100th Day Celebrations!

Today was spent celebrating our 100th day of school!  We ate 100 items at snack time, we did activities for 100 seconds, and we even blogged about our bucket lists!

Below is a link to our blog posts.  Please have a look at how we look as 100 year old people AND read what we want to do before we turn 100.

http://kidblog.org/MrsEldersClass2014/

Home Reading

New Home Reading books were sent home today.  We chose the same homework assignment as before because we are continuing to work on this skill over the next few weeks.  We are still looking for setting (BOTH when and where), the characters, the problem, and the solution to the stories that they read and hear.  Thank you for your help with this at home.

Home Reading can be returned next Thursday, February 19th, as there is no school on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of that week.

Thank you, and happy reading!

Our Busy Week Ahead ~ Important

Here is a quick review of our busy week ahead:

Monday
- Early dismissal at 2:20pm

Wednesday
- Home Reading is due
- 100th Day of School (100 year old dress up day AND 100 items for snack)

Friday
- Potato Lunch
Each student will be provided a potato and toppings for lunch.  Please send additional snacks, food, and a drink if your child would like more than that.

- Valentine's Day
We will be doing a few Valentine's Day activities on Friday.  If you choose to send Valentine cards to school, please send them on Friday and you must send one for every student in the class.  We have 29 students and a class list is below:

William
Callie
Klay
Marlee
Tyson
Madex
Dora
Alex
Carson
Taylor
Houston
Kyra
Aaliyah

RJ
Ayden
Jordan
Langston
Cody
Kyler
Dayton
Shelby
Sierra
Spencer
Blake
Johnathan
Alera
Nathan
Teagan
Macie-Rae

Animal Senses

We have been studying the 5 senses in Science and we recently posted on our blogs about what we have learned about animal senses.  Have a peek, and feel free to comment! Thanks in advance!

http://kidblog.org/MrsEldersClass2014/

February Book Orders

Today your child will bring home the February Scholastic catalogs. If you would like to place an order, please return the forms and cheque to school by Friday, February 6th.

Thank you in advance for your order and continued support! Happy reading!

100th Day of School ~ February 11th

February 11th is our 100th day of school and we are planning a celebration!

We would like to continue the tradition of dressing up as 100 year old people.  We would also like you to send 100 things for snack on that day. Things that work best are cereal pieces, cut up fruit, or a combination of items (50 cereal pieces, 25 grapes, 25 crackers).

Important Days in February

Monday, February 9th
Early dismissal at 2:20pm

Wednesday, February 11th
100th Day of School Celebration

Friday, February 13th
SRC Potato Lunch

Monday, February 16th
Family Day
No school

Tuesday, February 17th
No school

Wednesday, February 18th
No school

Week of February 23rd-27th
Show and Tell Week

Wednesday, February 25th
Telemiracle Lunch

RCMP

Yesterday we took advantage of the beautiful weather and took a walk to the RCMP office in Coronach.  This was part of Jordan's show and tell and we were grateful for all the information that her Mom shared with us.

Here are a few pictures of our visit:

Hanging out in the holding cell.

Squished into the cell.

Doing time in "jail".

The interview room and video equipment

Jordan going for a "drive" in the RCMP car. Watch out!

Friday Blog Posts

Today the students had a free blogging period and they could blog about anything they wanted.  Please have a look at what they posted, and as always, feel free to comment.

Thank you in advance!
http://kidblog.org/MrsEldersClass2014/

Next Week

Next week is turning out to be a busy week within our classroom.

Monday is early dismissal and students will be done at 2:20pm.

Tuesday afternoon the students will be going skating with the Grade 5/6 class.  Students can play shinny during this time but they MUST bring a stick, hockey gloves, and a helmet if they want to play.

Wednesday is Family Literacy Day in our school.  We are asking students to wear pajamas that day, as we will be reading "bedtime" stories.

Thursday will be the last day of the school week for students, as they don't have school Friday.

Catching Snowflakes!

This morning was absolutely fantastic, and it was completely accidental!

