Christmas Hampers

A great big thank you to all the parents who sent in food, gifts and money for the Christmas Hamper. The students were very happy to be able to provide a family in need with a wonderful holiday. Thank you to all the parents who helped pack the hampers and get them loaded in the cars: Mr. Kantzioris, Mr. Erickson & Mr. Iwanusiw. A special thanks to Mr. Moder, Mrs. Moder, & Kennedy who helped deliver the hampers. We received a very heartfelt thank you from the family and they were overwhelmed by our donation. École Assiniboine was able to help five families through the Adopt a Family program.

Adopt a Family

Adopt a Family

Grade 4/5 room 11, grade 4 room 12 and grade 5 room 22 have decided to participate in the Adopt-a-Family program. We will keep an updated list of what we have received. Here is a list of the items we need/have for the family:
Items Needed	How many we need	Items received so far
Bread	4 loaves - DONE (should be in that box -----)
Cake Mix	1 box	2 boxes - DONE
Candy	1.5 lbs	4 packages - DONE
Cereal	2 large boxes	2 boxes - DONE
Chips	3 bags	3 bags - DONE
Cookies	3 pkgs.	3 boxes - DONE
Cranberry Sauce	3 cans	3 cans - DONE
Eggs	3 doz.	2 dozen
Fruit	4 cans	4 cans - DONE
Jam or Honey	3 jars	3 jars - DONE
Jelly Powder	3 pkgs.	6 packages - DONE
Juice	2L	3 L - DONE
Milk	6L	8 L - DONE
Nuts	3 cans	1 can
Oatmeal	3 pkgs.	3 packages - DONE
Onions	1 med. bag	1 bag - DONE
Pancake Mix	3 pkgs.	4 packages - DONE
Pancake Syrup	1 reg. bottle	1 bottle - DONE
Pasta	3 pkgs.	4 packages - DONE
Pasta Sauce	3 cans	3 jars - DONE
Peanut Butter	3 jars	3 jars - DONE
Potatoes	10 lb bag	1 bag - DONE
Pudding	3 pkgs.	6 packages - DONE
Rice	3 pkgs.	3 packages - DONE
Margarine	1 med.	1 container - DONE
Gravy	3 cans/pkgs.	3 packages - DONE
Crackers	2 boxes	2 boxes - DONE
Soup	6 cans	9 cans - DONE
Sugar	3 kg.	1 bag - DONE
Tea or Coffee	3 pkgs.	3 packages - DONE
Tuna/Salmon	4 cans	8 cans - DONE
Turkey	15-17 lbs.	1 turkey - DONE
Vegetables	4 cans	6 cans - DONE

Other things: 6 boxes of Kraft Dinner, 1 chili kit, Crystal Light, Wow Butter, Lentils, stuffing mix, 2 cans of hot chocolate, chocolate chips, Side Kicks (X2), 1 bag of flour, fruit crisps, Spam, 

Gifts: 
6 year old girl - 2 pairs of pants, markers & colouring book, Barbie Mariposa Fairy Princess, Barbie Castle Playset
9 year old girl - Hello Kitty (shampoo & conditioner), Hello Kitty Stickers, Zoobles princess, Barbie Mariposa Butterfly Princess, Bead activity set
14 year old girl - Scrabble Flash Game, PJ pants, books, watch, Chapter's Gift Card
mom & dad - 20$ in Tim Horton's cards, Fleece Pillow & Blanket, Bath soaps
money - 25$ We will use this to purchase missing items or a gift card for the family

Our experience with TiBert le voyageur

TiBert le voyageur was our artist for this term and he spoke to us about sounds and vibrations. He is good at singing, playing instruments and making sound effects. He worked with our class for 6 periods.

On the first day, he showed us a number of instruments and explained how they make sounds. We went to five different stations: the spoons, percussion instruments, the microphone and amplifier, harmonicas and traditional instruments. We also got to play with the box drum as well as the two drums with skin on the top. Tibert sang some songs and at the beginning of the period and we learned to keep rhythm.

On the second visit, we made three different instruments: spoons, drum/percussion sticks and a pan flute with straws. To make the spoons we used plastic spoons, a wooden bead and tape. We also used a stir stick to create different sounds with vibrations. You can see the vibrations if you look close at it. He played la guimbarde (mouth harp or rattletrap). It was cool.

On the third visit, we used our instruments, our voices and lots of percussion instruments to make 3 loop pedal jams. TiBert also did some beat boxing. He used his magic box (loop pedal box) to record the sounds and mix them together. Some people used their voices and we even used plastic eggs with beads/rice inside to create a beat. One group added "Danse les amis, Danse - Whoo Whoo!" At the end of the session we all got up to dance!

