Monday, October 26, 2015

Oct 26-Oct 30

Well it's a full moon and Halloween this week, so I wish all of us good luck! 

Notes:
  • A letter about our Halloween party is coming home today.  Our Human Resources team helped plan it!
  • On Thursday, a study guide for our science test came home.  We will be having the test next week.  Please go over it with your child.  Here is a link to a copy of the page with the answers.  http://mrssamayoasblog.blogspot.ca/p/science-review.html
  • Homework books are now due.  Please send them in ASAP if you haven't already.

Curriculum:
  • Math: We are leaving patterns for now and will be adding 3- and 4-digit numbers.
  • L.A.
    • Writing: This week will be our planning week for our suspense stories, and hopefully writing them.  Stories will most likely come home this weekend for completion.
    • Spelling: Lesson 3 assessment this Thursday.
  • Science: We will be reviewing for our test and will welcome Scientist Anne from Scientists in School on Thursday morning. 
  • Social: Our travels will take us into the National Parks this week followed by an assessment of the Rocky Mountain Region.

This Week's Schedule:
Monday:
  • Homework journals due
  • Library books due

Tuesday:
  • Hot lunch
  • Energy Day Assembly 12:30

Wednesday:
  • Fundraising due

Thursday:
  • Picture retakes
  • Choir after school for applicable students

Friday:
  • Halloween parade and party
  • No frolicking or Friday Letters

Friday, October 16, 2015

Week of Oct. 19-23

Welcome to another short week.  As staff, we will be engaged in professional learning Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.

Notes:
  • Monday is election day!  Your vote counts.
  • Feed the Bug food collection is on until Oct. 30 - any non-perishable food item is appreciated.  Thank you for your donations to our local food bank.
  • The school fundraiser was sent home last week.  All money and orders are due Oct. 28.
  • A note went home about volunteers for the Scientist in School program that is coming to our classroom.  If you would like to volunteer, please mark the morning of Oct. 29 in your calendar and send in your green form.

Curriculum:
  • Math: We will be finishing the first patterns unit and will complete some assessments this week.  One will be a cumulative test on our learning so far and the other will be a basic facts test.
  • L.A:
    • Spelling: New spelling this week!  Look for Lesson 3.
    • Writing: Work continues on the suspense unit, getting closer and closer to writing our own suspense stories!
  • Science: This week things will get big when we learn about magnifying glasses and funky when we look at optical illusions.
  • Social: The Rocky Mountain Region has unique vegetation that we will be studying this week along with the natural resources and animal life of the region.

This Week's Schedule:
Monday:
  • Friday Letters due
  • Library books due
  • Go vote!

Tuesday:
  • Picture money due (retakes will be Oct. 29)

Thursday:
  • Tone It Up
  • No school for students in the afternoon - 11:45 a.m. dismissal

Friday:
  • No school for students

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing long weekend.  My weekend was full of the 3 F's - Family, Food and Fun!

Notes:
  • Did you know that this week is Fire Prevention Week?  Check your smoke alarms!

Curriculum:
  • Math - We continue our work on patterns including repeating and growing patterns, and looking at the attributes of patterns (e.g. shape, size and colour).
  • L.A. -
    • Writing - Our suspense unit is in full swing.  This week will see us brainstorming the effects on the body so they can "show" not "tell" what's going on in their stories.
    • Spelling - Week 2 of Lesson 2.
  • Science - This week's lessons are to do with breaking up light and mixing colours of light.
  • Social - Our journey through the Rocky Mountain Region has taken us to new heights (ha!) and this week we'll travel back in time to the Ice Ages and learn about glaciers and the bodies of water in the region.  Then we'll return to 2015 and discover what the climate of the Rockies is like.

This Week's Schedule:
Monday:
  • Happy Thanksgiving!!

Tuesday:
  • Friday Letters were due
  • Library books were due

Thursday:
  • Tone It Up Thursday

Friday:
  • Frolicking Friday

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Week of Oct 5 - 9

What a great week last week was!  With the Energy Day Assembly, Terry Fox colour run, and the start of Enrichment it was certainly a full one and the kids' Friday Letters really reflected that!

Notes:
  • Watch for Homework Journals coming home!  This is a scribbler with a calendar of activities for every weekday.  It will go home at the beginning of the month with three weeks' worth of activities and will be due back at school on the date indicated on the calendar.  Don't panic - they're meant to be simple yet effective and fun.
  • Please help your child remember to have any homework items returned to class every day as students get behind when their work is not at school.  I like students to be responsible for their own work, so you may receive a phone call from them if they have forgotten an item.

Curriculum:
  • Math - We will continue with patterns this week looking at extending them, naming them and describing them.
  • L.A.
    • Spelling - New words this week - check out Lesson 2!  Lesson 1 activities are now due and you may see the booklet coming home for catch-up work.
    • Writing - We'll start a suspense unit this week that will take all of October.
  • Science - We will study shadows this week.
  • Social - This week we start learning about the beautiful Rocky Mountain Region.

Do you wish you would hear more than a quick "good" when you ask your child "How was school today?"  Children actually love to talk about their day and what they are doing, but sometimes it takes a little bit of prompting.  Here are some more fun, open-ended questions that typically encourage children to share the most about their day.  I will continue to share 4 or 5 every week.
  1. Which assignment/activity did you feel most confident about today?
  2. How is it going with your school activities and assignments?
  3. What's the most interesting thing you heard at school today?
  4. If you could change just ONE thing about school, what would it be?
  5. What made you laugh/worry/smile in school today?

This Week's Schedule:
Monday:
  • Professional Learning Day - no school for students

Tuesday:
  • Library Day
  • Friday Letters due

Thursday:
  • Tone It Up Thursday

Friday:
  • Frolicking Friday

**Reminder: No school on Monday next week for Thanksgiving