Mrs Leah's Class - 2022/23

We are now 3 weeks away from summer! This week we had an ice cream fueled back to class after the three day weekend, a field trip, flipped-Wednesday as our Korean and Music classes were in the morning, and Friday year 3/4 were the big kids on campus as the upper school is away.

The highlight of the week of course was our trip to go rock climbing. A special thanks to the moms who joined us! Everyone was very well behaved and tried their best at the challenging wall climbs. Then, we loaded up and went to Jadrock Park to eat and climb some more! The weather was absolutely gorgeous making the day extra awesome.

In Math we started our unit on more fractions. Students will be ordering, comparing, and adding and subtracting fractions. Year 4s will also be looking at percentages. We are also still using Khan Academy to supplement our learning – I highly recommend it for at home learning this summer for math. They also just added English Language Arts for reading comprehension!

In English we finished our unit on nonfiction texts by looking at an informational text and the elements that define them. Students practiced finding the subject of the text, the main ideas of each paragraph, and the supporting details. I am sending the unit packet home this Friday in homework folders. Students continue to work in their reading groups to improve reading fluency, as well as working on spelling words. The week was short so we were crunched on time in class to study words – please encourage students to review their words at home; the spelling list is sent home each Friday.

We did not have IPC this week as there was no class on Monday and the field trip Wednesday. However, we did a Kahoot review quiz on Thursday and students finished up their final Entrepreneur projects this Friday, submitted, and presented! Great job to all; it was a tricky project with many steps but I hope students learned not only fundamental elements of economics, but just how expensive and challenging it can be to get new ideas on to the market!

Everyone enjoy the weekend and take care – a lot of students have been sick so take it easy and rest!

Mrs. Leah

Wow, is this week already finished?

We just wrapped up Sports Day and it was a big hit! All us teacher were very pleased with the excellent demonstration of sportsmanship, athleticism, and fun. Well done everyone!

This week in our ABC countdown we had Drawing, Extra Laptop Fun, Favorite Books, and Games! Students did well bringing in and sharing their books and games, it made making time for these fun activities rewarding and productive. Keep it up!

This week we finished up our unit on multiplication and division. On Wednesday we took the unit test and I was happy to see such great results. The Cambridge Maths can be a bit tricky with the wording, but we read over each question together which seemed to help many. I was able to send the math unit packet and the test home this weekend, but there is no homework other than spelling words! The teachers gift to students this three day weekend.

In English we tied in our IPC unit and planned a talk about our companies and products. Students are practicing for when they have their pitches; this coming week is a bit odd as we have Monday off, the field trip Wednesday, and flipped schedule Thursday due to the upper classes taking a trip, so our Shark Tank presentations will happen NEXT Friday. Unideal, but we make due! Students continue to work diligently in their word study (the spelling scores this week were good!) and were able to do their reading group rotations, some online reading comprehension with ReadWorks, and a little bit of grammar on EducationCity.

As mentioned, we finished up the work for our pitches in IPC. Student did a lot of math to figure out the final costs of their products, calculated profit, and came to a selling price. Almost everyone came out with a rather expensive product, but I am sure they can wow the investors irregardless!

Everyone enjoy the three day weekend!

Mrs. Leah

The ABC Countdown has began! After today, Friday the 19th, there are only 23 school-days left until the end of term! We started on Wednesday with A for Animal day; students brought in their favorite stuffed animals to keep them company all day. Thursday was B for Breakfast day. We topped up on child-favorite Oreo and Coco cereals with milk, yogurts, and granola. Friday we chilled out after assembly with some C for Cinema time. Everyone has been so focused on their IPC projects this week, as well as math and English, they deserved a relaxing afternoon break.

I sent a color copy of the ABC countdown out with the homework.

Be sure to sign up for our field trip Wednesday May 31st! I have about half the class checked off, could you please click this link if you haven’t signed up yet?

Sports Day is next Friday, May 26th! Mr. Dunn was kind enough to organize the events and sent an email to every parent about team colors. If each student could wear a team-colored tee shirt that day, that would be great! We also ask that students bring:

• Sun caps
• Sunscreen 
• Water bottle
• Non-microwavable lunch (we will picnic outside)
• Team color t-shirt
• Sports appropriate clothing and shoes

In class students continued to work with division and were introduced to long form division. Math has been really enjoyable as it seems everyone is interested and invested in learning division and having fun solving problems. We did our learning groups, some student group fact fluency flash cards, independent practice sheets, and Khan academy during our rotations.

