Tag Archives: Invention Convention

News of the Moment

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Do you like animals? Do you like doing fun, animal-themed activities? Do you like munching on popcorn while watching animal movies and thinking about how much you like animals? If the answer to these questions is yes, you should come to Animal Rescue’s Elementary School Fun Night!
You’ll be divided up by grade level (grades 1-3, grades 4-5) and even if you’ve seen the movie before, we also have fun activities, snacks, HS students arranged to talk with you about our club, and buses to bring you home. So make sure to bring your friends on Friday, March 23rd!  We aren’t charging admission but suggest a 50RMB donation, with all money going to Jaiya’s Animal Rescue.  Permission forms will be coming around on February 21st and 22nd; you have until Feb 29th to turn them in to your teacher, along with your donation.  Don’t miss out!

Invention Convention Update

Parents, in class today we looked at past 5KP Invention Convention Presentations to give our students a better idea of the end product they are expected to create. Please take 5 minutes to read Mrs Rekate’s blog post, where she gives more details, showcases several former students, and hopefully puts your mind at ease over this project. The main message is:

We are more interested in process than end result!

Writing and Reading

In our Writing and Reading Workshop lessons, students are learning about various inventors, and writing their Research Paper on a particular invention or inventor they are interested in. This paper will be due by Wednesday the 29th of February as we will then display it, along with your child’s invention or research project, on Friday March 2nd.

Friday March 2nd: You’re invited!

Please plan on being here at school between 8.00 and 9.30 that morning. Activities will begin shortly after 8 am with all students showing off their  work at their desks and in the 5th grade project area. We will then move over to the Library Lecture Hall by the Main Cafeteria at about 8.45 to have our New Inventors Show with special guest judges. The main winner of the New Inventors Show will win a one year family pass to the Science and Technology Museum in Pudong; you won’t want to miss this thrilling showcase from the ‘best of the best’.

Math

We reviewed the Unit 7 math test today; things were not as bad as they seemed last Friday (apologies for anxiety caused, I had a substitute teacher mark the test which did result in some confusion). This test was actually a more difficult test for many of the students however so far the class average is 88% which is pretty impressive. Well done to Erika for earning her 3rd perfect score this year and a big congratulations to the following students who showed improvement between Unit 6 and Unit 7; Michelle, Taeyun, Pepo, Joon Soo, Aavia and Alex A; especially considering this was an intense unit.

We begin our next unit on Fractions and Ratios tomorrow. Students will benefit from working on the IXL site, in particular on the ‘L’ and ‘V’ sections.

Check out the  Unit 8 Family Letter

Animal Rescue

Do you like animals? Do you like doing fun, animal-themed activities? Do you like munching on popcorn while watching animal movies and thinking about how much you like animals? If the answer to these questions is yes, you should come to Animal Rescue’s Elementary School Fun Night!

You’ll be divided up by grade level (grades 1-3, grades 4-5) and even if you’ve seen the movie before, we also have fun activities, snacks, HS students arranged to talk with you about our club, and buses to bring you home. So make sure to bring your friends on Friday, March 23rd!  We aren’t charging admission but suggest a 50RMB donation, with all money going to Jaiya’s Animal Rescue.  Permission forms will be coming around on February 21st and 22nd; you have until Feb 29th to turn them in to your teacher, along with your donation.  Don’t miss out!


Smart Students make Smart Goals

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Hi Parents

We had a great lesson just now on our Invention Convention Project. Most of the students have made a good start to either their research paper or their research project over the last ten days; however with only 16 days until these items are officially due, it is time for them to create a ‘plan of attack’ and so that is what they did this morning.

We discussed S.M.A.R.T. goals as a class and then wrote up our own goals, using SMART goals as our guideline. We also talked honestly about the other expectations that impact their daily lives and will get in the way of them achieving their best results on the project and paper. Many of our students are extremely busy in their out of school time, some with as many as three activities a night; it is unrealistic to expect them to do project work on these nights when there seems barely enough time to eat a meal with their family so we took nights like this, as well as sleep-overs, birthday parties, family events etc into account in our plans.

