Please follow this link to the *new* Grade 5D Blog space for 2011-2012.

What an awesome last of Grade 5! Transition day was pretty cool where the students got a sneak peek into Grade 6. Beach Day was incredible – thanks to all the parents and families who came out to help and contribute yummmy food for the day. I have uploaded an amazing album of kids jumping off the raft at DeepWater Bay. Check it out on the link to the right. Thursday was also full of excitement, with a Gr. 5/6 assembly in the morning followed by a rowdy and rocking final Gr. 5 party! The disco was happening.

I’d like to say a HUGE thank-you to all the families of the 5D DISCO. What a year! I was so happy to have spent the past year on a challenging and exciting learning journey with all the DJs. We really made Grade 5 a year to remember. The thoughtful class gifts are so perfect. It means a lot to me that you went out of your way to find things that are really meaningful to me. And useful! Practical gifts are my favorite kind You better believe I will make good use of the CamelBack and Dry Sac. I’m planning on a couple tough treks this summer, starting with a volcano in Lombok, Indonesia, and I’ll wear my new trail shoes! The iPod is also great for all occasions and every time I listen to tunes on it, I’ll think of you! Thank you DJs for being so wonderful. I will miss seeing you everyday.

This will be the last post of this blog. In the new year I will be starting another blog for the new Grade 5D. I have chosen to do this so that you may all check back here to remember all the cool things we did this year. It’s a bit of a digital scrapbook and it will remain here whenever you want to come and visit. You may unsubscribe to the updates if you’d like to, but since I will not be posting here anymore, you will not receive emails from the feedburner service anyways.

Have a happy and safe summer holiday! You deserve it.

The weeks are wrapping up what has been such a great year in the 5D DISCO! This week we had a special presentation with Ms. Fung and Ms. Cahusac about taking good care of our macbooks over the summer. We watched these 2 videos and discussed how to be responsible, global, digital citizens.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

We also went to the LLAC on Thursday to hear the LSSC candidates give their election speeches. The new council members were announced on Friday after school. A huge congratulations to all who ran for candidacy. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be a part of the LSSC.

Looking ahead to next week:
Monday, June 6th - No classes. Ms. Cahusac will be competing with the CDNIS Flying Canucks at the Dragon Boat races in Stanley. Come out and cheer us on!
Wednesday, June 8th – THE FINAL EXAM!

Lots of exciting things are happening on the last week of school, June 13th – June 16th. Please see the previous posts and stay tuned for more information! Have a great long weekend

What an incredible year it has been! As we prepare for the end of the year, there are many reasons to celebrate your child’s successes and achievements in Grade 5!

The last week of school will be full of exciting activities, including:

Tuesday, June 14th – Transition day where the students spend some time in the Grade 6 classrooms
Wednesday, June 15th – Grade 5 BEACH DAY – all day!
Thursday, June 16th - Final Gr. 5/6 assembly, yearbook signing + portfolios go home, followed by a traditional Grade Level Party on the 8th floor

For the BEACH DAY, June 15th, we ask that you please participate by joining us at the beach if possible and or sending some party supplies/food/drink to school with your child. For planning this party we will be using a google spreadsheet which can be accessed through this link:

End of Year Beach Party Spreadsheet

On the day, the students will walk from school to Deep Water Bay Beach. At the beach we will meet families and friends and set up a BBQ/food/drink area. The students will be swimming and playing games on the beach for the main portion of the day. Please advise your me directly if you have any concerns about your child swimming. Deep Water Bay Beach is a lifeguarded beach. Also, some teachers will also swim with the students and are very strong/experienced swimmers. Permission forms for this activity have been sent home today.

For the final day of school, June 16th, please send a small snack/drink to school with your child to contribute to the Grade Level Party. This party will wrap up the day and you can expect your child to come home with a CDNIS yearbook and their progress report + portfolio. This is not an early dismissal day and buses will leave at 2:45 as usual.

Please don’t hesitate to email me with questions about the Google Spreadsheet or any other matters concerning the last week’s activities.

The students have been busily preparing for daily quizzes on the various systems of the human body. We’ve been discussing different study methods and have been trying new ones each day. I think it’s great that students are exposed to new study methods and then they can choose the one that works the best for them. After the quizzes, students have been reflecting on the effectiveness of the study method and each quiz question. One of the summative assessments for this unit will be a Final Exam, testing the students on the knowledge they gained during this unit, their study habits and test-taking abilities. The final exam will be on Wednesday, June 8th at 8:00am. The students have time at school reserved for studying each day and they are also encouraged to spend about 20 minutes studying each night as well.

Within this final unit of inquiry, students will be looking at the text purpose of describing, in relation to explanations and information reports. This week students began inquiring into a change that happens in one of the body systems. This week they will be writing an informative report. Ask your child about the system that they have chosen and the time of change that they will be investigating.

I’m sure you’re all breathing a sigh of relief… the Puberty talks happened this week! Not doubt, you’ve had some “interesting” conversation at your house in the past few days. The talks went very well, and I’m glad to see the students being more comfortable with talking about puberty. We’re encouraging discussion and questions as the unit continues, and I’m sure you are too!

Upcoming dates of interest:
Wednesday, June 1 – Taking Your MacBook Home For The Summer Talk – 8am @ LLAC
Thursday, June 2 – LSSC Campaign Speeches and Elections – 8am @ LLAC
Friday, June 3 – Sounds of Summer – Performing Arts Concert – 3pm @ LLAC
Monday, June 6th – Dragon Boating Festival – No classes

Have a great weekend!

As a student, from Lower School through to university, you will study! It is important to set routines and study habits now so that you will be a successful student. There are many ways to study and it’s essential that you choose the style that works for you and your learning style.

Below are some ways that you can help you to study effectively
1. Take responsibility for you!
Recognize that in order to succeed you need to make decisions about your priorities, your time and your resources.
2. Find the best time and place to study.
Morning, afternoon, or evening?
Find spaces where you can be the most focused and productive.
3. Look for better solutions to problems.
For example, if you don’t understand something after re-reading it, try something else. Ask your teacher, a classmate, or someone else who is knowledgeable.
4. Look to continually challenge yourself!
There’s no point in studying something you already know! Seek out related concepts and new information that interests you!
5. Keep a positive approach!
You can do it!

