What’s New at Elizabeth Ballantyne School

Issue＃7- April 2021

Important Dates to Remember

May 7th Pizza Lunch

May 11thDenim Day-Wear Denim

May 19thVirtual Author VisitK-Grade 6

May 21stPizza Lunch

May 24thHoliday-Victoria Day

May 25thPED Day-No School

May 28thDiperie

Please consult the school calendar on our website regularly for any changes or updates.https://elizabethballantyne.emsb.qc.ca/elizabethballantyne

May Mantra

“I create my own path and walk it with joy.”

May is Here!

In the blink of an eye, May is here! We look forward to warmer days and more time outside enjoying the beautiful sun. EBS is rejoicing because our basil is growing, our bees are thriving, the staff is wonderful and our students are happy. “All things seem possible in May.” Edwin Way Teale.

Grade 4Stephane Cameron

Earth Day

EBS students celebrated Earth Day on April 22nd. It was a day to demonstrate support for the environmental protection of our beautiful Earth. Students read stories and wrote poems in their classrooms. Kindergarten students created wonderful masterpieces made from recyclable materials, and Rooms 4 and 6 spent time picking up the litter around the school. Room 8 showed their support by flattening pizza boxes to be put into the compost bins. Congratulations, EBS, for showing others the importance of taking care of our Earth.

Regional Storytelling Festival

Congratulations to Noam and Phoenix from Room 10 for representing EBS in the annual EMSB Regional Storytelling Festival, which took place virtually on April 13th, 2021. Both students shared their scary stories with students and teachers from other schools. They received a certificate and a medal from the School Board in recognition of their accomplishments.

Tandem Visits EBS Virtually

Tandem, an anti-violence prevention program, spoke to the students in Cycle 3 about promoting non-violent reactions to different situations. They showcased different bullying scenarios and had the students share how they would typically react. They provided students with a platform to talk about possible situations that may push them towards reacting violently, and taught them that violence should never be the answer.

News From Grade 5

Grade 5 students have been working hard this past month. In honour of National Poetry Month, they studied free verse poetry, and learned how to write poems that do not rhyme. They had the opportunity to showcase their thoughts and ideas through poetry. Individual and group work has helped the students to push themselves and motivate others as well. They are learning about the importance of feedback and how to make their work the best that it can be. Some of the students even submitted poems to the EMSB Poetry Competition. We are moving along in our exciting class novel entitled “The One and Only Ivan” and cannot wait to find out how the story ends. Each student also submitted and presented their “lap book” book project, which transformed a file folder into a unique book report template. It has been amazing to watch their progress with oral presentations throughout the year. They have all gained so much confidence! Grade 5 students also helped compost the pizza boxes from pizza day, which led to the beginning of our discussions about planet Earth and the positive changes that we can make at school to protect our environment.

Canadian Postcard Exchange

The grade 6 students from room 9 participated in a Canadian Postcard Exchange. They made beautiful postcards and researched five great things that Montreal is known for. They also included a friendly letter in their correspondence to tell others about our great school. The students will be receiving twenty postcards from other schools in Canada. So far, they have received postcards from schools in Ontario.

We are looking forward to getting to know more students from the other provinces and what makes their cities and schools so special.

Physical Education at EBS

The weather is getting warmer, so Physical Education and Health classes will be taught outside very soon. At this moment, Cycles 2 and 3 classes have been introduced to Newcomball and Volleyball. The students are very excited to learn about new skills such as volley, bump and serve in volleyball. This unit will last about two to three weeks and then the students will be playing soccer baseball or softball outside.

News From Room 13

This month saw the return of Mr. Ryan from his 5 week paternity leave. Grade 4 has been working hard on understanding fractions and decimals and how they are useful for everyday life. They have also been exploring the always fascinating world of adaptations and how they affect ecosystems! What a month!

Grade 4 Peacemakers!

Students in Room 7 were privileged to work with McGill’s Junior Peacemakers, learning about global citizenship, sustainable development goals and youth activism over the course of 7 weeks. They learned about the importance of taking care of our planet and caring for its people. These Grade 4 students created posters promoting equality, they donated non-perishable food items to The Old Brewery Mission and they even wrote a collaborative letter to our government representative, suggesting solutions to poverty and climate change. Our Grade 4 students are proud to be peacemakers!

News From Music

In all cycles, students have been experimenting with Chrome Music Lab and creating their very own melodies, songs and beats. As well, Cycle 1 has been learning to express how different musical sounds and styles make them feel. Cycles 2 and 3 have also been learning to play the ukulele and practicing their drumming skills with drum buckets.

News from Room 16

This month we continued working on reading

responses using the book “The Day the Crayons Quit”

by Drew Daywalt. The students analyzed each crayon

and described the emotions that each one felt. We

were all able to connect to these feelings and write

about our own experiences. We also discussed the

features of the text that enhance those emotions.

Great discussions took place and of course, the

students and I learned from our own connections.

Administrative Professionals’ Day

Students from Kindergarten surprised the administrative staff on April 28, as they charged into the office to thank them for all they do in the school. Our Principal, Mr. Servello, our staff assistant, Ms. Lucy DePetrillo and our secretary, Miss Daniela, were very appreciative of the lunch contributed by staff and the beautiful cards made by the students with the help of Ms. Carmy and Ms. Eliane. (We thank our other secretary, Miss Nadine, as well!)

Meet Buddy! He loves spending time with some students in Grade 1.