Update from Ms. R

The homework for this week is that there is NO homework. However, the children promised that they will READ each day over the holidays.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the Room 222 families a safe and happy winter holiday and best wishes for a wonderful 2019!

Parent Notes:

The holidays are a great opportunity to play games and create!

Children love to play board games like Snakes and Ladders, Trouble, checkers and chess.The students this week were each given a pack of standard playing cards and now know how to use playing cards to do a magic trick and to play the game "Go Fish". Other card games like Crazy Eights and Snap are also suitable for children. Rules for these games can be easily found on the internet. Cards can also be used to build card towers!

Children also love to make stuff! Give a child some old cracker or tissue boxes and some tape, a pair of scissors and markers and they will create something special. It may be a house for a stuffie, a rocket ship or a magic castle. Encourage your child to tell you about their creation and how they solved a problem engineering a door, for example. They may even want to write a fiction story using what they made in the story. Sometimes creativity just needs an opportunity...

Important Dates:

December 22 - January 6 - Winter Holidays

January 7 - First day of school for 2019

News for December 21

News for December 21

This last week of school for 2018, the children learned about playing cards, made paper lanterns and even learned why popcorn pops!

The BIG news from this week was that the children worked very hard to sort, count and add up the money that was collected for the Daily Bread Food Bank of Toronto. The students worked to sort the money into groups. Then they worked in groups to count the coins and finally we used calculators to add up the sums. One bag, a pile of toonies added up to $222.00. The grand total was $850.37! This project was a great way to apply math skills. Well done!

The class finished learning the history of over 15 different holiday songs. Many songs are Christmas songs, but we also looked at a Diwali song and a Hanukkah song and some are simply about winter. It was wonderful to hear the students singing along to songs while working on projects in the class. On Thursday, our class joined the rest of the school in the auditorium for our school's traditional sing-a-long time. For each song, the children learned the country it was from, when it was written, how many years ago it was written, plus we learned new vocabulary and listened for the rhyming words. One song we studied was "The Twelve Days of Christmas" that was written in England in 1780. When we sang this song, we were singing words that have been sung at this time of year for 228 years.

The students learned about playing cards. They explored the designs on the cards and sorted the cards by design, colour and number. Did you know that there are 52 cards in a standard pack of cards? There are two colours, red and black, four "suits", hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades, and numbers from 1 (ace) to ten plus kings, queens and jacks. Each child now knows how to do a magic trick and at the
end of the week, they played the game, Go Fish, in their table groups.

The children created more decorations for our class holiday tree using pipe cleaners and beads. They learned some folding and cutting techniques to create paper lanterns. By folding cardstock paper, drawing designs, cutting out "windows" and taping in pieces of clear red plastic, the students made unique paper lanterns with an LED light inside. Did you know that the word LED means "Light Emitting Diode"?

On Friday, the students wore their pajamas and brought their stuffies for the last day of school of 2018.  The children even wore their pajamas to the school library! In the afternoon, we popped popcorn and had some treats while they watched the animated holiday classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Did you know that popcorn kernels are actually seeds and popcorn pops because a small drop of water inside heats up to 100 degrees Celsius and explodes and cooks the seeds when the liquid water turns to steam?

Finally, at the end of the day on Friday, we all said a happy good bye to each other with wishes of "See you next year!" :-)

Books read aloud this week:

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess (book and DVD)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (DVD)
The Family Christmas Tree by Tomie de Paola
Look-A-Likes Christmas by Joan Steiner
The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett

FYI some time and money relationships

Update from Ms. R

The homework for this week is to complete the worksheet reviewing money concepts and to write down a favourite joke or riddle to contribute to our class joke book. This homework is due on Friday, December 21st.

Parent Notes:

1. Please note that the concert next week is FOR PRIMARY CHOIR MEMBERS ONLY IN OUR CLASS. Our whole class will participate in a concert in the spring.

2. If your child is sick, is going to an appointment or on vacation and will be absent from school, please let me and the school office know. You may contact me by email. Laurie Gray is our office administrator and can be reached at 416-393-0570 or Laurie.Gray@tdsb.on.ca. Presently, the school does not have a system in place that lets me know when or why your child is away, if you only contact the office.

3. Please know that teachers are not allowed to administer medicine to your child. Arrangements can be made with school office if you wish, and the office has a refrigerator, if necessary.


