Friday, June 26, 2020

For our last task, our grade 3's will complete a plant review. Students will read a digital text using the National Geographic Kids app, then answer some questions. The file is called "Week 12 Day 5 Plant Review."

It's hard to believe that today marks the end of this school year. It has been difficult for all. I want to thank you for supporting your child at home and for navigating through all the technology to make learning at home work as best as possible. On behalf of St. Gregory staff, I wish everyone a safe summer, with hope of us returning to the classroom in September. It has been a pleasure to work with your child this school year!

All the best,

Mr. Blais

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Students will work on a Google Slide today with a focus on Probability review. I have uploaded the file to Google Drive and it is called "Week 12 Day 4 Probability Review."

Please ensure that your child shares their work with me when it is completed.

Have a great day!

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Today, our grade 3's will continue our Geometry review with a focus on movement and location. I have included all instructions in the document that I uploaded to Google Drive. The file is called "Week 12 Day 3 Symmetry/Transformations Review."

We will have our last Google Meet of the school year at 10:00.

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

In Math today, our grade 3 class will complete a Geometry review using a shared Google Slide. I have included a video lesson on symmetry. I have uploaded the file to Google Drive and it is called "Week 12 Day 2 Geometry Review."

We will have our last Google Meet of the year tomorrow at 10:00. See you then!

Monday, June 22, 2020

In Language last week, students completed a graphic organizer to plan their summer writing assignment. Today, our grade 3's will complete their good copy of their writing using either lined paper or a Google Doc. I have included instructions, as well as a checklist for this task in today's work. I have uploaded the document to the Google Drive and the file is called "Week 12 Day 1 Summer Writing."

On another note, please ensure that you have read Mrs. Di Labio's email message regarding parent access to the school to pick up your child's belongings. There is a link within the email to find out your designated time. 

If you have any questions about this process, please let me know. Stay cool and have a great day!

Friday, June 19, 2020

Today, students will use a graphic organizer to plan a summer writing task in Language. I have uploaded the document to the Google Drive and the file is called "Week 11 Day 5 Summer Writing/Planning." Please ensure that your child puts enough information into the graphic organizer, then he/she will draw illustrations for each of their summer activities.

Grade 3's will begin writing next week and I will proved more instructions for the completion of this task.

Have a great weekend! Enjoy the summer temperatures!

Thursday, June 18, 2020

We will continue our learning today on location and movement in mathematics. Our focus will be on rotations (turns) and I have included a video lesson in today's document. I have uploaded the file to Google Drive and it is called "Week 11 Day 4 Rotations." Please ensure that your child has fully completed the questions before he/she submits their work to me. 

Have a great day!

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Today, our grade 3 class will focus their learning in Religion. I have uploaded a Google Slide to the Religion folder in Google Drive. The file is called "Week 11 Day 3 Sacred Heart of Jesus."

We will have our weekly Google Meet at 10:00 today. See you then!

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Our grade 3 class will continue learning about location and movement in mathematics. We will focus on translations (slides), reflections (flips) and later this week, rotations (turns). I have included two video lessons with today's document.

Please note that I have uploaded today's work to the homeroom folder due to technical difficulties with Hapara. The file is called "Week 11 Day 2 Translations_Reflections."

Students will use the digital Nelson math textbook today, so they can complete their work in a Google Doc or on paper. Please ensure that your child has fully answered each question before submitting their work to me.

Thank you for your continued support!

June 15, 2020 - June 19, 2020

Today, students will learn about organic farming and locally grown foods. I have uploaded the document to the Science folder in Google Drive. The file is called "Week 11 Day 1 Organic Foods." Here is a look at our week:

Monday: Science (Students will watch two short videos, read a text and answers questions)

Tuesday: Math (We will start learning about reflections, translations and rotations)

Wednesday: Religion (June focuses on the sacred heart of Jesus)

Thursday: Math (We will continue our learning of location and movement)

Friday: Language (Grade 3's will complete an end-of-year writing task)

We will have our weekly Google Meet on Wednesday at 10:00. Have a great week!

Friday, June 12, 2020

I have uploaded today's work in the Google Drive. Students will continue to experiment and investigate fairness and/or the likelihood of an event. I have included a video lesson in the document. The file is called "Week 10 Day 5 Unfair Experiments/Games."

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Thursday, June 11, 2020

Just a reminder that I will not be uploading any material today due to report card writing. Tomorrow, students will continue learning about unfair experiments in probability. Grade 3's can complete any unfinished work, read and write a chapter summary using the shared Google Slide, or use any of the apps on the student portal.

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Today, students will complete a variety of spelling lessons. First, grade 3's will login to their Boom Learning account and complete two different tasks that I have assigned. Next, students will work on suffixes using list words provided. I have uploaded today's work in the Language folder of the Google Drive and the file is called "Week 10 Day 3 Spelling."

