pairs (coordinates) of all the vertices in their letters.

Sometimes you want to move left or down from the origin on a grid. To be able to do this, the number lines on both axes are extended to include negative values.

The four sections of the grid are called Quadrant 1, Quadrant 2, Quadrant 3, and Quadrant 4. “Quad” means 4.

When students were introduced to the other three quadrants, they practiced identifying and plotting ordered pairs by playing Four Quadrant Cartesian Plan Battleship. They also completed a mystery picture activity! 

December 11 - 15

 I can value citizen's participation in a democratic society

I can explain the rights and responsibilities of citizens living in a representative democracy

I can understand the electoral process of the provincial government and the responsibilities of the elected representatives

(Grade 6 Social Studies)

Grade six students learned about how provincial candidates campaign to earn votes from citizens. We read campaign promises from three different political parties from the North Pole. Each party has a leader and candidates running in different ridings. 

The students spent some time comparing the party platforms and engaging in discussion about what party would be best for each of them, if they were residents of the North Pole. Through this process, students learned to value different perspectives and understand that different political parties have many pros and cons for each individual. 

In groups, we created campaign posters intended to win votes; next week is election day! We will go to the different ridings, share the campaign promises, and cast ballots. We are looking forward to seeing how many seats each party wins!

I can intentionally use colours, tones, and subtlety in artwork

I can practice brush skills and use multiple media in compositions

(Grade 6 Art)

In Grade 6, we experimented with water colour paint to create some beautiful, festive art. We learned a tricky method for making circular shapes on water colour paper and using brushes to drag the colour toward the centre of the shape. Students chose colours and used a technique to darken one side of each shape to give it dimension. These original pieces of art will be on display for you to see this week at the concert. 

 

 

 

 

December 4 - 7

 I can participate in a variety of moderate to vigorous physical activities that support training principles

I can modify physical activities and games to improve safety, engagement, and inclusivity

I can discuss the effects of volunteerism on self and the community and plan for volunteerism opportunities in the school and community

I can understand that empathy involves trying to understand or share the feelings of another person

(Grade 6 Wellness)

In Grade 6 this week, we provided opportunities for students to really be intentional about recognizing and appreciating different perspectives in their collaboration with others. We practiced social behaviours such as respecting others, helping others, being honest, and acknowledging diversity.

In Phys Ed, we have been working on net and wall games, starting with volleyball! We practiced serving, bumping, and setting, as well as positioning ourselves to make sure we are able to work as a team to get that ball over the net! This has been a wonderful time to develop an understanding of our purpose in phys ed at school verses the purpose of athletic competition: at school, we are working together to develop skills through fun, athletic games. I was so proud to see our students adapting their game play to ensure fairness and development of skills! I heard many students cheering each other on, offering encouragement, and providing positive feedback. 

 

On Monday, we welcomed special guests from Calgary Surge. This is Calgary's newest team! Playing with Canadian Elite Basketball League, the Surge will be starting their second season here in Calgary in May. Ryan and Maryelle came with their mascot, Sergio, to talk about teamwork and collaboration with Grade 5 and 6 students. They shared about the importance of teamwork and chemistry when collaborating with others in athletics and other aspects of life. They also talked about resilience and being able to "bounce back" from difficult life events. Some of the Grade 6 students shared their ideas about collaboration and resilience:

"Working by yourself isn't as much fun because when you work with other people, you can laugh and have a good time even though the work is hard sometimes."

"Different people know different things and collaborating gives everybody a better understanding because you can help with what you are good at."

Thank you to Maddox's mom for helping organize this event for us!

Thank you to everyone for donating items for Warm Feet, Warm Hearts. We continued our work around perspectives and building empathy through some volunteer work with our buddies. We filled bags with the personal items that were sent and made cards to go with them. These bags will be taken to the Calgary Drop in Centre for distribution!