Week 16 Update

What a wonderful, fun filled week at Jack MacKenzie. Our class had something special to look forward to each day of the week!

Christmas Concert

The students did a great job at the Christmas concert singing "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas". They put a lot of work into learning the song and getting the actions "just right" and I'm very proud of them! We had a class practice on the stage on Monday, the full rehearsal on Tuesday morning and it was "lights, camera, action" Tuesday afternoon and evening for the performances in front of our families. Mrs. Hinz puts on a spectacular Christmas Concert every year and the students are very lucky to learn from such a passionate and creative music teacher! 

The concert theme was "Winterlude" and each class made their own snowflakes to decorate the gym. I thought it would be fun to create a different take on the snowflake so our class made snowflake ballerinas! They were a big hit and turned out beautifully. 

QSP Pizza Party
On Wednesday we celebrated selling the most QSP magazine subscriptions with a class pizza party over lunch. Thanks again to Cindy Rogers for organizing the party and making sure each student got to have their favorite kind of pizza! Cindy has put many smiles on our students faces by organizing and delivering the QSP monkeys and her help with organizing our pizza party is greatly appreciated. Thanks Cindy!   We also had a very special guest join us for lunch, Mr. MacKenzie! Jack also brought his ukulele and played a few Christmas songs for our class. It was an extra special treat!

Royal SK Museum Field Trip

On Thursday, the fun continued as we boarded the school bus and traveled to the Museum! Students took part in the "Time Well Spent" workshop where we learned about the First Nations way of life, the buffalo, and played a few games that First Nations children played. We had a few extra minutes to visit the animal exhibits before heading back to the school. Thank you Leanne, Chad, Cindy, and Annabelle for joining us on our trip. 

Class Potluck Lunch
Thank you to everyone who came out to the class potluck on Friday! We had a great turn out and it was so nice to come together to eat, laugh and be merry! I can't thank our home room parent, Amanda Scollan, enough for all of the things she has done for the kiddos and I over this last semester. Amanda has created very special memories for our students by planning and carrying out events like our amazing Halloween Class Party and our Family Potluck Lunch. Thank you for working with your child to help Amanda create a beautiful scrapbook of our time together. What a special keepsake of photos and personal notes from the students!

Thanks your for your positive feedback and support over the last 4 months, it has truly helped guide and motivate me as I begin my career. I will be teaching Grade 3/4 at Gladys McDonald school for the remainder of the school year. If your child ever wants to say hi, or share their latest classroom success stories I would love to hear from them! They are more then welcome to send me an e-mail update! (tayler.cameron@rbe.sk.ca).

I feel so blessed to have had this experience here at Jack MacKenzie School. I couldn't have dreamed of a better start to my career and a more wonderful group of staff, students and families to work with. Not only has this group of students help me grow as an educator, but as I reflect on our time together I'm amazed at how much we can learn in life itself from these little beings! To laugh without abandon, do things you truly enjoy and have fun everyday. Own your accomplishments and not measure your success based on what others have done. Dream big and without limits. Think positive, and show your love and appreciation (It's amazing how a little note or drawing from a student can impact your day!). Always have the courage to be yourself, stand out from a crowd and do your own thing! I'm most amazed by the genuine kindness these students show to those around them and I know without a doubt they will continue to make effort and kindness count!

Have a wonderful, warm and relaxing holiday!

Ms. Cameron

Week 15 Update

Week at a Glance
Singing with Mr. Byrd
We kicked off our week on Monday with some Holiday singing with Mr. Byrd. Mr. Byrd played his guitar while we did some caroling - Falalalala- la- la- la -la!

Double Bubble, Double Fun:
We are working on "How To..." writing this week and what better way to write step by step directions than by experiencing the task itself! The students were blowing and popping away as they wrote the"First, Then and Last" steps to blowing a bubble, while making their writing as descriptive as possible.

Animal Investigation:
Our students have transformed into animal investigators this week! Students chose an animal they are interested in to research and write their own animal reports. The students have been very excited to share what they have learned about their animal with the each other. We have also been learning about how animals grow and change during their life cycles.

Spelling:Today's spelling test is the last test before the holidays. There will be no spelling words next week. I have noticed an improvement in spelling high frequency words and common sight words accurately in our journals and writing activities. Students love to share when they come across any of our "words of the week" during Read to Self and Read to Someone. Thank you for your involvement in studying the words of the week with your child at home! Remember, parents are teachers too!

