Category Archives: 5A

Student Vote Canada

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We are so excited to be participating in Student Vote Canada again this year! As part of the Grade 5 Social Studies curriculum, students explore the three levels of government and their responsibilities. When this learning aligns with an election year, we join schools across the country in participating in Student Vote Canada.

With the election happening earlier than expected this year, our students and teachers have been working hard to transform our classroom into a realistic voting station. Students in Grades 3 to 8 will learn about the political parties running in the Ottawa West–Nepean riding, and then cast their votes in a mock election on Monday, April 28th.

Once the votes are in, we’ll submit our results to Student Vote Canada, who will compile and compare them to the official national results—an exciting way to see how youth perspectives match or differ from the broader electorate!

We can’t wait to share photos and results with you on Monday, once voting is complete.

In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek at what we’ve learned about voting and how our special election day will be set up.

Student Vote 2025 by m.thompson

Literary Bites: A Book Tasting Experience

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Today we sampled some incredible books at our Book Tasting (thanks to Joanne Miller for the great resource!)

Students got to taste 5 different books of various genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Mystery. As any good critic would do, they wrote down their first impressions and initial thoughts after their first bites. They then gave each book a rating on a scale from 1-10. Finally, any books worth revisiting were written down on a bookmark so they could remember their top picks.

Students realized that some books that they may not have been attracted to at first were in fact appealing. Others discovered genres they never knew they were interested in.

We did this as a launch to our next reading task, The At-Home Reading Response. Step 1 is for students to choose their book. They can choose one of the books from our tasting, they can choose one from this book list, or they can read a book from their own “want to read” lists. Whichever book they choose, they must let me know by April 9th. From there, we will make a reading plan and they will each receive their prompt for their response. More info coming soon!

 

 

Multiplication and Division Test – April 10

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Grade 5 students have been hard at work learning how to multiply and divide larger numbers. We have learned a few strategies for both, and now it’s time to put those skills to the test.

We will have a Math test on April 10.

Students will need to answer questions on 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication, using either the “Tic-Tac-Toe” method, or the standard algorithm.

 

Here are the anchor charts we used as a reference:

 

Students will also need to answer division questions with 1-digit divisors, using either the standard algorithm or repeated multiplication.

Here are the anchor charts we used as a reference:

Snitchuation Critical: Why Speaking Up Isn’t Tattling

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We have been having some really meaningful conversations in class lately about “snitching.” Being called a tattletale or a snitch isn’t a new phenomenon in schools. But as our students continue to develop and mature, we definitely want them thinking critically about what it means to be a kind and respectful classmate, and an upstander in our community.

We started our discussion reviewing what we believe to be true about our community at OJCS:

Promoting a culture of kindness and respect is essential for creating a positive learning environment. In our school, we believe in the power of positive communication. We expect each and every person to speak kindly and respectfully to one another. By doing so, we contribute to a warm and supportive atmosphere where everyone feels valued and heard. Remember, your words have the power to uplift and inspire. When we speak with kindness and respect, we create a community that fosters learning, collaboration, and friendship. So, let’s make it a habit to choose our words wisely and spread positivity in our classrooms. Together, we can make a difference through the way we communicate.

We then looked at the differences between rude behaviour, mean behaviour, and bullying behaviour. We used the image below to anchor our discussion.

Things got interesting when we started discussing the notion that often, people are scared to speak up out of fear that the target will turn on them, or out of fear of being labeled a tattletale or a snitch. We all agreed that serious bullying behaviour should be reported and stopped. But what exactly falls into the category of “serious” was harder to define. One main goal of the conversation was to switch the idea of “snitching” from being a bad thing to being a good thing!

Not responding, not speaking up, only allows the bully behaviour to continue towards you and others. You are not only helping yourself when you share with a grown-up, you are helping the other person too. People who participate in bully behaviour might need an adult’s help to understand the impact of their behaviour, and to help them make changes so that it positively impacts how they move through life from that point on.

