Dear families,
It's hard to believe there have been 169 days of school and that it's June already!
This week we completed our learning about Safety and continued our learning about Fairy Tales. The children learned when to call 9-1-1, we did "What if..." scenarios, we sorted safe/not safe pictures, we learned about danger symbols on household items, watched a video and wrote about fire safety, and the children received Fire Safety certificates.
We continued our learning about Fairy Tales and read several versions of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff." The children re-told the story, using the words "beginning/middle/end" and did a word search with their Reading Buddies. They learned how to draw a troll three different ways, did Cosmic Kids Yoga "Trolls," and helped me write several different adjectives to describe a troll, which they then turned into a poem. That was fun!
Some reminders:
If you are sending sun screen in with your child, please remind them how to put it on (spray it on their hand, then apply it).
The children need hats for outdoor play. Closed-toe outdoor shoes please.
If your child will be picked up by another person, you need to call the school and they will let me know, or tell either Mrs. Mosun or myself in person, or give us a note in person. Notes left in your child's backpack are not a reliable method of communication since your child may not remember to hand it to us. Email is fine but it must be sent to me the day BEFORE. I don't check emails throughout the day. Thank you.
Congratulations to Sarah, Alexander and Rajan who received certificates for "Integrity" at Friday's Sharing Assembly! Elea also received her belated certificate for "Cooperation." Well done!
The words of the week were ZOO and ZEBRA. I have sent home some phonics review work that can be completed at your child's leisure.
Senior Kindergarten parents, please email me a baby photo of your child by next Friday for the SK Graduation slide show. A hard copy is ok, too. I will scan it and return it.
The June words and June Bingo went home in your child's mail bag. The children completed their "This is me in May" and May calendar work, and a copy was sent home. I keep the originals for assessment purposes and will send it home later this month.
We planted our carrot, potato, celery, pineapple and green onion sprouts in potting soil. They're continuing to grow!
Thank you so much to Maya's dad who was our Mystery Reader this week, thank you to Maya for sharing her beautiful Fairy Tale book and her terrific Dr. Seuss books, and thank you to Alex for sharing his copy of The Three Billy Goats Gruff!
A huge Thank You to Evelyn's mom Leah and Dante's mom Tina who will be our Grade Parents next year!
Next week we will do another fairy tale and will start an author study on the "FROGGY" books. If you have any Froggy books at home that you'd like to share for next week that would be wonderful! We'll also learn about real frogs!
That's the news for this week. Enjoy your weekend and this beautiful warm weather! It looks like great weather for Springfest tomorrow!
Friday, June 1, 2018
Monday, May 28, 2018
Week of May 21-25
Dear families,
I hope you had a terrific weekend. The weather was beautiful!
Last week we continued our learning about Fairy Tales and Safety. The children wrote a letter to the Big Bad Wolf and made a big pig puppet. They enjoyed doing that so much that they asked to make a Big Bad Wolf puppet, too! We watched James Marshall's version of The Three Little Pigs on the Smartboard, and talked about the similarities and differences between the classic and modern versions. We also did Three Little Pig Math activities, playing a guessing game about which little pig number is behind the door (for example, "The number is an upside down 9"). The children also played a numeracy activity in groups of two (1 SK, 1 JK): they got a cup of ten pennies, and dumped them on the table, and then tallied, graphed and did ten-frames about which were "heads" and which were "tails." They did a "Little Piggie Pie" booklet as well. Piggie Pie is something you can make at home with a bagel, cream cheese, a strawberry, 2 chocolate chips, a banana slice, and a licorice string. I'll send the instructions home.
For our learning about safety, the kids watched 2 videos about when to call 9-1-1 and about street, park, and home safety. They are making a Safety Booklet with their Reading Buddies. We also talked about Elmer the Elephant's Seven Safety Rules and the kids are reading and colouring a booklet about them. This week we'll discuss fire safety.
Thank you so much to Lucas' mom who was our Mystery Reader, and to Rielle's and Sarah's moms who helped with Friday's Pizza Lunch!
The children also enjoyed a cultural presentation in the gym called "Turtle Island."
Please remember that your child needs a hat at school for outdoor play. No flip flops please.
The words of the week were FUN and FRIEND, and the homework was to complete the THEY booklet.
I hope you have a great week!
I hope you had a terrific weekend. The weather was beautiful!
Last week we continued our learning about Fairy Tales and Safety. The children wrote a letter to the Big Bad Wolf and made a big pig puppet. They enjoyed doing that so much that they asked to make a Big Bad Wolf puppet, too! We watched James Marshall's version of The Three Little Pigs on the Smartboard, and talked about the similarities and differences between the classic and modern versions. We also did Three Little Pig Math activities, playing a guessing game about which little pig number is behind the door (for example, "The number is an upside down 9"). The children also played a numeracy activity in groups of two (1 SK, 1 JK): they got a cup of ten pennies, and dumped them on the table, and then tallied, graphed and did ten-frames about which were "heads" and which were "tails." They did a "Little Piggie Pie" booklet as well. Piggie Pie is something you can make at home with a bagel, cream cheese, a strawberry, 2 chocolate chips, a banana slice, and a licorice string. I'll send the instructions home.
