Twas The Week Before Christmas

I hope that you are enjoy the beautiful snowy week we are having.  Please be sure to remind your child of the importance of their safety while crossing slick roads and sidewalks.  Though it is beautiful this time of year, it is also harder for cars to stop on our icy roads, and we don't want anyone to get hurt.  

Just a head's up about the Christmas concert Thursday at 7:00pm in the Tom Karren Gym.  The grade one's will be performing two versions of Jingle Bells - the Australian version and the Canadian version.  So for costuming we are asking that all of the students in my class come and get dressed in summer gear - shorts, t-shirts, sandals, sunglasses.  Anything that makes them look like they are enjoying the sun on an Australian beach.  We hope to see you there!

Friday will be our class Christmas party, from about 11:45-12:00ish, running till the end of the school day at 1:00pm.

This week in school we are continuing a short unit for physical education that is an introduction to basic gymnastics - the students will be doing a lot of rolling, tumbling and balancing on mats and small beams.  We will finish looking at sorting and classifying 2-D and 3-D shapes in math, and will be working on the short sound of 'o' in language arts.

Spelling words this week are: will, five, what, made, play and candycane.  The try it this week is use Christmas bread or cookie dough to shape your words and bake them.

At this point in the year, you may start to notice more homework coming home with your students.  Please be aware that while I do expect such assignments to be returned to the school, there is no strict timeframe on when they are to be done.  I would rather have students working in 10-15 minute periods over several days rather than a straight hour of additional schoolwork.  I also understand that families have busy lives and schedules.  When work comes home labeled 'please finish', I would just request that it be finished and returned in a timely manner that suits your schedule and your child's best interests.  Sometimes homework may come in order that a student does not fall behind (such as is the case when they have been sick).  Also, I like to send work home on occasion that gives the parent a chance to interact with their child using the same subject matter they are studying at school.  This keeps you more informed on what your child is learning, and gives you a first hand view of their skills and understandings.

There is a new reading program being introduced at the school by the Cheesecake cafe.  Your child will be bringing home a newsletter and cheesecake page that allows them to color in one slice of the dessert for each twenty minutes of reading books that they complete (for a total of 200 minutes).  Please write the name of the books on the slice as you finish them and send them back to school once the whole cheesecake is colored in.  They will then receive a gift certificate for a free kids meal from the Cheesecake Restaurant.  This program is completely optional, and any books count - zippy books, library books, personal home books, etc.

Our busy, buzzy goal this week is to 'bee' good, encouraging the general ability of our students to work at being good, caring individuals.

Take a quick peek back before the end of the week to see some of the special content I will be posting - we've had a lot of exciting activities and experiences this month, and I should have them up on the blog in a day or so.

It's hard to believe, but it is the last week of school before Christmas holidays.  Students finish at 1:00pm on Friday and will not resume until Monday, January 5, 2009.  I hope that you and your families have a safe and enjoyable break, and look forward to seeing you all again in the new year.

Best Wishes!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

The Magrath Elementary Drama Club has the opportunity to perform at the Magrath Community Christmas concert on Thursday, December 4, 2008.  We have been preparing a short skit that follows a snowman theme, and your child is invited to participate.  Grade 4, 5, 6 have been assigned specific roles.  Grades 1, 2, 3 will be singing the song “Once there was a snowman”, and are encouraged to wear as much white as possible (to look like a snowman).  Any student performing that night should be at the LDS Stake center stage by 6:30pm for the event which begins at 7:00pm.  We will be performing second on the program, so the early arrival is important to organize and prepare.  After the students perform, they are welcome to join their families to enjoy the concert, or to leave for other commitments. 

 We have not yet had a chance to do a dress rehearsal on the performance stage, so we are asking all students to meet at the Stake center after school on Thursday, so that we may run through our skit and have one final practice.  Please make every effort to have your child there.  If you have any questions, please contact me at the school.

  We have begun our school Christmas presence project.  Students who bring non-perishable food items to the library will be given small paper Christmas ornaments to decorate and place on the classroom trees attached to each class door.  If we work together, we can help make Christmas a little merrier for every family in our town that needs some holiday cheer this year.

