What's happening in grade 1/2
Week of June 18th- June 22nd
Literacy/Science:
This week students will be learning about:
-the needs of animals
-various animal coverings and their function/importance
-various animal parts and how they are adapted/suited for that particular animal
-different animal habitats
Students will also continue to monitor their sunflowers which were planted last week.
Math:
Grade 1: Students will continue to become familiar with non-standard measurements and different standard units. They will be exploring their world using these two different types of measurement.
Grade 2: Students will continue to use direct and indirect measurement to solve problems. Students will be comparing and ordering objects by length, height, and mass (weight), using nonstandard units, and make statements of comparison.
Week of June 11th- 15th
Literacy/Science:
This week students will be learning about:
-the needs of plants
-the life cycle of plants
-the different parts of a plant and their function
-the various uses of plants
Students will also be growing their very own sunflower! Over the next couple of weeks students will observe their sunflower, watching how it changes from a tiny seed into a beautiful flower! (Ms. B's favourite:) )
Math:
Grade 1: This week students will be finishing up our geometric unit by finding real life examples of each of the shapes that we have been studying. We will be moving on to our next unit which is Measurements! In this unit students will begin to understand indirect vs. direct measurements and how they are different. They will compare objects using language such as larger than or smaller than and will order them based on this criteria. Both standard (cm, mm) and non-standard (everyday objects) will be used to measure various objects.
Grade 2: This week students will be moving on to their next unit in Mathematics: Measurements. In this unit students will use direct and indirect measurement to solve problems. This week students will be introduced to measurement and discuss how we use measurement in our everyday lives. Students will be measuring various objects using both standard units and non- standard units.
Important Dates:
June 28th- Final Report Cards: if your child is not going to be here on June 28th, please arrange an addressed and stamped envelope to be provided to the office.
Week of June 4th - June 8th
Literacy/Social Studies:
This week students will be exploring change in the future. We will be discovering and imagining what University Elementary School will be like 50 years in the future and what might have changed. As well, students will also be exploring the concept of change in general and whether change is a positive or negative concept in their lives.
Math:
Grade 1: This week students will be completing their Quadrilateral Cities. They will finish by gluing their cardstock shapes onto their final copy maps.
Grade 2: This week students will be completing the final stage of their Geometrocity! Students have completed their 3D nets and will now attach them onto their community map. Be sure to check out the photo gallery for pictures of the final product!
Science:
This week students will be starting their final unit in Science: The Needs of Plants and Animals. In this unit students learn about living things and what they need to live and grow. By studying a variety of living things, students become familiar with similarities and differences and develop skills for describing and classifying what they see. As the topic progresses, attention is focused on how living things survive, what they need and how their needs are met. Through the topic, students become aware that groups of living things have some common needs and that different animals and plants meet those needs in different ways. Students also learn about their own responsibility in caring for living things.
Important Dates:
June 4th- Volunteer Tea 10:30-11:30
June 8th- Final Pizza Lunch
Week of May 28th - June 1st
Literacy/Social Studies
This week is a very important week for University Elementary School with it's 50th Anniversary happening on Wednesday, May 31st. The students have been learning about the school in the past and what it looked like when it was first built. We will be focusing on birthdays and why they are important for not only people but for communities as well!
Math:
Grade 1: Last week students began a project called Quadrilateral City. This involved using various quadrilateral shapes (shapes with only 4 sides) to build the different aspects of a community. They have begun the first stage which is to build a rough draft plan. This week many students will move on to the second stage of a final product.
Grade 2: This week students will continue to work on their Geometrocity! All groups have begun the final stage of their project- building 3D nets to bring their communities to life!
Physical Education:
This week students will begin our soccer unit. Students will learn the rules and skills required by soccer such as: only using your feet, the different positions and playing as a team. Team building games are especially important because they can be translated into every day life and how to cooperate. Students will begin to master the skill of moving an object without using your hands.
Important Dates:
May 28th- Field Trip- Glenbow Museum (9:00 am- 3:00pm)
May 31st- 50th Anniversary Celebration (6:00 pm - 8:00pm)
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Week of May 22nd - May. 25th
Literacy/Social Studies
This week we are taking our learning outside the classroom! This year we have been learning about many different types of communities. To help further our knowledge of our neighborhood and natural community, we will be going on a community walk on Tuesday, May 22nd. While out in our community, we will be discussing all the ways University Heights has changed over the last 50 years.
Math:
Grade 1: This week students will continue to explore 2D and 3D shapes including the sides, faces, and vertices of each shape.
Grade 2: This week students will continue to work on their Geometrocity! All groups have begun the final stage of their project- building 3D nets to bring their communities to life!
Health:
Students will continue to learn about how to make responsible and informed choices to maintain health and to promote safety for self and others. This week students will be learning about the importance of daily exercise and describe the health benefits of physical activity.
Physical Education:
Continuing with our skipping unit and the beautiful weather, students will practice their skills individually. They will continue to be reminded and remember all of the safety rules involved with the activity of skipping. Once they have learned and become comfortable with skipping forwards, students will begin to explore skipping tricks such as backwards skipping, skipping on one foot, and skipping while traveling forwards. If your child has a skipping rope please send it to school with them.
Important Dates:
May 22nd- Community Walk (10:45-12:00)
May 28th- Field Trip- Glenbow Museum (9:00 am- 3:00pm) - STILL NEED VOLUNTEERS!
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Week of May 14th - 18th
Math:
Grade 1:
Students will continue with the geometry unit this week. This week they will apply the knowledge learned about vertices and sides to 3-D shapes. They will also explore 3-D shapes in their environment and learn the equivalents of the 2-D shapes already learned.
Grade 2: This week students will continue to work on their Geometrocity! All groups have begun to transfer their design to their good copy (large chart paper). By the end of the week students will begin building their 3D shapes out of nets to complete the final stage of construction.
Writing
This week students will explore functional writing using our playground structure as a focus. Asking questions such as: What do you see? What do you think? What do you wonder?, students will explore their playground environment and what makes it important to them. Students will practice accurately sketching their environment and what they see.
Health:
Having learned about what germs are and how they spread, this week students will learn about the importance of washing hands and how to wash your hands properly. We will also spend some time discussing proper dental hygiene and why it is important to brush your teeth!
Physical Education:
Continuing with our skipping unit and the beautiful weather, students will practice their skills individually. They will continue to be reminded and remember all of the safety rules involved with the activity of skipping. Once they have learned and become comfortable with skipping forwards, students will begin to explore skipping tricks such as backwards skipping, skipping on one foot, and skipping while traveling forwards. If your child has a skipping rope please send it to school with them.
Important Dates:
May 18th - No School
May 21st - No School
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Week of May 7th- May 11th
Math:
Grade 1:
Students will continue with the geometry unit this week. We will continue to learn the names of each of the shapes and understand what makes that shape unique. Students will learn the term vertices and will sort each shape according to this rule. Students will also begin to understand how 3-D shapes are different from 2-D shapes and build and explore them.
Grade 2:
To wrap up our Geometry Unit students will be building a Geometrocity! A Geometrocity is a project based learning activity where students will take their geometry skills and design their own city. Students will be creating a city that uses 2D and 3D, practicing both plane and solid geometry. This project allows for students to practice and apply learned skills in geometry while problem solving and making decisions based on their own knowledge, creativity, and imagination. Students will utilize many types of geometric concepts such as nets to create buildings and structures, designing parts of a city with shapes, lines, angles, and incorporating multiple skills at the same time to reach their objectives. This project doesn’t just focus on math skills, as there are components of social studies (mapping skills), writing, problem solving and comprehension skills too.
Social Studies:
This week students will continue learning about University Elementary School in the past and comparing it to the present.
Science:
This week students will be partaking in a final project to complete are Boats and Buoyancy Unit. With the help of Mr. Banke, students will be designing, constructing and testing their very own tug boat.
Health:
Students will continue to learn about how to make responsible and informed choices to maintain health and to promote safety for oneself and others. Specially, students will learn/demonstrate positive hygiene and health care habits (i.e learning habits to reduce germ transmission, habits for dental hygiene etc...)
Physical Education:
With the beautiful weather (finally!) students will be starting a unit on skipping this week! Using skipping ropes, students will become familiar with the tools and will learn how to properly skip forwards. Students will learn to be self aware of the safety aspects of skipping as well as the space needed for the activity and those around them. We hope to practice skills including but not limited to: moving a distance while skipping, group skipping with a large skipping rope, and backwards skipping. If your child owns a skipping rope, please send it to school with them for this unit.
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Week of April 30th - May 4th
Literacy/Social Studies:
Beginning this week, students will be going in to the past. We will be beginning by looking at what University Elementary School and the surrounding area looked like before it was developed and the specific characteristics of the Prairie region that we live in. Students will begin to understand how communities change over time and develop.