For our learning about safety, the kids watched 2 videos about when to call 9-1-1 and about street, park, and home safety. They are making a Safety Booklet with their Reading Buddies. We also talked about Elmer the Elephant's Seven Safety Rules and the kids are reading and colouring a booklet about them. This week we'll discuss fire safety.
Thank you so much to Lucas' mom who was our Mystery Reader, and to Rielle's and Sarah's moms who helped with Friday's Pizza Lunch!
The children also enjoyed a cultural presentation in the gym called "Turtle Island."
Please remember that your child needs a hat at school for outdoor play. No flip flops please.
The words of the week were FUN and FRIEND, and the homework was to complete the THEY booklet.
I hope you have a great week!
Friday, May 25, 2018
Friday, May 18, 2018
Week of 14-18
Dear families,
I hope you are having a wonderful Victoria Day weekend!
This week we finished our learning about Canadian coins and their values. The children's "Money" folder is in today's mailbag. They learned a song in order to help them identify and learn the value of each coin, learned what each coin looks like, and learned about each of the symbols on the coins and why they are important in Canada. The children learned a little bit about other ways to pay, such as bank cards and gift cards. They completed booklets about money and some of the children brought in coins to show their friends.
We also finished our learning about where food comes from and how plants grow, and we are still watching our carrot, green onion, celery, potato and pineapple scraps sprout new roots in water. We'll plant them in soil next week. We learned about what our bodies need to stay healthy and which foods have them: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. We also learned that grain-eating animals such as horses and cows have different teeth than we do, and the children watched a video about an old grain mill that still uses a water wheel and gears to grind wheat into flour, just like the Old Mill used to do.
The homework is to complete the mini read-and-write THERE and THAT books.
On Friday we started two new inquiries - on Fairy Tales (starting with the Three Little Pigs), and Safety. We read the Three Little Pigs story, sequenced it (re-told it), and did a dot-to-dot exercise. I also taught the kids how to draw a pig with the white boards. Our first lesson in safety was obeying stop lights. We will learn a lot more about how to stay safe in the coming weeks and will put all our work in a folder to bring home.
Thank you so much to our Mystery Reader this week who was Mrs. Mosun;s daughter Daria.
Have a terrific weekend!
I hope you are having a wonderful Victoria Day weekend!
This week we finished our learning about Canadian coins and their values. The children's "Money" folder is in today's mailbag. They learned a song in order to help them identify and learn the value of each coin, learned what each coin looks like, and learned about each of the symbols on the coins and why they are important in Canada. The children learned a little bit about other ways to pay, such as bank cards and gift cards. They completed booklets about money and some of the children brought in coins to show their friends.
We also finished our learning about where food comes from and how plants grow, and we are still watching our carrot, green onion, celery, potato and pineapple scraps sprout new roots in water. We'll plant them in soil next week. We learned about what our bodies need to stay healthy and which foods have them: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. We also learned that grain-eating animals such as horses and cows have different teeth than we do, and the children watched a video about an old grain mill that still uses a water wheel and gears to grind wheat into flour, just like the Old Mill used to do.
The homework is to complete the mini read-and-write THERE and THAT books.
On Friday we started two new inquiries - on Fairy Tales (starting with the Three Little Pigs), and Safety. We read the Three Little Pigs story, sequenced it (re-told it), and did a dot-to-dot exercise. I also taught the kids how to draw a pig with the white boards. Our first lesson in safety was obeying stop lights. We will learn a lot more about how to stay safe in the coming weeks and will put all our work in a folder to bring home.
Thank you so much to our Mystery Reader this week who was Mrs. Mosun;s daughter Daria.
Have a terrific weekend!
Friday, May 11, 2018
Week of May 7-11
Dear families,
First and foremost, I would like to wish all the moms a Happy Mother's Day this Sunday! The children have made three very special gifts for you and have been practising two songs to sing to you. I hope you have a wonderful day! This Sunday I'll be with my three children and husband at the Blue Jays Game. Go Jays!
This week in the mornings, the children continued to learn about Healthy Habits and where our food comes from. In the afternoons they are learning about Canadian money.
In Science and Literacy, the children learned where the food we eat grows (under the ground, above the ground, on a tree, in a flower (seeds), on a vine. We learned which parts of plants we eat - all of them! We eat stems such as celery, flowers such as cauliflower and broccoli, lots of fruits, leaves such as lettuce, tubers like potatoes, fungus (mushrooms), root such as carrots, seeds, legumes such as peanuts, and bulbs such as onions and garlic. The children's homework this weekend is to match the plant word with the picture.
We also talked about "every day" foods such as fruits and vegetables ("real food from plants") versus "sometimes" foods such as candy and ice cream. The children completed an "I'm So Healthy" booklet and a "Healthy Habits" food wheel. They helped me spell food of different colours - red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, purple, brown and beige, and white. They also touched and examined seven different grains - millet, wheat, corn, cornmeal, barley, oats, and rice, and learned how they are made into grain-based foods such as bread, pasta, cereal, crackers, etc. We also learned about dairy products (yogurt, cheese, milk, ice cream, butter). The children helped solve healthy food spelling riddles, learned how to draw various healthy fruits and vegetables, and learned that fruit always has seeds inside (so cucumbers and tomatoes are fruits!).
