Welcome to Advisory 62! I am so happy to have all of you in my class, and am really looking forward to a wonderful year. On this blog, I will be posting general information, upcoming dates, reminders, news, homework (!), interesting facts...and you can give me input as to what you would like to see on the blog! I will try and update frequently, so get in the habit of checking in, even if I don't post something every day. The blog is a great way for your families to keep in touch with what you're doing too. See you at the picnic tonight!

Hello, hello!

I have just logged on to post a few items of note - and was shocked to see my last entry was in early February! I really do apologize, this doesn't seem like my year to keep my blog up. However, I'm happy to say that students, you've been (mostly!) keeping up with work, getting notices back, and conveying information to your families really well. Still there are a few items I thought I would update and remind everyone on. For starters, please remember the Convoy of Awesome Food Bank Drive. Thank you to the students who have already brought non-perishable items, and a reminder to those of you who haven't - remember, this is a way to make a difference in our own community. I've attached the link to the HeroWork video for you to share with your families. I am still looking for drivers for a field trip to the Thetis Lake Watershed on Tuesday May 14, for the morning. I will make the call on whether we can go or not on Monday morning. I need seats for 14 more students, potentially 10. We are starting our blanket/food/penny drive for the SPCA this Monday! Let's start by modeling the things we can bring in - I have a dog dish and some food along with sheets and a blanket, and Nadia has already brought in lots of pennies! Remember that next weekend (May 17 - 20) is a 4 day weekend due to Pro-D on the 17th and Victoria Day on the 20th. Students, you've been working really hard, and I'm really impressed with how well so many of you showed your parents around our classroom last week. You demonstrated a great understanding of how you learn - I was proud of you! I've put some date reminders to the side...there is lots to do in less than two months!! Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Help!! ...and a few other things....

Hello parents and students, Please note the updated "upcoming events" to your right - lots happening! Of particular note is the field trip to Goldstream on Wednesday, February 13, in the afternoon. I appreciate that the students have all returned their permission slips but we do have one, small problem - not enough rides. I recognize and honour that so many of you work and have commitments. I do need to just put in one final plea though, if there is any possibility that someone may be able to adjust their day to co-incide with a lovely drive out to Goldstream at 12 noon, and a lovely drive back at 2:30 (and your option whether you stay inbetween or not). At the moment I have enough rides for 15 students and need seatbelts (and wheels) for 7 more. If you are able to help, please just send a note with your child on Tuesday, or you can reach me over the weekend at kkilpatrick@sd61.bc.ca. Students you've worked really hard these last few weeks (as usual!) Enjoy your long weekend and Family Day - remember to tell your families about The Maple Man! See you Tuesday, rested and raring to go!

Skating, French, Carbon Footprint...

Reminder - skating tomorrow! Please be prepared - warm clothes (gloves if you have them), know your shoe size, and bring your helmet. We'll leave the school about 9:40 and be back for lunch. French - your calendar is due! Many of you have used your time really well and have either completed them or come close. Since we don't have French tomorrow, I'll accept your finished work on Monday...so some of you may have to take them home tomorrow to finish over the weekend. Carbon Footprint - how is it going? Have you had a conversation with your family? Have you made changes? Are you recording your progress?? Deadline is February 7!! See you tomorrow!

First Week Back - Welcome Back, Carbon Footprint challenge and Homework!

Hello Students and families - Well, we've settled in beautifully to the school routine after what I hope was a restful and peaceful winter break for everyone. Students you've worked hard this week - I'm impressed. Today we had a guest presenter, Lara, teaching us about Climate Change, and we accepted the Carbon Footprint Challenge - parents, tomorrow your child will be bringing home a tracking sheet to evaluate your family use of energy - this will continue for 4 weeks, at which time students will take the same "quiz" they had today, to see if they have been able to reduce their carbon footprint (and help you reduce yours!) Please remember to complete your pie graphs for "My Typical Day", due tomorrow morning students.

Black and White Spirit Day tomorrow, and brunch!

Hi Everyone! It's hard to believe that the holiday is here! Students have worked VERY hard right up until the end and we're in a good place to pick up in January. But first things first - Spirit Day tomorrow! Remember to wear as much black as you can students - not a holiday colour I know (you could always wear something green and red to complement the black). Thank you to MacLeod, John, Milena and Zoe for representing the class - no one came to me today to be an alternate - if you're interested talk to me first thing in the morning! Also, we're going to have a class celebration in Block 2 and 3 tomorrow - I will be showing Elf, by popular vote. We hope to have some food - remember to bring something to share students (and no asking Mom or Dad to bake something at midnight!)Think healthy - muffins? Fruit? Croissants? Cinnamon buns? Cheese? I'll supply the drinks. See you tomorrow!

