Place Value & the "House" System

Today we began learning about place value in math. We watched the above video that explains how our place value system works up to the hundred millions. In grade 6, although not part of the formal curriculum, I tend to teach students up to the billions. We learn about each section being called a "house" or a "period", and with each period is a ones, tens and hundreds column. This helps us when we are trying to say larger numbers.



We also learn how to express numbers in 3 ways: standard form, expanded form and word form. Here is an example of each, for the number 234,675,873



Standard form: 234,675,873



Expanded Form:  200,000,000 + 30,000,000+4,000,000+600,000+70,000+5,000+800+70+3



Word form: 234 million, 675 thousand, 873



Finally, we learn to replace values with each column to come up with new numbers, For example, in the above number, what new number might I get if I added 3 more in the hundred thousands column?



First, look at the hundred thousands column, there is a 6, so it is worth 600,000.

Next, add 3 to the 6 = 9 --> but this is in the hundred thousands column, so it is worth 900,000!

Finally, change the number to reflect the new amount: 234,975,873.



We will be continuing to practice this tomorrow as well. Please let me know if your child is having difficulty with this, as it forms a foundation for other concepts.



Later in this unit we will be learning about multiplying and dividing larger numbers, identifying prime and composite numbers, comparing and ordering whole numbers, using the order of operations (BEDMAS), and adding and subtracting larger numbers.

Special Lunar Eclipse tonight!

OTonight there will be a very special lunar eclipse. It will start at about 8:00 PM. It is special because not only is there an eclipse, but the moon is closer to the earth then regularly. Since we will be studying Space towards the end of the school year this is an ideal opportunity to learn about one of the topics we will be studying.

So here is your challenge. Learn everything you can about how lunar eclipses occur and bring your information to school. Watch the lunar eclipse tonight if you can and take a few pictures. We will try to have a discussion about it tomorrow. Enjoy the show!

For more information see this article from CBC.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/look-up-sunday-night-f-plus-total-lunar-eclipse-equals-rare-sky-show-1.3241767

Link for School Climate survey - Students only

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/stusep15

Introducing Ms. Akra!

We are very fortunate this year to have a student teacher in our classroom. Ms. Akra is a student at the University of Ottawa and will be in our class every Wednesday until just before Christmas, and then for two weeks straight. Later in the year she will be in our class from February until April completing her practicum. Ms. Akra is a talented, experienced person who is very eager and anxious to begin helping our students succeed. She has a Masters in Biochemistry, and has worked with Syrian refugee children, which prompted her to pursue a career in teaching. The students are excited to have her in class and we are looking forward to seeing her throughout the year. Welcome Ms. Akra!

Our first Liturgy, Annual Canned Food Drive and Pizza Forms

Our first school Liturgy will take place on September 29th at 11AM in the gym. Parents are welcome to attend.

The Kingdom Club's Annual Canned Food Drive will be taking place from September 30th - October 8th. This year they have a goal of reaching 1200 canned food items. There will be a prize for the class that brings in the most cans, so please give generously! Here is an announcement from the students of the Kingdom Club:

The Kingdom Club is going to be holding its annual Canned Food Drive for St. Anne school from September 30th until October 8th. All canned food donations will be going to the Kanata Food Cupboard. Some examples of items that can be brought in are Salmon/flaked meat, granola bars, canned fruit, canned kidney beans/chickpeas or any canned peas, packaged rice and much more. There will be a prize for the class that brings in the most canned items. Last year it was Miss Bonte's class, can they redeem their victory? Please donate any canned foods from September 30 to October 8, 2015.

Finally, pizza forms went home today. Pizza will be delivered to classrooms every Wednesday beginning October 14th. These forms are due Tuesday, September 29th. Late forms will not be accepted. 

Raz-Kids Not Working

Raz-Kids does not seem to be working properly as of yesterday. Thus, students will not be able to complete the Raz-Kids portion of their homework for this week. Please do not worry abou this. Hopefully, we will have access to this program throughout the school year, and this is a minor interruption. I apologize for any inconvenience.

Next week, we will be starting our Literature circle units. If you would like to see what this entails please click the link below. If you have any questions about the homework, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Again, I apologize for the interruption this week.

Literature Circles

Our first Reading Skill - Analyzing

Last week we began learning about our first reading skill of the year - analyzing. In class, we defined analyzing as finding the facts in the text. We usually use this skill when reading non-fiction, but it can be used in all sorts of texts. Analyzing is a skill in which we need to determine the main idea the author is trying to convey, and then the facts (or details) that support the main idea.

We are reading a book about cheetahs in class and recording all of the new facts we are learning as we read. As part of our shared reading practice, we have been reading an article called "The Truth about Canada's Air Pollution" and creating Google Slide presentations to find the main idea and details of each section. When finished, students will present these presentations to the class.

Moving forward, we will continue to read some articles in a magazine about energy conservation and identify main ideas and details. I will also be conferencing with students to identify their strengths and weaknesses as readers. Finally, we will be doing some practice EQAO questions using non-fiction text to develop our ability to answer questions in the most detailed manner for the provincial testing at the end of the year.

