Beyond The Desk

Spring is in the air, and our school is buzzing with excitement as we prepare for our highly anticipated Spring Concert. This event brings together our talented students, showcasing their musical abilities and the hard work they have been doing in Music. In addition to the concert, we have been engaged in a variety of exciting activities across different subjects. Let’s dive into the details of what our students have been up to lately.

Art Gala

Thank you to everyone who came out for the Art Gala. It was a wonderful evening. I know you were all just as impressed with the art as we were! The magic of the evening is being able to showcase the amazing art that students do. The evening also gives purpose to our students as a venue for the hard work they do in class.

Spring Concert Details

The Spring Concert is just around the corner, scheduled for May 29th in the school gymnasium. It promises to be a memorable evening filled with delightful melodies. To ensure a smooth experience for everyone, we kindly request all students to be in their classroom between 6:15 and 6:25 pm. Following the concert, parents are requested to pick up their children from their respective classrooms. This arrangement allows for a safe and organized conclusion to the event. All K-6 students are encouraged to wear spring-colored t-shirts without any writing or graphics paired with jeans or casual bottoms (excluding shorts, sweatpants, skirts, or dresses) and either sandals or running shoes.

Memory Verse

Just a reminder that on Monday, our students will recite the second half of the verse from Ephesians 6:12: “…against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” This verse speaks to the challenges we face in life, reminding us to stay strong in the face of adversity. By memorizing and reciting these words, our students demonstrate their resilience and determination to overcome obstacles.

Music of the Week: Loreena McKennitt

As part of our music of the week, we have been exploring the captivating sounds of Loreena McKennitt. Loreena is a Canadian singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist known for her enchanting fusion of Celtic, folk, and world music. Her compositions are often inspired by historical events, myths, and folk songs. Loreena’s music takes listeners on a magical voyage, evoking a sense of wonder and introspection. Through her captivating melodies and poetic lyrics, she invites us to explore the depths of our imagination.

Exploring Science and Creativity

In our science classes, students have been engaging in a hands-on project: building Moon Landers. Working in groups, each team has been allocated a budget of “10,000,000 dollars” to purchase supplies for their lander. The challenge is to design a lander that can safely support a raw egg (“human”) during a simulated moon landing. The culmination of their efforts will be an exciting test, as the landers will be dropped from the second-floor window of our school building. This project not only fosters creativity but also encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Language Arts and the Art of Poetry

Creativity has been flourishing in our language arts classes, where students have been exploring the beauty of poetry. Through various writing exercises, our students have been honing their skills in crafting evocative poems. These poetic endeavours have allowed our students to tap into their imaginations and develop a deeper appreciation for the written word.

Math: Reaching the End of Our Division Unit 

In our math classes, we are nearing the conclusion of our division unit. Our students have enthusiastically tackled various division strategies, building a strong mathematical foundation along the way. Through real-life scenarios and engaging activities, they have discovered the practicality and magic of division. We will be planning an end of unit assessment in the next few days.

To end, just a reminder that as we near the end of the year, we will be working on finishing up units, quizzes and tests. Student attendance in these last few weeks of school will be very important. Please avoid taking students out of school as much as possible. While we will be doing fun activities and field trips, there is still important school work and assessments being done and it is crucial that students are at school. Thank you for all your help.

For the field trip tomorrow, we encourage all students to bring a book to read and/or a sketchpad and pencil. This will help pass the time and keep your mind engaged during the journey. And of course, don’t forget to bring an abundant lunch and water bottle. We want to make sure everyone is well-fed and hydrated.

The weather looks favorable for our trip, but we continue to pray for it. We want to make sure everyone is safe and comfortable during the journey. We ask that you check the weather forecast for tomorrow and plan accordingly.

Please ensure your child is here at 7:45 am for an 8:00 am departure and dress in Knight Wear.

On Wednesday we will be attending a field trip to the Fraser River Discovery Center in New Westminster.

Please have your child at the school for 7:45 on Wednesday morning, we will be leaving at 8:00.  Also, please ensure that your child has a substantial lunch packed, a full water bottle and is dressed appropriately for the weather.  

