Season of Portfolio Discussion!

Around HCOS 

If you can believe it...it's time to start thinking about portfolios.  

Here are a couple of things to consider:

• It's a time to celebrate and reflect on learning that has taken place
• Portfolios are a chance for you child to take the things they are most proud of this term and highlight it for their teacher
• Due date: November 16th

To help all families understand what is being asked for in the portfolios, please CLICK HERE for a checklist that will walk you through the whole process. 

**Note: If you've already submitted an example that will meet the portfolio requirement, please don't duplicate.  Just remind me in our talk of the sample that will meet the checklist request.

Scheduling

Please contact me about a time to meet with your family (virtually or in person).  

I have time Monday to Friday, November 2 - 16th, anytime after 5 pm.

On weekends, that's November 7, 8, 14, or 15th, I also have flexibility.  

  

A Moment of Reflection

This past Thursday and Friday, I was privileged to attend the Willowcreek Leadership Summit. There were many fantastic speakers including Jim Collins (Good to Great), Ed Catmull (Pixar), Brene’ Brown, Hoerst Schultze, Liz Wiseman, and Bill Hybels

I want to share with you one idea from Bill Hybels talk on the Intangibles of Leadership.  He spoke of developing GRIT in people.  GRIT can be defined as unrelenting- long term tenacity.  Those that become leaders and confident individuals play hard and overcome obstacles without getting hung up on challenges.  The development of GRIT within our character requires us to walk through difficult circumstances.

It made me think about how we can develop GRIT in our children.  

Do we create opportunities where our children face adversity and challenge without having the chance to give up on the difficulty that faces them?  

Resource Center - Writing Rubrics

This focus this week is on setting our children up for success in their writing.  How can we do this?   

One way is to start using a writing rubric with them.  By using a writing rubric, you can focus your child on a skill to be developed, it will help them in assessing their own work, and it will be setting a goal that they know they can meet.  

Please note you could use the same writing rubric over multiple weeks with a focus on different line items each time.  If you are teaching writing topic sentences, then that week, just use that line item to help assess and give feedback.

Here is an example of a writing rubric that can be used for older students.  

For younger students, here is an example.

Election Evening

A Moment of Reflection

I'm sitting watching the election results as I watch what is happening within Canada.  Regardless of political bend or who we think should have won or not....the result is very clear.  We need to continue to pray for leadership in our nation.

Resource Center - Narrative Writing

A narrative or story is any report of connected events, actual or imaginary, presented in a sequence of written or spoken words, or still or moving images.

Have fun with your students this week trying out some narrative writing.

For older students, here is a great graphic organizer.

For younger students, here is a graphic organizer:

Struggling for Writing Prompts:

Around HCOS

One of our sponsored coops made the local newspaper!  Thanks to Leah Pillet and Ridge Meadows Home Learners for representing home education and HCOS so well.

Check it out:

http://www.mrtimes.com/federalelection/332968241.html

HCOS invites you to join us for
a Scratch Programming and Makey Makey Camp
 
Don't sit around playing video games, come join us and learn how to program your own arcade style games.  This learning camp will teach computer programming concepts using Scratch.  Scratch is a user friendly, icon based program language created for kids at the MIT Media Lab.  In this class you won't just be writing code, you will be learning to think creatively and reason systematically.  Makey Makey will also be incorporated into some of the design challenges.  This is a great class for any aspiring programmer.

Registration deadline is October 29th.  https://fluidsurveys.com/s/ft-langley-scratch-program-and-makey-makey/

Post Turkey Talk

 A Moment of Reflection

It's the day after Thanksgiving here in Canada. I had an amazing long weekend with friends and time to get things done around the house that I've been putting off for ever. I got plenty of sleep and ate fantastic food.  Easy to give thanks.

Today. Day after Thanksgiving. Not so much.

I was reminded tonight that it's easy to give thanks when everything is going smooth, but not so easy when things don't all line up.  

How do you remind yourself to give thanks when things are not going well?  

Resource Center - Expository Writing

Here is a writing focus for the week!  Expository writing is a type of writing that is used to explain, describe, give information or inform, 

Here are some writing prompts that you might like to use:

For older students:

AROUND HCOS

Right Now Media has a new resource: https://rightnow.org/Content/KidsSeries/1176#1

Lunch N Learn: Highlighting the Subscription Databases

Bring your lunch and any questions you may have along to our next online Lunch n’ Learn:
Topic: Highlighting the HCOS Subscription Databases
Date: Thursday,October 15th
Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm PAC time

CLICK HERE

Short and Sweet This Week!

A Moment of Reflection

This speaks to me about the sovereignty of God.  Something if I'm honest is not that easy for me to wrap my mind around.  The enormity of this overwhelms me at times. Other times it brings me great comfort when I think I "messed" up, and I am reminded that ultimately, God is in control.  

What does it mean for us when we acknowledge that "all things" come from God?  How should or could this impact the way we live our lives?

Action Needed - October 14th

I just wanted to make the blog short, and to remind you that we (HCOS) need two things from you by OCTOBER 14th.

1. Student Learning Plans -  Please don't forget to go into Encom and sign off that you have read and agreed with the Student Learning Plan. Questions?  Contact me.
   
   SLP Parent/ Guardian Sign Off

     2. Proof of Work: I need two pictures of marked work that your student has done.

        My suggestion for doing this easily is:

• Mark one of their math pages or timed math fact drills in a different colour pen, put a total at the top (e.g. 17/20) with a comment (e.g. Good job!) and take a picture of it and send it to me.
• Mark another work sample (e.g. spelling test, comprehension sheet, printing practice), again give it a mark and a comment, and send me a picture of it.

You're free to send in other examples, but the more objective the work is the easier it is for everyone. It's a good reminder that the Government is not looking at the quality of work being done at this point, but rather wants proof that the student is active with HCOS.

HCOS News  

Reading Buddies

K- 3 with Pippa Davies – starts Oct 21 and runs twice a month until the end of January.  More info and registration found at https://fluidsurveys.com/s/2015-2016-k-3-reading-buddies/

Book Clubs

Grade 4-5 with April McLeod – starts Oct 16 and runs once a month until May.  More info and registration found at https://fluidsurveys.com/s/2015-2016-gr-4-5-bookclub/

Grade 6-7 with Kari Bell – starts Oct 14 and runs once a month until May .  More info and registration found at https://fluidsurveys.com/s/2015-2016-gr-6-7-bookclub/

Literature Circles

Grades 7-9 with Kathy Kanda – starts Oct 9 and runs until Nov 27.  More information and registration found at https://fluidsurveys.com/s/2015-fall-lit-circles/

Grades 9-12 with Kathy Kanda – starts Oct 9 and runs until Nov 27.  More information and registration found at https://fluidsurveys.com/s/2015-fall-lit-circles/