Tonight, please look at your child’s science notebook and please read their Invention Convention plan through with them if you have time. I believe that them knowing that we are both focused on them following this plan over the next two weeks, will help your child to stay on track and not be rushed our stressed leaving things ’til the last minute.

Don’t forget to save the date! We want YOU in our project area at 8.10 am on Friday March 2nd to share in our success as we have our Invention Convention presentation.

Below is a video from Youtube on smart goals, I apologize in advance, that it will only work in China if you have a VPN.

News of the Moment

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Thank You to Ms. Yick for posting these guiding questions that we are going to use to review the Invention Process and our successes and frustrations as inventors. Please copy the questions below and paste them onto your Invention Convention Page of your blog and then answer each one in detail under the question it is referring to.
INVENTION CONVENTION REVIEWIMG_7461

1. What is the problem you are trying to solve?

2.How did you come up with the inspiration for your invention?

3.What does your invention do?

4.How does it work?

5.What materials did you use?

6.What existing product/system did you SCAMPER from?

7.How is your invention better than the existing one?

8.How much does your invention cost?

9.How did you decide to sell it for this price?

10.What did you try that didn’t really work?

11.How did you solve for this in your final invention?

12. Why should people buy your invention?

13.What possible problems could there be with your invention?

14.What improvements could be made?

Now write a paragraph summing up the whole experience including your favourite parts, frustrating parts and your level of success. Then make sure your video of your presentation is posted on this page and you are done! Well done 5KP!

In other news…

Our Memoir Publishing Party has been put back until Thursday due to student absences and other commitments making this a very busy week. If you would like to send in any treats, please do so today or tomorrow so that we are ready to celebrate the amazing work the students have created. Already I have really enjoyed reading the very different Memoirs of Matthew, Emma, Miranda, Nicole and Nick so please take the time to not only look at your child’s writing but also that of their classmates

Tomorrow on June 2nd we have a presentation at 10:30 from Dr. Bristol, an Attending Pediatrician, as well as the Chief Medical Officer from Shanghai United Family Hospital. The title of the presentation is “My Mind and Body are Changing: What Gives?”
Some of the topics Dr. Bristol will talk about include:
– Normal adolescent growth and development, including physical changes
– Normal weight and height ranges for teens.
– Acne and other rashes
– Internet safety
– How to avoid risky behaviors
– Way to deal with peer pressure
– Career planning for the adolescent

Events this Week:
7th Grade China Alive Photography Show
May 31 – June 4 – 11:00-1:30
1) Winning photos from 10 categories, enlarged, framed and available in a silent auction. Bidding begins at 11:00 May 31 and ends Jun 4 at 1:30.
2) 4 x 6 photos available from each 7th grade student for 50RMB
3) Special sale times also during the Music concerts on Jun 1 & 2 from 5:30-6:30 in the auditorium
4) Proceeds go to projects in Lijiang, China – Zhangfei Primary school and The Nature Conservancy

We look forward to seeing you on Friday as we celebrate your child’s achievements at our Moving Up Ceremony.

Later that day the elementary school will have its Summer Sizzler (field day).  This is an exciting event where students will participate in many fun games and activities.  There will be a mix of team relays, individual track and field events, and fun activities that might involve water.    If  you want to come along as a parent and watch and cheer you are of course welcome to join us.  The Lower Elementary (grades pre-k to 2) will be starting at 8:30 on the elementary playground and the Upper Elementary (grades 3 to 5) will start at 12:35 on the field beside the track. The Grade 5 tug of war will be from around 11.45 to 12 pm with lunch to follow until 12.30. Make sure your child has with them a change of clothes, plenty to drink, sunscreen and a hat

Invention Convention Homework for the Weekend

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I usually don’t set weekend homework and so if you have other plans that make this weekend very busy, I understand your child not being able to complete the work. However it is in their best interests if they at least think about the following over the next few days. It would be a great idea for the students to complete the information below and post to the Invention Convention page of their blog. Here is a great site to explain more about the SCAMPER process.

Picture 1

SCAMPER ASSESSMENT SHEET

Use the SCAMPER technique to REFINE your INVENTION and answer the following criteria on your blog.

MY PROPOSED INVENTION IS:

Substitute: What else can it do? How can I change it to do more? What other tools can I use to make my invention more efficient?