Mathematics:
Grade 1: This week students will begin the Geometry unit. Beginning with 2D shapes, students will recognize, identify, explore, and construct shapes including triangles, squares, rectangles, circles, hexagons etc.
Grade 2: This week students will continue with Geometry and explore 2D and 3D shapes. Students will be describing the characteristics of 3D objects and 2D object and analyzing the relationships between them. Students will also be constructing both 2D and 3D shapes, including but not limited to triangles, squares, rectangles, circles, cubes, spheres, cones, cylinders, pyramids.
Science:
Students will continue to explore Boats and Buoyancy. Specifically students will be:
-Assembling materials so they will float, carry a load and be stable in water
-Modifying a watercraft to increase the load it will carry
-Modifying a watercraft to increase its stability in water
-Evaluating the appropriateness of various materials to the construction of watercraft, in particular:
-the degree to which the material is waterproof (not porous)
-the ability to form waterproof joints between parts
-the stiffness or rigidity of the material
-the buoyancy of the material.
-Develop or adapt methods of construction that are appropriate to the design task.
Health:
For the next couple of weeks students will be learning about how to make responsible and informed choices to maintain health and to promote safety for oneself and others. Specially, students will learn/demonstrate positive hygiene and health care habits (i.e learning habits to reduce germ transmission, habits for dental hygiene etc...)
Physical Education:
Students continue to dance it up in the gym! Last week the students learned the Macarena! Students did a wonderful job remembering all the the steps! Be sure to ask your son/daughter to show you their moves! This week we will continue with our dance unit by learning the dance steps to the YMCA.
Important Dates:
April 30th - Scholastic Book orders due
May 2nd - Entrepreneurial Adventure ARF Fair
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Week of April 23rd- 27th
* Be sure to check out the new pictures added to the photo gallery! (scroll down to the bottom)**
Literacy/Science: It finally feels like Spring! Throughout the year students have been learning about how the changes in our environment occur in a regular pattern known as the seasons. Seeing as it is finally starting to look and feel like Spring students will be exploring the patterns of change which occur between Winter and Spring. Specifically students will be identifying and describing examples of plant and animal changes that occur on a seasonal basis:
-changes in form and appearance
-changes in location of living things
-changes in activity
-production of young on a seasonal basis
Students will also explore weather change, and how the ups and downs of weather affect their own lives. Looking beyond themselves and beyond the immediate weather, students will be guided to discover that there are larger patterns of change that affect the life habits of many living things. The interactions among different parts of the environment, and the recurrence of change as part of a cycle, are important science ideas that are introduced in this topic.
Math:
Grade 1: This week we will be finishing up the Number Sense Unit. Students will show their understanding of the various skills including: skip counting, conservation of number, addition, and subtraction. Games, practice questions, and manipulatives will all be used to show skill understanding.
Grade 2: This week students will be moving onto our next unit in math: Shape and Space- 3D Objects and 2D Objects. Students will be describing the characteristics of 3D objects and 2D shapes, and analyzing the relationships among them.
Earth Week :
Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22. Worldwide, various events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Our Earth Day walk is on Friday, April. 27th and we think it is important for students to learn about Earth Day and taking care of our environment. Students will learn about the different ways to protect our environment and the importance of taking responsibility for their individual choices and actions in regards to caring for our environment.
Physical Education:
The Grade ½’s have been dancing up a storm in gym! Last week the students learned the Bunny Hop Dance. This week students will be learning the dance to the Macarena. (Video will be uploaded to the website- too cute to miss!)
Important Dates:
Thursday, April 26th – Boats and Buoyancy Experiment- Ms. Plested’s Class
Friday, April 27th- Earth Day Walk- Wear Green, Blue and Brown
Week of April 16th- 19th
Literacy/Social Studies:
Continuing with our community unit, students will learn about which community they live in and why it is important. Next, students will learn about communities in the past. We will be focusing on University Elementary school and the surrounding area in the past and how it is different from the community today.
Mathematics:
Grade 1: This week students will begin their patterns and relations unit. Through practicing their addition and subtraction skills, students will begin to learn about equality as a balance and inequality as an imbalance. They will show their knowledge both concretely, pictorially, and through games.
Grade 2: This week students will be putting their math skills to the test by working with math word problems. Word problems are an important assessment tool as they show a students’ complete understanding of the math being taught. Students will be taught, “CUBES”, which are steps to help students solve the questions.
Science:
This week students will continue to learn about Boats and Buoyancy. So far students have explored items that float, sink and are buoyant. This week students will be developing/adapting methods of construction that are appropriate to the designed task and evaluating the appropriateness of various materials to their construction of their boat (the degree to which the material is waterproof, the ability to form waterproof joints between parts, and the buoyancy of the material). Students will also be learning about stability, discovering that wider boats are more stable than narrow boats.
Health:
Students will continue to learn about Canada’s Food Guide, focusing on healthy and non-healthy foods. Students will be creating their own healthy plate to show what they have learned.
Physical Education:
Continuing with our dance unit, students will be learning the bunny hop! Learning dance movements helps with gross motor and fine motor skills in Phys-Ed and other subjects as well.
Important Dates:
April 19th 4:30-7:30- Student Led Conferences, please book your appointments!
April 20th 8:00-1:00- Student Led Conferences, please book your appointments!
April 19 & 20- Scholastic Book Fair open. Closes April 19th at 12pm.
April 19 & 20- Bottle Drive: bring your bottles and place under the flag pole at the front of the school
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Week of April 9th- 13th
Literacy/Social Studies:
As we continue our Community unit, this week students will be learning about familiar landmarks and places in their community. Students will learn why these places are important and how they help to develop their community. It is important for students to understand that it is not only the people who make a community special and unique, but also the places within the community.
Mathematics:
Grade 1: This week students will continue the number sense unit with subtraction. Through the use of picture and object representation as well as games, students will practice subtraction questions in the single digits. Students will also continue to master their addition skills with sums up to 20.
Grade 2: This week we will be wrapping up our number sense unit. Students will be solving a given problem with a missing addend and describing the strategy he/she used. Students will also be solving a given problem involving a missing minuend or subtrahend and describing the strategies he/she used. Finally, students will be creating an addition or a subtraction number sentence and a problem for a given solution. You will be able to see your child’s number sense expertise at student-led conferences on April. 19th and 20th!
Science:
Our next unit in Science is Buoyancy and Boats. Students will explore what sinks and what floats, and what makes an effective watercraft. Through building and testing a variety of floating objects, students will learn the importance of selecting appropriate materials and the importance of workmanship in shaping, positioning, fitting and waterproofing their constructions, so they will do the intended job. Along the way, students will learn about balance and stability and about different methods that can be used in propelling a watercraft. The concept of density will be informally developed in this topic.
Health:
This week students will be learning about Canada’s Food Guide. The Food Guide emphasizes the importance of combining healthy eating and physical activity.
Each day students will learn about/focus on one of the four main groups in Canada’s Food Guide (vegetables and fruit, grain products, milk and alternatives and meat and alternatives). As a final task, students will create their own healthy plate to show what they have learned.
Physical Education:
Our next unit for Physical Education is Dance! Dance teaches the importance of movement and fitness in a variety of ways through a variety of disciplines. As well, dancers learn to coordinate muscles to move through proper positions. There are five elements of dance: body, space, energy, time and relationships. For grade ½, students will be focusing on Body and Space.
Important Dates:
Thursday, April 12th- Students completing art piece with Tracy Franks- Volunteers needed!
April 12 Jersey Day in support of Humboldt Broncos
April 14 Sign up for Student Led Conferences
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Week of April 3rd-6th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Mathematics:
Grade 1: This week, students will begin our subtraction unit. Students will begin to model subtraction questions using concrete 2-D and 3-D shapes, while recording answers pictorially and numerically. Students will develop their knowledge through various activities and mathematical games. As well, we will continue to master addition skills.
Grade 2:
Social Studies:
This week, students will begin to learn about community and the various communities that they belong to. It is important for students to understand that there are many different types of communities, and that an individual can belong to more than one community at once. As well, within a community there are many different aspects such as landmarks, symbols, responsibilities, and differences between the different types of communities. Through various activities and videos, students will begin to understand their communities around them and their roles within those communities.
Health:
This week, students will continue learning about the zones of regulation. They will learn about and develop a tool box of activities for getting into the expected zone when not in it. For example, if a child is in the yellow zone (silly) when they should be in the green zone (ready to learn), students will have tools and activities to do independently in order to get back into the green zone
Physical Education:
This week students will continue to demonstrate various skills through cooperative games such as throwing, catching, understanding of basic rules and fair play. These skills translate into other parts of a student's life and are important for students to master and understand. As well, hand-eye coordination skills that are developed through cooperative games are important for developing good writing, drawing, and colouring skills.
