Dear Parents,
Week 7 is here already and the students are about to undertake their final testing of a commercial product. I am sure they are all looking forward to Carnival celebrations on Friday and the week’s break next week!
Upcoming Events and Reminders:
· Portuguese Poetry and Mother Tongue Language Day – Thursday 19th February.
· Carnival - as in previous years, we will be celebrating Carnival with a parade. This will take place in the afternoon of this Friday, 20th of February. The children dress up in fancy costume and we all gather in the Gym for a parade and an afternoon of music and dancing. Please prepare a carnival costume for your child. We regret that we are unable to invite parents on that day. Please be aware that students are not allowed to bring toy guns or other weapons to school as part of their fancy dress.
· Half–term break: starts Friday this week. Students return to school Monday 2nd March.
· Please make sure your child is doing his/her homework and doing it neatly.
Reflections – 9th – 13th February
Last week began with the Year 6 field trip to Jeronimo Martins. It was a great success and the students enjoyed the day out and saw some real life work practices. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the students took part in an international basic skills tests which involved maths, writing and reading comprehension. They also practised some maths measurement skills (volume, capacity, length and mass – skills which will be needed this week for their own test procedure.) Students organised their small groups for the testing to be done this week and prepared a draft of the procedure they will need to follow for their test. They also listed the equipment they will need for the test.
Weekly News: 16th — 20th February
Unit of Inquiry
This week we continue our summative assessment task. The student will finish their draft of the test procedure (lab report) and then carry out the test. The test of their commercial product must follow strict scientific procedures so that the results of the test are reliable. If the test does not succeed at the first attempt the procedure may need to be changed and tried again. Students will also assist in the drafting of the assessment rubric which will be used to assess the testing procedure.
Mathematics
This week we will continue with division and fractions, including decimals and percentages. Students will also do a short revision test of the measurement skills practised last week – skills which are used in their testing procedures.
English
The children will draft and then complete their science lab reports to show the aim, procedure, results and conclusions from their science test.
What can I do to help?
· Maths - please continue to refer to the information booklet that was distributed to parents in Term 1. This document has valuable information about different strategies and methods used to teach maths.
With thanks,
David Barrett, David Gocentas and Ms Isabel Costa Pereira
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Newsletter - Term 2 (Week 6)
Dear Parents,
Week 6 has arrived and the children are just about to start their summative assessment for the unit. The children have enjoyed several experiments in recent weeks and are now in a position to do some quality control testing of their own!
Reflections – 2nd – 6th February
Last week began with the Year 3-6 cross country races. Thank you to all parents and supporters who braved the cold and wet conditions to support the children. Last week also saw the children focus on our third teacher question, why do we need quality control tests? Children learned about recent product recalls and what can happen in the case of companies who sell defective products, eg. the recent case of contaminated milk being sold in China. Late in the week we also formed small groups to test the elasticity of 2 different brands of rubber bands with the children supporting each other to develop their own hypothesis and quality control tests. The end of the week saw the children tested on their understanding of division concepts taught throughout the Term 2.
Weekly News: 9th — 13th February
Unit of Inquiry
This week we turn our attention to our summative assessment and answering student-initiated questions. In the early part of the week the children will form small groups and choose a product type, eg. nappies, batteries, toilet paper, etc. and compare different brands and perform various quality control tests to determine the best quality products. They will also be asked to examine which of the chosen brands offer the best value for money. In performing these tests, the children will need to demonstrate good thinking skills and come up with accurate and fair quality control tests.
Mathematics
Following last week’s division test, the children will spend some time going over their test results and clarifying any misunderstandings they might have. We will also begin work on fractions this week which we were unable to start last week due to time constraints. While the children are improving their application and understanding of both written and mental strategies for division, many children still need to practise their times tables to 10. While we regularly practise these at school, children really need to be doing time tables exercises and games as part of their maths practise at home. In our class maths groups we will continue working on measuring the mass of different objects through a variety of problem-solving tasks.