For a short video about what Analyzing is, please click the link below. It encompasses the main ideas we discussed in class as we built an anchor chart about analyzing. Please feel free to review these concepts with your child at home. If you are reading non-fiction text with your child, try asking about facts in the text, and what the main idea is. Students often need a great deal of practice with these concepts to further develop their understanding and ability to analyze a text effectively.

Analyzing - FInding the Facts!

First Math Test Friday!

This Friday we will have our first math test. The unit we have been covering is patterning, so this test will cover the four major topics in this unit. Below is a Blendspace lesson that covers most of the concepts we learned in class. If your child can perform these skills without difficulty, he/she should do just fine on our test!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I will be certain to get in touch.

Number Patterns & Solving Equations

In our math class on Tuesday, we began learning about how to identify and create number patterns. In grade 6 the patterns become much more complicated because they involve two operations to solve the pattern. Students often find these types of patterns to be the most difficult. The trick to solving these is to have students identify a pattern in the differences between the terms. For instance, if the differences in the terms seem to be doubling, then that is a good clue that the first part of the pattern is to multiply by 2. Then they test it in the pattern to figure out the second part of the pattern. Here is a link to a lesson that can help to explain how to find number patterns. Please review this with your child at home so that they can better understand these types of patterns.

Number Patterns

On Wednesday, we began learning about how to solve simple equations, for example x + 9 = 12. For some students this is the first time they have learned about variables. We learn that a variable is simply an unknown number in an equation. We also learn more about what an equation actually is. We teach students that equations are number sentences that have an equal sign and are equal on both sides of the equal sign. For example, 4+2=6 is an equation. 4+2=9 is not an equation. Here is a link to a presentation that I showed the class about solving equations. 

Solving Equations

If you have any questions about the subject material, or your child is having difficulty with it in Prodigy, please let me know by writing a note in the agenda. I can work with them independently to better their understanding of this material. 

Input/Output Machines

Today we learned about Input/Output Machines. Please click this link for a page that describes our thinking.

Off to a Great Start!

Our school year has begun with a bang! I am always amazed at how fast students (and teachers!) settle back into the routine of school.

This week we have been doing a lot of "Getting to know You" activities and celebrating our uniqueness. We have been making pennants, setting goals for the year, and conducting interviews of our peers in order to better get to know each other. Grade 6 is an important year for fostering friendships that students will carry into Holy Trinity, so it is important to help students learn as much as they can about their peers.

Today we read a number of friendly letters and ordered by level, and then talked about how we could improve each one to "Bump it Up" to the next level. Students had some excellent ideas and we wrote these down on our Bump it Up Wall, which you will be able to see on our Open House night. Tomorrow, students will have a chance to write a friendly letter to themselves at the end of Grade 6. I think they will enjoy reading them at the end of the year!

We will begin our first math unit on Monday. This unit will focus on patterning and algebra. I will post some of the lesson material as we go through it next week.

Our homework routine will begin next week as well. Please check the sidebar on the right for the weekly homework, or look in your child's agenda. Homework is given on Mondays, and will be due the following Monday.

Finally, our Back to School night is Wednesday, September 16th from 5-7PM. There will be a BQQ from 5-6, and classroom visits from 6-7. I look forward to meeting you then.

Welcome to Grade 6!

It is my pleasure to be teaching your child this year! I look forward to working closely with you and getting to know your child. You are your child's first teacher, and together we can help your child meet the provincial expectations for this year. We will be starting the year by getting to know each other, our individual strengths, interests and needs. The emphasis with students is that effort is more important than ability in achieving success and that a student's "job" is to work hard and try their best.

Please encourage your child to discuss what has gone on at school each day. Set aside 40-50 minutes for homework every night. Most students will have some reading and literature circle work, Prodigy math and some math fact practice. Homework will be written in their agenda books on Mondays. Homework will generally be due on Mondays, so that students have a weekend to complete it if necessary. This homework routine is very important. Homework will be posted on this blog under the "Homework" sidebar on the right, so you may check here if your child has misplaced his/her agenda.

We will be starting the year with a number of "Getting to Know You" activities. In language we will be writing letters to ourselves, learning about using self-monitoring strategies to assist us in understanding what we read, and beginning our spelling program. In math, we will begin the year by investigating number patterns, some basic algebra and integers.

In the afternoon class, we will be learning about biodiversity in science and practising following directions and basic movement, strength and flexibility skills in Phys-Ed. In the arts we will begin the year studying visual art.

This year, the Grade 6's will be using a few websites to help facilitate learning. We will be using Google Apps, Kidblog, Xtramath, Prodigy and a number of other applications to demonstrate our learning. More information and permission forms will be sent home as we begin to use these programs. For now, please follow our class Twitter account at @MrPouliot. We will be tweeting regularly to update everyone on our learning journey.

Finally, I would like to invite any parent who is interested in getting involved in our class to contact me at the school The more the merrier, and extra hands are ALWAYS welcome!