Dear families,
I hope your are enjoying this lovely fall weekend. The leaves are starting to turn and now that Autumn is officially here, we will be talking and learning about seasonal changes in nature. The children are finishing up their fall leaves Family Trees and their work inspired by our Terry Fox Walk called "I was brave when..." is on display on our class bulletin board. I have to share that two students playing with the blocks created a beautifully detailed structure and said it was "Heaven for Terry Fox..." Wow.
This week, as well as our science unit on Fall changes, we'll be starting a fun little unit on Pets. Kinds of pets, what they eat, can do, look like, why they are fun, how we take care of them, etc. I think/hope the children enjoy this fun little literacy unit. Look for these two new folders coming home in the next few weeks!
The children are also doing a little "Eye Spy" art: JKs read the lower case letters and sounds while SKs read the sight words I have written on construction paper. Then they decorate the paper with various material to look like a page out of an Eye Spy Book. I have several Eye Spy Phonics books to accompany their work.
Our Terry Fox Walk was lots of fun. The children walked around the school three times, then ran the last little bit.
Our very first Pizza Lunch was a success, thanks to Trudie and Erica, and parent volunteers Luca's mom and Lauren's mom. Thank you so much!
At our very first Sharing Assembly of the year, Avery, Christopher and Freya received certificates for Respect. Congratulations! Getting 120 children to sing at the same time is quite a feat and my class sang their last verse twice since we got a bit lost! It was very sweet nonetheless! Next month we'll all try to start at the same time! The TDSB Character Trait we will be learning about in October is Responsibility.
Your child received his/her first Snuggle Book this Friday. Juniors and Seniors have separate sets. Enjoy this special reading time with your child, and one day s/he will read to you!
This week we will be doing our month-end cumulative work of "This is Me in September" and the numbers 1-30 (Juniors 1-10). I keep a copy for assessment purposes and send the original home. We will also start learning our October Words - a copy of which will be sent home on Friday.
Remember that Photo Day is on September 30 (Tuesday). Children are not supposed to wear green due to the background screen colour.
Our Science Table has changed to "All About Fasteners" and Hole Punches. The kids are learning how to use paper clips, staplers, hole punches (their favourites!), and tape dispensers. Small motor skills! Soon it will turn to Signs of Fall as the children bring in different coloured leaves, etc.
The Homework Sheet for this weekend is to read and name the upper and lower case letters (sounds, for the Seniors) of the alphabet.
The children will be going to the Computer Lab starting this week. In order to support your child's small motor manipulation of the mouse, consider putting a sticker on the "left-click" side of your mouse at home.
Finally, the Seniors and Juniors enjoyed their first separate teaching and learning time (they'll have these opportunities a few scheduled times each week); the Seniors in Room 157 with me and the Juniors in Room 166 with Mrs. Paldon. Great for small group work and friendship!
Please note that I will be supervising LKS members of Free the Children at "We Day" on October 2. There will be a supply teacher in my absence.
I hope have a lovely week.
Regards,
Mrs. Tyndall
