31 July 2015 (Friday)

Dear children,

We started the day learning to add two amounts of money by using the standard algorithm. Then, we moved on to learn about subtracting amounts of money through an adventure story I created about Calvin and Hobbes. 

As you joined Calvin and Hobbes on their adventure, you met Alpha the robot, whom you had to help so that Calvin and Hobbes could continue on their way. Using an iPad with your partner, you helped Alpha to solve some money subtraction problems so that he could help Calvin and Hobbes. I am sure you enjoyed using the iPad. :)

You showed a high level of discipline today when handling the iPads and I think that is commendable. If you keep up such good conduct, I think we can afford to have more lessons in future involving the use of iPads.

If you would like to download my slides and go through them again, you can visit this Dropbox link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7oh6cp7dn8xxbj1/Appendix3A_CalvinAndHobbesAdventurePart1.ppt?dl=0

After Maths lesson, we spent the rest of our time together having rehearsals for tomorrow's drama performance in the hall and in the classroom. Our first rehearsal in the hall did not go too well because we were still adjusting to the positions of the microphones and the size of the stage. Some of you forgot your lines too! However, I think the final rehearsal in the hall showed me that 3/5 is quite ready to impress the audience tomorrow.

Here are a few points I would like you to note:

1) Be close to the microphones as you were today. Your performance will succeed only if your audience can hear you.

2) Keep still and be in the neutral position when it is not your turn to say your lines. You should not be drawing unnecessary attention to yourself. The performance will succeed only if the audience's attention is given to the right characters at the right time.

3) Be confident about your own performance.

4) Trust your teammates. They know what to do. They do not need your reminding when on stage.

5) Bring your attire. 

6) Give your best!

Since we did not have time to continue with your Google Slide today, please work on it as homework over this weekend. Just like you did previously, access your group's Google Slide through your SHPS e-mail account. It is located in your AskNLearn account. I am using Shineta's account here as an example:

After signing into AskNLearn, click on "Tools" on the top blue panel.
Then, click on "Google Apps". 

On the next screen, click on "Gmail for Education".

Once you are in your e-mail inbox, click on the e-mail with your group's Google Slide. Go to your own slide and work on it.

Here's the link to the Google Custom Search website, which you may use for your research: 

https://cse.google.com/cse/publicurl?cx=012215093822099812888:hx-87hy4kfs

Here is an example slide which I have created to help you, in case you have forgotten what you have to do. This slide is for a scenario where I am tasked to describe "Life in New Zealand" and the aspect I have been assigned is "Transport". You cannot copy mine because your topic is "Life in Singapore".

As mentioned in class, your deadline is Sunday, 5 p.m..

Have a pleasant evening with your family. See you tomorrow at the carnival! :)

30 July 2015 (Thursday)

Dear children,

I was impressed by your drama rehearsal today in the auditorium. There has been a huge improvement since our previous rehearsal in the hall. From where I stood, I could see that almost all of you have memorised your lines and know them perfectly well. You projected your voices too and showed great cooperation. You also knew your positions well. Besides one short pause, I think your performance flowed very well. 

I would like to pick on your actions though. Quite a number of you were still not bold enough with your actions, while some of you were moving when you were supposed to keep still. All these little things can easily be caught by your audience. We will work on them tomorrow.

For tomorrow's rehearsal, I hope not just to be impressed, but to be very impressed. If you are one of the few who don't know your lines perfectly well yet, please put in effort to memorise them. Putting in your best is the only way you won't let down your classmates who have worked very, very hard.

During our short English lesson today, you worked in groups to prepare a Google Slides presentation on the topic of "Life in Singapore". While imagining yourselves as people introducing our country to tourists or friends from overseas, each of you in the group selected an aspect of life in Singapore and used Google Custom Search to research for details to support one or two main ideas. We will continue with your project tomorrow.

Thank you for reflecting on your behaviour yesterday. I was very pleased today with the self-discipline you showed even as you used your laptops. Keep it up, P3/5! :)

Please note the following:

1) The words and phrases in the Spelling List that you received today will be tested on 11 August, Tuesday. That will be the last spelling test for this term. We will go through the meanings of the words and phrases tomorrow. You have about 10 days to learn them. Do you think we can have 40 Super Spellers on 11 August? ;)

2) If you have not submitted your scores for the "P3/5 Fractions Games Championship", please remember to do so by tomorrow, 11.59 p.m.. I have briefed you about this in class. Refer to my post on 24 July for the form. The winners will be revealed next Monday.

