This weekly update from a 5th grade teacher at CDNIS discusses the school's recent Festival of the Arts event and the students' ongoing work. It provides notes about completed and upcoming literacy and inquiry projects. It also relays logistical information about an upcoming camp, teacher absences, and student achievements.

1. MAY 7 2010
W E E K LY U P D A T E
GRAD E 5 A @ C D N I S
Making Connections Through the Artistic
Perspective
Dear Parents, Our Literacy this week has been sent to you so you
was all about completing should be aware of the
Sometimes I am completely
our historical fiction. All activities in which your child
amazed by the vitality and
works have been submitted will be participating. You
excitement that can be found
and next week the students should have clarified with me
within the walls of CDNIS. This
will reflect on their writing. via email the pickup point and
week’s Festival of the Arts was
In addition, they have been times (as they have been
c e r t a i n l y n o e x c e p t i o n . We
taught how to transform changed on the original
e x p e r i e n c e d s o m e e xc e l l e n t
written stories into digital permission slip). If I have not
performances such as the Theater
stories. They will transform received a clear pickup point
of Silence, Drumjam (and here),
their historical fiction into and time, your child will have
a Teacher Showcase, a discussion
digital stories and we will to be taken to CDNIS and you
about filmmaking by Andrew Loo,
upload these on the class will pick him/her up there.
Student Showcase and a Cooking
blog after the Cheung Chau
Demonstration. In addition to Please Note: PE will be
Camp.
that, we visited the CDNIS held on Tuesday next
C o m m u n i t y G a l l e r y, w h i c h In our Unit of Inquiry, week.
displayed some wonderful works students are working both Please Note: All portfolios
of art by members of our CDNIS creatively and diligently to are to be returned on
community. finish off their personal Monday with all reflections
inquiries. This was a
These artistic connections were and the SLLR feedback
challenging unit but what
being made in Math as well. Our form completed.
the Grade 5 students are
main task week was to explore Please Note: All Cheung
getting out of this will be
the geometric principles found Chau camp information
most beneficial next year as
w i t h i n t h e a r t o f Wa s s i l y needed to be submitted
they prepare themselves for
Kandinsky. Students are creating today.
the Grade 6 Exhibition. So
their own Kandinsky-influenced
far, the work they have Congratulations to Branton
art and next week will reflect on
produced and the ways they Choi and Alexis Yam for
the mathematical principles that
are presenting it has been receiving the 5A@CDNIS
were used. So far, the art that is
quite impressive. awards this week.
being produced is quite amazing
and demonstrates the excellent Please note that students donaldmacpherson@cdnis.edu.hk
quality of work that Grade 5A will be departing for Cheung http://
students can produce. Chau on Wednesday djmacpherson.edublogs.org/
morning. The camp itinerary
Dates to Remember
May 12-14: Grade 5 camp at Cheung Chau
May 20: China Trip to Guizhou ( Mr MacPherson will be absent)
May 21: School holiday - Buddha’s Birthday