Reader’s Theatre Plays

The Little Red Hen

All Through the Year

Taxi the Turtle

Update from Ms. R

Homework 

The homework for this week is for students to complete the worksheet with math and science questions. This homework is due on Friday, May 4th.

* LIBRARY DAY IS NOW ON MONDAYS! Please help your child to remember to return his/her library book.

*Note to parents - Ideas to encourage non-digital activities at home

***pencil and paper games***

This week the children played a game called “Dots” where the challenge was to work with a partner to create squares on grid paper. The player who can capture the most “area” wins. Here is a link to more information on how to play this game:

https://www.grandparents.com/grandkids/activities-games-and-crafts/dots

Important Dates:

May 21 - Victoria Day

June 8 - P.A. Day

June 28 - Last day of school for students

September 4 - First day of school for the 2018-2019 school year (@ Vaughn Road Academy)

News for April 27

News for April 27, 2018

This week the children performed their plays, started writing their own fairy tale stories, finished weaving their bookmarks and even learned how to make a catapult (based on the simple machine called a lever).

Writing

Each student read another child’s treasure jar story and wrote a letter telling him/her what was great about the story plus a suggestion on how to improve and a question for the author. These stories are now part of our class library for children to read during independent reading times.

The children are now writing new fiction stories to put in our own class book of fairy tales. Each child has chosen his/her favourite fairy tale and is now retelling the story in his/her own way. Most children have finished writing the rough copy and are now working on editing and revising their work.

Math 

The children competed a summative activity using what they know about area and tiling. As preparation for an art activity, they used pattern blocks to create tessellations, or tiles that cover a surface with no gaps or overlaps. Did you know that ceiling tiles and floor tiles are both examples of tessellations? Later, each child created his/her own unique tile to use in an art activity next week.

The student also learned how to play the pencil and paper game called “Dots”. This game uses the concepts of area and tiling to play the game. Please see my update post for how to play this game with your child at home.

The class began to review math concepts studied so far this year. Whole year review is an important math activity to do near the end of the school year in order to cement concepts in all five math strands that are needed for grade 3 next year.

The children measured the perimeter of the trunk of the biggest tree in our playground. It is a silver maple tree and it’s perimeter is 311cm. Every year a tree adds about 2.5 cm to its trunk so that makes the tree about 125 years old and planted around 1893! Our class wrote a letter to Ms. Farrelly to ask her if the wood from this tree can be used somehow in the new school since this tree will have to be cut down to make room to build the new school.

Science

The class began to learn about simple machines, how they are powered and how they are grouped together. Machines are devices that make work easier to do. Mechanical machines can also be a combination of many different simple machines. There are six different kinds of simple machines that we will study this year. This week the children learned about levers. Levers are bars that rest and turn on a support (fulcrum). When force is applied on one end of the bar it lifts a load or weight at the other end. The seesaw at the playground is a lever and so is a wheel barrow. The children each had a chance to use what they learned about levers to make a catapult toy with popsicle sticks, elastic and a plastic spoon. They experimented with how to use the catapult to launch a pom pom the farthest. At the end of the day on Friday, we had a quick contest and the winning distance was 216 cm (2 m 16 cm)!              

Art

The students used “the power of the twist” to make friendship bracelets using the wool we dyed weeks ago. This is actually the basic technique to make rope and metal cables.

The children all finished their woven bookmarks on their cardboard looms. They learned how to cut the fabric off the loom and to knot the warp or vertical wool pieces so the fabric doesn't come apart.

Oral Communication

The children performed their Reader’s Theatre plays this week. The class did three different plays and everyone did a great job! These videos can be seen in a separate posting.

Books read aloud this week:

Get to Know Levers by Karen Volpe

Goldilocks and the Three Bears - A Tale Moderne by Steven Guarnaccia

The Fairy Tale Princess - Seven Classic Stories From the Enchanted Forest retold by Su Blackwell

Rapunzel

Snow White

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

The Frog Prince

Princess and the Pea

Update from Ms. R

Homework 

The homework for this week is for students to write a story in the homework writing journal about the sticker placed on the next blank page. There is also a worksheet with math and science review questions.This homework is due on Friday, April 27th.