Term Overview

Hello Parents, Guardians and Students: In the rush of last week, I realized on the weekend that I completely forgot to include an overview of the term with your child's report card! I think an overview is important, to give context to the marks and comments that your child received. I have sent home a hard copy of the overview with your child today, and as well, am posting it below. The learning outcomes are posted at the very bottom of the blog. Advisory 63 Term Overview – December 2012 Teacher: Ms. Kilpatrick Advisory 63 has worked very hard this term, learning new Middle School routines, reviewing concepts from earlier grades, undertaking to learn new ones, setting and meeting our and their own realistic goals and expectations, and striving, with encouragement, to always do their best work. The concepts of respect, industry, setting and achieving personal goals, work ethic, independence, making good choices and decisions have all been emphasized on a daily basis. Organization and study habits have also been stressed, along with commitment to quality completion of assignments and personal responsibility. Language Arts, Science and Social Studies are integrated through a natural and realistic blending of content areas. Reading comprehension and reading for information have been emphasized across the core curriculum using numerous strategies. In Language Arts, we have been learning about predicting for meaning, accessing prior knowledge, visualizing and making connections, to improve reading comprehension. Most days the students go in to “The Reading Zone” for 20 minutes to half an hour, reading “just-right” books while I conference with individuals to ensure they’re engaging in their reading and maximizing their comprehension. In Socials, we have covered basic mapping skills (4 cardinal points, grids, legends, different uses of maps, etc.) and looked at mapping as a means of determining our community and “sense of place”. In Science, we have looked at the characteristics and needs of all living things and are exploring the great diversity of life on earth. I feel so fortunate that your children are benefitting from the expertise of other teachers: Ms. Hendra for Math (she is an expert extraordinaire!) and Mr. Stevenson for P.E., along with their Exploratory and Band or Mini-Ex teachers. By now you should all have received the information that I have a classroom blog as a means of communication for you. Some of our students do not use agendas, and we have found that students and parents appreciate being kept informed of homework, events, and miscellaneous items through the use of technology. You can view it through Google at advisory63.blogspot.com. I would encourage you to become a follower (it’s easy, just follow the instructions!) as you will then receive an email to alert you every time I put up a new posting. I do apologize that the blog has not been as current this fall as I have kept it in the past, due to unusual personal circumstances, but I will be endeavouring to keep it updated more frequently. It has been a rewarding experience to teach your children this term. As we come to know each other, the sense of community, caring, enthusiasm for the learning process and respect of each other is continually growing in our classroom. We appreciate the support you give your children at home, and encourage you to continue to help your children accomplish the goals they set for themselves. Please turn over to see the learning outcomes that I have taught to this term. Have a wonderful holiday season everyone! Ms. Kilpatrick

CONGRATULATIONS MUSICIANS!!!!!!

WOW! I had the luxury of watching 19 - 19!!! - of my students participate in today's winter concert. The choir boasted the voices of Sophie, John and Jeet, and they, along with so many others, were in the band. It's hard to believe most of you haven't played your instrument before September! I and the rest of the class watched and listened to the concert this morning. It was so good, I had to come back tonight! Well done, well done, well done! Hugs, Ms. Kilpatrick

Happy December!

Hi Everyone, It's good to be back! I never like being away from my students, but sometimes it's just unavoidable. I was very glad though to leave my class in the very capable and experienced hands of Mrs. Hardy, who, like me, has travelled to the Arctic as part of Canadian Teachers Breaking the Ice. Mrs. Hardy specializes in Language Arts, and so we set science aside last week in order that Mrs. Hardy could do a complete Chris Van Allsburg unit. This focussed on reading strategies that we have been working on since September: predicting, making connections, using prior knowledge, determining what's important, and visualizing. Students built on this by identifying what makes a good story...see their brainstorming to the right - and then doing some creative writing of their own, utilizing all the structures that they know makes for strong paragraphs and good reading. I'm really happy the students had this opportunity with Mrs. Hardy, and to hear her wonderful report on how hard the students worked - congratulations everyone, I'm proud of you. Students have been busy, and report cards come home this Friday reflecting all of the things we have covered so far in first term. I will post a comprehensive overview of the term for Friday as well, along with all of the Learning Outcomes. In the meantime, there are two Winter Concerts to enjoy tomorrow and Wednesday. Please note the Book Fair will be open both evenings for students (and adults!) to purchase good books. There is also a "wish list" for our classroom library that you are welcome to look at!! On Friday,we will be going swimming. A notice will go home tomorrow with details - but there is no cost to the students (unless they rent a locker), it is part of our PE program, and if your child is unable to participae, we require a note. Happy December everyone - let it snow!

