It was a busy week in our room! We read and coloured a book called "I Love You" and the children should be able to read it to you at home on Valentine's day. They also made a heart-shaped window hanger for you. This week the children coloured a heart-shaped puzzle, reading the colour words. They can cut the puzzle at home and practise putting it back together. They also completed the sentence "A friend is..." and drew an accompanying picture. These are displayed in the school hallway.
The children really enjoyed writing Valentine cards in our little Valentine Post Office, and reading various Valentine-themed words with their Reading Buddies, then drawing the pictures.
Our Valentine's party was a great success - thank you so much to the wonderful parent volunteers: Elizabeth's dad (who also pinch-hitted as Mystery Reader - thank you!), and the mom's of Lauren, Dima, Iris, Claire and Christopher. A special thank you to Claire's mom who arranged for all the children to make an original acrylic painting. The kids made glitter hearts, hole-punched Valentine cards (a surprising hit!), did a lovely heart art with a heart template, a pencil, and red paint (easy and pretty!), and ate delicious snacks provided by the parent volunteers.
The homework for the Seniors is to sort all the Valentines they received into different categories and to count and graph them, then conclude which kind they had most and least of. Then they write about their graph data and draw a picture of their favourite Valentine. The Juniors can practise doing their Valentine Colour Puzzle and can practise their Popcorn Words.
We are learning the song "Tony Chestnut" and the children will sing it for you at the next Sharing Assembly on the 19th. Aaden, Stella and Theo will be receiving certificates for Honesty at this assembly. Well done!
Our new Popcorn sight words are "are" and "at." The seniors are starting a new series of mini books called "Sight Words that Stick" and I am tracking their reading progress with this series.
It was a pleasure meeting with you this week to discuss your children's progress. Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions or concerns. I sent home a letter about "Kid Writing" and how children start to write. I hope it is helpful.
Next week we are starting a new Inquiry on Oceans/Ocean Animals since so many children have shared stories about their travels to warm sunny places very different from our own (especially this time of year!). In the afternoons, after our 20 minute daily quiet time, we'll also do a mini inquiry on old fashioned pirate adventures, too, just for fun and to sneak in more numeracy and literacy activities! We'll also do a mini science experiment "turning pirate treasure into "gold" by dipping old pennies into a mixture of vinegar and salt. Our next Science Inquiry (starting in about two weeks) will be "All About Germs" since we've also talked a lot about germs this time of year!
This week the children also brought home their "100 days ago I didn't know ________ but now I do!" work. Very cute! For you for Family Day, they drew lovely detailed pictures ("Mrs. Tyndall is always says she wants to see lots of details! :) ) of their family.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend and wish you a very Happy Family Day!
