Christmas Games, Christmas Games, Christmas Games

Try out some of these games over the holidays!

Santa vs. Jack Frost

Snowline

Dodge to the Lodge

Ashton's Family Resort

Christmas Tree Light Up

Santa Ski Jump

Deep Freeze

The Night Before Christmas

Christmas is Coming...

It is a busy week! Please take note of everything that is happening!

We will be skating on Wednesday afternoon from 1:45 to 2:45pm. Any parent volunteers would be appreciated. Kids are encouraged to bring skates and helmets.

Thursday is Speakers Club! Please come prepared so our day is a success!

Thursday is also our student teacher Miss Gentile's last day. We will be so sad to see her go.

Our next Science Test will be on Wed. Dec. 21st. Students will be bringing home their science duotangs and a study guide. Please help them to study for this. A little bit each night helps!

Have a great week!

Introducing Nikki's Bright Minds Library!

Today we unveiled our new lending library at Nicholas Sheran... and it looks amazing!

December Already!?!

I cannot believe we are already getting into December! Here is some info about what is going on this week...

Mon. - Reading logs are due tomorrow!

Tues. - Reading logs due

Wed.  - Our class will be performing at the assembly at 8:45am. Don't forget your "Christmas bling" for your performance (Santa hats, reindeer antlers, etc... )

          - It is also Crazy Sock Day on Wednesday. Wear your fanciest socks today and show off those cute feet.

          - Hot lunch for those who ordered

          - Our Reward Party is today! 

Have a great week!

Practice makes perfect!

Here is the link to the Christmas Cup song so you can practice at home!

Christmas Cup Song



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Hot Ice

Geoff saw this cool experiment online and thought you guys might be interested in it since we are studying chemical reactions?

How do you think this works? 

And as always... don't ever try an experiment at home without an adult!

Phases of Matter

Yesterday we watched Bill Nye talk about States of Matter and discussed how solids, liquids, and gases can change. You can watch the video here!

Go Canes Go!

The Hurricanes were here yesterday and everyone had so much fun! They talked to us about leadership and making good choices, and they played a floor hockey game too.
We had a great time!

I hope you have a great week!

This video makes me just as happy as it did the first 964 times I watched it!


Don't forget that Book Orders are due on Tuesday!
Wednesday is Rock Your Mocs, so come wearing your moccasins.
We also have our assembly on Wednesday.
Mrs. Court will not be at school on Thursday because she is going to a course about teaching reading.
And.... report cards go home on Friday!

Happy Monday everybody!

Today was our Remembrance Day ceremony, and it was so great to see so many people attend! The Grade 5s have been talking a lot about Remembrance Day this week. We have been creating posters about Remembrance Day, some students have been preparing to participate in the assembly, and we had a special guest share some amazing artifacts from World War II with us. It was a great, but short, week.

Remember, no school tomorrow or Friday! We will see you on Monday - enjoy this lovely weather!

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween today! Please make sure your costume is noticeable and you have a flashlight with you! I want you all here in one piece tomorrow.

Book Orders are due on Nov. 15th

Don't forget to study for our Science Test this week! The test is on Thursday.

We have an assembly on Wednesday at 8:45.

And here is a link to some of the best pet costumes I have seen in awhile... Enjoy!

News for this week...

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Today, we have picture retakes and our 5A class photo.

Wednesday is a busy one! Book Talks are due, we have our school Mathathon, and it is also Hot Lunch. Chinook High School students will also be at the school that day to share a play on bullying with us.

On Friday, we have our Halloween Parade, which starts at 9am. This is also the day of our Grade 5 Reward Party.

Please don't forget to bring your reading logs this week!

20 Things We Should Say More Often

Autumn Art

Today we finished up an art project that has been really fun and they turned out really beautiful. I am super proud of the hard work and attention to detail all of the Grade 5s put in!

Here are a few photos from our work in progress...

Reminders for the week...

Just a reminder that our first SPEAKERS CLUB is this Wednesday! We have been talking about it at school, but if you have any last minute questions about your speech, let me know! I am really excited to see all of your speeches!

Photo packages are due on Tuesday. If you are waiting for retakes, they are next Monday, Oct. 24th. Just a reminder that we will be doing our class picture on Mon. Oct. 24th.

We don't have any school this Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, so teachers can learn about the new report card system.

And here is a little pep talk from Kid President to you for this week! I hope it is a great one.

Our Classroom Mission Statement

Last week we developed our classroom mission statement by brainstorming what we wanted to see in ourselves this year. This is what we all came up with...

This week was busy and filled with lots of activity! Here are a few photos from the last few days...

October Already?!!?

I cannot believe how fast this year is flying by!

Don't forget...

Wednesday - we have our school assembly, as well as our Social Studies test on geography and mapping. I hope you are studying at home!

