Home Journal - Written as a class!
Friday October 3, 2025
Dear Parents,
Every Friday we have a combined gym class with the other grade 4 and 5 classes,with about 80 kids. We do three activities for 10 -12 minutes. Today, we played Pool Noodle Tag, Coyote and Hares, and we also played Solve the Name. Pool noodle tag is played with three colours of pool noodles, you tag everyone who has a different colour than you. Your team mates can save you if you get tagged. The coyote and hares game is played kind of like an infection tag but with scarves. The people who are not “it” are carrying the scarves. When the taggers take your scarf you turn into a tagger and you tag other people. You must take the scarves not just tag them. The last person standing wins the game. To play the Name Game you stand in a circle in alphabetical order. You keep moving in the game until you reach a kid with the same first letter of your name. If you stand in alphabetical order you win as a team. So, Nadia would stand by Moosa. The tricky part is that you can’t talk during the game. You use hand signals to move around and one hand must remain on the rope. This is what we’ve been doing for gym on Fridays !
Sincerely,
4/5 B Students
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Home Journal - Written as a class!
Dear Families,
Sept. 19, 2025
This week at school we read a book called The Giving Tree outside with Ms. Woods and Ms. Lombard’s class. The Giving Tree is a book about a cache in a tree that was used by the Metis as a stopping point on long journeys. The travellers often left items in the tree to help other travellers for example: sugar, flour, handkerchiefs, and tea. The travellers often offered tobacco to the tree to show their thanks for providing shade and storage. We sat by three trees and gave the trees water, recognizing that mother nature helps us. Then we completed art inspired by the artist and author Leah Dorion. We started our tree drawings in the library with the other two classes.
Love,
4/5 B Students
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Home Journal - Written as a class!
Dear Families,
Sept 12, 2025
Today we ran the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope. Our class was 76 laps. In total we ran over 100 laps as a class. It was our goal to run at least 5 laps. Most of the students ran more than 5 laps. We ran today to honour Terry Fox and to help him finish and continue his Marathon of Hope. The Marathon of Hope raises money for cancer research. The Marathon of Hope has raised 850 million dollars to date.
Until Next TIme!
4/5 B Students
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Home Journal - Written as a class!
Sept 5, 2025
Dear Families,
This was the first week of school. We started something called a time capsule. We measured our height and cut a string to show how tall we are right now. We traced our hands and feet on to paper and then cut them out. Next, we made an all about us page. We put everything into an envelope and wrote: “DO NOT OPEN UNTIL JUNE 2026.
In Gym we played different tag games. We played Sharks and Minnows, where two sharks are in the middle of the gym and the rest of the class is lined up on one side of the gym. Then the minnows try to get to the other side of the gym, but if they are tagged they become a shark. It was a fun game. Next, we played British bulldog. It is kind of like Sharks and Minnows. We also played capture the flag. We split up into teams and the goal was to capture the other team’s two flags. If the opposing team came into our side we could tag them. We could also free people from jail if they were tagged by linking arms.
Our music teacher’s name is Mr. Kowalchuk. In music we watched a video about a monkey singing. The brown and white monkey looked cursed because if he sang a high note his head went to the left and when he sang a low note he went to the right. His cheeks moved up and down. It was frozen in place but could only move its head. It was kind of creepy because he couldn’t blink. It was like an AI filter, it was a person moving with the rhythm.
Sincerely,
Students of 4/5 B
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Welcome to Grade 4/5 B with Ms. Sidhu
Dear Families,
I am eager to meet your children and begin learning and growing together in our Grade 4 & 5 classroom. I look forward to an enriching and productive year with you and your child.
My goals for your child are to help them take responsibility for their own learning, enjoy the process, and build resilience when faced with new challenges. I strive to create a caring and welcoming classroom community where every child can feel successful. I have been teaching since 2006, and for the past 10 years, I have primarily taught grades 4 and 5.
If there is anything you would like to share, or if you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Together, WE make a team! I can be reached by email or phone using the contact info below, and am open to meetings before or after school as needed. I check my email between 8am-5pm Monday-Friday, and do my best to respond within a 24 hour period.
Please read through the following to familiarize both you and your child with key classroom expectations, routines and general things to know.
I look forward to an outstanding year of learning and growing together!
Sincerely,
Ms. Sidhu
Ms. Babley Sidhu
Grade 4/5 Teacher, Glenbrook Elementary School
bksidhu@cbe.ab.ca 403-777-8320
School Hours and Entry/Dismissal Procedures:
Our first day of school will be Tuesday, September 2.
Regular school hours are:
- Monday – Thursday: 9:15 AM – 3:53 PM, with soft entry beginning at 9:05 AM.
- Friday: 9:15 AM – 12:53 PM, with soft entry beginning at 9:05 AM. On Fridays, students do not have a lunch break, but do have a 15 minute snack/recess break.
Entry and Dismissal will occur outside the blue doors with the ramp on the east side of the building, adjacent to the basketball court. To ensure a smooth start, on the first day of school I will be holding a sign with my name and will guide the students into the classroom.
I kindly ask that you review after-school plans with your child before Tuesday. It is important that they know where to meet, who they are meeting, and how they will be getting home. Clear communication will help ensure that your child feels comfortable and confident. Please share these plans with me either by email or in person at drop-off on the first day of school.
Home/School Communication:
- Blog: I have a teacher page on the Glenbrook School webpage that will be updated bi-weekly, most often on Friday. On this page, you will find announcements for upcoming events and the highlights of what we have been learning at school.
- Email: The best way to reach me is via email at bksidhu@cbe.ab.ca. I check my email Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm. While most announcements will be through the Weekly Blog, if there is an important reminder I will send an email to families, so please ensure your email is up to date.
School Supplies: Students do not need to bring specific school supplies. However, they should come prepared each day with:
- Water bottle
- Healthy snack(s) and lunch
- Backpack
- Both indoor and outdoor shoes, with indoor shoes being left at school and not being worn outside
- Weather-appropriate clothing (hat, sunscreen, rain jacket, rainboots, warm clothes, etc.) as the children will be outside at least twice daily
Personal Mobile Devices (cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, gaming devices, and Bluetooth headphones/earbuds): All devices must remain put away for the entire school day. They should not be used during school hours and should be kept in backpacks or, ideally, at home. As of June 2024, this expectation is supported by ministerial order, and disciplinary steps may be taken if a student does not comply. Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a focused, distraction-free learning environment.
Family Volunteers: If you would like to volunteer for a class trip, or to help out in the classroom, please send me an email. Please note that all volunteers must have a Police Information Check on file with the school before you may begin volunteering. This process is often easy, but does take a few weeks to complete and be approved.
Belongings: Please LABEL all of your child's belongings (clothing, indoor shoes, outdoor shoes, backpacks, lunch kits, water bottles, etc.) to prevent items being lost.
Water Bottles: Water bottles are permitted and encouraged in our classroom. We have a water fountain available for filling bottles throughout the day. Students are encouraged to take their water bottles home every night to be washed. I prefer water bottles with a spout or straw to keep spills to a minimum in our busy classroom.
Birthdays: As birthdays are an important part of most children's lives, each student's birthday, if they so choose, can be celebrated at school. We will sing “Happy Birthday” and ask the student questions about their special day.