We have not only been studying penguins in Science – but we are also beginning a unit on measurement during Math. We were very interested in seeing that our shortest students are the same height as the tallest penguins!
100’s Day is Coming!!!
100’s Day is a special day for primary students. It is the 100th day that we have been in school this school year. The actual date fluctuates in any calendar school year, depending upon holidays and other school interruptions.
This year, for us, the date falls on February 14th which is also Valentine’s Day. In order to get all the activities done that we like to do for these two days, I am sending home a tag board 100 poster for the students to arrange their 100 collections upon. There is a letter explaining all of the needed information attached to this poster. It is coming home tomorrow so that you may spend some time on the long weekend to get this completed.
Thank you, in advance, for helping your child collect and glue their collections on this poster. They may colour/decorate the board first before they glue their items on it. Please ensure that they put their names on this poster. Also, please use liquid white glue so that the items will stick solidly on the poster as these will put put up on the bulletin board. Once the glue is dry it is not very visible.
Did You Fill a Bucket Today?
We have been working on thinking more about what we say and do, and how our words and actions affect those around us. This is a great book that Mrs. Levington recently bought for our school library, and lent it to us to read in our class.
We had a great discussion following our reading of this book and we are now using the language of this book in our daily interactions. Students are focussing on being a ‘bucket filler’ and not a ‘bucket dipper’. Ask your child about this book and have them explain the concept to you.
Lunar New Year Potluck
Please remember to send your child to school tomorrow with a bowl/plate, and a fork, spoon, or chopsticks. If your child is not a fan of different foods, please also send their regular lunch with them.
Class Penguin Research Centre
We have been busily learning about this resourceful and fun bird!
Students have been working (in their partnerships) on researching their chosen bird. Thank you for helping your child with some extra computer work at home. The partners are currently adding the final touches to their note-taking papers in preparation for completing their final research booklets and posters. They will then be orally presenting their work to the class.
We are also really enjoying the adventures of Mr. Popper’s Penguins through our read aloud of this book.
Penguin Research
We began our enquiry into penguins by creating a ‘KNOW’ (or THINK we know) chart and a ‘WONDER’ (what we want to know) chart. Please note that ALL ideas are recorded at this point and will be proven – or disproven – by the end of our unit.
We followed up with a visit to the Library to explore the penguin entries in the on-line World Book database via the laptops. Students have now been put into partnerships and they have chosen the penguin that they want to research in-depth.
Beginning this week the student-partnerships will spend 45 minutes each Tuesday on the laptops doing research on their chosen penguin. We also have an extensive collection of fact-based books in the classroom and the library. Students will collect information on their data sheets and then formulate this information into a report format. These reports will be orally presented to the class at the end of the unit.
Early last week I sent home a letter about the World Book on-line resource, along with how to access the penguin websites which I have attached to my Delicious account – a link on this blogsite. Feel free to explore the on-line sites at home with your child. They should be able to tell you the name of their specific penguin – although, these were just chosen at the end of the day on Friday so they may not be totally clear on how to pronounce their penguin’s name yet:)
Our JUMP Rope for Heart Event
On Friday, January 11th we had a ‘Kick-Off’ assembly with a representative from the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Our ‘Heart Hero’ (Derek) made an appearance as well.
At the assembly, students learned how to keep their hearts healthy.
This past Friday (January 18th) we held our JUMP event. We created a Heart Wall with the red paper hearts – where students had recorded their ideas about keeping healthy – that had been sent home with their pledge forms. In the afternoon, classes each had a 40 minute block where they met their buddy class in the gym and had a lot of fun jumping rope. We were very lucky that this year we didn’t have rain! This meant that we got to enjoy jumping outside of the gym on the basketball court. Students enjoyed skipping on their own – and with the long ropes, as well.
If you haven’t already done so, please return your completed pledge forms – or register your collected fundraising on-line by Wednesday, January 23rd. Thank you for your support of this very worthy charity.
Pringle Comes to Rosser!!
On Monday, January 14th we were thrilled to receive a very COLD package, delivered by Mrs. Ameixa, which had arrived from the South Pole!! You can still see some of the wet spots on the brown paper from where the ice melted!
Inside this package was: a novel (Mr. Popper’s Penguins); a letter from Admiral Drake (a character in the novel); a lovely little penguin named Pringle; and a Journal in which the students can write and share their home experiences with Pringle. This was a very exciting arrival for the students – and the adults in the room, as well!
Pringle, our class penguin, has already made home visits to the homes of: Maya A., Ateeq, Alex, and Justin. She is currently spending this weekend with Lyka and her family. When students bring Pringle back to school they share their home (and extra-curricular visits) with the rest of us through their written entries in the Journal. Pringle has been very busy enjoying a lot of different kinds of foods and activities!
All students are anxiously awaiting their turn taking Pringle home. When she arrives in your home I am sure your family will be very welcoming. Enjoy the experience!
Creating a Castle Township
We had some very creative builders in our classroom today. Didn’t they do a great job?
JUMP Rope for Heart
We are having a Kick-Off Assembly this Friday morning for our annual JUMP Rope for Heart event that we do for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The students will be bringing home a packet of information on Friday afternoon which will include: an explanatory letter, a pledge envelope, a booklet, stickers, and a paper heart.
Our JUMP event will happen on the afternoon of Friday, January 18th. This is an event that the students traditionally enjoy. We do this as part of our fitness awareness mandate (Daily Physical Activity) as well as being a fundraiser for a very worthy cause. Please help us in our support of this charity.