 We have also started a Christmas chain countdown.  Each day is patterned either red or green, and has a good idea for a way to celebrate Christmas or something to do for someone else in the true spirit of Christmas.  The students also completed their own chain, which they can keep at home (some were not quite able to finish, but you are welcome to complete it with them – it is not homework, just a fun Christmas countdown activity).  Each day we cut off one link, with the chain slowly getting shorter until it finishes on Christmas Eve.

            Friday will be our classroom winter party, which is the basis of the new science unit we will be working on until holidays – seasonal changes of winter.  We will be doing several activities related to the storybook The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg, which will include watching the animated movie of the same title.  This movie is rated G, and for more detail on its content, you could visit www.kids-in-mind.com, a website dedicated to giving detailed information about positive and negative content in movies.  If you have any objections to your child watching this movie, or any questions, please contact me by Friday by phone, or email, in person, or send a note in your child’s agenda.  I will happily arrange an alternative activity for any child or parent not comfortable with this activity.

            Besides our new science unit, we will also be switching gears in math, and taking a closer look at shapes that are 2-D and 3-D, their names, and various everyday objects of those shapes.  We will be examining, finding and sorting these spheres, cubes, pyramids, etc.

            In Language arts we will be completing a lot of activities related to Christmas, and in phonics this month we are focusing on the short sounds of vowels.

            Our busy, buzzy goal this week is to ‘bee’ giving.  Part of the magic of Christmas is learning how good it feels not only to receive a gift, but also to give one.  Gifts can be more than material as well.  We are all capable of giving of our time, talents, friendship and respect.  This is lifelong goal we can all strive to be better at.

            Now that winter is setting in, it is very important that students have proper winter gear.  Please be sure that you student comes to school each day with a warm winter coat – even if the weather seems fair.  Gloves and a hat and scarf will also help protect our students from standard winter weather.  Also, we are having an issue with students not bringing proper shoes to school – students should have a pair of inside and outside shoes.  Outside shoes (such as snow boots) are to be left on the boot racks at the front foyer, and inside shoes in cubbies, to prevent mess on the library carpets and in the cubby bins and hallway.  We appreciate your assistance in this matter.

            One last reminder to return the yellow report card envelopes with your signature.  Please keep your child’s report cards, and remember, if you have any questions feel free to contact me.

            Have a great week!

Once, Twice, Thrice!

At the beginning of the month the students set a goal in math to learn to count by 3’s to thirty.  Current research suggests that the reason so many individuals struggle with certain times tables in upper elementary math (like 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, etc.) is due to the lack of practice counting with these numbers in the formative years (think, on the other hand, of how often we encourage young children to count by 2, 5, and 10).  We therefore decided to work on a variety of counting methods.  This month we have chosen  ‘3’.  Take some time each night to make counting by three’s fun and engaging.  Maybe you could count the peas on your dinner plate by three’s…yum!

Honesty is the Best Policy

Already the last week of November!  Today we celebrated our 57^th day of school.  We enjoyed our celebration of no T.V. week that just ended, and hope that the good habits of reading we enjoyed the last several days will continue on in the weeks to come!  We are grateful for all of your support in making last week a success.

 This Thursday is another milestone – our first report cards.  As a result, there will be no school for students on Friday (P.D. Day) so that students can enjoy their last long weekend before Christmas.  I am so grateful for each of my students and appreciate the hard work they do.  It is so fun to watch each of them grow and progress, and I hope that each report card accurately reflects where each individual is at in their learning and where they need to go.  If you have any questions, concerns or comments, be sure to contact me at the school or by email, and I’ll be happy to talk or meet with you.

There is Drama club again on Tuesday for any students in our class who have joined, however due to an overwhelming response for Lego club, our class only goes every third week, so no grade ones will be attending this week or next. 

In math this week we are taking a closer look at numbers up to 12.  It’s an important skill to easily recognize and print numerals, their words and identify at a glance group of numbers (think how easy it is to recognize the value on any face of a pair of dice).  We are also taking at look at how to be better citizens by taking care of our earth.  We’ve been studying water and air pollution, as well as collecting litter and trash.

Our spelling words this week include four, over, saw, like, you.  Our try-it at home for this week is to cut the words up on paper into puzzle pieces, and then try to put them back together before challenging a family member or friend to read your word!

