Final stretch...

As the weather is getting better and the days longer, it certainly feels like we are on the final stretch before the summer. Can you believe that we only have four more weeks of classes left??! Division 4 however is taking advantage of the momentum and there is no time to slow down. One of the big highlights these past few weeks was definitely our Social Studies Project: The Aboriginal Culture posters and presentations. WOW!! I am so impressed with the quality of our students' work, especially the presentations, which have been fantastic, considering that most of our Grade 4 students have never done any public speaking prior to it. It was great to see the students make an effort to retain the information, answer questions from the audience, use cue cards and demonstrate some very impressive public speaking skills. Way to go, Division 4! A great skill to develop!

 Here are also some pictures from this month's Jump Rope For Heart event:

A very busy classroom...

These past weeks have been extremely busy for Division 4 and we have definitely made LEARNING our main focus. Chase commented the other day that I keep "pushing everyone to their limits" - I am so happy to know that my efforts are noted and that many of our students are embracing the challenge and have made incredible progress throughout the last few months! I sometimes have to pinch myself and remind myself that these are "just Grade 4 students", because I think that they have come such a long way this year and the difference between where the students are now compared to where they were in September is amazing! I know, I know I don't tell them often enough, but I feel that too many kudos make their heads too big (...my grandmother used to say that!).
The greatest progress is definitely noted in Math! Almost all of our boys and girls are now proficient in their multiplication times tables ... thanks to the ongoing, wonderful support from families, peers and support staff at our school!! We are now working on multiplication of two-digit numbers by one-digit numbers, which is a bit more challenging, but it is great to see so many students eager to accept the challenge! I really do feel that these students have now an excellent foundation in Math, and they can feel confident and well-prepared for Grade 5.
In Social Studies we have started our big project and our students are researching various topics related to Aboriginal culture. Some of them are working with a partner, others choose to work on their own. It is great to see everyone so passionate about their topic and working hard to create a comprehensive and visually appealing poster board. Here are some of the students in the library doing research:

 

Earlier in April we went to the Metchosin firehall to learn about fire safety as well as personal safety. The RCMP as well as the fire departments had set up various stations where we were able to gather some valuable information. Jacob and Thalia even got to try out the fire extinguisher and demonstrated safe operation of this very important device that should be available in every home:

Friendship continues to be an important topic in Division 4 and almost every day, we find time to discuss what it means to be a kind person and a good friend. We noticed that kindness is not always easy, especially when we get hurt by others or when we are scared. We also discovered that nobody wants to be left out and that everyone wants to belong! Here are some other characteristics of friendship (and of what friendship is NOT), collected by the students:

Last, but not least, we have been getting ready for Mother's Day this week. Of course, I do not want to give it all away here, but let me just say this much: All of you moms and grandmothers out there deserve a big cheer and you have a little something to look forward to! Happy Mother's Day weekend to all of you!