* LIBRARY DAY IS NOW ON MONDAYS! Please help your child to remember to return his/her library book.

*Note to parents - Ideas to encourage non-digital activities at home

***word games (part one)***

This week the children played a game where the challenge was to make as many words as possible using the letters from another word. An “anagram” is a word that uses all the letters of the original word but in a different order, for example “listen” and “silent” are anagrams. You can do a version of this at home by setting the timer for 5 or 10 minutes and finding out who in the group can make the most words using the letters from a bigger word. It helps younger children to write the individual letters on pieces of paper that they can slide around to experiment with different orders. If you like you can sort the words into 1,2,3,4,5 or more letter words. This type of activity doesn't take a lot of time but helps children look use and recognize typical English letter patterns. How many words can you make using the letters from “happiness” or “beautiful”?

Important Dates:

May 21 - Victoria Day

June 8 - P.A. Day

June 28 - Last day of school for students

September 4 - First day of school for the 2018-2019 school year (@ Vaughn Road Academy)

News for April 20, 2018

News for April 20, 2018

This week the children learned about fairy tales, how things move and more about how to help the Earth through many Earth Week activities. 

Writing

Each student finished his/her treasure jar stories. The challenge was to make the treasure jars part of the completed book. The children wrote the good copy on long paper that can be wrapped around the jar. The “front cover” of the book with the title and the author name was put on the top of the lid of the jar. These student books will now be a part of our classroom library, for students to choose to read during independent reading times.

The students played an anagram style word game by trying to find as many words as possible by rearranging the letters in the words “EARTH DAY”. The class found 42 words using these 8 letters and even discovered the letters in the word EARTH can be made into the word HEART (a true anagram). 

Reading

The children read a short story about cotton and how it is used (as a connection to our research on wool last week). Cotton comes from a plant and the cotton can be spun into yarn to make fabric for clothes, sheets and towels among many other things.

The class analyzed more traditional fairy tale stories to figure out what makes a fairy tale different from other kinds of stories. This week, we talked about how many fairy tales have magical characters (for example, trolls and wizards) and how animals act like people (for example, talking and wearing clothes).

Math 

The class extended the lesson from last Friday, by looking at all the ways to connect 5 squares. They learned about the recreational math game called “Pentominoes” which are puzzles that use pentomino shapes as the puzzle pieces. Did you know that there are 12 different ways to arrange 5 squares? At the grade two level, puzzles using 4 pentominoes are an appropriate challenge. The students designs their own puzzles and then had a chance to solve all 22 student puzzles!

The class reviewed how to measure area or the space inside a shape. By using pattern blocks, square tiles and playing cards the students measured the area of various shapes and even the surface of his/her desk! They also talked about the important concept that when measuring a particular shape, it takes MORE smaller units and FEWER large units.

The children used the science “movement” words to help discuses how things move across a surface. They looked at how shapes can slide, turn and flip across the page.

Science

The children started the unit on how things move. (We will return to the unit on animals in May.) Using the words like fast/slow, flip/turn/slide and push/pull, we began to talk about how things move. The students did an experiment using two pieces of paper that were the same size. They observed and wrote about how the flat paper falls to the ground and how a crunched up paper falls. They discovered that the ball of paper falls faster. There were great hypotheses about why this is true and the class talked about the shape of the paper and how gravity is the “pull” forcing it to the gradual and how air is the “push” forcing the paper up.

The class learned about one of the first signs of spring in Toronto, the pussywillow. Did you know that the pussywillow buds are called “catkins” and are actually the flowers of the pussywillow tree? Each child examined a catkin with a magnifying glass to see the “furry” surface which is not really fur since it comes from a plant! We will continue to watch what happens to the pussywillow branches, over the next few weeks.