Our spelling program is going to change slightly starting this week.  Along with the regular spelling activity I will be adding a sight word recognition activity.  This will involve students underlining key words (the same words as we use in our spelling activities) in a simple paragraph based on instructions I give.  This should help my understanding of the way the students are learning and interpreting the words they are seeing and using each day.  We will also be adding a ‘star’ word each week.  This is an extra word of the students’ choosing that does not count toward the total of any spelling activity, but is a chance to increase vocabulary and sight word recognition.  The star word the students selected this week was Christmas.

Our busy, buzzy goal this week is to ‘bee’ honest.  We are discussing the importance of telling the truth and knowing when it is okay to imagine stories and when it’s more important to say what really happened.

Have a great week!

No Television???

This week is turn off the T.V. week and read.  To kick of the event, we held a school wide read-a-thon on Monday morning where every adult and child in our school read for half an hour, and we totaled up the number of pages.

Here are the grade results...

Mrs. Thomson's Grade One read......   2107 pages!

Magrath Elementary School read.....  16 028 pages!

Way to go readers!!!

No TV week newsletter

Today our school begins its annual turn off the TV week.  Take the opportunity for the next couple of days to encourage your family to put aside television and video games in favor of reading and spending more time together.  Students who participate each night have the chance to enter their name into a draw for prizes.  Friday is the last day of no TV week, as well as our November student of the month assembly.  The lunch available this week is pizza.

The students have earned a board game party, which we will be having after recess on Friday morning.  Students may bring whatever games from home they choose.  If your child chooses to bring a game from home, encourage them to bring one that other students will be capable of playing.

Our spelling words this week include she, call, run, big, may.  A fun try-it at home would be to use colored markers or crayons to copy your words in as many different color combinations as possible.  That could make a pretty collage!

We have two new clubs starting at the school tomorrow.  If your child has signed up for either drama or lego club, be sure to include a lunch in their backpack tomorrow.

This week we have begun looking at colors in science.  Take opportunities to point out colors that occur naturally in the world around us, and the beauty they can bring to this world.  Also point out color words in books you read so that they become very familiar to your budding reader.  We are also finishing up our unit in math that looks at how objects can be equal and unequal.

I have sent home December book orders.  They are due back quick this time – by next Thursday, November 27.  You are welcome to order anything if you choose, but I don’t know if they will arrive before Christmas.

Our busy, buzzy goal this week is to ‘bee’ patient.  We are learning to patiently wait our turn to speak and give our ideas, and patiently wait in line, or for help from a teacher, parent or friend.

Hope you have a great week!

Lest We Forget - Remembrance Day Newsletter

It is a short but important week because of the Remembrance Day services to be held Monday and Tuesday, with the 11^th being a statutory holiday.  If you live in or around the town of Magrath, there will be town services being held beginning at 9:30am on Tuesday at the Tom Karren Gym.  One exciting piece of news we have is that one of the students in our class, Kari, participated in the recent Magrath Lions Club speech competition, and as a result, earned the opportunity to speak at town Remembrance Day services.  So be sure to go out Tuesday morning and give her and two of our grade six students a show of support for their hard work and a job well done.  We are so proud of you Kari!

 Take the chance this week to honor our veterans by having conversations with your family about topics related to this special occasion – war, peace, freedom, democracy, etc.  You might be surprised how much even young children understand and respect these principles and are grateful for them.  If members of your family have been involved in any sort of military endeavors, share their stories and experiences. 

 What other things are happening this week?  Friday is library book return as well as Deli Sandwich week.  Forms are coming home with this newsletter, so send them back Wednesday for any week to week orders.  Book orders are also due this Friday.  Anything ordered this week should be here by the first week of December.

 We also have some exciting new lunch hour clubs beginning next Tuesday – an engineering exploration club (lego) and drama club.  Both will run over the Tuesday lunch hour and are open to any students.  Please return signed consent forms with your child.  If you did not receive one, there additional forms in the office. 

 Our busy, buzzy goal this week is to ‘bee’ respectful, in light of Remembrance Day.  Help encourage your child to show more ways to be respectful of all things and people.

 We had a contest on our class website for various pumpkins we had designed in math class.  The winner was pumpkin #1 belonging to these students: 

 Great job group!