Curriculum Completion Day

Hi Everyone, Well, it's been busy! Students have been working hard on their individual community maps. We walked up to the top of Mt. Tolmie for a "bird's eye" view of the community we are mapping and to build on our Sense of Place - what a unique place we live, on the Southern tip of Vancouver Island, surrounded by water on three sides. It's quite amazing to see it, and the maps the students are developing are providing an authentic understanding of mapping and of their environment. We have also been working on the process of writing. Writing is a process, not a single activity, so we are still looking at the structure of a basic paragraph, and learning how to use that structure to the best advantage, so that we can create mental images for our readers. Therefore, descriptive language and finding ways to "hook" readers, has been our focus. Students, I just need to let you know, that when I type this blog, it's in paragraphs...but the blog format takes out all my paragraph breaks!!! It drives me crazy! In Science, along with getting dirty and covered in leaves as we weed the Naturescape and prepare it for winter, we have begun the concept of classification - looking at the characteristics that living organisms have in common, but also the vast diversity of life. Some students are at school this afternoon for Curriculum Completion Day. This is an opportunity for students who have incomplete work, due to being away or for a variety of reasons, to catch up on everything and make sure assignments are done to the best of their ability. I am glad that a number of our students are using this time to ensure they are up to date and have a good understanding of the concepts we have covered so far. Homework Club is another excellent tool for staying on top of work (and I think a few of you would really benefit from regular attendance to Homework Club!!). It runs Monday to Thursday from 2:50 to 3:30 p.m. in the library. I've updated the upcoming dates in the right hand margin of the blog. There are also a couple of fairly recent additions - Advisory 63's definition of community, and good books students have read and think others would enjoy. I think that's it for now everyone - again, I do apologize for not keeping the blog more up to date. I continue to be immersed in an ongoing family emergency, but am hoping that soon my energies will be less divided. Parents, please don't hesitate to give me a call if you have any concerns, or email me at kkilpatrick@sd61.bc.ca. Report cards will be coming home in a few weeks and I am happy to chat with you by phone, email, or arrange a time to meet with you if we haven't already connected. Thanks for your patience everyone.

Catching Up

Hello Parents and Students: I would like to apologize for not keeping the blog up to date since I was in Ottawa, and for much more - including not blogging about the AMAZING reception/party/welcome I received from you students, upon my return from Ottawa (I was speechless!), and parents, for not being more available for communicating about your children - particular apologies to those of you whom I had to unexpectedly cancel parent/teacher interviews with - thank you for your patience while waiting for me to re-schedule. As many of you are aware, my Mother became seriously ill the day I returned from Ottawa, and it's been a roller coaster ever since. There have been many ups and downs, and as a result I have had to be away from my class more than I would like - but my Mom is my priority and I am so grateful to all of you for your understanding and empathy - many of you have said that family comes first...thank you for that, but your children come a close second. Happily, we have still been accomplishing much in the classroom - your children are working hard! We are learning about the diversity of life, how to write a structured paragraph (eat an Oreo!), how to think about the reading strategies we use, and we are beginning to map our community as we create icons that represent our sense of place. The students have generated a list of expectations - what kind of classroom environment we want to establish for the year - and a list of favourite reads (which I will post on the blog soon - I left it at the school!). They have also generated a list of what "community" means to them, and I have been delighted to welcome Ms. Laurie Piazza into our class on Monday mornings to explore the concept of "Mindfulness" with my students - it's a way of tapping into our own personal energy and being "in the moment", helping "train" our brains to be alert, calm and focused...a great way to start the week, and we have 5 more sessions with Ms. Piazza to keep learning from. I will do my best to keep you more informed of what we are up to, although I do know that the next while will continue to be a bit tumultuous for me. Please know that when I do need to be away, I ensure that the TOC is fully up to date on what we're working on, I'm thrilled with the teachers who replace me, and the students continue to move forward in their learning. Thank you again for your understanding. If we did not meet at parent/teacher interviews, I will do my best to contact you in the near future by email or by phone in order to at least touch base about your child's learning. K. Kilpatrick

From Dr.Thirsk!