We will have our weekly Google Meet at 10:00. See you then!

Tuesday, June 09, 2020

Today, students will complete the second part of the Science task sent out yesterday. Grade 3's will research a plant of his/her choice and complete the worksheet/questions accompanying this assignment.

Please note: For the "Describe the Plant" section, make sure that enough detail is added about the chosen plant. Students need to describe the height, colour, leaves (shape, size), important information about the flower, seeds or any other additional facts that they can find about the structure of the plant. Please make sure that your child has added enough detail before sending me the completed task.

Early finishers can read another chapter and complete a summary using their shared Google slide. Also, I have assigned another spelling task to our Boom Learning website. If you have not bookmarked the website, you can go back an review the login instructions found in last week's spelling work.

We will have our weekly Google Meet tomorrow at 10:00. See you then!

June 08, 2020 - June 12, 2020

Our grade 3 class will begin a two-day Science task today in our unit on plants. First, students will learn more about human uses for plants, then they will select a plant to research and explain more about it using a provided format. I have uploaded this work in the Science folder in the Google Drive and the file is called "Week 10 Day 1 and 2 Plant Research Project." Here is a glance at our week:

Monday/Tuesday - Science (Grade 3's will read a text and answer questions about the human uses of plants. Students will complete a plant research project)

Wednesday - Spelling (We will continue reviewing Spelling rules using Boom Learning, then complete work on suffixes) We will have our weekly Google Meet at 10:00.

Thursday - Report Card Writing Day (No work assigned)

Friday - Math (I have uploaded a video lesson and students will continue investigating fairness and unfairness in a variety of probability experiments.

If you have any questions regarding the assigned work, please let me know.

Friday, June 05, 2020

In Religion, our grade 3's will continue their learning of Pentecost and we will focus our learning on symbols associated with this important time in our Catholic calendar. I have uploaded a Google Slide to your child's Google Drive and the file is called "Week 9 Day 5 Pentecost Symbols."

I hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Thursday, June 04, 2020

Today, students will continue working on our unit on probability. I have uploaded a video lesson and our learning will focus on unfairness in a game/experiment. I have uploaded this work to the Math folder in the Google Drive and the file is called "Week 9 Day 4 Probability Unfair Experiments."

Have fun with this work!

Wednesday, June 03, 2020

Today, students will try out the Boom Learning website for a Spelling activity. I have included all login instructions for students to access their account. Once this task is completed, our grade 3's will continue reading in their chapter books and complete a Google Slide summary. I have uploaded today's work in the Language folder of the Google Drive and the file is called "Week 9 Day 3 Spelling Reading."

We will have our weekly Google Meet at 10:00 today. Please use the link sent to your child's Gmail.

Tuesday, June 04, 2020

Our grade 3 class will begin learning about probability today in math. I have uploaded a file to the math folder in his/her Google Drive. The file is called "Week 9 Day 2 Equally Likely Fair/Unfair." 

As mentioned yesterday, Science work went out later than usual due to maintenance on the Board website which affected me. Students can submit this work throughout the week.

Just a "heads-up," I won't be checking work and giving feedback sent to me today since I will be working at the school, gathering up student belongings and preparing for parent entry into the school to retrieve these items. Mrs. Di Labio will send a message out to all parents detailing the safe procedures for when you are able to pick up your child's belongings. Information from the principal will follow, so please check your email regularly.

We will have our regular Google Meet tomorrow at 10:00. See you then!

Monday, June 01, 2020

Due to Board maintenance on the system that affected some and not others, I was not able to upload today's work until 1:00. Unfortunately, I was one of those people affected by this issue. I have uploaded today's Science work and the file is called "Week 9 Day 1 Science Life Cycle."

Since students will have a later start at the work than normal, please send me the completed work when possible.

I'm usually the one to have good luck with computer issues...not this time. Thank you for your understanding.

Monday, June 01, 2020 - Friday, June 05, 2020

Today, we will continue our unit on plants and grade 3's will learn more about the life cycle of a plant. I have uploaded today's work to your child's Science folder in his/her Google Drive and the file is called "Week 9 Day 1 Science Plant Life Cycle." Here is the schedule for this week:

Monday: Science (Students will watch a short video, read a text and draw/label the life cycle of a plant).

Tuesday: Math (We will begin a new Math unit on Probability. I have included 2 video lessons. One lesson reviews probability words used to describe the likelihood of an event. The second video discusses fairness in a game/experiment and how it relates to an equal chance (equally likely). Next, students will complete two worksheets to practice their learning based on the video lessons.

Wednesday: Language (In Spelling, students will review rules with words ending in the letter "y." Grade 3's will follow a link to login to their "boom learning" account and complete a series of questions. Next, students will read another chapter and complete a chapter book summary using the Google Slide shared with the class).

