This Tuesday we will be going to Vernon to the Allan Brookes Nature Centre with Ms. Corbett’s class. We will be leaving at 8:30 so please be on time to allow for the attendance and bathroom breaks. We will return by the final bell at 2:05.
I need only 2 parent volunteers but 6 have indicated they would like to come. Please email me and let me know whether you will be coming with us or not. If I am taking more than 2 parents I will need to ask for a $3 fee each as they will only let 2 parents supervisors in free of charge. Thanks for understanding and letting me know of you wishes. Please do not bring toddlers or preschoolers on this trip, thank you.
The parents that indicated they want to come on the trip are: Kristy Cruikshank, Val Nakazawa, Doug Stewart, Ebony Vardal , Breanna Naylor, and Morgan Wilson.
Please bring:
-layers of clothing (we will be outside almost all day)
-a rainjacket
-a thin hat and mitts
-runners
-a large water bottle (filled)
-a large healthy lunch
-a small notebook or simple game for on the bus
a well fitting backpack to hold your things
Please do not bring electronics, candy or any money on this trip.
We are looking forward to a great day learning about mapping, hiking, discovering birds and animals up close and finding insects in the pond. It will be fantastic, thank you Ms. Corbett for getting the Go Grant to pay for the bus and partially funding each child’s admission. We love learning outside!
Wednesday we have arranged for a woman named Mandy Moore to come into our library and teach the Grade 2 about hawks. She will bring her hawks that protect the airport and work at the Kamloops Wildlife Park. We will also exchange our books in the library and class. Remember your books on WEDNESDAY!
Please return the turquoise permission slip by tomorrow for the Allen Brookes Nature Centre along with your $3.
Book exchange is Wednesday please return all class books and library books for a fresh new set.
We are having an Earthquake Drill this Thursday so we will practice Wednesday. I am just letting you know in case there are some students talking about earthquakes and you were wondering where that idea came from.
A special thank you to all of the parents that have already paid their fees- your prompt payment is appreciated.
Please help your child dress in layers for the weather as we do go outside during the week for learning as well as for recess and lunch. I’d suggest a jacket, hat, thin mitts or gloves and a sweater over a t shirt. Tomorrow Lana our Indigenous teacher is coming to play hooks and ladders with us outside after recess reenacting the salmons trip back to the river to spawn.
We are continuing with our Words Their Way program as well as reviewing sight words. This week our 3 groups are changing to these sorts: 1. th and wh words, short and long u words, and op, ot and og families. We sort and work with these words each day gluing them into our books the following week as a review.
In Math we are moving on from patterning to numbers. We are making, building, writing and comparing numbers. We have played a game called Number Road that involves rolling a double dice and creating a 2 digit number then printing the number on the road. You have to choose where the number goes between 10-100. I will send a copy home for you to play using cards from ace to 9, simply flip 2 cards and write the number taking turns until the road is full.
We created some ripped backgrounds for our Haida salmon that we coloured and hope to finish them up to hang in the hallway tomorrow.
The parent helper calendar is on our classroom coatroom door. If you’d like to help with morning reading please sign up any day for 8:15. Thanks.
Yesterday was an amazing trip! We look forward to continuing our learning about salmon, life cycles and water. Thank you to all of the parents that came to help supervise, with you these experiences are possible. Funding for this field trip was made with the generous support of HCTF (Habitat Conservation Trust Fund) Go Grant that I successfully received which covered busing, honorariums for elders and the bannock, salmon field guides, as well as materials for watershed lessons in class.
Ms. Corbett has also recently received a HCTF Go Grant and we will be going to the Allen Brookes Nature Centre with her class. With the grant we will be able to pay for the busing, some dip nets, trays, print materials and part of the program admission fee. On October 24, we will be going to the centre to do 4 different stations as outlined on the form. Permission forms will be coming home today for this trip. Please indicate on the form if you can come and help supervise. There is a minimal fee of $3 per student attending, supervising parents will not be charged a fee. Please return the form and the $3 by Tues. Oct. 17. You may travel on the bus or you may choose to bring your own vehicle, please indicate your preference on the form.
Thanks for supporting meaningful outdoor learning experiences!
I hope you have had a terrific weekend relaxing with your family and friends.
Remember we are enjoying the Adams River area tomorrow at Roderick Haig Brown Park. They are calling for showers so please be sure to send layered clothing- t-shirt, fleece sweater, and rain jacket, as well as a hat, thin gloves, running shoes with extra socks, a large healthy lunch and large water. Hats are preferred to umbrella for many reasons.
I have arranged for a lady to make us bannock for our first snack and I will bring apple cider as a warm treat to serve at lunch. You may want to send a warm lunch in a thermos- soup, noodles, etc.
I went to check it out today and it is beautiful, however, near the water it is a bit chilly. I saw many sockeye salmon already arriving which was surprising as I was expecting the Chinook salmon still.
Anyhow, thanks for preparing your child so that he/she will be warm and comfortable all day. I look forward to the station arranged by Lana (traditional games) and the one by Gerry (incorporating traditional fishing and preparing of salmon). Ms. Corbett and I will take the kids on a hike for 1 hour and then they will switch stations. A special thanks to the parents donating their time to help us tomorrow.
I’ll see you bright and early at our class door at 8:10!
Last week we went on one short walk to Badger Park Thursday to get ready for our longer hike Friday. We focussed on walking safely, crossing streets, speaking quietly to hear the animals, respecting property and nature and wondering as we walked. We played wave tag at Badger Park and discussed safety in nature. Abby spotted a huge dragonfly as we walked- super spotting!
Friday before leaving, we read the book Step Gently which has amazing photos of insects and animals in nature before we walked to give us some focus. We then hiked along 10th to a small trail, we walked through residential areas, forests and a dry grassland. We brought our class ipad to take photos. We enjoyed a sit spot investigating our own small space in the forest. Some children found ants, maggots, spiders, etc. We have a lovely time breathing the fresh air and we are working on traveling with quiet voices to increase our spotting of squirrels, birds, etc. Everyone had good walking footwear and seem excited to hike again. I did not have a parent volunteer but designated 3 students my tail and we did just fine. This week we will go on our walkabout Thursday after recess. We will walk to the pond near ladybug daycare to see the storm sewer running into the pond and link it to how we can take care of the water. Let me know if you can come along.
Monday we have Little Buddies with Ms. Porters kindergartens and we will be making our names with nature items. We will compare how many of each letter we have and look at the number of straight lines and corners. We feel very important being big buddies this year.
We are learning about water this week- in particular the water cycle. We will do an experiment, view some short videos and create our own water cycle and water shed models. We will link our care for water to the salmon and their need for clean water. We will also play a game called Hooks and Ladders outside to try and be a salmon travelling through the dangers during their life cycle.
Tuesday I have arranged for our Indigenous support worker to come and discuss the importance of clean water for the salmon and show us some traditional fishing methods. Her name is Lana and she will come with us next Tuesday to Adams River as well.
I have 7 permission slips missing for our Adams River Trip Tues. Oct. 10– please send them in ASAP. If you child cannot participate because you will be away please let me know that as well.
During computers this week we will do ABCya again focussing on number patterns and numbers games on Wednesday and we will use the program Epic with reading on Friday. ABCya is free to use at home as well. Epic needs a code and is free at school but I think it will start charging you after 1 month so I’d suggest leaving it for school use. Next week we hope to try coding from code.org.
We have finished our autobiographies and they are hanging in the hallway if you’d like to see your child’s writing. I have helped many with spelling so it’s not an authentic sample. Some spelling is done by your child, when they circle a word they have been brave and tried it themselves. We are working on trying to keep our ideas going by trying our own version of the spelling, circling it and moving on. They know there is a time and place for spelling and editors can help with that after the story is written. If you are giving your child a comment about his/her writing it would be helpful to focus on ideas not spelling right now to build his/her writing confidence..
