Reader's Theatre Plays

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

The Golden Touch

Bear's Stumpy Tail

Room 204 Interview Show

This week our guest was Ms. Tiralongo. She is a teacher at our school.

Update from Ms. R

The homework for this week to write a story of your child's choice (fiction or non-fiction) in the homework writing journal. There is also a math worksheet reviewing measurement concepts of capacity (litre and millilitre) and mass (kilogram and gram) plus a review of the cursive letters the class has learned so far. This homework is due on Friday, March 3rd.

***NOTE TO PARENTS***

Our library day is now on TUESDAYS. Please help your child to remember to return his/her library book to school each week.

Please remember to check out our daily postings on Instagram. Each day the star student posts a photo and comment. You can access the postings on an apple device using the Instagram app and the account "@planet5news". You can also access the account at www.instagam.com/planet5news (click on the images to see the comments). 

Important Dates:

February 28 - Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Tuesday (in class)

March 13 to 17 - March Break holiday

April 14 - Good Friday holiday

April 16 - Easter Sunday

April 17 - Easter Monday holiday

May 22 - Victoria Day holiday

June 9 - P.A. Day (no school)

June 29 - Last day of school for the 2016-2017 school year.

News for February 24

News for February 24

This four-day week had the children acting in plays, learning about air and water in the environment and how maple syrup is made!

Our class glovetopus chapter books are now finished! Each student now has a deep appreciation for the amount of work it takes to create and publish a book. The last steps were to design a "table of contents" and assemble all the pages, in the proper order, and staple the pages together. 

Every child had a chance to read another student's chapter book and write the author a book review in the form of a letter. The reviewer wrote about what they liked about the book, and why, and what they could do next time to make his/her writing even better. These books and letters are now part of a whole class book that the children can access during our independent reading time.

In math, the class learned about the standard units of measure for capacity (litre and millilitre) and mass (kilogram and gram). Capacity is the measurement of the amount that something can hold. Mass is the measurement of the amount of "stuff" is something. On Earth, mass is equivalent to "weight" (due to the force of gravity). The difference between mass and weight is important as the weight of something can change (things weigh less on the moon, for example) but the mass of things do not change.

In our guided reading groups this week, we read about and discussed how maple syrup is made. Canada produces the most maple syrup in the world. This information is in preparation for our discussion and celebration of "Pancake Tuesday" next week.

In science, the class talked about air. It's invisible but so important! Did you know that air is mostly nitrogen gas with a bit of oxygen gas? (There are also trace amounts of water vapour, argon and carbon dioxide in air.) Earth's air is in a layer around the Earth called the atmosphere and is kept there because of the pull of gravity. Using straws and tissue paper, the students used what they know about air to play a "pass the paper" type of game. On Friday, the children created pinwheels, a toy that needs air to work, by blowing on the pinwheel or moving the pinwheel itself through the air. The students then wrote the directions on how to make a pinwheel toy in their writing journals.

Two of the three Reader's Theatre groups performed their plays this week. The actors all did a great job! The third group will be filmed next week. These videos can be seen in a separate posting.

The students began to talk formally about fairy tales. Several stories were read aloud and we compiled a list of "fairy tale rules" that apply to these types of stories. (For example, in many stories, animals act like humans.) We also started a list of the fairy tale stories that we know. The children began to write their own fairy tales based on existing stories (e.g., "The Three Little Spiders" instead of "The Three Little Pigs").

The class learned the cursive letters, "l, e, f, v". (Only 4 more letters to go...)

Our guest this week on the Room 204 Interview Show was Ms. Tiralongo. She is a teacher at our school. This video can be seen in a separate posting.

Books read aloud this week:

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (chapter book - now finished)

Rivers of Sunlight - How the Sun Moves Water Around the Earth by Molly Bang

Once Upon a Time - Barnyard Tales (The Little Red Hen, The Ugly Duckling, Chicken Little) retold by Marilyn Helmer

Rumplestiltskin retold by Edith Tarcov

The Room 204 Interview Show

This week our guest was Mr. Pearce. He is a supply teacher at our school.