Consider the many different ways that you can study:

- Create graphic organizers to help you visualize the important information
- Checklists (this helps you to keep track of what to study)
- Summarize and rewrite your notes, making sure you have the most relevant information
- Create flash cards
- Create a video journal or iMovie
- Write a blog post
- Work with a partner to challenge each other
- Get used to the test-taking with practice quizzes

Can you think of other ways to study?

It has been a crazy busy and very fun week at school!
5D hosted the Grade 5/6 assembly and did an incredible job! Congratulations for all the hard work and immeasurable effort. One of the highlights, along with a “Life in the 5D DISCO Parody” (DJ 6, DJ 17, DJ 24, DJ 4, DJ 12, DJ 2) a Stix Animation (DJ 18, DJ 13, DJ 14, DJ 15) and 2 stellar MCs (DJ 6 and DJ 1), was a music video for “DJs Got Us Fallin’ in Love” including the whole class. The video was filmed and edited by DJ 20 with help from DJ 10.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Re: Grade 5 Cheung Chau CAMP  – May 11, 12, 13 – a few reminders:
1. Kids should bring a white article of clothing for tie dye. Cotton works best.
2. A swimming suit and towel need to be added to the packing list. These items are required.

The 5D DJs are having fun poking muscles and whacking bones! Check it out @ Anatomy ArcadeAsk your child about the scientific names of the bones and muscles we’ve been learning. I think they’ll surprise you with their memory and recall skills after playing such an fun game!

The Student Led Learning Reviews were a huge success! After a year of exploring concepts, hard work, challenging and deepening current understandings, refining skills and growing up, the DJs had an excellent opportunity today to demonstrate their learning journey in Grade 5. It’s been a complex journey, one that hasn’t always been easy and smooth. Today your the DJs were provided a forum to communicate this with you. In this regard, your the DJs used their voices and proved to us all that they deserve to be listened to as stakeholders in their learning. I hope you had an opportunity today to see the ownership they had in their learning and I hope you had an opportunity to interact, question and listen.

It is important for me to hear your feedback, to please remember to complete the photo reflection and place it in the portfolio. Please keep the portfolios until Monday, May 9th. Also, your child already knows about completing the final reflection on the learning goals that were set earlier in the year. A letter of explanation can be found at the front of the portfolio.

Next on the year’s agenda – CAMP! School permission forms as well as the Dragon Fly form, need to be submitted by Wednesday, May 4.

Below is some additional information for camp, attached for your reference.

Camp Packing List ’11

Camp Permission Form Gr 5 CDNIS

DF Registration Form 2011

Welcome back form Spring Break! I hope that all families had a wonderful break and are feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, especially as we enjoy this beautiful spring weather. Coming up this week:

1. Dress Down Day – Denim Theme – Thursday, April 28th

2. Student Led-Learning Reviews (SLLR) – Friday, April 29th

Please watch the following video very carefully to learn more about your role in the Student Led Learning Review on Friday. This is one of the highlights of the assessment and reporting schedule during the school year. It provides your child with a voice in his/her learning and we need to respect and listen to that voice.

A few reminders:

• Students are to wear their school uniforms
• Please turn off your mobile devices during the SLLR. Each time slot has a maximum of 3 families in the room.
• Please remember to take your child’s portfolio with you when you leave
• Be positive! This is a celebration of your child’s learning journey this school year. Let’s focus on the successes.



Click here to view the embedded video.

Greetings Parents, Students and Caregivers,

We are planning to hold the 2011 CDNIS Grade 5/6 Sports Day on Tuesday April 12.  The staff and grade 5 and 6 students will be participating in a variety of athletic activities at the Stanley Ho Sports Complex in Sandy Bay.  We will be leaving the school at 8:00am and returning for dismissal at 2:30pm.

In preparation for the day, students will need to bring the following items:

• A healthy bagged lunch and snacks and healthy beverages.  No McDonald’s, etc…  Please.  There will be no school lunch provided on this day.
• A bottle(s) of water, which can be refilled at the sports ground. Please label the water bottle with the student’s name. Juice or gator/powerade type drinks are also fine. As part of our “Green” initiative, it is important students bring their own bottle.
• A hat and sun block.
• Students should have a healthy breakfast that day. It would be a good idea to bring a deck of cards to play with or a novel to read during lunch break.
• Dress in your CDNIS PE uniform complete with sports shoes. Bring extra appropriate clothing if the weather is cold or rainy.

Parents are welcome to come out and cheer you on.  Students will begin competing at approximately 8:45 at the sports-ground.

Sincerely, Mr. Steiner

Lower School Grade 4-6 Physical Education Teacher

An interesting week on the 8th floor! First I was away for Monday, still in China with the Zigen trip. Then Tuesday was a holiday, throwing us all for a little loop With Thursday spent at the beach for DiG DaY (see new photos in our 5D album –>) soaking up the wonderful sunshine, I feel like summer is finally beginning! And the week wrapped up with a no-school Friday. I hope you got out to the class beach party or found some other way to enjoy your day.

A few reminders for next week,

Tuesday, April 12 - Grade 5/6 Sports Day. With the weather looking like this, it will be a fabulous day! Students need to wear their PE uniform and bring a hat, sunscreen, jacket, water bottle, healthy snack, and a packed lunch.

Wednesday, April 13 - MacBooks can be taken home for the Easter holiday. If you do not wish your child to bring his or her computer home, please let me know.  Students must bring an appropriate case for their laptop if they’re going to take it home.

Wednesday, April 13 - Grade 5 Holiday Party with movies, games, dancing in the DICSO and snacks. Please send one item with your child to share in our “food alley” outside the classrooms.

If I don’t get a chance to see you or talk to you, have a safe and wonderful holiday!

Hello from Xijiang, Guizhou province! We are having an amazing time despite the cold and rainy weather

I wanted to give you a couple updates for the week ahead, which promises to be a busy one. I hope the DJs have been doing a good job of keeping you informed in my absence. There is something happening every single day this week!