We were discussing snow, snowflakes, and how to catch a snowflake.  Grade Two students remembered how we caught snowflakes last year, and also that we had to wait over a week for it to snow.  We decided that as soon as it snowed again, we would head outside to catch (and study) snowflakes.  And then it happened...

It started snowing! Big, heavy, wet, snowflakes fell from the sky today AND they fell straight down because there was no wind!!! It felt like a miracle!

We headed outside with our black paper and magnifying glasses and caught snowflakes. We caught, we looked, we caught them on our tongue.  We had a fantastic day!

The Cup Song

As many of you already know, we have been learning the cup song.  This came about somewhat accidentally...

Last week we studied sounds and discussed things we like to, and don't like to, hear.  Many students said they liked listening to music and one student shared that her favorite song was "The Cup Song".  She also shared that she loved to watch the video for it, so we viewed the video.  Students not only sang the song but also tapped their desks along with the song, as we were without cups.  I decided that the cup song would be our next project as it fits perfectly into Math patterns, music components of Art, and cooperation skills.

Here are the two songs we have been working with.  The Irish version is slower and tends to be easier to follow, as it is in a different language and therefore the kids don't sing, they just concentrate on the cup pattern.  I have linked both versions below for easy access, as it sounds like the students are practicing at home quite a bit.  Sorry... haha.

Cup Song ~ Irish/Gaelic version

The Cup Song

Kid President's 20 Things We Should Say More Often

This was our viewing activity today.  We have been studying the 5 senses and  this is a great video about things that all of us like to hear.  Enjoy!

Sensory Blog Posts

Today the students posted about their five senses.  They wrote about their favorite smells, tastes and sounds.  Please have a read, pass along the link, and feel free to comment.  Thanks!

http://kidblog.org/MrsEldersClass2014/

Home Reading, Setting, and the Book Challenge

Today a new set of home reading books and assignments are heading to your house.  Thank you to everyone for returning the books and homework pages!

Our reading focus for the next few weeks will be the setting of the story.  We are asking the students to tell us WHERE and WHEN the story takes place.  They know that it quite often does not say in the book, however we can find out using clues in the story and pictures.

The homework sheet, which is double sided, is directed at finding the setting of one of their stories.  Students are asked to draw the setting AND then write words or sentences to describe the setting.  Please remember to ask about both where the story is happening and when it is happening, as we are trying to become confident in both.

Your child will also have a coloured piece of paper with book spines on it within their home reading.  This is part of the SCC challenge to read as many books as possible.  For each book your child reads they are to fill out a book spine and an adult needs to sign it.  Send the page back to school (we will cut them out here) and we will submit them to the library.  I only sent one sheet this week however if you would like more there are some at school that your child can grab.

Thank you in advance for your help and hard work!

Don't Let the pigeon drive the bus! By Klay

Remind

On Friday your child brought home a note asking you to subscribe to the Remind app.  I have created an account for our classroom which allows me to send out short reminders in a group format.

The instructions on the note are easy to follow and give our classroom code to subscribe.  Your phone number is kept confidential, as is my phone number.

This does not replace the blog, but rather allows me to send quick reminders out about upcoming events and routines.  For example: "Don't forget it's early dismissal tomorrow" or "Home Reading should be handed in today or tomorrow."

If you have not already subscribed, please do.  If you have questions or concerns, please contact me at the school.

January Book Orders

January catalogs have been sent home.  If you are interested in ordering reading material, please return the order form and cheque by Wednesday, January 14th.

Thank you in advance for your order, and happy reading!

Today's wether by Jordan

Home Reading

Today the remainder of the students will be starting their home reading program. Here are a few reminders about what home reading involves:

1) It is a Wednesday routine.  Students will bring ALL books and papers back on Tuesday or Wednesday morning.  They will then exchange old books for new ones, take a new homework sheet, and books will go home home that afternoon.

2) Books are to be read many times (with the exception of chapter books).  These books are meant to help with fluency and confidence, so repeated readings of the book is essential.  Do you have to listen to the book 15 times? No.  I have explained to students that when they need to practice reading it can be with anyone, or anything.  Siblings, stuffed animals, reflections in the mirror, pets, and plants are all great listeners.

