Skating Next Week - And Other Reminders

Some important reminders – this week is Tuesday lunch hour Lego club and drama club for our grade ones.  Thursday there will be a special farm safety presentation in our room from 10:30 – 11:15.  Friday is lunch hour tacos for $3.50.

Also a reminder that even though the temperature outside has temporarily improved, weather can turn really fast for the worse.  Please continue to ensure that your child comes to school with inside and outside shoes, proper coats, gloves and hat for winter weather.

This week in grade one we are learning about odd and even numbers, as well as counting by 5 and 10 to 100.  In Social studies, we are learning about the difference between living in an urban and rural community.  We’ve begun the unit ‘building things’ in science, and are reviewing our short vowel sounds and ‘wh’, ‘ch’, ‘ph’ and ‘th’ blends in words such as ‘phone’, ‘what’, ‘that’ and ‘chop’.

Spelling words this week are long, time, good, with, look, and the star word is heart.   The spelling try-it this week is to write the word on a scrap paper or white board and draw a picture to go with it.

Our busy, buzzy goal this week is to ‘bee’ safe.  We want to focus particularly on snow safety – both in playing and traveling and working with. 

Next week we begin our skating unit, Monday thru Thursday starting at 2:30, with the exception of Wed. Jan 28, which is a PD day (no school).  Grade one students progress more quickly when their experiences are as consecutive as possible.  We will head to the arena at 2:30 to get ready and tie skates.  We will get off the ice at approx. 3:10 or 3:15.  Your child needs skates and must have a helmet of some kind.  It is also helpful to have warm clothes like mittens, gloves, jacket and snow pants.  Sometimes two pairs of sock s can prevent blisters.  We would appreciate any help we can get for tying skates, untying skates, and parents that are willing to skate on ice with the children as they are learning to skate or skate with the hockey players.  Thank you for your help and cooperation in this matter.  If you cannot find skates, the school has a few extra pairs available to borrow.  Please let me know ahead of time.

Have a good week!

Back To School After Christmas

Welcome to a brand new year!  I hope that your Christmas was safe and refreshing.  I’m excited to be back, and I hope the students are too!

The spelling words for this week are:  three, ride, this, part, many.  The star word this week is: bells.  The try-it at home this week:  while eating your breakfast cereal, try finding the spelling words on the box – like a cereal treasure hunt.

There are notices coming home today about Friday’s comfy day – if you need any more information, please feel free to contact me.

The school phys. Ed. Skating program will be starting this month.  Grade ones will be going to the arena from January 19 – 29, except for Fridays and Jan. 28, which will be a PD day (no school for students).  Students are encouraged to bring their own pair of ice skates and warm winter wear (we do have a few pairs of skates to share).  This year students will not be permitted to participate without a helmet.  Our scheduled time is from 2:30 – 3:00, however, we will probably make our way to the arena following the afternoon recess, to allow for time to get into skates and tie laces.  If you are interested in volunteering some time to come help out, you are welcome.  Just let me know.

Friday lunch this week is pizza.  I will send the forms home tomorrow – please have them back by Wednesday morning if you want to order.

January book orders are coming home today.  If you are interested in ordering anything, please have them back to the school by January 20, 2009. 

I would like to send a quick thank you to all those parents involved in the Christmas party and the Christmas concert – they were both well done! 

Hope you have a great week!

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!!!