Mystery Readers:
This week we welcomed our final 2 Mystery Readers into our classroom. On Tuesday we had a very special surprise Mystery Reader - Mrs. Sanchuck! The students had been wondering when our "extra special" Mystery Reader guest would appear and they were very surprised! It was nice for the kids to meet Mrs. Sanchuck and listen to a few stories read by their soon to be teacher! Mrs. Sanchuck read "Cupcake" by Charise Harper, "Lets Do Nothing!" by Toni Fucile and "Duck! Rabbit!" by Amy Rosenthal.

Our Friday Mystery Reader this week was Edina's mom, Edita! Edita read Hansel and Gretel. The kids were very engaged in the story and enjoyed some Christmas cookies that Edina and her mom made together! Thanks Edita!

Sneak Peak Into Next Week:

**Important** - Sledding Next Week
Next week the gym will be closed for the Christmas Concert. Students are to bring their crazy carpets, toboggans, snow saucers etc. to school for Phys. Ed with Mr. Hollinger on Tuesday, December 16th and  Wednesday, December 17th. Please make sure your child dresses appropriately for sledding. Luckily, next week is supposed to bring us warmer weather, but please dress warm (toques, mitts, scarves, snow boots, ski pants...).

Christmas Concert:
The staff and students have been working very hard to prepare for the Christmas musical production, Winterlude. The concert is on Tuesday, December 17th at 1:15 and 7:00.

Procedure for tickets:
Each family had until Friday, December 13th at 9:00 am to decide if they require tickets for the evening concert. The youngest child in the family will be able to pick up 2 tickets from their classroom teacher. Any tickets not claimed with be redistributed. Families who require more tickets must have requested extra tickets by Friday morning. Families will be informed on Monday, December 16th regarding the distribution of the extra tickets.

* Feel free to drop students off at the classroom anytime between 6:30 - 7:00. Please note that classrooms will not be unlocked until 6:30 PM. Hope to see you at the show!

QSP Pizza Party Prize:Our classroom is buzzing with excitement over our upcoming pizza party! Our grade 2 class sold the most QSP magazine subscriptions and won the Classroom Pizza Party Prize! Our party will be on Wednesday, December 18th at lunch .Pizza and drinks will be provided so students will not need to bring a lunch that day. A BIG thank you to Cindy Rogers for organizing the lunch.

Christmas Hampers:
Reminder that our Christmas hampers will be delivered on Wednesday, December 18th. You can send non-perishable items to school anytime before this date.  If you are donating perishable items,  please bring them to school on the 17th.

Class Potluck Dinner:Reminder that Aidan's mom, Amanda, is planning a class potluck dinner for our families on December 20th in our classroom. Students will not need to bring a lunch on this day. We hope to see you all there!

*Early Dismissal and PJ Day:
Just a reminder that there is early dismissal next Friday, December 20th at 2:30 PM. The kiddos in our class have officially declared our last day together as PJ Day!

Important Dates and Reminders:
Tuesday, December 17:      Christmas Concert (1:15 PM and 7:00 PM)
Wednesday. December 18: QSP Prize: Classroom Pizza Party Lunch
Wednesday, December 18: Christmas Hampers are Delivered to Families
Thursday. December 19:    Field Trip to the Royal SK. Museum
Friday, December 20:         Last Day of School - Class Potluck Luck, PJ Day, & Early  
                                          Dismissal (2:30)

Week 14 Update

Wow! I can't believe there is only two weeks of school left before the break! Although I'm quite certain time will fly by, I'm crossing my fingers it doesn't because I'm not ready to leave my amazing students!

Christmas Hamper
The Christmas hamper food items are due on Wednesday, December 18th.  Please have all items brought to the school before this date. Please check the due dates to ensure the best possible freshness and if possible, send perishable items closer to the date in which hamper items are due.  Although some families have already signed up at conferences, we still have a few items that we still need:

- Carrots (1 small bag) SIGNED UP FOR
- 1 Box of Mandarin Oranges (2 families - each brings 1 box) SIGNED UP FOR
- Can Opener
-1 Box of Chocolates SIGNED UP FOR
- One Dozen Buns SIGNED UP FOR
- Napkins/Serviettes SIGNED UP FOR
- 1 Package of Cookies SIGNED UP FOR
- Tea/Coffee SIGNED UP FOR
- Roaster for Turkey (Disposable) SIGNED UP FOR
- Cutlery SIGNED UP FOR

Please write a note in your child's agenda or send me an e-mail (tayler.cameron@rbe.sk.ca) if you are able to donate any of the above items. I will also leave the sign-up sheet posted on the classroom door for those of you who would like to sign up in person. Thank you for your cooperation and generosity. The hampers this year are going to families in the Albert School and Thompson School area.