Thursday: Math (We will continue our unit on Probability. I have uploaded a video lesson which focuses on unfairness during experiments and games. Grade 3's will complete an experiment using coins and an unfair spinner, then record their results).

Friday: Religion (Grade 3's will learn about symbols associated with Pentecost. I have uploaded a Google Slide for students to continue their learning of this important time in our Catholic calendar).

We will have our weekly Google Meet on Wednesday at 10:00. Can't wait to see everyone again! If you have any questions regarding this week's work, please let me know. Have a great week!

Friday, May 29, 2020

In Math today, grade 3's will review strategies taught in the classroom to show their thinking when completing addition and subtraction word problems. Students will watch a video, then apply these strategies in their work. The file is called "Week 8 Day 5 Addition/Subtraction Problems." Next week, we will move on to Probability.

Thank you for ensuring that your child's work is fully completed and submitted to me by the end of the week. I truly appreciate your efforts at home.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! It's hard to believe that we will be entering June and the final month of this school year. 

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Today, we will focus our learning on the Ascension of Christ and students will begin to learn more about Pentecost as we approach this important time in our Catholic calendar. I have uploaded today's Religion work in your child's Google Drive. It is a Google Slide and the file is called "Week 8 Day 4 Religion Pentecost." Grade 3's will read about Pentecost and create a picture to represent their understanding. I can't wait to see everyone's creativity for this task!

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

I have uploaded today's math work in your child's Google Drive and the file is called "Week 8 Day 3 Movement on a Grid." Students will watch a short video lesson explaining how to move on a path using grid lines, then complete a few questions to practice their learning. We will meet today at 10:00 for our weekly Google Meet. Please ensure that you are following the link from your child's Gmail and that he/she is using their school board account, not your own personal Google account.

I hope that everyone is keeping safe and cool in this very hot, humid weather. See you later!

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Today, students will continue reading a chapter in their chosen text and complete a summary using the Google Slide that I have shared. Just a reminder that you only have to make one copy of the Google Slide. I have uploaded a document in your child's Language folder in his/her Google Drive. The file is called "Week 8 Day 2 Chapter Book Summary." All students need to read through this document since I have provided a student sample that shows the intended expectations of this task.

As always, we will meet tomorrow for our weekly Google Meet. Can't wait to see everyone again!

Week of May 25, 2020 - May 29, 2020

We will begin this week by continuing our learning on plants. The focus of today's lesson will be on the parts of a plant. I have uploaded the file to the Science folder in your child's Google Drive. The file is called "Week 8 Day 1 Parts of a Plant."

Here is our weekly schedule:

Monday: Science (Parts of a Plant, Students will read a text using the National Geographic for Kids app, watch a short video, read a text and answer questions)

Tuesday: Language (Read a chapter in chosen book and complete a summary using a Google Slide)

Wednesday: Math (Movement on a Grid, Students will watch a video lesson and continue using words to describe a path on a grid line)

Thursday: Religion (I will share a Google Slide with a focus on Christ's Ascension and Pentecost)

Friday: Math (Grade 3's will watch a video lesson as we review addition/subtraction strategies and look for math words that indicate the operation during various word problems)

Once again, thank you for assisting your child at home and for ensuring that I receive all completed work. A strong home/school connection and regular work routines will allow students to make the most out of learning at home. I will continue to focus on curriculum previously not covered and important strategies which students can use in the junior division to ensure further success.

Have a great week!

Friday, May 22, 2020

I have uploaded a Google Slide for today's Religion work. The file is called "Week 7 Day 4 Religion." Today, students will learn more about Mary since we are still in the month of May which is dedicated to her. Our class will read about Mary in the digital Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ textbook, read additional texts (link provided in slide), watch a video and listen to a detailed explanation of the prayer, Hail Mary.

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend. Please check our blog on Monday for next week's schedule and any important information that I need to pass on. 

Thank you for your continued support!

Thursday, May 21, 2020

I have uploaded today's math work in your child's Google Drive. The file is called "Week 7 Day 3 Movement on a Grid." Students will watch a video lesson and complete some practice work in our Nelson digital textbook. I have provided some options for using grid paper for this task. If you are able to print out 1cm grid paper by searching for it online, that would be the best option.

It was great to see our grade 3 students yesterday during our Google Meet. It is very obvious that students are healthy and definitely growing into the junior division both physically and academically. 

Have a great learning day!

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Today, our grade 3 class will continue working on their chapter book summary using the Google Slide that I shared last week. Details of this task were sent out last Friday. Just a reminder, students need to complete a chapter summary (one slide) for each chapter for their chosen book. There will be no additional work uploaded for language today since this assignment is ongoing. 

Please make sure that your child has made a copy of the Google Slide so he/she can type his/her response into each slide. Each student needs to share their slide with me so I can keep up-to-date with their chapter summaries.