To the students of Lansdowne School, Reach for the stars! Robert Thirsk STS 78 Soyuz TMA 15 ISS Expedition 20/21

Have a great week!!!!

Hi Students and Families, I apologize for not keeping the blog a bit more updated...it's been a bit of a whirlwind lately for me, both at work and at home. And I'm still catching up from lack of sleep on Friday night after the racoon attack!!! Thanks for working so hard today students...and I'm so impressed with your start on your French mini-project...I'm looking forward to seeing the finished products and I can see that you are taking care to do your best day to day work - well done. As you know students, and for your information parents and guardians, I will be away for the remainder of this week. I'm very torn - I always hate to be away from class because there are so many things to learn and do and I enjoy each day with you. But, I have an opportunity for some amazing professional development in Ottawa this week and so I am leaving bright and early tomorrow morning...5 a.m.!! I have left you in excellent hands for this week. Your teacher will be Mrs. Hall - an experienced teacher who I know well, and who will keep you moving forward in your learning. You will be doing lots of interesting and fun things with her and I'll look forward to hearing all about your week when I get back. I know you will greet her warmly and be helpful and respectful. I will try to update the blog while I'm away with some of my experiences...if I can. But until next week - have fun!!!

Well Done!

Hi everyone! I just want to congratulate all of you on your great energy and spirit yesterday! We walked ALL the way UP Mt. Tomie, and ALL the way DOWN......, FAST, and TWICE!!!!! Every one was such a good sport! Our time was tight, and families, I do apologize that we were late getting back. We had hoped to get away at 12:30 but were delayed, which set the afternoon back by about 20 minutes. As well, it was hard to pull away from the great art project the folks from the UVic Geography department had us doing. A big thank you to Ken Josephson and Cameron Owen from the Geography Department, along with their graduate students Tom and Kaley, as well as Brenda Beckwith from Environmental Studies. We had a nice walk through the University fields and grounds, saw the First People's House and heard some storytelling, and saw the "last original apple tree" from the Finnerty Farm - the tree was likely at least 70 years old, and we could see where people pay their respects to what it stands for. After some great artwork that we hope to finish this week, some juice and organic suckers, we hoofed it back to the school - not at the same breakneck speed with which we travelled to the university in order to meet our hosts on time - but still a good pace. We were tired but very proud of our accomplishment, and grateful for the experience. I'm thinking you all slept well! Students, I'm sorry I was not at school this afternoon, I was a learner myself, and attended a literacy workshop. I am pumped!! I'll tell you all about it tomorrow! When I went back to the school, I heard a very positive report from the TOC - so again, congratulations on being a stellar class! See you tomorrow - don't forget to bring your Twoonie for the Terry Fox run!!

Hi Everyone, I hope all of you are enjoying the outdoors in the sunshine! I apologize for not getting this up earlier...it's because I was out in the sun and lost my sense of time! Parents and guardians, I have a wonderful opportunity that came up unexpectedly, to take the class up to the Geography department at the University of Victoria. There we will be taken on a "walk-a-bout" by Ken Josephson and some of his graduate students, we will hear - and tell - stories, do some community mapping and art work. We had just started community mapping in the class which will be an ongoing theme throughout the year, so I'm thrilled. The opportunity comes partially as a result of UVic celebrating it's 50 Years Anniversary. This is where you come in! Your children have homework this weekend and tomorrow. It is to talk with you, and see if you have any "stories" to do with your community that may relate at least somewhat to UVic and the surrounding area. For instance, I was a small child when I moved to Victoria with my family, and UVic consisted of only 3 or 4 buildings - but what I particularly remember is that on the edge of UVic there was a large field that you couldn't walk through at particular times of year, because the rare meadowlark would be nesting - one of the few protected places for them. Many of you are not from Victoria, and in fact come from very far away. We need those stories too....perhaps you could think about what "community" means to you, and how have you found it here? Are there places or "things" in Victoria that remind you of your original home or roots? Conversation is always an important part of learning....I hope you are able to have lots with your children, my students! Enjoy the rest of the weekend and I'll look forward to hearing the results of your conversations on Tuesday afternoon! **On Tuesday, we will be walking to UVic. Students will eat their lunch in the classroom, and then we will leave at 12:30, walk up and over Mt. Tolmie to Gordon Head Road, and then we will cut through the University grounds to the Geography building to meet up with our hosts. We will leave at 2:30 and walk back the same way. I will have Stephanie, our lovely Educational Assistant, walking with us. We do not need any other adults, but you are always welcome to join us, please just let me know in advance! Thanks.

