Happy Halloween!

We had a SPOOKTACULAR day today.  Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Mixed Media art

We finished off an art project today using mixed media (different types of paper), tempera paint, cut and paste skills, and some creativity.

These make me smile :-)

Grade 1 Fieldtrip

This message is for Grade 1 parents only!

There is a field trip form coming home today.  Our Grade 1s would like to accompany several other primary classes on a trip to Grouse Mountain.  The same form is going out to all parents; however, because we only have 7 in our group, there is one thing about the form that is different for us.  That is the request for 3 parent volunteers.  We can only accommodate 1 parent with free admission given the ratio established by Grouse Mountain.  If you would like to volunteer to join, I will sign you up on a first-come-first-served basis.

Also, even though we only get one free parent, we still have 7 bodies to transport.  As a result, I may have to ask for additional parent helpers to drive and drop off/pick up students.  If we need this, you could choose to JUST drop off and pick up OR accompany the classes on the field trip also, but at your own expense.

Please take a look at the field trip form for details and email me if you would like to help out and in what capacity.

FYI, I am not attending as I am here with the K's.  Our 1s will be joining with the other classes on this trip.

Thanks!

An exercise in self control...

Almost IRRESISTIBLE for a little boy.  A very tall, fully destructible tower….built by a girl.  They were salivating, poking it, and suddenly accident prone in the general area, but they didn't knock it over!  Self control at its finest.

Loved it!

Halloween

If your child would like to wear their costume at school on Friday, please send it with them to school - they will be putting it on over their clothes after lunch.  Please do not send makeup, mask, weapons or any costume parts that could become damaged before the big night.

I will be bringing cupcakes for a treat at the end of the day so you can skip sending their afternoon (2:30) snack that day if you wish.  Some children like to bring treats for all their friends and that is fine…we will decide on the fly if we will space the treats out over the day or just send them home…probably opting to send them home.

Parent Teacher Conference sign ups

This is what spaces are still available as of this moment…for those parents who do not come to the school, please email me with your preferred time and I will fill it in. The morning times should also be available so feel free to choose those even though they are blacked out.

Thanks

lmaclaren@sd44.ca

Pumpkins!

Thanks so much for sending your child in with a teeny tiny pumpkin.  We have used them to explore vocabulary, order, measure height and girth, graph, and compare.

Change of clothes

Please send a change of clothes with your child on Monday.  Lots of wet pants today and accidents do still happen at this age.  It is great if it is in another bag, separate from their backpack just to keep some available space in their school bag.

Some Art

We have some GREAT art up in the classroom right now and I know that many of you do not get a chance to stop by to check it out so here it is!

FYI, art at our level is about following instructions, practicing skills, adding detail, and trying out new things and materials.

Enjoy :-)

Cough and Cold Season

Lots of coughing, runny noses and red eyes in class today.  Please avoid sending your child to school when they are sick…the germs spread sooooo quickly.

It would be most helpful if everyone could send a box of kleenex to school - we go through a TON!

Thanks

Pumpkin Homework!

Beginning on Monday, we will be using pumpkins to do some math activities so please send your child to school with a teeny tiny pumpkin next week.  The best case scenario is that we get some variety in size and shape!

The pumpkin is too big if they need help carrying it.

Thanks :-)

Reminder

Photo orders are due this Thursday, October 23rd!

Choosing in the open Area Grade 1

Grade 1s began "choosing" in the open area with other primary classes this week.  During this time, they are able to explore stations related to current themes.  Things like, art, reading, writing, social studies, sciences, math, building, games, are all part of the fun!  They must try a new station each time and once we have rotated through each station, they are changed up to accommodate new themes.

This is an excellent time for them to connect with their peers, learn through play, and practice their skills.

The Bear Lady

Today we had a visit from Christine  Miller who works for the North Shore Black Bear Society.  Kindergarten students learned about bear habitats, bear behaviors, diet, and safety.  They also learned about how people can influence bear behavior and diet.  This weekend, you and your knowledgeable child may want to take a walk around your home to see if you might be unwittingly attracting bears.  A pamphlet is coming home today with a number to call if you would like Christine to visit with some tips and tricks for keeping bears wild.

Facts about bears learned today:  they are omnivores; they use their lips to pull berries; they eat food in prep for hibernation…not store food; baby bears are called cubs; they can smell garbage from very far away; if you encounter a bear, talk calmly to it while slowly backing away and then call NSBBS; bears are afraid of people; bird seeds, fruit trees, and garbage will attract bears to your house.

Grade 1s saw this presentation last year so we had our visitor attend while they were at Guided Reading.

