Dear families,
It's had to believe that there are only two more school weeks until our Holiday Break. In the classroom we are counting down the days and counting up the days until December 19 (last day of school) and December 25 (Christmas). We are also learning about Hanukkah traditions as well as Kwanzaa.
The Snuggle Books that go home in Friday's mail bags will stop this Friday. I would appreciate it if you have misplaced a book (a note would have been sent home) to double check one more time. If you still can't find the book, the fine is 3.00. If you are unsure of the title, I have a record in my classroom. A very special thank you to the parents who have done all the white bags and snuggle books this term. I know you are all busy and the time commitment that you have given is much appreciated. The children and I are very fortunate to have this kind of support. Thank you again to all the parents who volunteer their time on a regular basis.
Now that the weather is getting colder with more and more chance of snow, it is important that the children are dressed warmly for outdoor play. Names on clothes would really help as well to find the right owner if something gets lost. I have a bag with several lost articles in the cubby room waiting to find their home! It is amazing when I hold up lost articles and no one claims them - sometimes the children don't remember what is theirs.
With our Grade 2/3 Reading Buddies we read Holiday books and made Santa/Rudolph mobiles. The Grade 8 Reading Buddies continue to help the children on their path to reading and the children themselves are "reading buddies" to each other at the start of each day. "If you can read it, you can write it!" I'm really seeing excellent progress which is wonderful. The children are very proud of themselves, and so am I!
We have made a beads/bell countdown to December 25 which went home in Friday`s mail bag. Each night before your child goes to sleep, s/he moves one bead over towards the bell. When all the beads have been moved over, it's December 25 and they can ring the bell!
The SKs read and followed simple written instructions about Holiday themed items to draw (by colour and number i.e. "Draw two red and white candy canes, one big and one small"). The JKs are learning their colour words and coloured in reindeer lights. All the children completed a booklet called, "Christmas is..." Their fine motor skills (small movement - writing, tracing, colouring, cutting, etc.) are really coming along. We are also learning several holiday words and the children are enjoying the "Write a Letter to Santa/Write a Holiday Card" Centre. I think their favourite part is putting the cards in the classroom mailbox!
We also did a graphing exercise about the kinds of items the children wanted most from Santa, and compared Morning and Afternoon Classes (more, same, less, the most, the least).
The last of the Scholastic orders are on their way. If anyone ordered a Crayola Treasure Adventures game for the Nintendo DS or a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book please let me know.
This week we will continue talking, reading and writing about the upcoming holidays and we will also make keepsake ornaments made from a mixture of cinnamon, applesauce and white glue. They will smell delicious! Let me know if you would like the recipe.
We will also be talking (as we do regularly) about Kindness and Caring (December's TDSB Character Trait), and we will be reading "The Kindness Quilt."
For our JK parents, here are some tips to accelerate your child's reading progress:
Play with letters, words, and sounds! Having fun with language helps your child learn to crack the code of reading. The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week. See what works best for your child.
Talk to your child. Ask your child to talk about his day at school. Encourage him to explain something they did, or a game he played during indoor/outdoor play.
Say silly tongue twisters. Sing songs, read rhyming books, and say silly tongue twisters. These help kids become sensitive to the sounds in words.
Read it and experience it. Connect what your child reads with what happens in life. If reading a book about animals, relate it to your last trip to the zoo.
Use your child's name. Point out the link between letters and sounds. Say, "John, the word jump begins with the same sound as your name. John, jump. And they both begin with the same letter, J."
Play with puppets. Play language games with puppets. Have the puppet say, "My name is Mark. I like words that rhyme with my name. Does park rhyme with Mark? Does ball rhyme with Mark?"
Trace and say letters. Have your child use a finger to trace a letter while saying the letter's sound. Do this on paper, in sand, or on a plate of sugar.
Write it down. Have paper and pencils available for your child to use for writing. Working together, write a sentence or two about something special. Encourage her to use the letters and sounds she's learning about in school.
Play sound games. Practice blending sounds into words. Ask "Can you guess what this word is? m - o - p." Hold each sound longer than normal.
Read it again and again. Go ahead and read your child's favorite book for the 100th time! As you read, pause and ask your child about what is going on in the book.
Talk about letters and sounds. Help your child learn the names of the letters and the sounds the letters make. Turn it into a game! "I'm thinking of a letter and it makes the sound mmmmmm."
Most important of all, enjoy this special time with your child.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Tyndall
