I hear, I forget
I see, I remember
I do, I understand
- Confucius
June 3, 2013
Dreyton
Mrs. Kohut & Mrs. O’Grady’s Class
Last month our class wrote letters to
Mother Nature with our wishes for
warmer weather. We are not sure if she
was listening! However, we did manage
to take advantage of the few sunny days
to go outside, dig up and investigate soil
for our science unit.
We were very fortunate to have Miss
Carlie Howell spend time with our class
creating soil soundscapes to help us
learn about the different types of soil.
We finally completed a novel study
about the book Harry Potter and the
Philosopher's Stone. Everyone loved the
book and completed excellent mini book
reports. Come on in and check out our
interesting fortune telling crystal balls on
the bulletin board outside our classroom.
Juliana
Spotlight on Learning
Mrs. Clayton & Mrs. O’Grady’s Class
Evan
Our class has been hopping right long with their Frog Theme. We have
been singing frog songs and we created our very own frog song with our visiting
artist, Carlie Howell. We have been researching about frogs, creating frog
habitats on the Smartboard, painting frogs, performing frog readers theatre and
playing lots of froggy games.
During math, we have been learning about shapes and measurement. We love
grooving to our favorite shape song, These are the 3-D Shapes. We have also
been reviewing all of our math addition and subtraction strategies with fun
activities, which include a bucket of clothespins, cup spinners, domino match and
Tarsia puzzles.
We have been doing lots of popcorn writing, which means that
various settings are written on small pieces of white paper (plain
popcorn) and characters are written on small pieces of yellow
paper (buttery popcorn). The students choose one of each out
of our popcorn bowl and complete a short story that reflects the
setting and characters that they have selected out of the
popcorn bowl.
Declyn
Mrs. Filewich’s Class
We have had an amazing experience working with guest artist, Carlie Howell, to
create songs about weather systems using the Garage Band application on the
iPad. We have finished our novel study, Owls in the Family. We created a
negative/positive canvas owl painting and a 3-D rock owl painting with guest artist,
Joan Trott. We also deepened our understanding of owls by dissecting real life owl
pellets! During math, we whizzed through long division and we are now working on
a measurement unit. In social studies, students are exploring what life was like
during the War of 1812 and the events that led to Canada’s confederation. In
French, we are working in collaborative groups to create a fashion show that will be
presented entirely in French.
Mrs. Amos’ Class
The month of May was a busy one in the senior classroom. In social studies, we examined ecosystems within South America
and the effects of human impact on the land. Guest artist, Joan Trott, demonstrated how to use acrylic paints to create a
visual representation of Machu Picchu using various instruments including: paintbrushes, our fingers, and cut up cards. To
further our understanding of South American cultures, we examined the novel, I Am a Taxi, by Deborah Eliss, which is set in
Bolivia. The second book in this series is entitled, Sacred Leaf. Prior to reading this novel, the students composed a chapter
predicting how the novel would begin based on their knowledge of I Am a Taxi. They focused on character and setting
development while using cliff hangers to create suspense. We also had guest artist, Carlie Howell, teach the students how to
use garage band to develop soundscapes that represent the ecosystems in South America.
Principal: Ms. Barbara Miller
Phone: 752-2251
Fax: 752-2509
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.brandonsd.mb.ca/alexander
MISSION STATEMENT: “To engage students socially, emotionally, intellectually, physically and artistically
through quality learning experiences in a multi-age environment.”
Welcome to our Art Gallery Walk
Serena
Jorja
Ashlyn
Graysen
Lauren
Logan W.
Ashlyn
Ashton
Oliver
LTTA Artist
Carlie Howell
Miss Howell has been working with each class
to create various soundscapes and orginal lyrics using Garage Band. Each class has taken a
curricular focus and used this project to represent student learning through their creation of
original music compositions.
Jasmine
Author’s Corner
Excerpts from our Mini Book Reports
About Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone
I liked the character Hermione because she was smart. - Tiana
My favourite character was Harry because he was funny. - Jorja
My favourite part of the book was when the kids went into the Forbidden Forest. - Kendal