 

These conversations don’t need to be limited to our classroom. Please continue this conversation at home with your children! Some questions you can ask at the dinner table, in the car, or while hanging out on the couch are:

  • What do you remember about the differences between being rude, being mean, and bullying?
  • Can you think of a time when you saw or experienced one of these? How did you respond?
  • Why do you think some people are afraid to tell a grown-up when someone is being mean or bullying?
  • What do you think is the difference between “snitching” and speaking up to help someone?
  • How would you feel if you were being bullied and no one stood up for you?
  • What are some ways you can help someone who is being treated unkindly?
  • Who are the safe and trusted adults you can talk to if you need help?
  • What would you do if you saw a friend being mean to someone else?
  • How do you think kindness can help prevent bullying?

If you are open and willing to share, please feel free to comment below on some ideas that came up throughout your discussions.

 

 

Grade 5 Book Club 2025

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Yesterday marked the launch of Book Clubs (or literature circles) in Grade 5.

After hearing about 4 different books and voting for their top picks, we will have 1 group of students reading Linked by Gordon Korman (no audio recordings found), and three groups reading The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (audiobook links if needed).

Here’s how it will work:

Students will have 4 weeks to read their book. With their groups, they’ve decided on weekly reading goals. Each week, in addition to reading, they will also have a “job” to prepare for their group discussion. These will be based on the section they read that week. This is all to be done AT HOME as homework. Other than meeting discussions, students will not have class time to work on this.

As an example, their schedule may look something like the one below. As you can see from this picture, the top schedule outlines what everyone in the group is doing and when. The bottom chart is each student’s INDIVIDUAL schedule that says what they need to read, and what job they need to complete. They only need to complete the sheet in their folder that matches the job they are doing that week. So in week 1, as the Figurative Language Finder, I would only need to fill out the sheet titled – Week 1 – Figurative Language Finder. If they are unsure how to complete their job, students can refer back to the first pages of the package where the requirements are explained in detail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a digital copy of the package they already received when you picked up their science kits.

Book Club will take place every WEDNESDAY, so it is important that students bring their books and duotangs, with all their work completed, for Wednesday’s class for the next 4 weeks.

Happy Reading 🙂

Double the Fun, Triple the Skills: Mastering Multiplication!

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In a few weeks we will be starting our 2-digit by 2-digit Multiplication unit in grade 5. We will be learning a few different methods, such as using arrays, breaking up the problem, and the standard algorithm. In order for students to move through this unit with more ease, they will need to know their facts at least up to 9 x 9. According to the Ontario curriculum, Grade 5 students should know their facts to 12 x 12.

I have written about memorizing facts before, and have participated in workshops on online webinars to learn other strategies for helping students learn their facts. I personally believe that there is a balance between memorizing and learning the “why” of multiplication. I don’t believe it’s an all or nothing, you just know them or you don’t, kind of thing. There may be some facts that come more easily, and others that are more difficult. Using strategies to make those more difficult ones make sense seems so much more beneficial than simply just memorizing it.

With all that being said, the one common strategy, whether you are learning or memorizing, is practice! Talk about multiplication, think about multiplication, practice multiplication, make it a part of your daily routine, and it will get easier! Therefore, over the next number of weeks, in addition to reading daily, students will be required to practice their multiplication facts until they are mastered. Some may already be there, some may need until the end of the year. Either way is perfect, as long as they are practicing and moving further along their personal mastery ladders.

Think About Multiplication

I highly recommend watching this webinar (it’s about an hour long) for some ideas about how you can talk about the facts to help your child learn those trickier ones.