Art:
This week and next week, students have the opportunity of working with artist in residence Tracy Franks. The grade 1/2 communities will be creating an art piece that will be later installed in the library for the 50th anniversary of University Elementary School. Each student will create a clay piece that will be inspired by the concept of organic shapes, such as those found in nature. Once each clay piece is created and fired, students will paint the pieces.
Important Dates:
April 3- Students back at school
April 4- Plested/Bigras community working with Artist in Residence Tracy Franks
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Week of March 19th-23rd
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Science:
This week students will be wrapping up our creating colour unit! The students will be:
-creating a color that matches a given sample by mixing the appropriate amounts of two primary colors and/or mixing a primary colour with white or black.
-distinguishing colours that are transparent from those that are not. Students should recognize that some coloured liquids and gels can be seen through and are thus transparent and that other colours are opaque.
-comparing the effect of different thicknesses of paint. Students should recognize that a very thin layer of paint, or paint that has been watered down, may be partly transparent.
-demonstrating that colour can sometimes be extracted from one material to another
Mathematics:
Grade 1: Students will continue the number operations unit. We will continue to learn through word problems, games and to practice basic addition operations. It is important for students to have a good understanding of addition operations to prepare them for the upcoming subtraction operations unit. They will continue to develop their understandings through the use of manipulatives and text.
Grade 2: This week students will be moving on to subtraction. Students will be modeling subtraction using concrete objects and pictures and recoding their process symbolically. Students will be learning various subtraction strategies and applying them to various activities and engaging mathematical games. Mathematical games encourage students to explore number combinations, place value, patterns, and other important mathematical concepts. Furthermore, they afford opportunities for students to deepen their mathematical understanding and reasoning.
Health:
This week, students will be introduced to the Zones of Regulation. The Zones of Regulation are a tool that help students to learn the ability of directing how their emotions are demonstrated behaviorally in positive ways. Students gain tools for self-control, anger management, and impulse control. Through these tools, students are able to positively regulate their emotions so they can help themselves when they become stressed, anxious, or sad.
Within the Zones of Regulation, there are four zones. The green zone is when a child is good to go and ready to learn. They may feel happy, calm, and focused. The yellow zone describes when a child may start to lose control, such as when they are frustrated, anxious, worried, silly, or surprised. The red zone is for extreme emotions such as terror, anger, and aggression, while the blue zone is when a child's body might be running slow such as when tired, sick, sad, or bored.
As all children will experience each of these zones, it is important that we teach them tools to identify their feelings and how their behaviours influence others. The goal is for children to be able to self-regulate and get into the correct zone for the correct situation. At school, the correct zone is most often the green zone.
This week, we will be focusing on what each zone is, as well as what it looks like and feels like for each child. It is important to first understand the emotion being felt in order to accurately understand which tools should be used.
Physical Education:
This week students will demonstrate various skills through cooperative games such as throwing, catching, understanding of basic rules and fair play. Games strengthen a student's understanding of fair play and following basic rules while being safe. They also allow a student to learn and demonstrate other skills at the same time.
Important Dates:
March 23- PD Day, No School: Start of Spring Break
March 26-April 2- Spring Break, No School
April 3- Students back at school
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Week of March 12th- 16th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy:
This week students will be using wordless picture books to explore and develop stories, ideas and experiences. Wordless picture books allow students to connect to their prior knowledge without boundaries that other stories place on students making connections to text. They provide students will an opportunity for literacy-rich conversations. Each student will be using the book to create their own story in their own words.
Mathematics:
Gr. 1: Students will continue the number operations unit. We will continue to learn through word problems and to practice basic addition operations. As well, students will be introduced to two-digit addition operations this week. They will continue to develop their understandings through the use of manipulatives and text.
Gr. 2: This week students will continue to explore and use the associative property of addition as well as the commutative property of addition. Students will apply their knowledge and understanding of the addition properties to answer math word problems as well as create their own math word problems.
Science:
Creating colour! This week students will be identifying colours in a variety of natural and manufactured objects and comparing and contrasting colours using terms such as lighter than, darker than, more, blue, brighter than. Students will also be ordering a group of coloured objects based on a given colour criterion.
Social Studies:
This week, students will complete their birth stories, and finish up our unit of "Who Am I?".
Important Dates:
-Friday, March 16th- School Spirit Day- Wear Green!
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Week of March 5th-9th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy:
This week, students will be continuing to investigate functional writing techniques in preparation for a descriptive writing task. Students will examine various objects and use descriptive words and various sentence leads to write about the objects. By completing this kind of writing, students learn how to examine things critically, and give a detailed report about their surroundings. We will be continuing to encourage students to take more risks by using the found text in the classroom such as the word wall or examples written on the classroom whiteboard, as well as sounding out words while writing.
Mathematics:
Grade 1: Students will continue their number sense and addition skills this week. We will be continuing with adding doubles and will extend addition learning by working together to complete Math word problems. Students will continue to develop their understanding through text and manipulatives.
Grade 2: This week students will continue to demonstrate their understanding of addition (limited to 1 and 2 digit numbers) with answers to 100. Specifically, students will be using the associative property of addition, learning that grouping a set of numbers in different ways does not affect the sums. In addition, students will be using the commutative property of addition, learning that the order in which numbers are added does not affect the sum. Students will continue to develop their mental mathematics strategies for basic addition facts to 18 by concluding each math lesson with a math game called, “Around the World”. Ask your son/daughter what it involves!
Social Studies:
The students are continue to present their birth stories and learning about how these stories are part of their identities. The students are also finishing up comparing the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. The students are looking at how the Olympics has changed over the last thirty years.
Physical Education:
This week we are wrapping up our basketball unit. The students have been learning to shoot the basketball and this week the students are going to have an opportunity to play mini basketball games.
Important Dates:
March 13th- Scholastic Book Orders Due
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Week of February 26- March 2nd
Literacy:
This week in writing, we will be working on functional writing such as describing an event or object, telling what happened in a specific situation, or reading responses. Students will also continue to develop their writing by recognizing that the use of various sentence starters and using and/or/because to strengthen their ideas will enrich their writing. We will be encouraging students to take more risks by using the found text in the classroom such as the word wall or examples written on the classroom whiteboard, as well as sounding out words while writing.
10
Mathematics Grade 1:
Students will continue to work on their addition skills with sums up to 20 by exploring various strategies for adding such as counting on or using visual aids. We will continue to strengthen these skills with games, rote practice, and partner work.
Mathematics Grade 2:
This week students will demonstrate an understanding of addition (limited to 1 and 2 digit numbers) with answers to 100. Students will be taught addition with regrouping with and without the support of manipulatives. Students will be solving addition problems in both horizontal and vertical formats.
It is important to continue to read with your child every night and return all home reading books. We continue to read every day in the classroom and believe it is essential for reading to be continued at home. Also, please read and sign your child’s agenda book. This is a form of communication between parents and or/ guardians and your child’s teacher. We appreciate all the work that you do in helping your child be the best that he/she can be!
Social Studies:
The students will continue to present our birth stories as part of demonstrating an understanding of their personal identity as well as their identity within their own families.
Physical Education:
This week the students will be continuing to refine their ball skills in Basketball. We are going to start working on the skill of shooting the basketball with the goal of playing mini-basketball games at the end of this unit.
Important Dates:
Wednesday- Friendship Assembly- wear pink!
Friday- Pizza Lunch
Week of February 20th-23rd
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
It is an exciting week in the Bigras/Plested/Harker learning community! Lots happening this week starting with Ms. Bigras’ class going to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame on Tuesday! On Wednesday, February 21st it will be our 100th day of learning! We will be completing all sorts of fun math and literacy activities on that day. We will also be exploring all the different ways students made his/her 100th day collection! Don’t’ forget to dress up as a 100 year old person that day to add to the fun! Lastly, on Friday, February 23rd University School will be having their Olympic Sports Day.
Literacy:
Ms. Bigras’ Class- This week Ms. Bigras’ class will finishing up their study of hockey. Students will continue to use various resources such as picture books, multimedia resources and fellow classmates who play (including Ms. B for ten years!) to learn, explore and record facts about hockey.
Ms. Plested/Harker's Class- This week our class will be finishing their study of figure skating in the Olympics. Using all of the knowledge that students have acquired about the sport, we will create a station for EUS' Olympic Sports Day!
Mathematics:
Grade 1: Continuing number sense, students will continue to develop their addition skills. We will be moving into adding doubles this week up to 20 and continuing with +1 and +2 addition sentences.