I liked the bit when Harry saw his parents in the mirror. - Jack
I didn't like when they found Voldemort down in the basement. - Rowan
I didn't like when the troll got a magic wand up his nose. - Oliver L.
Primary Popcorn Writing
Once there was a snake in the jungle that was
poison. No one wanted to catch him but one
day someone caught him. But then they took
the poison out of him. Now everyone took him.
Writing Focus: Descriptive Writing
Word Choice and Imagery
The ancient temple was so dark and ghostly
that lighting a match wouldn’t change anything.
Some strange writing that seemed to be English
Written By: Graysen
from five hundred years ago on the wall was
Pete the Cat lived in the jungle. He liked the
shockingly suspicious. Everyone’s attention
was caught by the large stone door with the
jungle. He always ate bananas. One day he
moved. Pete didn’t want to move but when he words reading, “Open in 2013”.
got there he liked it there.
Written By: Tristan
Written By: Declyn
The ancient tree was wrinkly, yet amazingly
If I could do anything on May Long Weekend I gorgeous. Instead of planting it with the other
tress, it was planted in a deserted meadow
would…
where the grass was a brilliant shade of green
Play in my yard.
and the sky was so clear it looked like a
Run in my sprinkler.
sparkling, gleaming diamond. Curiously, I
Find bugs.
climbed the tree. The bark felt rough and
Play in the park.
scratchy against my sweaty palms.
Eat ice cream.
Go shopping with my mom.
Written By: Lauren
Written By: Charli
Sacred Leaf
Chapter 1
Smith retraced his steps until he was back to the spot where Diego had fled from him a couple of days before.
From there, Smith managed to track Diego straight to the Ricardo farm. Diego had predicted that this might happen so as soon as he caught a slight glimpse of Smith advancing towards the farm, he was off. Off into the jungle
where he would have a chance against Smith, the man whom Diego had always feared.
Unfortunately, Smith saw Diego plunge into the immense area of jungle, and before he knew it, Smith was at his
heels. Forever chasing, never stopping. Diego ran for what seemed like an eternity through the dark, uninviting
jungle. He glanced down at his blistered and bloody feet. The next thing Diego knew, the jungle was gone and he
was falling, falling, falling……
Diego woke up three days later to find his mother, Drina Juarez, sitting beside his bed staring at him with tears
streaming down her face. “What happened?” she asked.
“You don’t want to know.” Diego answered with a slight chuckle.
Written By: Juliana Hiebert
Sacred Leaf
Chapter 1.
Diego woke up to find Mrs. Ricardo had made a tasty breakfast. After breakfast Diego asked the Ricardo’s for directions to
Cochabamba. He wanted to see his family and tell them he was terrible sorry he had left.
Diego walked to the road to Cochabamba. After a while, he was tired and decided to hitch hike. A truck stopped to give Diego a ride.
Diego was happy because he didn’t have to walk anymore. He was exhausted.
Diego leaped into the truck and thanked the driver, only to find, to his horror, that the driver was Smith. Smith grinned and said
“Hello, Diego. The last time I saw you, I was drowning in quicksand….”
Written By: Jasmine Stacy-Hopkie
Principal’s Message
Here is hoping that June brings May flowers! The weather did cooperate long enough for John and
Dexter Dalgleish to pour the foundation and walls for our sculpture project. We hope to see the tiles
being installed the second last week in June. A BIG Thank you to John and Dexter for getting the
cement work done in between the rain showers! John and Dexter donated their time and the use of their equipment
to complete this project for our school.
The students worked with Carlie Howell to create various soundscapes that represent the ecosystems of South
America, the unpredictable weather events, the soil environment, and frogs and their habitats. Some classes even
added lyrics to their Garage Band projects. We hope to be able to post these projects on the school’s new website.
A BIG thank you to Mrs. Pickering and the Youth Revolution group for working with the teachers to plan a Wellness
Day. Students from K to 8 participated in activities that included country dancing, soccer, drama, cooperative
games, stress management activities, and modern dance. The students then had a healthy snack including their
choice of juice, fruits and vegetables, and cheese.
There will be one more newsletter print in a couple of weeks that will have a complete listing of the 2013—2014
staff.
Your Partner in Education,
Ms. Barbara Miller
Parent Council News