Tomorrow, we will learn about movement on a grid in mathematics.

Week of May 19, 2020 - May 22, 2020

Our grade 3 class will begin the week working on our last Science unit, Growth and Changes in Plants. I have uploaded today's Science work in his/her Google Drive and the file is called "Week 7 Day 1 Science Plants." Here is a glance at our schedule:

Tuesday: Science ( We will begin our unit learning about seed germination)

Wednesday: Language (Students will continue reading their chapter book and entering a chapter summary in the shared Google Slide for this ongoing task)

Thursday: Math (We will begin learning about movement on a grid)

Friday: Religion (Students will learn more about Mary since the month of May is dedicated to her)

Also, we will have our weekly Google Meet on Wednesday at 10:00. Once again, thank you so much for assisting your child at home and ensuring that all tasks are sent to me. I always look forward to seeing the completed tasks even though we are navigating through learning at home to the best of our ability. 

Friday, May 15, 2020

I have uploaded the instructions for our chapter book task in your child's language folder in his/her Google Drive. The file is called "Week 6 Day 5 Chapter Book Review and Summary." I have included a video lesson of the task since the document is very detailed and it is more for parent reference, than as a student guide. Also, I have shared the Google Slide that accompanies this assignment and it called "Chapter Book Review and Summary." In the video, I mentioned that this Google Slide will be placed in the language folder, but it will be found in the shared folder in the Google Drive.

As mentioned in the video, students will have to make a copy of the Google Slide in order to add text to each slide. Please make sure that your child shares the copy of the Google Slide with me so I can view his/her progress with this task. When sharing the Google Slide with me, please make sure that the can "edit" option is selected so I can add comments to the work. 

Next week is a shorter week with the Victoria Day holiday on Monday. I will send next week's work/lessons beginning on Tuesday morning. I hope everyone has a great long weekend and I look forward to reconnecting with our class next week.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

I have uploaded today's work in your child's math folder in his/her Google Drive. The file is called "Week 6 Day 4 Fraction Problems." Students will watch a short video lesson, then complete a fraction word problem.

Tomorrow, students will begin a reading task. As discussed in our Google Meet yesterday, students can begin choosing a chapter book - one they have not read before - to read and focus on for this task. Information will be provided tomorrow and this assignment will continue into the upcoming week.

Have a great day and once again, thank you for sending me your child's completed work.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

I have uploaded today's work in the Religion folder in your child's Google Drive. The file is called "Week 6 Day 3 Religion."

We will have our weekly Google Meet today at 10:00. Please use the link in your child's Gmail account that I sent today.

Yesterday, I sent an email out to all parents regarding the expectations for our Google Meets. Please speak to your child about the expectations for these weekly meetings.

Tomorrow, we will continue with fractions and problem solving. Can't wait to see everyone later today online!

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

We will begin learning about fractions in math this week. I have uploaded two files to your child's math folder in his/her Google Drive. The files are called "Week 6 Day 2 Fraction Lessons" and "Week 6 Day 2 Fraction Work."

Tomorrow, we will have our weekly Google Meet at 10:00. This meeting is optional, but I'm sure that students look forward to this opportunity to socialize with their teachers and friends from St. Gregory.

Week of May 11, 2020 - May 15, 2020

Students will begin this week by completing a last task in our unit on Soils. We will begin our last unit on Plants next week. I have uploaded today's work in your child's Science folder in his/her Google Drive. The file is called "Week 6 Day 1 Science Additives."

Here is this week's schedule:

Monday: Science - Students will read a text about additives and answer questions.

Tuesday: Math - I have created two short lessons to begin fractions and students will complete a worksheet.

Wednesday: Religion - Our grade 3's will learn more about the ascension stories from scripture and they will complete a short writing task.

Thursday: Math - I have created a short video lesson to show students how to explain their thinking for fraction problems. Grade 3's will use this strategy to complete a few fraction problems.

Friday: Language - Our focus for the next week will be Reading. Students will choose a chapter book to review using Google Slides. They will summarize and make predictions by typing their responses into the Google Slide.

Just a reminder that I will continue to send out the occasional email to all parents in addition to information provided on this blog. Please check the email that your provided to the school regularly, especially other folders (i.e. Spam) since I send out these messages through our school messenger.

If you have any questions, please let me know. Have a great week!

Friday, May 08, 2020

Today, grade 3's will learn more about decomposition. I have uploaded today's work in the Science folder in your child's Google Drive. The file is called "Week 5 Day 5 Science Decomposers."

We will continue working on this Science unit for one more week, then we will begin our last unit on plants.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, despite the chilly temperatures.

