Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for all of your support this year.  I have really and truly enjoyed my year with our class, and I have felt very fortunate to have each and every one of these young people in my care! 

Thank you for your attendance to our Graduation ceremony - I hope you enjoyed your night, despite some technical difficulties!  I couldn't believe how wonderful all the students looked, and I was shocked at how quickly the night was over.

I would also like to extend a special thank you to all families who contributed to grad preparation and to today's dance. The students told me that they really enjoyed coming back today to enjoy some "formal" time with their classmates - apparently a grade 2 student stopped some "fancily-dressed" students in the hall today and asked them if they were on a date! 

Thank you for a great year - enjoy your summer!
And to my students:  Good luck in September!! 

Signing off for another summer,
Miss Skelton :)

Grad Trip!

Hi everyone,

Wow - the Grad Trip is only a couple of days away!  We will be going over all safety precautions in place with students, but we ask that you go over safety and etiquette with your children before Thursday's trip.  We love taking our Grade 8s to Niagara Falls, and want to make sure that all students have a positive, fun experience.

Track and Field areas are tomorrow - several students will be attending as participants or helpers.  The remaining students in our classes will be sent to various Grade 6 and 7 classes in the school so that Mr. Bax, Mr. Sauve, and I can be freed up to go and run the area event.  Bax and Skelton students will meet me at my portable (P900) in the morning for attendance and then head to their classes for the day.
In the event that you and your child agree that your child is going to stay home, we ask that you please call Safe Arrival and let the office know of your child's absence.  Thank you!

More information regarding Graduation will be coming home soon - mark June 25th on your calendars!

Have a great night,
Miss Skelton :)

Track and Field Day

Hi everyone,

Just a reminder that Track and Field Day is tomorrow!  Students have received permission forms that need to be returned in order to participate in events at BDHS.

A concession stand will be available AT Fieldcrest (not at the high school) through out the day.  Students are reminded not to rely on foods available, as once it's gone, it's gone.

The weather will be nice tomorrow - 20 and sunny!  This is prime weather for sun irritation... students should bring hats, layers (as it may be cooler in the morning), sunscreen,  and water.  For clothing, loose fitting, athletic clothing is best, and they should definitely have appropriate footwear.

I'll be at the scoring table tomorrow - good luck, Grade 8s!!

Miss Skelton :)

Math Review - 2

Hi everyone,

Here are the solutions pages to the Integers review sheets from Friday.  I would have had them up last night, but my computer is not cooperating with me lately!  Fortunately, it seems to like me right now :) 
** Monday June 3 - update - there is an error in the calculations on page 2, question 3
The correct method is:  14-12(2) instead of 14-15(2) and the final answer should be -10 instead of -16. 
Thank you to Julia for pointing this out!

I would also like to clarify a misunderstanding among myself and the students - I gave very incorrect information about the upcoming Math exam.  It will NOT be 100 questions - I misunderstood when I was speaking to Mr. Bax and Mr. Sauve.  It will be out of 100 marks.  Very different!  I apologize for any panic this may have caused - please clarify this with your child if they do not read the blog themselves!

Thanks (and again, sorry about the confusion!),

Miss Skelton :)

Math Review

Hi everyone,

Hard to believe there's less than a month left of school!  More info is to come regarding Graduation, so stay tuned.  In the meantime, there's an exciting event on the horizon... the MATH EXAM!!  The students will simulate a highschool exam by reviewing this term's concepts and writing an exam on Tuesday of next week.  There will be 4 strands covered, including:
Patterning and Algebra - Algebra - collecting like terms, solving for variables, word problems
Geometry and Spatial Sense - Pythagorean Theorem - solving for hypotenuse, using the formula, word problems
Number Sense and Numeration - Integers - using integer rules with operations, applying BEDMAS, working with number lines
Measurement - circumference, area of circles, and volume of shapes like rectangular prisms and cylinders

So far, students have received an Algebra and a Pythagorean Theorem review sheet.  These are the solutions, for study purposes:

The Integers review sheet will be added tomorrow, and the Measurement review is based on the Rocket Project that students are participating in this week. 

A friendly reminder that permission forms are required for students to attend Track and Field Day on Wednesday of next week, and to attend the grad trip (both forms are due no later than Tuesday).
Have a great evening,
Miss Skelton :)

History - Inventors

Hi everyone,

Here's a list of the inventions/inventors we spoke about in History:

Chris Haney and Scott Abbott - Trivial Pursuit
Norman Breakey - Paint Roller
Dianne Croteau - CPR Mannequin
James Floyd - Jetliner
Sandford Fleming - Standard Time (Time Zones)
Gideon Sundback - Zippers
Henry Woodward - The Electric Lightbulb
T.E. Ryan - 5 Pin Bowling
Grahame Ferguson, Roman Kroitor, Robert Kerr - IMAX
SPAR Aeronautics and The National Aeronautical Establishment - Canadarm
Eli Franklin Burton, Cecil Hall, James Hillier, Albert Prebus - Electron Microscope
James Naismith - Basketball
Helmut Lucas - Prosthetic Hands
Joseph Armand Bombardier - the Snowmobile
Jacques Plante - the Goalie Mask
Samuel McKeen - the Odometer
Frederick Banting, J.J. MacLeod, Charles Best - the Insulin Process
Elijah McCoy - Lawn Sprinklers (among many other things)
Wilbur Rounding Franks - Anti-Gravity Suits
Donald Hings - Walkie Talkies
Olivia Poole - Jolly Jumpers
Harry Wasylyk - Garbage Bags
Abraham Gesner - Kerosene
Arthur Sicard - Snow Blowers
William Chalmers - Acrylics/Plexiglass
John A. Hopps and Wilfred Bigelow - Heart Pacemaker
Alexander Graham Bell - the Telephone

Remember - these are NOT all of the inventions and innovations that Canadians have contributed - see if there are others that interest you!

This assignment is due NO LATER THAN MAY 31, 2013 (it's a Friday).  Please do your best to stick to the deadline.

Happy researching!
Miss Skelton :)

Pythagorean Theorem

Hi everyone,

We've had a busy few weeks!  Students are getting excited about our upcoming Grad Trip to Niagara Falls (yessss!!), and Graduation, which is a mere 6 weeks away!  We also had some excitement with our Rugby Team regaining the South Simcoe Champions title last week!  Way to go, Falcons!!

In the upcoming weeks, we have Jump Rope for Heart (our 8s are running stations - hopefully Wednesday and Thursday of this week, but with the weather predictions, it may be changed), Track and Field, a Grade 8 presentation from the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) about dealing with the stress of transitioning from elementary school to secondary school, and lots more!  Details will be coming, so please stay tuned!

This week, we're focusing on Pythagorean Theorem in Math, and students have recently participated in a Math Museum activity where they were able to go around, answering various word problems.  The solutions are below.  There will be an assessment on this topic this coming Friday.

If students have any questions, they are encouraged to come and see me as soon as possible.

We have also just begun a new History unit, during which students will be doing a research project on a Canadian Inventor.  A list of Canadian inventors/inventions will be available on our History page tomorrow.


Thanks for visiting!

Miss Skelton :)