We are also making new plants grow from plant scraps: we are rooting potatoes, a pineapple, a green onion, basil, and celery. The children also planted the sprouts that grew from the seeds they planted in class, and we now have a little "Kinder Garden" outside in the yard. The children are proud to show us their healthy snacks, and they are really enjoying playing in our Pizza Pizza Centre, too, adding healthy toppings to their "pizzas" and counting money!
This week in Numeracy the children learned about the nickel, the dime, the quarter and the loonie, and about why the symbols of the beaver, the Blue Nose, the Caribou/Elk and the loon are on them! They are learning a song to help them remember the values of the coins, and watched a few short documentaries about how coins and "paper" (polymer)money is made. They passed around real money and learned how the shapes, sizes and features help visually impaired people. We will learn about the toonie on Monday, and will do summative work about money values next week.
In Art, they children learned more about Wassily Kandinsky, who was one of the fist abstract expressionist painters. He loved colours and shapes, and believed that art should make you feel emotion just as music does. He made music with paint! The children have made three drawings/paintings inspired by Kandinsky. They are beautiful! The Mother's Day Art is inspired by Kandinsky's "Squares with Concentric Circles" which he painted in 1913. www.wassilykandinsky.net
Thank you so much to Hudson's dad who was our Mystery Reader this week! He read two interesting National Geographic books about Volcanoes and Penguins. Thank you, Ethan, for bringing in your awesome airplane to show how it looked like a bird. We did a Venn Diagram comparing birds and planes. I love it when the children reflect on their classroom learning and bring it home and then back to school!
That's the news for this week! Have a wonderful weekend!
The children did an excellent job at this week's surprise Fire Drill! Good listening!
The words of the week were DID and SOME.
First and foremost, I would like to wish all the moms a Happy Mother's Day this Sunday! The children have made three very special gifts for you and have been practising two songs to sing to you. I hope you have a wonderful day! This Sunday I'll be with my three children and husband at the Blue Jays Game. Go Jays!
This week in the mornings, the children continued to learn about Healthy Habits and where our food comes from. In the afternoons they are learning about Canadian money.
In Science and Literacy, the children learned where the food we eat grows (under the ground, above the ground, on a tree, in a flower (seeds), on a vine. We learned which parts of plants we eat - all of them! We eat stems such as celery, flowers such as cauliflower and broccoli, lots of fruits, leaves such as lettuce, tubers like potatoes, fungus (mushrooms), root such as carrots, seeds, legumes such as peanuts, and bulbs such as onions and garlic. The children's homework this weekend is to match the plant word with the picture.
We also talked about "every day" foods such as fruits and vegetables ("real food from plants") versus "sometimes" foods such as candy and ice cream. The children completed an "I'm So Healthy" booklet and a "Healthy Habits" food wheel. They helped me spell food of different colours - red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, purple, brown and beige, and white. They also touched and examined seven different grains - millet, wheat, corn, cornmeal, barley, oats, and rice, and learned how they are made into grain-based foods such as bread, pasta, cereal, crackers, etc. We also learned about dairy products (yogurt, cheese, milk, ice cream, butter). The children helped solve healthy food spelling riddles, learned how to draw various healthy fruits and vegetables, and learned that fruit always has seeds inside (so cucumbers and tomatoes are fruits!).
We are also making new plants grow from plant scraps: we are rooting potatoes, a pineapple, a green onion, basil, and celery. The children also planted the sprouts that grew from the seeds they planted in class, and we now have a little "Kinder Garden" outside in the yard. The children are proud to show us their healthy snacks, and they are really enjoying playing in our Pizza Pizza Centre, too, adding healthy toppings to their "pizzas" and counting money!
This week in Numeracy the children learned about the nickel, the dime, the quarter and the loonie, and about why the symbols of the beaver, the Blue Nose, the Caribou/Elk and the loon are on them! They are learning a song to help them remember the values of the coins, and watched a few short documentaries about how coins and "paper" (polymer)money is made. They passed around real money and learned how the shapes, sizes and features help visually impaired people. We will learn about the toonie on Monday, and will do summative work about money values next week.
In Art, they children learned more about Wassily Kandinsky, who was one of the fist abstract expressionist painters. He loved colours and shapes, and believed that art should make you feel emotion just as music does. He made music with paint! The children have made three drawings/paintings inspired by Kandinsky. They are beautiful! The Mother's Day Art is inspired by Kandinsky's "Squares with Concentric Circles" which he painted in 1913. www.wassilykandinsky.net
Thank you so much to Hudson's dad who was our Mystery Reader this week! He read two interesting National Geographic books about Volcanoes and Penguins. Thank you, Ethan, for bringing in your awesome airplane to show how it looked like a bird. We did a Venn Diagram comparing birds and planes. I love it when the children reflect on their classroom learning and bring it home and then back to school!
That's the news for this week! Have a wonderful weekend!
The children did an excellent job at this week's surprise Fire Drill! Good listening!
The words of the week were DID and SOME.
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