3) The homework sheet is an important part of the reading.  It is meant to give purpose to what they read, and they have to remember and/or retell parts of what they read.  Please encourage your child to do detailed drawings, neat printing and colouring on each sheet that is sent home. 

Finally, I want to thank everyone for their dedication and support in our classroom work.  I know that  we overload you with word rings, reading, and other classroom assignments.  We all lead busy lives and I truly appreciate the time and effort that parents put in to help with our classroom work. 

Blog Post

This morning we did a blog post about how we spend Christmas holidays.  Please click on the link below to have a look.  Feel free to comment and/or share the link with others, and thanks for looking!

http://kidblog.org/MrsEldersClass2014/

Important Days in January

Monday, January 5th
Classes resume

Monday, January 12th
Early dismissal @ 2:20pm

Week of January 19th - 23rd
Show and Tell Week

Monday, January 26th
Early dismissal @ 2:20pm

Wednesday, January 28th
Family Literacy Day
Pajama Day and Bedtime Stories

Friday, January 30th
No School
Teacher Prep Day

Scout by Macie-Rae

Christmas Concert Reminders ~ Important

Christmas Concert is this Wednesday evening at 7:00pm.  The choir will start singing at around 6:50pm to begin the evening.

We would like all student in the classroom at 6:30pm.  There is no costume or theme for clothing this year.

Students will stay with us for the entire concert, and can be picked up in the classroom after the evening is done.

We will be having a "Penny Parade" that evening to help raise funds for ANOTHER TRIP TO GLOBE THEATRE!!!!! That's right, we are heading back to Globe Theatre in June to watch Mary Poppins!  Tickets for the items will be on sale before the concert begins, and prizes will be awarded that evening!  The silver collection at the door will also go towards funding our trip!

Thank you in advance for your support!

Skating

On Tuesday, December 16th, Miss K will be taking our class AND the Grade 7 and 8 class to skate all afternoon.  The Grade 7 and 8 students will help tie skates and also help new skaters navigate the ice.

Please send skates for Tuesday afternoon.  If your child would like to play shinny they MUST bring a helmet AND hockey gloves, along with skates and a stick.

RAZ Kid Reports

At the bottom of the RAZ kids note (this went home last week) there was a form to be filled out. If you wish to receive email reports about how your child is doing, please return this form as soon as possible.

Thank you!

Elf

This is aower elf Scowt. He is reding.B spencer

Classroom Gift Exchange/Donation

Over the past few years our class, along with the Grade Three and Four class, have decided to not do a classroom gift exchange.  Rather than a gift exchange, we make a donation to a charity.  Last year we donated to the Humane Society, and we would like to carry on this tradition.

We ask that the money that would have normally been spent on a gift exchange, be sent to school so that our 4 classes can make a large donation again this year.  

Participation is voluntary, and we thank you in advance for your kindness and cooperation!

Live Reindeer Camera

This morning our classroom elf, Scout, left us a note to look at the website Reindeercam.com so we checked it out.  We found a barn, with reindeer, and an elf even walks by sometimes.

We were lucky enough to be having snack when SANTA came on!  He fed the reindeer and read a few letters too!

Click on the link to check it out!

http://reindeercam.com

Christmas Blog Posts

Today the students posted about Christmas and our classroom elf, Scout.
Please have a look and comment.
Thank you!

http://kidblog.org/MrsEldersClass2014/

Toronto Dominion Grade One Book Giveaway

Every year our class has been given free books by the TD Bank Group.  The program provides every Grade One student with a free book to take home and share with their family.  Recognizing that we are a Grade One AND Two classroom, we are fortunate to receive books for EACH student in our classroom!

Today your child will bring home their free book called "Doors in the Air" by David Weale and Pierre Pratt.

Please take time to read, share, and discuss this book.

Happy Reading

December Reading Challenge

We have decided that since Home Reading has started, we will not send a December Reading Challenge home for this month.

Please continue to read in silly voices, strange places, and to a variety of people during the month of December!  Thanks!

