gr7

gr7

Tuesday 3 September 2013

Sept 3 Welcome Back To School



Mr. Di Croce’s Class Expectations

Set yourself up for success this year by taking more responsibility for your own learning and growth.  Aim to make the right choices for yourself, not anyone else.  Listen, follow instructions and complete your tasks on time because you feel it’s important to you and your learning as a student.  Aim to motivate yourself.  Put forth your best effort and believe in yourself.

In the interest of developing your organizational skills, keep your binder tidy ensuring all handouts for all subjects are filed under the appropriate tab divider so you know where things are at all times.  Note any important reminders in your agenda on a daily basis and/or check our class blog at www.stsimondicroce.blogspot.ca  Use your task tracker to ensure no assignment remains incomplete.  Being absent does not exempt you from any task or test – find out what you missed and complete it with teacher support.  Our class e-mail is stsimongr7@gmail.com 

Complete your tasks in full and submit them by the due date.  Focus on a task from start to finish with minimal distraction.  Should you need an extension ask your teacher before the due date, not after.  Assignments can be handwritten, typed on Microsoft Word, saved to a memory stick to print at school, burnt to a cd-rom, e-mailed, shared on Google Docs etc.  Remember that handing something in by the due date is better than handing in nothing at all.  You will not always be reminded or prompted.  Always ask your teacher for clarification and support when needed to complete any task – do not hesitate to do this :)

There is a time and place for everything:  a time to listen, a time to talk, a time to work and a time to play – know the difference, apply the skill in the given situation.

Demonstrate good character towards and respect for your teachers and peers – treat others as you wish to be treated.  Respect the personal space and belongings of others.  If you do not have something positive or encouraging to say, keep it to yourself – be a leader, not a follower.  Work constructively and cooperatively with others – do your part and respectfully share ideas.

TCDSB allows BYOD (bring your own device) i.e. laptops or tablets exclusively for schoolwork assigned by your teacher (i.e. multi-media Prezi, MS Word wordprocessing, researching, emailing tasks, checking class blog etc.) - not for gaming or surfing; you will also have access to our school’s netbooks.


What are we working on this week?  












TEAM TASK: THE MARSHMALLOW CHALLENGE


Goal:  To learn lessons in collaboration, innovation and creativity.  Orient, plan & build.

Success Criteria:
  1. Build the Tallest Freestanding Structure: The winning team is the one that has the tallest structure measured from the table top surface to the top of the marshmallow. That means the structure cannot be suspended from a higher structure, like a chair, ceiling or chandelier.
  2. The Entire Marshmallow Must be on Top: The entire marshmallow needs to be on the top of the structure. Cutting or eating part of the marshmallow disqualifies the team.  
  3. Use as Much or as Little of the Kit: The team can use as many or as few of the 20 spaghetti sticks, as much or as little of the string or tape. The team cannot use the paper bag as part of their structure.
  4. Break up the Spaghetti, String or Tape: Teams are free to break the spaghetti, cut up the tape and string to create new structures.
  5. The Challenge Lasts 18 minutes: Teams cannot hold on to the structure when the time runs out. Those touching or supporting the structure at the end of the exercise will be disqualified. 
  6. Ensure Everyone Understands the Rules: Don’t worry about repeating the rules too many times. Repeat them at least three times. Ask if anyone has any questions before starting.

    Sample structures:
        



    Our progress and results:

         

      

      








Summer 2013 Highlights Task

Goal:  To create an oral/visual multi-media Prezi presentation to showcase some of your summer highlights.  

Success Criteria:  
  1.    with teacher support, familiarize yourself with Prezi functions
  2.    use a combination of pictures/images, brief captions/detailed descriptions, video
  3.    select key highlights you wish to share
  4.    focus on a chronological order, easy-to-follow/understand sequence, intro/body/conclusion
  5.    be prepared to share orally with class, maintaining eye contact/interaction with audience, minimal reading since prezi is your reference point to begin elaborating on a specific idea.
  6.    be creative, have fun, share your personal opinions/feelings of your summer experiences!
Click link for sample:
http://prezi.com/qropmg9preiu/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy




All About Me Crest

Design a crest/emblem that highlights your name and interests using a combination of icons. Below is a sample:



Begin working on:

-your summer highlights brainstorm sheet
-rough sketch of personal crest
-log onto www.prezi.com with an email of your choice to begin exploring its functions

We will continue this work together in class throughout the week.