In Mr. Chalmers' English set, students have been learning about narrative poetry. Of particular focus was Edgar Allan Poe's 1845 classic "The Raven". Students studied the meaning and rhyme scheme behind the poem and how Poe created such a dark and dreary masterpiece. They were then given one or more verses to rehearse and eventually filmed as a collective poetry reading. Considering most English-speaking adults would struggle with many of the archaic English words, the students did remarkably well! Here is the class' rendition of the poem.
In Ms. MacNeil's English set, students have been focusing on double-consonant spelling patterns and tense changing base words, while at the same time using them in different contexts. Students are focusing on implementing two-step oral directions with extensions to previous content about Folktales. They are exploring poetry and folktales and are growing in terms of identifying procedures and fulfilling expectations within a given time segment for task completion. They are engaging in the Big Life Journal activities in order to identify their growth mindset, resilience, and confidence. All students have been sharing and giving feedback with and to their peers, practising class participation.
In Ms. Melia's English set, students have been focusing on writing skills. Recently, students have learned how to develop their vocabulary using synonyms; first with adjectives and now using past tense verb synonyms. Students are able to use an English thesaurus and dictionary to decipher the meaning of a word and then find more interesting synonyms to use in creative and non-fiction writing. During our writing unit, students have learned about different writing features for non-fiction genres such as letter writing and diary writing, implementing first-person narrative, chronological order, past tense verbs, and adjective synonyms. We are also developing creative writing skills by re-writing familar tales such as 'The Three Little Pigs' and students even planning, designing and creating their own comic story.
In Mr. Lake’s English set, students have been expanding their vocabulary in relation to household and school-related items. Students learn to associate items with pictures, and then expand upon that knowledge by exploring action words related to the item and analysing sentences that convey these ideas.