English
The children will consolidate their understanding of how to accurately present and write science lab reports. They are now familiar with the various parts of a lab report and will demonstrate their understanding of this genre as part of their summative assessment task. Reading groups will continue to focus on good reading and comprehension strategies, with a particular focus this week on how to respond to different questions showing good thinking skills.
What can I do to help?
· Maths - please continue to refer to the information booklet that was distributed to parents in Term 1. This document has valuable information about different strategies and methods used to teach maths.
Upcoming Events and Reminders:
· Year 6 will be going on a field trip to Jeronimo Martins wharehouse in Azambuja on Monday, 9 February. A BIG THANK YOU to Mr José Silva Ferreira for helping to organise our excursion. Don’t forget that children will have lunch and snack provided on the day and will need to bring a warm coat to wear on the excursion.
· This week students in Years 4 and 6 will participate in the International Schools Assessment. The testing will take place from Tuesday, 10 February to Thursday, 12 February between 8:30am and 10:30am. The assessment tasks are designed to inform international schools of their programs and identify priorities for the future. Please note that results from the testing do no count towards student grades and reports. Given that testing starts at 8:30am, it is very important students arrive at school no later than 8:25am so that testing can begin at 8:30am. Students that are late will be excluded from the test.
· Portuguese Poetry and Mother Tongue Language Day – 19 February.
· Carnaval - as in previous years, we will be celebrating Carnival with a parade. This will take place in the afternoon of the 20th of February. The children dress up in fancy costume and we all gather in the Gym hall for a parade and an afternoon of music and dancing. Please prepare a carnival costume for your child. We regret that we are unable to invite parents on that day.
· Half–term break: 23 – 27 February.
· Music - from term 2 all music sheets will be posted only on Ms Balazs’ blog. If you need a hard copy, you should contact your Ms Balazs.
With thanks,
David Barrett, David Gocentas and Ms Isabel Costa Pereira
Week 6 has arrived and the children are just about to start their summative assessment for the unit. The children have enjoyed several experiments in recent weeks and are now in a position to do some quality control testing of their own!
Reflections – 2nd – 6th February
Last week began with the Year 3-6 cross country races. Thank you to all parents and supporters who braved the cold and wet conditions to support the children. Last week also saw the children focus on our third teacher question, why do we need quality control tests? Children learned about recent product recalls and what can happen in the case of companies who sell defective products, eg. the recent case of contaminated milk being sold in China. Late in the week we also formed small groups to test the elasticity of 2 different brands of rubber bands with the children supporting each other to develop their own hypothesis and quality control tests. The end of the week saw the children tested on their understanding of division concepts taught throughout the Term 2.
Weekly News: 9th — 13th February
Unit of Inquiry
This week we turn our attention to our summative assessment and answering student-initiated questions. In the early part of the week the children will form small groups and choose a product type, eg. nappies, batteries, toilet paper, etc. and compare different brands and perform various quality control tests to determine the best quality products. They will also be asked to examine which of the chosen brands offer the best value for money. In performing these tests, the children will need to demonstrate good thinking skills and come up with accurate and fair quality control tests.
Mathematics
Following last week’s division test, the children will spend some time going over their test results and clarifying any misunderstandings they might have. We will also begin work on fractions this week which we were unable to start last week due to time constraints. While the children are improving their application and understanding of both written and mental strategies for division, many children still need to practise their times tables to 10. While we regularly practise these at school, children really need to be doing time tables exercises and games as part of their maths practise at home. In our class maths groups we will continue working on measuring the mass of different objects through a variety of problem-solving tasks.
English
The children will consolidate their understanding of how to accurately present and write science lab reports. They are now familiar with the various parts of a lab report and will demonstrate their understanding of this genre as part of their summative assessment task. Reading groups will continue to focus on good reading and comprehension strategies, with a particular focus this week on how to respond to different questions showing good thinking skills.