Royal Saskatchewan Museum Field Trip
We are going on a field trip to the Royal SK. Museum on the morning of Thursday December 19th. We will be leaving the school at 9:20 am and will return in time for lunch at the school. We will be exploring the Life Science and Earth Science gallery exhibits, followed by a First Nations workshop called "Time Well Spent". The program is meant to show another aspect of pre-contact and historic Plains Indian lifestyles to young students. By playing some of the games that First Nations children enjoyed, students will be reminded that people do not necessarily need TV and computers to have fun! The workshop includes a guided tour of the First Nations gallery.

Field Trip Fee
The total cost is $3.50 per child. This fee covers the cost of transportation ($1.50 per student) and a $2.00 donation to the Museum on behalf of our class. You can pay for the field trip online, or by sending exact change to school with your child. *Please sign and return the permission form (sent home on Friday) at your earliest convenience.

Field Trip Volunteers
Once again I'm looking for volunteers who would like to join us on our trip! If you are interested please let me know by phone, e-mail or writing in your child's agenda. Just a friendly reminder that all volunteers need to have a criminal record check submitted to the school office.

Class Potluck Lunch
To celebrate the holidays, Amanda Scollan is planning a potluck lunch (yum!!) for the students in our class and their families on December 20th from 11:45- 12:45. Please RSVP by e-mail to our home room parent, Amanda, at abscollan@gmail.com by Monday, December 9. Please let her know how many people will be joining us and/or what you are able to contribute to the meal. A few parent helpers would be greatly appreciated. If you are able to help out with anything please touch base with Amanda Scollan. We hope to see you all there!!|

Week at a Glance:
On Monday we had a visit from our elder, Mr. Byrd. Mr. Byrd talked to the class about winter, the changing seasons, and shared the story of how Rudolph got his red nose. Mr. Byrd promised the students he would return with his guitar next time to join us in some holiday singing!

Speaking of singing...
Have you noticed your child singing a catchy holiday tune lately? The class has been practicing a song, taught by Mrs. Hinz, called "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas". The grade 2 students will perform their song at the Christmas Concert on Tuesday, December 17th. This week we learned some actions to go along with the song - I can't wait for you to see it!

In math we have been wrapping up our unit on Numbers to 100. The students have been ordering numbers (least to greatest, and greatest to least), filling in missing numbers from 1-100 on a hundreds chart and comparing numbers. We will be starting the next unit, "Addition and Subtraction to 18" next week.

It has been a blast working on our animal writing this week. Students created a persuasive writing piece, convincing mom and dad to get them a pet! (Sorry Mom and Dad but it makes for GREAT writing! *wink*) We are learning about animals in "constructed environments" including how to take care of pets. Students chose their own pet and brainstormed reasons why it would be a good pet, how they would take care of it, and why they want the animal as a pet. Students put these point form ideas into complete sentences as they organized their ideas into a friendly letter.

On Thursday we had a special presentation from the Outdoor Education Department called "Animals in Winter". It was a fantastic opportunity for students to see a variety of wild animals up close! The Presentation focused on Saskatchewan animals, their basic needs, and how they adapted to the environment.  The students were very engaged in the presentation while learning about hibernation, migration, colour change, food storage and winter coats.

Mystery Reader:
This week our Mystery Reader was Carrie, Marika's mom! Carrie read "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. We have been reading short poems by Shel Silverstein throughout the semester and it was nice treat to listen to a story by the same author! To celebrate Marika's birthday on Monday,  Carrie brought some delicious cookies to share with the class! Happy Birthday Marika!