Important Dates

December 3 - 19 - Daily Bread Food Bank fundraiser (Our class is in charge of this activity.)

December 19th - Winter Concert (FOR PRIMARY CHOIR MEMBERS ONLY IN OUR CLASS.)

December 20 - Crazy Hat Day

December 21 - Pajama Day at school - Students may wear their jammies and bring a stuffie.
December 21 - Last day of school for 2018.

December 22 - January 6 - Winter Holidays
January 7 - First day of school for 2019

News for December 14

News for December 14

This week, the children wrote letters to staff and students, finished their snail shell sculptures and learned how to solve crossword puzzles!

Our school has a tradition this time of year called "Holiday Mailbox". For the last two weeks of school before the winter vacation, students and staff practise correct letter writing and envelope addressing by writing letters and "mailing" them to other staff and students in the school. It's very exciting to receive a letter in the mail!

In math, the children continued the unit on Canadian money. They practised how to count mixed groups of coins, deciding with coins can be used to made a given amount and the equivalence between $0.34 and 34 cents.

The class learned the history and lyrics of more seasonal songs that are traditional in Canada. Did you know that "Up on the Housetop" was written in 1864, three years before Canada became a country? When we sing this song, we are singing words that were written 154 years ago!

The children continued to work in groups to go on the morning announcements to advertise our fundraiser to donate money to give to Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank. We are accepting donations up until next Wednesday. There are 527 students at our school, so if each student brings in $1.00, we could raise $527.00!

The students finished their snail shell plaster sculptures. Then, they wrote about the project and how to make them,  in their writing journals.

The class started to decorate the holiday tree in our classroom. Each child created a snowman ornament made out of felt and hung it on the tree. The class even used what they know about money to figure out how much the craft kits cost. There were materials for two snowmen in each kit, so we needed 9 kits at $1.25 each. How much are 9 loonies and 9 quarters altogether?

In science, the students reviewed the states of matter for water (ice, liquid water, steam or water vapour). They also did a "sweet" experiment to learn more about how solids dissolve into liquids. After learning about how solids dissolve or "disappear" into liquids by going in between the water molecules. When water is heated, the molecules have more energy and move around more, so there is more space between the water molecules. More space means more places for the dissolving solids to hide. On Friday, the children made hot chocolate using hot chocolate powder. When stirring the powder into cold water all the powder did not disappear. However, when we added hot water, the powder did disappear and then the hot chocolate was ready to drink!

At the end of the week, after learning the story, song and history of the children's character, Frosty the Snowman, the class watched the cartoon version, while drinking their cups of hot chocolate!

The children learned how to solve crossword puzzles. There are many different things that the brain does when solving these kind of puzzles.They have to look at clues for across words (horizontal) and down words (vertical). The words need to be spelled correctly to fit the number of given squares and to connect with the other words. The children need to apply what they know to think of the answer to the clues. For example, "Two years equals 24 _________."

Our amaryllis plant now measures an amazing 64 cm tall and has begun to flower.

Books read aloud this week:

The Velveteen Rabbit or How Toys Become Real (read over several days) by Marjory Williams
Little Snowflake's Big Adventure by Steve Metzger

Update from Ms. R

The homework for this week is to write a story about the snowman picture stamped into the homework writing journal. There is also a worksheet reviewing Canadian money concepts that were covered this week. This homework is due on Friday, December 14th.

Parent Notes:

1. Please help our class project by donating money as we collect and count money for Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank. Did you know that there were almost a million visits to food banks last year? This money helps to buy food for people in need. Your child can deposit money into our classroom collection jar. Give some change to make a change!

2. Please help your child understand and use Canadian coins. In grade two, students are required to be able to identify coins (coin names and values), count same coin groups and mixed coin groups, compare the values of groups of coins and make change from $1.00. Our world seldom uses cash these days, but having your child pay for things at a store and receive the change, setting up a piggy bank or a weekly allowance will help your child's understanding of money.

Parent Resources:

There are lots of sites and apps to help your child learn about money. Here is a link to one site with games and activities to help your child use and understand Canadian money:

https://www.practicalmoneyskills.ca/games/

Important Dates

December 3 - 19 - Daily Bread Food Bank fundraiser (Our class is in charge of this activity.)

December 19th - Winter Concert (FOR PRIMARY CHOIR MEMBERS ONLY IN OUR CLASS.)

