Dear Parents/Caregivers,
Grade 4 / 5 Semester 2014-2015 Information
This is to inform you that there will be changes to the classes and schedule in semester 2. Below is a brief outline of these changes, details of which will be explained at a parent meeting on Tuesday 13 January at 2:00pm.
Grade 5 Barge Trip, 27 - 30 January 2015
28 Grade 5 students have confirmed they will be participating in the barge trip, along the Chao Phraya River, near Bangkok. A separate email will be sent out closer to the time with relevant details. These are our confirmed flights:
PG 932 Q 27JAN 2 PNH-BKK DK1 1020 1130 27JAN
PG 935 Q 30JAN 5 BKK-PNH DK1 1730 1840 30JAN
Host Country Week, 27 - 30 January 2015
This occurs at the same time as the Grade 5 Barge trip, when Grade 4 and Grade 5 students will celebrate and learn more about the local culture of Cambodia, as they participate in many different activities and field trips, learning from a range of experts, including our knowledgeable teaching assistants.
In addition Mr. Ben is organizing an optional overnight trip for the students not going on the barge trip to Ang Ta Som. The main focus will be to participate in a 20-30km guided bike ride through villages and local farms, staying at the Meas Family Homestay. It will be a great opportunity for students to learn more about Cambodian crafts and culture.
Unit of Inquiry - Sharing the Planet, 12 January - 18 February 2015
During our next unit of inquiry, after the break, students will inquire into how communities share resources and provide opportunities. We have invited many guest speakers from the community to speak to the students about issues affecting Cambodia and the world, and the action the organizations are taking in response to these.
Grade 5 Exhibition
Unit of Inquiry - How we Express Ourselves, 23 February - 10 April 2015
During this unit of inquiry the Grade 4 and Grade 5 students will separate. The Grade 5 students will engage in the Exhibition process with Ms. Melinda and Ms. Emily. The Grade 4 students will work with Ms. Alison, Mr. Jon and Ms. Bridget, as they inquire how artistic expression is influenced by the society in which it exists. There will be an Exhibition information meeting for all Grade 5 parents and students on Tuesday 17 February 2015, at 5:30pm.
Grade 5 Exhibition Holiday Homework
As the Exhibition focuses on how people express themselves, we would like the Grade 5 students to collect images of different ways people express themselves using a range of art forms and media. This will be a valuable resource for all students. If you are travelling and you come across artwork, sculptures, performances etc. please ask your child to take a photo and discuss the meaning behind the art work with them.
Kind regards,
Grade 4 / 5 Team
Classroom
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Week of December 19 News!
Here we are at last at the end of the first semester of the 2014 - 2015 ISPP school year. It has been a long and busy four months and we will keep up the pace until Friday here in Room 37.
Please keep in mind these important events for this week which can also be viewed in the calendar to the right of this post:
Wednesday, December 17, 2014, 8:15 - 9:45
ISPP Elementary Sports Day at the ISPP field near Boeng Keng Kong Market.
Students in our class must wear RED.
Thursday, December 18, 7:45 - 8:30
Elementary Assembly
Thursday, December 18, 2014, 9:45 - 11:15
Grade 4/5 students are going to secondary to see the Grade 10 personal projects.
Friday, December 19, 2014, 10:35 - 12:00
Class Party (to be planned by our students) followed by early dismissal.
This week, students in room 37 will be learning:
Mathematics
Students begin the week by learning methods of multiplication of multidigit numbers by double digit numbers. We will use base ten blocks to first model an array of this longer multiplication. We will then use grid paper to create a drawn array of this problem. We then will learn written methods such as the grid method or the lattice method. Later in the week, students will take an end of the semester assessment.
Unit of Inquiry and Language Arts
This week these two subjects are heavily integrated. In learning about the attributes of leaders, how leaders make changes, and how leaders show responsibility, students have inquired into the lives of particular leaders based on their own interests. Last week, students began combining notes they had taken into a full biographical report of that leader. This week, students begin the week by finishing drafts of these reports, revising based on a rubric, editing, peer editing, and ultimately publishing their work.
During reading workshop, students will be continuing to record instances when they catch themselves monitoring for comprehension. Monitoring is a skill that good readers develop and make use of while reading. During a discussion, students came up with these ideas about what monitoring is and how good readers do it:
1) Go back and read the sentence or word again.