Thursday, May 07, 2020

I have uploaded today's work in your child's math folder in his/her Google Drive. The file is called "Week 5 Day 4 Three Digit Subtraction." Students will watch a lesson reviewing three digit subtraction with regrouping, then they will complete work in their Nelson digital textbook. It is recommended that students complete their answers on a blank piece of paper, or a notebook. Students must show the completed algorithm as shown in the video lesson in their work.

Wednesday, May 06, 2020

Students will work on a Spelling assignment today and I have uploaded the file in your child's language folder in their Google Drive. The file is called "Week 5 Day 3 Spelling."

Don't forget that today is our weekly Google meet! The link to this meeting will be sent to your child's Gmail. As always, this meeting is optional, but it is a great opportunity for children to socialize and see their teachers and friends online.

Tuesday, May 05, 2020

Today, students will continue working on algebra, but this time, I have mixed the operations. I have uploaded today's work in his/her math folder in their Google Drive. One file is a video lesson and it is called, "Week 5 Day 2 Algebra Lesson." The second file is called "Week 5 Day 2 Algebra (Addition/Subtraction) Worksheet. 

Thank you to all who have sent me your child's message of hope. They send a positive and hopeful message that embraces our theme of "Igniting Hope" to support our Catholic community. Students can continue to send me their messages of hope throughout the week. I will be sending all received work to Mrs. Di Labio and I know that she will be very impressed with our class contribution.

If you have any questions regarding this week's work, please let me know.

Monday, May 04 - Friday, May 08, 2020

As we begin Catholic Education Week, I thought that it would be appropriate to start this week's work with Religion. Students can find today's work in their Religion folder and the file is called Week 5 Day 1 Religion. Here is this week's schedule:

• Monday - Religion: With the theme of "Igniting Hope" integrated into the activity

• Tuesday - Algebra: Grade 3's will watch a lesson and complete work using both addition and   subtraction

• Wednesday - Spelling: We will work on the long "i" sound through a few tasks

• Thursday - 3-digit subtraction with regrouping:Students will view a review lesson and use their Nelson digital textbooks to practice

• Friday - Science: We will watch a few videos on decomposers, read a text and answer questions

Once again, thank you for supporting your child at home! I appreciate the time you give to send me student work, as well as assisting at home when navigating through the technology.

Have a great week!

Friday, May 01, 2020

Today, students will explore their digital Religion textbook, "Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ." I have uploaded today's work in your child's Religion folder in his/her Google Drive.

Next week has been designated as Catholic Education Week and you would have received a detailed letter from Mrs Di Labio explaining what this means for our Catholic community during this difficult time. Please take some time to read through this message which discusses the underlying theme of "Igniting Hope."

As a Catholic school community, this week is something we always look forward to; this week highlights the positive values, social responsibility and the development of the whole child through faith-based education.

Unfortunately, this week will not be the same as past years. Personally, I will miss taking the St. Gregory choir to sing at St. Paul's high school for Choral Celebration, our annual open house to display our academic excellence, celebrating Mass with Father Tim and of course, all the activities that take place at St. Gregory's during this special week.

Thinking of these memories really emphasizes the relevance and positive message of this year's theme, "Igniting Hope." I encourage everyone to demonstrate and display your message of hope for others or yourself and post it to Twitter #ocsbHope next week.

Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe!

Thursday, April 30, 2020

I have uploaded today's work in your child's math folder in their Google Drive. The file is called "Week 4 Day 4 Division." Today, students will review division and learn how to login to their digital Nelson Mathematics textbook. I have explained the login instructions in today's work. Students should complete their work on a blank sheet of paper since they will have to show division strategies in order to show their understanding of this concept.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Today, students will work on algebra with a focus on subtraction. I have uploaded two files for today's work. One file contains a lesson and one is the practice work for today. Both files begin with, "Week 4 Day 3..."

We will have our weekly Google Meet today at 10:00. Just a reminder that I will send the link to your child's Gmail for this meeting. As always, this meeting is optional. I look forward to seeing our grade 3's and I know that everyone is excited to see their friends again.

Have a great day!

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Today, grade 3's will be working on writing an organized opinion letter with a focus on the topic of composting. I have uploaded the instructions for this task in your child's language folder. Please review the checklist/success criteria for this assignment.

Tomorrow, we will have our weekly Google Meet at 10:00. As always, I will email the link to the meeting to your child's Gmail. This meeting is optional but it is a great way for children to socialize with their peers and teachers. I know that students look forward to this meeting and it is great to see everyone each week.

If you have any questions regarding this week's work/schedule, please let me know.

Thank you for your continued support!