What can I do to help?
· Maths - please continue to refer to the information booklet that was distributed to parents in Term 1. This document has valuable information about different strategies and methods used to teach maths.
Upcoming Events and Reminders:
· Year 6 will be going on a field trip to Jeronimo Martins wharehouse in Azambuja on Monday, 9 February. A BIG THANK YOU to Mr José Silva Ferreira for helping to organise our excursion. Don’t forget that children will have lunch and snack provided on the day and will need to bring a warm coat to wear on the excursion.
· This week students in Years 4 and 6 will participate in the International Schools Assessment. The testing will take place from Tuesday, 10 February to Thursday, 12 February between 8:30am and 10:30am. The assessment tasks are designed to inform international schools of their programs and identify priorities for the future. Please note that results from the testing do no count towards student grades and reports. Given that testing starts at 8:30am, it is very important students arrive at school no later than 8:25am so that testing can begin at 8:30am. Students that are late will be excluded from the test.
· Portuguese Poetry and Mother Tongue Language Day – 19 February.
· Carnaval - as in previous years, we will be celebrating Carnival with a parade. This will take place in the afternoon of the 20th of February. The children dress up in fancy costume and we all gather in the Gym hall for a parade and an afternoon of music and dancing. Please prepare a carnival costume for your child. We regret that we are unable to invite parents on that day.
· Half–term break: 23 – 27 February.
· Music - from term 2 all music sheets will be posted only on Ms Balazs’ blog. If you need a hard copy, you should contact your Ms Balazs.
With thanks,
David Barrett, David Gocentas and Ms Isabel Costa Pereira
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Newsletter - Term 2 (Week 5)
Dear Parents,
Week 5 is here and we are in the midst of more testing! Throughout our current unit of inquiry the children have had to demonstrate good teamwork, knowledge and thinking skills. This week will be no different!
Reflections: 26th – 30th January
Last week we had a big focus on our second teacher question, how are products tested? Students spent much of the week learning about quality control testing, including failure testing, statistical testing and animal testing. We did some hands-on experiments last week to experience quality control first-hand. The students in 6G designed ‘egg transportation devices’ that had to safely transport an egg from a height of 3 metres to the floor without causing the egg to crack. While in 6B the students had to design bridges that could withstand various weights without collapsing (stress testing). In both cases, the children had to ensure appropriate quality control checks to ensure that their completed designs worked. Those that didn’t pass the ‘failure test’ were given the chance to go back and improve their designs, materials and/or the assembly of their products.
Weekly News: 2nd — 6th February
Unit of Inquiry
This week we turn our attention to our final teacher question, why do we need quality control? During the week we will look closely at some case studies where consumers have been injured or deceived by poor quality products and what the repercussions were for the companies involved. We will continue doing more hands-on science experiments this week and begin our rubber band elasticity testing that was originally planned for last week.
Mathematics
The focus of our maths groups this week will be to revise division concepts taught during Term 2 and to begin to introduce fraction concepts. The children are improving their application and understanding of both written and mental strategies for division and will be tested on their understanding of these strategies later in the week. In our class maths groups we will turn our attention towards accurately measuring the mass of different objects through a variety of problem-solving tasks.
English
The children will continue to learn about the purpose, structure and language features of lab reports. They are now familiar with the various parts of a lab report and will continue to develop their skills in this area. Reading groups will continue to focus on good reading and comprehension strategies, with a particular focus this week on how to respond to questions in their own words rather than copying large chunks of writing from a text.
What can I do to help?
· Don’t forget to check the class blogs to find links to sites that will support your child in their class work. Look for the Testing, Testing 1,2,3 link in the Unit of Inquiry menu box to find great websites and information for you and your child.
· Maths - please continue to refer to the information booklet that was distributed to parents in Term 1. This document has valuable information about different strategies and methods used to teach maths.