2) If you don’t understand a word you can break the word into syllables.
3) If you don’t understand a word you can go look it up in a dictionary.
4) If you don’t understand a word, go back and read the sentence around it, because maybe that will help you understand the word (use the context).
5) If you don’t understand a word, look for a word that you do understand INSIDE the word.
6) If you don’t understand what you are reading, your voice might change and get quieter.
7) If you don’t understand a word sometimes you can use the glossary.
8) If you find you are not understanding the text, you can slow down.
Added to this, students will be learning that if you don't understand a text, you could use some of these fix up strategies to help you:
Homework
As this is the last week of class this semester, I will not be assigning homework.
See you all at the events this week!
Please keep in mind these important events for this week which can also be viewed in the calendar to the right of this post:
Wednesday, December 17, 2014, 8:15 - 9:45
ISPP Elementary Sports Day at the ISPP field near Boeng Keng Kong Market.
Students in our class must wear RED.
Thursday, December 18, 7:45 - 8:30
Elementary Assembly
Thursday, December 18, 2014, 9:45 - 11:15
Grade 4/5 students are going to secondary to see the Grade 10 personal projects.
Friday, December 19, 2014, 10:35 - 12:00
Class Party (to be planned by our students) followed by early dismissal.
This week, students in room 37 will be learning:
Mathematics
Students begin the week by learning methods of multiplication of multidigit numbers by double digit numbers. We will use base ten blocks to first model an array of this longer multiplication. We will then use grid paper to create a drawn array of this problem. We then will learn written methods such as the grid method or the lattice method. Later in the week, students will take an end of the semester assessment.
Unit of Inquiry and Language Arts
This week these two subjects are heavily integrated. In learning about the attributes of leaders, how leaders make changes, and how leaders show responsibility, students have inquired into the lives of particular leaders based on their own interests. Last week, students began combining notes they had taken into a full biographical report of that leader. This week, students begin the week by finishing drafts of these reports, revising based on a rubric, editing, peer editing, and ultimately publishing their work.
During reading workshop, students will be continuing to record instances when they catch themselves monitoring for comprehension. Monitoring is a skill that good readers develop and make use of while reading. During a discussion, students came up with these ideas about what monitoring is and how good readers do it:
1) Go back and read the sentence or word again.
2) If you don’t understand a word you can break the word into syllables.
3) If you don’t understand a word you can go look it up in a dictionary.
4) If you don’t understand a word, go back and read the sentence around it, because maybe that will help you understand the word (use the context).
5) If you don’t understand a word, look for a word that you do understand INSIDE the word.
6) If you don’t understand what you are reading, your voice might change and get quieter.
7) If you don’t understand a word sometimes you can use the glossary.
8) If you find you are not understanding the text, you can slow down.
Added to this, students will be learning that if you don't understand a text, you could use some of these fix up strategies to help you:
Homework
As this is the last week of class this semester, I will not be assigning homework.
See you all at the events this week!
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
A message from Ms. Dana and the P.E. Department about Three Ring...
Dear Parents,
The PE and Art departments are using www.threering.com as one of the ways to document student learning throughout the school year. This site serves as a digital portfolio of student work and progress that teachers, parents and students can access at any time.
How does it work? During PE and Art classes, students and teachers contribute digital evidence of learning to the website. Each submission is labelled by unit, teacher and student. When you or your child login using the attached username and password, you can view only the images and recordings tagged to that child. Reflections and comments may also be used by teachers, students and parents as the year progresses. The site is updated often so that new images of student learning can be accessed from home or across the world when you login.
We would like to invite you to view your child’s account and login often for updated images. The username matches the beginning part of each child’s ISPP school email account and the password should be changed upon your first time logging in to the password they use for their other school accounts.
We are excited for this opportunity for you to share in your child’s single subject learning and growth.
Sincerely,
Andrew Munn
PYP PE Teacher
andrewmunn@ispp.edu.kh
Ben Wiggins
PYP PE Teacher
benwiggins@ispp.edu.kh
Dana Carney
PYP Visual Arts Teacher
danacarney@ispp.edu.kh
The PE and Art departments are using www.threering.com as one of the ways to document student learning throughout the school year. This site serves as a digital portfolio of student work and progress that teachers, parents and students can access at any time.