In English we continued to look as the feathers of non fictions texts paying specific attention to facts vs opinions. Students enjoyed their own selected reading books and guided reading through out the week. With the ABC count down our schedules may get a bit shuffled to accommodate some extra fun, but we will still be holding our subject classes to ensure learning continues with the countdown activities. That being said, I expect everyone to be working hard in class and trying their best on their class work. This weeks spelling test was a big below expectation; everyone owes me a good score next Friday – we talk about using our in-class word study time wisely and doing activities with intent, not just to get it done.

IPC has been really juicy as students have been working together to create a print ad for their product with a business logo and slogan, and then they buckled down to do some research on costs. We looked at real estate prices to rent space for our businesses, searched internet retailers to find affordable equipment and tools to make our products, and sourced the materials needed to produce them. We also made a job list and searched the market value of each position and calculated how much the cost of labor would be to produce 500 items in three months. Everyone was just a bit shocked how expensive everything came out to be. That’s why our pitches to investors will be so important!

I hope everyone has a good weekend and see you Monday,

Mrs. Leah

 We will be going to the  Ulsan Climbing Experience Indoor Rock Climbing and the Jadrak Forest Park Playground Wednesday May 31st. 

Students will be fitted with safety gear and be able to climb up the rock walls. Please provide your child’s shoe size in millimeters so the staff at the climbing facility can fit the proper shoes.

Please bring a packed snack, lunch, and water bottle. There will be no refrigeration or microwave, so pack accordingly. 

Please have your student wear their HFS shirt. We anticipate fair weather so a hat and sunscreen may make the park more enjoyable. 

We will depart the school at 9am and be back by 3:30pm. 

Cost: FREE

Sign Up Here!

This week we have been busy starting new units and buckling down for projects. We have sports day on the 26th, no school the 29th, and a class trip coming up on the 31st. This and next week we will focus on completing our units of study so we can enjoy our schedule of fun and partake in the ABC Countdown for the last 26 days of school!

Students have started a new math unit focusing on multiplication review and basic division strategies. During this unit, students will deepen their understanding of multiplication and division concepts, as well as learn new strategies to solve problems efficiently and accurately. They will be revisiting and applying a variety of problem-solving techniques, such as using arrays, equal groups, repeated addition, and skip counting. We are also using Khan Academy math as a digital supplement allow students to stay engaged in math while other groups are with the teacher.

We have begun a new learning unit in English focusing on fiction and nonfiction texts. During this unit, students will have the opportunity to explore a range of texts and learn about the features of each genre. They will develop their comprehension skills as they learn to identify main ideas, make inferences, and draw conclusions from both fiction and nonfiction texts.

Reading Hour is running smoothly with student groups each focusing on different texts based on their reading levels. Students are taking turns with a teacher for guided reading, and using their laptops for digital grammar practice or tablet to enjoy books on the digital library.

In IPC students started their project inspired by the popular TV show Shark Tank. In this project, students are challenged to develop an innovative product or service that solves a real-world problem, and pitch their idea to a panel of judges, just like the entrepreneurs on the show. This project provides an excellent opportunity for our students to develop their creativity, critical thinking, and presentation skills. They are also learning about entrepreneurship and the process of developing a business idea from conception to launch.

Don’t forget to fill out the field trip form and I will see everyone next week!

Mrs. Leah

Happy Thursday! Or as we have been calling it all day, Thur-Friday. It has been a week of finishing units so starting Monday we will have a fresh unit of study in math and English. We will also start our projects in IPC!

In math we finished our unit on Graphs. Students are familiar with pictographs, bar graphs, Venn diagrams, and Carroll diagrams. We took a short unit test and it looks that most students have a good understanding of what we covered. On Wednesday and Thursday we started looking at division. To get started we reviewed some very basic strategies to do basic division; equal groups, arrays, repeated subtraction, and using multiplication. Hopefully those students who are not strong in multiplication basic will feel equipped to tackle problems. Those who are proficient will find that doing division can get tricky with remainders and larger numbers!

