Thank You!

I'm speechless. Today was perhaps one of the most thoughtful gestures I've ever experienced and it's because of you guys that I strive to be a better teacher every day. 

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart! Happy Holidays!

Lake St. George

Dear Parents/Guardian(s)

The Grade 7 students have the opportunity to attend Lake St. George Outdoor Education Centre. The trip will tentatively take place on February 10-12, 2014. Lake St. George is a YRDSB education centre that focuses on environmental awareness, as well as reaffirms the Science, History and Geography content they have learned this year. The facility, located just east of Bayview Avenue in Richmond Hill, is well equipped with interactive, educational resources, which will prove to be a significant learning experience for your child. The trip will consist of 3 days and 2 nights, returning on Wednesday, February 12 before the end of the school day.

The cost of the trip will be determined once we’ve finalized our numbers, which includes transportation, meals and accommodation at Lake St. George. We estimate the cost will be anywhere between $125-$145. 

A deposit of $50 is required by Monday, January 6^th, to confirm your intent to have your child participate in this trip (cheques will not be deposited immediately). Should the trip be cancelled due to lack of numbers, you will be refunded your full deposit. If the trip continues as planned, your deposit will not be returned if your child decides not to participate. Payments can be made by cash or cheque to “Mackenzie Glen P.S.”

If the trip is confirmed, a formal permission letter and trip package will follow in the coming weeks detailing the itinerary and final costs. The balance of payment will be requested at the time. A payment plan will also be available.

We hope your child can join us on this trip. YRDSB accommodates all faiths and Lake St. George can accommodate all dietary restrictions (e.g., halal, kosher…etc). Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact either Mr. Charalambous or Mrs. Norris. More information can be found here.

Sincerely,
Mr. Charalambous and Mrs. Norris

Perspectives from the Kogamata Maru and the Anti-Asian Riots of 1907

Journals are incredibly important historical tools that provide us with a specific insight to a time period or a point of view. Just imagine if we had a record of the thoughts and feelings of the passengers from the Kogamata Maru or from the victims of the Anti-Asian Riots in 1907. I believe that they would have a lot to say to us.

While we may not have access to these resources (or perhaps they may not even exist) we do have enough information and have spent time exploring the idea of perspective in writing to write through their eyes. Similarly, we have spent some time on exploring the missing voices, perspective and bias and this writing assignment is an opportunity to for you explore that in depth.

As we discussed in our criteria, I am looking for a journal that is revealing and captures the perspective historical character’s point of view. It should have considerable historical detail and offer a revealing account that helps in understanding the event.

As usual, we need to approach our writing through multiple stages where we must first develop and organize our ideas, draft our information and edit and revise our final copies. The due date for this journal entry will be on Tuesday, December 17.

Political Cartoons

In a time where not many people had access to education, illustrations were an effective way to communicate a message or a comment on a current issue. 

They were quick to "read," simple to understand and quite often, even humorous to look at.

But as we will see in the upcoming weeks, these early political cartoons often touched on sensitive issues and exposed racism and intolerance in Canadian society.

As we have seen, too often societies make the same mistakes again and again. Our goal is to learn how to read these political cartoons (yes, we are reading) and begin to make sense of the world around us. By the end of this unit, you will be able to read these illustrations and even have the opportunity to create one of your own as we continue to explore issues in immigration in Canada.

Please continue to bring in political cartoons as we will add them to our collection. 

Fill it for the Philippines

Please don't forget 7A -- bring your donations for the Philippines. We need to fill that jar by the end of the week!

Also please bring in non-perishable food items and toiletries to add to our box. 

VoiceThread Feedback

Just a quick update -- your VoiceThread feedback has been updated. Have a listen over the weekend.

Immigration Folder

Just a quick update -- there is a new folder on our Drop Box account labelled, "Immigration." Any readings or handouts that we use in our language block can be accessed there. 

Student-Led Conferences

As we prepare for student-led conferences tomorrow, I wanted to share a recent article I read in TIME magazine.

The article looks at reasons why college grads can't seem to find jobs. It suggests that the problems lie in a "lack" of certain skills among recent grads citing, "communication, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration, as the area with the biggest gap."