Sense of Place

Hi everyone! Did you do your homework??!! I hope you thought about your route home today through new eyes...what did you observe, what did you notice, what did you see?? Remember tomorrow morning, use your best observational skills to notice things on your way back to school - the route...but also what you see on the route! It might be buildings, people, animals, birds, insects, something unusual...but tuck all the information away so that you can share it with others. Here is the pledge, as promised: I Observe: with all my senses to find out about our world. I Explore: on my own or with others, new and important things. I Communicate: in many ways to share what I learn. I Respect: all things as I learn and discover. Will your family take the pledge? See you tomorrow.

And We're Off!!

Well class, we're in our second week of being "Advisory 63" together - and we`re off to a good start! We spent last week beginning to get to know each other, learning how to find our way around the school, meeting new people (classmates, teachers, counselors, principal and vice-principal among others), learning the "5 practices"(can you name them?!)and general school and classroom expectations. That's alot!! I hope you all enjoyed your three day weekend! While you were enjoying the sunshine today, Lansdowne teachers spent an amazing day together, but today we were in the role of students, and let others teach us. It was a wonderful day for me, because the focus was one of my passions, environmental education. So we were out in the sun for much of the day as well - first by our naturescape out by the playground, and then at Cattle Point ... we will visit there a few times over the year, because it's the best "classroom" I can think of! We will talk more about this blog and how to best use it, in Advisory this week, while we continue to settle in. I'm excited to begin this new year...I can already tell we're going to be a great learning team!! See you tomorrow, Ms. K

Hi Students and Parents, Well, with one thing and another it's been quite awhile since I've been on the blog. Between having the dreaded spring flu/cold, teacher job action, and being just plain busy, it's been hard to keep up with the blog. Lots has been happening, and I'm particularly excited about our primary research project around the Enbridge Pipeline - our wiki is going to be awesome! Please note upcoming dates...we are going skating on May 11th in the afternoon! Homework for Thursday - please have your rough drafts of a reflection on Mud City ready - 2 paragraphs reflecting your understanding of themes and connections (one paragraph themes, one paragraph connections, would probably work best).

Welcome Back!

It was great to hear all the stories of the different things you did over Spring Break - hope everyone is feeling rested and ready for third term...you're almost in grade 7!!!

There are a few events coming up, so keep informed with the "Upcoming Dates" - there's a follow-up session to the Inclusion workshop on Monday, and the spring concerts are on Tuesday and Wednesday (April 3rd and 4th) - I can hardly wait to hear you play your instruments!

Please havae your Character Study completed for tomorrow (Friday). Also, there are a couple of you who need to finish off your Found Poem from Parvana's Journey - we'll be printing them off tomorrow as well.

Conversations for the dinner table: how loans work, especially in developing countries, and, earthquake preparedness!

Unexpected Holiday

Hi Students,

That was a wonderful presentation this afternoon - I hope you share the stories of the Haida with your family. Thank you for being such a great audience - it was a long time to sit and you did an awesome job of listening and showing respect.

As you know, you have 3 unexpected days off. Your job is to make sure you have completed all the assignments we were in the process of finishing off.

This includes:

Science - Physical and Behavioural Structures, and Owl Advantages, should have been handed in today. If you didn't hand it in, I will be asking for it first day back!

Parvana's Journey - double entry journal, plot line and story summary, character web, most vivid image and outline of reflective paragraph must all be finished for first day back.

Reading - you should be reading a good, just right novel EVERY DAY for anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. Some of you do this (and more!) already - if you don't though, this is an excellent way to keep your brain active and happy and you will be more successful when we return to school!

Math - please practice your multiplication tables every day for a few minutes - and review all math concepts as math will be much easier when you return!

Have a wonderful break - remember to keep your eye on the news or the sd61 website s if you're unsure about when to be back at school.

I will miss you.

Mrs. K