Thank you to A Pet's Life, Happy Canada Day, and Happy Summer Everyone!

Well students, you're on holiday - congratulations!! It was a whirlwind the last few days, and that was a looooong assembly Wednesday afternoon - fun to see so many of you in the slideshow though!!

As you know, while you were swimming, Megan, Ryley, Nancy and I went over to A Pet's Life on the corner of Foul Bay and Cadboro Bay Roads, and spent the money that you raised with the bake sale for APAC. It was an amazing experience. Eileen Smith, the owner of A Pet's Life, showed us all of the pet supplies (for dogs and cats) that she recommended as useful for the animals in Cuba - and then gave us huge discounts on everything, plus, she gathered a number of things and gave them to us for free! We have collars, leashes, toys, vitamins, nutritious treats, flea combs, and lots more. THANK YOU EILEEN AND A PET'S LIFE!!

As well, Eileen spoke to us about the NANA FOUNDATION, which is a local organization that rescues and gives sanctuary to cats and dogs. A Pet's Life supports the NANA Foundation and has done for years (they have a box in the store where you can donate things, similar to the box we had in our classroom). They have a big fundraiser every Thanksgiving in October - last year they raised enough to feed 30 dogs and 25 cats for FOUR MONTHS!! Eileen always needs volunteers, which Megan, Ryley and Nancy have committed to - and I'm guessing there's others of you who would like to be involved. I'll call any of you who are interested together in the fall to talk about it.

In the meantime, there's a wonderful, long two months in between. I hope all of you spend lots of time outdoors (wear sunscreen and a hat!!), spend time with family and friends, and find a shady spot under a tree where you can read lots. If you go to the library link, Ms. Spies has posted a list of a number of titles of the new books that we showed you last week. Also, see if you can find The Ghost of Spirit Bear...we just ran out of time to finish it so you'll have to find out what happens to Cole and Peter on your own. If you don't read it over the summer, you're welcome to come borrow my copy in September. Remember to read "just right" books, and even easy reads like magazines...the point is to read for pure pleasure in the summer...although it keeps your brain in the groove.

Parents, an overview of the year was sent home in report cards, but just in case, I've posted it here as well.

HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER EVERYONE!!!

Advisory 63 Third Term Overview
Teacher: K. Kilpatrick

It’s hard to believe the school year has come to an end. While we’re all looking forward to some rest and relaxation, still, I will miss working with this wonderful community of students that make up Advisory 63. They’ve worked hard right up to the end. It’s been a busy term – we continued to study the Diversity of Life that was enhanced by an EcoRowing trip, we explored the concept of Adaptation making many connections to our daily life, and we studied other cultures, focussing on causes of the cycle of poverty, and issues facing many developing countries. We read three novels – The Breadwinner and Parvana’s Journey, which focus on a young Afghanistan girl under the rule of the Taliban, and the sequel to Touching Spirit Bear (which we read earlier in the year), called The Ghost of Spirit Bear. Students used these novels to practice numerous reading strategies (see learning outcomes), reflect and respond using a wide variety of graphic organizers and double entry journals, and apply concepts in the novels to a study of a developing country of their choice. Students learned how to ask powerful questions and research the answers.

We were fortunate to have a guest come in to our class twice a week during the month of April, Jeremy Bally. Jeremy helped us link our passions to making a difference in the world, and as a result students created 3 groups – one to brainstorm on how to solve world peace (no small task!), one to brainstorm on how to help protect the environment, and a third to help the many homeless animals in Cuba. All three groups had success – our Peace Group made posters encouraging kind behaviour to each other as a starting place for more widespread tolerance, our Environment Group ran a fundraiser called “Guess for the Globe” and raised over $30.00 for the non-profit local environmental organization the Swan Lake Sanctuary, and finally our third group ran a successful bake sale, raising $300.00 for APAC-Varadero (The Association for the Protection of Animals, Cuba, Varadero, which you will be familiar with if you follow the Advisory 63 blog!). I’m very proud of these students for their commitment and hard work.

We also took advantage of the spring federal election and used it as an opportunity to look at various kinds of government, from our Canadian democracy, to dictatorships in Libya and Syria, to countries enduring civil war such as Afghanistan.We’ve been dragon boating, explored the Goldstream Estuary (bare feet and mud!), studied the wetlands and marine life at Esquimalt Lagoon, and spent the day at Cadboro Bay Beach.

It feels like there is so much more to do – but we’ve run out of time. Fortunately, I pass off my lovely class onto capable hands in Grade 7 where I know the learning process will continue – because, that’s what education is really about I think – learning how to learn. Since that is a lifelong process, we could never hope to finish in Grade 6! I feel privileged to have been able to contribute to the process with your children, and am grateful for the many things I learned from them – there has never been a dull moment for me!

If there is one thing I could ask you to do over the summer, it is to support your children reading – every day! It is not homework – hopefully it’s a joy. But, there is substantial research that tells us that students who read a great deal over the summer holidays have a far easier time transitioning back into the next grade come September. Your children know how to find a “just right” book…and Ms. Spies and I have recommended several to this group. As well, magazines, newspapers, comics, cereal boxes...anything goes, just as long as your child is enjoying what they read!
As well, I hope all of you, students, parents, guardians, (pets!) have a wonderful and relaxing summer. I’m sure I’ll see many of you in the halls in the fall and I look forward to seeing the smiling faces that have greeted me every school day this year come September. In the meantime have a wonderful, restful vacation!
K. Kilpatrick

Learning Outcomes for Term 3:

Language Arts (Humanities)
Reading Comprehension:
•uses accessing prior knowledge, predicting, questioning, inferring, visualizing and graphic organizers to accomplish specific purposes for reading, viewing and listening
•reads a variety of fiction and non-fiction materials
•responds critically to what he/she has read - determines correct meaning and context
•locates and interprets details to answer specific questions
•compares their own opinions with information presented
•develops personal responses to materials and supports their responses with reasons, examples and details
•paraphrases and elaborates on the ideas of others to clarify and extend understanding

Writing Skills:
•organizes information/ideas using graphic organizers for the purpose of expressing and supporting connections and opinions
•demonstrates pride and satisfaction in using language to express thoughts, ideas and feelings in various written forms

Oral Communication Skills:
•uses language to display empathy and make connections with others
•uses speaking to explore, express, and present ideas and feelings
•listens purposefully to understand and analyse ideas and information
•uses speaking and listening to improve and extend thinking by questioning, predicting, acquiring new ideas, analysing and evaluating ideas, developing explanations, considering alternative viewpoint

Socials Studies (Humanities)
•explores the relationship between themselves and their environment
•applies critical thinking skills - including comparing, classifying, inferring, imagining, verifying, identifying relationships, summarizing, and drawing conclusions - to a range of problems and issues
•demonstrates understanding of global citizenship
•demonstrates awareness of United Nation human rights initiatives
•compares individual and collective rights and responsibilities in Canada with those in other countries, particularly developing countries


Science
•demonstrates curiosity, creativity, open mindedness, accuracy, precision, persistence, and appreciates their importance as scientific attributes
•uses text features to read for information and determine key ideas and supporting details
•presents information from scientific investigations in an organized manner
•locates and interprets details to answer specific questions or complete tasks
•demonstrates understanding of characteristics and needs of living things
•demonstrates understanding of the Diversity of Life, including classification and adaptations
•demonstrates understanding and appreciation of the importance of extreme environments