 We are working on fun games in gym this week, as well as continuing to help students develop a ‘number sense’ of numbers 1-12.  We are taking a closer look in social studies at citizenship, and how we take part in a community.  We are also beginning a new unit in science about creating color, and our new language arts theme is magic!  If you know of anyone who can perform several simple magic tricks, please let Mrs. Thomson know.  I would love to get someone into the classroom before the end of the month who could dazzle the students, and maybe even share a short simple trick for them to try on their friends and family.

 Spelling words this week include can, all, are, and, his.  The spelling try-it for the week is: stamp letters using a variety of colors or papers.

 Because of the Remembrance Day show and tell we are hosting today (Monday) there will be no news minute this week.  We will return to our regular schedule next Monday.

 A big thank you to all who have donated classroom supplies and craft materials over the past weeks.  Our closet is now at full capacity for recyclable materials, so for the time being we do not need any more sent to our classroom.  We will let you know when another need arises.  However, if you are ever in the process of getting rid of something and are unsure whether we could use it in our room, just ask!

 Also a big thanks to Mrs. R for the presentation she gave our class last Friday – this classroom mom recently returned from Paris, France, and came to talk to the students about her trip.  Students learned all about the Mona Lisa, the Eiffel Tower, the Catacombs, the Euro dollar, and tasted some French bread and chocolate.  What a neat experience!  Thank you!

 Every day after lunch our students participate in DEAR – drop everything and read.  We have been slowly working up our time each week, and we are now reading as a class for 10 minutes!  This is an exciting accomplishment, and in celebration, your student will be bringing home a book today that has been donated by TD bank to all grade one students in Canada.  Thank you to them, and congratulations to all our budding readers for their hard work!

 Our grade one class has set a goal this month in math to learn to count by 3’s to thirty.  We are taking as many opportunities as possible to find patterns of three in our daily lives and to learn to count by this fun number.  Please review counting by 3’s once or twice an evening with your child in a fun way.  It just another chance to build emerging number sense, and gets our class one step closer to their goal!

 Have a great week and a meaningful Remembrance Day.

Critical Thinking

What is the purpose of education?  Is it to fill our minds with endless texts and facts?  No - but rather to develop the ability to think critically, to analyze and resolve, and to problem solve.  To be able to apply these skills to life and learning is the goal for which we aim.   

Our grade one's were recently asked to complete a graphing exercise about their responsibilities in their home.  A question came up - "Do you clean up the toys in your house?".  When faced with a yes/no T-graph, without being instructed to do so, several students used their critical thinking skills.  They explained to me after that while it is their responsibility to clean up toys in the home, it is not always their job, or it is often overlooked (and thus completed by mom, dad or older sibling).  The students invented a third column - the sometimes column.  Now that's problem solving!

Bake Sale Fundraiser

Mrs. Coppieters and Mrs. Davies classes are selling puffed wheat and Rice Krispie squares tomorrow (Nov. 6) to raise more money for bikes for Cambodian children.  We have raised enough for almost 9 bikes but we want to buy more!  Please support our cause tomorrow.  This project will change the lives of children who would otherwise not be able to continue to go to school.  Squares will be sold for 50 cents each.  Thank you for your support!!

I Hope Your Halloween Went Well...

Halloween is past us now and we are into November.  By the end of this month, we will have celebrated 3 Canadian holidays (Thanksgiving, Halloween and Remembrance Day), received one report card, enjoyed 60 days of school and be only 3 short weeks from Christmas!

Just a reminder that Wednesday is picture retake day, Friday library books will be returned, and the Friday lunch order will be Tacos (for $3.50 each).

Because the 11th of November is a Tuesday (no school that day) we will be holding a school Remembrance Day assembly on Monday which will begin at 10:15am in the Tom Karren Gym.  Please encourage your child to wear a poppy this week in honor of those who have fought and died for our country.  Teach them and talk to them about the consequences of war and the gratitude you feel for the freedoms we enjoy.

Our busy, buzzy goal this week is to 'bee' friendly.  Talk to your child ab

out ways they can develop and improve their friendship skills, including being better friends to those they play will already, being a better friend to the members of their family, and just as importantly, being a better friend to someone they don't know as well.

This week in science we are finishing our unit on five senses.  We will talk about taste and do a taste party on Friday that introduces and discusses the five food groups.  Please make sure that your student has a healthy snack in their Friday lunch that they can use as an example for an activity.  Note - they do not need to share their snack with anyone, they only need enough for themselves.  After Remembrance day we will be starting a new unit - part I of Creating Colors.  We will also be focusing on Remembrance day this week as our classroom theme, and doing several Language Arts activities related to it.  We are finished our basketball unit in gym and are working towards completing a games unit.