We had a lot of fun making instruments, making music and creating some beats. We hope that TiBert can come again some day.

Written by the students of room 11

Happy Turkey Day!

Here is a poem we presented in groups today in honour of Thanksgiving!

A Thanksgiving Dinner
by: Maude M. Grant

Take a turkey, stuff it fat,
Some of this and some of that.
Get some turnips, peel them well.
Cook a big squash in its shell.

Now potatoes, big and white,
Mash till they are soft and light.
Cranberries, so tart and sweet,
With the turkey we must eat.

Pickles-yes-and then, oh my!
For a dessert a pumpkin pie,
Golden brown and spicy sweet.
What a fun Thanksgiving treat!

Gérald Laroche - musician & artist

Gérald Laroche is a Juno award winning musician and visual artist who spent the day in our class and school. He visited École Assiniboine thanks to a grant from Canadian Parents for French. In the morning he spent time with our class teaching some simple shortcuts to sketching and drawing characters. He taught us the basics to drawing a stickman and how to add movement to a drawing. He also explained how to add details such as shoes, hands and faces. He was able to teach us how to add details to the drawing and tell a story. In the afternoon he presented a concert where he played various harmonicas and other percussion instruments along with his storytelling. We even had the chance to stand up and dance!

TWAS - October 4

This week our class decided to write a community TWAS entry. Students were given a topic and wrote about what we did as a group.

In English, we did "Words Their Way." We did a blind writing sort with our words. What we did was write the words in our booklet in the correct column after our partner read the word aloud. We also read chapters 3 & 4 of our novel study Little House in the Big Woods. We did a drawing about a part of the book and wrote sentences about the connections we had with the book.
 - Ethan, Olivia Kennedy & Matthew

This week at school, we did a readers' theatre play called "La rentrée". It is about school objects that can talk to each other. We also learned how to identify nouns and articles in sentences. We used our highlighters to mark the words.
 - Shea, Nicholas, Ro & Caitlyn

Our main subject in sciences humaines is how to resolve conflicts and be a good citizen. You cannot solve a conflict without finding a peaceful solution. You can do that by compromising, using your words or moving away from the problem. If the person who is bothering you does not stop, you have the right to go to a teacher or a responsible adult that you trust to help you solve the problem.
It is important to respect private and public property. If something is private property, it means it belongs to someone and you need to get permission from the person who owns it to have anything to do with it. Public property means you have the right to do something with it - although you still have to respect it.
- Hannah E., Parker, Tanner & Julia

This week in music we started choir. We're doing a song called "Take These Wings". It is about a sparrow dying and a baby sparrow starting life. We also started Orff. We are doing a play about birds fighting. In art we are learning about textures and did a texture picture.
- Hannah T., Malikie, Jeremy & Diana

 In math, we learned about how many ones, tens and hundreds are in a number. We had a lot of fun doing math this week. We also did some mental math activities. We did a review of addition strategies. In math we also worked with Mme Kwiatkowski.  We did a dance with the hundred chart showing the multiples of 2, 3, 5, 7 & 10.
- Kamal, Anna, Caleb & Elise

In sciences naturelles, we are learning about sounds - high, low, soft, loud, pleasant and unpleasant. We wrote down sounds we like and ones we don't like. If we didn't have vibrations, there would not be sounds. Sounds go in all directions and if it hits a wall it will bounce off and keep on going.
- Dylan, Anaïs, Bren & Amber

Thanks for reading about our week. If you wish to leave a comment, click on the link below.

Divisional Cross-Country - October 3, 2013

The divisional cross-country race has changed from 1:30 to 1:20 pm. We will be leaving École Assiniboine at 12:35pm and we are expected to return at 2:15 pm.
We need some volunteers to help with the run and as supervisors on the bus. If you are available, please let me know via email: clachance@sjsd.net or phone at (204) 885-2216

Thanks,
Mme Lachance

Regular Bedtimes

I recently read an article entitled "Regular bedtimes better for young minds". This article discusses the importance of a regular bedtime and how it affects school performance. The study suggests "consistency of your children's bedtime is associated with positive performance on a variety of intellectual tests." The researchers found that children performed better if they went to bed at a regular time each night.  If you are interested in reading the entire article, click here - http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/08/regular-bedtimes-better-for-young-minds/

Here is some additional information I found on the Kids Health website. It provides information about the amount of sleep needed for School-Age Children

"School-age kids need 10 to 12 hours of sleep a night. Bedtime difficulties can arise at this age for a variety of reasons. Homework, sports and after-school activities, TVs, computers, and video games, as well as hectic family schedules might contribute to kids not getting enough sleep.