Blog Posts about Miss Gent

As Miss Gent's time with us is coming to an end, the students posted about her on their blogs.  Please have a look and feel free to comment.

http://kidblog.org/MrsEldersClass2014/

Word Rings

Just a reminder to keep working away at those word rings.

So much progress is being made ~ congratulations!  Remember to send word rings on your child's helper day so that we can review, and hopefully trade in for a new ring.  If your child is done their word ring and it's not their helper day, please send it to school anyways so we can trade!

Thank you!

Important Days in December

Monday, December 1
Early dismissal 2:20

Thursday, December 4th
Globe Theatre trip
Leave at 8:00am from school

December 15th - 19th
Show and Tell Week

December 15th - 19th
Spirit Week

Monday, December 15th
Winter White Day

Tuesday, December 16th
Red and Green Day

Wednesday, December 17th
Christmas/Winter Hat Day
Coronach School Christmas Concert
7:00pm

Thursday, December 18th
Christmas/Winter Sweater Day

Friday, December 19th
Formal Day
Coronach School Christmas Dinner
Last day of classes until January 5th

Fun With Pastels

Home Reading

This week the Grade 2 students will start Home Reading. Grade One students will start in early December.

Every Wednesday students will bring home a book, or books, that they need to read during the upcoming week.  Each week will also have a homework sheet that focuses on a specific comprehension skill or strategy.  The book(s) and homework sheet need to be returned every Wednesday so that they can be exchanged for new ones.

A few things to remember about Home Reading:

1) Students are picking their own books.  The skill of finding good fit books is being worked on however it isn't always perfect.  If your child is consistently taking books that are too frustrating, or too easy, please let us know.  Remember, a few challenging words on each page is okay.

2) Books should be read more than once during the week.  I explain to the students that once a skill is taught, it needs to be practiced ~ skating, riding a bike, printing.  The same goes for reading.  Once a book is read, it is very beneficial to the reader to read it again.  As a book becomes more familiar, students can work on fluency and flow to their reading, using expression, and reading the punctuation.  This obviously is not the case for longer books such as chapter books, but shorter picture books can, and should be, read more than once.

3) Remember to discuss the book with your child.  Ask questions about what they read.  A sheet on questioning will be sent home along with the Home Reading.  This is yours to keep as a reference for when you are reading with your child.

Thank you for your continued support with Reading!

Guided Reading

Guided Reading has started this week in our Grade 1-6 classrooms.  This is an opportunity for students to read in small groups with others who read at the same level.  The books are "good fit" books that will challenge students but not frustrate them.  Students will also move up into different reading groups as their skills improve so don't be alarmed if they mention that they have been moved to a different Guided Reading group.

Part of our Guided Reading program this year involves RAZ Kids.  This is a computer program designed to help students improve their reading skills.  Each student has their own account and will be reading books at their level.  Students earn points/stars for listening and reading books, and also for answering comprehension questions afterwards.

Students will be using this program during Guided Reading times in the computer lab.  For this time to be most effective students require headphones/earbuds.  If your child does not currently have headphones/earbuds, please send them as soon as possible.

Thank you and happy reading!

Globe Theatre Trip

Today your child will bring home a note explaining our trip to Globe Theatre in Regina on December 4th.  

We will be watching a live performance of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”.

We will travel by bus, and leave at 8:00am from the school.  Please ensure that your child is properly dressed for the weather.  Your child will need to bring a lunch and snacks, with minimal garbage and packaging.  Please send something they can eat easily while travelling, with no worries of spills, etc.

The show is performed for us at 11:00pm and we anticipate a return to Coronach around 3:15pm.  If your child is a bus student, please make alternate arrangements in case we are delayed in our return (extended show time, weather, etc).

Due to the costs related in taking a bus to Globe Theatre, we are asking that students pay for the cost of their ticket.  The cost per ticket is a reduced student price of $15.

Please submit a cheque (payable to Coronach School) or cash, along with the permission form at the bottom of the page, to your child’s classroom teacher by Thursday, November 27^th.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Scholastic Book Orders

Today your child will bring home the Scholastic catalogs for December.  If you are interested in ordering, please return the order forms and a cheque by Monday, November 24th.