Have a pleasant evening with your family. See you tomorrow! :)

29 July 2015 (Wednesday)

Dear children,

During Maths lesson today, we used play money to learn about making $1, $10 and $100 from different amounts of money. We learnt to add two amounts of money using three different methods:

1) First adding the dollars, then adding the cents

2) Making a whole number of dollars first

3) First adding the dollars, then taking away the extra cents

Test yourself by adding $9.75 to $11.35. Train your brain to think in different ways by using all the three methods you have learnt. Which is your favourite method for this question? Let me know by writing a comment below.

Here are some photographs of some of you at work with your teammates: 

During English lesson, you carried on with your annotation on the "Life on the River" text using CrocoDoc. You learnt to challenge your friends' annotation by writing feedback to them. We concluded the lesson by noting a few things:

1) Each main idea in a chunk of "Life on The River" is supported by at least two pieces of details.

2) Simple present tense is used frequently throughout an information text like "Life on the River". 

3) Similes, such as "bread basket", can be used in information texts to paint pictures in the minds of your readers.

Your conduct and behaviour during English lesson today was disgraceful. Please reflect.

I'll see you tomorrow.

28 July 2015 (Tuesday)

Dear children,

These are the 22 Super Spellers who achieved full marks for today's spelling test: 

Super Spellers

Ranjiv, Enrui and Jing Min from Detectives

Kaedee, Sarah and Hayley from Stars

Shaan, Matthew and Shineta from Robotics

Isaac, Chloe Chiang and Genevieve from Minions

Lai Ye from Wise

Marc, Thaneeisha and Giselle from Stampy

Alden from Lego

Theophilus, Richelle and Joshua from Growtopia

Olivia and Avery from Kindness

I am very glad that these children have put in their best effort to prepare for today! I am still waiting for the day when P3/5 TRUTH can boast about having 40 Super Spellers. Will we get there? 

As a class, this is how well we did this time:

(Click on the chart to zoom in.)

We started on the topic of money today for Maths by revising how to write different amounts of money in dollars and in cents. During English lesson, we practised reading your drama scripts aloud before heading to the hall for our rehearsal. We will have more rehearsals on Friday. Over the next few days, please keep in mind the following:

1) Memorise your lines. You need to know your lines perfectly well. You will be standing on the stage and performing without anyone telling you what to say or when to say them! Before Friday comes, make sure you know every single line that you are supposed to say.

2) Project your voice. This is for everyone here - whether you are saying certain lines on your own or with a group. The audience need to hear clearly what you are saying. Then, the show will be a good one. You are not loud enough yet.

3) Big actions. Some of you are not bold enough with your actions. You are afraid to act. Don't be! If your role needs you to act angry, be very angry! If it requires you to sway your body, sway it fully! If your actions are not big enough, your audience will not be able to see anything from where they are seated.

4) Posture and position. Remember where you are supposed to put your hands and how you are supposed to stand as you say your lines. Some of you have no problems remembering your lines, but you freeze or put your hands in your pockets once you start speaking.  To make sure you are good at this, practise your actions and lines in front of your mirror. 

I took this photograph of our mealworms before I left the classroom today. Can you tell that some of them have moulted? :)

Don't forget to check your handbook and act on what you have taken down.

Have a blessed evening. See you tomorrow! :)

27 July 2015 (Monday)

Dear children,

I hope you are enjoying your Youth Day holiday. 

I have finished marking your spelling books. These are the 8 Super Spellers who have put in their utmost effort and achieved full marks for last Friday's spelling test: 

Super Spellers

Jing Min from Detectives

Genevieve from Minions

Conan and Lai Ye from Wise

Thaneeisha from Stampy

Jia Ning from Lego

Theophilus from Growtopia

Avery from Kindness

Good effort, boys and girls! :)

The chart below shows how the class did for this spelling test:

(Click on the chart to zoom in.)

If you are one of the seven pupils who have not scored at least 11 marks for this spelling test, please stay back during recess on Wednesday for a re-spelling test. Your parents would have been informed that you are one of them. Prepare well.

I have updated the ice-cream sticks scores. The update includes sticks earned from excellent work done in Exercises 1 and 2 of the green Fractions booklet during Week 3 too:

Jing Min from Detectives
Chloe Lee and Sarah from Stars
Shaan and Shineta from Robotics
Chloe Chiang from Minions
Thaneeisha from Stampy
Alvan from Lego
Theophilus from Growtopia 
Sujith from Kindness


If you look closely at the ice-cream sticks score so far, you will notice that Stampy is leading with 13 sticks! Detectives, Stars, Wise, Lego and Kindness are following closely behind with 10 sticks each.