1. No school Tuesday, April 5th for Ching Ming Festival.

2. Wednesday, April 6th we will be hosting a parent information session about Grade 5 camp. Please come to the library, 10th floor CDNIS at 6:30pm. The Grade 5 teachers as well as the outdoor & experiential education organization, DragonFly, will be there to tell you all about the exciting 3-day camp scheduled for May 11, 12, 13.

3. Thursday, April 7th is DiG DaY! We will be heading to South Bay Beach for a fun day in the sun and sand. Please make sure your child has packed appropriately.

4. Friday, April 8th is a professional development day for all teachers in Lower School and there are no classes. Student have the day off!

This year, we’re using VolunteerSpot, a new web service, to help us organize our upcoming Student Led Learning Reviews (SLLRs). Please click the link below to learn more and sign up for your time spot.

Please note: This is the ONLY way to sign up!

Dear Parents:

You will have already received an email from the School outlining the purpose and aims for Student Led Learning Reviews (SLLR) on 29 April.  Please be reminded this is an important learning experience for your child and that student and parent attendance is mandatory on this day. The first appointment may begin at 7:15 am (based on teacher availability) and the last will begin at 4:15 pm.  Each SLLR appointment has been allotted 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 students with their parents will be in the room at one time.  Time has been built into the schedule to allow for transit time. Your child’s homeroom teacher will send you a set of instructions along with a link to an online scheduling system, VolunteerSpot, for making an appointment. Please view the following tutorial outlining how to make your appointment once you receive the link for your child’s teacher:  Should you have any problems with the system please contact the Lower School Executive Secretary, Jean Lo. Priority for choosing an appointment will be given to parents with multiple children in the school.  The timeline is as follows:

Kind regards,

Dylan Hughes, Lower School Principal

Click here to view the embedded video.

Welcome to March Madness!

This is that time of year when things really start to heat up There’s a lot going on and it’s an exciting time to get involved and help out. There’s also lots of little things to miss, so stay tuned and feel free to ask questions about things that are happening. Below is a list of Gr. 5 events over the next couple weeks.

Diaper Drive
The Upper School students in the Amnesty Club have been approached by a charity known as Vision First that supports refugees in Hong Kong.  They are desperately in need of some DIAPERS! All their emails to Pampers are going unanswered so they’ve asked us for assistance from the public.  Although any brand will do, they are specifically looking for sizes 1-12 months and 12-18 months. They are trying to support about 29 families and they are worried about meeting their monthly demands. Therefore, we are going to run a Diaper Drive at CDNIS during the week of April 4-8.  There will be a receptacle on the 9th floor for anyone who has extra diapers to bring in and donate.

Grade 5 China Trip, Guizhou Province
On April 1, twenty-one Grade 5 students will travel to Guizhou in collaboration with the Zigen Fund. On this trip students will pair up with a buddy from the local community as they engage in a variety of cultural activities. Each year we donate stationery to our hosts’ school. So far our Grade 5 students have been successful in their collection of slightly used stationery around the school but feel they can do even better. They are requesting donations of stationery, such as pencils, sharpeners, pens, notebooks, etc. that can be reused by our Guizhou friends. Collection boxes are located on the 9th floor and can also be left on the 8th floor next to the 5A classroom. Thanks for your help and consideration!

Alan Dick Memorial Walk
Join us as we remember Alan Dick and celebrate his legacy during the 2nd Annual Alan Dick Memorial Walk. Everyone who is or has ever been a part of the CDNIS community is encouraged to attend this great event, which takes place Tuesday 22 March at the Aberdeen Sports Ground. The aim of the walk is to celebrate Alan’s time at CDNIS and to raise funds for the Alan Dick Memorial Fund, which supports 19 leadership, language, sports and arts scholarships and programmes for CDNIS students.
Date: Tuesday 22 March
Time: 8:45 to 11:15
Venue: Aberdeen Sports Ground 108 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen (852) 2552 6043
Parents Participation and Meeting Your Child: Parents are strongly encouraged to participate in the walk. Parents can arrive at the Aberdeen Sports Ground between 8:30am-8:45am and sit in the stands. As space is limited, parents cannot travel on the school bus from home to school or from CDNIS to the sports ground.
Clothing: Participants are asked to WEAR PINK (Alan’s favourite colour). Please check the weather forecast before coming to school and dress according to the weather conditions. Students are advised to wear a hat, shorts or comfortable pants, t-shirt or sweatshirt, socks and proper running shoes. Please also put on sunscreen before coming to school and consider bringing some to the sports ground.
Lunch: All students will be provided with a lunch consisting of a hot dog, fruit and cookie. If your child cannot eat the above, please send a lunch with them. Water stations will be set up so please bring a re-usable water bottle. In an effort to be environmental friendly, no paper or plastic cups will be at the event.  Thanks to Asia Pacific Catering Corporation Limited for their generous catering sponsorship.

This week we enjoyed digging a little deeper into our new unit of inquiry. We talked a lot about our trip to the Hong Kong Cemetery and what we learned about Hong Kong’s past. As well, we’ve been investigating and interpreting unknown artifacts and scenes of unknown places to see how well we can act like historians. At the end of this unit we will have an exciting trip to the beach for DIG DAY as well as another trip to a place full of history! We’ll top it all off with mini-exhibitions in our end-of-unit “CDNIS Museum of the Past”.

Permission forms went home today for a trip to the Hong Kong History Museum. We will be going on Wednesday, March 16th – 9:15 and 12:30.

Swimming continues this week – Friday 12:30-1:50

Don’t forget to check out the Festival of the Arts preparations.

Parenting in the Net Generation

The internet and associated electronics has changed the way people operate in their daily lives, from the work place to the home and everywhere in between.  Parents often struggle to make sense of their children’s relationship to cyberspace and are therefore posed with challenges in their parenting of their net generation sons and daughters.  In this presentation Dr Justin Grayer (Clinical Psychologist) and Ms Anuradha Mathur (Clinical Therapist) will discuss issues such as the advantages and disadvantages of cyberspace, including the over use of electronics, and will provide advice on how parents can speak to their children about developing a balance in their life.