It goes on to say that:

"[a]s much as academics go on about the lack of math and science skills, bosses are more concerned with organizational and interpersonal proficiency...employers want candidates who are team players, problem solvers and can plan, organize and prioritize their work."

...

Organization. Collaboration. Self-Regulation. 

Now where have I seen those before? ...

Postive Immigrant Experiences

Thank you for the posted interviews. I'm excited to listen to your recordings!

Thinking Book Entries

This is just one of the friendliest of reminders -- you are expected to have done a minimum of two entries into your thinking book for this week based off two articles of your choice from Flipboard. 

I will be checking next week to see what you've done. It's important that we continuously build our knowledge on this all-important issue!

Flipboard

So as we begin a new unit in Language you'll notice on the blog that we're introducing a new tool for us to use in reading.

That tool is called "Flipboard."

With Flipboard you'll be able to access a multitude of readings of varying length and complexity to suit your reading preference. You will be accessing one of these articles and entering them into your Thinking Books everyday. 

I would also like you to be on the lookout for readings that relate to immigration issues as that is our focus for the next little while. 

So it's a bit out of focus but I think the point that's being made is pretty clear: we are an incredibly multicultural society with so many rich cultures and traditions in 7A!

Glasses

Don't forget the glasses!!

Keep an eye out for VoiceThread

I'm in the middle of giving you feedback for the rough drafts so keep on checking your accounts to see if I've responded to your posts. Also if you haven't posted your work just yet, this is a friendly reminder to post it ASAP!

Tech Survey Reminder

This is a last minute reminder that if you haven't filled out the survey on what kind of tech we should have at Mackenzie Glen, do so now! It's your last chance to have your input!


You can fill out the survey anonymously at:

8seb.blogspot.ca

Mystery Quests: Working Women in New France

Here's that link that we'll be using in history over the next couple of weeks:

http://www.mysteryquests.ca/quests/18/indexen.html

Familiarize yourself with the website and the layout. In particular, look at the "Supporting Materials" section where you'll find all the primary documents. As I mentioned today, some are a bit difficult to read so keep your eye out on Drop Box where I'll be posting some of the "translated" versions in our history folder. We'll continue with this task next week.

Remember: your role is to decide which is the better job for your "cousin," Rose. Think critically!

-Mr. Charalambous

P.S. I have some students asking for extra copies of assignments and success criteria that they've misplaced. Keep in mind that I'm always uploading assignments into the different files on Drop Box. Should you lose something, that's the first place you should check!

 

New Graphic Organizers

Have a look in the language folder in our Drop Box account under "graphic organizers." I've uploaded some new G/O for you to use when organizing your ideas for writing. 

Tech Survey

Mr. Sebastian is conducting a survey on technology in the school. He wants to know what tech you use in class and what sort of tech you would like to see us using in the future. Please take a minute to fill it out because it's information that affects your tech in our class!

You can fill out the survey anonymously at:

8seb.blogspot.ca

 

What do you think?

Hey 7A

Today with a round table group we read an article (that you can access on VoiceThread) called "Pen and Paper vs. Computer -- What do you think?"

Have a look at what we did. What do you think about this? What works? What doesn't? What specifically can we improve upon? You should always be reflective on your work!

Organizing our information for writing

Today we looked at all the different methods of organizing our information. But which way is the "right" way? 

Obviously we learned today that there is no one right way. However we did see that regardless of the organization, there are a couple of things that need to be in your Thinking Books:

• is there a title/headings and subheadings? 
• is the main idea/message represented? 
• have you colour coded or asterisked important points? 
• is the information easily accessible? 
• is it organized/flow in a way that makes sense?
• have I included questions and comments about the text?

 

Welcome!

Welcome to 7A!

Please feel free to browse the classroom and try out the iPads! We have them cued to our class blogs and Drop Box!
 

New Vocabulary

We've recently introduced the concept of a Word Wizard. Your job is to define new words for your group in order to develop your vocabulary. I took the opportunity today to do just that for the recent article we read in class.

Disclosed
Make (secret or new information) known

Pupils
(Not the thing in your eye!) In this case, it's a student in school.

