Dear Evergreen Families,

School Development Plan Update - Building Science Vocabulary with Hexagonal Thinking in Grade 5

Grade 5 students have been exploring new science vocabulary in an engaging and collaborative way using a strategy called hexagonal thinking. As part of their learning about body systems in science, students worked together to build connections between key scientific terms.  Hexagonal Thinking is a learning strategy where students place ideas or vocabulary on hexagon-shaped cards and then connect them based on relationships. Because each hexagon has six sides, students can create many different connections between words. This encourages deep thinking about meaning, relationships, and context, which is very powerful for vocabulary development. 

First, the teacher modeled the strategy by sharing a completed hexagonal thinking example and discussing why certain words were connected. Next, the class worked together to explore how vocabulary terms relate to one another. Finally, students worked independently in groups of three, using hexagon-shaped cards with vocabulary terms such as tendons, nutrients, xylem, and respiratory etc. to discuss ideas and arrange them in ways that showed meaningful connections.

This activity encouraged rich discussion as students explained their thinking, justified connections between words, and built on one another’s ideas. By actively talking about and organizing vocabulary related to body systems, students strengthened both their scientific understanding and academic language skills.

This approach is connected to our School Development Plan, where teachers are intentionally learning and trying new instructional strategies that help students build, understand, and connect academic vocabulary across subject areas. Strategies like hexagonal thinking support students in making deeper connections between ideas while developing confidence using subject-specific language in discussions, experiments, and written work.


UPDATES AND INFORMATION

Student-Led Conferences: Conferences are coming up on Thursday, March 19th between 3:30pm and 7:30pm for grades 1-5 and EES, PE with Mrs. Paterson and Music with Ms. Sousa and 8:00am-7:30pm for Kindergarten and Friday, March 20th, between 8:00am and 12:00pm K-5 and EES and Music with Ms. Sousa.  Our students are excited to share their learning with you.  Student-Led Conferences are a wonderful opportunity to actively engage students in the learning process. Students have opportunities to:

  • assume greater control of and accept personal responsibility for their academic progress,
  • lead conversation with their families about their strengths, goals and next steps in learning,
  • practice the process of reflection and self-evaluation, and
  • develop organizational and oral communication skills.

Conferences are booked through your MyCBE Account.  Booking opens on Monday, March 9th at 3:00pm. For support in how to book conferences please visit:

https://support.cbe.ab.ca/mycbe-powerschool-school-conferences-booking


Marshal Springs School Invite: MSS School Council is also proud to present an engagement session called "Mirror Mirror" featuring Alison Springer on April 16, 2026 at 6:30pm @ MSS. Food trucks will be available outside MSS starting at 5:00pm.

"Mirror Mirror is an entertaining presentation with a powerful message that inspires students to lead by embracing who they are and how they were made. Alison helps students expose the ‘lying mirrors’ in their lives and the three causes that distort how they view themselves (media, comparison and things that people say). Students will learn positive and helpful ways to protect their dignity and the dignity of others. Alison shares some of the struggles she faced being black, tall and loud, along with her academic struggles. Students will realize that their strengths and weaknesses serve a specific purpose." - https://youthspeakers.ca/speaker/alison-springer/ 

This is a free event for MSS community members, their families, and their children. Food trucks are an additional cost. If you plan on attending, please RSVP HERE.


Family Movie Night Success: Thank you to everyone who joined us for our recent School Council Family Movie Night featuring A Minecraft Movie! It was wonderful to see so many Evergreen families come together to enjoy a fun evening at the school. From the excitement of the movie to the buzz around the concession stand, the night was filled with great energy and community spirit.

A big thank you to our School Council volunteers who made the evening possible. We are especially grateful to those who ran the concession, scanned entry tickets, and stayed after the movie to help with clean-up. Your time and effort helped ensure the event ran smoothly for everyone.

Congratulations as well to the lucky family who won the door prize of a LEGO Minecraft Set!

Events like this are a wonderful reminder of how strong our school community is when families and volunteers come together. Thank you for helping make it such a great night!


Substitute Teachers’ Appreciation Week: From March 9–13, we were proud to celebrate Substitute Teachers’ Appreciation Week at Evergreen School. Substitute teachers play an essential role in supporting our students and staff. Each time they walk through our doors, they bring flexibility, professionalism and care into our classrooms. Stepping into a new environment is never easy, yet our substitute teachers adapt quickly, build connections with students and help ensure that learning continues smoothly.

At Evergreen, we are incredibly grateful for the many substitute teachers who support our school throughout the year. Whether they are new educators beginning their teaching journey, experienced teachers sharing their knowledge, or retired educators continuing to give back, each brings valuable experience and perspective to our school community. They are important and valued members of our Evergreen team.


Have a wonderful rest of your Sunday!