If you would like to order anything as a gift, please include a note indicating what books to keep back and we will contact you when they arrive.

Thanks, and happy reading!

Student Led Conferences

Tuesday and Wednesday evening will be Student Led Conferences.  Just a few reminders so that the evening can go smoothly.

You should have received confirmation of your conference time.  Each conference is scheduled for 15 minutes.  Please do your best to be on time, and to stick as close as possible to the 15 minute time limit.  Family appointments are coordinated, so if we are running late in Grade One and Two it will cause  many other classrooms to fall behind as well.

The conference is meant to be student led.  This means that the majority of the sharing should be done by the student, with perhaps prompting and/or questions from those in attendance.  This term the Grade One students will be prompted and guided by the supervising teacher as the process is unfamiliar to them.  Grade Two students may still need a nudge now and then, however they have done this before and will be more comfortable with the format.

The Student Led Conference time is seen as a time for your child to share what they are learning about, what they are strong at, and also what they would like to work on in the upcoming months.  If there are any issues or concerns that we feel need further discussion, we will schedule an appointment at another time when the student isn't there.  We do our best to keep the 15 minutes of conference time positive and focused on your child, but if you feel further discussion with any of the teachers is necessary, please let us know.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you on Tuesday or Wednesday evening.

Living Things

In Science we have been studying the characteristics of living things.  We posted today about living things AND added a picture of our water bottle greenhouses!

Can you tell that we planted different types of seeds?

Please have a read, and feel free to comment. Thanks!

http://kidblog.org/MrsEldersClass2014/

November "Got Caught Reading" Challenge

Thank you to everyone who participated in the October challenge last month. Your child will be bringing home the Reading Challenge for November. Again, we have a few ideas to guide your at home reading. Please continue to email any photos you wish to share of your child reading to elder.christa@prairiesouth.ca

Grade 2 Learning Stations

Our new grade 2 learning stations. 

By Langston and Dayton

October Reading Challenge

Just a reminder to send back the October "Got Caught Reading" challenge bookmark. We will be sending the November challenge home sometime next week.

Have a great weekend!

Our 7th Annual Pumpkin Carving Day!

Yesterday we had our 7th Annual Pumpkin Carving Day with Miss Rachul and the Grade 9 and 10 class.  When the pumpkin carving was completed we spent recess outside with our buddies and then got to read with them!  Thank you very much to the Grade 9 and 10 class for being such great helpers and leaders today!  We greatly appreciate your help!  Here are a few pictures of our GREAT day!

Our Halloween Blog Post

Yesterday was a GREAT day for Grade One and Two.  First we blogged about Halloween and then we got to carve pumpkins with the Grade 9 and 10 class.

Please have a look at our posts about Halloween, and pass the link along to any family or friends that may be interested!  Thank you!

http://kidblog.org/MrsEldersClass2014/

Remembrance Day Poem

Our class will be reciting the following poem during the Remembrance Day ceremony on November 6th at 1:30.  We are practicing the poem at school however we would appreciate any additional practice they can do at home.

Poppy Poppy

Poppy poppy what do you say?
Please wear me on Remembrance Day.

Poppy poppy what do you tell?
Many soldiers in battle fell.

Poppy poppy what should we know?
That peace on Earth should grow, grow, grow.

Halloween Day

For Halloween on Friday we will be having a small celebration in our classroom during the afternoon.  

Students are asked to dress up in the afternoon only ~ bus students can eat, then change into costumes and town students who go home for lunch can come back dressed up.  We will be playing a few games, doing some Halloween activities and enjoying the afternoon.  

A reminder that we are a nut free school and anything that is sent to school must be nut free.  

Thank you!