Solitary
Done or existing alone. "E.g., He lives a solitary existence."

Eroding
Gradually wear away. "E.g., The strong winds gradually eroded the rocks." 

Partial
Existing only in part; incomplete.

Incentive
A thing that motivates or encourages one to do something: E.g., "an incentive to conserve."

Tandem
Having two things arranged one in front of the other; together.

Alluded
To suggest or call attention to indirectly; hint at. "Mr. C alluded that we might have a test next week."

Arbiter
A person who settles a dispute and has ultimate authority over a matter. 

Panel
A discussion of a subject of public interest by a group of persons forming a "panel" -- usually before an audience.

Organizing our Writing

We've been talking about how we can begin organizing our writing. I want you to begin by looking at this different examples from over the years. Consider the following:

• What are the advantages and the disadvantages of each organizer?
• Have you identified the main ideas?
• Can you access the information in a quick manner?
• Does it make sense for you? 

-Mr. Charalambous

Something to think about

Today in language we had quite a powerful conversation about writing. 

I really want to leave you with a thought: are traditional forms of writing becoming less and less important? Is writing important? Has it just evolved (changed) into something else?

What do you think?

Drop Box

A new file folder has been posted in our math folder for Integers. We're starting our new unit tomorrow and I want to encourage you to download any of the worksheets that I post there. Similarly, there are new readings in our New France unit that you can access next week. When you have time, regularly review the readings we do in class!

Success Criteria

So as promised here is the success criteria we developed between our classes. Keep this criteria in mind as you read through your books tonight and tomorrow. We'll be using this criteria to assess you when we give you your assignments. Remember -- I'm assessing your ideas not your writing. Use the graphic organizers, VoiceThread and whatever other tools help you communicate your ideas to me.

-C

Success Criteria
Textual Evidence (at least 2 pieces) -  Direct textual evidence (quotations) -  Themes/symbols
Background knowledge/schema -  Connections (e.g., text to world) -  Connect how the textual evidence above supports the message
Big idea explains deeper meaning (more complex), not a literal meaning (simple)
Big idea is a general idea that can be applicable to multiple situations/books
Artifact is reflective of the deeper meaning in the text.

French Blog

Mr. Wells would like you to know that the French class blog is up and running! You'll be able to find all of Mr. Wells' homework information and upcoming due dates. You can access it at: macgfrench.blogspot.com

Adieu, mes amis!

This Week

So here's where we're going over the next little while:

Get your quizzes signed ASAP and bring them in so that we can add them to your portfolios. Remember not to focus on any "mark" -- rather you need look at the Achievement Chart and reflect on your areas of strengths and areas for improvements. Please look at the feedback that I gave you and check in with me after school if you want any more clarification.

Tomorrow we'll present our artifacts so be prepared for that. Starting Thursday we're jumping into DRA so that will put the brakes on our unit for a bit but it will give you time to work on identifying messages for further feedback (keep your eye on Voice Thread).

And remember -- Friday is our Unit Test in Data Management. We'll continue reviewing the unit this week in preparation for it.

-Mr. Charalambous

Inferences

7A,

I'd just like to commend you all on the fantastic work you've been putting into our classes. You've all been contributing some great ideas and are beginning to see the similarities between math, language and history with regards to supporting your inferences with evidence. As the year unfolds, you'll start see that all our subjects and the units within them have common themes. It's my hope that you will discover the commonalities on your own!

Keep up the great work!

-Mr. C

P.S. Remember to keep on checking our blog and Drop Box whenever you get a chance. If you ever lose a reading, the information is all up there for you to access and to review at any time! 

Track Practice

Just a reminder to everyone that Monday Lunch, Thursday Lunch and Wednesday after school are track practices. Bring shorts to change into!

Riding the Tiger

Hey 7s,

I've taken what we've done in class today on deconstructing symbols and added it to a graphic organizer. Pop onto Drop Box and you'll see our work uploaded there. You can always go back to it whenever you want as an exemplar. Which, by the way, was well done!

