Visual Arts

In case you haven't had the chance to see some of the mosaics created by the students of Room 202, here are a few pics, before they come down off the bulletin board. Most classes have now completed their pastel animals and we are moving on to self portraits. Drop by to see some of the results.

Student Vote

We are starting to learn about rights and responsibilities in preparation for our participation in Student Vote. The Student Vote program gives students an opportunity to experience democracy first hand. We will be learning about the history of voting rights in Canada, the responsibilities of the different levels of government and how Canadian elections work. Students will also research the positions of the major political parties on a variety of issues. On student vote day, students will cast their own ballot. If you are interested in learning more about the Student Vote program, go to their website at : http://www.studentvote.ca/home.php

News this week

Welcome to our new student teacher, who started this week. Mr. M. has been busy getting to know all of the students and has already started teaching some lessons on Media Literacy. Today we were looking at the message in a number of ads and cartoons about McDonalds. He has also been busy evenings this week, helping out at the boy's basketball tournament. He seems to be really enjoying Glashan so far and the students of Room 202 have made him feel very welcome.

We have finished our first round of literature circle meetings and had some good discussions. Students are now reading and preparing for week 2 meetings which will take place early next week.

Literature Circles Begin!

We have started literature circles in Language Arts this past week. A literature circle is where a small group of students read the same book and meet regularily to discuss what they are reading. Over the course of a month each student will come to the meetings with a different assignment or role work and be prepared to discuss the book with other members of the group. The four roles are: Discussion Director, Media Producer, Point of View Writer and Connector. Each member of the group will have the opportunity to play each role. The discussion director writes questions and organizes the meeting. The Media producer prepares a creative response to the book such as a pamplet, advertisement, comic strip, blog entry, article or other media form. The Point of View Writer writes from the point of view of one of the characters in the book. Finally, the connector writes about connections between the book and the world, themselves or other books.

End of the Year Trip Plans

We are planning an end of the year trip to Tremblant and Montreal for all of our Grade 8's. The dates of the trip are June 27th and 28th. The letter outlining the trip was sent home two weeks ago and we have asked parents to indicate whether their child will attend and submit a $50 deposit to secure a spot on the trip. Please return these forms this week, so we can go ahead with planning. The trip will include activities such as hiking at Mont Tremblant, dinner and bowling, the Biodome, Pointe a Calliere and Chinatown. This will be the fourth year we have done the trip and it always proves to be a memorable experience for the Grade 8's.

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!