I had a lovely vacation but it sure is nice to be back with Room 145! It was an exciting day at the Science Center. We learned so many cool things including:
As we continue our study of Simple Machines, students worked together in small groups to discover other ways that wheels and axels work together. After watching the video below, they investigated horizontal input and vertical output that made the chickens move. Ask your child if they can describe the simple machine that they built. Also a very big thank you to all the volunteers that helped make this trip possible :) Your help is truly appreciated! Reminders: March 6 ~ Book Mobile Visit (don't forget your public library card) March 8 ~ School Council and Fundraising Society Meeting at 6pm March 14 ~ Kernels Popcorn Day - K-4 March 15 ~ Fun Lunch - Little Caesars & Family Movie Night at 6:30pm March 22 ~ Early Dismissal at 11:45am & Conferences March 23 ~ K-4 Conferences 8:15-12:30 March 24 ~ PD Day - No School for Students Mar 25 - Apr 2 ~ Spring Break!!!
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First off a really big thank you to all the students for working so hard this week. It was short week and there was much to do before the long weekend (due to teacher's convention). As well, Mrs. Otterson will be away from February 22 - 24th so there will be no blog.
We began our morning by finishing up our Valentine's Day weaving. Students used construction paper to make a heart for someone special in their lives :) Students also had the opportunity to log into Raz Kids. This is a great online reading resource to help your child improve their decoding and comprehension skills. There is access to lots of different online books at various levels, an online tracking system that allows your child’s teacher to watch their progress and a motivational “Raz Rocket” that your child can build as they earn stars for reading. To access the website please visit https://www.raz-kids.com. You will find a student login button where you can enter the following information: Teacher Username: lotterson4 Student Password: was sent home in their Home Communication Folder As well, student continued their exploration of simple machines. They began learning about levers as they used some basic supplies (spoons, elastic bands and popsicle sticks) to build a catapult. Students continue to develop perseverance as their first design may not have been successful. They had to describe where the load, fulcrum, and force was based on their design. More time will be provided next week to complete a write up. Students will have to:
Did You Know…Wednesday, February 22 is Pink Shirt Day? We encourage all of you to wear something pink to symbolize that we all have the capacity to be kind and compassionate, and at New Brighton School want to be apart of this friendly reminder that no matter what our differences, being nice is always a choice worth making.
Lastly, a math review was sent home in your child's Home Communication Folder. Please review it with your child and return the folder next Tuesday with a signature. If you have any questions please contact me directly. Have a lovely long weekend! Reminders: Feb 16-17 ~ Teachers Convention (No School) Feb 20 ~ Family Day (No School) Feb 22 ~ Pink Shirt Day Feb 23 ~ Fun Lunch Feb 27 ~ Science Center Field Trip Mar 9 ~ Dr. Martha Cohen School Tour 2:00 – 6:30 pm (Please call the school office – 403-817-3548 – if you have any questions. There will be a School Council Meeting at the end of our open house, beginning at 7:00pm. All families are invited to attend.) Today was another wonderful day in Room 145! Students completed their amazing visual journal pages that demonstrate their understanding of all the uses of the buffalo. Ask your child if they remember the six different parts that they chose to represent on their page and the uses for each part. We also spent a bit of time in the morning catching up and completing any unfinished writing. We have been focusing on the following things during literacy stations:
In math, students completed a review of multiplication. They were asked to assess how they felt they did on the questions and apply the following I CAN statements:
After lunch students watched the video "The Legend of the Dream Catcher". They had to listen to the lesson being taught and we worked together as a class to create jot notes about the beginning, middle, and end of the story that will be used to retell the events of the story in the students own words next week. We also had a visit from our buddies. They showed us how to use Raz Kids. Your child has been set up with a username and password; this information will be sent home with them tomorrow so they can access the program using a home computer. Thank you to all the families that have returned the field trip forms to the Science Center. These are due by February 22. Reminders: Feb 15 ~ Early Dismissal 11:45am Feb 16-17 ~ Teachers Convention (No School) Feb 20 ~ Family Day (No School) Feb 23 ~ Fun Lunch Feb 27 ~ Science Center Field Trip P.S. Thanks to all the students for the love today :) I felt pretty spoiled!
