Week of March 6, 2026
Looking Back:
Literacy:
Reading:
This week in reading, our focus was on summarizing. We learned a strategy called the Five Finger Summary, which helps students retell the most important parts of a story using five key ideas: Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then.
First, we practiced the strategy together as a class by summarizing a story and identifying each of the five parts. Next, students worked with partners to read a short passage and find the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then elements in the text.
Finally, students applied this strategy to the chapters we have been reading from The Boy at the Back of the Class. This helped them focus on the most important events in the story and better understand the characters and the problems they face.
It has been great to see students using this strategy to organize their thinking and share clear summaries of what they read.
We will continue with this focus for the next few weeks.
Writing:
Please take a moment to check out your child’s Friday Letter this week. Students are working on remembering to indent their paragraphs when writing about each subject area.
They always enjoy reading your responses and look forward to seeing what you have written back. Thank you for your continued support with this ongoing writing activity.
If you look back at earlier letters, you may notice how much their writing has grown and improved over the course of the year.
Phonics:
Ms. Tran has taken over our daily morning phonics review, which has been a great learning experience for both her and the students. The children have realized how much this routine has become second nature to them and have enjoyed helping Ms. Tran as she learns the process.
Our phonics learning continues to focus on affixes throughout the year. This week, students worked with both prefixes and suffixes. They practiced identifying them in words and manipulating them to see how they change the meaning of the base word.
Math:
This week in math, students explored metric and imperial measurement through a series of creative, hands-on activities.
To begin, students measured different parts of their bodies using a ball of string and then used those measurements to create a fun project called “Me in a Bag.” They compared the lengths of the strings to represent parts of their body and assembled them together to create a small representation of themselves.
Students also applied their understanding of imperial measurement in an art activity using chalk pastels. They designed colourful buildings where each section had to match a specific measurement. For example, certain colours represented different heights, such as purple buildings being 4 inches tall. This activity challenged students to carefully measure while also thinking creatively about their designs.
These projects helped students see how measurement is used in real life, while combining math with creativity and hands-on learning.
Science:
In science this week, students learned about Rube Goldberg, who is known for creating machines that complete simple tasks through a series of chain reactions. Students built their own simple machines using classroom materials and observed how energy transfers from one object to another.
We connected this learning to our upcoming Leprechaun Trap project, where students will design traps inspired by Rube Goldberg machines.
Students were also introduced to the six simple machines and created a title page in their science notebooks. Ask your child if they can name them. They will try to include some of these machines in their trap designs.
Thank you to those who have already sent in supplies. Students will begin building on Tuesday, and traps will go home the following Tuesday. Most of the building will happen at school. Since we do not use hot glue guns in the classroom, any pieces that require hot glue should be assembled at home before materials are brought in. Here is the Letter -
Social Studies:
This week in social studies, students explored why people came to Alberta and the opportunities the province offered. We began by analyzing a variety of historical posters that advertised land and opportunities in Alberta. Students looked closely at the messages, images, and promises used to encourage people to move here.
After discussing these advertisements, students created their own posters encouraging people to come to Alberta. They thought about what makes Alberta a great place to live and included persuasive words and images to share those ideas.
Students also listened to stories from newcomers to Alberta and learned about their experiences moving to a new place. They reflected on these stories and wrote about the challenges, opportunities, and feelings people might have when starting a new life in Alberta.
This learning helped students better understand different perspectives and experiences of people who have come to Alberta.
Looking Ahead:
MTS Reminders - Wednesday March 4 |
Scholastic Book FairThe Scholastic Book Fair is coming the week of March 16th. Students will have the opportunity to preview the fair on Tuesday March 17 and will be able to shop during class time on Thursday March 19. Family Shopping Hours:
Don't miss this exciting opportunity to discover new books and support our school. We can't wait to see you there! Fun LunchThe next Fun Lunch will be held on Wednesday March 18. Fun Lunch is only for grades 1-4 and our EES students.
Please make sure to send a morning snack with your child on Fun Lunch Days. Orders must be placed by the Friday before the day. Food SupportDid you know that the Breakfast Club of Canada has shared research demonstrating that 40% of Alberta’s children experience food insecurity? This means that 4 out of 10 children do not have access to food when they are hungry. If your family is experiencing challenges with providing food for your children you can find help at Brown Bagging Calgary. Complete this form for support and they can deliver lunches to McKenzie Towne School for your children. https://go.bb4ck.org/l/858913/2024-01-15/38fdbw You can also find out more information on their website https://bb4ck.org/ Brown Bagging for Calgary's Kids Year Book PicturesIf you have any pictures from any school events (ie, first day of school, Terry Fox Run, Halloween) that you would like to share with the Yearbook Committee, please click on the link below. Once you log in, please enter this code. ADD-PICTURES-TO-YEARBOOK-26 More information will be shared on purchasing at a later date. Upcoming DatesMarch 16-20 Book Fair March 17 Wear Green for St. Patrick's Day March 18 Fun Lunch - Subway March 19 & 20 Parent/Teacher Conferences March 20 Parent/Teacher Conferences - NO SCHOOL March 23-27 Spring Break - NO SCHOOL April 3 Good Friday - NO SCHOOL April 24 Non-Instructional Day - NO SCHOOL April 29 Fun Lunch - Coco Brooks |
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