Combine: How can I combine other inventions of a different type together in new and interesting ways (for example combining a puzzle game with an adventure game?)

Adapt: What else is ‘out there’ that is already like this? What could I copy and add to it? How can I change it?

Minify/Magnify: How can I create a longer or smaller version of my invention? How can I simplify it or make the invention more challenging/diverse/user friendly?

Put to other uses: How can I re-purpose my invention to make it more marketable?

Eliminate: Is there anything I need to take away from my invention? Are some aspects of it too complicated or unnecessary?

Rearrange: Are there any other components (parts) of my invention that I need to interchange (swap) with existing components? Is there a way of rearranging my invention so that it is a better product?

Now look over your answers and develop a plan of action; there is no point in knowing how to improve your invention if you don’t get to it and do something about it.

Have a great weekend 5KP and stay focused and positive for the next 13.5 school days of your Elementary Career

News of the Moment

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Thanks to the parents who provided treats for the 5th grade’s last treat day of the year today.

MS Eagle Ambassadors
Several of you are interested in becoming MS Eagle Ambassadors. In order for you to be considered, you must complete an application. The deadline to return applications has been moved to Thursday, May 19.

Yushu Earthquake Donation

I have finally gotten around to telling the students about the donation being made on their behalf this Friday in the Library Lecture Hall at 9 am. If you are not sure what I am talking about, please read this letter from our room mum Diane:

Hello 5th Grade Parents,

I am pleased to inform you of a wonderful gesture the 5th Grade class will
be doing this week. The students will be using excess funds from their 5th
Grade PTSA budget to make a generous donation of 5500rmb to the Yushu
Earthquake account. Many students had heard about the earthquake, expressed
concern and were wondering how they can help. After discussing with the
teachers, we decided we could use this donation to not only help a good
cause but also provide the children with a learning experience.

Sacha has made arrangements for Wendy Da, from SAS Puxi, to make a
presentation to the 5th grade students. Wendy will discuss her experience
in Sichuan following the earthquake there. She will share many photos and
describe how this donation will aid the people suffering from the recent
Yushu earthquake. The students will present their donation at the
presentation.

I am happy to invite you to attend. The presentation will take place on
Friday, May 21st, at 9:00am in the Library Lecture Hall. There will be a
reception for parents prior to the presentation starting at 8:30am. I hope
you are able to come and join the students for this wonderful event.

Thank You,

Diane

Math Test

Today we had our Unit 11 test and I am pleased with most of the results of our students. It was a more difficult test than our Unit 10 test and although no one scored 100% (well done Miranda for coming closest) our average was still 87%. When you see the test tomorrow night after we have gone over any errors in class; please pay the most attention to Part A. The information tested in Part B was not as thoroughly covered in class and contains more new material that the students have only recently been introduced to. This has been the case with all of the Math Tests this year with the Everyday Math program.

Invention Convention

We are determined and excited to create something special for our Invention Convention Unit. Most of the class feel like they have some idea where they are heading now, and realize that they aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel; rather they should be aiming to take something in existence already and make it better!

Writer’s Workshop

We are determined not to let our memoirs get the better of us, WE CAN DO IT 5KP! WE are having an intensive double period in the morning where we will continue drafting and adding ideas, sharing writing strategies and encouraging each other to be the best writers we can be. Our Memoir will be published come what may, by the end of next week.

Boston Buddies
Most of the class are now writing back and forward with our Boston Buddies and commenting on blogs getting to know each other. Here are a couple of photos of the class for you 5KP, in the second one you will find Elizabeth on the left with the great pink shirt on. In the first one the names are as follows:

Front Row L–>R Lauren, Zoe, Libby, Sabrina, Alissa, Emily

Behind Lauren –> Adam and Olivia

Standing L –> R Seth, James, Michael, Dylan, Luke, Jake, Aidan, Charlie,
Callan (behind Charlie), Dana

group pic May

IMG_2339 - Copy

How many of these have YOU seen 5KP?

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Hi 5KP, I missed you today as I worked hard to build an elementary schedule for next year that you won’t be around to enjoy… sob sob! I heard from Mr. B that you had a productive day and enjoyed working together on Lego, Reader’s Theater and Math.

