Update from Ms. R

The students brought home their work portfolios on Thursday. They are all very proud of the work they’ve done. PLEASE take some time to go through the items in the portfolio with your child and have them talk about what he/she did. It’s not only a chance for your child to review concepts, but it’s also an opportunity for him/her to show you what he/she learned and how much he/she has improved since last September. 

TIP…If the portfolio items are difficult for you to store, take photos! Over the years, parents can’t possibly keep everything their children make, but you can still respect the efforts of your child by compiling an “electronic portfolio” of photos.

BOOKS! The children had a chance to take home some books from our class library to read over the summer, before I pack all the books away to move to the new school. The students can keep these books and pass them on to others if they wish.

Important Dates:

June 26 - Report Cards go home

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 June 22, 2018

News for June 22, 2018

This week the children performed their plays, reviewed the work in their portfolios and learned how to make their own “word search” puzzles!

At the beginning of the week, the children counted the number of “word wall words” covered this term and then added that number to the number of words studied last term. The class learned how to spell and use correctly 125 words during Term 1 and 139 words during Term 2, for a total of 264 words. Most of the words were common grade 2 level words with irregular spellings, but there were LOTS of homophones and topic vocabulary words as well. These words are recorded in each child’s personal dictionary which will be sent home next week to be used, as needed, in the future.

The students learned how to make their own WORD SEARCH puzzles! Using the word wall words from this term, each child created a personal puzzle. Later in the week, every student solved the word search puzzle made by another student in the class. 

The students are almost finished their sock monkeys. This week they sewed on arms, tails and mouths. The children are getting very good at sewing!

The class was divided into small groups to plan and create movies starring their sock monkeys. They are required to create credits and props to tell a complete fiction story with a problem that needs to be solved. The movies will be filmed and posted to the blog next week.

The two groups of children performed their plays at the final character assemblies of the year on Tuesday. Everyone did an OUTSTANDING job! Being on the big stage in the gym in front of hundreds of students was a bit scary, but all the children did their jobs and they were all very proud of both performances. It was a huge amount of work getting ready to perform these plays and the children now realize the effort it takes to put on a good performance. After the assemblies, the class completed a written reflection sheet to help them think about this project and what they learned from being a part of it.

Finally, the class reviewed the portfolios of their work over the school year. They did a lot of cool stuff! Each child picked a piece of writing and a piece of art that he/she was particularly proud of and then they each had a chance to stand up in front of the class and talk about why they liked the projects they chose.

On Friday, the children were outside at the last Play Day of the year and in the afternoon, they worked in the library with a supply teacher, because the moving men were in our classroom helping me to pack up the classroom for the big move to the new school. Right now there are over 40 boxes packed and I still have more to go…

Books read aloud this week:

That Darn Yarn by Tony Millionaire

Everything’s Coming Up Sock Monkeys by Bonnie Connelly

Sock Monkey Goes to Hollywood - A Star is Bathed by Cece Bell

Going Up! Elisha Otis’s Trip to the Top by Monica Kulling

Thing Thing by Cary Fagen

Update from Ms. R

The homework for this week is that there is no homework! With only 9 days of school left, the children need a break. I will return all the homework writing journals for the last time next Friday.

Please know that our class is NOT part of the primary concert this week. Recall that our class performed at the Winter Concert in December. 

Important Dates:

June 19 - Our class plays presented at the Character Assemblies (morning)

June 22 - Primary PLAY DAY (AM) - Children will be outside for a second morning this month.

June 26 - Report Cards go home

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 June 15, 2018

News for June 15, 2018

This week the children learned about screws and wheels and axles (simple machines), started to create sock monkeys and, at the end of the week, our class welcomed a new student from Nigeria!

Writing

Most of the class have now finished writing and illustrating their graphic novels using the homemade books they created last week. These are now part of a class book. This book has a Table of Contents and an Index and each child was responsible for completing both so that other students can find individual graphic novels easily. 

Math 

The students started to review and apply some of the math concepts learned this year. This week we reviewed place value and probability by playing two versions of a game using a die (digits 1 to 6) and 10 playing cards (digits 0 to 9) to create the greatest 3-digit and 4-digit numbers. The class practiced their addition and subtraction to use codes to solve riddles. They reviewed how to read and interpret calendar information. 

Science

This week the class learned about the last two types of simple machines: the screw and the wheel and axle. Did you know that a screw is actually an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder? Did you know humans have been using wheels and axles to help do work for thousands of years? The children also completed a final unit worksheet reviewing and applying what they know about the six simple machines. The class also applied some of this knowledge to create a Father’s Day gift using screws and a screwdriver (wheel and axle), nails (wedges) and a hammer (levers).