Dr Justin Grayer, Clinical Psychologist, works with adolescents and adults on a range of issues including abuse and dependence (addiction), which has also begun to include cyber use.  He will apply his knowledge of the addictions field during the presentation.  Ms Anuradha Mathur, Clinical Therapist, works with children and adults providing guidance and counselling services. Among other issues, a large part of her work includes understanding and developing parent-child relationships as well as designing and implementing age appropriate behavior management programs for various situations. She will apply these skills in the context of safe cyber use during her presentation.

Date: 4th April, 2011
Venue: LLAC Lobby
Time: 7:00 to 8:30 pm
RSVP: Priya Bharwani – priya.bharwani@cispa.hk
Cost: $50/person

It’s been a beautiful week on the 8th floor as we have welcomed some long overdue sunshine into our days! The 5D classroom, in particular, gets its far share of rays on nice days and we’ve been missing the warmth and positivity that it brings into our room.

We’ve started a new Unit of Inquiry. Check here for more details in the Unit Overview and ask your child what they know so far about it. Our trip to the Hong Kong Cemetery was very interesting and we interpreted and discovered so much about Hong Kong’s past through simply reading tombs and making connections and predictions! It was really amazing how much there is to learn about the past from a cemetery.

Reminders for next week:

This is shaping up to be an exciting week in Grade 5. Here are some things to remember:

1. Tuesday, March 1st is WORLD MATH DAY! Check out Mathlectics for more information or ask your child about the activities.

2. Wednesday, March 2nd we will be heading out on a field trip to the Hong Kong Cemetery in order to help us kick off and jump into our next Unit of Inquiry about studying the past.

3. Friday, March 4th is our Fractions summative assessment. The students have been practicing and preparing for this for 2 weeks. World Math Day will give us a large parcel of time to practice even more!

4. Friday, March 4th SWIMMING resumes. Students in 5D will swim every Friday for 4 weeks between 12:30 – 1:50. For the 4 weeks of swimming, our P.E. class will remain on Thursdays, but be canceled on Mondays.

Dear Parents,
Your children will have the opportunity to participate in Festival of the Arts (FOA) activities very soon. Information on the FOA please click to fond out more information. I would especially like to highlight 3 opportunities for students:

1. Community Art – Our Kaleidoscope of Colour & Culture

Individual students may participate in Grades 1-6. See important submission criteria at the link below. Artwork is due in the LLAC between Friday 4 March and Friday 11 March. Students may only submit one piece of work for the exhibit.

2. Student Showcase Performances

Open to all students who audition and know their piece/act. Auditions will take place from 2:45 pm to 4:00 pm on Tuesday 8 March and Wednesday 9 March in the Alan Dick Forum. Audition/application forms are due in the 9/F main office by Friday 4 March.

3. Evening of the Arts Performances

All students may audition though this is a highly selective event.
Auditions – will take place at the same time and in the same location as Student Showcase auditions (8 and 9 March after school in the Forum). Application/audition forms due on Friday 4 March also.

I can’t wait to see our students in action!!

Dean Croy
Vice Principal, Lower School
deancroy@cdnis.edu.hk

It’s been a full and focused week for the DJs as we are coming to the end of our current unit, Sharing the Planet.  The students have really gotten into this unit and are exploring rights of children in a variety of new ways. Students began their 2 summative assessments – P.S.A.s and Fictional Recounts -  earlier this week and are excited about both of them.

Portfolios go home today! The students have put a lot of time and effort into their Grade 5 portfolios, and will be happy to share them with you.  Their portfolios are a reflection of their progress as a learner and the students have selected some of what has been included. The portfolios will be home for two weeks, so there’s no need to rush through your time. Please give your child time to discuss his/her learning, being patient and encouraging, asking questions that will lead to a good discussion.  Remember that the Progress Report is not the “be-all-and-end-all” of student learning, but only a reflection of what’s been happening in class and what’s being included in the portfolio.

Updates & Reminders

Author Visit – Lynn Kirk – LLAC Theater: Thursday, Feb. 24th we will attend a workshop with Author Lynn Kirk

Recognition Assembly – Grade 5/6 – Alan Dick Memorial Forum: Thursday, Feb. 24th @ 8.00am

PYP Drop-In Session: A reminder that the next ‘PYP Drop-In’ will be held in Rm812a on Thursday 24 February from 2:00–2:45pm and repeated on Friday 25 February from 8.00–8.45am. The following questions will be addressed: How do I interpret the Programme of Inquiry and the Programme Overview? How do I interpret the information letters that are sent home about the units of inquiry? All are invited without the need to respond.

DJs, you have a job to do. Please leave a comment below with your favorite orientation-starter sentence that you wrote today!

It was a short week on the 8th floor, but it’s been a great one!  The students came back (with MacBooks in tow) and quickly got back into routines. I was happy to see that this was the very first year that not one single student forgot a cable or a brick or even a MacBook!

Great job DJs – you make me very proud!

Two summative assessments were handed out this week.  You can also find them on this site. We’ve done a lot in class to figure out what the assignments will be, what they mean, and what the students need to do in order to demonstrate their understanding.  We’ll begin work on these assessments right at the beginning of next week.  Having already read Iqbal, and now reading The Breadwinner, gives the students ideas about how they’ll be writing their fictional recount.  We’ve also explored other issues relating to childrens’ rights and child heroes. Thank you for discussing this unit with your child at home, looking for articles and/or even watching PSAs as a family.  All of what you do at home helps to solidify concepts and knowledge that we’re doing in class; in turn, this provides richer opportunities for the students to further their understanding.

We’re winding down our Fractions, Decimals and Percentages unit in Math.  This week saw the students converting fractions to decimals and back again.  Next week, we’ll add percentages to the mix and do some fun work with shopping and discounts!

Spring Into Reading was launched this past week with an assembly detailing all that will be happening in the coming weeks.  An email was also sent to you with information you might need.  The Librarians and CISPA parents have been busily preparing for this event and it will be a fantastic 4 weeks of reading fun for everyone!

