Together Learning

Lochearn Elementary

We Excel
February 2012

When parents and schools work together, they make an unbeatable team.

Thank you to Mr. Armitage and his recycling club for their very generous donation at Christmas time to the Local Food Bank. This is very thoughtful. Thank you to Lochearn for collecting so much food for our local food bank. You are very thoughtful community members! Parent Information About the New Alberta Mathematics Curriculum How will mathematics be assessed? Mathematics today is assessed differently than when you were a child. As parents, you might remember that what mattered in mathematics was that you had the right answer and you showed your work. Your mark in math was based upon how many right answers you had. Today, mathematics is assessed in ways that involve the learner actively in demonstrating their understanding. Students still need to get the right answer when working on math problems. However, the teacher looks at more than just the right answer when assessing how your child is doing with math. Showing your work may look different from student to student. The teacher will observe your child as they are involved with a mathematics problem or activity. Sometimes, a teacher will have a conversation with your child about a piece of work that has been completed or about one that he is working on. Finally, the teacher will examine the product of the math problem, which might be written work, a graph, a diagram, a model, or equations and numbers. All three of these strategies (observation, conversation, and product) are used to determine your childs abilities and limitations with the math. With so much information, sometimes even with the incorrect answer, your child can still achieve marks in math! Parents sometimes see students working in groups and wonder how it is going to help their child achieve. In classrooms, discussion about the math, exploration of strategies and experimentation with different approaches is best done when students work together. However, these activities should not be used for assessment. These activities support students in their thinking and developing understandings. Often, students engage in group work that reflects an independent activity that students will be doing at another time. Work that is completed by your child and explained by your child is the best work to assess how your child is achieving. Ipods and Nintendo DSs If your child is bringing handhelds to school please note that the school is not responsible for these items. Please talk to your teacher about their expectations with ipods, iphones etc., in the classroom.

Safe Phone: 403-845-4068 Please call the safe phone to inform the school if your child will be late or absent before 9am.

Our habit this month is Seek First to Understand, Then To Be Understood. This habits includes building the skills to prioritize and spending time on things that are most important. Students learn to develop organizational skills by creating schedules and following a plan. Check out our webpage for more information on this habit.

School Fees It is very important to pay the $40.00 school fee. Please pay with cash or cheque (payable to Lochearn School). These school fees pay for student agendas, field trips and the use of community facilities.

Kids learn to ski with the jackrabbit ski program: The Rocky Mountain Nordic Ski Club is once again planning to offer the Jackrabbit program to youth in Rocky Mountain House and area in the upcoming ski season. This program is offered through Cross-Country Canada and Cross-Country Alberta. It is delivered by volunteers trained under the NCCP (National Coaching Certification Program) and CANSI (Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors). The goal of the program is to introduce children to cross-country skiing as a life long sport that can be best enjoyed once the basic skills and techniques have been mastered. Fun and games are the major component of the program. The Jackrabbit program takes place at the Pine Hills Golf Course on Saturday afternoons between 1:00 and 2:00 pm. The program includes 6 lessons and the first lesson is scheduled to start January 21st, 2011, pending snow conditions. Registration Fees are $30.00 for Club members and $40.00 for non-members. Registrations close January 20st. Registration forms can be obtained at the Town of Rocky Mountain House Recreation Office or by requesting them via email at live4paddling@yahoo.ca. For more information or to register, contact Lori Davis at 403-844-8570 or at live4paddling@yahoo.ca.

Jump Rope for Heart Once again, Lochearn School will be participating in the Jump Rope For Heart program. This event helps teach students about the importance of healthy living and raise money for this charity. The goal is for all Lochearn students to skip for a half hour at the end of the two week fundraiser. The kick-off assembly is on Monday, April 23rd at 11:30 and finishes with the skipping challenge on Friday, May 11th at 2:00.

School Council is held at noon on the first Wednesday of every month in the Old Computer room. Parents, grandparents, guardians, community members are all welcome. Please join us.