100 Days of School

This week our class celebrated learning together for 100 days of school!

The class did four activities that helped them understand the number 100. From counting out 100 pieces of cereal and stringing them, to creating a grid of 100 stamps, to playing and organizing groups of 100 items (e.g., football cards, marbles, straws) to counting and recording how many exercises they did in 100 seconds, the students had a great time.

I also read aloud a book I wrote with my students from many years ago. At that time there was a teacher at our school who wore a colourful shirt everyday. One year, we took a photo of him each day wearing a different shirt to see if he had 100 different shirts. Here is a video of the first 50 shirts that we recorded.

Update from Ms. R

The homework for this week to write a movie review, on the worksheet provided, of a movie that your child has seen at home or the movie theatre. There is a math sheet reviewing multi-digit addition/subtraction with regrouping and on the back of this sheet is a cursive review activity. This homework is due on Friday, February 24th.

***NOTE TO PARENTS***

It was wonderful to meet with all the parents this week! Thank you to everyone for taking the time to come in to talk about your child's learning at school. Here are some points I spoke to parents about:

1. READING - Please make sure your child reads for at least 20 minutes EACH day. Reading is a skill that needs to be practised. Your child can read to him/herself and/or you can read aloud a chapter book and talk about it with them. Students are welcome to borrow books from our classroom anytime they wish. A family trip to the library is also a great way to get a variety of different books and have some "together time" too. These kinds of activities are a great way to make meaningful memories with your child.

2. TYPING - The curriculum and our facilities at school do not allow for teaching children how to type on a keyboard. However, they are expected to type starting in grade 4 (junior grades have sets of laptop computers). There are lots of games online that can help your child to learn the QWERTY keyboard style of touch typing.

3. MATH FACTS - Help your child to automate (memorize) addition and subtraction facts by taking 5 minutes a day and practice orally or use flash cards or a purchased workbook. Get them to be the "teacher" and test you too! Children who have a quick recall of these facts do better at multiplication and division and when solving more complicated word problems.

4. EQAO - This is the standardized test that all grade 3 students in Ontario write at the end of May. More information will be sent to you by the school in May. If you would like more information about the test, please visit the website eqao.ca.

Important Dates:

February 28 - Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Tuesday (in class)

March 13 to 17 - March Break holiday

April 14 - Good Friday holiday

April 16 - Easter Sunday

April 17 - Easter Monday holiday

May 22 - Victoria Day holiday

June 9 - P.A. Day (no school)

June 29 - Last day of school for the 2016-2017 school year

News for February 16

***Click on the picture to see the full image.***

News for February 16

This four-day week had the children celebrating 100 days of school, Valentine's Day, Flag Day and the results of our Estimate the Perimeter of the Gym contest!

On Monday, the class did several activities associated with 100 as we celebrated learning together for 100 school days. As of Monday, there are 88 more school days to go before the end of the school year. (See a separate posting for photos from that day.)

In math, the students reviewed multi-digit addition and subtraction with re-grouping and solving word problems. It's helpful to regularly review these skills to make sure that no one "forgets" how to answer these kinds of questions. At the end of the week the children worked with a partner to figure out how many days a child goes to school by the end of grade 2 (752 days) and grade 3 (940 days).

The class learned more about the history of Valentine's Day. Did you know that Valentine was a real person that lived in Italy over 1,800 years ago? The children created cards for Valentine's Day and small bags to collect the valentine cards from their friends. During the last period on Tuesday afternoon, the children exchanged their valentines and watched some old Looney Tunes cartoons.

Our "Estimate the Perimeter of the Gym" contest for the school was a great success! On Monday morning, the students actually measured the length and width of the gym and then went back to the classroom to figure out the perimeter. The perimeter is 54 metres and 42 centimetres. I worked with small groups to do the different steps required to figure out how many people entered our contest (151 people), who the winners were, and to create and deliver the trophies and prizes. 

The children finished making their daily announcements this week. Recall that groups of three students were on the school's morning announcements reading Flag Day facts and advertising our contest to estimate the perimeter of the gym. On Wednesday, they announced that it was Flag Day (it's 52 years old) and another group announced the winners of our math contest.