Updates on Curriculum

So, we are trucking along…twists and turns along the way as I come to understand where the needs lie.      It is a 2 steps forward, 1 step backwards process in the beginning.  Just to keep you in the loop...

Today, we changed our math focus from patterns to number sense.  For Kindergarten, this means learning about and using numbers to 10 including:

• counting to 10 forwards and backwards to 0
• counting on to 10 from a point (i.e., 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
• making sets (7 things to go with the number 7)
• one more, one less (I see you have 6 - how many do you have if I take 1 away)
• recognizing familiar arrangements of dots at a glance (dice)

For Grade 1s the outcomes are the same or similar, however we go up to 20 and also include use of symbols (+ and =) and learning number words (4-four, etc.).

Reminder

Kindergarten children are dismissed at 12:00 today!

Scholastic

Scholastic magazines will come home with your child once per month.  If you choose to order some books through the magazine, please fill out the order form and return to me with a cheque ASAP.  The order will arrive to the school and be sent home with your child.  Every time you order, scholastic deposits credits into my account which I use yearly to enrich the classroom.

Thanks!

Guided Reading

Grade 1 children went to their Guided Reading groups for the first time yesterday.  They will be receiving homework for this that will be coming home in a folder labeled, "guided reading." They will also be receiving homework bags specifically for guided reading - the school has run out of these bags and they are currently on order.  They will come home as soon as we have them.

Snacks and Lunches

One of our learning objectives in K/1 is knowing about nutrition and how it benefits the our bodies.  As a result, we have a pretty structured plan for eating our snacks and lunches!  Here's what it looks like:

• We eat 4 times per day
• The first snack is at 10:40 and should be good brain/body food.  Things like fresh fruits and vegetables and protein-based foods like cheese and yogurt.
• We also eat half our lunch at about 12:00.  Most of them would also like to have something else to munch on at this time - think something similar to the morning snack.
• The other half is eaten after lunch recess.  This schedule ensures that they finish all their lunch.
• The last snack of the day is at 2:30.  At this time they can eat any treats or "empty" foods they have.  Things like crackers, chips, cookies, granola bars, apple sauce, etc.
• My hope is that they learn to make good choices in nutrition throughout the day.  The message is that treats are ok, but in moderation and only at certain times of day.
• And that…FRESH IS ALWAYS BEST.

Friday activities

Below are some pics of a typical Friday morning activity - we aim for Fridays to be quite relaxed and with as many special/different activities as possible.  This is our day to reflect on the week past, USE what we have learned to engage in fun activities like board games, dice games, phonics activities, etc. and enjoy our time together socially.  We often watch an educational video on this day, play drama games, use iPads, do art projects, and go on walks later in the year (particularly to go berry picking).  TGIF!

iPads and Gym…separately of course

Starting some new things today and wanted to share.  I know for Kindergarten parents, our days are particularly mysterious!

We have some assigned blocks of time for use of iPads in the classroom.  Today, we started out with a lesson on the home button and practiced our skills on Bugs and Buttons (math app).

Later on, we had our second gym time and practiced ball skills like rolling and bouncing (safety first!) in preparation for playing dodgeball next week.

Curriculum Information for Grade 1

Below is some basic information on the Grade 1 Curriculum that may be of interest.  Please email me with any questions.  Please note that Grade 1 curriculum is an extension of Kindergarten.  They share many things so it is worth reading both lists.

Language Arts

Broken up into 3 strains

• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking and Listening

Reading curriculum 

• developing decoding strategies
• making connections to texts
• identifying story elements

Writing curriculum

• writing short passages like lists
• using basic punctuation and simple sentence construction
• printing legible letters and words

Speaking and Listening

• recite poems and stories
• present ideas clearly and work collaboratively
• Retelling and repeating information and ideas
• acquire and use new vocabulary
• discuss feelings related to learning experiences and texts
• exchange ideas with others

Math

• Numbers to 20
• Patterns
• equalities and inequalities
• measurement using comparison
• attributes of 2D and 3D objects

Science

• communicate observations, experiences, and thinking in a variety of ways
• classify objects, events, and organisms
• classify lilting and non living things
• basic needs of plants and animals and how they are met in the environment
• force and motion
• friction
• magnetism
• concept of change

Social Studies

• maps
• families
• symbols of Canada
• self governance
• community
• environment

Health and Career

• goal-setting
• personal skills and interests
• healthy living
• friendship
• dealing with conflict
• terminology for private parts
• appropriate and inappropriate touching
• safety
• recognizing and refusing unsafe substances

PE

• parts of the body involved in physical activity
• choices that support physical activity
• benefits of physical activity
• movement skills like kicking, two-handed catch, and striking a stationary object with an implement
• safety

Art

• Using art supplies and materials safely and effectively
• experimenting with new techniques and materials
• participating in drama activities
• using appropriate audience etiquette
• showing appreciation and respect for the work of others
• participating in dance
• using movement to convey an idea or emotion
• creating 2D and 3D images

Kindergarten Curriculum

Below is some basic information on the Kindergarten Curriculum that may be of interest.  Please email me with any questions.

