Reminders
Please return the signed brown envelop that your child’s progress report came home in during our first week back in January.
Monday January 21st: Ms. Reid will be teaching in the classroom on Monday. I have a mentoring day and will be developing curriculum with Cathy English and two other SD 19 teachers at the Museum.
February 7th: Field trip to the Museum
SCREEN TIME: This is a great article with suggestions on how to manage screens at home.
Common Sense Media is also a great place to go for checking movies, books, and video games in terms of age-appropriate content. They give a suggested age and also have details on the language used, violence/sex/drugs present, consumerism, and what positive role models or messages there are.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/school-year-screen-time-rules-from-a-teacher-0
Language
Students have settled into their Daily 5 routine. They have successfully learned ‘Read to Self’, ‘Work on Writing’, ‘Word Work/Study’, ‘Read to Someone’, and ‘Listen to Reading’. Each day during our Daily 5 time, students choose the order in which they want to practice their literacy. Students generally have time for 3/5 options each day. I am able to conference individually with students or in small groups each day and set goals for reading and writing.
This term we will be starting reader’s theatre and potentially creating our own theatre using the puppets we made last term.
***WORD WORK/STUDY: word study work will be changing this term. Students will continue to work within their level on short vowels, blends, digraphs, long vowels etc. in class, but will also work on 8 specific high-frequency words each week that will be tested on Fridays. These 8 words will be written in their agendas each Monday so that you and your child can practice at home.
Reading: Students learned about metacognition this week and how we need to be thinking, connecting, predicting, visualizing and inferring while we read. This is what good readers do! We will continue to study connecting through Reading Power in the months to come.
Raz kids online home reading accounts were sent home before the holidays. Encourage your child to spend some time reading online as well as reading books and reading with you!
HOME READING : Starting this week!
Dear Families,
Snuggle up and read with your child!
I cannot stress enough how important it is for students to reading at home. The purpose of a home reading program is to help “grow readers”, children who read competently and independently purely for the joy of reading! I encourage students to read for a minimum of 20 minutes each night. In each home reading bag there is a reading logbook that can be filled out each night.
Books
Any book can be included and recorded as part of the classroom Home Reading program. These include personal books, magazines, comic books, graphic novels, books from the classroom or library (school or public). In the case of novels, each chapter (or 20-minute reading session) can count for an entry in the logbook.
Record Sheet
When your child has read for 20 minutes, completed a book, or 1-2 chapters, they can fill out an entry in their logbook. Please help them to do this.
Book Exchange
Home Reading bags/books/logbooks must be returned to school every Friday. Students will choose new home reading books at the beginning of every week to take home.
Care of Books
I ask for your assistance in ensuring that the books are handled with care, as most of the books in my classroom library are from my personal library. Some of the classroom books are old and with your cooperation they will be enjoyed for many years to come! Please keep the books in a safe place and transport them to and from school in the plastic bag I have provided.
I hope you and your child will enjoy the time spent together as you explore the magical world of books!
Thank you,
Ms. Langille
Writer’s Workshop: This week students will continue learning about mapping. Most students have mapped their bedrooms and will continue writing a descriptive piece to match their map work. Students are working on creatively describing their space!
Ask your child about GUM!
French Pilot Project: Every Wednesday afternoon. Students are learning basic French language through songs and games.
Library: Tuesdays at 11:10am.
Read Aloud: We are reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets written by J.K. Rowling.
Math
Our classroom bank and currency has been up and running for a few weeks now. Students have been learning how to handle money, earn money (through classroom jobs, care of materials, being your best tickets), save money and make change in the classroom. Students will be able to purchase for time for work they really enjoy, such as ‘listen to reading’, ‘drawing time’, ‘read to self’, ‘work on writing’, and ‘read to someone’ time.
I recently ordered many new manipulatives for our study of mathematics. I am so excited to teach the students how to use the materials to strengthen their foundational knowledge in math. I am in the process of hopefully getting permission to purchase more math materials for the classroom.
Students have been practicing their numeracy using various manipulatives in the classroom. Students will be learning about place value and practicing their number concepts before moving into static addition.
Students will begin learning geometry this week!
Science
Salmon Study: All of our Chinook salmon eggs have hatched into alevin! Students will finish up their science work on this life cycle stage before we begin learning about the fry stage.
Social Studies
We are continuing to study ourselves with the hope that understanding ourselves will lead to a greater understanding of the people in our community and the world. This week we will continue to explore our likes and dislikes as well as our emotions and feelings.
Arts Education
Music: Wednesdays, 8:30am with Mrs. Snider
Gym
Mondays (nature walk through the back woods with myself), Tuesdays (Mrs. Snider), Thursdays (Mr. MacKenzie): 8:30am
Classroom Community
This week we will begin Play is the Way. Students will be learning various games to support the core competencies outlined in the curriculum.