Thank you to all the families that were able to come and discuss their child's progress at school. It was a wonderful opportunity to share all the amazing things the students have been working on. I feel very proud of how hard they are working and am pleased to see each child identify their own areas for growth! Have a wonderful spring break, spend lots of time with friends and family, and we'll see you all on April 3rd :) Please enjoy one of students sharing their Rube Goldberg Machine below. If your child would like to share their machine please email me and I'd be happy to include it on the blog :) Reminders:
Mar 25 - Apr 2 ~ Spring Break!!! Apr 3 ~ Classes Resume Apr 5 ~ Aggie Days Apr 11 ~ Kernals Popcorn Day Apr 14 ~ Good Friday (No School) Apr 17 ~ PD Day (No School) Apr 20 ~ Healthy Hunger (Taco Time Lunch)
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For the second day of spring it sure didn't feel like spring weather! Please ensure that your child dresses appropriately so they will not be cold when they are outside for recess. We began our morning by making words. Students quickly discovered the big word was "voyageurs". As we continue our study about these people we added more information to our "What we learned" portion of our KWL chart. Voyageurs were:
In math students took a multiplication quiz that had them demonstrating their understanding of 2-digit and 3-digit by 1-digit multiplication. They also focused on looking at what factors can be multiplied to find a product and completed two word problems. These will be marked and sent home tomorrow.
Students also did a short grammar lesson that looked at homophones (their, they're and their). By understanding the meaning of each, students are working towards being more mindful of using words correctly in their writing :) The Read-A-Thon is well underway! Spring Break will be a great time to gather pledges and catch up on your reading for the Read-a-Thon. Remember – this fundraiser has one goal – helping build a playground at New Brighton School. Collected pledges can be returned to teachers beginning Monday, April 3 – and must be returned to school by Wednesday, April 5 at 3:15PM to be considered for the fabulous prizes. Mr. Hutton and Ms. McComish are looking forward to putting their feet up while students do the heavy lifting at school for a Friday. Lastly, please have your child return their Aggie Days field trip form tomorrow. Payment can be made online, to the school or by contacting the office. Reminders: 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!!! Today we warmed up our math brains with the following questions:
In science students worked to share their Rube Goldberg designs in small groups. Students provided feedback or possible solutions to help designs work better. They also explained why they thought certain parts of their designs worked well. We wrapped up our Health unit today and will have a few friends share the presentations they have been working on about topics including: healthy eating, positive friendships, what the human body is made up of (skin, bones, etc.) and how the five senses work. Students were given the chance to use the computers after lunch to revisit Raz Kids. It is important that your child complete the comprehension questions so that Mrs. Otterson can determine if they are ready to move ahead to another level or if they require more parent support at home. Lastly, in Social Studies, students began learning about the Voyageurs that came to Canada long ago. They were asked to create a KWL chart (What they think they know, What they want to know and What they learned) after watching the video below. Field trip forms were sent home for our upcoming field trip to Aggie Days! Please return the form completed and signed by Wednesday so we are prepared to go on this trip when we return from spring break.
Reminders: 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!!! Students worked at looking critically at the Rube Goldberg machines they have been building this week. They completed a checklist to determine if their machine met the following criteria:
In math we continue to focus on multiplication of 2-digit by 1-digit numbers. See the questions below:
Students also get regular opportunities to play multiplication games that have them practicing basic skills. If you feel your child would benefit from a set of flash cards at home please let me know. Have a wonderful weekend and find time to play outside :) Reminders: March 20 ~ Book Truck 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!!! In math students looked at word problems that had them applying their understanding of 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication. We looked at how it is related to what we have already been practicing. First reading the question and understanding what it is asking; second, looking at what operations to apply and using them to solve a questions. Students looked at the following 6 questions:
Today we continued to look at some of the changes students are experiencing as part of our health unit and another piece of homework was sent home (Advice Corner). Tomorrow is St. Patrick's day so in the spirit of things I'm encouraging everyone to wear green! Reminders: March 16 ~ Family Movie Night at 6:30pm March 20 ~ Book Truck 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!!! Today we began our morning by looking at increasing and decreasing patterns and a multiplication word problem:
We also worked to finish up the word problems we began yesterday. Students have been introduced to 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication. Please continue to practice basic facts everyday to ensure quick recall. Students have also completed the final draft of their spirit animal writing. Each student was given the opportunity to conference individually with an adult to ensure each paragraph included enough detail and that was relevant to their topic. This writing task was a long process and required multiple revisions along the way. Students should feel proud of the work that was accomplished. Those children that participated in the Health lesson today brought home a letter that they wrote based on the on the information that was covered yesterday. You can discuss this with your child and answer any further questions they may have. This afternoon, we were able to attend the dress rehearsal for the Grad 1 celebration of learning. Way to go Grade 1! You have done lots of amazing learning. In the gym this afternoon we participated in fitness challenges with a partner. Fitness activities included mountain climbers, row jumps, boats, plank, etc. Some focused on cardio and others focused on core strength. Please continue to think about volunteering for our field trip on April 5th. Reminders: March 16 ~ Fun Lunch - Little Caesars & Family Movie Night at 6:30pm March 20 ~ Book Truck 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!!! Happy birthday to another friend who turned 10!
