Interesting Math Video

Dear girls,

So sorry that I couldn't show you the video earlier. I will get Mr. Idrus to check the internet connection in our class. Meanwhile, you might want to take a look at the following videos. They are quite interesting.

1. Math Magic with Scott Flansburg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz5AS8IZ3Gk

2. Donald in Mathmagic Land (part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNFOvOJZoWw

3. Donald in Mathmagic Land (part 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLTKX4WxmZ4

Enjoy!

Some Updates...

Maths Connection
This is a magazine that the school is strongly encouraging pupils to buy. It has many interesting and engaging Math activities inside. There are 4 magazines in a set.

Book 1: Maths & Thinking Stories: shows in an interesting way that Maths is all around us
Book 2: School Work: Topical Revision Exercises
Book 3: Challenging Activities: Interesting and Challenging Puzzles
Book 4: Maths Olympiad: In increasing level of difficulty, higher order thinking sums and heuristics problem solving skills

A letter to parents will be issued 2 weeks later. Pupils will have to hand in the order form and $10 cash to Math Teacher. The magazines will be given to pupil through Math Teacher about a week later.

P5 Mathematics exam format 2008
With the new syllabus, pupils will be allowed to use calculators so there will be some changes in the paper. Kindly take note of the changes below.

Paper 1: Use of calculator is not allowed

Section A: 15 MCQs (20 marks)
Section B: 15 Short-answer questions (20 marks)

Paper 2: Use of calculator is allowed

Section A: 5 Short-answer questions (10 marks)
Section B: 13 Long-answer questions (50 marks)

Please note that both papers will be scheduled on the same day with a break between the two papers. For paper 2, even with the use of calculators, pupils are expected to show their workings and answers clearly. Method marks will be awarded according to the answer key.

Cognitive Enrichment Programme
This is a new programme in the school and it will start in Term 2, taking one Math period each week. The objectives of this programme is to:
1. Provide systematic cognitive training to pupils
2. Develop pupils' thinking skills in analytical perceptual, visual spatial and logical analysis
3. To inculcate habits of mind such as accuracy and restrainig impulsivity
4. To provide supporting cognitive structures for Math

Pupils will be taught thinking strategies like analysing, part-whole and identifying patterns.

P5 Assessment
There will no longer be any modes of assessment for Primary 5. Previously, pupils used to have different modes of assessment which took up 40% of the entire grade. Now, their grades will be based solely on exams, which takes place once a Term.
The dates of the various exams are already in their school organiser. CA1 will be after Chinese New Year. Kindly take note of the dates:
18 Feb: English Paper 1 & 2
19 Feb: Math
20 Feb: MT Paper 1 & 2
21 Feb: Science

Do encourage your child to start revising early so that she will not be too stressed out nearer the date.

A Big Thank You..

To all parents who took time off to attend meet-the-parents session just now, I really appreciate your presence. Thank you for all the feedback and suggestions. I will work on them.=) For those parents who were busy and could not make it today, please do not worry. I will pass the information sheet to your daughter on Monday so that you will have a better idea of what to expect for your child in P5.

Have a great weekend!

Meet-the-Parents

Dear Parents,

Just a gentle reminder that there will be a Meet-the-Parents session this Saturday. The schedule is as follows:
8.00-9.00am: Special Invitees (Parents of Performing Arts and Competitive Sports CCA)
9.00-11.00am: Meeting with Form Teacher
11.00am-12.00pm: Meeting with Mother Tongue Teacher

This Saturday's meeting will be a general one, with its main purpose letting you have an idea of what to expect for your child in P5. I will be briefing all the parents in our class and should you have any queries, I will attend to you after that. However, do note that due to time constraints, I seek your understanding that I may only be able to answer your queries briefly. Therefore, if you any pressing issue to discuss with me, I would most probably follow-up later via email or phone call. For your information, the girls' English teacher will not be around this Saturday. Thus, if you need to talk to her, you may want to write a note and get your child to pass it to Mrs. Wong. She will get back to you once she sees the note.

At the same time, for those parents who are unable to make it this Saturday but would like to have a rough idea of how your child is progressing in class, you can leave me an email and I will get back to you. Alternatively, you can leave a message in your child's organiser for me to call you back.

Please feel free to email/call me should you need any clarification. I would be most willing to assist you. Together, I believe we can help realise the potential of the all the girls in 5 Joy.

Yours sincerely,
Mrs Irene Toh

Things to note for what we've learnt so far...