December 20 - Pyjama Day at school - Students may wear their jammies and bring a stuffie.
December 21 - Crazy Hat Day
December 21 - Last day of school for 2018.

December 22 - January 6 - Winter Holidays
January 7 - First day of school for 2019

News for December 6

This four-day week, the students organized our school's fundraiser for Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank, learned about Canadian coins and how to count them and learned about the food and activities of the holiday Hanukkah!

Our class is in charge of advertising, collecting and counting money for the Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank.This is a great opportunity for children to communicate information using different media. The children made over 25 collection jars to give to classrooms to collect money. Then we talked about how to let the school know about how some people in Toronto do not have enough money to buy food and the Food Banks helps these people. So the students made colourful, informative posters to remind students and staff to donate money. These posters are now on the walls around the school. The children also began to write and make announcements to read on our school's morning announcements. Everyone will have a chance to do this. It's very exciting to go down to the office to read on the morning announcements!

In math, the class learned about the features, names and values of the Canadian coins. Did you know that a picture of Queen Elizabeth II is on every Canadian coin? They have to recognize each coin, know its name and value. The children reviewed their skip counting skills to help them count groups of the same type of coin and at the end of the week, groups of mixed coins. For example, a group of 2 quarters, 2 dimes and a nickel would be counted as 25, 50, 60, 70, 75 cents in total.

The class is beginning to learn about poems and poetry. One version of poems are lyrics, or the words to songs. Each student now has a "Holiday Songs" folder and each day we learn the history, vocabulary and tune of a seasonal song. Did you know that the song, "Jingle Bells" was written in the USA and is traditionally an American Thanksgiving song?  It was written in 1857, 161 years ago.

In our guided reading groups, children read a poem about a chick pecking its way out of an egg and then read and made connections to a story about a baby chick and duckling. The learning goal was to talk about "inference" and how the reader's brain needs to think and question the text to get information that is implied and not necessarily written in the text or seen in an illustration.

The students began an art/science activity to make a sculpture. They examined different designs of snail shells and pressed them into plasticine to create a pattern. On Thursday, they learned about Plaster of Paris (actually a mineral called gypsum) and how it is a powder made from a solid. It is dissolved into water by stirring. The powder particles become part of the liquid by going in between the water molecules. This solution was poured over the plasticine design and left to harden back into a solid over the weekend.

My family traditionally celebrates both the Christian holiday of Christmas and the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah at this time of year. Hanukkah began on December 2 and lasts for eight days. This week, the class learned about the history of Hanukkah and the kinds of activities that are done to celebrate. The students learned the symbols of Hanukkah, helped to make potato pancakes called "latkes" and played a game using "dreidels" or spinning tops. My family's recipe for latkes is just grated potatoes put into small pancakes in hot oil and fried with a bit of salt, until golden brown and crispy. Traditionally, latkes are eaten with applesauce. We had a lovely time eating together in the Room 222 "restaurant"!

In Dance class with Ms. Heath, the class has been learning a dance routine to the music from "The Carnival of the Animals" (1886) by the French composer, Camille Saint-Saens. Here is a video of the children dancing to the piece, "The Aquarium":

 
Books read aloud this week:

365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental
My Hanukkah Alphabet by Claudia Kunin
I Have a Little Dreidel by Maxie Baum
The Donut Chef (a story in rhyme) by Bob Staake
Snow Crystals by Wilson A. (Snowflake) Bentley

Update from Ms. R

The homework for this week is to complete the activity regarding thinking about and naming different kinds of liquids and solids. On the reverse is a letter writing practice activity. Your child is asked to write a letter to you about what you do during the day when your child is at school. (You are encouraged to either write a letter back or to tell him/her orally.) There is also a math worksheet reviewing time and temperature concepts. This homework is due on THURSDAY, December 6th, since Friday is a P.A. Day.

Parent Notes:

1. Our class is in charge of organizing the collection of money for Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank, on behalf of our school. We will begin talking about this in class on Monday. As a connection to our math unit about Canadian money, the students will collect and count the money, they will also be using their media literacy skills to create posters and write and deliver messages on the morning announcements. Please send donations with your child to school and he/she can put it in our classroom collection jar.

2. The children attended an assembly this week about bullying prevention. Here is the link to the presenter's website:

www.antibullyingshow.ca

3. One of the caretakers this week remarked to me that our classroom has the cleanest floor in the whole school! I shared this with the students and I told them that their efforts to pick up pencils, markers and pieces of paper has not gone unnoticed. We take time at the end of the day to make sure we tidy up the classroom. Well done everyone!

