Monday, May 25, 2015

May 25-29

It's hard to believe we are just about at the end of May.  The sun is shining, the birds are singing and we have a lot of learning still to do in the classroom! 

Notes:
  • Remember to sign the Fort permission form and return it to school.  Thank you to the volunteers!  It will be a great day!
  • Spring pictures are due back on May 28 if you wish to order them.
Curriculum:
  • Math - finishing up on patterns
  • LA - Spelling - week 14; another musical writing activity will take place this week
  • Science - learning about what is inside of a seed
  • Social - finishing up our findings about the CPR and learning the reasons why people moved to Alberta
This week at a glance:
Monday:
  • Friday letters returned
  • Library books due back
Tuesday:
  • Hot lunch!
  • Assembly 12:40
  • Library Day!
Wednesday:
  • field trip to the Yates to see Gregg LeRock - a French musician
Thursday:

Friday:
  • Northside POW WOW (we are the host) 9:30-10:30
  • last day of enrichment

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

May 19-22

I hope you all had a great long weekend.  Once the sun decided to shine, the time spent outside was fantastic! 

Thank you to the parents that volunteered to come to Helen Schuler Nature Center today.  I enjoyed having you and I hope you enjoyed being there.  Be sure to ask your child about wild licorice that grows in our river bottom. 

There will be two more opportunities for volunteers on field trips.  On June 3, we will be going to the Fort in Fort Macleod.  This is an all day trip.  On June 9, in the morning,  we will be visiting the cemetery for an information finding trip.  Please watch for more information to come home on Wednesday. 

Lastly, Spring Pictures came home today.  If you are wanting to order them, they can be done online or through the school prior to May 28. 


150 Ways to Show Kids You Care:
  • Let's continue the list:
    • 26. Stay with them when they are afraid.  27. Invite them over for juice.  28. Suggest better behaviors when they act out.  29. Feed them when they are hungry.  30. Delight in their discoveries.  31. Share their excitement.  32. Send them a letter or a postcard.  33. Follow them when they lead  34. Notice when they are absent.  35. Call them to say hello.  36. Hide surprises for them to find.  37. Give them space when they need it.  38. Contribute to their collections.  39. Discuss their dreams and nightmares.  40. Laugh at their jokes.  41. Be relaxed.  42. Kneel, squat or sit so that you are at their eye level.  43. Answer their questions.  44. Tell them how terrific they are.  45. Create a tradition with them and keep it.  46. Learn what they have to teach.  47. Use your ears more than your mouth.  48. Make yourself available.  49. Show up at their concerts, games and events.  50. Find a common interest. 

Curriculum:
  • Math: Continuing in our last pattern booklet.  Remember to keep practicing basic facts at home.
  • Language Arts:
    • Writing: with the short week we will be doing Quick Writes and possibly some musical writing.  .
    • Spelling: Lesson 13; spelling assessment on Thursday
  • Science: We will be learning about common characteristics of plants and that plants have needs too!
  • Social: We will learn how Alberta went from a territory to a province and how the railway came through.  This is a continuation of last week as our Treaty took longer than planned.  I hope your child is holding true on their half of the contract.  I know my son's contract was completed by both parties tonight.  
This Week's Schedule:Tuesday:
  • Library books due
  • Ask about our field trip
  • Friday letters due back
Wednesday
  • Field trip notices coming home

Friday:
  • Frolicking Friday
  • Enrichment

Monday, May 11, 2015

May 11-15

Helpful Website:
  • At our Professional Learning Day on Friday, Ms. Scheldrup gave us some new resources to access.  One that I particularly found interesting was Reading Rockets.  Among other things, it's a site that gives ways to help struggling readers.  If you want some new ideas to help your child with reading, check it out!

150 Ways to Show Kids You Care:
  • Another resource we received on Friday was a brochure highlighting ways to show a child you care about him/her.  Whether in the role of parent or teacher, we all want kids to know they're cared about.  Here are the first few:
    • 1. Notice them; 2. Smile a lot; 3. Acknowledge them; 4. Learn their names; 5. Seek them out; 6. Remember their birthdays; 7. Ask them about themselves; 8. Look in their eyes when you talk to them; 9. Listen to them; 10. Play with them; 11. Read aloud together; 12. Giggle together; 13. Be nice; 14. Say yes a lot; 15. Tell them their feelings are ok; 16. Set boundaries that keep them safe; 17. Be honest; 18. Be yourself; 19. Listen to their stories; 20. Hug them; 21. Forget your worries sometimes and concentrate only on them; 22. Notice when they're acting differently; 23. Present options when they seek your counsel; 24; Play outside together; 25. Surprise them.

Curriculum:
  • Math: We are going back into patterns for the last time but please keep practicing basic facts at home.
  • Language Arts:
    • Writing: Finishing up Flat Stanley and focussing on our Quick Writes.
    • Spelling: Lesson 13; Spelling City is up
  • Science: We will be learning about how different parts of plants work.
  • Social: We will learn how Alberta went from a territory to a province and how the railway came through.

This Week's Schedule:
Tuesday:
  • Tone It Up Tuesday
  • School Council Meeting 6:30 p.m.

Thursday:
  • Hot Lunch money due

Friday:
  • Frolicking Friday
  • Enrichment
  • Project Fair

Monday, May 4, 2015

May 4 - 8

May the fourth be with you!!  Happy Star Wars Day!

Notes:
  • The SAAG display is on until the first week of June.
  • If you haven't yet, please send in a T-shirt for your child to make a very special art project with by tomorrow.  Students who don't have a shirt will not be able to participate in this project.
  • The provincial elections will take place tomorrow.  Please be a voice for your child.  The current budget really harms our students with huge class sizes and very little support.  Clicking this link will take you to a site where you can find your local candidate by typing in your address.  This link takes you to "Stand Up for Schools" where you can learn more details about each party's position on education.

Curriculum:
  • Math: We will be having a quiz on multiplication and division on Tuesday and then we go back into another patterns unit.
  • Language Arts:
    • Writing: We are going to finish up any final Flat Stanley stuff this week.
    • Spelling: Assessment of Lesson 12 on Thursday.
  • Science: We will be learning about plant parts and uses.
  • Social: This week it's all about the Northwest Mounted Police.

This Week's Schedule:
Monday:
  • Friday Letters due
  • Hot lunch forms going home
  • T-shirts due

Tuesday:
  • Volunteer Breakfast 8:30 a.m.  If you have volunteered on field trips or helping out the school in any way, please come and let us celebrate you!  (Shhhh.... as part of Education Week you'll get a special treat from the Grade Fours!)
  • Tone It Up Tuesday - Indy 500
  • T-shirt project started
  • Multiplication/division quiz
  • Provincial elections - please vote!!

Wednesday:
  • Hats On for Mental Health Day - students are welcome to wear a hat to show their support for mental health awareness
  • Evergreen Theatre presentation (Goldilocks and the Three Polar Bears) at the school 1:30 p.m.  This performance is paid for by the recycling money that the grade 4's earn by sorting bottles and cans every Thursday.  Because of their hard (and disgusting!) work, some of our grade 4 students will be performing with the professionals!  Parents are welcome.

Thursday:
  • Spelling assessment

Friday:
  • School-based Professional Learning Day - no school for students