Art

The children created decorations for the classroom door for the Earth Week door decoration contest. After looking up how to dispose of various materials used to make art on the City of Toronto “WASTE WIZARD”, we noticed that all tape, glue, staples, and paint used on materials make them UNrecyclable and must go into the garbage! So we talked about what we could do to make Earth Day art that can be reused or recycled. The students made wonderful sculptures using used paper towel tubes and wool. Some students also made signs to explain their choices. If you are unsure if something should go into compost, recycling or the garbage, try out the WASTE WIZARD. Here is the link:

https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/recycling-organics-garbage/waste-wizard/

Oral Communication

The children continued to work in their groups to rehearse three different Reader’s Theatre plays.  This week the groups began to act out their lines, make signs, choose costumes and props. We will film the movies next week and post them to the blog.

Books read aloud this week:

Rumpelstiltskin retold by Edith Tarcov

Jack and the Beanstalk retold by Susan Pearson

The Bremen Town Musicians retold by Ilse Plume

The Ugly Duckling retold by Marilyn Helmer

Chicken Little retold by Marilyn Helmer

Update from Ms. R

Homework 

The homework for this week is for students to complete the reading comprehension activity by reading the story and answering questions based on the story. There is also a math worksheet reviewing material covered in class this week. This homework is due on Friday, April 20th.

* LIBRARY DAY IS NOW ON MONDAYS! Please help your child to remember to return his/her library book.

***Free Summer Programs - Parent Information***

Via Ms. Chong…

This summer, Deer Park P.S. will host literacy and numeracy programs with a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). These are half-day programs for Kindergarten through Grade 8 are free of charge for TDSB students. Activities include: Robotics/Coding, Aqua-culture, Culinary Science,  Elements of Design and Construction, and more! 

If you are interested in signing your child up for this program, I have attached information about the program and a form that needs to be filled out and returned as soon as possible.

If you are looking for a specific program or school, please find more information and registration forms here.

***FROM SCHOOL COUNCIL***

Please see a separate email sent to families today, about the various Earth Week activities sponsored by our School Council during the week April 16 to 20.

Important Dates:

May 21 - Victoria Day

June 8 - P.A. Day

June 28 - Last day of school for students

September 4 - First day of school for the 2018-2019 school year (@ Vaughn Road Academy)

News for April 13, 2018

News for April 13, 2018

This week the children learned the story of wool from sheep to fabric, saw a live bald eagle and learned how math can be found everywhere!

Writing

Each student continued to write a “treasure jar” story based on his/her treasure jar. Most children have now finished the rough copy of his/her story and are now working on editing their sentences with pencil to catch and correct mistakes and to revise their work with coloured pen to add more information to their sentences to make their good writing even better. These stories will have the “good copy” written on long, narrow paper that will be wrapped around the jar making the jar a part of the final version of the book.

Reading

The class finished watching and comparing the book and the DVD of The Iron Giant story. They completed their Venn diagrams and wrote answers to some questions about the book and the film.

The students began learning about fairy tales by listing the titles of fairy tales that they already know. We also started a list of the things that make a fairy tale different from other stories.

The children started three separate Reader’s Theatre plays this week. The children worked in groups with me to read aloud the script for their group and then chose their parts for the play. Later in the week, the groups continued to rehearse their lines and began the process of how to “act” the part of his/her character. These will be performed and filmed next week and posted to the blog.

Math 

The class started the unit on positional/spatial geometry. The students read and followed directions using positional words such as left/right, above/below. They had an introduction to using coordinates on a grid to show the position of an object. They also had a quick introduction to how positional math concepts are used to make maps and made a map of their own desk groups to show where their desks are located. At the end of the week, children also began to discuss how to measure “area” or the space inside a flat surface using blocks and cubes as units of measurement.

Science

The children attended an “Earth Rangers” assembly this week. They had a chance to see a real skunk, a peregrine falcon, a kestrel and a bald eagle! The children were invited to learn more about these animals and other animals by registering to become an “Earth Ranger”. Here is the website link:

https://www.earthrangers.com/

Did you know that a peregrine falcon can reach speeds of 320 km per hour? That a bald eagle has a wingspan of 3 metres?