Parent Resources:

MATH

Here is the link to an excellent website with activities and tips for parents about talking to your child about math at home:

http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/math/homesupport.html

READING

Reading aloud chapter books is a great at-home literacy activity and a wonderful bonding opportunity for you and your child. There are so many good books and children's tastes vary, but here is a link that lists suggested titles for grade 2 students:

https://luckylittlelearners.com/top-20-read-alouds-2nd-grade-classroom/

Important Dates

December 7 - P.A. Day - no classes
December 3 - 14 - Daily Bread Food Bank fundraiser (Our class is in charge of this activity.)
December 19th - Winter Concert (FOR PRIMARY CHOIR MEMBERS ONLY IN OUR CLASS.)

December 22 - January 6 - Winter Holidays
January 7 - First day of school for 2019

News for November 30

News for November 30

This week the students created a homemade advent calendar, learned about temperature and thermometers and attended an anti-bullying assembly.

In math, the class reviewed how to tell and write analog and digital time to the hour (0:00), half hour (0:30) and quarter hours (0:15 and 0:45). They also reviewed the time units and equivalents. (Many of these do not make"sense" and have to be memorized, for example, 1 year = 365 days.) Later in the week, we started to talk about temperature being the measurement of the amount of heat in something and how a thermometer is used to measure temperature. The children did an experiment using thermometers to measure the temperature of ice water, room temperature water and hot water. We also talked about "benchmark" temperature to understand relative temperatures. For example, room temperature is about 20°C, water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C. Normal human body temperature is 37°C. Did you know that the unit we use to measure temperature was developed by Anders Celsius, (1701-1744)? He was a scientist from Sweden.

The class talked about snow this week. Did you know that snowflakes are based on the six-sided polygon, the hexagon? Snowflakes have six branches and are that shape because of the angles of the hydrogen and oxygen atoms in a water molecule (H2O). We talked about how snowflakes "grow" inside clouds and learned about the man who first photographed snow, Wilson Bentley, did so over 150 years ago. The class also learned about Kenneth Libbrecht, a modern scientist who studies snowflakes and can "grow" them in his lab. Here is a video that he made that we watched in class:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0canuRhwHs

The children used kirigami (Japanese for "cut paper") techniques to fold and cut beautiful paper snowflakes. The students experimented with different colours, thicknesses and sizes of paper to make paper snowflakes. We've begun to make a winter display in the hallway outside of our classroom.

After being shown a box of "snowflake" Ritz crackers, the children noticed that the snowflakes crackers pictured were not scientifically accurate. The crackers have snowflakes based on an octagon (8 sides) and real snowflake designs are based on a hexagon (6 sides). The class had a chance to eat some of the crackers and we then decided to write letters to the Christie cracker company to let them know that their cracker designs are not scientifically correct and why. These letters will be mailed to the company next week. Let's hope they write us back!

In guided reading, the children worked in small groups to read the book, Mud Puddle, with the learning goal to identify the various ways that a reader knows that a story is fiction. Using the text, illustrations and inference, the children discussed the fiction characteristics in this book.

The class learned about the Christian tradition of an advent calendar. An advent calendar is used to count down the days until Christmas. The word "advent" means "arrival" in Latin. The tradition in Ms. R's class is to create a more personal advent calendar to count down the days until the Winter Holidays. Each child made a special advent calendar package containing treats and small presents plus a letter to the child who will receive the package. Each day, at the end of our morning message, the star student randomly picks a student name and that child gets to take home that day's package. Since the children must wait their turn and someone will be the last one to get the package, this activity teaches patience!

The class began to talk about matter in science. Matter is the "stuff" that makes up everything in the world. The three states of matter are: solids, liquids and gases. The children worked to identify examples of each of these three states. In connection to our math unit, the students talked about water vapour (a gas above 100°C , room temperature water (a liquid at the same temperature as the air in the room, at around 20°C) and ice (a solid below 0°C).

Finally, our amaryllis plant now measures an incredible 42 centimeters tall!

Books read aloud this week:

Winter's Coming by Jan Thornhill
Mud Puddle by Robert Munsch
The Secret Life of a Snowflake by Kenneth Libbrecht
The Art of the Snowflake by Kenneth Libbrecht
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren
The Tomten and the Fox by Astrid Lindgren