How does it work? During PE and Art classes, students and teachers contribute digital evidence of learning to the website. Each submission is labelled by unit, teacher and student. When you or your child login using the attached username and password, you can view only the images and recordings tagged to that child. Reflections and comments may also be used by teachers, students and parents as the year progresses. The site is updated often so that new images of student learning can be accessed from home or across the world when you login.
We would like to invite you to view your child’s account and login often for updated images. The username matches the beginning part of each child’s ISPP school email account and the password should be changed upon your first time logging in to the password they use for their other school accounts.
We are excited for this opportunity for you to share in your child’s single subject learning and growth.
Sincerely,
Andrew Munn
PYP PE Teacher
andrewmunn@ispp.edu.kh
Ben Wiggins
PYP PE Teacher
benwiggins@ispp.edu.kh
Dana Carney
PYP Visual Arts Teacher
danacarney@ispp.edu.kh
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Hot Off the Press!!! The Grade 4/5 Host Culture Week 2015 RESIDENTIAL TRIP!!!
Grade 4/5 Host Culture Week 2015 - Residential Trip
Dear Parents,
Host Country Week takes place when many of the Grade 5 students are on a barge trip in Thailand. It is a time for the remaining Grade 4/5 students to learn about, and celebrate Cambodian culture, by taking part in a range of activities and field trips. In the past local experts have taught Cambodian dances, cooking, shadow puppetry, mask making, and kite making. Field trips have included visits to the Palace and Oudong Mountain.
This year as part of the G4/5 Host Culture Week in January 2015, we are putting together an optional overnight residential trip for the students. The main focus will be to participate in a 20-30km guided bike ride through villages, and local farms in the locality of Ang Ta Som, staying at staying the Meas Family Homestay. It will be a great opportunity to learn more about Cambodian crafts, and culture.
The plan is as follows:
Day 1 - Tuesday 27 January - Depart from ISPP on a hire bus at 8am
Arrive at Meas Family Homestay in Ang Ta Som. This is about 90 minutes south of Phnom Penh down Highway 3.
The main focus of the day will be to participate in a 20-30km guided bike ride through the nearby villages. We will stop to look at the local way of life such as the farms and silk weaving.
Overnight accommodation will be provided in shared rooms at the Meas Family Homestay. Rooms come with fans and shared bathrooms.
Day 2 - Wednesday 28 January - Morning return to ISPP.
Students will need to have their own roadworthy bike and helmet in order to participate. We will transport the bikes to and from Ang Ta Som in a hired truck.
We estimate the the cost of the trip to be between $40-50 dollars (depending on the numbers participating). ISPP also requires all students participating in overnight trips to have accident insurance. If you do not have this we are able to arrange it for approximately $15.
If your child is interested in participating, we would like you to return the slip at the bottom of the letter, so that we are able to gauge the interest in the trip and plan accordingly. We would provide more details closer to the date of the trip as well as hosting a parent meeting.
Yours sincerely,
Ben Wiggins
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Important Information about the Angkor Wat Run / Bike Ride from Mr. Ben!
Hi,
Couple of reminders here regarding the trip this weekend.
Medical Information
We will use the medical information that you have already provided to the school. If there is any thing additional that you feel as trip staff that we should know about please can you email me. This could include allergies, diet requirements, medical conditions not mentioned before, or just the details of any recent medical condition that you think we should know about (e.g. just getting over the flu), if applicable. If you are not sure if the school has certain information please let us know, as it better we get it twice, as opposed to not at all.
Can you also let me know about any medicine that your child will be bringing and the dosage. Please hand this into a member of staff on the Friday, with the student's name and the dosage written on it and we will ensure that it is given to your child at the correct time.
If your child gets travel sick, and I am hearing the road is extra bumpy this year, please can they come with 2 doses of travel sickness pills that you would normal give them. One to take just before we leave and one to hand into a teacher to look after until Sunday.
Information sharing with you.
We will be checking in with the school administration everyday to confirm we have got there etc.
We will also try to post on the PE Blog daily posts, including expected time of arrival at ISPP on the Sunday (4-5pm).