Today there was lots to do as we prepare for the break ahead due to Teacher's Convention on February 16 & 17. There is also early dismissal on Wednesday, February 15th at 11:45am. In writing we finished up our Free Verse Poetry. Students did a wonderful job writing friendship inspired poems about one of the characters they chose from the novel "The One and Only Ivan". Check out some of our work below. Students that are still completing their poems will have time to finish tomorrow. In math we practiced our basic facts with a mad minute and then either a game of "Math War" or "Guess My Product". These are excellent games to practice at home with your child and all they need is a deck of cards. You can also use them as flash cards! Valentine's Day is tomorrow and students completed their weaving/abstract inspired watercolour hearts. They will be attached to the back of the students chairs so the students that wish to participate in the "be my valentine" exchange can do so at the end of the day. After lunch we continued on with our read aloud of "Al Capone Does My Shirts". In this chapter Moose is sent to see the warden and feels very uncomfortable when the warden's daughter, Piper sits in on the meeting. He is worried that she will give away how different his sister really is. He also recognizes that she may be beautiful but she is not very beautiful on the inside. Students are unsure if her character will change as we read further into the book or if she'll always be the bad girl. In literacy stations students continued working on their simple machines books, writing using a picture prompt and looked a new science vocabulary words. We also are adding the next step of our visual journal project that require us to add at least six facts about how First Nations people used to utilize the parts of the buffalo. Field trip forms were sent home in your child's backpack and need to be returned no later than February 22, 2017. We are also in need of several more parent volunteers in order to be able to attend this amazing trip. Please contact me directly if you are able to help. You must already have a police criminal record check completed, as they take about 3 weeks to process. There are also quite a few items in the lost and found. Please look at the photos to see if anything may belong to your child. Reminders: Feb 14 ~ Kernels Popcorn Day (Healthy Hunger); Valentine's Day Feb 15 ~ Early Dismissal 11:45am Feb 16-17 ~ Teachers Convention (No School) Feb 20 ~ Family Day (No School) Feb 23 ~ Fun Lunch Feb 27 ~ Science Center Field Trip Today we began our morning by practicing some cursive writing. Students have been focusing on the importance of legibility in their writing and have learned how to utilize their page well. Students did a good well retelling the story of "Mwakwa and the Loon" using their own words. Focusing on including key details about the beginning, middle and end of a story. This task was also completed during Literacy Stations, where students worked to retell the events in the novel they have been reading during guided reading with the teacher. Each child had to self-assess using the target and then received a grade/comments from the teacher. This was sent home in their communication folder. Please take a look at the work your child did and sign that you have seen it. It is to be returned Monday. We also had the opportunity to work with Miss Lysak to create a visual journal page that will show our understanding of First Nations people and how they used the buffalo. Students used chalk pastels for the background and the technique of ripping paper to create our bison. We will get an opportunity to finish up next week but our work is coming along nicely. Some students chose to take home the vehicle they created for wheels and axels. If your child would like to measure how far down a ramp their vehicle will travel they can bring it back to school on Monday to try it out! Next week we will have a short amount of time to distribute Valentine's Day cards. A list with students first names will be sent home but there is no obligation to participate. If your child does choose to participate they will need to write out a card to each child in the class.