French Update - Monday, April 27, 2020

Mme. Ghaffari is changing the method of delivery for her weekly French work. I will no longer be uploading her work to the homeroom folder in the Google Drive. Please read the instructions below:

1. login to the student portal, then click on Hapara and Student Workspace
2. students may need to re-enter their email and password (found at the front of their agenda)
3. when logging in for the first time, students will click the "allow" button to allow Google to access their files
4. students will click on Mme. Ghaffari's workspace, then click on the grade 3 work
5. a Google Doc will open with a list of weekly activities

If you have any difficulty logging into Hapara, please get in touch with Mme. Ghaffari.

Monday, April 27 - Friday, May 01, 2020

I have uploaded the next two day's work in your child's Google Drive. Today, students will work on Science and the materials for this lesson will lead into Tuesday's language work. On Tuesday, students will work on letter writing and they are very familiar with the characteristics and organization of a letter since we practiced this writing form in the classroom. I have uploaded work for both days since students may wish to begin planning their letter and start thinking about their ideas. Here is our week at a glance:

Monday, April 27 - Science (I have uploaded the file "Week 4 Day 1 Composting" to the Science folder)

Tuesday, April 28 - Language (I have uploaded the file "Week 4 Day 2 Letter Writing" to the Language folder)

Wednesday, April 29 - Math (The files will be called "Week 4 Day 3 Algebra Lesson" and "Week 4 Day 3 Algebra/Subtraction" and they will be saved to the Math folder)

Thursday, April 30 - Math (The file will be called "Week 4 Day 4 Division" and it will be saved to the Math folder)

Friday, May 01 - Religion (The file will be called "Week 4 Day 5 Religion" and it will be saved to the Religion folder)

Recommendations for Learning at Home

Now that everyone has been navigating through the technology, I just wanted to mention a few things that have been working well in regards to sharing completed work with me and just finishing the work in general.

• The easiest method of sharing your child's work with me is by taking photos of the completed task and emailing it to me. Some parents have downloaded an app on their cell phone called (Cam Scanner) - there are a variety of these apps to choose from - and they save the picture as a PDF file. The benefit to this method is that I can add comments directly to the work. Without this app, I cannot add the comments to the work. This method is also great if you are able to print out the worksheets, or if your child is completing answers in a notebook/blank paper. You can also upload the PDF files to your child's Google Drive and he/she can share it with me.

• Please ensure that your child is completing the work efficiently. Some students are spending too much time trying to complete all of their work in digital format. Trying to complete everything digitally is time-consuming for this age group and it doesn't always correspond well with the subject (e.g. showing a strategy in math). Perhaps using a notebook, or blank paper is a better choice. It is recommended that you monitor the method that your child is using to complete the work and the amount of time it takes.

• Children thrive when there is structure and routine. It is recommended that students have an established school work time, as well as a quiet area to work each day. Decide on a time that best suits your child's learning potential and your busy family schedule.

• The home/school connection is extremely important for your child's success during learning at home. Please check your child's work daily to make sure that it is completed fully. Make sure that he/she is keeping up with the daily work schedule. As we progress through the remainder of the school year, I am providing lessons/work on curriculum that has not been covered previously. We are partners in your child's education!

Thank you for all that you do to make learning at home possible. I know that it is not always easy and some days are better than others. If you have any questions, please contact me. Have a great week!

Friday, April 24, 2020

I have uploaded today's work in your child's Religion folder in their Google Drive. The file is called "Week 3 Day 5 Religion." Students will login to our Religion program "Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ" and read a digital story.

I have explained how to login to the app on the student portal, but please assist your child if need be. I have tried it out several times and you may get a message to run/install Adobe Flash player.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone next week during our Google Meet.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Today, students will be learning about Algebra and the concept of equality. I have uploaded today's lesson and work into your child's Google Drive in their math folder. The files are called "Week 3 Day 4 Let's Learn About Algebra" and "Week 3 Day 4 Algebra Worksheet." 

It was great to hear that everyone is getting outside to play on their bikes and get some fresh air, despite the cold weather. Can't wait to see everyone on next week's Google Meet!

Once again, thank you for sending me you child's work and assisting him/her at home as we continue learning at home.

Have a great day!

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

I have uploaded today's math work in your child's Google Drive. There are two files. One PDF file is called "Week 3 Day 3 Addition/Subtraction Fact Families Lesson" and the second file is today's worksheet for students to practice.

We will have our weekly Google Meet today at 10:00. I will send the link for the meeting to the student Gmail. Please review appropriate etiquette for online meetings with your child. This meeting is optional for all students.

Can't wait to see everyone again!

Mr. Blais

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

I have uploaded today's poetry work in your child's language folder in their Google Drive. The file is called "Week 3 Day 2 Poetry."

Just a reminder, any completed French work can be shared or sent to Mme. Ghaffari. 

We will have our weekly Google Meet tomorrow at 10:00. I will send the link to your child's Gmail tomorrow before the meeting. Just a reminder that all meetings are optional and not instructional.

Thank you for assisting your child at home!