Grade 2: This week students will continue to develop their number sense. Students will be applying addition strategies they have learned thus far to various activities and engaging mathematical games. Mathematical games can also encourage students to explore number combinations, place value, patterns, and other important mathematical concepts. Furthermore, they afford opportunities for students to deepen their mathematical understanding and reasoning.
Social Studies:
This week in Social Studies we will be wrapping up our comparison of the Pyeong Chang Winter Olympics and the 1988 Winter Olympics. This ties to the curriculum in comparing a community in the past with a communty in the present. We will also be sharing our birth story presentations which signifies how the students' birth has changed the community in their families in the past.
Physical Education:
This week we will be working on our basketball skills. The students will be working on being able to manipulate the ball while dribbling and passing to others.
Important Dates:
February 20th- Ms. Bigras’ class trip to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
February 21st- 100th Day of Learning! Dress up as a 100 year old person!
February 23rd- Olympic Sports Day
February 23rd- Scholastic Book Orders due
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Week of February 12th-16th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy:
Ms. Bigras’ Class- Oh the good old hockey game! This week we are continuing our theme of the Olympics by learning about Canada’s favourite game- hockey! Each class at UES is choosing one sport to study and will be setting up a station of the sport at our Olympic Sports Day. Students will be using a variety of sources such as picture books, multimedia resources and fellow classmates who play (including Ms. B for ten years!) to learn and record facts about hockey. Let the game begin!
Ms. Plested's/Harker's Class - To go with our theme of the Olympics, we will be learning about the beauty and art of figure skating! Students will study the sport and will create a station about figure skating for the school to explore during our Olympic Sports Day. We will be learning about figure skating using various resources such as multimedia, picture books, and fact books. Go Team Canada!
Mathematics:
Grade 1: Continuing to develop their number sense, students will become more familiar with the terms of adding and counting on. We are continuing with foundational skills and beginning addition facts such as plus one and plus two.
Grade 2: This week students will continue to develop their number sense. Students will explore, learn and apply mental mathematics strategies with a focus on making doubles and building on the known double.
Science:
Students continue to explore creating colour! This week students will be predicting and describing changes in colour that result from the mixing of primary colors and from mixing a primary colour with white or with black.
Physical Education:
This will be our last week doing gymnastic stations. To make it more fun, this week is mission impossible week! We have turned the gymnastic stations into an obstacle course!
Important Dates:
February 14th- Ms. Plested/Harker’s class trip to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
February 14th- Valentines Day- no card/gift/food exchange please.
February 15th, 16th – No school – Teacher’s Convention
February 19th- No school- Family Day
February 20th- Ms. Bigras’ class trip to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
February 23rd- Scholastic Book Orders due
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week of February 5- 10th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy and Social Studies:
This week in Literacy we will be looking at communities in the past, specifically centered around the Olympics. Students will learn about what the Olympics is and why it is important to Calgary’s past. Specifically looking at the Pyeongchang Olympics in relation to when Calgary hosted the Olympics in 1988, students will compare and contrast how the Olympics are different and what the true purpose of the Olympics are. We will continue this topic of learning into next week as well.
Mathematics:
Grade 1: This week in Math, grade ones will continue to work on cementing their understanding of the numbers 5 and 10. We will be playing a variety of games centered around these two numbers with an introduction to adding and subtracting involved. Students will learn what number groups make up 5 and 10 and this will help them when they are adding and subtracting in the coming months.
Grade 2: For the next couple weeks students will continue to build on their number sense by applying what they have learned to number operations (addition and subtraction)
Students will explore, learn and apply mental mathematics strategies, such as:
-making doubles
-making 10
-one more, one less
-two more, two less
-building on a known double
-thinking addition for subtraction for basic addition facts and related subtraction facts to 18
Physical Education:
In gym we will continue our learning in Gymnastics. We will be using the gymnastic equipment and Canadian Climber to move our bodies in different ways and strengthen our muscles.
Important Reminders:
February 8th- Opening Ceremony
__________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
It is an exciting week in the Bigras/Plested/Harker learning community! Lots happening this week starting with Ms. Bigras’ class going to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame on Tuesday! On Wednesday, February 21st it will be our 100th day of learning! We will be completing all sorts of fun math and literacy activities on that day. We will also be exploring all the different ways students made his/her 100th day collection! Don’t’ forget to dress up as a 100 year old person that day to add to the fun! Lastly, on Friday, February 23rd University School will be having their Olympic Sports Day.
Literacy:
Ms. Bigras’ Class- This week Ms. Bigras’ class will finishing up their study of hockey. Students will continue to use various resources such as picture books, multimedia resources and fellow classmates who play (including Ms. B for ten years!) to learn, explore and record facts about hockey.
Ms. Plested/Harker's Class- This week our class will be finishing their study of figure skating in the Olympics. Using all of the knowledge that students have acquired about the sport, we will create a station for EUS' Olympic Sports Day!
Mathematics:
Grade 1: Continuing number sense, students will continue to develop their addition skills. We will be moving into adding doubles this week up to 20 and continuing with +1 and +2 addition sentences.
Grade 2: This week students will continue to develop their number sense. Students will be applying addition strategies they have learned thus far to various activities and engaging mathematical games. Mathematical games can also encourage students to explore number combinations, place value, patterns, and other important mathematical concepts. Furthermore, they afford opportunities for students to deepen their mathematical understanding and reasoning.
Social Studies:
This week in Social Studies we will be wrapping up our comparison of the Pyeong Chang Winter Olympics and the 1988 Winter Olympics. This ties to the curriculum in comparing a community in the past with a communty in the present. We will also be sharing our birth story presentations which signifies how the students' birth has changed the community in their families in the past.
Physical Education:
This week we will be working on our basketball skills. The students will be working on being able to manipulate the ball while dribbling and passing to others.
Important Dates:
February 20th- Ms. Bigras’ class trip to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
February 21st- 100th Day of Learning! Dress up as a 100 year old person!
February 23rd- Olympic Sports Day
February 23rd- Scholastic Book Orders due
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week of February 12th-16th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy:
Ms. Bigras’ Class- Oh the good old hockey game! This week we are continuing our theme of the Olympics by learning about Canada’s favourite game- hockey! Each class at UES is choosing one sport to study and will be setting up a station of the sport at our Olympic Sports Day. Students will be using a variety of sources such as picture books, multimedia resources and fellow classmates who play (including Ms. B for ten years!) to learn and record facts about hockey. Let the game begin!
Ms. Plested's/Harker's Class - To go with our theme of the Olympics, we will be learning about the beauty and art of figure skating! Students will study the sport and will create a station about figure skating for the school to explore during our Olympic Sports Day. We will be learning about figure skating using various resources such as multimedia, picture books, and fact books. Go Team Canada!
Mathematics:
Grade 1: Continuing to develop their number sense, students will become more familiar with the terms of adding and counting on. We are continuing with foundational skills and beginning addition facts such as plus one and plus two.
Grade 2: This week students will continue to develop their number sense. Students will explore, learn and apply mental mathematics strategies with a focus on making doubles and building on the known double.
Science:
Students continue to explore creating colour! This week students will be predicting and describing changes in colour that result from the mixing of primary colors and from mixing a primary colour with white or with black.
Physical Education:
This will be our last week doing gymnastic stations. To make it more fun, this week is mission impossible week! We have turned the gymnastic stations into an obstacle course!
Important Dates:
February 14th- Ms. Plested/Harker’s class trip to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
February 14th- Valentines Day- no card/gift/food exchange please.
February 15th, 16th – No school – Teacher’s Convention
February 19th- No school- Family Day
February 20th- Ms. Bigras’ class trip to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
February 23rd- Scholastic Book Orders due
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week of February 5- 10th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy and Social Studies:
This week in Literacy we will be looking at communities in the past, specifically centered around the Olympics. Students will learn about what the Olympics is and why it is important to Calgary’s past. Specifically looking at the Pyeongchang Olympics in relation to when Calgary hosted the Olympics in 1988, students will compare and contrast how the Olympics are different and what the true purpose of the Olympics are. We will continue this topic of learning into next week as well.
Mathematics:
Grade 1: This week in Math, grade ones will continue to work on cementing their understanding of the numbers 5 and 10. We will be playing a variety of games centered around these two numbers with an introduction to adding and subtracting involved. Students will learn what number groups make up 5 and 10 and this will help them when they are adding and subtracting in the coming months.
Grade 2: For the next couple weeks students will continue to build on their number sense by applying what they have learned to number operations (addition and subtraction)
Students will explore, learn and apply mental mathematics strategies, such as:
-making doubles
-making 10
-one more, one less
-two more, two less
-building on a known double
-thinking addition for subtraction for basic addition facts and related subtraction facts to 18
Physical Education:
In gym we will continue our learning in Gymnastics. We will be using the gymnastic equipment and Canadian Climber to move our bodies in different ways and strengthen our muscles.