Reminders: Feb 14 ~ Kernels Popcorn Day (Healthy Hunger); Valentine's Day Feb 16-17 ~ Teachers Convention Feb 20 ~ Family Day Feb 23 ~ Fun Lunch Feb 27 ~ Science Center Field Trip (information to follow) Today was a morning of scientific discovery! Students came back refreshed some worked to finish or re-evaluate their vehicle designs. We also completed a self evaluation. Students were asked to look critically at their work and decide what they did well, what they struggled with and describe how they solved problems they encountered with their designs. Most students were fairly successful with their design. They also watched a short video that described how wheels and axels work together to make a vehicle move forward. Key vocabulary we focused on was: wheel, axel, force. After experimenting and watching the video students were able to explain how bigger wheels on a vehicle make it move faster and travel farther. They also explained that using smaller wheels would mean it would take longer for a vehicle to travel the same distance as a vehicle with bigger wheels because of the smaller circumference. Students also looked at how wheels and axels are connected to pulleys. They worked in small groups of three or four to build a pulley. One student described it as "a pulley works when there is a wheel an axel and there has to be a force and a load. A person can act as the force to lift a load." Students have started designing a visual journal page for "Al Capone Does My Shirts". After listening to read aloud this afternoon we now have a better picture of Moose's family. His sister is being sent to a special school for children with disabilities and he is not happy about it. He feels his mother is making the wrong choice but goes along with it anyways because he wants to make his parents happy.
Lastly, we attended the grade 2 celebration of learning dress rehearsal. They did a great job - way to go Grade 2's! We also participated in Literacy Stations and most students have had an opportunity to work on retelling what has happened in the novel their are reading in guided reading. This will be assessed and sent home with students on Friday. Reminders: Feb 14 ~ Kernels Popcorn Day (Healthy Hunger) Feb 16-17 ~ Teachers Convention Feb 20 ~ Family Day Feb 23 ~ Fun Lunch Feb 27 ~ Science Center Field Trip (information to follow) We began our morning eye opener by making words. The big words were "simple machines" and students did an excellent job creating lots of smaller words using only the letters available on the board. We also had most students finishing their visual journal page for "Mwakwa Talks to the Loon". We have now retold this legend using our own words (writing three paragraphs) and using images that clearly represent the main event in the beginning, middle and end. In math students used their understanding of the rules of multiplication to fill in a multiplication chart up to 5 x 10. Then they were challenged to fill in a 1 cm grid paper by rolling a dice and using each number (factor) to make arrays. They had to fill up as much of the paper as they could. We recognized that arrays have to made using equal groups. Guided reading continues to be successful with students working independently at each Literacy Station. Ask your child which station they worked at today. Science was the concept of try, try again. As students began exploring wheels and axles they were given supplies and had to test their vehicle. Some of us were more successful than others but we recognized the importance of going back to the drawing board and that we learn when we are not always successful ;) Reminders:
Feb 14 ~ Kernels Popcorn Day (Healthy Hunger) Feb 16-17 ~ Teachers Convention Feb 20 ~ Family Day Feb 23 ~ Fun Lunch Feb 27 ~ Science Center Field Trip (information to follow) We began our morning by making a February calendar as our Eye Opener. We realized there are lots of things going on this month. Be sure to check the school website to see exactly what is happening. Also, we will be going on a field trip to the Science Center at the end of the month (Feb 27) so if you are able to volunteer please contact. Forms will go home shortly. In the gym, we played a game of British Bulldog. We used basketballs and had to make sure the ball was in control. If we got tagged we had to put the ball away. We could help tag or take the ball out of a friend's hands. We practiced our formation for shooting as well. We focused on three things in writing. First we finished writing our summary of the legend we read last week. Then we had to highlight the beginning and end of our sentences. If our work was done we used pictures in our visual journals to match the most important events in the beginning, middle and end of the story. Math had us focusing on basic facts practice, and we reviewed the word problems we did last week. We now know that there are multiple ways to solve problems. Most students now understand how to use doubling a fact to help them. After lunch we began reading aloud "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko. We have been introduced to 12 year old Moose Flanagan and his sister Natalie. He is taller and bigger than his father. We also recognize his sister is different. His father is a prison guard on Alcatraz Island and Moose is not happy about having to move away from all his friends. In guided reading we began new Literacy Stations. Students have been provided with a schedule informing them of the day that they are required to work on each of the different literacy tasks.