April 20, 2020 - April 24, 2020

I have uploaded today's work in your child's language folder. The PDF file is called "Week 3 Day 1 Poetry." Also, I have uploaded Mme. Ghaffari's French work for this week in the homeroom (HRM) folder. Here is this week's schedule:

Monday, April 20th - Introducing poems using digital texts

Tuesday, April 21st - Poems continued

Wednesday, April 22nd - Addition/Subtraction Fact Families
                                         - Google Meet 10:00

Thursday, April 23rd - Algebra/Equality

Friday, April 24th - Religion

Once again, thank you for helping your child share their hard work with me. It's amazing how quickly our grade 3's are learning to navigate through all of this technology and I truly appreciate everyone's efforts. This week, I have covered a lot of new material/concepts, so please have students go through and complete all/parts of the work in increments appropriate to your situation at home during this difficult time. If you have any questions regarding the work, please let me know.

Have a great week!

Mr. Blais

Friday, April 17, 2020

Today, students will be working on Religion. I have uploaded a PDF file to your child's Religion folder (REL) in their Google Drive. He/she has a few choices for this task. Please ensure that your child reads through the document before beginning the task.

Next week, our schedule includes five days, so I will be including 5 hours of student work. This amount includes French from Mme. Ghaffari as well.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Once again, thank you for supporting your child at home.

Mr. Blais

Thursday, April 16, 2020

I have uploaded today's work in your child's Science folder in their Google Drive. The PDF file is called "Week 2 Day 3 Language/Science." Today, students will investigate digital books and answer related questions to our Science unit on "Soils." I have included instructions in the document that I have uploaded.

Thank you to all who have sent me digital copies of your child's work. As previously mentioned, the best method to submit completed work is through your child's Google Drive. In this way, I can add comments if the work is saved as a PDF or a Google Doc. I know that there is a learning curve with navigating through technology as we continue to learn at home, so thank you for your efforts.

It was so nice to see all students who participated in our Google Meet yesterday. We had two special people from St. Gregory's who joined: Mrs. Di Labio and Mrs. Frenken. I know that our students miss their friends and it was great time spent to reconnect.

Have a great day!

Mr. Blais

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Today's update: I have uploaded a rounding lesson and a rounding worksheet. You can find these documents in the Math folder in the Google Drive. The files are called "Week 2 Day 2 Rounding Lesson" and "Week 2 Day 2 Rounding."

Also, I have sent an email with a link for today's Google meet in your child's Gmail. Please ensure that you first click on the link directly from today's email, or it will not work. Today's Google Meet is not instructional and optional for all. I'm sure that students are really excited to see their friends!

(April 14) Some things I forgot to mention...

I have uploaded Mme. Ghaffari's French work as well. Once in the Google Drive, click on the Homeroom folder (HRM) and you will find week two's French work.

If you are uploading student work to the Google Drive, make sure that you click on the "Share" button at the top right and share the document (s) with me.

This week at a glance:

Tuesday, April 14th - Addition Lesson and Practice

Wednesday, April 15th - Rounding Lesson and Practice 

                                        Google Meet 10:00 (optional)

Thursday, April 16th - Language/Science (Soils) (Reading and Answer Questions)

Friday, April 17th - Religion

I will upload all materials in the morning of each day.

Thank you for supporting your child at home!

Update: Tuesday, April 14, 2020

I hope that everyone had a great Easter weekend despite the challenges that everyone is facing right now. I'm sure that it was more quiet than usual. I know that it felt different for me not being able to see family during this weekend.

I want to let you know that I have uploaded the math work for today and this week we will focus on reviewing addition and begin rounding. The files will be found in your child's math folder in their Google Drive. I will continue to upload current work as the week progresses and I will inform you of which folder I have placed the material.

Students should be using 100's charts, or base 10's to assist them with adding. At home, you could do a Google search for hundreds charts and base 10 materials and print them out if you are able to do so. Alternatively, your child can use virtual manipulatives found at this website: https://toytheater.com/category/teacher-tools/virtual-manipulatives/

I have been asked by a few parents when our next Google Meet will occur. We will have our second meeting tomorrow (Wednesday, April 15) at 10:00. Please review the etiquette and expectations with your child posted last week on the blog. Just a reminder that students will go to their Gmail and click on the current link for the meeting. Please ensure that your child clicks on the link for the April 15th email. I know that students are excited to see their teacher and friends, so the purpose of this meeting will not be instructional and it is optional.

On another note, I want to thank all those students who have completed last week's work and who have sent me a copy of their completed tasks. Now that I have received student work in a variety of ways, I wish to inform you of what has worked out the best for me. If you save me your child's work by uploading it to their Google Drive and saving it as either a Google Doc or a PDF file, I can add comments/feedback to the original document. In this way, you will not have to email me their work. The second best method is to take photos of their work and email it to me. The downside to this method is that I cannot make comments to the actual photo for your child to read.

