Week #7 --> Oct. 18 - 22nd
Dear Families,
Can you believe we're soon entering into our last week of October? Where in the world did this month go!? Ahhh, time sure flies when you're actively learning, growing, and having FUN all at the same time.
Today's a PA Day so I hope your child's enjoyed some time to rest, relax, and do what they want to do ;) I sure keep them busy during the school week with homework, in-class tasks, and projects. They deserve a day to themselves to play, play, PLAY!
Autobiography:
Thank you so much boys and girls for all your hard work in class and at home on your autobiographies. Students slides have been thoughtfully prepared and I am very proud of the effort put forth. I am excited to read your child's autobiography soon and get to know them on a deeper level!
Oral Presentations:
To help honour students' hard work and to gain valuable public speaking skills, we will be doing oral presentations.
Below, you will find the criteria that I will be using to teach students how to be an effective presenter. We will work on our presenting skills in class, and students are encouraged to do so at home too.
Your child will sign up for a presentation day to present his or her autobiography the week of Nov. 1 - 5th. Stay tuned :-)
Recount Writing:
For the past few weeks, I have modelled and shared mini-lessons about Recounts which is "Retelling an Event in Sequence" (see picture below of the anchor chart we have posted in our classroom).
Next week, you will receive your child's Thanksgiving Recount with my feedback. Students were encouraged to provide as much detail as possible about their Thanksgiving experience and to use sequence words such as first, then, next, after that, and finally. We have so many hard working writers in our class!!
Please take some time to celebrate your child's strengths and next steps in this writing piece! The goal is to help reinforce the parts of their writing they did well (stars) and to improve upon their next steps (arrows).
Bucket Filling:
As you've seen, heard, and learned by now, our class has spent meaningful attention and energy on gratitude and acts of kindness.
This week, I shared the story 'Have You Filled a Bucket Today?' A special shout out to Ainsley who brought in the book from home for me to share. This sweet student certainly knows me well and the types of read alouds I'd love!! She nailed it yet again ;)
Being happy isn't just a feeling; it's something that you carry with you all day. You can make yourself happy by making other people happy, and by accepting kindness from others. You feel very happy and good when your bucket is full, and you feel very sad and lonely when your bucket is empty.
This story reminds us of the very important fact that we aren't the only ones carrying a special bucket, and just as important, we aren't just responsible for our own buckets. We're all responsible for each other's.
A full bucket is important because it means you're happy and confident. If you want a full bucket, you need to work together (cooperate). You can't do it alone, you need other people to fill your bucket and other people need you to fill theirs.'
At the end of the story and a class discussion about finding ways to acknowledge and appreciate others acts of kindness, I had the students think of a special person (e.g., a classmate, sibling, principal, teacher, parent, pet, etc) in their life and write a message of gratitude (bucket filling note).
These were heart-soaring!! The feeling of JOY and HAPPINESS was felt as students delivered and received their notes :)
I will encourage my students to continue this bucket filling tradition throughout the school year as I feel it is important to express and accept acts of appreciation!
Math:
Earlier this week, students wrote a place value assessment which I am in the process of marking and will send home in the coming days. I shared with my class that this year assessments will emphasize celebrating our stars (strengths) and arrows (areas to improve/continue to work on).
I will provide lots of class time for assessment completion as well as provide lunch and learn time to support their achievement. I am very proud of everyone for doing their personal best in our place value unit!
Parents' Guide to Mathematics:
Are you curious about the new math curriculum and how you can support your child's growth as a mathematician?
Working as a T.E.A.M. ("Together Everybody Achieves MORE!") will make a difference and support your child's learning by making math a regular part of your day-to-day life at home. You can help your child(ren) make connections between what they learn in school and everyday experiences at home and in the community.
WE CAN:
- find ways to incorporate math at home
- inspire a love of learning and better understanding of math
- talk to your child about their math schoolwork
- show an interest in what they are learning in class
- help make learning fun by finding real world applications of what they are learning together
I really appreciate the weekly support in your child's Extra Math Practice Homework! I can tell the various students who have practiced concepts at home because their confidence has increased and they are willing to guide others with their knowledge and understanding. Thank you parents for taking the time out of your busy schedules to invest in your child's academics. It truly makes and is making a difference!!
New Math Unit:
Beginning next week, our new focus in math will be on Geometric Reasoning.
Here are the specific expectations:
- sort, construct, and identify cubes, prisms, pyramids, cylinders, and cones by comparing their faces, edges, vertices, and angles
- compose and decompose various structures, and identify the two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional objects that these structures contain
- identify congruent lengths, angles, and faces of three-dimensional objects and mentally and physically matching them, and determine if the objects are congruent
Gym:
Picture Day:
Edge Imaging will be here Wednesday October 27th to take individual photos only of our students and staff. An email with a flyer from Edge went out via email to all of our families earlier this week. I hope you received this message from our office.
Jardine:
Thank you Jardine for bringing in a special stone to share with the class. This discussion extended into the powerful benefits certain stones, rocks, and gems that you can purchase at The Collingwood Rock Shop.
For Jardine, he uses his stone as a calming tool on his trips to and from Toronto. He finds the cars on the highway to be a bit unnerving so he rubs & holds onto his special stone and it instantly brings him to a state of peace and the present moment :) AMAZING!!
Himalayan Salt Lamps:
After our discussion about Jardine's special stone, I talked about Himalayan salt lamps. Did you know they are made by placing a light bulb inside large chunks of pink Himalayan salt?
They have a distinctive look and emit a warming, pink glow when lit. True Himalayan salt lamps are made from salt harvested from the Khewra Salt Mine in Pakistan.
Salt sourced from this area is believed to be millions of years old, and although it’s very similar to table salt, the small amounts of minerals it contains give it a pink color.
Many people choose to buy Himalayan salt lamps simply because they like the way they look and enjoy the ambiance the pink light creates in their homes, but many others find their health benefits alluring. I definitely do!
Many students in our class shared with me that they have salt lamps at home!! I was so happy to hear this and may even purchase one for our classroom :-)
Mindfulness:
Please ask your child: What is the author's message in this video? What character trait is being displayed? Explain a time when you've been a team player with your family.
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