Art

The students created homemade Father’s Day cards with messaged of love and appreciation using the bits of colourful, patterned paper in our “fancy paper” bin.

The children used what they know about simple machines to create a present for Father’s Day. After transferring a pattern onto a piece of wood with a marker, each child (with my help) used a Philips screwdriver and two screws, plus 12 nails and a hammer, to put the screws and nails into a heart shape on a piece of wood. Next, each student picked a small ball of coloured thread to wrap around the nails and screws to “colour in” the heart. Finally, the children each wrote a message on the wood. Then the students wrapped the presents and taped on the cards they made so everyone will be ready to give their special, homemade gifts on Sunday.

Oral Communication

The two groups of children performed their plays for the drama teacher Ms. Endert. Ms. Endert reminded the actors to speak loudly and clearly and to remember to face the audience at all times. The plays will be presented at the last character assembly of the year next week.

Extra

The class went to the gym this week to see a presentation about bike safety. They learned how to check their bikes to make sure the bike is safe to ride. They were reminded of the safe way to wear a bike helmet. The presenters reviewed the “rules of the road” when riding bikes and the hand signals when turning to let others behind the rider know what the rider is going to do.

Books read aloud this week:

Get to Know Screws by Paul Challen

Get to Know Wheels and Axles by Paul Challen

The Glass Doorknob - A Sock Monkey Adventure

Pippi Longstocking (chapter book - finished) by Astrid Lindgren

POP! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy

Chowder by Peter Brown

Update from Ms. R

The homework for this week is to write a letter to me in the homework writing journal using the  proper letter format. This last letter of the year is a tradition in my class with children taking time to review activities on the blog and then writing about the activities they liked (and why), ones they didn’t like (and why) and suggestions for activities for my new class to do next year. It’s always fun to read the opinions of the students. THEN, I will write a letter back to each student. This will conclude the written homework journal “conversation” between each of the children and me for the year. This homework is due on Friday, June 15th. 

PARENTS

* On Tuesday, June 19, our class is in charge of the school’s last character assembly of the year! There are two groups performing the same play. One group will perform during period 2 (9:20) and the other will perform during period 3 (10:15). Both performances will take place in the second floor gym. We have not yet decided which groups will perform when but I will let you know next week. 

Important Dates:

June 8 - P.A. Day

June 19 - Our class plays presented at the Character Assemblies (morning)

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 June 7, 2018

News for June 7, 2018

This 4 day week the children learned about school bus safety, learned about division and everyone started to knit using their homemade corkers!

Writing

The class had a chance to go to an assembly on Tuesday to listen to the Canadian author Andrew Larsen talk about his books and the job of being an author. 

Everyone in the class has now finished writing and drawing their comics. These are now part of a class book for children to read during independent reading times.

The students used a book-making idea from our visiting author Andrew Larsen to fold and staple a HUGE piece of paper into a homemade book. The children then planned stories about their recycled box art sculptures in their journals and they have now started to create graphic novels using their homemade books.

Math 

The children reviewed beginning multiplication as repeated addition of equal amounts. They learned how to use a “multiplication times table” to answer multiplication questions. The children also solved word problems using multiplication. 

Next the class was introduced to division, as the opposite of multiplication. Basically taking a number of objects and creating various numbers of equal groups. 

Science

This week the class learned about a fourth type of simple machine: the pulley. The pulley is a machine that makes lifting and moving things easier and uses a rope and a wheel (or curved surface). Did you know that a zip-line is a pulley? Do you know that the main parts moving an elevator up and down are pulleys?

The children also watched a video to learn more about the six types of simple machines. Here is the link:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=fvOmaf2GfCY

Art

The children did a drawing challenge where they drew pictures of their recycled box art sculptures using only white pencil crayon on black construction paper.

Oral Communication

The two groups of children continue to practice performing the play about honesty and integrity. The students are now working on positioning their bodies so they face the audience and do not block other performers and making sure everyone speaks loudly enough for the audience to hear. The children have costumes, made signs and props to use to help their acting.

Extra

The children are now all using the corkers that they made using cardboard tubes and coffee stir sticks. Corking (also called French knitting or spool knitting) is a type of knitting that creates a narrow tube of fabric. It is a good way to introduce children to standard knitting. In the past, both men and women would knit. My maternal grandfather was a fisherman in Nova Scotia and he would knit his own socks to pass the time on a long trip! It takes patience and perseverance to master corking but once the student learns it, they are keen to practice and several children now have measured their corking at over 50 cm!