Happy Lunar New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai! 新年快乐!

I hope that you had a restful and relaxing break with your family and friends.

Teachers are back to school today and tomorrow for 2 days of professional development PYP workshops. I’m already looking forward to seeing all the DJs and hearing stories about adventures and trips in our time apart.

I miss you guys!

For CNY I went to the San Francisco Bay Area to visit friends and see the beautiful campus of Stanford University. I will show travel pictures and share stories on Wednesday.

This battle is designed to improve your blogging expertise, challenge your writing skills, while constructing connections and community amongst CDNIS bloggers and Teacher Advisors. Through this process we will learn about each other, learn from each other and open doors to a broader community, making new friends and acquiring readers from around the world.

Check out the Better Blogging Battle blog site for lots more information, including signing up as an individual student blogger or a homeroom class blog!

This has been a fun week on the 8th floor as we dig deeper into our current Unit Of Inquiry, Sharing the Planet. Read more about the unit by visiting the link, where you will find the Unit Overview.

We have been reading the fictional recount of Iqbal Masih and learning about the lives of children in different parts of the world. The students have also been researching and documenting stories of Child Heroes, examining challenges that these individuals faced, the causes of the challenge, actions taken in response to adversity and the results/effects of their actions. Below is a YouTube video about Iqbal Masih.

Click here to view the embedded video.

We have also been practicing our Geography skills with fun games and challenges to help us learn the names of countries and cities as well as their locations on a world map. This will help us during the later parts of this unit, when we start learning about children from more diverse places. Thanks DJ 09 for sharing this fun video with us!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Fractions can be Fun!

In our current math unit on fractions, we’ve enjoyed making Fraction Poems as well as Fraction Funnies. Ask your child to explain these 2 great activities that are all about fractions, just not in the traditional sense!

Chinese New Year Celebrations Next Week

Monday, Jan. 31st –> Tuesday, Feb. 8th: Chinese New Year Holidays – no school for students

Looking at Next Week
Monday, Jan. 17th is an early dismissal day, students go home at 11am
Monday, Jan. 17th Parent Information Session for the ZIGEN China Trip, 5:30-6:30 @ CDNIS Library

Looking Ahead to Chinese New Year – Grade 5 students will be taking their macbooks home for Chinese New Year. Students require a safe and secure carrying case or laptop bag.

Immunizations News from nurse Karla
A reminder that all forms, including immunization records for those students who are receiving the vaccination only, must be returned by Friday, January 14th. Just an update: immunizations will be taking place in LLAC lobby on FRIDAY, January 21st.

LTT News – Parental Control Sessions – Grade 5/6
We have a LTT Parental Control training for Gr.5-6 parents coming up on Jan. 18th from 8:30-10:30am (LLAC lobby) and 6:30-8:30pm (Library).  RSVP Priya Bharwani priya@gexpt.com
Info Bytes for Students – Grade 5/6
The LTT team are offering new infobytes this month! Students can leave their computers with the LTT team to lock up at the end of the day. No sign up needed for these infobytes. Check our the topics here.

Getting ready for Grade 5 Camp! (looking WAY ahead)
Title: The Amazing Race
Date: May 11-13, 2011
Location: Cheng Chau Island
Camp Organization: Dragonfly – Outdoor & Experiential Learning Coordinators
Sample Activities: Hiking, Rock Climbing, Beach Games, Cave Exploration, Biking, Boating and Camp Skills
Purpose and Connection to the Unit of Inquiry: This trip will focus on physical challenges and working cooperatively in groups. The structure of the program requires the children to know each other well, work collaboratively and trust each other. The trip emphasizes our bonds, celebrates our successes and strengthens the sense of community we share as a Grade level. Connections to our Unit of Inquiry at that time, Who We Are: An investigation into the human body and how it changes over our lifetime, will be evident as we begin to think about how the body works and how we respond to physical challenges in our daily lives.

Purchase of Tokens to Participate in the Lower School Chinese New Year Fair on Tuesday, January 25th

Each year a Flower Fair is held for Lower School students as part of the CNY celebration at CDNIS. This fun fair is filled with games to play, food to eat, and, of course, flowers to purchase. Tokens are the only currency used to participate in the fair. Students must purchase tokens prior to the fair in order to play games or buy food or flowers.

In keeping with this year’s environmental initiatives, Chinese New Year communication has been as paperless as possible. For the first time this year, we will NOT be distributing the usual token pre-order form for each student to bring home. Instead online ordering is available through the new LLAC ticketing office for credit card payment and a PDF form has been created for cheque payments. Orders for Lower School Flower Fair tokens must be placed by 17th January 2011.

All pre-ordered tokens will be delivered to the classroom teachers before the fair.

Annual Grade 5 Trip to Guizhou Province, March 11th – 15th 2011

Each year, in association with the Zigen Fund of Hong Kong, a group of teachers, parents and Grade 5 students from CDNIS embark on a 5-day trip to rural China. We travel to remote communities of Guizhou province to meet and visit with school aged children of local minority groups. Participants are exposed to a drastically different way of life, a role of community service and become part of a highly engaging cultural exchange experience.

Student information session – Thursday, Jan. 13th @ 1:30-2:30pm LLAC Theater
Ms. Cahusac & Mr. MacPherson will be hosting a presentation for all Grade 5 students where we will watch the movie, Sparrow Village, by Christine Choy filmed in one of the villages visited on the trip. The movie explores what it is like to be a female student in this region. We will also look at some of Ms. Cahusac’s photographs and a video created after the 2009 trip. Some students who attended the trip in the past will also be available to share their perspectives and answer student questions. At the end of this presentation, applications and information packages regarding the trip will be sent home.

Parent information session – Monday, Jan. 17th @ 5:00-6:00 CDNIS Library
Marcy Trent-Long, lead organizer and member of the HK Zigen Fund, will provide a detailed look into the specifics of the trip. Having worked closely on this trip with CDNIS for the past 4 consecutive years, Marcy Trent-Long has a wealth of information and can answer all your questions. Students are also welcome to attend. No transportation is provided.