Read About Multiplication

Here are some strategies from a book I got at the Scholastic Book Fair many years ago, Math Hacks by Vanessa Vakharia (if you follow the link, there are some suggestions for online sites and games for practice)

Practice Multiplication

  1. Make Flashcards. This is much better than buying them premade! Writing the facts down is in itself a form of practice. Students can cut the cards, write the multiplication sentence on one side, and the answer on the back.
  2. Math rap songs. For our auditory learners, listening to songs about multiplication and adding a beat to it can be helpful. Students can learn all the newest pop songs by heart…why not their multiplication facts? YouTube has tons of options. You just need to find the one that appeals to you. Here’s a site with 30 fun ideas that play on your musical, artistic, or kinesthetic learning style.
  3. Online multiplication practice. These are a few suggestions but there are TONS to choose from.
    1. https://www.multiplication.com/quiz/multiplication-self-correcting-quizzes
    2. https://www.multiplication.com/games/play/quick-flash-ii
    3. https://www.timestables.com/
    4. https://www.coolmath4kids.com/quizzes/multiplication
    5. https://webmathminute.com/online
  4. I have assigned skills on IXL for multiplication (up to 10 x 10 and 12 x 12)
  5. Printed practice sheets. I have heaps of practice sheets that students can take home.
  6. Find tricks to help you remember your facts.
  7. Mrs. Cleveland has also created a list on her math blog, to many different useful math practice sites, not only just for multiplication.
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If you have any questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you! Happy multiplying!

Scholastic Book Fair!

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The Scholastic Book Fair is coming!

We are so excited to see what the fair has in store for us. We have already looked through the fliers and identified must-have titles on our wishlist. And on top of that, this year, all funds raised from the Book Fair will go towards new PE equipment 🙂

The fair will be open starting Tuesday, December 3rd, and will run till Thursday, December 5th.

We will be visiting the fair as a class on Thursday, December 5th, however, students are welcome to visit before school from 8:30-9:00 (with you), during morning recess from 10:45 – 11:05, and after school from 3:45 – 4:15 (with you again).

For more info and previews of the books, check out our website https://theojcs.ca/bookfair

 

 

Beaver Computing Challenge

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Yesterday, Grade 5 students participated in their second Beaver Computer Challenge.  Created by students, teachers, and professors from the University of Waterloo: The Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing, this contest is open to students around the country and around the world, and we are SO EXCITED to be participating this year!

The Beaver Computing Challenge (BCC) introduces Computer Science through problem based questions. Students require no prior knowledge about computing, but rather work toward problem solving and using those “hidden” computer science skills for hands-on learning and experience.

The contest is a 45 minute timed experience that involves a total of 12 multiple choice questions at 3 different levels, A, B and C.  “A” level being the easiest of the three, and then becoming more challenging with level “C.” Students complete the contest on their own devices, and are allowed a calculator and are encouraged to use pencil and paper to use the strategies taught in class to: draw a graph, make a table, draw a diagram etc.

I was so impressed with how hard the students work. Some who were reluctant at first, stepped up to the challenge and competed along with their peers! Time will tell how many computer scientists are among us 🙂

First Weeks in Grade 5 General Studies

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What a start to the school year it has been! We have been reading, writing, creating, researching, and learning so much about each other. Let’s fill you in!

 

Language Arts Recap

We have started our Wonder novel study. This incredible story about resilience and friendship is bound to be crowd favourite. We will be practicing empathy, reflection and gratitude throughout this entire unit.

For anyone who would like to listen along as we read, the recordings have been added to Google Classroom.

 

Math Recap

The students have blown me away with how well they are doing with our first unit on Number Sense. We have reviewed place value to hundred thousands, representing numbers in various forms, ordering and comparing numbers to 100 000, and rounding whole numbers. Next up we will look at decimal place value, before we have our first math test of the year. All review materials, instructional videos and practice worksheets will be posted to Google Classroom.

 

Science Recap

Have you ever wondered what it would be like for a piece of sushi to travel through the digestive system? Or maybe a piece of cake would be more fun? Stay tuned, as the students will be posting their creative stories on their blogfolios, depicting the adventures of a piece of food as it makes its way through each organ of the digestive system. We promise there’s SOME science involved 😉

 

Social Studies Recap

Life before first contact was very different than it is today. We have spent the last two weeks looking at language maps, reading about various Canadian Indigenous communities, and have practiced making educated assumptions about ways of life based on our analysis of the maps and documents we’ve read. At the start of the year the students shared how much they enjoy building models as part of the Social Studies program. I am sure they will get really excited about our project coming up…stay tuned for more details. It won’t be “long”…