Lack of sleep can cause irritable or hyper types of behavior and may make it difficult for kids to pay attention in school. It is important to have a consistent bedtime, especially on school nights. Be sure to leave enough time before bed to allow your child to unwind before lights out."

Team Building Activities

Since the beginning of the year we have done several activities to learn more about our classmates. We did a People Hunt, daily questions about our friends and some community building games. We also worked in cooperative groups to build a structure or object using only the supplies provided: tinfoil, star stickers, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners and tape. The groups were very creative and made the following: a hot air balloon, an ocean, a book, a dinosaur, a dog and a nature garden. By working together, we learned about how to work as a group and share materials. After the activity, we had an opportunity to talk about what we could have done differently.

Terry Fox Run - Friday, September 20

Annual Terry Fox Run - Friday, September 20th 2013

Once again, École Assiniboine will be supporting the Terry Fox Foundation by walking and donating a Loonie or a Toonie to cancer research.  Please help us make a difference by sending $1.00 or $2.00 with your child by the run date!  If you are interested in joining us, please do so.  The event will take place at 2:15 p.m. on Friday, September 20, 2013. (Rain Date: September 27)
Parent Volunteers are always welcome and needed!!!  Please email M. Senecal at rsencal@sjsd.net to let us know if you are able to help out.

Back to School - September 2013

Today was a wonderful first day of school. We spent the morning playing community building games and learning about our new classmates. We learned that "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" is a very popular series and that many students went camping this summer. We also organized our school supplies into the various bins and everything was colour coded! In the afternoon, we completed a reading survey to learn about our reading habits. We also read a funny poem entitled "Welcome Back to School". We then headed to the gym where M Senecal talked about signing up to be a leader for various intra-mural activities throughout the year. Finally, we went over the bus rules and got ready for home. It was a first day filled with fun and a little dancing!

Winnipeg Public Library

Summer is almost here and Winnipeg Public Library is working to make sure it’s full of fun and learning for children and families!

We’ve just launched  our Summer Reading page bringing together all the TD Summer Reading Club and programming information you’ll need.

We have great programs lined up for pre-schoolers, families and school-age children (include special programs just for Tween ages 9-12).  You’ll find story times, writing workshops, a video workshop, Family Literacy Fun Days, Lego Block Parties, musical performers and magicians and readings by Goldeyes players – lots to choose from!

The highlight of our summer with the community is the TD Summer Reading Club – a reading incentive program for school-age children and pre-readers and their families, too.

Visit any of our  20 branches to join the Club. No required reading lists - just read for the fun of it! 

Kids can have fun, improve their reading skills, and reduce summer learning loss. Receive a free activity book, reading calendar log and stickers when you register for the club.  Track your reading to earn ballots for great prize draws in August.

Join us for the annual visit by Goldeyes baseball players who share with kids the fun and importance of reading.

Library Night at the Ballpark is August 1st!  Thanks to the Goldeyes for donating game tickets for a draw at each library.

Registration begins Monday, June 24 - the program ends Friday, August 9.

Divisional Track & Field

Yesterday the students participated in the Divisional Track & Field meet at the Sturgeon Heights Collegiate Track. We participated in the 100 m dash, hurdles, long jump, team dodgeball, ball throw and many more activities. The weather was beautiful and we all had a fantastic day in the sun. Good job to the 4X100 relay teams who all did really well! A big thank you to Mrs. Erickson who brought us popsicles at the end of the day.

Miss Teen Manitoba - Alyssa Wyspianski

This week our class attended a presentation about bullying.  The presentation was given by Alyssa Wyspianski, a former student and now Miss Teen Manitoba.  Alyssa was in Mme Lachance's class in 2004 and graduated from Sturgeon Heights Collegiate last year. 

Alyssa talked about ways to prevent bullying and help people who are being bullied.  She also shared her experiences in middle school and how adults helped her with bullying.  She talked about exclusion which is another way of being bullied.  She really wanted to be part of a group when she was growing up and had difficulty being accepted in the “cool group”.  During her presentation, she did a skit with Arièle to demonstrate how to deal with a bully. 

As Miss Teen Manitoba, Alyssa shares her story with various groups hoping to help people realize that there is help out there. If you are being bullied, you can tell an adult you trust, your friends or your parents. The more tools we have to deal with these situations, the better we will be equipped when it arises.

You can follow Alyssa's blog at http://www.missteenmanitoba.com. She will be competing in Miss Teen World this summer. We wish her all the best!