It's also come to my attention that some of the feedback you received over the past couple of days may have not actually recorded properly. I used a laptop for some and my iPad for others. If yours doesn't play back, let me know so we can fix that up.

Remember to check the homework page daily!

-Mr. C

Waiting for question 2 to be posted...

Just a reminder that question 2 of the math homework needs to be posted onto VoiceThread. Don't forget this is due by Monday!

Comments Up!

As I promised, your comments are up on your VoiceThread profiles. Some of you still need to upload your interpretation of the book -- I'll pop in occasionally to see if you uploaded it. Also, remember that I want to have a look at your progress in our data management unit. The faster you put up question 2 off the homework page onto your VoiceThread account, the faster I can give you comments. Just take a snapshot of your work, upload it to your profile, and comment on why you made your graphs the way you did.

Enjoy the weekend!

-C

Feedback

This is just a friendly reminder to keep an eye out for the feedback on Voice Thread. I'll be wrapping up my comments by the weekend.

VoiceThread & DropBox

UPDATE: So I logged into VoiceThread to check out your comments on Frog Belly Rat Bone and it looks that we've hit a bit of a snag. It seems that if you're using apple devices (e.g., iPad, iPods, iPhones) the comment doesn't load. Those of you who used computers, I can see hear your comment just fine. If you're recording through one of those devices though, please test the playback to see that you hear your recording first.

----------------------- 

This is just a reminder that when you're posting something to VoiceThread that you are posting it through your profile. Go on your profile and click menu on the bottom right hand corner and hit "edit."

Also for Drop Box -- check out all the new uploaded attachments. Enjoy.

Drop Box

Hey 7A,

So I've set up our class' DropBox account -- mrc7a@mgps.ca I'll be posting handouts onto this account when I can, including graphic organizers that we may use in history or in language over the next couple of weeks. 

Occasionally, I may ask you to submit an assignment or homework through DropBox as well. Please look for the appropriate folder to submit it through and make sure you name the file "your name" and the title of the assignment. E.g., "John Smith's Data Management assignment."

Thanks!

Themes

So tomorrow we're diving right into language as we begin exploring themes in a variety of literature. You'll find that our focus on themes and determining deeper messages in our language block will be a reoccurring "theme" in and of itself. Our direction will take us from the simple to the complex as we explore the reoccurring themes found in immigration -- from the first European settlers of New France, adapting to a strange and new land, to our parents and grand-parents who adopted Canada as their new home today.
 

VoiceThread

I almost forgot to mention that if you've already designed a "profile" for your VoiceThread account, bring in the picture or file on a usb key tomorrow -- or send it to your email. We've worked out the computers with Mrs. Norris and so we'll be able to create our profiles tomorrow in class.

-Mr. C

Wednesday, September 4

Hi 7A,

Strange -- it's been barely a day and already a new post! Well I'm just writing to let you know (as I'm sure some of you have already noticed) I'm not in today. I'm under the weather right now but will most definitely strive to be in on Thursday. I expect the best behaviour from 7A as always and expect the best work (even though I'm not there).

The supply teacher will still collect your "what math tastes like" for me so make sure you have it done!

See you Thursday,

Mr. Charalambous

Welcome, 7s!

I'm absolutely excited to welcome everyone back! In particular, I'm looking forward to another amazing year with the new grade 7s!

I'm sure you'll notice right away that it's a bit different being in intermediate -- lots of responsibility and accountability on your shoulders now. But at the same time, you've still got the same involved and caring teachers to help you along the way.

At any rate, I'd also like to take the opportunity to welcome you to our classblog! For the grade 8s reading this, you'll notice that the tab format is a bit different. There's now a "homework" tab instead of the multiple tabs that were up last year. You won't have to worry about that though -- your information will be posted under 8A/8B History. Grade 7s: with this blog, you'll never forget what you had for homework. At the same time though, you'll never have an excuse as to why it's not complete! ;) Sorry!

Everything you'll need to know for Hist/Geo, Math and Language will be updated under the "Homework" tab. Periodically, the "Home" page will be updated with upcoming events and news that you or your parents might need to know. Speaking of which, yes, your parents will and do have access to this blog as well. 

So again, welcome to the 2013/2014 school year!