Language Arts

Broken up into 3 strains

• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking and Listening

Reading curriculum 

•  reading occurs from front to back, left to right and top to bottom
• common/sight word recognition
• understanding of terms like, "title," and "author."
• using pictures to aid understanding
• retelling
• sequencing story events
• making predictions and inferences
• distinguishing between letters and words
• Alphabet recognition

Writing curriculum

• letter formation
• phonetic/sound-based "invented spelling"
• writing of some common/sight words
• producing detailed drawings that tell a story

Speaking and Listening

• Rhyming
• Compound words (butterfly, snowman, etc.)
• Phonemes (letter sounds)
• Syllables
• Speaking clearly and audibly
• Speaking in more complex sentences
• Using descriptive words to talk about objects
• incorporating new/learned language into everyday speaking

Math

• Counting
• patterns
• sorting
• properties of 3D objects (round, pointy, square)
• recognizing common arrangements up to 5 (dice)
• Measurement
• Number awareness

Science

• use the 5 senses (see, hear, touch, feel, smell)
• make and record observations
• life cycles
• experimentation
• curiosity
• Changes that occur in nature (seasons)
• recycling
• properties of objects

Social Studies

• Governance of classroom, school, and self
• exploring the idea of community
• technology
• culture

Health and Career

• making choices
• becoming independent
• what it means to have jobs and responsibilities
• showing thoughtful, caring, kind behavior
• developing positive friendships/relationships
• safety and injury prevention
• inappropriate touching
• terminology for male and female body parts

PE

• Safety
• Movement
• Fair play
• using equipment
• understanding why we need physical activity and how food and water contribute to a healthy body

Art

• Using art supplies and materials safely and effectively
• experimenting with new techniques and materials
• participating in drama activities
• using appropriate audience etiquette
• showing appreciation and respect for the work of others
• participating in dance
• using movement to convey an idea or emotion
• creating 2D and 3D images

Volunteers

I only ask for volunteers for Field Trips or special events.  If you would like to volunteer your time, these are some things that parents have done in my classroom over the years and really enjoyed -  read a story, share something about your family's culture, lead an art activity, or showcase your career (I have had a dental hygienist, scuba diver, police officer, and others come in to talk about what they do).

Let me know if you have any ideas.

Sharing and Special Helper

Special Helper starts next week!  Here is what it looks like...

• Chosen at random each morning by drawing a stick with students' names on them
• Leads/teaches calendar
• Leads line-ups
• Is asked to model principled behavior throughout the day/set a good example for others (leadership)
• May be asked to run special errands like trips to the office, notes to other teachers, etc.
• May be asked to choose a book for read-alouds

Sharing also starts next week and it looks like this...

• Children are assigned sharing days which will stay the same until after Spring Break approximately (at that point, a new routine will be posted)
• On these days they can bring an item from home to share with the class
• This gives them the opportunity to talk about the things they love, the characteristics of objects, and have the experience of talking to a group of people.
• Please encourage your children to bring things that teach us something about them or teach us something in general.
• Examples would include, pictures of themselves or family, favourite book, a piece of art they created, an award or uniform from special activities, momento from a vacations, collections, and showcasing a talent (ballet moves, instrument they play, etc.).  Some of the most interesting sharing items I have seen over the years included found items like giant leaves, a rock in the shape of a heart, pinecones, shells, and non fiction books - the children LOVE to see this type of thing and it brings about all sorts of incidental learning.

The sharing schedule will be as follows:

Mondays - Jake, Charlie C., James

Tuesdays - Ethan, Keegan, Cole, Madeleine, Molly

Wednesdays - Lachlan, Mannix

Thursdays - Nathan, Bodhi, Charles, Isla, Dayton

Fridays - Zachary, Maya, Len

FYI, Grade 1s will share after recess so that the Kindergarten children get the benefit of hearing and seeing their Grade 1 leaders present to the group.  Kindergarten children will do their sharing at a time when Grade 1s are in the open area for choosing time.  We may work our way up to something different in the future.

If your child misses their sharing day due to illness, vacation, or forgetfulness, they can share the following day or wait for their next sharing day.

Meet the Teacher Night

Tonight is Meet the Teacher Night!  This is where you can hear information about the class, how we do things,  and ask any questions you might have.  Everything discussed tonight can also be found on the blog soon.

Cheers!