We began our day by looking at math problems. We completed the following questions:
In the gym we learned how to play the game "Tchoukball". To play students are divided into teams, you try to hit any net on the court and if it bounces back and lands on the floor it counts as a point. Ask me more about it or find more information here. We began building our Rube Goldberg machines. Students continue to think about how a chain reaction will be used to move their simple machines. Continue to have a discussion with your child to make sure they understand how to apply their knowledge. We will work on these for the remaindered of the week. Please continue to bring in any necessary supplies! In guided reading we began new literacy stations: writing a letter to our parents about what we enjoy about school, what we are working on and a literacy goal or what we are looking forward to; we used the computers to research simple machines and how they work, we will be collecting three facts from our research; students are writing poems using science vocabulary; and lastly, working with the teacher we are creating an opinion piece based on the story we are reading with our group. Some students began covering topics related to our health unit. Homework was sent home with those students. Others are beginning a research project. With our Aggie Days field trip fast approaching please let me know if you are able to volunteer. You can find more information about Aggie Days by visiting their official website: https://ag.calgarystampede.com/events/aggie-days/ Reminders: March 14 ~ Kernels Popcorn Day - K-4 March 15 ~ Fun Lunch - Little Caesars & Family Movie Night at 6:30pm March 20 ~ Book Truck 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!!! Our morning began with an assembly to kick off our Read-A-Thon! The kids are excited and we even looked at the math. Students asked how much money we would raise if each student in our class raised $50 and if each student in the school raised $50. Students continued to focus on "Setting The Scene" in guided reading. Students have to read with the teacher, explain why they chose the scene and why it is important to the development of the story. In math we came up as a class with a rule for multiplying by 8 and 9. Ask your child if they can explain each rule to you and give you an example. We also learned how to play a game of "Speed" using a deck of cards. Working in teams of two students each flip a card and think quickly of the product. First student to know the product first earns both cards. Try playing at home. Science reviews were handed back this morning and most students did really well! We are also moving forward into the building stages of our Rube Goldberg machines next week. Today we re-visited the "Ok Go" video and were much faster at identifying each simple machine that was part of the chain reaction. Students will be attempting to create a machine that will move a marble into a cup using at least 3 simple machines, one of them needing to be a lever. They are bringing home their designs and are required to talk them over with an adult to ensure their chain reaction will be accurate. Their drawings should be neat and labeled. Lastly, we will be going on a field trip - we are headed to Aggie Days on April 5th! We will be looking for parent volunteers to accompany us and if you are able to help out please let me know. More information about this field trip will follow shortly. Reminders: 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!!! * Oops! I apologize for the late blog post - It helps if you hit the publish button ;)
As part of our Eye Opener we finished adding detail to the science exploration activities that we did yesterday. We talked about different types of pulleys (fixed pulley - flagpole and a moveable pulley - like a zip line); to lift a heavy load easily the fulcrum has to be closer to the load; and with wheels and axels students that had the most stable or successful vehicles had at least one wheel attached to the axel. Writing had us complete our good copy of our spirit animal writing. However, there were a few students that still need to print and they can do this on Monday at lunch. We have been talking as a class about how certain tasks or assignments, such as math questions, sometimes take some people less time and others more. That is okay! The students that needed extra time brought their work home and can have their families support them. In music we preformed our xylophone song. And in the gym we wrapped up basketball. In science we continued our exploration about levers as students worked to create a visual journal page that had them define the terms fulcrum, load and effort, while also listing examples of each type of lever. Some information was sent home about the Read-A-Thon and there is a kick-off assembly tomorrow morning! Be prepared to read, read, read :) As part of our science unit, we will be designing and building Rube Goldberg next week to have students apply their understanding of simple machines in action. If you have any of the following supplies you'd like to contribute please send them with your child. We will need things such as:
Lastly, we will be going on a field trip - we are headed to Aggie Days on April 5th! We will be looking for parent volunteers to accompany us and if you are able to help out please let me know. More information about this field trip will follow shortly. Reminders: March 10 ~ Scholastic Order is Due 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!!! This morning we began our day by refreshing our memory to some of the math concepts we have been covering throughout the year thus far. Our Eye Opener was:
In writing students began writing out their good copy of their spirit animal writing. We have been focusing on these steps in the expository writing process:
After our break we experimented with simple machines! Students had to try to lift the teacher using a lever, adjusting the fulcrum and recognizing where the load is located to make their work easier. They also developed a pulley system to send a secret message across the classroom and raced two different cars (measuring distance traveled and explaining why some cars traveled farther than others). After lunch we played a fun game of "doctor dodgeball" with Mrs. Otterson. Ask your child to explain the rules. And lastly, students wrote a science quiz that covered the six different types of simple machines and concepts like "mechanical advantage". These will be graded and returned later this week. Reminders:
March 8 ~ School Council and Fundraising Society Meeting at 6pm March 10 ~ Scholastic Order 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!!! |
Mrs. OttersonTeacher at New Brighton School and lover of the great outdoors! Archives
June 2017
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