Reminders:
Feb 14 ~ Kernels Popcorn Day (Healthy Hunger) Feb 16-17 ~ Teachers Convention Feb 20 ~ Family Day Feb 23 ~ Fun LunchThank you to the families that returned their child's communication folder. A new task will be sent home with a rubric at the end of the week. Today was another very, very busy day :) We had our special visitors come and attend our official school opening assembly. The student that read our "Acknowledgement to the Land" did a fantastic job, the choir sang some lovely songs and the soloists were very brave to get up and perform for all those people. Also, the students that drummed gave us chills!
In writing, we used the jot notes we took yesterday (based on the legend "Mwakwa Talks to the Loon") and summarized using our own words. We wrote three short paragraphs to show our understanding of the story. We are still wrapping up the word problems that we began on Wednesday. Students will review them next week as they focus on "doubling" as a strategy for solving more difficult multiplication sentences. Have your child show you how to double and put a comment on the blog. Grade 3 Celebration of Learning was held after lunch. It was awesome! They showed us dance play, african drumming and affirmations of awesomeness! Students chose a new read aloud today. We will begin the novel "Al Capone Does My Shirts" next week. Lastly, we created a visual journal page about the novel "The One and Only Ivan". Students will be writing a piece of poetry to accompany their page next week. Communication folders were sent home in your child's backpack and are to be returned on Monday. Have a fun weekend! Enjoy watching the SuperBowl :) Reminders: Feb 3 ~ PD Day Feb 6 ~ Book Mobile Visit Feb 14 ~ Kernels Popcorn Day (Healthy Hunger) Feb 16-17 ~ Teachers Convention Feb 20 ~ Family Day Feb 23 ~ Fun Lunch Today was very, very busy! We began our morning by finishing up some work in our visual journals. Our morning did not follow the normal routine either as we had many students helping prepare for our official school opening tomorrow. The students did a great job as they practiced in the choir, if they had speaking parts, and making our classroom look spick and span :)
As we study legends, we decided to dig deeply and focus on summarizing in our own words. We worked together as a class to recall what happened in the story "Mwakwa Talks to the Loon" by Dale Auger. Kayâs is a young Cree man who is blessed with a gift that makes him a talented hunter. He knows the ways of the animals he hunts and can even talk with them in their own languages. But when he becomes proud and takes his abilities for granted, he loses his gift, and the people grow hungry. In math we continue our exploration of multiplication, using doubling a multiplication fact we know to help us solve word problems. Students looked at the following questions: 1) How can you use 3 x 6 to find the product of 6 x 6? Show your work and explain your thinking. 2) Find the product for the following number sentences. What strategies did you use? a) 7 x 4 = b) 6 x 4 = c) 5 x 4 = 3) There are bicycles and wagons at school. Each bicycle has 2 wheels. Each wagon has 4 wheels. Eli counted 28 wheels. How many bicycles and wagons might be there? How many different ways can you find the answer? 4) What might each missing number be? How many different answers can you find for each number sentence? a) _________ x _________ = 16 b) _________ x _________ = 16 5) How do you know that doubling the product of 2 x 6 is the same as finding 4 x 6? Use words, numbers and pictures to explain. In science we reviewed the process nature uses to recycle, looking at the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers. Since there were more than five students interested in the Calgary Young Writers Conference on February 22nd, we will be doing a draw tomorrow morning. They will open up more spots later in February if other schools don't use all of their 15 spots and we can then put the children whose names were not drawn on a waiting list. Reminders: Feb 2 ~ Scholastic Book Orders Due (cheques only please) Feb 3 ~ PD Day Feb 6 ~ Book Mobile Visit Feb 14 ~ Kernels Popcorn Day (Healthy Hunger) Feb 16-17 ~ Teachers Convention Feb 20 ~ Family Day Feb 23 ~ Fun Lunch |
Mrs. OttersonTeacher at New Brighton School and lover of the great outdoors! Archives
June 2017
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