Exciting Events

It has been an exciting few weeks here at Thorncliffe Park.

Queen's Park

The students of Ms. Bordonaro's, Ms. Kwong's, and Ms. Halliwell's classes visited Queen's Park on Monday, December 8.  We did a scavenger hunt of the outside grounds, saw a bit of the inside of the building, and sat in on Question Period.  Ask your child what he/she thought of question period.  After question period, students discussed what they saw with the tour guide.  We then had a special guest come to have photos taken:  Premier Kathleen Wynne!!!!  She answered questions and stood with the students for a photo.  Our students were well-behaved and asked great questions.  It helped them understand what they've learned in class about the provincial government.




Hour of Code

On Friday, December 12th, students in 5C, 5F and 5G joined 70 million students around the world (in 128 countries) to take part in the largest education event in history: Hour of Code.  Students worked through tutorials to explore different coding/programming concepts.  They wrote instructions (code), used loops and if-then logic to create input for a program that moved an animated character.  

We only devoted one 50-minute period to the event.  Students have been given the website and passwords to log onto the Hour of Code website at home (the link for 5C is: http://studio.code.org/sections/RWBJOI).  Students who are interested can continue exploring the tutorial and “online courses”.  You can also find out more information about the program at:  www.hourofcode.org/ca.


Bitstrip:
As an assessment and evaluation of our learning about the Canadian government, students will be creating an online comic strip to show what they have learned in Social Studies.  They can access the Bistrips for School website at:

www.bitstripsforschools.com/login

The classroom code is: 5C(2014).

Students will asked to log-in, create their own password and make their avatar.  If they have time, they can introduce themselves in a short comic strip.

We went over how to log in class, but here are the instructions if they want a review:

http://help.bitstripsforschools.com/knowledgebase/articles/100042-logging-your-students-in-for-the-first-time

Students are expected to complete the Social Studies assignment in class with their partners , and should not be working on them at home.  However, they can create any comic strips they wish (as long as they are appropriate, as per our discussion on digital citizenship) at home.  They can also spend time creating characters at home or do additional research, as long as they are not working on their government comic strip.

Holiday Assembly

On Wednesday, December 17, students gathered with other grades to watch performances and sing famous holiday songs.  It was wonderful to see all the students singing and dancing together about the different holidays and winter activities at this time of year.  Once again we got to see Premier Kathleen Wynne, as she came to enjoy the music with us!



Energy Workshop

On Thursday, December 18, students participated in a workshop by TREC about energy conservation and wind turbines.  They learned about different forms of energy, and then did experiments to test wind turbine blades.  Students will be participating in a design challenge where they design and build an efficient wind turbine.  In May, we will go to the Kids Energy Festival where they will see their wind turbines on display and participate in more workshops.  It was an interesting and active afternoon of learning.  Ask your child about their favourite part of the workshop.



Happy Holidays

I hope everyone has a restful and relaxing holiday.  Take time to enjoy each other.  Get outside in the fresh air.  Read some books.  Talk.  Come back in the New Year ready to tackle new learning.  I have truly enjoyed teaching your children the past four months, and I look forward to the rest of the year.

3 weeks until break!!!!

We have 3 weeks until Winter Break. BUT we need to continue to work hard until then, so we don't get behind.  Let's keep up the wonderful work we have done so far this year.

REMEMBER - Listen to the weather forecast and dress appropriately.

Interviews

It was wonderful to meet all of my students' parents, and share insight into your child's successes and next steps.

Thank you for your support of my programme, and of your students.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ms. Bordonaro

The Adventures continue

Here are Flat Maddie and Flat Thorn visiting other parts of the hospital.

 Flat Maddie and Flat Thorn sit in on a meeting with Senior Staff.

 Flat Maddie and Flat Thorn see the hospital dietitians.  Flat Thorn has been told he needs to eat more fruits and vegetables!!!!

 Oh no!  Flat Thorn needed blood work.  The technician is checking on the results.  Flat Maddie is being sympathetic.

 The Privacy Officer shows the flat characters how she keeps patient records safe.

 Flat Maddie is back in her room.  The nurse checks her barcoded armband to make sure she is the right patient in the right place.

When we did a tour of the hospital and went to the Patient Safety Fair, Flat Maddie and Flat Thorn came too!!!!

Flat Maddie and Flat Thorn were quite impressed with the security office where all parts of the hospital can be seen, and security officers keep everyone safe.