I thought it would be useful to list down the things that you should take note of with regards to the Math topics that we've learnt so far. Do take a look and if you've been making these mistakes, do try to remember not to do the same thing again. Practice makes perfect! =)

Whole Numbers
1. Take note of your spelling. In particular, 'forty', 'fourteen' & 'ninety'.
2. If the question asks: 'the value of the digit is', 'what does the digit '2' stands for', we're looking for the number itself. You do not need to spell out. Write the numerals will do.
3. When the question asks the number is in the ___________place, we're looking for the place value. That is, 'thousands', 'millions' etc. Remember to put the 's'.
4. Read your instructions. When it says estimate, we're looking for as many zeros as possible, so you'll need to round off. Estimation is a useful tool to check whether your answer makes sense or not.
5. When we are rounding off, we are always concern with the mid point. For instance, round off 6890 to the nearest 1000. Since it's round off to the nearest thousand, the final answer must _000. It cannot be _100. 6890 falls between 6000 and 7000. The mid point is 6500. Since 6890 is more than 6500, we'll round up to 7000.
6. For word problems, always read through once to understand. The second time is for you to figure out the steps. Always write your number sentence, show your workings at the side and write your final statement.
7. Be neat! When you are neat, you can read what you're writing and it'll be a pleasure for the teacher to mark your work.

Order of operations
Remember that the order of operations can affect your answer. It should be compuated in the following order:
1. Brackets. Anything that is in the brackets, you will have to do first.
2. Multiplication/Division. These 2 operations are at the same level. You do whichever one that is nearer to you.
3. Addition/Subtraction. Similarly, these 2 operations are at the same level. You will do the one that is nearer to you first.
4. Always remember to only do one operation at a time. Do not do more that one because you will have a tendency to make mistakes.

I will update more as we go along. Hope it's useful =). If you have any suggestions that will help you learn better, do let me know. I'll be more than willing to listen to you.

See you tmr in school!

Term 1 Class Roles...

Dear all,

It's my usual practice to ensure every child in class has a role to play. It doesn't matter whether the role is major or minor. The most important thing is for all to work together. I was really happy to see you all working together to decorate the classroom for Chinese New Year. Keep up the class spirit! Yeah!

Here's presenting to you the roles of everyone in Term 1 (some of the roles will be updated at a later date due to absentees)

NE Champions: Annalea & Elizabeth


Group Leaders: Lindi, Hadasya, Annalea, Aliyana, Kelly, Cherlyn, Linda, Regine Seet, Peggy, Jane


Math Leaders: Raji, Felicia, Gloria, Hazel, Irena, Sri-Vidya, Claudia, Regina, Debbie, You Hui (too shy so she doesn't want to be in the picture)


Science Rep: Victoria & Kimberly


Safety Coordinators: Regine Zhou & Aliciva


PE Monitors: Lavanya, Kelly, Raji & Levin


Games-in-charge: Valencia & Keerthi


Green Ambassadors: Peggy & Melissa


Coming up soon...
English Rep: Hadasya
Eye care Monitor: Sze Yuan
AVA Monitor: Lindi

(wanted to use your day 1 picture but decided to take again =))

Noticeboard Designers: Sabrina & Jocelyn
Cleanliness Supervisors: Lu Yi & Valerie
Care Ambassadors: Jane & Wan Ling (I had originally wanted the class to do a vote but I think Annalea & Kimberly are a little overloaded with duties. So we'll have Jane & Wan Ling undergo the training with Mrs Lorraine Lim instead)

Monitors for Semester 1

Congrats to Calene, Levin, Clarine and Lavanya who have been selected as Monitors. Do remember that as a monitor, you are expected to be role models for your peers. If you do not live up to your position, I will select a more worthy girl to take over. As for those who are not chosen, do not give up. I will be constantly observing you and for those that display leadership qualities, you will be selected for Monitors in Semester 2. At the same time, I would like to highlight the following girls who have demonstrated good leadership qualities last year and therefore have been nominated as prefects this year: Keerthi, Kimberly, Lindi and Wan Ling. Keep up the good work!

Happy Birthday Regine Zhou!

Our last January baby turns 11 today *cheers*

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to Regine,
Happy Birthday to you!

Interesting Math cartoon and website

Just a little comic to brighten your day...


For those who are interested in Math 'magic', you can try to go to the following websites. Try to figure them out. It's definitely not magic. It's all about Math! Have fun trying them out.

Math telepathy:
http://www.milaadesign.com/wizardy.html

Stunning friends with Math magic:
http://www.cut-the knot.org/arithmetic/rapid/magic.shtml

Math magic tricks with numbers:
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/Div/Winchester/jhhs/math/puzzles/mathmagc.html

Magic Math page:
http://www.wannalearn.com/Academic_Subjects/Mathematics/math_magic.html

Do remember to complete my Math WS (12 MCQ questions, workings shown)before you spend time in front of your computer!

Feedback on homework given so far...