Important Dates:
Monday, December 9:       Candy Cane Sales Day #1 ($1.00 each)
Monday, December 9:       Reminder: RSVP to Amanda's Potluck Invitation Before This Date
Tuesday, December 10:     Candy Cane Sales Day #2 ($1.00 each)
Thursday, December 12:   Pictures with Santa ($2.00)
Thursday, December 12:   Boston Pizza Special Lunch
Tuesday, December 17:     Christmas Concert (1:15 PM and 7:00 PM)
Wednesday, December 18: QSP Prize: Classroom Pizza Party Lunch
Wednesday, December 18: Christmas Hampers are Delivered to Families
Thursday, December 19:    Field Trip to the Royal SK. Museum
Friday, December 20:        Last day of School: Class Potluck Lunch & Early dismissal (2:30)

Stay warm and have a fabulous weekend!

Ms. Cameron

Week 13 Update

Conferences:
This week was short and sweet due to our conferences on Friday. I want to send a big thank you to all of our families for attending. It was a fantastic day to celebrate our students successes and set some new goals for term 2!

Art Show: 

This past weekend I attended a training session at the Public School Board Office and I was so excited to see one of our own students art displayed in the Ron Mitchell room! Naturally, I had to snap a few pictures to bring back to share with our class! Wylie's "A Little Birdie Told Me" pastel art was chosen to help represent our school in the November Art Show at the Regina Public School Board Office. Congratulations Wylie!

How do Animals Help Us?
This week we explored how animals help people. Using pictures to help generate ideas, the students worked together in their table "teams" to determine why animals are important (eg., food, clothing, company, transportation...). We recorded our thoughts on a "bubble map" organizer.  Students then expanded on their ideas by turning their recordings from the bubble map into complete sentences.  We also took a closer look at how important the buffalo were to the First Nations people.

Here's a few examples of how animals help us...
"Chickens, cows and other animals give us food (eggs, meat and milk)". - Maggie
"Therapy dogs help us by soothing people" - Aidan
"If a person is blind a guide dog can lead you" -Edina
"Police dogs help us by helping people if they get lost" -Maddux

" If we didn't have bats there would be lots of mosquitoes"-Isabelle H. 

"Dogs and other animals keep us company" -Wylie

"Sheep's wool can make sweaters and neck warmers and toques and blankets." -Isabelle R. 

A Recipe for Friendship:
We have also been busy creating a recipe for "Friendship Pie". Each student wrote their own recipe including ingredients such as "a spoonful of smiles", "1 cup of kindness" or a "teaspoon of sharing". Students then wrote their own instructions/examples of how to be respectful and a good friend to others.

Food Hamper:

It's that time of year again! Each classroom is putting together a Christmas hamper for families in need and we need your help! Our classroom hamper sign up sheet is posted on the outside of our classroom door. Please place your name beside any items you wish to donate. The hampers will be delivered on December 18th to Albert and Thompson school. For those of you unable to sign up in person, I will be sending a note home with the remaining items needed for the hamper.

Important Dates and Reminders:
Monday, December 2:      Spelling Test
Monday, December 2:      Raising Media Smart Kids in a Digital World Parent Night
                                        at 7:00 PM in the Jack Mackenzie Library
Tuesday, December 3:      Scholastic Book Orders are due

Week 12 Update

Bats and Owls
On Monday morning we took in a presentation on bats and owls by Lori Milligan from the Outdoor Environmental Education Department. We learned about different types of bats and owls including their senses, hunting adaptations, behavior, hibernation, food and environmental issues.  The students even got to meet Albert, a real little brown bat!

We've Got Rider Pride!
Our class is very excited about the Grey Cup! This week we teamed up with the Kindergarten and grade 1 classes to show off our Rider pride and create our own "Rider Nation".  Each class helped decorate their own pod area.

On Friday afternoon we toured the school to see what the other classrooms came up with.  The students at Jack MacKenzie are very creative!

Mindfulness: Living in the Present Moment
On Friday, our class welcomed a special guest, Trina Markusson, into our classroom to share some Mindfulness techniques that we can use everyday.

What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness involves purposely focusing our attention and observing what is going on around us, including our thoughts and feelings. Sometimes our thoughts wander to focus on past events ("I should have...") or future thoughts ("What if...) which can make us feel anxious. Being mindful involves focusing on the present moment.We practice letting our thoughts "go" or settle in our minds,  and focus on daily activities  and experiences as they are happening. We also practice deep breathing techniques (or as the students call it, "belly breaths").   Research shows mindfulness training has the potential to improve attention and focus, self-management skills and lower anxiety and stress levels. We will continue to practice mindfulness in our classroom daily.

