Welcome to December!  The students are excited and tired and we are very aware of this fact.  We will be having some festive activities over the next couple of weeks, but we will also be maintaining our normal schedule up to the break.

1. We have watched a couple of documentaries about the Cracking the Mayan Code.  It was fascinating because the person who cracked the hieroglyphs was only 15 years old and know is a world renowned expert.  Through the movies we have looked at some of the theories about the Mayan Calendar.  Students have had the opportunity to look at modern artifacts and make speculations if they were found in the future.  They have also looked at modern and ancient monuments in the world and made some speculations about their design, role and importance.
2. For the first time this year, students had the chance to go through Ms. Moody’s Fitness Circuit.  We were really impressed with the effort and engagement of the students.  The students spend 1 minute at each of the 10 stations, which rotate between core, arm, leg, and cardio exercises.
3. Grade 7’s have been continue to work on 7 Habits for Highly Effective Teens (Covey).  Students have been working on drafting personal mission statements over the past several weeks.  We are considering them working drafts and will re-visit them throughout the year.
4. “En français, nous avons appris le vocabulaire de Noël.” -student.  We had a vocabulary quiz this week and will be writing picture books next week.
5. Several students attended a workshop at Evergreen Cultural Centre on Coquitlam Waterscapes and Kinetic Sculpture.  “Some of it was visual art… they had a lot of different ideas represented in the art work, everything moved.  The exhibits were reflections of lakes in BC and we made from paper.  The other artist had an exhibit called 1000 Boats and it was all paper boats made by high school students.  We made water kinetics, moving sculptures to do with water, we had to be moving and have a meaningful word and symbol.  It was really fun, it was awesome.” -Grade 7 student
6. The final literature circle responses were submitted this week.  Feedback on the responses will be posted to edmodo using theBC Ministry of Education Writing Performance Standards.
7. Students have completed a self evaluation report card and it will be included with the report card (coming home Friday, December 14th).  The students assessed their skills on some organizational and behavioural skills.  In addition, students were asked to reflect on the knowledge and skills they have learned this term.  We have asked them to think about the connections to the themes this year, conflict and oppression, through the geography projects, the novel studies and the examination of how artifacts are interpreted and mis-interpreted.
8. Extra-curriculars! So many activities going on around the school right now… at lunch there have been intramurals offered in the gym – today Quidditch; dance dance revolution happens at lunch (usually once a week)…. Auditions for the Spring Drama Production has been completed and roles have been assigned …. Basketball and Wrestling teams are starting.
9.  We have survived the first round of seasonal flus and colds.  If your son or daughter hasn’t brought in a box of tissue, please consider sending one in to class.
10. Science Fair projects are now well underway.  Students have submitted their feasibility studies, their references and they are now working on writing the background information for their abstracts.  Please review the timeline for projects as some experiments may need to run over the Winter Holidays.
11. Bonus Reminder for next week:  Tuesday and Wednesday we will be designing and building with ‘gingerbread’.  On Tuesday, students will be designing the blueprints and on Wednesday, students will be building.  Students are to bring all supplies including gingerbread or graham crackers, decorations/candy, icing, tray or platform.