]]> http://sites.cdnis.edu.hk/teachers/alonicahusac/2011/01/10/promoting-equal-opportunities-in-education-for-children-in-rural-china/feed/ 0 http://sites.cdnis.edu.hk/teachers/alonicahusac/2011/01/07/friday-update-jan-7th/ http://sites.cdnis.edu.hk/teachers/alonicahusac/2011/01/07/friday-update-jan-7th/#comments Fri, 07 Jan 2011 02:07:39 +0000 alonicahusac http://sites.cdnis.edu.hk/teachers/alonicahusac/?p=1398

It has been a really nice week back at school in this new year, 2011. I must admit that the students seem older, more mature and definitely more responsible. The general attitudes, behaviours and dispositions have been positive and well received by teachers. I would like to thank the wonderful students of Grade 5 for their part in a very smooth transition back into our routines after a nice, long holiday. And speaking of holidays, wasn’t it a great one? I hope that you had many special moments with your loved ones.

Today Mr. D’Arcy & Mr. Raymond came into the 5D DISCO to help us transfer our student Edublogs to our very new CDNIS WordPress blogs. We’ve been waiting for this for months and we’re quite excited about our sense of ownership and creative freedom to explore these new canvases. Check them out on the links to the right —–>

Have a great weekend and stay warm!

Students will receive two tickets each from their classroom teacher this week.  Students requiring further tickets need to make their request directly from the LLAC box office, based on availability. Please return any tickets not needed to their classroom teacher. Students are to arrive at school no later than 6:00pm on the evening of our “Let’s Make It Happen” Celebration, Wednesday, January 12, 2011, going directly to their classroom. The dress requirements are black pants and a solid green top with minimal writing and/or images. Starting at 6:15pm, students will be seated in the LLAC with their teacher. Light refreshments will be served in the lobby of the LLAC for parents and guests starting at 6:00 – 6:25pm. The programme will begin promptly at 6:30 and finish approximately at 7:45pm. Buses will pick up in Admiralty at 5:45pm and leave the school after the celebration at approximately 8:00pm for Causeway Bay and Admiralty. A DVD of the celebration will be available in February purchased directly from the LLAC Box Office.

Welcome back to school. I hope everyone had a great holiday and here’s to a fantastic year ahead – 2011

This week, we are heading out to the HONG KONG ECO PARK on Wednesday. Please send in your permission forms, if you haven’t already.

The “Let’s Make It Happen” Grade 5 concert is coming up next week (stay tuned for details) and we’ll be working hard on preparations and rehearsals all week long.

Grade 5s posed for the Yearbook Photo Shoot today demonstrating patience and excellent listening skills! Thanks for making this a fun experience, the Grade 5 teachers really appreciate it. You’re an amazing group of students and you make us very proud!

Happy Holidays!

The 5D DISCO has been in full swing this week! We’ve been working very hard on preparing our Speeches about Solid Waste Management. From writing draft after draft, to recording ourselves on iMovie and PhotoBooth to see our timing and evaluate our voice projection, to practicing with cue cards in front of our friends. Well done 5D! You are well on your way to being great public speakers.

Next week we will be performing our speeches to the class on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (depending on vacation plans). It will be a fun week of celebrating our accomplishments and enjoying festive cheer! To end the week we will celebrate with the entire Grade 5 level. On Friday, please send your child to school with a  small food item that can be easily shared. We will have a couple movie rooms and the DISCO, of course, will be rocking with tunes and dancing!

Reminders for Next Week

1. Friday, December 17th is a big day

The DJs have been working really hard on their blogging lately! We have discussed many features of what we think makes a good blog. We agree that inserting hyperlinks engages our readers and makes our blogs more exciting and interactive. We also notice that coloured fonts helps to emphasize different POWER WORDS and also portrays what we believe is the essence of our writing. Bold and italics can also help draw attention to the main ideas of our texts (for those of us who don’t like colours so much). DJs also like adding pictures to support their explanations and development of their ideas  – a picture is worth a thousand words, after all – and who really wants to read or write a thousand words when a picture will do?

Today we reviewed all 25 DJ blogs together as a class and the DJs voted for this month’s BLOG STARS. Congratulations for all of your hard work and creativity DJ 24, DJ 23, DJ 20, DJ 06, DJ 15, and DJ 01. Your effort and dedication to your personal best is a shining example for us to work towards! Now we know who to ask for blogging tips.

Keep up the amazing work DJs – you are setting the precedent and making the world very proud!

Recently, John D’Arcy and I co-hosted a CISPA parent information session about our new CDNIS Lower School blogs. New to CDNIS this year, a WordPress platform is being used by all classrooms, teachers, Grade 5/6 students, parents, administrators and specialist teachers. It has been a huge learning curve, setting up individual access points, interconnected and open to all participants, to form a massive collective community of learners. Now the entire Lower School community can access and participate within this virtual area for enhanced communication and sharing of learning, achievements and general school news. If you weren’t able to make it to the presentation, you can view my presentation PREZI file below and please feel free to ask your own questions here in the form of a comment. I look forward to hearing more from you!

It has been a wonderful week on the 8th floor as we dig deeper into our current UOI about Waste Management as well as preparing our persuasive speeches and working on wrapping up operations with large numbers in math.

Here is a message from Pauline Doulette-Cox, PYP Coordinator:

Want to learn more about the Lower School Teaching and Learning Programme? A reminder that the first ‘PYP Drop-In’ will be held in the drama pit of the library on Tuesday 7 December, 2:00–2:45pm and repeated on Thursday 9 December from 8.00–8.45am (revised date and time). The following questions will be addressed: What is the IB? What is the PYP? What is the philosophy behind the PYP? All welcome without the need to respond.

Wow, what a crazy 2 weeks it has been!

It all started with a trip to Bangalore, India to study the role of Math in the PYP. That took me out of the classroom for 3 whole teaching days. Followed by a day-long workshop visioning the future of the technology integration at CDNIS on Wednesday, Nov. 24th and a CISPA coffee morning wor kshop today about Blogging at CDNIS, and you have a very, very busy Ms. Cahusac. I’ve missed being in the classroom, but I’ve managed to keep a good running track of what is going on through First Class and constant updates from the DJs and other teachers. The DJs have been hard at work, as always, with a range of different su pply teachers and Mr. Dave keeping them challenged with new activities about our UOI – How We Organize Ourselves.

