Author Archives: shawjack

EQAO Grade 3 Assessment

Please note that Monday, June 3rd marks the beginning of our Grade 3 EQAO testing period. Testing will continue on Tue., June 4th, Wed., June 5th, and Thur., June 6th. (Fri, June 7th is a PD Day)  On these test days, please send your child to school well-rested and having had a healthy and plentiful breakfast. Please do not make any appointments or schedule additional activities on these days.

During the testing sessions, students will complete a variety of online assessment activities designed to allow them to demonstrate their skills and knowledge relating to reading, writing, and mathematics as described in The Ontario Curriculum. The assessment is administered province-wide and is developed by Ontario teachers and assessment experts to reflect curriculum expectations.

We are preparing the students in class and familiarizing them with the test format and the types of questions they will be asked. You can also visit the EQAO website for more information about the assessments and what to expect by clicking here.  Students and parents have the opportunity to become familiar with the digital assessment and its platform through EQAO’s online Grades 3 sample assessment (click here). (We will also be completing this sample assessment in class and reviewing and discussing the different tools available to the students in the e-assessment platform.)

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to send me an e-mail. (shaw.jackson@ocdsb.ca)

 

Artwork Inspired by the Group of Seven

For a cross-curricular art/social studies activity, the students investigated the natural features found in the Canadian Shield as part of our unit on Living and Working in Ontario. The students were also introduced to the art of the famous “Group of Seven” painters. These artists painted numerous scenes across Ontario, but the majority of their most famous pieces were created in the Canadian Shield region. The students were tasked with choosing a photo from a collection I provided and recreating the scene in paint, employing the style of the Group of Seven. The students were also asked to write about the natural features they included in their paintings and to name the community depicted in their landscape. These paintings are currently proudly displayed in the hallway outside of our classroom. As you can see, the students did a wonderful job on this art project!

 

March Break Highlights

Upon returning to class after the March Break, the students were asked to write about an experience they had over the March Break. They brainstormed a few possible topics before deciding on the one topic they wanted to “zoom in” on. Next, they generated jot notes for their chosen topic, wrote a draft, and revised and edited their work. Finally, they published a good copy. I hope you enjoy their March Break highlights below!

New Robert Munsch Book Covers

For a recent media literacy assignment, the students were asked to design a new book cover for their chosen Robert Munsch book. We talked about how a book cover conveys a sense of the story through a combination of text and images, and how these elements should be effectively arranged on the page. Here is what the students came up with:

WEJ Spirit Day – NEON DAY! Thur., Mar. 28th

Show your school spirit in a colourful and vibrant way,

As this Thursday is NEON Day!

Think bright pinks, electric blues,

How about brightly coloured laces on your shoes?

Fluorescent yellows and highlighter greens,

Would look great with a pair of jeans!

Wear NEON colours to show off how bright you are,

As you will be dressed like a star!

Dress in NEON to brighten someone’s day,

Let’s stand out in the most striking way!

Robert Munsch Presentation Dates – This Week

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful March Break! This is a reminder that the students will be giving their Robert Munsch presentations this week! I see in the student practice logs that they have been working hard on becoming familiar with their books! Thank you parents for your support and for offering regular feedback to your child.

Here is your child’s presentation date (chosen by the students):

Wed., Mar. 20th: Idrees, Maryam, Tesla, Om, Manaal, Jade, and Akram

Thur., Mar. 21st: Sophia, Ryan, Leon, Morire, Roan, and Kavya

Fri., Mar. 22nd: Adrian, Marwah, Jocelyne, Roohal, Parker, Miriam, Aarush, and Ziyi

Annual WEJ Spring Talent Show Auditions

WEJ’s Annual Spring Talent Show will be on Friday, April 19th! Interested students in every grade from kindergarten to Grade 6 can participate!

Audition videos should be under 3 minutes and emailed to your teacher to be forwarded to Ms. Stephens!!  Interested students have until April 2nd to submit their audition video!

Abstract Collages in the Style of Alma Thomas

Last week, the students created bright abstract collages inspired by the artist, Alma Thomas, using coloured paper with glue. Alma Thomas was a special artist! She was an art teacher and worked in a school. She didn’t start her painting career until she was in her 70’s! She was the first Black female artist to have her work displayed in the White House and the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art. Just like Alma Thomas, the students used line, pattern, and repetition to show movement.

The Magic of Munsch

The students have started delving into the depths of effective storytelling and how to captivate an audience when reading aloud. Beginning this week, students will be exploring different activities based on books by the renowned children’s author, Robert Munsch. There are reading and listening activities, a media literacy activity, and assessments related to identifying the main idea and examples from the text to support their BIG IDEA claim. The students have sampled several books by this author, and have chosen a book that they feel a connection to or has sparked their interest level.

Throughout this unit, the students will rehearse their chosen book at home with parents and at school with peers, practice their oral fluency skills, and hone their presentation skills. The unit will wrap up with each student getting up before the class dressed as one of the characters from their book selection and reading the story to the class. Students may even want to memorize their chosen Munsch book! The students should use the next two to three weeks to prepare for their Robert Munsch book presentations which will take place AFTER March Break on Mar. 20th, 21st, and 22nd.

The students have been given a booklet of stapled activity sheets for this project. This booklet will be sent home this Friday (along with your child’s chosen Robert Munsch book) and must come back to school every day starting next week until the presentation date. Parents are asked to fill in the Practice Log at the back of this booklet regularly to indicate that their child has been practicing the reading of his/her chosen book! There is also a spot at the very back of the booklet for parents to give their children constructive feedback as the students prepare.  Any work that is not completed in the time given in class at school during the day should be finished at home. (Again, please ensure that your child brings this booklet back to school each day next week). You can also help your child with the planning of his/her costume and prop ideas to enhance the presentation. 

Here is the rubric for the presentation. A hard copy is also in your child’s booklet.

Last week, Mrs. Lewis and I organized for a guest presenter to come in and perform a few of his original stories for the grade 3 classes in the gym – very much in the style of Robert Munsch. He was absolutely FABULOUS! The students were engaged and many laughs were generated! Daniel the storyteller also spoke about the importance of using sound effects, onomatopeia, different volume levels of voice, and hand gestures when telling a story!

Here are a few pictures from previous years of students enjoying our Robert Munsch storytelling activity:

Support Toonie Tuesday: Give A Little, Help A Lot!

$2 can be the difference between nothing and something. The OCDSB’s Toonie Tuesday campaign has kicked off, and we’re ready to make 2024 our best year yet! Did you know that requests for support have increased by 35%? Ottawa families need our help! Every dollar raised will support students’ access to food, clothing, and meaningful activities. You can invest in a student’s potential! On Tuesday, February 27th, we all come together to support students in need within the OCDSB. But you don’t have to wait until then. You can donate right here, right now! Let your toonie be the stepping stone to student success.