Important Days in November

Week of November 3rd - 6th
Scarf Week
$1 for each day you wear a scarf
Proceeds going to Operation Christmas Child

Monday, November 3rd
Early Dismissal at 2:20pm

Thursday, November 6th
Coronach School Remembrance Day Service
1:30pm
Community is invited to attend

Friday, November 7th
No School for students
Teacher Prep Day

Monday, November 10th
No School

Tuesday, November 11th
Remembrance Day
No School

Tuesday, November 18th
Report Cards sent home K-12
Student Led Conferences

Wednesday, November 19th
Student Led Conferences

Friday, November 21st
No School

Week of November 24th - 28th
Show and Tell Week

November Book Orders

This afternoon your child will come home with the Scholastic book order catalogs for November.  If you would like to order anything from this month's catalog, please return the order form and a cheque by Friday, October 31st.

Thank you in advance for your order.

Happy Reading!

October Get Caught Reading Challenge

Just a reminder that the October Reading Challenges are due on Friday.  Please return them to school with as many of the challenges completed as possible.  Remember that some challenges can be overlapped ~ for example, if you read in a silly place AND in your pajamas, it can count for both!

Happy Reading!

Scarf Week

The SRC has decided to have a Scarf week to serve as a fundraiser for Operation Christmas Child.

During the week of November 3^rd-6^th students are asked to wear a scarf to school ~ fashion scarf, bandana, wool, feather boa.  The SRC will donate $1 each time a student wears a scarf to school and we will use the proceeds to purchase items to fill Operation Christmas Child boxes! 

Thank you in advance for your support of SRC activities and Operation Christmas Child.

Water Bottle Greenhouses

Our most recent blog posts are about the water bottle greenhouses that were made in Science class.  We are studying Living Things and we will observe the growth of the seeds and learn about what they need to survive.

Please read our posts about the Science projects and we will update soon with pictures!
http://kidblog.org/MrsEldersClass2014/

Thank you very much!

Pumpkin Carving Project

Just a reminder to have your child bring their pumpkin to school before October 29th as that is the day we will be carving pumpkins.

Thanks!

Obstacle Course Next Week

We are continuing with the "Take The Lead" program. Most of the grade 5/6 students are in "Take The Lead" this year. The Kindergartens to grade 4 really enjoy the program.

The "Take The Lead" leaders have put together an Obstacle Course and we are asking the rest of the grade 5/6's to join us as helpers and leaders. The date that we have it planned for is October 21.

On this day we are asking for all of the Grade 1-4 students to bring their lunch. This would enable everyone to be ready to take part in the obstacle course.

Thanks for your help!

Happy Birthday Miss Gent!

Today we celebrated Miss Gents's birthday! She has been a wonderful addition to our classroom and we celebrated with whole wheat apple muffins that looked like owls! We also gave her a new coffee cup AND an owl notebook!

Can you tell she loves owls?

Happy birthday Miss Gent! 

Grade One Math

The Grade One class has started studying numbers. Today Miss Gent read counting stories about turkeys disappearing off of a fence AND one about ghosts flying away!

They are getting very good at counting backwards from 10!

Cupcake Sale for UNICEF

The Grade 3 and 4 class are having two Halloween cupcake sales, with all the proceeds going towards UNICEF. The first sale will be Wednesday, October 22nd and the second one will be Tuesday, October 28th. All cupcakes will cost $1.00 each.

They are also selling paper pumpkins for UNICEF that can have your name printed on it and will be displayed in our hallway. The pumpkins also cost $1.00 each.

Thank you for your support!

Blogging about Patterns

Today we blogged about the patterns we have been studying in Math.  You can have a look at our blog posts here: http://kidblog.org/MrsEldersClass2014/

Thank you in advance to everyone who has been looking and commenting on the student blogs!  We are very excited by the responses we receive!  Our view count is almost at 5000, so THANK YOU!

Heard Around the Room...

There is no explanation for this one...

"I can't sit down because my butt is sweating!"

7th Annual Pumpkin Carving Project

This year we will once again be carving pumpkins with Miss Rachul's class.  We will be carving on Wednesday, October 29th.  Please send a pumpkin to school any time after October 22nd.  If you could also have your child's name written on the bottom of the pumpkin it would help keep them organized.

More information will be given closer to the day, but please be looking for a pumpkin over the next few weeks.  Thanks!