This final week in July will determine which group wins the Group of July award! Will Stampy win this month or will your group win it instead? :)

Remember to bring your drama scripts tomorrow.

See you tomorrow!

24 July 2015 (Friday)

Dear children,

We spent Maths lesson today playing some online games on fractions to practise our skills in finding equivalent fractions, adding fractions, and subtracting fractions. 

During English lesson, you learnt to use Crocodoc to annotate the "Life on the River" information text. Working with your partner on the laptop, you looked at details in the text and decided on the main ideas that the details are trying to convey to the reader of the text.  

In the afternoon, you had your first swimming lesson as part of the SwimSafer Programme for SDP. I hope you had a splashing good time at the pool! :)

I have looked at the games scores some of you sent me and I think we are ready for a "P3/5 Fractions Games Championship"! 

Of  the 5 games I asked you to play, I have selected 3 games for this Championship. There are prizes to be won for each game! :)

Here is what you have to do:

1) Scroll down to look at the Championship Scores Submission Form below. There are 3 games with their website addresses stated there.

2) The requirements for each game are stated. For example, for Game 1, you will compete using Level 1, Timed Mode.

3) As you click on each website link to play each game, you will need to note down your scores, levels, hits and misses on paper first so that you can key them into the form later.

4) You can play the 3 games as many times as you like and improve your scores, levels, and hits. Do your best! 

5) When you think you have achieved your best scores for all 3 games, enter your scores, levels, hits, and misses using the form truthfully. Then, click on the blue "Submit" button at the bottom of the form to send those information to me. Do not cheat. Show good sportsmanship in this championship! :)

6) Participation is compulsory. I should receive 40 entries. The closing date for submission is 31 July 2015 (next Friday). 

As mentioned in class, Monday is a school holiday because of Youth Day, so I will see you on Tuesday. Your parents would also have been informed when they read the July Administrative Information Letter sent out. Do remind them if they have forgotten.

Don't forget to refer to your handbook and prepare for your upcoming spelling test.

Have an enjoyable long weekend with your family! :)

*Other useful online fractions games:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/fractions/mathman_equivalent_fractions.htm

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/fractions/equivalent_fractions_shoot.htm

23 July 2015 (Thursday)

Dear children,

I hope you enjoyed celebrating Racial Harmony Day today. The drama was pretty enjoyable, wasn't it? Did you get to visit the little Kampung house behind the canteen this week? I heard there are some fun activities planned for Racial Harmony Day there. If you haven't had a chance to do so, do check out the house tomorrow. :)

Here are the two photographs that Mdm Freda took for us, with many of you in your ethnic attires:

It was unfortunate that we were not able to have our drama rehearsal as planned because our trainer fell sick and had to be on medical leave. We will have it on next Tuesday instead.

If you have not gotten your script ready, please do so soon. My advice for you is to get it ready by tomorrow so that you will not forget about it during the long weekend (yes, remember that Monday is a school holiday). 

We spent our time going through some important information in the SG50 Carnival booklet and a set of very precious Science notes on life cycles before you started working on a topical paper on the life cycles of animals. Then, we ended the day with a short discussion about the "Protect Your Egg" activity.

Remember to refer to your handbook and act on what you have taken down. Don't forget about your spelling test and your swimming lesson tomorrow too. Will you earn some ice-cream sticks for your group this week? ;)

I am very glad that the class, as a whole, has improved very much in the area of personal responsibility since the beginning of the year. We are just left with a handful of pupils who need to pull their socks up. Keep it up, P3/5 TRUTH! 

Have a pleasant evening with your family. See you tomorrow! :) 

22 July 2015 (Wednesday)

Dear children,

We started our day by reading and discussing the information text "Life on the River". As we explored and analysed the text about life on the Mekong River, we saw how the details in it tell us about four main ideas -- living, travelling, playing, and working. 

The MOE officers who came in to observe our lesson were very impressed by your enthusiastic participation and thoughtful responses. I was, of course, very glad to hear people sing praises about what was true of you today.

We spent the afternoon working on the exercises in your Science Activity Book related to life cycles of animals and looking at some animal specimens.

With a good grasp of knowledge about life cycles and the workbook exercises now completed, the next item on our agenda for Science would be to work on some topical papers to apply the knowledge you have learnt and prepare you for the upcoming Science test. We will focus on those in the upcoming Science lessons.

As mentioned in class, we will be having a drama rehearsal tomorrow afternoon after Assembly. Bring your script along. If you have lost your drama script, please download a scanned copy of Richelle's script here and print it for tomorrow: 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0gexfws3qoj0fbj/Script_TheRabbitsAndTheLion.pdf?dl=0

Have a restful evening with your family. See you tomorrow! :)

21 July 2015 (Tuesday)

Dear children,

Sarah amazed me with her detailed note-taking during yesterday's Maths lesson.