Please continue to check this blog daily as I will continue to update it frequently to avoid sending out emails. If you have any questions about this week, or the assigned tasks, please let me know.

Have a great week!

Mr. Blais

Update: Wednesday, April 08, 2020

It was great to see some of our students today who tried out using Google Meet. Mme. Ghaffari and myself miss all of you, so it was so nice to see some familiar faces, smiles and to hear your voices once again. We are so proud of everyone for showing grit, staying healthy and of course, keeping busy.

I have uploaded Day 3 and Day 4 work for this week in your child's Language folder. Once logged into the student portal, students will click on their Google Drive, then click on the Language folder to discover spelling and religion work. In French, students will be listing the foods (in French) in the story and explain which is their favourite and why. French work is found in the HRM folder.

A few questions have been asked about sending work back to Mme. Ghaffari and myself. If your child does his/her work in a Google Doc, click the share button at the top right of the screen. Share it to Mme. Ghaffari's or my email address.

If you are printing out the work, or using blank paper to complete the tasks, take a photo of the work and email it to us.

I am currently working on next week's work. With Holy Week and the Easter holidays, I will upload next week's work on Tuesday, April 14th. I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter, despite the challenges of our current situation. Please let me or Mme. Ghaffari know if you have any questions.

Update: Tuesday, April 07, 2020

Please be advised that I will be uploading Wednesday and Thursday's work in your child's Language folder in their Google Drive tomorrow morning.

We will have a short Google Meet tomorrow (Wednesday, April 08) at 10:00. This meeting is optional and the purpose is for students to see/speak to their teacher/friends since it has been a while now. I will only provide the link to the Google Meet 10 minutes prior to the meeting for safety reasons. The link will be sent to your child's email address.

Here's some more information regarding the use of the Google Meet app.

• I have sent a Google Doc to your child's homeroom (HRM) folder which explains how to navigate through the app. Login to the student portal. Click on Google Drive. Click on HRM (Homeroom) folder. Read through the Google doc "Google Meet - Student View"
• There is a dress code. Students should be dressed like it was a regular school day, so no pajamas
• Any Google Meet can be recorded; however, I will not be recording tomorrow's meeting since it is not instructional
• Once you have been provided with the link to the meeting, please make sure that you mute the microphone (explained in the doc "Google Meet - Student View)
• All conversations are viewable by everyone taking part in the meeting
• When it is a students turn to speak, I will ask him or her to unmute their microphone
• Any inappropriate behaviour will be reported to the principal
• Students must login and use their device in the kitchen or living room

Google Meet is not difficult to use, but we'll navigate through any issues as best we can since it is our first attempt. Students will go to their Gmail prior to 10:00 tomorrow and they will receive an email message/link to attend the meeting. Click on the link and it should open Google Meet. I hope that it all works out for us! Thank you for helping your child with these technological issues at this time. Much appreciated!

Learning At Home - Week 1 (April 06 - April 09, 2020)

Today, we have started our learning at home initiative. To begin, I have uploaded Math work/lesson (division) into your child's Google Drive. In order to access the lesson/work, students will visit www.ocsb.ca and click on the student portal at the top of the page. They will be asked to type in their email and password which are found at the front of your child's agenda. Once logged into the student portal, your child will click on Google Drive. Students will also find their French work from Mme. Ghaffari in their homeroom folder. The folder should contain the letters HRM. If you have difficulty locating any of the material, please send me an email.

Monday: Review division lesson, begin fact family/division worksheet (Google Drive, Math folder)

Tuesday: Complete fact family/division worksheet, complete cookie question (Google Drive, Math folder)

Wednesday: Spelling, write sentences, scavenger word hunt (Google Drive, Language folder)

Thursday: Religion/Language, read/view Holy Week, write paragraph (Easter/Lenten journey) (Google Drive, Language folder)

Friday: Good Friday

**Please see Mme. Ghaffari's French work schedule in the homeroom (HRM) folder for this week's work

Please keep in mind that teachers have been directed by the Ministry of Education to provide a total of one hour of work per day for kindergarten to grade 3 students. That includes French instruction within the one hour time slot. Due to Good Friday and Easter Monday, students will receive a total of 4 hours of work for the next two weeks.

If you do not have a printer at home, students can complete their work on paper. For the time being, you can keep all finished work. Also, you can take a photo of your child's work and email it to me. I would love to see their hard work!

Thank you for jumping into this learning at home initiative and I truly appreciate your efforts at home. Please check this blog daily for updates. I will add an important update tomorrow to explain how your child can use Google Meet for an online meeting with his/her teacher and classmates. This meeting is optional of course. We will meet every Wednesday at 10:00.

Take care and stay healthy!

Mr. Blais and Mme. Ghaffari