Report Cards and Conferences:
Report cards were sent on home on Friday, November 22. Conferences are on Friday, November 29th. You will find your scheduled conference time within the report card envelope. Please sign the conference slip and return it to school to confirm your interview time. Students will take their completed work home with them on the day of the conferences. I look forward to sitting down with you and your child to celebrate their successes, and discuss new goals.

Mystery Reader:

Our Mystery Reader this week was Kaitlyn's mom, Jennifer. The students learned about perspective as Jennifer read The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka. This version of the Three Little Pigs is told from the Wolf's point of view.  The students also enjoyed some "Three Little Pig" inspired cupcakes! Thanks Jennifer!

Important Dates and Reminders:
Friday, November 22:    Term 1 report cards are sent home.
Monday, November 25: Boston Pizza special lunch order forms are due
Friday, November 29:    Conferences
Monday, December 2:    Raising Media-Smart Kids in a Digital World Parent Night

* Please note the date for the Raising Media-Smart Kids has been changed to Monday, December 2, 2013*

Keep warm, cheer loud and have a fantastic Grey Cup weekend!
Ms. Cameron

Week 11 Update

Start Your Engines...
On Tuesday we had a celebration of learning by sending our home project race cars down the track! We had 9 students participate in making a car of their own, using materials found at home. We tested the cars on a ramp, on a smooth flat surface and on the story carpet. No two cars were the same and we had a great time applying our knowledge of forces and motion (push vs. pull and friction) to a real hands on experience with our cars.

Animal Growth and Changes:

We have been documenting what we already know about animals, and what we wonder about animals. These questions will help guide our learning during our Animals unit. Here are some of the students' responses...

Exciting News!

On Friday we had our final QSP assembly and we received a great surprise. Our class won a PIZZA PARTY for selling the most magazine subscriptions! We are very excited! Stay tuned for more details...

Congratulations to Alyssa for selling the second most magazine subscriptions in our school! Good Job Alyssa!

Congratulations again to Merrick who found the lucky golden banana and won an iPad. There were only 10 people who won this prize across Canada! WOW!

 Mystery Reader: 

This week's Mystery Reader was Alyssa's Dad, Lyle. Lyle read Farley Follows His Nose by Lynn Johnston. Having a Mystery Reader is always a fantastic way to kick off "Fun Friday!" 

Raising Media-Smart Kids in a Digital World: A Parent Engagement Night
The average 8 to 18 year-old spends 7.5 hours a day online. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, ASK FM, Pinterest, YouTube, Blogger: it's a new language and landscape for communication, learning and especially parenting. Today's socially networked society presents both exciting and challenging realities for parents and educators. Are you plugged in? Do you know how your child is spending their time online? How can we raise media-smart, caring kids today? Join our parent engagement night on Monday, November 25 to learn about how you can help your child become a safe, smart, and responsible digital citizen. We'll start at 7 pm in the Jack MacKenzie Library! All are welcome! Hosted by Shannon Sanchuck (Grade 2 Teacher) and Harmony McMillan (Grade 6 Teacher). RSVP is not required but appreciated, please email harmony.mcmillan@rbe.sk.ca.

Student Fees:
A friendly reminder that the online payment option for student fees is now up and running. If you have not already paid for your child's agenda and Math workbook, please do so at your earliest convenience.

Important Dates and Reminders:
Monday, November 18:          Spelling Test 

Wednesday, November 20:      Last day to bring clothing donations for Albert School
Friday, November 22:             Spelling Test
Friday, November 22:             Term 1 Progress Reports are sent home
Monday, December 2:            Raising Media-Smart Kids in a Digital World Parent Night
* Please note the date for the Raising Media-Smart Kids has been changed to Monday, December 2, 2013*
Have a fabulous weekend!
GO RIDERS GO!

Ms. Cameron

Week 10 Update

Field Trip Fun!

Our class had a BLAST at the Science Centre this week. The students applied what they know about forces to a variety of small experiments during our Everyday Forces workshop. We explored the Science Centre, and also took in an Imax Movie called "Kenya 3D: Animal Kingdom". We were the only class there and had the entire Science Centre to ourselves (BONUS!).  A BIG thanks goes out to our parent volunteers Cindy, Leanne, Sandra and Mirjana.