The class discussed the different ways that humans tell stories. One way a story can be told is through making a movie. The same story elements found in fiction books can be seen in movies too. The students watched the film "Wallace and Gromit - A Grand Day Out" and then wrote a movie review detailing the parts of the story and their opinion of the film.

The students began the slow process of memorizing the poem "Salutation to the Dawn" by creating a video of the children reciting the words using the posters that they painted. These posters will be displayed around our classroom so that the poem can be read chorally by the class during our morning message activities.Here is a video we made:

The children continued to rehearse the three Readers's Theatre plays they began reading last week. This week, they worked on reading their lines fluently and creating voices and actions for their performances. 

The grade 2 students attended a presentation from the Toronto Police Department. Officer Janet discussed ways for children to keep themselves safe. During this time, the grade 3 students began to practice for the EQAO standardized test they are required to write at the end of May.

The class learned the cursive letters, "h, b, k" and reviewed the letters they have learned so far.Our guest this week on the Room 204 Interview Show was our school's popular supply teacher, Mr. Pearce. This video can be seen in a separate posting.

Books read aloud this week:

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (chapter book)

The 100 Shirts of Mr. Lee by Nancy Rawlinson and her students of 2008-2009

Wallace and Gromit - A Grand Day Out (DVD

Update from Ms. R

Our amaryllis plant produced seed pods and one of them opened to reveal lots of seeds! (Actually, 57 seeds...)

***Click on the photo to see the full image.***

The homework for this week to write about a tradition or celebration that your child observes at home, on the worksheet provided. (They wrote about traditions or celebrations that we have observed at school, in class.) There is also a math review worksheet with questions on calculating area (the flat space inside the perimeter of an object). This homework is due on Friday, February 10th.

***NOTE TO PARENTS***

Next Tuesday we will be celebrating Valentine's Day in our classroom. Your child wrote down the first names of the children in our class, in the agenda, in case he/she wishes to make valentines for their friends. 

Many children are not returning their library books each week. Please know that Ms. Mantello does not allow students to take out another library book until the previous one has been returned. LIBRARY DAY is now on TUESDAYS (Day 4), due to the PA Day and Family Day. Please help your child to remember to return his/her library book.

Important Dates:

February 13 - 100th Day of School!

February 14 - Valentine's Day

February 15 - Flag Day 

February 15 - Term 1 report cards go home

February 16 (evening) and February 17 (morning) - parent teacher interviews

February 17 - PA Day - no classes

February 20 - Family Day holiday

February 28 - Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Tuesday

March 13 to 17 - March Break holiday

News for February 10

News for February10

The BIG news in our class this week was the arrival of some new pets! Sadly, a few weeks ago, our pet snail passed away. Two new snails, "Goldie" (a golden mystery snail) and "George" (a black mystery snail) joined our two African clawed frogs in our aquarium. Also, on the recommendation of the clerk at the pet store, I purchased a "Marimo mossball plant". Actually, it's not moss at all, but a colony of algae in the shape of a sphere that will help to clean the water in the tank. The children chorally read aloud information about snails and their shells to help them learn more about snails. I read aloud some facts about algae to help them understand the new mossball plant.

In math, the students continued the measurement unit by learning to measure area. Area is defined as the measurement of the flat space inside the perimeter of an object. Using pattern blocks, unifix cubes and graph (squared) paper, the children used these non-standard units to measure the area of various two-dimensional figures. At the end of the week, they worked with a partner to figure out what happens to the perimeter of figures that have the same area but are different shapes. (The perimeter of two figures can be different even if the area is the same.)

The children began to work in three different groups to produce three different Reader's Theatre plays. This type of play allows the students to read their parts, but also lets them act out their roles and create props and costumes. When they are ready, these plays will be videotaped and posted to the blog.

Our trip to the Kiwanis festival was wonderful! The grade 2/grade 3 choir won their division and at the end of the week, Ms. Konjhodzic told the class that the grade was changed to "platinum status" level, with a score of 92%, the highest so far in the festival. Great work!