As of right now the weather looks to be sunny with a slight chance of rain.  Regardless of the weather part of our day will be spent outside, including eating lunch, so if it looks like rain, please send a waterproof jacket.  We have asked that students where Highroad Gear for the field trip.  We are planning to return to the school for 3:30.  If you have any questions, please email me at swillms@highroadacademy.com.

Thank you for your support.

It’s finally here!!!!

It’s May the Fourth and you know what that means! It’s Star Wars day! (Get it? May the Fourth be with you?). I was almost late getting this out!! We got some wonderful costumes happening here and our friend, Boba Fett even showed up with his daughters!

In honour of the day and the cool factor, I have put a bunch of my favorite Star Wars videos on the blog today! Have a great day!

What If Dr. Seuss Wrote Star Wars!

Here is a fun Star Wars video I found made entirely out of paper!

Finally, here is a great lego stop motion of one of my favorite scenes from The Empire Strikes Back along with a bunch of great Star Wars videos!

Hello wonderful parents!

I am excited to share with you some exciting updates and important information about what’s happening in our classroom this week.

Firstly, I wanted to take a moment to express how proud I am of our amazing students for their fantastic effort and conduct during the recent track meet. It was truly heartwarming to see such effort, teamwork and good behaviour on display. I know you must be so proud of your children, and I am honored to be part of their journey here at Highroad. They showed great school spirit and we had lots of fun on a beautiful day out. One of our fantastic students even won a medal for one of the events! Congratulations to them and to everyone who participated. I also want to thank all the parents who came out to support and cheer on our students. Your presence made the event even more special, and we appreciate you taking the time to be there.

Moving on, this week’s memory verse is a powerful one from 1 Peter 3:11. “They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.” This verse is a wonderful reminder to us all that it’s essential to live a life that’s guided by positivity, kindness, and peace. I encourage you to discuss this verse with your child and reflect on ways to apply it to your daily lives.

On Thursday, we’ll be celebrating Star Wars Day, and we’re all excited to see everyone’s costumes! Just a reminder that play weapons are not allowed. However, I have some exciting news to share – one of our Grade 5 students’ parents will be wearing his Mandalorian costume before school, and I’ll be wearing my Jedi costume! If your child is not keen on dressing up, that’s perfectly okay. They can come in their regular school uniform and still be part of the fun.

We’re also starting a couple of big science projects this week, and we need some cardboard (toilet paper rolls, cereal boxes, etc.) for one of them. If you have any cardboard lying around at home, we’d be grateful if you could send it in with your child.

In Language Arts, we’re wrapping up our work on writing instructions. The students have been writing instructions on how to find pirate coins hidden in the classroom using some actual coins made to look like pirate treasure. This Friday, we’ll be having a treasure hunt where students will be following their partners’ directions to find the treasure. It’s going to be so much fun, and I can’t wait to see the students in action.

Our music of the week is The Planets by Gustav Holst and the Deodato version of Also Sprach Zarathustra. The Planets is a seven-movement orchestral suite that represents each of the planets in the solar system. The music is beautiful and captivating, and students will enjoy learning about each planet as we listen to the music. Also Sprach Zarathustra is a musical composition by Richard Strauss that was famously used as the opening theme to the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. The Deodato version features a funky, jazzy interpretation of the classic piece. You can hear both pieces below.

Thank you for your continued support, involvement, and enthusiasm for your child’s education. It’s an absolute joy to be their teacher, and I can’t wait to see what this week has in store for us.

I promise….!

Just a reminder that the bus tomorrow leaves the school at 7:00. Students should be here prior to that by around 6:45.

Parents who are driving… students should be at the track between 8:30 – 8:45 so that we are all ready to go.

Please make sure your child has everything they need for tomorrow as per the notes sent home. Also, if we could have lots of prayers for safety, fun and good weather, that would be great!!!

The schedule of events is below:

Dear wonderful Grade 4 Parents,

Hope you all are doing amazing! As we gear up for another fun-filled week of learning, I wanted to update you once again on what’s going on in our class.

This week, our memory verse is 1 Peter 3:10, which states

“Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.”

This verse encourages us to speak kind and truthful words, and to live a positive and fulfilling life. I can’t wait to hear the students recite it on Monday!

