Bonjour!
 I was away all day yesterday at an IB meeting in downtown Toronto learning a great deal of information to bring back to SJA. I happy to hear that all the students had nice weekends, and a lot of learning was done in our classroom while I was away.
We started off the day today with language where the children read another chapter of Winnie-the-Pooh and worked on completing their chapter summaries in their novel study groups.  The story is more than half-way completed now, so have a check-in with your child tonight to see how their novel study booklets are coming along!  During our IB unit of inquiry today, the children continued on the big project that was begun in my absence yesterday.  All students have been asked to create write-up for a fictional 'hybrid animal' that they discovered one day out on an adventure.  The children have been asked to use their knowledge of living things, basic needs, mammals, reptiles and insects to give themselves ideas for this project.  Once the write-up is completed, the students will be asked to use clay to create a replica of their animal.  This is going to take place on Thursday.  Students have been told they can being in tools to help them mold their clay sculpture of they wish (straws, tooth picks, toothbrushes, etc.).  During math today the children worked on word problems, sums and differences, and counting money.  They also went to French and music classes.

Homework:  Read for 15 minutes and record in the reading chart, practice weekly spelling words, complete math worksheet, and complete rough copy of animal write-up if necessary.

Important information:  
Some important dates are coming up.  Please make a note of the following:

May 31st- Casual Day
June 6th- Arts Night  (All families are friends are welcome to attend.  All classes will be presenting)
June 8th- Grade 6 Exhibition Presentations  (Grade 6's will be presenting their final PYP assessment from 1 - 3pm.  This is a large assessment piece that all IB students must successfully complete in order to graduate from the PYP program.  Come and see what it is all about!)
June 12th- SJA Spelling Bee
June 13th-  SJA Graduation Night 
June 15th- Last day of school (1/2 day)
Information for SJA Summer Camps are now available.  SJA offers a range of camps over the summer months with a variety of themes ranging from karate camps, to writing camps to traditional summer camps programs.  Please contact the school for more information about these exciting programs.

If your child is part of the SJA choir, please make sure they are practicing the choir song at home.  You can find the song lyrics athttp://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/theparenttrap/doyoubelieveinmagic.htm and play the song for them at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKyGyH9mWHk.  The choir's next performance is going to be at Arts Night on June 6th.


Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson