Construction Donations and Holiday Greetings

Our next project in grade 1 will be building log cabins (big enough for a child to walk into), and we are looking for donations of cardboard rolls that we can use for our "logs". 

If you know of anyone who would be able to donate items that would work for us, please reply to this email to let us know.

We hope you have a fun and safe holiday and we can't wait to hear all about your adventures in the New Year!!!

Mr. Butler and Ms. Tjostheim 

Apples Please

We will be doing an investigation into apples next week and are looking for donations of as many varieties of apples as we can. Please send different kinds of apples to school with your child next week.

Reading Strategies

Here are some strategies we have been using in classroom to help us to figure out words we don't know when we are reading.

Calgary Landmarks

This past week we learned about landmarks. We discussed how a landmark is a structure or event that is easily recognizable and can be famous or something that the city is known for. Here are some landmarks that are in our community! Ask me about the different landmarks I drew!

Inside Out Health Unit

Next week we are going to be starting a unit in health focusing on our emotions. We will being using the movie Inside Out to help support our learning throughout the unit. We will be watching movie clips (generally between 5-10 mins) to help introduce the emotions, support students in learning how to identify and express their feelings in a healthy way, and teach them skills to help cope with what is going on in their life. We will be incorporating the zones of regulation as well in this work. If you have any questions about what we are working on please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thanks so much! 

Making 10

There are 10 apples in my basket. Some are red and some are green. How many ways can you put the apples in the basket to make 10?

I can make a number sentence to show my thinking in math.

My Family

Our writing has been focusing on our family.

"How do you know you did a good job?"

• My writing is on topic.
• My letters are written properly.
• I use correct upper case and lower case letters.
• I use finger spaces in between my words.
• My sentences end with a period.
• I can read my writing to someone else.

Dot Math

We use dots to practice subitizing. Subitizing is the ability to 'see' a small amount of objects and know how many there are without counting.

Remembrance Day Service

We are taking Poppy donations throughout the week for our Remembrance Day service. Donations will be collected Friday morning. Any students that belong to service clubs (sparks, brownies, guides, CGIT, beavers, cubs, scouts, cadets etc.) are invited to wear their uniforms FRIDAY November 7th morning for the service. 

Pumpkin Cookies

Sentence Writing

Now that we can write our letters properly we are beginning to write sentences. The first step is copying sentences that we have generated as a group. The next step is to write our own sentences using our inventive spelling.

After brainstorming our ideas for writing as a whole group, we copy down the sentence starter and choose an ending to copy down. 

Halloween

For Halloween: costumes are welcome in the afternoon. Please keep masks, make-up, weapons and props at home so that they are good to go for trick or treating. Students may change into their costume after lunch. Please do not send Halloween treats on this day. 

                                      

Patterns

We are learning how to identify, build and transfer patterns. These are our colour patterns.

Sight Word Reading

When your child’s folder goes home next week, a sight word list will be included for practice along with home reading books.

Some students will already know some of these words and some students will still be working on them. 

As you practice nightly reading, please choose a few words to focus on each week with your child.  Students can find the words in their books, as they are reading and/or practice spelling them in the air or on the table with imaginary pencils. Frequent exposure to these words will help to increase their reading fluency of more books. 

As you go through the list, if you find your child knows a word (can identify it quickly by sight), please check it with a pencil or pen to help them know which words they are learning.  We will also review each student’s list with him or her at school at least once a week.

Kidzone.wz has some great ways to practice your sight words at home.
Check out their website here:
https://www.kidzone.ws/dolch/preschool.htm

Click on the links below for some printable sight words to practice at home.

List 1

List 2

  

Home Reading Program

As discussed at Parent Teacher Conferences, we are beginning our home reading program On Tuesday October 15, 2019. Your child will bring home a clear bag with a record sheet and a book inside. Please return all 3 items when you want a new book. Please keep the book in a safe place away from toddlers and pets. If the book is lost the cost is $5.00.

Helpful Hints:

1.     Read the book 2-3 times but only record once – you can read it over 2 nights.

2.   Have your child point to the words as they read for levels A-E.

3.   Take time to look at pictures and encourage your child to find things in the pictures. Ask questions.

4.   Support and praise is critical for success.

5.   Beginning readers will be memorizing some text.

6.   Look at first letters and encourage use of beginning sounds.

7.   If your child reads incorrectly eg. The grey cat went sleeping. Ask – Does that make sense? What would make sense?

8.   Look for small words in larger words. goes has go, sit has it

9.   Skip a difficult word and read to the end of the sentence, then try the sentence again, this gives context clues.

10.Do not make your child sound out a word when it is not possible, just try the strategies above and then tell them.

11.Turn the pages at the corner so they don’t rip.

12. Practice sight words

Happy Reading!

Thank you!