Book Orders are due Tuesday for those who wish to order.
Wednesday will be book day again. Keep on bringing those books back to ensure we have new interesting books each week.
Next weekend is Thanksgiving. Enjoy time with your family and know that I am thankful everyday to spend time with your children. They are each unique and special in their own way.
Parent Reading Helpers– thanks for your patience and interest in helping our young readers. I have a confidentiality sheet you must read before helping. All information you gain during time in our class must remain in our classroom. If you have any observations that need sharing you are required to talk to me not other parents. When working with students, all parents will remain in the classroom as per the new guidelines. I hope to focus your help on listening to reading so that would be 8:15-8:45 Mon.,Tues., Thurs. and Fri. It will be 9:15- 9:45 Wed. as we have music first thing. Please sign up for one time on the coatroom schedule or send me a note and I can sign you up. Please do not bring preschoolers at this time as the students are developing effective reading habits. I will hang up the calendar Monday morning. You will listen to students read a good fit book, if the words are too hard gently encourage them to get an easier book, if it’s too easy encourage a level up. We are using our eagle eye, lips the fish, chunky monkey, checking if it makes sense and retelling the story.
Hello! It seems we have started this week at a fast pace. Thus far we have finished our autobiographies and we had Individual Photos today. Tomorrow is our book day. Remember to return both the library books and the Ziploc with read aloud books. The Treasure chest sheet is due next week as it records nightly reading and Sat.,Sept 30th will make 1 full chart. I will send a new one home soon so you don’t miss recording Sunday.
We have been learning about Terry Fox and the difference between superheroes like batman and real life heroes like Terry Fox. Each student has chosen their hero and will finish writing about them tomorrow. Thursday our school is doing a Terry Fox Run at 1:00 pm so wear runners that day. Students are often asked- who are you running for? Many say Terry and some have family such as grandma, my aunt, etc. I will be running for my dad who died of brain cancer and for those who may have a cure in the future. Parents are welcome to join us run around the school field. Donations are also being accepted for the Terry Fox Foundation. All students will receive an apple courtesy of Hanna and Hanna Orchard when they are done.
Friday is Orange Shirt Day. All students and staff are encouraged to wear orange in respect of our indigenous people. The catch phrase that is being used is “Every Child Matters”. We will be reading a book called Shi Shi Etko which is about a girl who was sent to residential school and her challenges there such as being removed from her family and her name being taken away with a number in its place. We will then focus on our own names and who we are as people- food, traditions, family, language, etc.. If you have anything to add for your child’s project you may send a note in his/her agenda.
We will do our first walkabout this Friday. Please come wearing comfortable walking shoes and layers of clothes that are suitable for the weather. I will go over the expectations on these trips such as: stay with the group, be respectful of others property, and have fun learning. All students need to show they can manage their own behaviour to be able to accompany us on these frequent trips. Otherwise I need to require their own parent supervision for those who are not safe on outings. We will be going at least once a week on a variety of trips. I could use a parent helper to act as our tail ensuring that everyone is staying together. Let me know if you can walk with us by writing a short note in your child’s Agenda Book. I only need 1 parent and please do not bring preschoolers on this trip.
There are new guidelines form the district regarding parent helpers. If you think you will be helping us either walking, driving, or in any way accompanying us you will need to get a criminal record check. There is a procedure that you follow and after the steps are completed the school refunds you the $25. It is effective for 1 year. If you think you will help us out this year as a parent it is a good idea to begin this process soon as it takes 2-3 weeks to complete. In the end it is of no cost to you, just requires some forms and time to deal with it. I will send home info on that process soon.
I am sending home a permission slip tomorrow for the Adams River Salmon Run at Roderick Haig Brown Park and we will be taking a bus with Ms. Corbett’s Class.. Parents will be traveling on a bus and will be accompanied by a teacher so I believe this trip does not need the criminal record check.
Next week we will start Star of the Week. Each child is designated a special week where they bring a poster, teach a gym game, return the teddies, bring a guest and lead the class meeting. It’s a great way to build relationships and confidence in kids. Karys is first starting next week. I try to send the package home a week early so you have time to colour it, find pictures and things that represent your child.
Thanks for reading this and for signing the agenda everyday. This way I know you are informed… together we can make a difference.
Thank you for taking the time to come and see our classroom last night. I was happy to meet almost every family and the students were excited to show his/her work so far. I appreciate your efforts taking the time to make school important as it shows that we are working together to help your child.
Every student also returned their books yesterday- YEAH! I know we will have strong readers if they practice every day and have access to books that are at the right level and are of interest.
Parent helpers will start in October. Thanks for all of those forms that have been returned. We will focus on help during reading time at the beginning.
There are new regulations for parent drivers and supervisors on trips. I will give you the information as soon as it’s available. It may take a few weeks to have that all figured out.
We started Words Their Way this week. It is a spelling program that puts students in levels that are appropriate for their spelling skills . I am running three groups right now to meet the diverse needs. Ask you child which group he/she is in- 1. at words, 2.s,h, and sh, or 3. the long and short a group. I find success with this as it focuses on learning concepts and patterns at their level rather than just memorizing lists of words which often translates to improved reading and writing skills.
We will be going to the computer room for the first time tomorrow. During the year we will do various things. Tomorrow I hope to get each of them set up on Epic– the reading program. They choose their own interests and read books on the computer or have them read aloud.
We will be starting the Star of the Week Program next week. Each child will have a week during the year to be the special person sharing things, leading gym games, bringing a guest and being the class meeting leader. Your child will bring home the information package to fill out a week or so before it is his/her turn. Please return the poster, autobiography and photos on the Monday or first day back. We will send it all home on Friday. I find this program helps kids build connections, improve self esteem and develop our community.
Today is the fuel up day. Please go to co-op if you need fuel as Hillcrest gets 10 cents per litre.
Tomorrow is BOOK DAY- please return library books and the Ziploc with class books. Your child will bring 4 new books home to share with you.
A Hot Lunch Form went home today. Ordering is optional and the forms are due this Fri. Sept. 22.
Good news- we have 8 students that have already paid their school fees- well done. If you have not, please send in your payment as soon as you can in the Agenda or at the office. If you cannot pay the $39 for fees right now please let the office know. There is also an Activity Fee to cover swimming, cultural assemblies, etc. Thanks for your help!
Tomorrow night is Meet the Teacher. I will be in the classroom from 5:30-7. Please pop by so your child can introduce you and show you around. You are welcome to come and go as you see works it is not a sit down session but a drop in. Students receive pizza and water free, parents and guests pay $2- you can come and eat dinner here if that helps. I hope to see many of you then!
Please read and sign the Agenda book everyday! Thank you.
We have been working hard on setting up our routines, getting to know each other and our school.
We are using our Agenda each day. Thank you for signing it to show that you have read it with your child. The hope it that it will help with communication between home and school as well as help with reminders.
I have sent home a few notices thus far- 1. Home Reading, 2. Library Note 3. The mixed note re: returning all books on Wednesdays, and the Chickadee note. Please send those Chickadee notes back with a no checked if you do not want them we can earn some prizes anyhow. Debbie also sent home 3 notes from the office. Please be sure to return them so we have current phone numbers in case we need to get a hold of you for any reason.
Thank you to all families that have already paid their fees- $32 for supplies, $20 for activity fee and $7 for agenda for a total of $59.
Thanks as well for returning the walkabout permission slip. I am still waiting for 6 more. I will send a second copy home this week for those that have not returned the slip so we may get out walking about soon.
I look forward to meeting you this Wednesday at Meet the Teacher. It starts at 5:30 where there is food available and it is a time for your child to show you our room and the school. It is a very casual affair ending at 7.
You may use this blog to send positive comments or to ask general questions for all to see. If you have a specific question that is more personal please do not use this email or call me separately.