In English we finished our unit of play scripts. Students worked hard with their groups to create an entertaining and coherent storyline in a short drama. We were all very amused with the performances! I am really happy with the level of collaboration and skill shown in this final project; good job everyone!

Everyone has been reading away in their groups; I am already seeing much more focus and attention on phonics and spelling.

For IPC we are finishing up the nuts and bolts of basic economics. We reviewed the concept of supply and demand and how availability and scarcity affect the price of goods and services. Starting next week we will start our Shark Tank Project planning, designing, researching, and pitching a product. It will be a lot of fun to see what everyone comes up with and how successfully they can pitch their ideas as young entrepreneurs.

I was not able to capture many photos this week, but enjoy the shots from IPC when students matched scenarios to instances of an increase or decrease in supply or demand.

I hope everyone enjoys the three day weekend and see you all Monday!

Mrs. Leah

It was a funny week this week; the older students went on a residential trip so we were here with the lower school on their schedule. We were able to continue our work and play with the little kids and breaks, and it was nice to be the biggest kids at the school for a while.

In maths we looked at Venn and Carroll diagrams. Students found they could easily compare two groups within a data set, and organize their data into categories. We were out of our seats and moving around quite a bit for math class, but it made for the mornings to be a lot of fun.

For English students really went to work on writing their play scripts. In small groups they have planned and written the rough draft of a small play script they will act out next week. For the final draft, we are using Google Doc collaboration to incorporate a bit of ICT into our lesson. There was a bit of a learning curve, but by the end of the week everyone was typing away with great ease.

Reading groups got more interesting with the creation of more groups to practice and perfect English phonics recognition and pronunciation. After last weeks Cambridge Testing, it was clear many students still struggle with reading fluency and comprehension. The goal is this focus on fluency will improve reading speed and word recognition to ensure students are understanding what they read better. The most proficient readers started a year 3 level novel study, so lot’s of variety all around!

In IPC we looked at consumers and producers, and wants and needs. We defined and identified the properties of a producer and tied in the variety of goods and services they produce. We also found out that we are all consumers in some capacity as we buy and use the goods and services of producers. We did a little internet research on some of the worlds’ biggest producers of common items – the answers were surprising! We also broke down the differences between wants and needs, and came to terms with the fact that most our favorite things are wants while those we take for granted are typically needs.

Lastly, this Friday we held a special assembly while the big kids were out. Unfortunately behaviors and attitudes have not been great these last few weeks. Many students, Mrs. Leah’s class included, are behaving very disrespectfully to teachers and one another. Basic school behaviors like not talking while the teacher is teaching, staying on task during class, not running in the classroom or halls, or playing nicely at breaks have gone to the way side. We reviewed the meaning of respect and how we can show respectful actions and attitudes while at school with group collaborative posters and role plays.

We will continue to review and practice respectful student behavior the rest of the term to ensure students understand how their behavior affects their peers and their own learning in a negative or positive manner.

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Leah

We have completed the Cambridge Assessment week, and boy are we happy to be done with tests! These were REALLY challenging tests for all year levels, hopefully everyone can rest and relax this weekend and reflect on the experience. Test are a part of being a student and they just increase in number and complexity as we grow older, the more we practice the better prepared for the future Checkpoint exams, SATs, etc. Great job everyone, you showed me that you are keen and determined students – let’s keep that intent and focus in all our work as we finish this term!

In Maths we have been looking at graphs, specifically pictographs and bar graphs. Students were interpreting data, graphing the data accurately with appropriate titles, labels on the y-axis, and numerical units on the x-axis. We asked and answered questions using data sets, as well as corrected inaccurate graphs.

In English we continued to look at play scripts. Students wrote narratives from prompts and then rewrote them as mini-play scripts with character lists, stage directions, and dialogue. Next week students will work on their own play scripts giving them the ability to showcase their knowledge and have some creative fun.

Our Spelling tests were not so great this week; yes, students had a lot on their minds with the assessments, but we still had plenty of time to study using our Word Study in class! Let’s be sure everyone is using their class time wisely and completing their spelling word assignments. Also, as the spelling words are in the Word Study book and on the classroom wall, I would like to see less misspellings of the words in the assignments.

IPC saw us continue in Economics looking at goods and services. Students learned about money last week, and now they know that money can buy either of the two. We compared the two to identify the similarities and difference, discussed the different types of resources used to make goods, and how people use many goods and services regularly that they might not seem to pay for, but are actually funded by taxes. Our own building provided plenty of examples of both goods and services during our scavenger hunt!