Art

The children made small looms out of cardboard and learned how to weave fabric! They used the wool that we dyed a few weeks ago to create the warp, or vertical lines of wool and used the math repeated pattern of “over, under” to weave the horizontal lines of wool that make up the woven fabric. The students will be creating bookmarks on these small looms. The class also learned about how larger looms make bigger pieces of fabric. (Looms were referenced in two of our read aloud books this week as well.) Here is a video of how a large standard floor loom works:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FnbUF0wgIfw

The children also learned the story of wool from sheep to fabric. They saw a demonstration of carders (to clean and separate the strands of wool), a loom (by seeing a video and making their own small looms) and a spinning wheel. They also tried out, with a partner, twisting or spinning the wool fibres to make them stronger (dubbed “the power of the twist”).

Extra

On Friday, the class had a chance to watch a performance of the play, “The Lion KIng” presented by the grade 7 and 8 students of Spectrum School (who share our school building).

Books read aloud this week:

The Iron Giant (DVD - finished)

Pelle’s New Suit by Elsa Beskow

The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson (retold by Virginia Lee Burton)

Update from Ms. R

Homework 

The homework for this week is for students to complete the project reflection worksheet on the planning, preparing and hosting the 100 Books Party in our classroom on Friday. This homework is due on Friday, April 13th.

***THANK YOU!***

A big THANK YOU to all the parents for helping make our annual 100 Books Party a huge success! It was wonderful to see the students sharing and talking about their work with adults and students from other classes. They worked very hard to not only plan the party, but also to write the book reviews and create the homemade books displayed on their desks. I would also like to thank the families for sending in food for our guests. The students of Room 204 worked very hard to prepare for the party, to make our guests feel welcome and to help tidy up. I am so very proud of all the children. Great job everyone!

Important Dates:

May 21 - Victoria Day

June 8 - P.A. Day

June 28 - Last day of school for students

September 4 - First day of school for the 2018-2019 school year (@ Vaughn Road Academy)

News for April 6, 2018

News for April 6, 2018

This four day week the children completed the preparations for our annual party, began comparing the read aloud book “The Iron Man” with the movie “The Iron Giant" and made over 260 bookmarks to give to our party guests as a “thank you” for coming to our party!

Writing

Each student finished editing their book reviews and wrote out the final “good copy” version to staple on colourful paper to display on their desks for our party.

Reading

The children finished listening to the read aloud book, “The Iron Giant”. This story was made into an animated movie that the children have started to watch. The class learned about the organizational tool called a Venn Diagram. This is an extremely useful way to compare the similarities and differences between two things. The class had their Venn Diagrams on clipboards to record things that were in the book (but not the movie), things that were in the movie (but not the book) and things that were in both the movie and the book. Did you know the Venn Diagram is named after the English mathematician, John Venn who introduced it over 100 years ago?

Math 

The class spent the week applying many of the math skills and concepts learned so far this year, as we discovered many facts about our 100 read aloud books. The children worked together to:

• put the books in the bins in order, from 1 to 100
• tally the total number of fiction, non-fiction and near fiction books
• tally the total number of hard cover and soft cover books
• tally the total number of female authors and male authors
• count the total number pages read aloud
• measure the length of the books, placed end-to-end
• measure the height the books, piled up
• measure the weight of the books

To learn more about the results of their research, please see the video we made at the end of this posting.

We also measured out a length of plastic ribbon that’s the same length as the length of our 100 books placed end-to-end (27m 19cm) and hung this from the ceiling of the classroom. Did you know that the length of our 100 books is about the same length as the blue whale (the largest animal on earth)?

Art

The children wrote “artist cards” for their treasure jar artwork, giving a title to their art and writing about how they made their artwork and what inspired them (Andy Warhol’s paintings of Campbell soup cans). These are now on display alongside the art in the hallway.

Oral Communication and Media Literacy

The students worked in their groups to create posters to present their results of their math work about our 100 read aloud books. These posters were on display at our party. We also made a video of the presentations. Here is the video:

Books read aloud this week:

The Iron Man by Ted Hughes (chapter book finished)

The Iron Giant (DVD