Important Reminders:
February 8th- Opening Ceremony
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week of January 30th- February 2nd
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy:
This is our final week of students sharing their family stories. Students will continue to respond to other students’ stories by writing about things that they noticed, wondered, learned or connected with during the presentation. Teachers will continue to write a reminder note in those students agendas who will be presenting the following day.
Mathematics:
Grade 1- In Math, grade one students will be focusing on the number 5 and the number 10 this week. We will be looking at various ways these numbers can be created and split. The number 5 and 10 are important because they are often used as benchmarks in relation to other numbers (ex. 6 is 5+1, 9 is 10-1). Students will be using this week to help build a foundation for when adding and subtracting is introduced in the coming month.
Grade 2: Last week students explored the meaning of place value for numerals to 100. By the end of the week it was clear that students were confident with this topic. Using what they have learned about place value, this week students will be comparing and ordering numbers up to 100. Students will be introduced/using mathematical language such as greater than and less than while comparing numbers.
Physical Education:
This week in Physical Education, we are going to continue with our gymnastics unit. This week we will be covering various balances and rolls. We will also introduce the students to the gymnastic apparatuses.
Important Reminders:
February 2nd- Pizza Lunch
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week of January 22nd- January 26th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy:
For literacy this week, students will continue to share their family stories. Students will respond to other students’ stories by writing about things that they noticed, wondered, learned or connected with during the presentation. Students and teachers have really enjoyed learning about one another’s families and seeing the connections between families in our learning community! Please have a look at the letter sent home to see when your child presents. Teachers will continue to write a reminder note in those students agendas who will be presenting the following day.
Mathematics:
Grade 1- This week, students will continue to explore estimation. Last week, students learned the fundamentals of estimation including that estimating is not counting, and how to choose thoughtful estimations. This week, students will learn about estimating using a referent in order to make their guesses more accurate.
Grade 2: This week students will be exploring place value. Place value is important because it helps students understand the meaning of a number. Students need place value to understand the order of numbers as well. Students will be illustrating, concretely and pictorially, the meaning of place value for numerals to 100.
Science:
Our next unit in Science is creating colour! In this unit, students will be identifying and evaluating methods for creating colour and for applying colours to different materials. Students will explore coloured materials, learn about different colours, how they are created, what happens when they are mixed and how they can be transferred from one material to another. Students will learn to distinguish and describe colours and work with a variety of materials to create, modify and apply colours. In the process, students will learn that different materials have particular properties and that the properties and interactions of materials have to be taken into account when they are used for a specific purpose.
Physical Education:
This week in gym we will start our gymnastics unit. We will be starting with basic gymnastic movements performed on the floor such as flexibility and balance skills and progress as the students acquire more and more of the skills needed to perform the more complex gymnastic skills. A reminder to the families for the sake of safety please be aware of the follow requirements for safety during the gymnastic unit.
Student Expectations:
- No jewelry, loose clothing, skirts, or dresses.
- Bare feet, running shoes or gymnastic slippers are acceptable.
- Tie back long hair
- Students work independently or in small groups QUIETLY as noise can distract other and may cause falls.
- Children do what they are comfortable doing. No showing off or daring is allowed.
- Pyramid building is no longer allowed by the Calgary Board of Education for K-6.
- Students must land on their SEAT on the crash mat.
- Although some students had had private gymnastic training, there will be no aerial stunts such as dive rolls, aerial somersaults (flips), head springs or hand springs as there activities do not fit into the gymnastic curriculum.
Students must conduct themselves in a cooperative and safe manner. Please review these expectations with your child at home.
Important Reminders:
Scholastic Book Orders due January 25th
January 25th – Student- led conferences: 4:30-7:30.
January 26th- Student-led conferences: 8:00am -1:00pm
No school for students on Friday, January 26th and Monday, January 29th
Feel free to contact any of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras, Deanna Plested, Jessica Harker
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week of January 15th- January 19th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
** Be sure to check out the new pictures added to our photo gallery as well as our new page: Happy Dance Fridays!**
Literacy:
For literacy this week, students will be focusing on one another. Throughout the week, the class will be sharing their oral stories about themselves and the students will respond to these stories by writing about things that they notice, wonder, and connect with the presentations. It is important for students to learn more about each other and their community. As well, these presentations correspond with the Social Studies unit of family and community in the past.
Mathematics:
Grade 1- In Math, grade 1 students will be beginning to learn about estimating quantities up to 20 using referents. Students will see objects and made an educated guess about how many objects are there. We will work on using this skill around the classroom throughout the week.
Grade 2: This week students will continue to explore estimating. Last week, as an introductory lesson to estimating, students participated in Guess and Check. Students were given a different set of objects each day and had to estimate how many objects they thought were there and then check (count objects) to see how close their estimate was.
This week we will continue to explore estimating by using referents. A referent is a known quantity which is used as a benchmark in making estimates or in making comparisons. Using referents will help students make more accurate estimates in a given quantity by comparing it to a referent (or known quantity). Students will also be using their skip counting skills to help count objects faster!
Important Reminders:
January 19th- Stop, Drop and Read Day!
Bring a book around with you for the entire day! Dress as your favourite character! Bring a character to life! Be anyone from your books!
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week of January 8th- January 12th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Happy New Year! Welcome back! We look forward to seeing what 2018 has in store for us!
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy:
Seeing as it is our first week back together in a brand new year we thought it would be great for students to write about their goals for 2018. Throughout the week students will create three goals (a personal goal, a goal for at school and a goal for at home) and a wish he/she has for 2018. It is important for students to set their own goals and to take responsibility and ownership of their goals.
Mathematics:
Grade 1:
In Math, Grade 1’s will continue to focus on skip counting. This week we will be finishing up skip counting by 2s from 0-20, 5s, and 10s from 0 to 100. As well, we will be wrapping up numbers before and after a specific number using the number line and hundreds chart. Students will demonstrate understandings through representations and verbally.
Grade 2:
Grade 2’s will be exploring estimating. In real life, estimation is part of our everyday experience. For students, estimating is an important skill. First and foremost, we want students to be able to determine the reasonableness of their answer. Without estimation skills, students aren't able to determine if their answer is within a reasonable range. Students will be estimating quantities to 100, using referents.
Important Reminders:
January 12th – Pizza Lunch
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week of December 18th- December 21st
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy:
Brrrrrrrr! It’s a Winter wonderland in Ms. B and Ms. Plested’s learning community this week! This week’s writing theme is all about the season of Winter! We will be reading picture books about Winter and making observations about changes that are occurring in our environment. Students will be writing all about Winter from what their favourite winter activity is to how to build a snowman!
Mathematics:
For our last week before Winter holidays students will be learning various math games. Math games give students opportunities to explore fundamental number concepts, such as the counting sequence, one-to-one correspondence, and computation strategies. Engaging mathematical games can also encourage students to explore number combinations, place value, patterns, and other important mathematical concepts. Further, they afford opportunities for students to deepen their mathematical understanding and reasoning.
Important Reminders:
-Dec 18-21, Caroling in the gym 8:30-8:55 am
-Dec 21, last day of school (regular dismissal at 3:25)
-January 8 - Classes Resume
We hope all of you have a safe and happy Winter break! We will see you in the new year!
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
Week of December 11th- December 15th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy/Science
Our writing theme this week will continue to focus on Hot and Cold Temperatures. Similarly to last week, we will continue to describe the daily temperature and compare it in relative terms such as hotter than and colder than. As well, we will be beginning our experiment where students will build a container to help keep an ice cube cold. Students will explore which materials worked best for keeping the ice frozen the longest. Through this experiment, students will be exploring the role of insulation in keeping things cold and will identify which materials are the best insulators.
Mathematics
Grade 1: This week we will continue to practice skip counting by 2s from 0 to 20, and by 5s and 10s from 0 to 100. As well, we will continue to practice the number sequence 0 to 100 through representation and verbal understandings.
Grade 2: This week students will continue to develop their number sense. Last week students worked on skip counting forwards by 2s, 5s, and 10s using various starting points. This week students will continue to work on skip counting, however, will be skip counting backwards by 2s, 5s, and 10s using various starting points.
Important Reminders:
-The Scholastic book order form has been extended to Friday, December 15th.
-Inline Skating begins today. If you want to provide a helmet for your child you can, otherwise a helmet will be provided by Inline Skating.
-Solstice Lunch is this Friday from 12:30 to 1:45, December 15th.
-The Green Store will be open for families from 3:30 to 6:00 on Thursday December 14th.
-Report Cards will be sent home on Friday, December 15th.