What an incredible journey.  And we learned so much on our tour when we visited the hospital on October 29:  seeing the lab, going to the fracture clinic, watching presentations about infection control and respiratory therapy.

It is amazing how the hospital works so well with the various jobs and caring people.

We look forward to other partnerships with the staff of the hospital.

Day 2 - The Adventures of Flat Thorn and Flat Maddie

From Sharon Navarro, Communications Officer:  Flat Thorn and Flat Maddie continue to meet staff.

They stopped by to visit our Respiratory Therapists. RTs as they are called help protect our heart, lungs and airways ensuring that they are healthy. Maddie had some breathing issues this morning so Monica, RT helped her breathe with a ventilator. Brad, RT is listening to Flat Thorn's lungs.



A healthy and happy staff is also better prepared to provide the safest and highest quality of care. Here Flat Thorn & Flat Maddie take in a staff wellness class.

Poor Flat Maddie. She had a ballet accident and broke her left fibula. She and Flat Thorn visited the Fracture Clinic and Martin, Orthopedic Technologist, kept her leg safe and put a cast on it.



Afterwards, Flat Thorn & Maddie visited Diagnostic imaging and donned special aprons - that protect their organs- while Cynthia - an  X-ray technologist made sure Flat Maddie's bone was healing properly.

More Adventures of Flat Maddie and Flat Thorn

Here are two more pictures of Flat Maddie's and Flat Thorn's adventures in the Emergency Department.

From Sharon Navarro, Communications Officer at Toronto East General Hospital:

Today, Flat Thorn & Maddie have ventured into the Emergency Department. For many people who come to the hospital, this is their first stop.

Before people enter the Emerg, they have to be pre-screened. In the first picture, Irene, Chief Nurse and Elizabeth Registered Nurse have brought Flat Thorn and Maddie to the registration clerk. They will be asked about where they traveled to and whether they recently were in places that have an Ebola outbreak. The clerk will also ask if they have some of the symptoms or signs related to Ebola. We added this pre-screening step to keep our patients, staff and volunteers safe.

Next Flat Thorn and Maddie will meet Dr. George Porfiris and Dr. Zoe Mitchell, a medical resident- docs in our ER. We have such great staff in the ER who help kids feel comfortable and safe. They will see if Flat Thorn or Maddie need any blood work to be done.

Here they are...Flat Thorn and Flat Maddie visiting Toronto East General Hospital

Last week, I wrote about our project with the Toronto East General Hospital. Our class chose the characters that would be travelling around the hospital.

Here they are with Chief Nurse Executive, Irene Andress, in the Emergency Department.

Below is the schedule of where Flat Maddie and Flat Thorne will be visiting to learn how these departments keep patients safe.

· Fracture Clinic (MONDAY)

· Diagnostic Imaging (MONDAY)

· The Lab (TUESDAY)

· Surgery (WEDNESDAY)

· Peds G7 (THURSDAY)

· Porters/Housekeeping (FRIDAY)

We will be visiting Ms. Andress, other staff, and our flat characters at the hospital on Wednesday, October 29th to experience ourselves where they have been.

Community Outreach Project with Toronto East General Hospital

Toronto East General Hospital has asked our class to be a part of a project on Patient Safety at the hospital.

Students were asked to design a flat character similar to the book "Flat Stanley" by Jeff Brown.



Students created the illustration, gave it a name, and created a back story.  We shared these in class, and the class voted.  We decided on Flat Thorn (for Thorncliffe) and Flat Maddie.  The Communications Officer from TEGH will be here Monday to pick up the flat characters.  These characters will then travel around the hospital and pictures will be taken to show students and the community how staff keep patients, like Flat Thorn and Flat Maddie, safe. (just as Flat Stanley's journey around the world was documented).  

On October 29, we will go visit the hospital, and will be shown where the flat characters visited and we will meet staff of the different departments, and discover what happens in the various parts of the hospital.

This activity is connected to our Language unit on analysing characters, and creating narratives, and in Health, there is a unit on safety.

Welcome Ms. Cass

We welcome Ms. Cass to our classroom for the next 5 weeks.

Ms. Cass is a Teacher Candidate from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.  She is learning to become a teacher, and will be working closely with me and the students.  Ms. Cass will take over some of the teaching under my guidance.  She will be teaching some Language, Math, and French.

Ms. Cass is from Toronto, and has told the students a lot about herself.  She loves to dance, canoe, and she has a rather larger dog!!!  The students should be able to tell you what was in her "Me Bag".