Last week a reading folder came home with your student containing three poems.  Please ensure that you read through those poems with your child, helping them sound out words they don't know.  Encourage them to track (move their fingers from word to word) so that they begin to see the words that go with certain sounds, and gain a true understanding of the direction and flow of text.  These folders will come home about once a month, and need to come back to school within a few days.  If you have not yet returned this duotang, please do so soon.

We are having a contest on our class website with pumpkins we designed in Math last week.  Just scroll down to see what we created, and vote on the side bar for your favorites (note you can vote for more than one at the same time).  We'll close the poll on Friday and see who's group got the most votes.  Also watch the website for upcoming Halloween pictures from the wonderful Halloween party our classroom helpers organized.  A big thank you to all those involved.

Pumpkin Math

We are getting into the Halloween spirit in our grade one garden.  Only two more days to go, so we decided to explore the mathematics of pumpkins...

It was obvious which pumpkin was largest....

...but which one was the smallest?  More difficult to tell...

First we looked at circumference:  That's the measurement we get when we go around the outside of a sphere (circle) like a pumpkin.

Then we looked at height - which one was the tallest?

Finally we looked at weight - or how heavy the pumpkins were.  And we found our winner!  Pumpkin #3 was definitely our smallest pumpkin.  Aren't we great detectives!

A pumpkin dot-by-dot is a fun way to learn number sequence.

And then we designed our own jack-o-lanterns (see below).  Vote on the poll on the side to tell us which one is your favorite.  We think they look great!  

Here's to a howling good time with Halloween math!

Pumpkin Contest

Here are the pumpkins we designed using math shape blocks.  Which one is your favorite (vote on the poll on the side!!)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Use Your Sniffer!

Here we look at different noses. 

Some animals use a snout, like the pig.  Some animals use a trunk, like the elephant.  Some animals use a forked tongue to smell with, like the snake.  Some insects, like the butterfly, the fly and the moth use their antenna and sometimes their feet to smell with.  

Happy Haunting!

There is a lot of excitement in the air as students anticipate Halloween at the end of the week.  Although they are eager for the festivities, it is still highly important that your child get adequate sleep and nutrition to combat the sugar highs and lows and emotions of this holiday.

             Since Halloween is on a Friday this year, students are invited to wear their costumes to school.  Please make sure that they are as recess and gym friendly as possible so that students may still enjoy a wide range of activities comfortably. 

            The Halloween celebrations begin after Friday recess (at 11:00am) with a costume parade and Jack-O-lantern display in the Tom Karren Gym.  Parents are invited to attend.  There will be draws for prizes including movie mill passes.  At about 11:45am students will return for individual class parties that will last till the end of the school day.  There is no Friday lunch program this week due to Halloween, but there will be some treats available for students at the class party.   There will be a substitute teacher that day as Mrs. Thomson will be attending a conference for the Alberta Assessment Consortium in Edmonton this weekend.

 Spelling words this week are: 1. how, 2. one, 3. six, 4. why, 5. was.  A fun try-it at home:  use letter shaped pasta or cereal to practice spelling these important sight words.  Then enjoy a yummy treat! 

            We have finished our language arts theme studying pyramids.  We are going to be doing a lot of Halloween activities this week in both language arts and math to fit with the spooky celebration!

             Our busy, buzzy goal this week is to ‘bee’ hardworking.  Please encourage your student to strive to be the best they can at everything that they do – remember that hard work is the goal, and not perfection.

             Halloween is also the birthday of Mrs. Quinton, the educational assistant in our classroom weekday mornings.  We want to wish her a happy birthday and thank her for all the work she does and effort she contributes.  She brightens our room! 

            Be sure to have a safe and happy Halloween!  For some fun activities and ideas, check out our links list on the blog!

 Trick or Treat!

Monday Newsletter

We have some fun events planned at the school this week – Wednesday is the first day of our school wide milk program, so the students are encouraged to dress up ‘black and white’ in honor of our bovine friends.  Students that drink milk an average of three school days a week will earn a prize provided by the Milk companies.  Each month is a different prize.