She is the first child I have come across who takes down notes of such high quality. Her notes include not just what I wrote on the whiteboard, but also some of the things she heard me mention which she found important. Just by looking at what she has taken down of her own initiative, anyone can tell how attentive she had been. She has used her eyes, her ears, and her hands very wisely.

I hope you can learn from her excellent learning attitude.

Over the weekend, our four tadpoles, unfortunately, died. These photographs show the last of them:

On a happier note, our pupa has developed into an adult butterfly! :)

These videos record for us the moments when we opened up the container to let out our butterfly:

After bidding our butterfly goodbye, we now have some new pets in the class -- mealworms!

Let's hope most, if not all, of these mealworms will develop into beetles.

We spent our day today working on problem sums involving fractions and writing your composition. 

I was glad to have enthusiastic volunteers who finished their work early and helped to clean up the class for us:

Thank you, Olivia, Alvan, Matthew, and Richelle for serving the class.

As mentioned to you on Monday, our class has been selected to be observed by the Ministry of Education (MOE) for the next three weeks. Starting from tomorrow, some officers from MOE will be coming in during some of our lessons to observe us. You do not have to be bothered by their presence. We will just be ourselves -- enthusiastic learners of P3/5.

Don't forget to refer to your handbook today. 

Have a pleasant evening with your family. See you tomorrow! :)

20 July 2015 (Monday)

Dear children,

I will not be updating the blog today as I have some personal matters to attend to.

Remember to refer to your handbook.

Have a pleasant evening with your family. See you tomorrow! :)

16 July 2015 (Thursday)

Dear children,

We applauded Enrui and Samir today when they received their prizes during Assembly for their outstanding posters for the Non-Teaching Staff Appreciation Day Poster Design Competition. Sujith's poster won him a consolation prize too. The three of them have surely done our class proud with the effort they put in! :)

With the little time we had together today, we discussed ideas for a composition about Animal Abuse. After we had spent time studying the question properly and brainstorming for some ideas, we looked at a sample story and analysed how the writer described the characters' feelings and actions by "showing and not telling". Then, we also analysed the sample story using our usual Story Mountain Planner to learn how we could plan our own stories with it.

If you would like to take a second look at what we came up with together as a class, you may click on this link: http://personal.crocodoc.com/z1H5Hyj

Have you updated your group's blog this week to share your plant's progress with the rest? Please do so if you have not.

Don't forget to refer to your handbook too.

Have an enjoyable weekend with your family. See you on Monday! :)

15 July 2015 (Wednesday)

Dear children,

These are the 7 Super Spellers who achieved full marks for yesterday's spelling test:

Yu Zhi and Joshua from Growtopia
Ranjiv from Detectives
Thaneeisha from Stampy
Samir from Wise
Alden from Lego
Chloe Chiang from Minions

We started off our day together discussing the inspirational story of Daniel Cabrera, a homeless nine-year-old who depends on light from a McDonald's restaurant to do his homework. You can read the article again by clicking on this link: 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/philippines/11728099/Homeless-boy-using-McDonalds-light-to-do-homework-proves-inspirational.html 

What are your thoughts about his story? How does this relate to your life? Write a comment below to share with me.

During Maths lesson, you worked with your partner and used fraction discs to compare fractions with the same denominator and fractions with the same numerator. As you compared the given fractions, you also learnt to arrange them from greatest to smallest and smallest to greatest. Through your observations, you discovered a rule to help you compare fractions with the same denominator and a rule to help you compare fractions with the same numerator. Recall: What are these rules?

We continued using the fraction discs and learnt to compare two fractions by using half as a reference. Here are some photographs of you hard at work with your partner: 

  

During Science lesson, we looked at the life cycle of a beetle. Some of you were squirming when we watched the videos of a ladybird beetle and a darkling beetle. If you would like to watch the videos again, you can do so here:

We finished up the comprehension exercise in the "The Pelanduk" booklet during English lesson. That brought the unit to a close. For tomorrow's English lesson, we will start working on a composition about animal abuse. If you have some time tonight, look at your spelling list again to familiarise yourself with the good phrases that you have learnt.

Our class pets seem to be growing well. Theophilus, Hoi Yung and Chloe Pek have helped us to change the water in the tank and feed the tadpoles today.

Ranjiv and Shineta will be bringing home the class pets tomorrow so that they will be well taken care of over the long weekend. 

Have a pleasant evening with your family. See you tomorrow! :)