Spring is here! We have many exciting things planned this month.
Program Information As you know, I have been keeping a portfolio of some of your child’s art and written work at school. As work and projects are completed they are added to your child’s files. We will be having our special celebration of learning on April 27, where you are invited to come celebrate your child’s learning in our classroom. Look for more details to come. Other program notes; although reading writing and social skills will continue to be a strong focus, additional emphasis will be placed on mathematics, health and science this term. Language skills will be integrated with math, science and health studies. Theme Digest April and May’s learning will focus around the Joys of Spring. I have already been sharing some of the upcoming plans with the children and they are getting very excited. Included in the Joys of Spring theme will be a science study focus on life cycles including butterflies, bugs, frogs, and plants. Spirit Week This first week back is our school spirit week. Tuesday, is wacky hair day, Wednesday, sport jersey day, Thursday, favourite character day and Friday is rainbow day. Please help your child dress up accordingly. Social Skills Synopsis Our social skills focus will be on following instructions:
Show and Tell Bulletin Following the complements box our show and tell will involve the children bringing “things from nature” to show us and tell us about. Each child will have an assigned show and tell day and a small nature box will come home with them the day before their show and tell day. You can start helping your child think of something to bring for this special show and tell. You will know it is your child’s turn when the nature box comes home with him/her from school. Please be sure to send the box back the next day as another child will be anxiously awaiting a turn. Guest Speaker and Guest Artists Last month we had a special guest from GIRO (Michelle) come to teach us about zero waste and waste free lunches and we also had Graham of Sunstone Pottery come to help us contribute to a clay tile installation being added to one of our outer school walls. On April 11th, we’ll have another guest artist visiting to do another special art project with us followed by an art show in the gym on the 13th. Birthday Broadcast We will be celebrating one Birthday in April. I&I Teacher Ms. Culbertson will be back with us once a week to help us work on our LID projects. It is so much fun and such a bonus for the children to have two teachers collaborating and team teaching together. I enjoy working with her. Garden Notes The children will soon be returning to their work and learning in the garden once a week with gardening expert Sacha. The garden project is ongoing until the end of June. Field Trip Update Last month we won second prize in the Great Gabriola Food Fight Challenge and we won free hot chocolate and a small treat at Mad Rona’s. I am planning this as a walking fieldtrip on Friday, April 21st leaving the school at 10:00 am. We will need several parents to help us walk safely to this exciting destination. Let me know if you are able to help us out by filling out the note at the end of this letter. Thanks. Learning support at Home Mathematics will take a more in-depth focus in our classroom this month. We will begin doing daily addition and subtraction problems using dice and the small toys in the math bins. Grade ones will also be working out addition and subtraction problems in their math books. Children’s stories and literature are also wonderful ways of representing mathematics in a practical context. Check out some of the following books for your daily home reading time: Anno’s Counting Book - by Mitsumasa Anno The Shopping Basket – by John Burningham The Most amazing Hide-and Seek Counting Book – by R Crowther The Doorbell Rang – by Pat Hutchings One Duck, Another Duck - by Charlotte Ponerantz These books will allow you to initiate some discussion about mathematics as a natural part of enjoying the stories. Spelling and Read-at-Home Program We have started a weekly spelling program. Your child will bring home a list of words to study at home and we will have a spelling test each Friday. On April 10th we will begin our read at home program, the children are very excited. Please make an effort to read every day with your child. A note will come home with all the details along with a book in a zip lock bag or in the planner pocket. I enjoy working with you and your child. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or leave me a note in the planner or back and forth folder. Sincerely yours, Mrs. Kathy L. Gurr EXTRA! EXTRA! . . . DATES TO MARK ON YOUR CALENDAR April 5 – Hot lunch April. 4 -7 School spirit week April 11 – Guest artist April 13 – Art show in the gym 1:45 – 2:20 April 14 to 17 – Easter break April 19 – Hot lunch April 20 – Earth Quake simulation April 21 – Mad Rona’s walking trip April 27 – Celebration of learning Soon, you will receive an invitation from your child to come and celebrate their learning. This will be a very special event to your child. Please mark the date on your calendar and make time to come in and see the work they have been doing at school. If you cannot attend please arrange for another significant adult to attend with your child. It will take place in an open house format from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. on Thursday, April 27. You are welcome to come with your child at any time during the two hours. Please allow 20 to 30 minutes for your child to guide you through the activities. This is an important night for your child to have your undivided attention, so please make arrangements for siblings to stay at home or elsewhere during this learning celebration. ------------------------------------------------------- Cut off this portion and sign and return it to school as soon as possible Walking trip to Mad Rona’s I will/ I will not be able to help with this trip (circle one) on Friday, April, 21st from 10:00 – 11:30 am. ____________________________________________ Parents name _________________________ Phone number ____________________________________________ Child’s name
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AuthorI am a teacher with over 25 years of teaching experience including all grades from kindergarten to grade seven. I am a Primary Specialist with a diverse educational background in Individualization, Learning Support, Behaviour Support and Home-Learning Support. Archives
May 2017
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