I'm glad that majority of you have been doing your homework promptly and you have been doing your corrections as well. *pat on the shoulder* Do keep it up. Remember, paying attention in class and doing your work goes a long way. However, most of you need to be more careful in your work. Do remember to always check your work before handing it in. Checking does not mean scanning through the pages. Checking means you redo the questions or if it's a question like 12000-4500 = _____. Then checking would require you to add your answer to 4500 to see if you get back 12000. There's no need to rush through. If there's any question that you do not know, always try. Do not leave blanks. If you need additional help, you can always see me in the mornings, during recess or after school. Do remember, nothing's impossible!

Happy Belated Birthday Regina!

Our dear Regina turned 11 on Sunday (13 Jan). Sorry for the delay in posting this message. I had some problems with my internet connection over the weekend.

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birhday to you,
Happy Birhday to Regina,
Happy Birhday to you!

I hope you had a fabulous day on Sunday. Welcome to the 11-year-old club. *smiles*

How to do well in school...

School might not be your favorite place but it doesn't have to be all that bad! Here's some tips on how to make your school life easier and your grades higher.

Steps
1. Have your necessary materials all the time. You don't want to be unprepared for sudden note-taking or a pop quiz by discovering you forgot your pencil/pen/eraser/etc.

2. Jot down notes. Notes are your guidelines and basically the information you need. Keep that in mind before deciding that the lecture your teacher is giving you is only good for lulling you to sleep.

3. Revise at home. Believe it or not, homework is not meant to torture you! It's a way of controlling and making progress outside of the classroom. And remember, if you do not do your homework, it will actually pile up. Do your homework dutifully and when in doubt, always ask the teacher!

4. Take breaks now and then. Be careful if your mind has a tendency to stray because if you do thirty minutes of studying/homework and then watch T.V. for an hour, you're not getting much done. Space yourself so you don't feel too tired but you're actually being productive.

5. Revising with your friends during free time can help keep you and them focused and may be handy. But everyone's different: if by studying with your friends you sit with an open textbook and gossip, it's better to work alone. Know yourself and your habits.

6. Learn from your mistakes. Pay attention in class when something is being corrected. Mark your work clearly and carefully so that it is useful in preventing other errors in the future.

7. Make sure you put effort into your work. Try your best in everything you do never leave blanks even if you do not know how to do.

Tips
1. Don't be afraid of asking for help.

2. Books and computers can be useful resources for both studying and doing homework. If you've got them, use them and find out how you can benefit the most from them!

3. It's amazing how many people spend their lessons looking out the window then wonder why they did so badly on a test. Watching your teacher, actually listening to what they are saying and trying to understand the concept is a very good way of passing your exam!

Warnings
1. At all times, keep calm and don't over-freak about a test or assignment.

2. Don't cheat. You will be learning nothing at all.

3. Don't procrastinate. It will just put more stress on you and make the quality of your work poorer.

4. It's fine to have fun or take a break, but not in advance! You're putting off your homework, and eventually you'll either loose 3 hours of sleep, or your grades will go down for not handing in the assignment, often accompanied by some form of punishment. (either from your body, since you havn't rested enough, your parents because of your bad grades, or your teacher, for not handing in the assignment)

5. If things are hard for you, don't worry, just think of something that makes you happy and it will be alright. Remember "Where there's a will, there's a way!" Have confidence in yourself and try your best!

Angel and Mortal

As mentioned during class today, we will be playing the "Angel & Mortal" game from next Monday onwards. For those who are still not sure how the game goes, here's a recap:

1. Everyone will be an 'Angel' and take care of an allocated'Mortal'. You may write notes or words of encouragement to brighten your mortal's day. However, do remember that you are not supposed to reveal your identity. Therefore, it is advised that you write in a different manner from your usual handwriting or you may want to type your messages out. The choice is yours as to how often you want to communicate with your mortal. Whatever that you have for your mortal, you will place it inside the 'For Mortal' box that will be placed in class.

2. While you are taking care of your mortal, there will be an angel taking care of you at the same time. Thus, everyone is both an angel and mortal. You will know your mortal, but you will not know who your angel is. If you have a message/thing for your angel, you can address it to 'XX's angel' and place it inside the 'For Angel' box.

3. Please keep the name of your mortal to yourself. We will reveal at the end of Term 1.

4. The purpose of this game is really to encourage you all to take care of one another and it's a good way to get-to-know your peers in greater depth.

Hope everyone will have fun! =)

Happy Birthday Alicivia!

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to Alicivia,
Happy Birthday to you!

*claps & cheers*

Human Bingo

I hope all you had fun playing the ""Human Bingo" game and I hope that in the process, you have got to know your classmates better! Congrats to the following girls who came as Top 7.
1. Aliciva
2. Levin
3. Nadyn
4. Elizabeth
5. Hazel
6. Jocelyn
7. Victoria

Presenting the members of Primary 5 Joy!