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week of December 4th- December 8th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy/Science
Our writing theme this week will continue to focus on Hot and Cold Temperatures. This week, students will continue to look at the daily temperature and describe it in relative terms such as hotter than and colder than. Students will explore and describe how heating and cooling materials can often change them (melting and freezing, cooking and burning). Students will also explore and identify safe practices for handling hot and cold materials and ways to avoid potential dangers from heat sources. Lastly, students will describe the role of insulation in keeping things hot or cold, and identify places where some form of insulation is used.
Mathematics
Grade 1: This week grade ones will continue using their number lines to learn and practice skip counting by 2s from 0 to 20, and by 5s and 10s from 0 to 100. As well, we will continue to practice the number sequence 0 to 100 through representation and verbal understandings.
Grade 2: Last week students worked with number lines to assist with their understanding of addition and subtraction. This week, students will continue to work with number lines to support their learning of skip counting. Students will practice counting by 2s, 5s and 10s, forward and backward (up to 100) using various starting points that are multiples of 2, 5 and 10 respectively.
Important Reminders:
1) We are sending home another Scholastic Book Order form. It is due on Monday, December 11th.
2) Please see note regarding Science materials (sent home Monday)
3) Winter Concert December 7th
Matinee at 1:30, Evening Concert at 6:30; Mrs. Copithorne
Our Winter Concert is quickly approaching! Thursday, December 7th, we will be celebrating the work of our students. They have been working hard to prepared beautiful music for their families. We ask that families plan to stay for the entire concert, which should be less than an hour long.
There are 2 concerts being performed.
Students are expected to attend BOTH matinee and evening concerts. We ask families to attend ONE of the two concerts:
Afternoon Matinee will begin at 1:30pm (doors open at 1:00 pm)
The Evening Concert will begin at 6:30 and be done by 7:30 (doors open at 6:00 pm)
For the Evening Concert the students are to arrive at 6:00pm and go to their classrooms. At this time, the gym doors will open for families.
Parents/Guardians choose ONE of the concerts to attend. We request that if families can come to the afternoon Matinee, that they choose this option. The Matinee is a good option for siblings and grandparents. The evening concert is often VERY FULL, as it is when working parents are able to attend, and we would like all families to be able to see their children perform.
For the evening concert, students will NOT be permitted to leave until after the concert is over. We ask that all families do not leave after their children perform and stay to enjoy all of the music from every community, as they have worked hard on their songs and want to have an audience to share their music with. I look forward to seeing everyone at one of the concerts. Again, please plan to stay for the whole concert, for 1 hour.
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 27th- December 1st
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy/Science:
Our writing theme for the next two weeks will be focused on Hot and Cold Temperatures. This week, students will be exploring questions such as what is temperature, how do we measure temperature, describing temperature in relative terms, using expressions, such as hotter than, colder than and describing ways in which temperature changes affect us in our daily lives.
Mathematics:
This week students will be introduced and working with number lines. Number lines provide a mental strategy for addition and subtraction They are important because they promote good mental arithmetic strategies. Students will be using the number line to demonstrate their understanding of addition and subtraction, apply mental mathematics strategies for basic addition facts and related subtraction facts, and compare and order numbers.
Please continue to read with your child every night and return all home reading books. We continue to read every day in the classroom and believe it is essential for reading to be continued at home.
We appreciate all the work that you do in helping your child be the best that he/she can be!
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week Of November 20th- 24th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy
This week students will be working with Trish Hubbard. Ms. Hubbard will be taking students’ learning beyond the classroom, using our natural area and pictures to facilitate writing. Students will become scientists, mathematicians, naturalists and artists as they engage in a new and exciting way of learning.
Mathematics
Students will continue to work on recognizing and representing numbers in various ways. We will be introducing the ten frame this week and will have students explore and represent numbers using the ten frame. A ten frame is a simple graphic tool that allows students’ to “see” numbers. Understanding that numbers are composed of tens and ones is an important foundational concept, setting the stage for work with larger numbers. The ten frame will assist students to describe and use mental mathematics strategies for basic addition facts and related subtraction facts as well as understand and apply strategies for both additions and subtraction facts.
Important Reminders:
*Friday November 24th is Pajama and Stuffy Day!
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 13th-17th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Mathematics
Numbers, numbers, numbers! This week students will be challenged to build, recognize and represent numbers in a variety of ways. For Grade 1’s, students will represent and describe numbers up to 10, concretely, pictorially and symbolically. Grade 2’s will represent and describe numbers up to 100, concretely, pictorially and symbolically. Students will be using various manipulatives to represent different numbers and record their understandings. The concept of both even and odd numbers will also be introduced this week. Grade 1’s will learn how to determine whether a number is even or odd (Even Steven and Odd Todd!) and working with numbers up to 20. Grade 2’s will be challenged to demonstrate if a number is even or odd working with numbers up to 100. Numbers are everywhere! Be sure to ask to child where he/she sees numbers in the world… math is everywhere!
Literacy
Monday, November 13th is World Kindness Day! Kindness Day began when a collection of humanitarian groups came together on November 13th 1997 and made a “Declaration of Kindness”. Likewise, on Kindness Day everyone is encouraged to make a similar declaration. As such, we thought our theme for writing this week could be all about kindness. We will be integrating Science into our writing, using our senses to describe what kindness is. A few prompting questions for the students would be, “ What does kindness feel like?” , “What does kindness look like”, and so forth.
Keeping with our theme of kindness we will also be introducing our Classroom Kindness Chain! This chain will be an ongoing project to promote kindness in our learning community. Students will be encouraged to commit random acts of kindness in our school community. If he/she does something kind to another individual he/she will write and/or draw their act of kindness on a paper “link”. As we gather links throughout the year, we will be attaching them together to form a massive chain to hang in our classroom! It will be a beautiful, visual reminder to both student and teachers of the importance of kindness in our community.
**Be sure to check out the new photos added to our Photo Gallery page! Students made beautiful poppy art for Remembrance Day last week
Reminders this week:
This Thursday night from 6:30-8:00 is our family games night! Special Guest and University parent Gord Hamilton will be there to share his own game Santorini, which is the 'most successful kickstarter campaign ever based in Alberta'- Wikipedia. Bring a favorite game from home or play one that we have on hand. All family members are welcome!
NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY- PD Day
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 6th- 10th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Mathematics
As we have wrapped up the Sorting and Pattern unit, we are now moving onto Number Sense. This week we will be doing some pre-assessments to determine where each student is at in their learning. Please refer to the curriculum section of our website to see a condensed list of what specific learning outcomes your child will be exploring. More information will be available once we have a better understanding of each student’s strengths and needs.
Literacy
This week’s writing focus is dedicated to Remembrance Day. Through various literatures, pictures and videos students will explore and discuss the importance of Remembrance Day. We want students to learn that it is important to remember those who were lost in the wars. To show our respect, before each writing lesson we will be having a moment of silence while listening to The Last Post.
Website:
Our classroom website has been launched! Again, we thank you for your patience and we hope you enjoy checking out what has been happening in our Grade ½ learning community! Please keep in mind that this is a work in progress and we will continue to add new components, pictures and videos throughout the year.
It is important to continue to read with your child every night and return all home reading books. We continue to read every day in the classroom and believe it is essential for reading to be continued at home. Also, please read and sign your child’s agenda book. This is a form of communication between parents and or/guardians and your child’s teacher. We appreciate all the work that you do in helping your child be the best that he/she can be!
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week of October. 30th- November. 3rd
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Mathematics
This week, Grade 1 students will wrap up the unit on sorting and patterns. Students will demonstrate their understanding of repeating patterns using various representations (colour, shape, and symbol). We will explore describing, reproducing, extending, and creating patterns. As well, students are working on finding patterns within and outside of the classroom.
As our unit on sorting and patterns comes to an end, Grade 2 students are now learning about a variety of number patterns (numbers to 100). Students are describing and extending repeating, increasing and decreasing number patterns. We will then explore algebraic expressions, learning how to represent them in multiple ways. Students will demonstrate the meaning of equality and inequality, concretely and pictorially. Students will also record equalities and inequalities symbolically, using the equal symbol or the not equal symbol.
Literacy
It’s a spooky week in writing! Students will be writing about their pumpkins they created last week. Students will be learning what an adjective is and brainstorming words he/she can use to describe their pumpkin. Students will then create a story about their pumpkin, an adventure generated straight from their imagination!
Classroom Jobs
Classroom jobs started this week! Every week, each student will have a daily classroom job to do. Jobs will be changed every week so each student has the opportunity to help in a variety of ways. Classroom jobs enable students to feel important, help students learn responsibilities, promote positive behavior, and ensure that all students are contributing to the classroom community.