Please see the Unit Overview by clicking on the drop down tab in the menu bar Programme Ovweview.

We had a lot of fun on Tuesday with our reading buddies from PrepE. We showed them our portfolios and they showed us theirs. It was AWESOME!

Important Updates & Reminders

Thursday, Nov. 25th - School Photos sent home!

Friday, Nov. 26th - $20 Dress Down Day! Theme = Blue, Brown & Black

]]> http://sites.cdnis.edu.hk/teachers/alonicahusac/2010/11/25/thursday-update-nov-25th/feed/ 0 http://sites.cdnis.edu.hk/teachers/alonicahusac/2010/11/17/3-way-learning-review-schedule/ http://sites.cdnis.edu.hk/teachers/alonicahusac/2010/11/17/3-way-learning-review-schedule/#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 02:34:28 +0000 alonicahusac http://sites.cdnis.edu.hk/teachers/alonicahusac/?p=1284

Please check this schedule and make sure it is what you are expecting. If there is a mistake or a change that you’d like to make please email me as soon as possible. There are blank sessions which can be used if switches need to be made. A session with a dash in it means it is not available.

————————————-
Last year, the Lower School implemented a student-centered approach to assessment and a transition in the ways we report student achievement. As a means of supporting the development of parents’ understanding of our purpose and approach, a committee of teachers created a podcast which articulated the role of student, parent and teacher in the 3 Way Learning Review.

3 Way Learning Reviews are 20 minutes in length and provide an opportunity for all participants to discuss the strengths, areas for improvement and goals of the child. This open dialogue is crucial in the learning journey of your child.

Below you may watch the 3-minute podcast created last year to inform parents of the learning review process. Please note the dates on the last frame are from last year and could not be revised. This year, 3 Way Learning Reviews will be held on Friday, November 19 and Monday, November 22.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kind regards,

Linda Parnsalu
———————————-

It was a a very serious Friday as we wrapped up a lot of work and gave ourselves a big pat on the back for our accomplishments. The Grade 5 students have just finished a group summative task for our second Unit of Inquiry into How The World Works. We cruised around to see all the materials posters in different mentor rooms just after lunch in our Gallery Walk. After school we also attended a nice reception for a different kind of Gallery, that of the Gr. 5 expressive self-portraits which are hanging in the LLAC. These masterpieces will be up all week, so if you didn’t get a chance to come out on Friday, please come on by and take a peek before they’re gone! Most excitingly, we prepared to take our portfolios home to show our families our current work in Gr. 5. We really hope you’ve enjoyed them so far!

What’s on next week?

1. Swimming Classes begin – For the next 4 weeks 5D will have a double block of swimming every Friday between 12:30-1:50. They will also continue to have 1 period of regular P.E. with Mr. Steiner on Thursdays. There will be no P.E. on Mondays.

2. Monday, Nov. 8th –EARLY DISMISSAL. Students will be heading home at 11am so please plan accordingly.

3. Tuesday + Wednesday Nov. 9th & 10th – Cyber Safety workshops with Robyn Treyvaud 8:00-9:00am

4. Tuesday, Nov. 9th – LEAP van session 12:30-2:00

5. Thursday, Nov. 11th – Remembrance Day Assembly 10:40 – 11:20 in the LLAC

Lower School Updates

3-Way Learning Reviews are coming up on Nov. 19th and 22nd. You should receive notice via email and SMS from the school scheduling system with LS Online Scheduling System Parent User Guide Nov2010 about how to sign up for your 20 minute time slot. You may download this document by clicking on it above.

The Winter Concerts are taking on a new look this year. This year, the Performing Arts team will be showcasing certain students and their performance talents. A Grade Level performance will happen in early January connected to our Unit of Inquiry. More information to follow as we get closer to December!

Season 2 Sports (Week of November 8, 2010 to Week of February 14, 2011)
Basketball: U12, U14, U16 and U20
Tennis: U12, U14, U16 and U20 (team will be divided up into Division A and Division B based upon skill level)
Golf: U12, U14, U16 and U20 (Golf Club and Golf Team)
Ball Hockey: U14, U16 and U20 aged students
Squash: U14, U16 and U20 aged students
Rugby: U16 boys
Touch: U16, U20 girls

Age category is based upon your child’s age as of Sept 1.  For example, If your child is 11 years old on Sept 1, then they will compete in the U12 Division.  If your child is 12  years old on Sept 1 then they will compete in the U14 age division.

Tryouts
All students in grade 4 to grade 12 are welcome to attend tryouts in their age category.  Tryouts dates and venues are listed in a chart is our classroom. Your child must attend all tryout sessions to be eligible. If you’d like a copy of the tryout schedule for detailed information on team tryout dates, times and venue, please email me and I will send it to you.

Your child must be prepared to make a commitment to the team and attend all practices and competitions.

From: CDNIS Athletics Department

What an amazing Hallowe‘en at CDNIS! The Grade 5 teaching team enjoyed being cheerleaders for a day and so many creative and spirited students dressed up to celebrate Hallowe’en in true CDNIS style.

Another HUGE excitement for 5D this week was that we won the final match of the Gr. 5 soccer intramurals. Our prize is a free dress down day of our choosing! It took a lot of team spirit, cooperation and supportive sportsmanship to achieve this victory. Congratulations DJs

What’s on next week?

1. Monday, Nov. 1st – ART JAMMING: Please send your child to school with an old t-shirt for painting in, as well as a packed snack and lunch.

2. Friday, Nov. 5th – Portrait Exhibit Invite ’10: 3:00-5:00 in the LLAC come and see the masterpieces of the grade 5s on display. Also, enjoy some Grade 5 socializing at the end of the school week. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

3. Friday, Nov. 5th – Student Portfolios are sent home with Learning Updates for families to review.

For the Summative task of our current unit of inquiry, How The World Works, the students have been organized into cross-class groups, having one team member from each class (5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E). This design model means that teachers will work as mentors with specific groups, giving them the opportunity to work with students they don’t know yet. It also gives the students to opportunity to work with other students they normally don’t see during class time.