Friday is our October Student of the Month assembly.  It will begin in the gym at 12:15 pm and last almost till the end of the day.  It is also pizza Friday.  If you have not ordered for the year, you may order by week, and the cost of an individual pizza is $4.00.  Please have your order into Mrs. Thomson by Wednesday recess.  Just another reminder that Friday is also our library exchange day, and students must return previously borrowed books before being able to check out new ones.  If you need to know which books are overdue, you can contact me or Mrs. Heath in the library.  Encourage your child to take responsibility for caring for and returning their books on time.

  Our spelling words this week are: 1. had, 2. old, 3. eat, 4. day, 5. ten.  Our try-it suggestion this week is to have a word race – see who can right one of the spelling words the most in 30 seconds.  Can you write it 3 times?  5 times?  Or more?

  A new set of book orders were distributed today.  If you are interested in ordering from them, please return them with payment to Mrs. Thomson by November 14, 2008.  Any items purchased from this book order should be delivered before Christmas.

  Our busy, buzzy goal this week in grade one is to ‘bee’ helpful.  Encourage your child to meet their goal at home by joyfully and thankfully (our previous goals) helping out with tasks around the house, even when not asked to.  Remember to check the goal box each week (below the spelling words box) to see how your child feels they met their goal.  It’s good practice to make, keep and accomplish goals.

  A student in our room has misplaced a pair of 3-D glasses that belong with a school library book.  We have looked at school and the student has looked at home, but the glasses have not yet been found.  If you happen across them at your home (they were most likely accidentally put in the incorrect book or agenda), please have your child bring them to Mrs. Thomson so they can be returned to the library. 

 Thank you for keeping your eyes open!

Happy Thanksgiving Newsletter!

I hope that everybody had an enjoyable thanksgiving weekend. If you are feeling tired or a little groggy, it could be lack of sleep and over excitement. It's more likely to be turkey - that is if you helped yourself to this favorite harvest feast pastime. Turkey contains a chemical known as tryptophan which increases an individual's fatigue level. So next time you can't sleep, don't count sheep - nibble on some turkey leftovers! Research seems to indicate that broccoli has the same effect.

This week is going to fly by, so we need to work hard to keep on top of the events at school and at home. On Friday any October book orders are due to Mrs. Thomson. It is also deli sandwich day for Friday lunch. If you have not placed a year order and would like to order by week, watch for the small yellow slip coming home with your child. The cost is $2.50, and needs to be returned Wednesday morning by recess. if you have ordered for the year, please just recycle any forms that come home.  Friday is also library returns, so please ensure that your child comes to school with the books they borrowed last week.

Spelling words this week are:  1. new  2. but  3. for  4. get  5. now.  Here is this week's try-it:  Try pouring a cup of salt or sugar into a 9 by 13 pan or tray.  Use your fingers to trace through the flour, salt or sugar and practice your spelling words.

In school this week we have started a new unit in gym - basketball skills!  We are learning to dribble, roll and pass balls to our classmates, and throw them in a hoop.  We are showing great sportsmanship in our basketball relay games, and that makes Mrs. Thomson very proud!  High five for grade one!

In our five senses unit for science we have moved on from sight and sound and are now learning about touch.  This week our grade one students will be bringing small items with varying textures as we learn about the different way things feel.  We will also be looking at Braille, a language consisting of raised dots on surface to aid individuals with poor or no sight, allowing them to read.

Because of national current events that are happening this week (federal election) our grade one class is interested in learning about the difference between rights and responsibilities.

Check out the side wall on our blog to see our growing list.  Some ones we have decided so far are these:  We have the right to learn, play, drink safe water, eat healthy food, have friends, and to give our ideas.  We have the responsibility to work hard and follow directions at school, to share and be kind to others, to not waste water, to limit the junk that we eat to keep our bodies healthy, to be a friend to others, and to wait our turn and respect other's ideas.  Continue to reinforce these ideas with your child.

Our class goal this week is to 'bee' joyful.  We are grateful last week to all parents who helped us find ways to 'bee' thankful.  What are some things this week that we can be happy about?  Can we find some things to choose to be happy about, though it might be more difficult?  One student in our class pointed out that he was happy to be healthy, even if that meant that sometimes doctors had to give needles (immunizations) and checkups to keep us growing strong.  What a bright idea!  

