News from the Nest - March 7-11
Spotlight on Learning: VNPS? Huh?
Huh? VNPS? Probably an acronym most staff haven’t heard about. It stands for Vertical Non-Permanent Surfaces, and for the past 3 years, it’s changed how I teach math and science.
[How much 'Minority Report' tech has actually come true?] Remember 2002’s Minority Report? There is a scene where Tom Cruise is in the middle of his office seeing the entire town in front of him on a screen and moving this and that around with his fingers and seeing the BIG PICTURE of what’s about to transpire. Put me in his shoes and all my students working on whiteboards in 360o and that’s a snapshot of what it looks like in my class. I see the BIG PICTURE of what students know, what they can do and then act on it.
While time always seems to be against us as teachers, it has allowed me to dissect students’ work in a more time-efficient way in which I can support all the diverse learning needs in the classroom. I’m able to identify areas of weakness, misconceptions, and scaffold on the spot for many students in a class yet have the freedom and flexibility to create questions on the spot for my high-flyers when they need more of a challenge. It is an extremely busy, yet productive, atmosphere and encourages students to take more risks daily. It further fosters more opportunities for students to practice curriculum competencies and will be one of my ways of assessing this next year when we are to report on them.
No matter what class I teach, my philosophy of education has always been to facilitate a classroom where students will continually work on their problem-solving skills, communication, critical and creative thinking, self-reflection, and reasoning skills, etc. I have found this method of instruction to be the best after teaching math for 9 years in the district. Although I currently use it more as a way of getting students to practice their math, I am slowly working on changing my practice to include more inquiry through VNPS weekly in my math class. This vision of “Fun Fridays” is where I will be growing in the future as a math teacher here at Mouat. Come stop by #200 anytime if you want to hear more about it or collaborate with me in the process!
Early Dismissal Day Schedule (Tuesday and Wednesday, March 8, and 9th)
- 8:04 - warning
- 8:10 to 9:00 - block 1- 50 mins
- 9:06 to 9:56 - block 2 - 50 mins
- 10:02 to 10:52 - block 3 - 50 mins
- 10:58 to 11:48 - block 4 - 50mins
- 11:55 - bus pick up
Our Character Word of the Month is: CARING
Caring is both an action and a state of mind that demonstrates kindness and sensitivity to others.
How it can look when put into action:
- Paying it forward
- Being sensitive to other people’s points of view
- Sharing.
- Listening.
- Volunteering to help.
- Being generous.
- Encouraging others.
- Protecting vulnerable members of the community.
Skills Canada Off to Provincials
Each year students from all over BC (and Canada) get involved with Skills Canada in a competition that tests students against others and themselves in a variety of areas like woodworking, robotics, hairdressing, and a host of skills linked with trades and the service industry. Many of you have probably been to supervise busloads of Mouat students being taken to Tradex to watch the provincial competition and see the amazing work and craftsmanship that transpires.
For the last number of years, we have entered two teams into the Film and Video Production category of Skills Canada and have taken home a few gold medals in regionals and a second place in BC. This year, we are pleased to announce that we’ve taken home a second and third place at regionals. Our second-place team featuring Micah and Caelen’s production of Pestilence will be moving on and competing at Provincials.
The task was to write, shoot and edit a 60 second movie with the prompt: Pandemic and a prop of a newspaper. The teams had 5 hours from beginning to end - which is a high-pressure situation.
It's projects like this that put the students into a "real life" scenario where they are working on a deadline and with time and resources at a minimum. They must think on the fly, predict problems before they happen, and deal with a variety of unforeseen circumstances.
Here are links to the two projects. We should find out soon what the results are.
Grade 11 Course Planning – Important Information
All grade 11s should sign back into their myeducation account to ensure that they have entered their courses properly. Please enter your course selections on a computer, not your phone.
When students are selecting their English 12 / CLC requirements, they need to carefully read the instructions given at the top of the page above the course listings to ensure that they are choosing the correct English - CLC combo. Students choosing the Indigenous Connect program or Work Experience options need to be especially careful.
Alternates are selected at the very bottom of the page in a separate section. Do not choose your alternates within the Elective section. Select 2 different alternate choices.
You must hit post to save your selections. Once you post, scroll up to the top of the page and look above the Hawk symbol. It should say 8 primary and 2 alternate. It should only say more than 8 primaries if you have selected extended day classes.
We have extended the entry deadline to this Sunday, March 6 at midnight.
Students wanting to be considered for a study block next year need to have their approval form to their counsellor by this Friday, March 4. Students wanting a study will still select 8 courses. One will be removed (they indicate this on the study form) if they are approved.
Inspired by PRIDE
The Aspire team got quite inspired by the amazing job the dedicated and talented Leadership students did this week while celebrating our wonderfully diverse school. Check out the pictures below.
Wrestling – Mouat takes home Championship Banner
Girls Results
- Laken Trolland Silver
- Suhjit Dhadda Bronze
- GIRLS TEAM FOURTH PLACE
Boys Results
- Jagvir Grewal GOLD BC Champion
- Troy Pham Fifth Place
- Jagroop Dhinsa BRONZE
- Michealjeet Grewal SILVER
- Omrao Dhadda Fourth Place
- Jorawar Dhinsa SILVER
- BOYS TEAM SECOND PLACE (1 point back of Winner)
BCSS AGGREGATE TEAM CHAMPIONS
(Boys & Girls Scores Combined)
Well done TEAM
Calendar:
- All March:
- UFV, SFU, UBC Student Teachers in the Building
- Monday, March 7
- ABCD
- Spirit Week – ZOOM Attire (formal on top, shorts, and slippers on the bottom)
- Tuesday, March 8
- CDAB.
- Spirit Week – International Woman’s Day (purple and green)
- Early Dismissal @ 11.48am
- Wednesday, March 9
- BADC
- Spirit Week – Iconic Duos (Batman & Robin, PB & J, Holmes & Watson)
- Early Dismissal @ 11:48am
- Thursday, March 10
- DCBA
- Spirit Week – Anything but a backpack
- Friday, March 11
- ABCD
- Spirit Week – PJ Day