Some dates to note for the next week are:

5 day holiday coming up!

and did I mention

5 day holiday coming up!

I will set some tasks to complete on the blog and you can spend some time reading checking those out and also studying for your math test…

What was that? Did I just say math test? Yes my dears, it will be held on Wednesday and you will do well if you concentrate on the remaining lessons this week and spend some time revising your journal and study links over the May Holiday.

The following concepts and skills will be assessed:

*solve two-step pan-balance problems
*write algebraic expressions to represent situations
*represent rate problems as formulas, tables and graphs
*use formulas to find circumference and area of a circle
*distinguish between circumference and area of a circle
*solve one-step pan-balance problems
*interpret mystery line plots and graphs

Picture 2

Community Yard Sale Coming Up

This is a greeting from the HS Roots & Shoots and Children’s Home Club. As you might have heard, the 3rd annual yard sale will take place soon, and we are so excited! On Friday May 7 from 9:00-3:00, a variety of items will be sold on the second floor of the HS cafeteria.  This event is open to all members of the SAS community: guards, cleaners, cafeteria staff, bus monitors, parents, students and teachers. Come to find some bargains!

As in the past, gently used items will be collected for the yard sale: clothes, shoes, electronics, small appliances, books, toys. For furniture or other items too large to bring to school, we can post a photo. This year, we hope that everybody once again will search through their homes and bring donations to school.  It is a perfect time for spring cleaning! Donations will be collected in the hallway outside the elementary, middle and high school offices.  Look for the “Yard Sale Donation” sign.  Donations will be collected until Thursday, May 6.

For the past two years, the proceeds from the Yard Sale have paid for the salary of a teacher at the Lao Wang Orphanage in Anhui who offers lessons to disabled children who are unable to attend the local school.  The children in this orphanage count on the support of the SAS community.

For questions, please contact grade 11 student Andrea Ivarsson <andrea_ivarsson@hotmail.com>

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/55iWri/www.hillmanwonders.com/ is a link to a fun site I stumbled upon this week and I think you would have fun checking out a few of the links of places you have been to and also making some plans about what you would like to see that you have not seen already. A task for you to blog about over the following weekend could be:

Task One: Add the link above to your own blog and tell the world about the places you have been. Choose three more (at least) of the places listed and post them to your blog; write (minimum of a paragraph) about why you want to go to each one and if you think you will get there one day.

Picture 1

Task Two: We are about to begin Phase Two of the Invention Convention where you will be taking a closer look at the Invention Process and challenging yourself to take on your own small invention experience. Over the May Holiday I would like you to start a new page on your blog titled Invention Convention and begin finding suitable websites that might aid you and your classmates in the invention process. Link to them on your new blog page; aim for at least 5 sites and boys and girls, we are going for quality NOT quantity!

Here is an example of the sort of site you might link to however I am sure you will agree, you are smarter than this, aim for something more appropriate for your age group. If you want something to really sink your teeth into; start exploring this little treasure!

Congratulations 5KP

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Phew…had enough yet?

What a week it has been, the kids really deserve the holiday they are about to get, try and spoil them a little.

We have the Unit 9 math test to come today and the band and strings bonanza tomorrow so don’t forget your instruments and your black and white clothes ok?

I wasn’t able to snap all the kids due to camera issues but here are most of the class working on their Goldberg Machine. Well done to Byron’s team for winning the major prize!

ATTENTION STUDENTS HERE IS YOUR WORK FOR FRIDAY morning between 8 am and 10 am.

1. Read the last 4-6 posts on my blog here and leave at least one comment on one of my posts

2. Write your own post : the title is “Invention Convention Reflection”

I want a two or three paragraph post on the highlights of the invention convention for you.

What was your favorite invention and why?

What was the best part about your invention? The worst part?

What did you like/not like about the project?

Try and include a photo, take one of mine from my blog if you are able.

3. Complete a quiz of your own if you are able to, like the one on my blog or Keaton’s blog.

4. Go to Scholastic News. Read freely on the site and then write a post about something interesting you discovered.

5. Comment on your classmates and teacher’s blogs and enjoy the rest of the period.

Have a great Spring Break 5KP, you really deserve it!