Every class in our school attended an assembly about bus safety this week. First children learned the bus safety rules and then the class went on a real school bus and learned where the emergency exits are and everyone practiced a safe exit through the back of the bus. This information is very important as all the students will be bussed to our temporary school location at Vaughn Road Academy for the next two years starting in September. 

Books read aloud this week:

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (chapter book)

Get to Know Pulleys by Karen Volpe

Update from Ms. R

It was great to see the families of Room 204 at the Fun Fair yesterday! It was the last time for this annual tradition at this location but we raised a lot of money for our school programs at our new location at Vaughn Road next year.

The homework for this week is to complete the science and math worksheets sent home with your child on Friday. This homework is due on THURSDAY, June 7th (since Friday is a P.A. Day).

PARENTS

* Thank you for supporting your child’s reading development at home this year! Reading at home compliments the reading work we do in class each day. This week I began to test the current reading levels of the students. It's very rewarding for them (and me) to see how much they have improved since last September! Reading is a complex combination of decoding words, reading fluency and comprehension of text and children need to read EVERY DAY to keep their skills at grade level.

* Please send your child to school prepared to spend time outdoors in the sunny, warm weather. The children are outdoors for 15 minutes during morning recess, 30 minutes during lunch recess and 15 minutes during afternoon recess. Hats and sunscreen help to protect your child from the harmful rays of the sun. Our classroom can get very warm these days and every child can keep a water bottle from home on his/her desk if they wish (but they can also use the water fountain in our room).

Important Dates:

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 June 1, 2018

News for June 1, 2018

This week the children began to write comics/graphic novel stories, learned about basic multiplication and made butterflies out of reused Sun Chip bags.

Writing

The children wrote letters to the company Frito Lay (the makers of Sun Chips) to try to convince them to make the Sun Chips bags either compostable or recyclable. Currently, the bags are made out of metal and plastic fused together and must be put in the garbage. We are hoping to get a response from the company before the end of school.

The class looked at another way to tell a story, through comics and graphic novels. The students  looked at how these illustrated stories are told using pictures with “speech” bubbles and narrative comments. The children are now writing their own comics.

Math 

The children continued to apply their math skills to study the Sun Chip bags they collected from pizza lunch last week. After cutting open the bags the children re-measured the length, width and perimeter of the new bag shape. They also solved word problems using the bag information (e.g., If there are two dozen Sun Chip bags in a box, how many bags are in the box?).

Later in the week, the class was introduced to the basics of multiplication. At the grade 2 level, the children are exposed to the idea of multiplication as a faster way to add equal groups. The students linked addition to multiplication by connecting, for example, 2+2+2+2=8 as “four groups of two equal eight” or 4x2=8. The basic understanding at this age is that multiplication is repeated addition.

Science

Now that we’ve released our butterflies, the class has time to return to our unit on simple machines. (Recall that we have already studied levers and inclined planes.) This week we looked at wedges. Wedges are simple machines with one narrow edge and a wider edge on the opposite side. Wedges may look like inclined planes but wedges need an applied force to work. The children looked at examples of wedges (e.g. a doorstop) and used the wedges on a pair of scissors (blades) to cut plasticine. The class also learned that a wedge needs to be made out of strong material or it will collapse and not work.

Art

The students talked to their friends about their canvas paintings that were inspired by the paintings of Dayal Kaur Khalsa. Then the children were videotaped as each one spoke to the whole class about his/her art, which book inspired them and reflected on what they did best when creating the paintings.

The children experimented with ways to reuse the Sun Chip bags to create art. It was difficult! First the bags had to be washed and dried. The material used to make the bags does not fold well, it ripped easily and it was impossible to glue it. They discovered that the best way to reuse it for art was to create butterfly shapes held in place by pipe cleaners. Each student made at least two of these, one to take home and one to send to Frito Lay with our letters to the company.

Oral Communication

The class continued to rehearse the class play in two groups. The groups worked on becoming more fluent when reading their lines and remembering when it’s time for his/her character to speak. This is the longest play that we’ve done so far this year (about 20 minutes).

Extra

The children participated in our school’s annual tradition of a Jump Rope for Heart fundraising event on Friday morning. Thank you to the families for your donations to this worthy cause.

The children had a chance on Friday to reuse the cardboard boxes and tubes that I have been saving all school year. This helps them be creative and helps me as I s-l-o-w-l-y begin to organize my classroom to move everything to Vaughn Academy at the end of June, At this point in the year, it is wonderful to see what the students are able to create independently and how they share and build on ideas of their friends. We will be doing this every Friday until the end of school. Next week, the children will write stories about what they made.

Books read aloud this week:

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (chapter book)

Pippi Moves In  by Astrid Lindgren (comic version of the novel)

Get to Know Wedges by Jennifer Christiansen