Heap the Jeep is this week! If you can, please bring a non-perishable food item for the Lethbridge Food Bank any day until Friday.

And (I know you will all be so sad) there is no school on Monday (Thanksgiving) and Tuesday (a Professional Learning day for teachers). Have a great week!

Social Studies Test - Wed. Oct. 5th!

Your first Social Studies quiz will be coming up soon! Your quiz will be on Wed. Oct. 5^th. You will need to study at home for this quiz. We will also be going over the content at school. You will need to use the information in your Social Studies duotang to help you.

Your quiz will have questions about:

1.   The Compass Rose

2.   Provinces of Canada (you will need to locate these on a map)

3.   Oceans around Canada (you will need to locate these on a map)

4.   Locating the continents and oceans on a map of the world

5.   Using cardinal and intercardinal directions to find locations on a map

6.   Reading a map grid

7.   Using latitude and longitude on a map

Please use the topics above to help you study. If you have any questions, please ask me!

Thanks and Good Luck! – Mrs. Court

I hope everyone is having a great week! I received a text today showing me some AWESOME artwork, which made me really happy. Enjoy your Wednesday!

Happy Fall!

I may be gone doing training today but I'm thinking of everyone back at school! I hope you are having a great day with Mr. Firth!
This week is a busy one...
Tuesday is Picture Day! Dress for success and smile big!
There will also be a lockdown practice tomorrow during Music class on Tuesday.
Wednesday is our first hot lunch day for kids that ordered.
I will be back to school on Thursday, finally! Yay! Thursday is also Grade 5 Reward Day.
Friday is Orange Shirt Day. If you would like to learn more about Orange Shirt Day, no worries! Mrs. Terpstra will be visiting our class this week to tell us more about it. You can also check out www.orangeshirtday.org
Have a great week!
Mrs. Court


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Remembering a Canadian Hero

Our school's Terry Fox Run is this Friday! We will start walking at 9:15. If you would like to bring a cash donation to raise money for cancer research, you can drop off your donation in the office.

This week in 5A...

We have another busy week at school! We are really getting into the swing of things here, and we are working hard and still managing to have some fun.
This week...
We picked our roles for Speakers Club next month, so start thinking about your topic.
We have our assembly on Wednesday at 8:45.
Book Talk Choices are due on Thursday!
And make sure you have your Scholastic book orders in by Thursday, because that is the day Mrs. Court is ordering!
The Terry Fox Run is on Friday at 9:15 - if you would like to donate, bring cash donations to the office.
Enrichment starts this Friday too

And don't forget that next Tuesday the 27th is Picture Day, so get your smiles ready!

One more reminder... keep up that home reading! Have a great week.

Happy Dot Day!

Today we celebrated Dot Day and made our mark on the world. Leaders are creative and brave - and that's what we strive to be!

Check out the music video that goes with Peter Reynolds' The Dot here:
https://vimeo.com/104743082?crlt.pid=camp.uVVkpas0YoQP

Or you can learn the actions that go with the song here with song writer and artist Emily Arrow...

This Week...

Don't forget, it's Meet the Teacher night on Wednesday, from 6pm to 7pm. There will be a short presentation in the gym, then a classroom presentation.

Also on Wednesday, the Bookmobile will be at Nicholas Sheran School. Our class has a short window to check out the bookmobile - but only if students have their library card with them on that day! If you would like your child to go to the bookmobile, please make sure you check that they have their library card on Wednesday.

And as always, I hope you read tonight! Record it on your home reading log so you can join other home readers at the Movie Reward Party at the end of the month!

The Scientific Method

Yesterday we were discussing the Scientific Method and we watched a couple videos to get us thinking scientifically...

Enjoy! And I hope you don't get the Scientific Method song stuck in your head (like me).

I am so excited that we will be reading the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Check out the book trailer here!

Welcome Back to School!

Welcome to 5A! My name is Nicole Court and I am new to Nicholas Sheran this year. I am really excited to be joining such an enthusiastic and passionate school community.  For the past ten years, I have taught at Milk River Elementary School. This year, I will be the 5A homeroom teacher. Mr. Hoare will be teaching French and P.E. to 5A. On Fridays, all four Grade 5 classes will be combined into three groups, taught by Mrs. Wood, Mrs. Erickson, and Mr. Hoare.

 Each student will be taking home an agenda today. This agenda will go home every day, should be checked by a parent and initialed, and then sent back the following morning. This agenda will be a primary source of communication between us, so it is very important that the routine is kept up. Students also learn a valuable organizational lesson by using these agendas regularly. They will be writing reminders and notes about special events in these agendas weekly. I also send home any newsletters, extra assignments, or study guides in the agenda. I really appreciate your cooperation, as it helps me stay organized during those hectic school days! If you have any comments or concerns, please write them in the agenda and I will respond back to you. If students ride the bus, any bus messages can be recorded here as well.