We appreciate all of the recyclable material donations that are coming in each week.  Keep sending whatever you might otherwise throw away.

Another Busy Week!

We have a busy week here at Magrath Elementary School.  Our schedule of events includes our Scholastic school book fair in the library, which begins Wednesday and runs through Friday.  Students have the chance to win individual prizes and buy great books and other items.  Our grade one class is scheduled to visit on Wednesday morning from 10:30am till 10:45am (immediately after Division I recess).  A large part of the profit earned is kept by the school, so any support you can offer is appreciated.  It is a family event so everyone is welcome to come browse and buy.  We hope to see you there!

 On Thursday evening we are having our first celebration of learning.  This is an opportunity early in the year for parents and teachers to meet for a few minutes to solidify our relationship as partners in learning for your child.  If successful communication can be achieved between home and school, than greater success will be achieved by our students.  We encourage you to take the time to come down and visit with your children’s teachers.  If you are unable to make it on Thursday night, please let Mrs. Thomson know an alternative time we could get together and have a short visit.  There is a form attached to this newsletter that will allow us to better focus our conversation.  Please fill it out and bring it for your own benefit.  It does not have to be handed back to the school.

 On the other side of the form is a cursive printing worksheet.  This is a reference guide to be kept at home.  When you are working on printing activities with your child, help them learn the proper way to grip a pencil (there are a few acceptable methods – if you want more information, feel free to ask) and to form letters.  Ease in printing is an important building block in developing ease of writing.  This visual guide can aid in teaching your child the strokes of upper and lower case letters.

 Last week we hosted a teddy bear picnic for Friday lunch.  I would firstly like to thank P. Z. for the wonderful treats she provided the students.  Also a special thanks to Mrs. R for volunteering in our room for the morning.  We had an enjoyable run for the Terry Fox fundraiser – every student in our class completed a walk/run of at least 2 laps (about 2 km) and some completed much more.  Please return the pledge forms with your child as soon as possible.  Our school is working each year to improve our Terry Fox run, and any suggestions you have would also be appreciated.

 Some important information regarding lunches – students who bring food that needs to be heated up at lunch may do so in the school cafeteria.  However Friday lunches are eaten in the classroom where we do not have access to a microwave oven.  We would encourage you to send food that can be enjoyed cold for the Friday lunch/snack.

 I would like to extend a quick thank you to all of the parents who are donating recyclable items to our classroom supply.  We’ve had cartons and paint shirts and buttons and other wonderful items, but we would always welcome more.  Before you throw it away, consider donating it!

We have just finished several topics of study in school and are beginning to explore some new ones.  In science we have completed our study of Autumn and are now beginning to explore the five major senses: hearing, sight, taste, touch and smell.  We have some fun experiments and learning planned.  We are now done the floor hockey unit in gym and are taking a small break working on gross motor skills before moving on to basketball after Thanksgiving. 

In October we will be focusing on math skills that involve counting numbers and identifying numbers by their numerals and words.  Any fun activities you can do at home to help advance your child’s number sense will greatly aid their success at school.  For more ideas, or if you have any share, please contact me.  Here are some easy ones – include your child in cooking with recipes – learning measure amounts is fun if done while cooking.  Give your child a weekly allowance and help them learn to count and spend it.  Even a small amount, such as a quarter, will improve their number sense. 

In Language arts, the students decided they would first like to study the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids.  If you have any information you would like to share about this topic, please let me know.   The next topic of study will be Magic.

Our spelling words for the week are:  him, did, use, car, two.

A fun try-it:  Use a crafty material such as pipe cleaners or straws to bend and shape the letters of the different words.

Friday lunch this week is tacos.  There will be small slips coming home each week that allow families to order Friday lunches one week at a time.  If you have already submitted your order for the whole year, please just recycle these.

Another quick reminder – library book renewal day for our class is on Fridays.  Please make sure your student brings their books back on that day.  They will be unable to check out new books until all books are returned.  Zippy books need to come back read and signed every school day.

If you are interested in ordering from the second book order forms, please have those returned by Friday, October 17, 2008.  The first book order should arrive any day!  Next week is Thanksgiving Monday, and there will be no school that day due to the holiday, but we look forward to seeing you again on Tuesday!