The students will work collaboratively on a WebQuest about Matter & Materials. Each individual student will be assessed on their teamwork, cooperative group decision making and conflict resolution. The groups will be assessed for their presentation of knowledge and application of skills conducting research, evaluating online sources, problem solving and critical thinking. The project gives the students the opportunity to work independently and authentically practice their reflective writing skills with a detailed daily project journal.

Here is a direct link to the completed WebQuest. It focuses on groups preparing a project poster about a material that they have chosen to investigate. They will present their findings in a Gallery Walk for all classes to see on Nov. 5th 2010.

Welcome back DJs and DJ parents! I hope that you had a marvelous and relaxing October Break. I went to Bali and the Gili Islands in Indonesia. I spent 3 days scuba diving with SHARKS! It was an amazing and thrilling adventure and some of the best scuba diving I’ve ever done in my entire life. I loved it!

The DJs are writing about their holidays as I type this, so if you’re interested in seeing what they all were up to over the break, then click on the DJ numbers on the right to see their posts. The DJs are also showing off more blogging skills by adding a picture and citing its source. Feel free to leave comments because we love, love, love the feedback

Here is a picture of the Island of Bali, where I was on my trip.

http://www.indonesia-tourism.com/bali/map/bali-map-high.png

A few updates & reminders:

1. Friday, October 29th we will be celebrating Halloween at school with a fun assembly, costume awards and a Grade 5 afternoon PARTY. I hope to see some creative costumes!

2. We made it to the finals in Grade 5 soccer intramurals. We will play vs. 5E on Tuesday, October 26th at lunch for the final prize of a free dress down day. The DJs have really pulled together as a team, supported each other and demonstrate cooperation and teamwork on the field. Way to go!

3. Monday, November 1st we will be going to ART JAM. All students have submitted their permission forms and I will be emailing parent volunteers with more information later today.

]]> http://sites.cdnis.edu.hk/teachers/alonicahusac/2010/10/25/my-october-break/feed/ 0 http://sites.cdnis.edu.hk/teachers/alonicahusac/2010/10/11/blog-stars/ http://sites.cdnis.edu.hk/teachers/alonicahusac/2010/10/11/blog-stars/#comments Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:20:48 +0000 alonicahusac http://sites.cdnis.edu.hk/teachers/alonicahusac/?p=1214

The DJs have been busy setting up their very own student blogs. In this process a few DJs have really developed their skills and put in extra effort, producing a blog site that really shines! I like to award Blog Stars and team points for students who work hard on their student blog. I had trouble deciding who deserved the first round of blog star awards, so today as a class we looked at everyone’s blog and talked about their work. Then the students gave out sticky stars to their top choice. DJ 11, DJ 4 and DJ 20 all received 4 stars from their classmates. There were quite a few other sticky stars given out, showing that many DJs are hard at work on their blogs. Keep up the great work, class.

Parents, please take some time with your child to look at their blog so far and encourage them.
They really are amazing pieces of work already!

We’ve started a new Unit of Inquiry with the transdisciplinary theme, How The World Works. Please find the Unit Overview under the Programme Overview tab above. Of course, a better way to learn about this unit would be to ask your child what we’ve been exploring so far in class. They should be able to tell you about the central idea and the lines of inquiry.

Another window into what we’re doing can be seen by checking out our *new* DJ blogs.  You can click on any DJ # in the right side bar —> to see how they’re coming along. Please feel free to leave us comments. We’ve only just begun, but I see amazing things in there already! Way to go bloggers! You make me proud

Carrying on with MATHLETICS fun, we’ve been practicing our multiplication and division skills to warm us up for a new Numeracy unit about operations with numbers. The students are really shining and having fun with this online competition!

In ART news, we have been studying colour theory and colour mixing. The students are becoming experts at using the colour wheel and identifying the primary, secondary and tertiary colours. This art unit will wrap up with a big party and a fun field trip. Stay tuned for more details.

Looking Ahead to Next Week: October 11th – October 15th

Monday - Early dismissal 11:00am

Wednesday – Class Photo & Student Photos 10:30am

Friday – Grade 5/6 recognition assembly – 8:10am

It was a short, but  very busy week in 5D. After 2 weeks of planning and organizing ideas for our communications technology inventions of the future, we put all the ideas together on PREZI. I was amazed at how quickly the 5D DJs learned the ins and outs of PREZI. What was even more admirable was how well they worked together to show each other what they were learning. If you’d like to see some of the final products, please click on the 5D Disco DJ Blogs (on the right –>).

We also jumped into MATHLETICS, which was a huge hit in 5D. Be sure to ask your child about their account and what they’ve been doing on this website.

We also checked out a real-time science game on the Discovery Chanel Website, called Shark Runners. The DJs created their own virtual boats, but the sharks are REAL! Ask your child to explain, or better yet show you, the game.

Tomorrow is a holiday and I am going on a trip. Are you? I’ll be sure to bring back stories and photos of my adventures to share with the 5D DJs on Monday. I hope that you have a wonderful National Day holiday, enjoying all the things you love with family and friends.

Reminders + Updates:

1. Grade 5 Immunizations will happen on Wednesday, October 6th.

2. Our 5D class photo and individual student photos will be taken on Wednesday, October 13th.

The 5D DJs have spent close to 4 weeks studying about blogging. What is a blog? Who writes blogs? Why do people write blogs? How do blogs connect people and create community? What information can you find in blogs? What considerations do you need to make before commenting on blogs? What are the essential elements and featured parts of blogs? These are all questions that the DJs can now answer and explain clearly. I’ve seen promising work of students demonstrating their maturity, awareness and responsibility when it comes to becoming better bloggers.

We’ve only started with 2 posts so far. The first is for you to get to know us a little bit and the second is to present our latest hard work on PREZI. Please check them out and comment on all of our efforts. If you’re not sure about commenting guidelines, see the Blogging Guidelines on this site. On the right side bar –> you’ll find links to all the Disco DJ blogs!