With regard to absences, please report all absences on the Safe Arrival school site. This is a school policy and allows us to keep organized and make sure all of our students are safe and accounted for. The website address is lethsd51.schoolconnects.com, For more information, talk to support staff at the office or visit the Nicholas Sheran school website.

            In 5A, the only regular homework will be nightly reading at home. There will be times when students will be expected to study for tests in subjects such as Science and Social Studies. When studying for tests, it is important for parents to remember that students need help in Grade 5 with learning good study skills. We will review concepts at school prior to tests and study guides will be sent home well in advance, but parent guidance is very beneficial for students at this age. Any extra help you can give them when studying for tests would be great. Students will also be involved in the Grade 5 Speakers Club each month, as well as Book Talks four times per year.

Students are encouraged to read every night. They can read aloud, silently, to a family member, friend, even a pet – any type of reading is fabulous! Students will learn to become more independent readers this year, choosing books at their reading and interest level. Students are welcome to borrow books from my classroom library, as well as the school library, to take home to read. In the front cover of each student’s agenda is a Home Reading Log. Parents and students can work together to fill in their reading logs each night. Students will earn rewards by doing consistent reading practice at home.

Students will be working on a spelling program that is tailored to each individual student’s needs, decided by diagnostic testing and student-teacher observations and discussions. Students will be assessed on their spelling abilities consistently, but will not be having weekly spelling tests as they may have in the past. Students will not need to practice specific spelling words each week at home.

            I know that kids are active and often get hungry through the school day. I sure enjoy munching on an apple while I work to get my brain moving! Students are welcome to snack on healthy foods while they are in my classroom during lessons, as long as it does not interfere with learning or other students. The catch is that these must be healthy snacks. Students are welcome to eat a “treat” (such as chocolate bars, potato chips, etc.) at lunch. So feel free to pack an extra piece of fruit or a granola bar, or any other nutritious snack, if you think they will need it. This is a classroom policy, so students need to remember to be respectful of their other teachers’ choices with regard to snacks. Another item that needs to be mentioned is that we have a student in our class with a peanut allergy, so please refrain from packing snacks or lunches that contain peanuts. Students will not be permitted to eat food with peanuts in the Grade 5 area.

            I also use a classroom blog as a communication tool with students and parents – www.mrscourt.blogspot.ca. On this blog, you will be able to check out student work, see homework and quiz updates, find some great games for all subject areas, and just read about what goes on during our school day.

            Regarding school supplies, I would like to add two extra supplies to students’ lists – sorry about the late notice! I would like students in 5A to bring an unlined sketchbook for art class (dollar store sketchbooks are just fine) and one bottle of white glue (Elmers is a good brand).

Thanks so much for allowing me to work with you and your child. I know this year is going to be filled with fun, learning, and excitement!

If at first you don't succeed...

Today we checked this video out because I think it is a great reminder of what our Grade Five year should be like. We aren't going to get everything right the first time, or understand every new concept or problem immediately. So celebrate your failures and your successes!

It's Coming...

I am really excited about the the school year starting next week!
Maybe not as excited as this dog, but I'm still excited.

School Supplies for 5A

5A School Supplies – 2016-2017

This is a list of the supplies required for our class this year. Two items are in bold because they were just recently added to the list. Please have students bring these supplies to school as soon as possible. Thanks!

3 duo tangs (prongs) – Yellow

3 duo tangs (prongs) – Orange

3 duo tangs (prongs) – Red

3 duo tangs (prongs) – Green

3 duo tangs (prongs) – Blue

3 duo tangs (prongs) – Purple

3 lined exercise books (no coils)

2 large fabric zippered pencil cases

36 HB #2 pencils – Good Quality

2 red pens

2 blue pens

2 Sharpie permanent fine point black markers

1 yellow highlighter

1 package of pencil crayons (24)

1 package of felt markers

4 white premium erasers

2 pencil sharpeners with shaving compartments (Good Quality)

1 pair of large scissors

1 clear plastic ruler (mm/cm)

4 glue sticks

1 package of Post It Notes

1 basic calculator

1 D cell battery

1 pair of headphones

1 box of Kleenex

1 pair of runners kept at school

1 art shirt - optional

1 roll of paper towel

1 Black 1” 3 Ring Binder - clear front overlay (Leadership Binder - new students to NSCS ONLY)

1 package of 4 Expo dry erase markers

1 bottle of white glue (Elmers is a good brand)

1 sketchbook (dollar store ones are fine)

First Summer Excursion...

Summer just started, but we are making sure we make the most of it in the Court household!
We took a short trip to Victoria to relax and enjoy being near the ocean for a few days... it was wonderful! We ate great food, walked for hours, and went kayaking on the ocean.