THURSDAY IS FLASHLIGHT READING TIME!

Please bring a flashlight on October 31 as all reading groups will be participating in fun activities for Halloween! 

Also, if your child wishes to wear a costume for the day, they may - as long as they are able to participate in learning activities and they are not dressed in violent themes.  Please no blood.
Please leave all masks at home as well as extra things such as brooms, wands, swords etc.
We don't want them going missing or getting broken before the big night!

We are looking forward to a spookactular celebration!

Social Studies project - picture/photo request (optional)

As part of our studies in Social Studies, students are exploring who they are now in order to explore and compare with changes that have happened to them in the past.  Please see curriculum newsletter for further details.

They will be completing their own page(s) in their creative journals on the following topics:

- my family
- groups I belong to (soccer, choir, Girl Guides, Scouts, church, etc.)
- my favorite animals, color, food
- something I don't like

If you wish to add to this project you may want to provide your child with one or some of the following (this is optional):

A small picture of your child
A small picture of the family
A picture, magazine cutout or photo of something from the above list

Students will be drawing, writing and reflecting on these subjects using prompts and activities about how the present relates to things in the past in their personals lives and family histories.  We will be using the story of their names (remember this homework assignment from September?) to start this discussion. 

The picture below shows all these topics together to give you ideas - students will be creating their own format and pages to reflect the same information in their own way (and with more space!)

Thanks for your support.

Addition Strategies

Students were refining their strategies for addition and used the 100's chart to help them solve addition questions to 20 (Grade 1's) and to 100 (Grade 2's).

We learned that each row is 10.
Move down one square and that's also 10.
That we can break 2 digits numbers down into 10's and 1's to help us use the 100's chart.
(For example, 17 is one square down and 7 squares to the right.)

Some Grade 2's took this a step further and were using the chart to subtract - using reverse operations to check their answers.  We will be starting subtraction strategies sometime next week.

Next strategy:  using a number line to find the sum and difference.

PE checklist & PT conferences

Please check backpacks for a small slip of paper that outlines observations from Physical Education class.  Please review this with your child, sign it and send it back.  We will be using it to make goals for the term.

If you haven't already booked a parent teacher conference time for Thursday or Friday, please do so as soon as possible.  If you have difficulties accessing the system, please let me know.

Looking forward to seeing you at conferences!

Friday Message

Hello parents of Room 13!

We have had a BUSY week this week.
A few things to note:

I will not be sending home TWAS this week as we have been working on writing samples to put up in the hallway for you to see next week. 

The Math  MAKE 10 & 20 Assessments are coming home today- thanks for your patience.
These are based on what I have observed this week and last week while students played a Math game.  They are only a snapshot of one activity - your child may perform differently when in a large group discussion or completing a different activity.  These are the skills that they are actively using - next week I will be working with groups of students to refine these skills and fill in gaps.  Try playing the game at home with your child to practice these skills.

Have a great weekend!

Dismissal starting October 21

Dear Families,

Hand to hand dismissal it typically part of Kindergarten dismissal protocol. We have extended this courtesy to all of our grade 1 and 2 families for the beginning of this school year. Starting on October 21st, grade 1 and 2 students will be dismissed at the end of the day from their classrooms by the teacher. Teachers will not be standing at the door to ensure you are there waiting for your child. This is a great next step for many students to build their sense of independence and responsibility.


We know that you always strive to be on time but it is important to help your child consider what to do if you are not there at the end of the day. Some topics you may want to discuss with your child:
· What will they do if you are late?
· Will they go with an arranged adult or to a spot?
· How long should they wait before they go to the front of the school to get help from the office?
· Where should they play while they wait?


We will continue to support our students with their independence and their sense of safety by:
· Classroom discussions about safety
· Coaching students about where to go if they find themselves outside the school building without their class, a staff member, or a parent
· Identifying safe adults in the building and on the playground identified with CBE and CJP badges



If you have any questions or concerns please contact your child’s teacher.



Thank you,

The Grade 1 and 2 team

Tuesday, Oct. 15 - PATTERNS DAY TOMORROW!

We did not get all of the Math notes ready to go home (see last post) so they will be coming home tomorrow! 


TOMORROW IS PLENTY OF PATTERNS DAY - please excited us with your crazy socks, shirts, pants etc. showing patterns!!!