Contacting us
For emergency contact only of the group please use the following numbers:
School Trip Phone: 017 555 127
Ben Wiggins: 012 897 992
Packing lists
Please refer to the parent's presentation, which can be found at the PE Blog.
We are asking that students wear their PE kit when cycling and running. We have also given the students a red ISPP hats and t-shirt to wear so that we can spot them easily during the weekend. One drawback of this is that all the kit is identical, making it easy for the students to mix them up. Can you please ensure that they get marked inside with your child's name. I expect we will collect a fair bit of lost property over the course of the trip. Naming items will help them get reunited with their owner!
Valuable items and pocket money - If these are bought, the students will have to be responsible for them! A small amount of money in small notes is appropriate, ie for buying a ice cream. Card games and books are great for the evenings and the bus journey.
Bikes
Please ensure that the bikes coming with the students are bought to school on Friday morning and parked in the designated area. We will hand out tags to the students to attach to their bikes so we know which bikes to take with us.
Can you also please ensure the tyres are pumped up and the chain is oiled.
Students who are cycling must bring a helmet.
Arriving back in Phnom Penh
We will try to email you on Sunday morning a time that we expect to be back at ISPP. It should be between 4 and 5pm.
Packed Lunch & Snacks
Students will need a packed lunch for Friday to eat on the bus.
Students, especially the cyclists, might also want to bring some of their favorite snacks to eat during the bike ride. This should be kept separate from the packed lunch so it not accidently all eaten up by the time we have left Phnom Penh on Friday!
Please feel free to contact me with any other questions you might have.
All the best,
Ben
Couple of reminders here regarding the trip this weekend.
Medical Information
We will use the medical information that you have already provided to the school. If there is any thing additional that you feel as trip staff that we should know about please can you email me. This could include allergies, diet requirements, medical conditions not mentioned before, or just the details of any recent medical condition that you think we should know about (e.g. just getting over the flu), if applicable. If you are not sure if the school has certain information please let us know, as it better we get it twice, as opposed to not at all.
Can you also let me know about any medicine that your child will be bringing and the dosage. Please hand this into a member of staff on the Friday, with the student's name and the dosage written on it and we will ensure that it is given to your child at the correct time.
If your child gets travel sick, and I am hearing the road is extra bumpy this year, please can they come with 2 doses of travel sickness pills that you would normal give them. One to take just before we leave and one to hand into a teacher to look after until Sunday.
Information sharing with you.
We will be checking in with the school administration everyday to confirm we have got there etc.
We will also try to post on the PE Blog daily posts, including expected time of arrival at ISPP on the Sunday (4-5pm).
Contacting us
For emergency contact only of the group please use the following numbers:
School Trip Phone: 017 555 127
Ben Wiggins: 012 897 992
Packing lists
Please refer to the parent's presentation, which can be found at the PE Blog.
We are asking that students wear their PE kit when cycling and running. We have also given the students a red ISPP hats and t-shirt to wear so that we can spot them easily during the weekend. One drawback of this is that all the kit is identical, making it easy for the students to mix them up. Can you please ensure that they get marked inside with your child's name. I expect we will collect a fair bit of lost property over the course of the trip. Naming items will help them get reunited with their owner!
Valuable items and pocket money - If these are bought, the students will have to be responsible for them! A small amount of money in small notes is appropriate, ie for buying a ice cream. Card games and books are great for the evenings and the bus journey.
Bikes
Please ensure that the bikes coming with the students are bought to school on Friday morning and parked in the designated area. We will hand out tags to the students to attach to their bikes so we know which bikes to take with us.
Can you also please ensure the tyres are pumped up and the chain is oiled.
Students who are cycling must bring a helmet.
Arriving back in Phnom Penh
We will try to email you on Sunday morning a time that we expect to be back at ISPP. It should be between 4 and 5pm.
Packed Lunch & Snacks
Students will need a packed lunch for Friday to eat on the bus.
Students, especially the cyclists, might also want to bring some of their favorite snacks to eat during the bike ride. This should be kept separate from the packed lunch so it not accidently all eaten up by the time we have left Phnom Penh on Friday!
Please feel free to contact me with any other questions you might have.
All the best,
Ben
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