Remembrance Day:On Thursday we had our Remembrance Day assembly with St. Gabriel School. Isabelle H. and Maddux laid the class wreath on behalf of our Grade 2 class. It was a lovely ceremony. We have been practicing the Remembrance Day Pledge:

 We Pledge -
That as adults and children - 

We will do what we can - 

To solve conflicts -

And prevent wars -

Starting today, -
In my home, -

In my classroom, -

And on the playground, -

I will be a peacekeeper.

Mystery Reader:
Although it is a short week, we were very lucky to have a Mystery Reader on Thursday afternoon. Our Mystery Reader was Avi's mom, Kesar! Kesar read "Wait and See" by Robert Munsch. Thanks again to all of our Mystery Readers for making each day a little more exciting. The students love putting the clues together and guessing who the Mystery Reader could be!

Used Clothing Drive:
The SCC will be collecting used clothing to be donated to Albert Park School. Please send all donations to school with your child between November 12th to 20th. All clothing should be sent in a plastic bag and left in the front foyer of the school.

Student Fees:It has been brought to my attention that when paying the student fees online, there was only an option to pay for the agenda ($4.50) but not the Math Makes Sense Workbook ($21.50). I have been informed that the Math Workbook has now been added as a payment option. You can now pay both the agenda and math workbook online. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Important Dates and Reminders:
Friday, November 8, 2013:            No School (PD Day)
Monday, November 11, 2013:       No School (Remembrance Day)
Thursday, November 14, 2013:     November book orders are due.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013:  Pick up date for Albert School clothing donations

Week 9 Update

Invisible Forces: Pinwheels
We are just a few days away from wrapping up our final lessons on Motion and Relative Position. In addition to looking at invisible forces, we have been completing experiments about friction and gravity. Some students are still finishing their cars for the optional home project. Please send your child's car to school by Tuesday of next week. We have several cars "parked" in our classroom already, each one different from the next! The excitement towards the race is building in our classroom.

Halloween Fun
We had a fabulous day of fun during Friday's Halloween activities. In the morning, we teamed up with the K,1, 2 classes and traveled around the school to participate in various Halloween stations. Some stations included bobbing for donuts, witch hat toss, limbo, pumpkin bowling, toilet paper mummies, and a spider crawl freeze dance - just to name a few!

In the afternoon, our class attended the Halloween Dance followed by our class party. The students and I had an absolute blast! A BIG thanks to Amanda Scollan for bringing our classroom party to life, with help from Cindy Rogers. The party began with a  Halloween story and craft followed by numerous Halloween themed activities! The students had so much fun attempting to pin the nose on the pumpkin, bobbing for sugar cookies, visiting the Witch's Brew station and diving into some Halloween treats. Thank again Cindy and Amanda for making the afternoon so special!

We LOVE reading the pigeon books, written by Mo Willems. The students thought it was quite entertaining that their teacher was the pigeon for a day! 

Congratulations to Myla, who won first place in the pumpkin carving contest!

Here's a sneak peak of our class party...

Mystery Reader 
Our Mystery Reader this week was Isabelle's mom, Sarah! Sarah read Mostly Monsterly by Tammi Sauer. Our Mystery Reader was the "cherry on top" of a fantastic week! Thanks Sarah!

              

*Student Fees:
It has been brought to my attention that when using the online payment method, there is currently only an option to pay for the agenda ($4.50), but not the math workbook ($21.50). I will send a note home in your child's agenda once I'm notified how to complete the full payment of $26.00. Please note there is a typo on the previous note/agenda message stating the  total fee is $25.00. The breakdown of the agenda and math workbook totals $26.00.  I apologize for the inconvenience.

Important Dates:
Wednesday, November 6, 2013:        Science Centre Field Trip
Friday, November 8, 2013:                  No School (PD Day)
Monday, November 11, 2013:            No School (Remembrance Day)


Have a great weekend!

Ms. Cameron

Week 8 Update

A Visit From Our Elder: Mr. Byrd
We were happy to have a visit from our elder, Mr. Byrd, first thing Monday morning. The students were very excited about the first snowfall and enjoyed listening to Mr. Byrd share several stories about mother nature.