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy:
This is our final week of students sharing their family stories. Students will continue to respond to other students’ stories by writing about things that they noticed, wondered, learned or connected with during the presentation. Teachers will continue to write a reminder note in those students agendas who will be presenting the following day.
Mathematics:
Grade 1- In Math, grade one students will be focusing on the number 5 and the number 10 this week. We will be looking at various ways these numbers can be created and split. The number 5 and 10 are important because they are often used as benchmarks in relation to other numbers (ex. 6 is 5+1, 9 is 10-1). Students will be using this week to help build a foundation for when adding and subtracting is introduced in the coming month.
Grade 2: Last week students explored the meaning of place value for numerals to 100. By the end of the week it was clear that students were confident with this topic. Using what they have learned about place value, this week students will be comparing and ordering numbers up to 100. Students will be introduced/using mathematical language such as greater than and less than while comparing numbers.
Physical Education:
This week in Physical Education, we are going to continue with our gymnastics unit. This week we will be covering various balances and rolls. We will also introduce the students to the gymnastic apparatuses.
Important Reminders:
February 2nd- Pizza Lunch
__________________________________________________________________________________
Week of January 22nd- January 26th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy:
For literacy this week, students will continue to share their family stories. Students will respond to other students’ stories by writing about things that they noticed, wondered, learned or connected with during the presentation. Students and teachers have really enjoyed learning about one another’s families and seeing the connections between families in our learning community! Please have a look at the letter sent home to see when your child presents. Teachers will continue to write a reminder note in those students agendas who will be presenting the following day.
Mathematics:
Grade 1- This week, students will continue to explore estimation. Last week, students learned the fundamentals of estimation including that estimating is not counting, and how to choose thoughtful estimations. This week, students will learn about estimating using a referent in order to make their guesses more accurate.
Grade 2: This week students will be exploring place value. Place value is important because it helps students understand the meaning of a number. Students need place value to understand the order of numbers as well. Students will be illustrating, concretely and pictorially, the meaning of place value for numerals to 100.
Science:
Our next unit in Science is creating colour! In this unit, students will be identifying and evaluating methods for creating colour and for applying colours to different materials. Students will explore coloured materials, learn about different colours, how they are created, what happens when they are mixed and how they can be transferred from one material to another. Students will learn to distinguish and describe colours and work with a variety of materials to create, modify and apply colours. In the process, students will learn that different materials have particular properties and that the properties and interactions of materials have to be taken into account when they are used for a specific purpose.
Physical Education:
This week in gym we will start our gymnastics unit. We will be starting with basic gymnastic movements performed on the floor such as flexibility and balance skills and progress as the students acquire more and more of the skills needed to perform the more complex gymnastic skills. A reminder to the families for the sake of safety please be aware of the follow requirements for safety during the gymnastic unit.
Student Expectations:
- No jewelry, loose clothing, skirts, or dresses.
- Bare feet, running shoes or gymnastic slippers are acceptable.
- Tie back long hair
- Students work independently or in small groups QUIETLY as noise can distract other and may cause falls.
- Children do what they are comfortable doing. No showing off or daring is allowed.
- Pyramid building is no longer allowed by the Calgary Board of Education for K-6.
- Students must land on their SEAT on the crash mat.
- Although some students had had private gymnastic training, there will be no aerial stunts such as dive rolls, aerial somersaults (flips), head springs or hand springs as there activities do not fit into the gymnastic curriculum.
Students must conduct themselves in a cooperative and safe manner. Please review these expectations with your child at home.
Important Reminders:
Scholastic Book Orders due January 25th
January 25th – Student- led conferences: 4:30-7:30.
January 26th- Student-led conferences: 8:00am -1:00pm
No school for students on Friday, January 26th and Monday, January 29th
Feel free to contact any of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras, Deanna Plested, Jessica Harker
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Week of January 15th- January 19th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
** Be sure to check out the new pictures added to our photo gallery as well as our new page: Happy Dance Fridays!**
Literacy:
For literacy this week, students will be focusing on one another. Throughout the week, the class will be sharing their oral stories about themselves and the students will respond to these stories by writing about things that they notice, wonder, and connect with the presentations. It is important for students to learn more about each other and their community. As well, these presentations correspond with the Social Studies unit of family and community in the past.
Mathematics:
Grade 1- In Math, grade 1 students will be beginning to learn about estimating quantities up to 20 using referents. Students will see objects and made an educated guess about how many objects are there. We will work on using this skill around the classroom throughout the week.
Grade 2: This week students will continue to explore estimating. Last week, as an introductory lesson to estimating, students participated in Guess and Check. Students were given a different set of objects each day and had to estimate how many objects they thought were there and then check (count objects) to see how close their estimate was.
This week we will continue to explore estimating by using referents. A referent is a known quantity which is used as a benchmark in making estimates or in making comparisons. Using referents will help students make more accurate estimates in a given quantity by comparing it to a referent (or known quantity). Students will also be using their skip counting skills to help count objects faster!
Important Reminders:
January 19th- Stop, Drop and Read Day!
Bring a book around with you for the entire day! Dress as your favourite character! Bring a character to life! Be anyone from your books!
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Week of January 8th- January 12th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Happy New Year! Welcome back! We look forward to seeing what 2018 has in store for us!
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy:
Seeing as it is our first week back together in a brand new year we thought it would be great for students to write about their goals for 2018. Throughout the week students will create three goals (a personal goal, a goal for at school and a goal for at home) and a wish he/she has for 2018. It is important for students to set their own goals and to take responsibility and ownership of their goals.
Mathematics:
Grade 1:
In Math, Grade 1’s will continue to focus on skip counting. This week we will be finishing up skip counting by 2s from 0-20, 5s, and 10s from 0 to 100. As well, we will be wrapping up numbers before and after a specific number using the number line and hundreds chart. Students will demonstrate understandings through representations and verbally.
Grade 2:
Grade 2’s will be exploring estimating. In real life, estimation is part of our everyday experience. For students, estimating is an important skill. First and foremost, we want students to be able to determine the reasonableness of their answer. Without estimation skills, students aren't able to determine if their answer is within a reasonable range. Students will be estimating quantities to 100, using referents.
Important Reminders:
January 12th – Pizza Lunch
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
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Week of December 18th- December 21st
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy:
Brrrrrrrr! It’s a Winter wonderland in Ms. B and Ms. Plested’s learning community this week! This week’s writing theme is all about the season of Winter! We will be reading picture books about Winter and making observations about changes that are occurring in our environment. Students will be writing all about Winter from what their favourite winter activity is to how to build a snowman!
Mathematics:
For our last week before Winter holidays students will be learning various math games. Math games give students opportunities to explore fundamental number concepts, such as the counting sequence, one-to-one correspondence, and computation strategies. Engaging mathematical games can also encourage students to explore number combinations, place value, patterns, and other important mathematical concepts. Further, they afford opportunities for students to deepen their mathematical understanding and reasoning.
Important Reminders:
-Dec 18-21, Caroling in the gym 8:30-8:55 am
-Dec 21, last day of school (regular dismissal at 3:25)
-January 8 - Classes Resume
We hope all of you have a safe and happy Winter break! We will see you in the new year!
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
Week of December 11th- December 15th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy/Science
Our writing theme this week will continue to focus on Hot and Cold Temperatures. Similarly to last week, we will continue to describe the daily temperature and compare it in relative terms such as hotter than and colder than. As well, we will be beginning our experiment where students will build a container to help keep an ice cube cold. Students will explore which materials worked best for keeping the ice frozen the longest. Through this experiment, students will be exploring the role of insulation in keeping things cold and will identify which materials are the best insulators.
Mathematics
Grade 1: This week we will continue to practice skip counting by 2s from 0 to 20, and by 5s and 10s from 0 to 100. As well, we will continue to practice the number sequence 0 to 100 through representation and verbal understandings.
Grade 2: This week students will continue to develop their number sense. Last week students worked on skip counting forwards by 2s, 5s, and 10s using various starting points. This week students will continue to work on skip counting, however, will be skip counting backwards by 2s, 5s, and 10s using various starting points.
Important Reminders:
-The Scholastic book order form has been extended to Friday, December 15th.
-Inline Skating begins today. If you want to provide a helmet for your child you can, otherwise a helmet will be provided by Inline Skating.
-Solstice Lunch is this Friday from 12:30 to 1:45, December 15th.
-The Green Store will be open for families from 3:30 to 6:00 on Thursday December 14th.
-Report Cards will be sent home on Friday, December 15th.