Upcoming Events and Reminders:
· We are currently negotiating our first field trip for the year. We are very lucky to have a Year 6 parent who works for a company who is involved in product and quality control testing. As soon as dates and details are confirmed we will let you know.
· Due to illness and bad weather, last Friday’s Junior School cross country (Years 3-6) was cancelled and is now scheduled for Monday, 2 February. Year 6 will be leaving school and walking to the course at 1:30pm and the race is scheduled to start at 1:45pm. Parents are more than welcome to attend and support the children.
· Portuguese Poetry and Mother Tongue Language Day – 19 February.
· Half –term break – 23 – 27 February.
· Music - From term 2 all music sheets will be posted only on Ms Balazs’ blog. If you need a hard copy, you should contact your Ms Balazs.
With thanks,
David Barrett, David Gocentas and Ms Isabel Costa Pereira
Week 5 is here and we are in the midst of more testing! Throughout our current unit of inquiry the children have had to demonstrate good teamwork, knowledge and thinking skills. This week will be no different!
Reflections: 26th – 30th January
Last week we had a big focus on our second teacher question, how are products tested? Students spent much of the week learning about quality control testing, including failure testing, statistical testing and animal testing. We did some hands-on experiments last week to experience quality control first-hand. The students in 6G designed ‘egg transportation devices’ that had to safely transport an egg from a height of 3 metres to the floor without causing the egg to crack. While in 6B the students had to design bridges that could withstand various weights without collapsing (stress testing). In both cases, the children had to ensure appropriate quality control checks to ensure that their completed designs worked. Those that didn’t pass the ‘failure test’ were given the chance to go back and improve their designs, materials and/or the assembly of their products.
Weekly News: 2nd — 6th February
Unit of Inquiry
This week we turn our attention to our final teacher question, why do we need quality control? During the week we will look closely at some case studies where consumers have been injured or deceived by poor quality products and what the repercussions were for the companies involved. We will continue doing more hands-on science experiments this week and begin our rubber band elasticity testing that was originally planned for last week.
Mathematics
The focus of our maths groups this week will be to revise division concepts taught during Term 2 and to begin to introduce fraction concepts. The children are improving their application and understanding of both written and mental strategies for division and will be tested on their understanding of these strategies later in the week. In our class maths groups we will turn our attention towards accurately measuring the mass of different objects through a variety of problem-solving tasks.
English
The children will continue to learn about the purpose, structure and language features of lab reports. They are now familiar with the various parts of a lab report and will continue to develop their skills in this area. Reading groups will continue to focus on good reading and comprehension strategies, with a particular focus this week on how to respond to questions in their own words rather than copying large chunks of writing from a text.
What can I do to help?
· Don’t forget to check the class blogs to find links to sites that will support your child in their class work. Look for the Testing, Testing 1,2,3 link in the Unit of Inquiry menu box to find great websites and information for you and your child.
· Maths - please continue to refer to the information booklet that was distributed to parents in Term 1. This document has valuable information about different strategies and methods used to teach maths.
Upcoming Events and Reminders:
· We are currently negotiating our first field trip for the year. We are very lucky to have a Year 6 parent who works for a company who is involved in product and quality control testing. As soon as dates and details are confirmed we will let you know.
· Due to illness and bad weather, last Friday’s Junior School cross country (Years 3-6) was cancelled and is now scheduled for Monday, 2 February. Year 6 will be leaving school and walking to the course at 1:30pm and the race is scheduled to start at 1:45pm. Parents are more than welcome to attend and support the children.
· Portuguese Poetry and Mother Tongue Language Day – 19 February.
· Half –term break – 23 – 27 February.
· Music - From term 2 all music sheets will be posted only on Ms Balazs’ blog. If you need a hard copy, you should contact your Ms Balazs.
With thanks,
David Barrett, David Gocentas and Ms Isabel Costa Pereira
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