We’re also excited about our upcoming track meet on Thursday, and it looks like the weather will be on our side. I sent more information about the event with your child’s planner, so please make sure to check it out. Due to the amount of time needed to get there, traffic and early start time, we will be leaving the school at 7:00. We will be arriving back at approx. 3:45 depending on traffic.  Please note the change in venue: South Surrey Athletic Park (also known as the Oceans Athletic Track and Field Club) - 14578 20 Ave – Field #4

Students should have the following items to take with them: 

• Sunscreen 
• Hat 
• Water bottle  
• Lunch and snacks (there are no places to purchase food at the park) 
• gym clothes for competing in – Highroad shirts would be great to show off. 
• Rain equipment and warmer clothing in case it is cool.
• Proper footwear 
• Something to do on the bus. Just a reminder that no electronics are allowed on the bus. 

In Science, we’ve been learning about the size of the sun and moon in the sky. We discovered that even though the Sun is much larger than the Moon, they appear to be the same size in the sky. This is due to the vast distance between the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon. We’ve also been tracking the amount of sunlight in Chilliwack and Sydney, Australia and have noticed that while the amount of sunlight is increasing here, it is decreasing in Sydney. We created graphs to track this information on a spreadsheet, and the students have been doing an excellent job at analyzing the data.

Our music of the week is the American composer George Gershwin. He was a prolific composer in the early 20th century, famous for his jazz-influenced works such as “Rhapsody in Blue” and “An American in Paris.” My grandmother gave me a CD of his music for my birthday one year when I was a teenager, and it’s been a favorite of mine ever since. I hope the students enjoy listening to his music and appreciate his contribution to the world of music. You can hear his music below:

And finally, Superhero/Star Wars Day is coming up on May 4th, and I’m already counting down the days! It’s my favorite day of the year because I get to dress up as a Jedi (the only time my wife will let me out of the house wearing my Jedi robes) Remember, students are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite superhero or Star Wars character, but please leave the toy weapons at home.

Thank you for being such an amazing and supportive group of parents.

Hey everyone, it’s time for our weekly update!

We’ve got some great stuff to share with you, so let’s dive right in.

Unfortunately, we need to start with some sad news: Ms. Warden’s last day teaching with us will be tomorrow. It has been such a blessing to have Ms. Warden able to join us this year while Mrs. Willms was out. Ms. Warden has been so amazing and we will be sad to see her leave us after tomorrow! Please be in prayer for her as she leaves us. Mrs. Willms will be back starting next week.

Next up, our memory verse for this week is 1 Peter 3:9:

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

I can’t wait to hear our amazing students recite it for me on Monday. This verse is a reminder to us all that we should strive to respond to others with love and kindness, even in challenging situations.

Next, our track meet is just around the corner on April 27th, and it looks like it might be a bit chilly. As we get ready for the event, students should be prepared to bring the following items:

• warm clothes, umbrellas, and rain gear just in case.
• Hat
• Good running shoes and gym clothes (Students can bring their gym items to use and wear)
• Pack plenty of snacks and food to keep students fueled up throughout the day. There will not be a canteen this year.

Let us know if you are able to help on that day. And hey, let’s all keep our fingers crossed for some sunshine on the big day!

In class, we’ve been having a blast learning about space. We’ve covered everything from day and night cycles, to the orbits of the Earth and Moon, to how the position of the sun in the sky tells us what season it is. Plus, we’ve started tracking moon phases and sunlight on a spreadsheet! It’s amazing to see how God’s handiwork is all around us, especially in the patterns and movements of our Solar System!

And for all you space enthusiasts out there, we’ve got some awesome websites to check out, like NASA’s Kids Club, Space Place, and StarChild. They’re packed with fun games and interactive activities that’ll help you explore the cosmos in all its glory. There are some links to explore below:

https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/

https://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/our-solar-system/in-depth/

Last but not least, our music of the week is Snacktime! It’s a kid’s album with some seriously silly songs that are sure to put a smile on your face. So, crank up the tunes and sing along with us!

Thanks for checking in, and we’ll catch you next week for another update. Keep being awesome!