Friendly Letters:
We have been learning how to write friendly letters this week. Each student has completed their own letter to a special friend or family member. Students took their letters home on Friday. I'm encouraging students, with help from their parents, to mail their letters this weekend. Hopefully some of the recipients will even write them back! 

Learning in Action!
Here's a sneak peak of some of our learning activities this week...

Push vs. pull sort using hula-hoop venn diagrams

Forces and Motion: Balloon Rocket Experiment

Each student came up with their own hypothesis, deciding which balloon (small, medium, or large) they think  would travel the farthest distance. Together, we discovered that the larger the balloon, the larger the force. The air from the balloon "pushes" the rocket along the string, spanning nearly the entire length of our classroom! 

Fun Friday: Math Games
This week we have been working with hundreds charts and learning about even/odd numbers. Here students are practicing these skills while playing "Connect 5".  Ask your child to teach you how to play!

Field Trip: 
We will be taking a field trip to the Science Centre on November 6th, 2013.  At the Science Centre we will take part in a workshop called "Everyday Forces", a 3D IMAX movie called Kenya: Animal Kingdom, and of course exploring the Science Centre! The total cost of the trip is $11.00 per student. This covers the cost of admission, the workshop, the IMAX movie, and transportation. Please send exact change to school with your child ASAP (Cash only please). 

*On Friday, I stapled a field trip permission form into your child's agenda. Please sign the permission slip when you sign your child's agenda.  I will collect the forms as I check the the agendas on Monday.

Halloween: 

In the morning, we will be joining the K-2 classrooms for some Halloween fun and games. After lunch we will attend the school's Halloween dance, followed by a special class party! There is a school pumpkin carving contest on this day, if you choose to participate. Please see the pumpkin carving contest note for more details.
 *Our class is allowed to wear their Halloween costumes in the afternoon. 

Mystery Reader: 

Our Mystery Reader this week was Peter's mom, Annabelle! Annabelle read "BOO!" by Robert Munsch while the students enjoyed some delicious Halloween themed cookies! 

Home Project Friendly Reminder:
If you took part in the home project, you can send your car to school once completed. The race will take place at the end of the month, as we wrap our unit on Motion and Relative Position.

Photo Retakes:
Reminder photo retakes are on Wednesday, October 30th.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ms. Cameron

Week 7 Update

Breaking News: The Mystery Has Been Solved! 
Our Mystery Reader program is in full swing! Our little investigators have been very excited to hear the new Mystery Reader clue be revealed each morning. On Monday we welcomed our first Mystery Reader, Alyssa’s Grandma Darlene, who read “No Clean Clothes” by Robert Munsch.  On Friday we had a bonus Mystery Reader day, with two Mystery Reader guests, Myla's Grandma, Marina, and  Aidan’s mom, Amanda. Marina read "Swamp Water" by Robert Munsch and Amanda read "Pirates Don't Change Diapers!" by Melinda Long.  It’s so refreshing to have family and community members become part of our classroom on a weekly basis.

Check Out the Spelling Bees in Room 125! 
Since it is a short week, the students and I thought it would be best to write our spelling test on Monday, October 21^st, so they have the weekend to practice. I have introduced “Rainbow Writing” to our class, as a way for students to practice their spelling words at school or at home. The students roll a die, and use a key to determine what color of marker they will use to write out their spelling word. (Example: 1 = Red, 2 = Green, 3 = purple…) When you have written the word in all 6 colors, say the word aloud. Continue until you have written each spelling word in all of the colors.

*Supply Request*  Whiteboard Markers: I'm asking students to please bring their own whiteboard markers to school to use during Work on Writing and Word Work. Students have taken interest in practicing their writing on individual whiteboards, which I have supplied. However, there is not always enough white board markers available for everyone to practice this way at the same time. With cold and flu season among us, I believe it's in everyone's best interest to have their own set of white-board markers to use every day.

Parent Portal:
I have published all of your child’s assignment marks online, so you will be able to view them on Parent Portal, if you haven’t already done so. If you did not pick up your username and password from me already, you can stop by the office to pick up your log-in information. Otherwise, you will receive your parent portal information during the parent/teacher conference in November. Thank you for your patience in waiting for the information to be published for parent viewing.

Important Dates and Reminders:
Monday, October 21, 2013                            Spelling Test
Friday, October 25, 2013                               Green Day
Wednesday, October 30, 2013                       Photo Retakes