Coming up this week and next

Our first Geography Quiz will be next Tuesday, March 1st. We have covered three chapters so far in our unit on Human Patterns: chapters 1, 3 and 4. The students should review their notes and new vocabulary list. We will be working with real land use planning maps from the City of Ottawa next week in Geography.

Students are also finishing their draft book reports this week and will be going to the computer lab next week to revise and complete good copies.

I will be absent all week as I am undergoing eye surgery. Be assured that the students are in good hands with Ms. V. I hope to be back in the classroom early next week.

Students will be performing an original play at Glashan next week, to celebrate Black History Month. The play is entitled Africville: Our Home and is written and directed by Rick Desclouds, a well-loved, former teacher at the school. The play recounts the tragic story of the historic community of Africville, which was situated at the north end of Halifax, Nova Scotia. This mainly African-Canadian community of close to 400 residents lasted for over 200 years before being demolished by the city of Halifax in 1968. It is a story of neglect and prejudice but also a tale of resiliance, accomplishment and dignity. Two complete casts of students and a talented choir will present six performances of the play: four morning performances for students and two night performances for the community. The two night performances will take place next Tuesday, February 15th and Wednesday, February 16th at 7:15pm. Parents and members of the public are welcome to join us. Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for students, with a family maximum of $10. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the office or at the door. I will be helping out back stage and hope to see you there!

Geography Curriculum Begins

Last week marked the beginning of the 2nd term and we started our Geography curriculum. The first unit of the grade 8 curriculum is Patterns in Human Geography. Students received text books last week and we have covered Chapter 1, on the historic settlement patterns which have developed in different parts of Canada. For example, settlements in Quebec grew along the St. Lawrence River in a linear pattern, whereas settlements in Ontario were more evenly scattered. This week we are examining the growth of cities around the world, which is covered in Chapter 3 of the textbook. Students will be mapping the world's cities with a population over 10 million people later this week.

New Cigarette Package Warning Labels

This week in Media Literacy we read and discussed an article about the new cigarette warning labels that have been developed by the Federal Government. We learned that 37,000 Canadians die each year of tobacco related illnesses. The new warning labels will take up 75% of the packaging and feature very graphic images and messages. One of these images is of a former model, Barb Tarbox on her deathbed. The caption beside the image says: "This is what dying of cancer looks like". Students have gone to the computer lab to view samples of the new warning labels and give their personal evaluation of whether or not they are effective. They have also been asked to suggest their own strategies to help people stop smoking.

Report Cards

February marks the beginning of the 2nd term and first term report cards go home with students this Wednesday. You will notice some differences in the new report card. Learning skills are on the front page of the report card, which reflects how important many teachers believe these skills are for student success. The focus of comments on the report card are on identifying some strengths, as well as giving suggestions for next steps your child can make for improvement. Please let me know if you wish to meet any of your child's teachers regarding their progress. We will be talking this week about goal setting for term 2. Please take the time to discuss your child's goals for the new term at home as well.