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
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Week of December 4th- December 8th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy/Science
Our writing theme this week will continue to focus on Hot and Cold Temperatures. This week, students will continue to look at the daily temperature and describe it in relative terms such as hotter than and colder than. Students will explore and describe how heating and cooling materials can often change them (melting and freezing, cooking and burning). Students will also explore and identify safe practices for handling hot and cold materials and ways to avoid potential dangers from heat sources. Lastly, students will describe the role of insulation in keeping things hot or cold, and identify places where some form of insulation is used.
Mathematics
Grade 1: This week grade ones will continue using their number lines to learn and practice skip counting by 2s from 0 to 20, and by 5s and 10s from 0 to 100. As well, we will continue to practice the number sequence 0 to 100 through representation and verbal understandings.
Grade 2: Last week students worked with number lines to assist with their understanding of addition and subtraction. This week, students will continue to work with number lines to support their learning of skip counting. Students will practice counting by 2s, 5s and 10s, forward and backward (up to 100) using various starting points that are multiples of 2, 5 and 10 respectively.
Important Reminders:
1) We are sending home another Scholastic Book Order form. It is due on Monday, December 11th.
2) Please see note regarding Science materials (sent home Monday)
3) Winter Concert December 7th
Matinee at 1:30, Evening Concert at 6:30; Mrs. Copithorne
Our Winter Concert is quickly approaching! Thursday, December 7th, we will be celebrating the work of our students. They have been working hard to prepared beautiful music for their families. We ask that families plan to stay for the entire concert, which should be less than an hour long.
There are 2 concerts being performed.
Students are expected to attend BOTH matinee and evening concerts. We ask families to attend ONE of the two concerts:
Afternoon Matinee will begin at 1:30pm (doors open at 1:00 pm)
The Evening Concert will begin at 6:30 and be done by 7:30 (doors open at 6:00 pm)
For the Evening Concert the students are to arrive at 6:00pm and go to their classrooms. At this time, the gym doors will open for families.
Parents/Guardians choose ONE of the concerts to attend. We request that if families can come to the afternoon Matinee, that they choose this option. The Matinee is a good option for siblings and grandparents. The evening concert is often VERY FULL, as it is when working parents are able to attend, and we would like all families to be able to see their children perform.
For the evening concert, students will NOT be permitted to leave until after the concert is over. We ask that all families do not leave after their children perform and stay to enjoy all of the music from every community, as they have worked hard on their songs and want to have an audience to share their music with. I look forward to seeing everyone at one of the concerts. Again, please plan to stay for the whole concert, for 1 hour.
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
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Week of November 27th- December 1st
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy/Science:
Our writing theme for the next two weeks will be focused on Hot and Cold Temperatures. This week, students will be exploring questions such as what is temperature, how do we measure temperature, describing temperature in relative terms, using expressions, such as hotter than, colder than and describing ways in which temperature changes affect us in our daily lives.
Mathematics:
This week students will be introduced and working with number lines. Number lines provide a mental strategy for addition and subtraction They are important because they promote good mental arithmetic strategies. Students will be using the number line to demonstrate their understanding of addition and subtraction, apply mental mathematics strategies for basic addition facts and related subtraction facts, and compare and order numbers.
Please continue to read with your child every night and return all home reading books. We continue to read every day in the classroom and believe it is essential for reading to be continued at home.
We appreciate all the work that you do in helping your child be the best that he/she can be!
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
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Week Of November 20th- 24th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Literacy
This week students will be working with Trish Hubbard. Ms. Hubbard will be taking students’ learning beyond the classroom, using our natural area and pictures to facilitate writing. Students will become scientists, mathematicians, naturalists and artists as they engage in a new and exciting way of learning.
Mathematics
Students will continue to work on recognizing and representing numbers in various ways. We will be introducing the ten frame this week and will have students explore and represent numbers using the ten frame. A ten frame is a simple graphic tool that allows students’ to “see” numbers. Understanding that numbers are composed of tens and ones is an important foundational concept, setting the stage for work with larger numbers. The ten frame will assist students to describe and use mental mathematics strategies for basic addition facts and related subtraction facts as well as understand and apply strategies for both additions and subtraction facts.
Important Reminders:
*Friday November 24th is Pajama and Stuffy Day!
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
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Week of November 13th-17th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Mathematics
Numbers, numbers, numbers! This week students will be challenged to build, recognize and represent numbers in a variety of ways. For Grade 1’s, students will represent and describe numbers up to 10, concretely, pictorially and symbolically. Grade 2’s will represent and describe numbers up to 100, concretely, pictorially and symbolically. Students will be using various manipulatives to represent different numbers and record their understandings. The concept of both even and odd numbers will also be introduced this week. Grade 1’s will learn how to determine whether a number is even or odd (Even Steven and Odd Todd!) and working with numbers up to 20. Grade 2’s will be challenged to demonstrate if a number is even or odd working with numbers up to 100. Numbers are everywhere! Be sure to ask to child where he/she sees numbers in the world… math is everywhere!
Literacy
Monday, November 13th is World Kindness Day! Kindness Day began when a collection of humanitarian groups came together on November 13th 1997 and made a “Declaration of Kindness”. Likewise, on Kindness Day everyone is encouraged to make a similar declaration. As such, we thought our theme for writing this week could be all about kindness. We will be integrating Science into our writing, using our senses to describe what kindness is. A few prompting questions for the students would be, “ What does kindness feel like?” , “What does kindness look like”, and so forth.
Keeping with our theme of kindness we will also be introducing our Classroom Kindness Chain! This chain will be an ongoing project to promote kindness in our learning community. Students will be encouraged to commit random acts of kindness in our school community. If he/she does something kind to another individual he/she will write and/or draw their act of kindness on a paper “link”. As we gather links throughout the year, we will be attaching them together to form a massive chain to hang in our classroom! It will be a beautiful, visual reminder to both student and teachers of the importance of kindness in our community.
**Be sure to check out the new photos added to our Photo Gallery page! Students made beautiful poppy art for Remembrance Day last week
Reminders this week:
This Thursday night from 6:30-8:00 is our family games night! Special Guest and University parent Gord Hamilton will be there to share his own game Santorini, which is the 'most successful kickstarter campaign ever based in Alberta'- Wikipedia. Bring a favorite game from home or play one that we have on hand. All family members are welcome!
NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY- PD Day
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
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Week of November 6th- 10th
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Mathematics
As we have wrapped up the Sorting and Pattern unit, we are now moving onto Number Sense. This week we will be doing some pre-assessments to determine where each student is at in their learning. Please refer to the curriculum section of our website to see a condensed list of what specific learning outcomes your child will be exploring. More information will be available once we have a better understanding of each student’s strengths and needs.
Literacy
This week’s writing focus is dedicated to Remembrance Day. Through various literatures, pictures and videos students will explore and discuss the importance of Remembrance Day. We want students to learn that it is important to remember those who were lost in the wars. To show our respect, before each writing lesson we will be having a moment of silence while listening to The Last Post.
Website:
Our classroom website has been launched! Again, we thank you for your patience and we hope you enjoy checking out what has been happening in our Grade ½ learning community! Please keep in mind that this is a work in progress and we will continue to add new components, pictures and videos throughout the year.
It is important to continue to read with your child every night and return all home reading books. We continue to read every day in the classroom and believe it is essential for reading to be continued at home. Also, please read and sign your child’s agenda book. This is a form of communication between parents and or/guardians and your child’s teacher. We appreciate all the work that you do in helping your child be the best that he/she can be!
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested
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Week of October. 30th- November. 3rd
Dear Parents and Guardians,
These are the topics that our learning community will be investigating this week:
Mathematics
This week, Grade 1 students will wrap up the unit on sorting and patterns. Students will demonstrate their understanding of repeating patterns using various representations (colour, shape, and symbol). We will explore describing, reproducing, extending, and creating patterns. As well, students are working on finding patterns within and outside of the classroom.
As our unit on sorting and patterns comes to an end, Grade 2 students are now learning about a variety of number patterns (numbers to 100). Students are describing and extending repeating, increasing and decreasing number patterns. We will then explore algebraic expressions, learning how to represent them in multiple ways. Students will demonstrate the meaning of equality and inequality, concretely and pictorially. Students will also record equalities and inequalities symbolically, using the equal symbol or the not equal symbol.
Literacy
It’s a spooky week in writing! Students will be writing about their pumpkins they created last week. Students will be learning what an adjective is and brainstorming words he/she can use to describe their pumpkin. Students will then create a story about their pumpkin, an adventure generated straight from their imagination!
Classroom Jobs
Classroom jobs started this week! Every week, each student will have a daily classroom job to do. Jobs will be changed every week so each student has the opportunity to help in a variety of ways. Classroom jobs enable students to feel important, help students learn responsibilities, promote positive behavior, and ensure that all students are contributing to the classroom community.
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Jenna Bigras and Deanna Plested