Scent Centres

We have been exploring the Sense of Smell in Science . (Whoa!  That's a lot of S's!)

We have 6 centers that we are gradually working through.

There is a center in which we drew and wrote about our favorite food.  Some examples were pizza, donuts, chicken wings etc.  We had to use senses words in our descriptions.

There is also a center where we got to wear funny nose glasses and sniff out "smelly" words and facts from our books.  For example we found "breath - someone held their breath for 22 minutes - in the book, not in our class!"

The tea group gets to sniff mystery teabags  and tries to match them with labelled teabags.  This was tricky as a lot of them were fruit teas.

We will tell you about the other three centers tomorrow.

Right now, get into your closets and find some crazy patterns to wear tomorrow.

Tuesday Math notes coming home

Another week is beginning in Room 13!

In Math we have been exploring representing addition and showing it in a variety of ways.
Students in Grade 1 have been working through centers and Grade 2's have had individualized "I CAN" tasks that they are still working on.  By the end of the week it is my intention to have their work sent home for you to look at - I will let you know of the day it is coming.

For now, please look in your child's red folder for a description of their participation in the "Make 10" or "Make 20" game.  This will give you a good indication of how they are using their addition skills in the context of a fun card game with another student. 

The paper looks like this:

STUDENT NAME: _______________________________ Date:  ________________________________ 

Grade 1:  While playing Make 10 or Make 20 I can: 

1	2	3	4
Add quantities by counting all or counting three times	Add or subtract quantities by counting on	Add quantities using a variety of strategies	Use mental math for addition.

Make 10 or Make 20 is a card game played with a partner.  It is very similar to the popular card game GO FISH except that students are making pairs of numbers that make 10 (or 20) when added together instead of identical suits or numbers.  Students playing Make 20 can use more than 2 cards if needed to make 20. 

STUDENT NAME: _______________________________ Date:  ________________________________ 

Grade 2:  While playing Make 20 I can: 

1	2	3	4
Add quantities to 20 using concrete materials or visual representations	Solve addition problems involving sums within 100 using concrete or visual materials	Solve addition and subtraction problems using appropriate and efficient strategies (including number fact recall and mental math) and record the process symbolically	Solve complex addition problems using appropriate and efficient strategies (including number fact recall and mental math) and record the process symbolically

Make 20 is a card game played with a partner.  It is very similar to the popular card game GO FISH except that students are making pairs of numbers that make 20 when added together instead of identical suits or numbers.  Students playing Make 20 can use more than 2 cards if needed to make 20. 

This game is extended for Grade 2’s  who record their scores on a white board and add them up until one person reaches 100. 

Please remember:  addition skills are worked on all year.  Their participation in this game does not reflect their entire understanding of addition as we have much more to explore, and it is one assessment amongst many.  This is shared only for you to be aware of your child's current functioning - most students will improve in this area as the strategies and skills are practised and reinforced.  If you are concerned, please email me.

Thanks for your support!

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend and Notes to Sign and Return

Tomorrow, Friday, October 11 is a PD day and there are no classes.
As well, Monday is a holiday and there are no classes.

TWAS will be coming home tonight - please remember to sign, comment and return for next Tuesday.  We have incorporated the senses into our writing this week.

From time to time, various assignments will be coming home in your child's red folder.
If there is a SIGN AND RETURN stamp on it - please review it with your child, sign and return it promptly as we will be using it in class.

Please review them with your child, asking them what they learned and how they could improve.
It is good for them to practice verbalizing their learning in different settings.  It is more difficult to explain a concept at home when there is not the background knowledge of understanding that is in place in the classroom.  Please remember this when talking with your child if they are unable to recall a concept or response - this does not mean they didn't learn anything!  Try helping them recalling information by telling them what you see and prompting with broader questions such as:   "It looks like you were working on how the brain works.  What do you know about the brain?"

This week assignments from our Health unit on Growth and Fixed Mindset will be sent home.
They need to be signed and returned on Tuesday so we can glue them into our Creative Journals.
I have highlighted answers that need attention in yellow so that you can review these with your child.

Some students also have SOUND/LETTER/ACTION check in sheets coming home to sign and return.  These are the sounds we have been reviewing to date and shows how much your child has retained of the concepts covered.  We will be assessing these on an on-going basis.

Students that have shown they are confident with there sound/letter combinations will not be receiving these assessments.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!