A BIG THANK YOU to all our families that came to our Pancake Breakfast at Applebees. We would also like
to thank those parents and staff that volunteered to help out with our breakfast. It was a HUGE success! We
raised just over $900.00 that will be put towards the purchase of our Oodle Swing.

Thank you to those families that supported our Gourmet Kitchen fundraiser. The profits of this fundraiser
will shared at our next Parent Council meeting.

Parent Council will be purchasing 2 learning carpets for the school.

Parent Council has donated $100.00 to the Pre-Canada Day committee to support the Pre-Canada Day Celebrations that will take place on June 22, 2013 at the ball diamonds located at the west-end of town.

The students and staff will be treated to a free lunch on Friday, June 14 sponsored by Parent Council.

We will be discussing the lunch program at our Parent Council meeting that will be held on Tuesday, June 4,
2013.
We would love to see all parents come out and get involved in their child’s school community.
Our next Parent Council Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 4th, 2013 at 7:00pm. In the Creative Arts room.
Childcare is available for $1 per child.
A great big Thank You goes out to the following people:





Karen Curtis, Heather Knox, Sarah Sobry, Jaime Burgoyne, Kathleen Gillon, Vanessa Harris, Hazel Thorne, Cherie Wilson and Caroline Hiebert for working our hot lunch days in
May
Murray Owens for his donation of recyclables and calendars
Sarah Sobry, Margaret Izzard, Kathleen Gillon and Joan Mills for making cookies for our
milk and cookie day during Milk Spirit Week
Charlie K. and family for their donation of cutlery to our canteen
Tess O. and Darlene Pelletier for their donation of books to our library
MEMO FROM TRANSPORTATION
Attention
All students that receive school bus transportation. The Brandon
School Division Department of Transportation will forward routing letters to applicable students entering Kindergarten - Grade
9 and any students that have route changes. If there are NO
CHANGES to your route a letter WILL NOT be issued.
Any questions or concerns please contact
the Department of Transportation at 204-729-3975.
Please note that the Department is open through
July and August for enquiries.
2013 MANITOBA SUMMER FAIR
Due to the generous support of sponsors, the Provincial Exhibition
of Manitoba is able to provide FREE children's admission tickets to
students ages 6 to 12. These tickets can be downloaded, until 4 p.m.
June 5th, from the Provincial Exhibition website at
www.brandonfairs.com
Is your child entering Kindergarten in the fall of 2013?
Children between the ages of 4-6 require boosters of their childhood immunizations
Pre–kindergarten booster clinics will be held at:
Public Health Services
Unit A5-800 Rosser Ave
Brandon, MB
Monday, June 17th, 11:00am-7:00 pm
Tuesday, June 18th, 11:00am-7:00pm
Tuesday, September 3rd, 1:00pm-6:00pm
Wednesday, September 4th, 9:00am-2:00pm
Volunteer Tea
Our annual Volunteer Tea will be held on Friday, June 14 at 2:15 pm. Invitations will be going
home this week. If you have volunteered at our school this year and did not receive an invitation,
please accept our apology and join us on the 14th for this event.
We appreciate each and every one of our school volunteers!
Sobeys cards are available from the school. Please phone and
order your cards today!
MILK Spirit Week
We celebrated our milk spirit week May 21 - 24, 2013. The students read interesting milk
fun facts over the P.A system everyday. Each day there was a different theme related to
milk. Our students had fun dressing up as jersey cows and farmers. The students made
fantastic milk posters sharing the importance of drinking milk everyday! We finished off
the week in our PJs and enjoyed milk and cookies at our nutrition break. The students had
the opportunity to play games and win some great prizes
courtesy of the Manitoba Dairy Famers and their school milk
program. Thank you to Mrs. Jody Campbell for helping out
with our milk draws all year long! Thank you to our spirit
week student leadership committee for helping plan this fantastic week of milk related activities! Remember to keep
drinking milk all summer long!
essa
T
June 2013
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
Parent Council 7:00 p.m
Day 6
9
10
5
Gourmet Kitchen
orders pick up
Day 1
11
6
Welcome to
Kindergarten 6:00 p.m.
Day 2
12
7
Day 3
13
8
Sub Day
Day 4
14
15
PC Free Lunch
Volunteer Tea 2:15
Day 5
16
17
Day 6
18
Day 1
19
Day 3
Day 2
20
21
22
Hot Dog Day
Day 4
23
24
Souris Field Trip K-8
Day 3
Day 5
25
Day 6
26
Celebration of Learning
K-3 11:00 am
4-8 2:00 pm (& Grad)
Day 4
Day 5
Day 1
27
Day 2
28
Last Day of
Classes
29
Have a Great
Summer!
Day 6
30
DATES TO MAKE NOTE OF:
June 4
5
6
14
24
26
27
Parent Council 7:00
Gourmet Kitchen orders to be picked up
Welcome to Kindergarten night 6:00 pm
Free lunch courtesy of Parent Council
Volunteer Tea 2:15 pm
Souris field trip K - 8
K-3 Celebration of Learning 11:00 am
4-8 Celebration of Learning/Grad 2:00 pm
Last Day of Classes
Have a GREAT Summer! We look forward to seeing you on September 4, 2013