Our "Estimate the Perimeter of the Gym" contest for the school was a great success! Lots of students entered our contest. Next week, we will measure the gym ourselves and then figure out the winners.

The children continued to work on their glovetopus chapter books. Some early finishers have started writing "Super Bonus Stories", to share in a class book.

In social studies, the children started to look at traditions and celebrations more formally. We've been observing many special days in the past months (and more to come). The children were asked to choose and write about a tradition/celebration in our class.

The class worked on their artwork of the ancient poem "Salutation to the Dawn" by the Sanskrit poet Kalidasa. It is a poem that reminds us to live each day the best way possible. This week the children painted an outline around the letters with thin paintbrushes and black paint, in order to be able to read the words clearly from a distance. When finished, the class will use the words on these posters to read the poem everyday as part of our morning routine.

Starting on Wednesday this week, three students were responsible for reading an announcement on the morning announcements. They told the whole school about some flag facts they have learned (since Flag Day is February 15th) and advertised our "Estimate the Perimeter of the Gym" contest. These announcements will continue into next week to allow all the children a chance to speak on the morning announcements. 

The class learned the cursive letters, "o, p, s". 

Due to scheduling difficulties this week, "The Room 204 Interview Show" was not done. It will return next week.

Books read aloud this week:

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (chapter book

The Room 204 Interview Show!

This week our guest was Mrs. Farrelly. She is the principal at our school.

Update from Ms. R

The homework for this week is to create a new country and write about it in the homework writing journal. Using what they learned about with their country projects, the children are to create the money (currency), flags, population, language and more for the invented countries. There is also a math review worksheet with questions on calculating perimeter. This homework is due on Friday, February 10th.

***NOTE TO PARENTS***

There are a lot of sniffles in Room 204! If possible, please send a box of tissues to school with your child. Thank you so much.

Important Dates:

February 8 - Kiwanis Festival music trip 

February 10 - Family Skate Night (organized by Parent Council)

February 14 - Valentine's Day

February 15 - Flag Day 

February 15 - Term 1 report cards go home

February 16 (evening) and February 17 (morning) - parent teacher interviews

February 17 - PA Day - no classes

February 20 - Family Day holiday

February 28 - Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Tuesday

March 13 to 17 - March Break holiday

News for February 3

News for February 3

This week the students did the second interview for "The Room 204 Interview Show". On Monday, the class learned more about Mrs. Farrelly, the principal at our school.

In math, the students continued the measurement unit by learning to measure with metres and understanding the concept of the kilometre. Then the students used what they learned about linear measurement to help them measure the perimeter, or the distance around objects.

We also started to plan a "Guess the Perimeter of the Gym" contest for the school.

The children continued to work on their glovetopus chapter books. The books will be three chapters long and the children are working on their editing and revising skills. These books will be typed.

The students learned about the "author biography" found on most books. Then the children wrote their own author biographies to include on their chapter books. Each child also had an author photo taken with a Fuji instant camera. It was fun for the students to see the photos develop in front of their eyes!

Our class country research projects are now all finished and on display in the hallway outside of our classroom.

We even had time to read and discuss the story of potato chips. Did you know that the invention of potato chips was an accident? They were first made in a restaurant in New York 169 years ago.

In social studies the class learned about the history of Canada's flag and Canada's Flag Day (Feb. 15). They also had an opportunity to create their own Canadian flags. These are on display in our hallway outside of our classroom. Did you know that "vexillology" is the study of flags?

The students had some extra practice time for the Kiwanis Festival this week. Students from several classes gathered in the gym to sing altogether for the first time.

The class read the ancient poem "Salutation to the Dawn" by the Sanskrit poet Kalidasa. It is a poem that reminds us to live each day the best way possible. The students were challenged to memorize the poem and to help them do that each child began to create a poster with some of the words of the poem on it. We will use the words on these posters to read the poem everyday as part of our morning routine.

The class learned the cursive letters, "w, t, j, r". 

Books read aloud this week:

Our Flag: The Story of Canada's Maple Leaf by Ann-Maureen Owens

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (chapter book)