Rest up, take care, and see everyone on Monday!

Mrs. Leah

Is it term 3 already?! I hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing and fun two week break, I heard lot’s of stories on Monday about where everyone had gone and what they did. Everyone has been really excited and on their best behavior this week, it’s been wonderful getting back into our daily routines and starting new units of study.

As you may know, next week (week 2) we will be undergoing Cambridge Assessments. Year 3 is the first year that students are assessed under this system so it will be a new experience for many. This is the progression test, not the official checkpoint test. That means student scores and data will be used by the school and teachers to improve teaching and learning; year 3 and 4 scores are not officially reported. Please assure your student that there is nothing to be stressed about; appropriate accommodations will be made for everyone who needs language help to ensure everyone can successfully complete the assessment.

In Math and Reading we practiced taking the Cambridge Assessment using questions from a previous year’s test. Students are familiar with the question types, how to answer, and the content matter. Everyone showed me they had a good understanding of the content and I was absolutely blown away during writing practice! Students are determined to do their best and are showing off all they they have learned.

In English we started our unit on play scripts. We are going over the features or a play script and comparing and contracting play scripts with story narratives. Next week students will be developing their own mini-play scripts with their reading groups and will present them to the class the week after. Students also resumed Word Study and are working with their spelling words in class each day; I encourage students to study at home as well!

In IPC we began our unit on Economics titled ‘Young Entrepreneurs’. We will spend the next few weeks studying the basic themes of economics and familiarizing ourselves with the terminology. This week the focus was on money; the history of money, the defining features of money, how we use it, and what it looks like today. On Wednesday we designed our own currency and Friday during ICT we reworked this design digitally using the program AutoDraw. This is a fun drawing tool that has the option to use an AI feature that ‘guesses’ what is being drawn and offers selections of graphics to use instead.

Finally, for PSHE we started a unit on Well Being starting with healthy eating. Students tested their knowledge of the main food groups by sorting foods and then took some basic notes on the food groups. We will aim to understand what a healthy, balanced diet looks like and how we can meet our nutritional needs daily to think, move, and feel our best.

I didn’t get the chance to take many photos this week – so look forward to more next update!

Have a wonderful weekend and see everyone Monday!

Mrs. Leah

We made it! What a fun and happy last week of term, I wish everyone a wonderful two week break and hope we all come back refreshed and eager to learn.

In math we did a lot of review; we used the Cambridge Assessment questions from last year to explore the types of questions and practice our test taking skills. Students were very well versed in the math, it is just a matter of carefully reading all instructions and knowing where and how to answer.

In English we did the same; review of the grammar concepts and the main topics of the last two terms in preparation for the term 3 Cambridge assessments. We were able to revisit punctuation, speech marks, proper nouns, adjectives, adverbs, sentence types, and paragraph writing. We focused a bit on summary writing as well; students have been keeping an independent read log to be accountable for their in class reading. Upon review I could see many still struggled with the idea of retelling a story concisely in their own words. I sent all reading logs home as we will be doing novel study next term. I told everyone that if they completed their reading logs during spring break they could bring it in a get a small prize. 🙂

Also, I sent home word study journals, English notebooks, spelling test books, and IPC notebooks. Feel free to look over them and discard (hopefully recycle) when finished.

In IPC we finished our unit on matter. Monday we explored saturation by dissolving as mush soluble material as possible in water. We compared the amount of sugar and sat the same amount of liquid to observe and record our findings. On Wednesday we took a review quiz and checked out the science units related to our topic on EducationCity and then popped popcorn with and air popper to demonstrate the ability to use heat energy to change matter! The change was a chemical change of course since it was irreversible.

Friday was the big day; we enjoyed our pizza prize for fantastic class behavior and had the PTA dance party where everyone stuffed their faces with snacks, drank mocktails, and danced away! Thank you so much to the parents who helped plan, set up, bake, DJ, Host games, and clean up – we all really appreciate it.

I will send parents an email with how to log into some of our classroom used program for math and reading. I didn’t send any homework, just the optional completing the Reading Log, but feel free to practice your skills paper free during the break.

Everyone enjoy your break and see you in Term 3,

Mrs. Leah