This Week at School

This has been a very busy week at school.

In music we are doing Garage Band and Mme Burdeniuk is teaching us different ways to add tracks, change volume, use fade out, and put different sounds together.

Today we went to Fort Gibraltar and listened to a storyteller (Evelyn) who told us about how the bear lost his tail and a few other stories. We also did an activity with puppets and retelling classic stories and changing the ending. Finally, some of  played a game with Red Riding Hood and the wolf or a song with emotions.  To learn more about the story telling festival visit: http://umanitoba.ca/storytelling

In French we are doing "Demandons aux spécialistes". There are different topics you can choose from, such as Chef, Gardien du zoo and scientifique.

In Phys. Ed we are doing tennis with a partner. We played a game where the girls sat on one side and the boys sat on the other. The object of the game is to not get eliminated.

The volunteer tea had a baseball theme and the Orff club, Flute club and the choir all sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." There were announcers to tie the whole presentation together.

In English, we are working on memorizing a poem. We can choose "Two Little Dragons" or "What's Mean, Green and Eats Princes?". We are working on facial expression, voice and actions.

In math we are working on large number division. We divide 3 digit numbers by 1 digit numbers. We are also working on our basic facts for multiplication and division.

In art, we did a project about Emily Carr and trees with our artist was Sandra Wiebe. On our first session, we sketched trees with pencils, During our second session, we drew the trees with oil pastels and then painted over it with water colours. On our third session, we used modelling clay to make the trees and then used pastels to add texture.

In Sciences Humaines we started learning about the Plains Aboriginals. We learned that their main food is bison but they also eat berries, fish, caribou, rabbits and other animals. They also made pemmican. They usually lived in teepees and lived a nomadic life.

Celebration of Learning

This Thursday, April 11, at 12:30 our class will be participating in the Celebration of Learning. All parents are welcome to attend. We will perform a Readers' Theatre and song based on our study of Space in Français. Hope to see you there!

Battle of Seven Oaks

Murray Peterson a local historian came in to talk to the class about the differences between 1850 and today. He discussed how our world has changed and how in some ways it has stayed the same. Here is a list of some of connections the students made about this discussion:

1850 - 2013

no iPods or technology in the 1800's

no cars - they used kayaks, canoes, or walked

buildings - they used to live in teepees, and log cabins

recycling is different

clothing - no zippers - back then buttons

population - now there is 7 billion

More mega cities today

food - how we get the food, how we make it and how we prepare it

back then winter was the vacation time - easier to get around on the rivers

summer was time for working - hunting, gardening, prepping for winter

Murray also talked about the "Battle of Seven Oaks" and how pemmican was a valuable asset in the 1800's. So much so, that people were willing to go to war over the control and the sale of pemmican.

Explorer Idol

Today we watched "Explorer Idol" by Canadiana Musical Theatre. This theatre group comes to us from British Columbia and presented a fun filled, rock and roll view of the various explorers who discovered Canada.

"Before the world was mapped, explorers set out to discover new worlds - to boldly go where no one had gone before. If they succeeded, they became the idols of their age - lauded by kings, queens and commoners alike. Explorer Idol introduces six of the greatest Canadian explorers. With music styled after "The British Invasion." William Bligh, James Cook and George Vancouver are the house band. It's a life and death contest to find out which of the six historical celebrities can discover the elusive Northwest Passage first. The explorers were: Jean Cabot, Jacques Cartier, Captain Cook, David Thompson, Alexander Mackenzie and John Franklin. A final vote found David Thompson to be Canada's Greatest Explorer."
You can visit the Canadiana Musical Theatre website here.

Click here to watch a preview video that gives you a taste of what it is all about.

7 Billion People

Mme Eyjolfson has been talking about how the world has changed since the time of the voyageurs in the 1800. The world population at that time was 1 billion. In October 2011, the world population reached 7 billion. Today our class watched a National Geographic video which tells a little about how the world has changed: population, where we live, mega cities, technology etc. We also discussed that the life expectancy of a person in 1800 would have been 40-50 years old and today it is 75-80 years old.

Please click on the following link to watch the video: National Geographic video

Here is a cool website that talks about the world's population: Population

Atlas GéoCircus

On January 23, the grade 5 students attended a play at the Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre entitled GéoCircus. This one man show features: Atlas - a world traveller and juggler. If you want to learn more about circus and geography, just take a quick trip around the world with Atlas GeoCircus! Atlas also provided us with information about how to save water.

You can find out more at the following website: http://atlasgeocircus.com/fr/