Friday, May 29th

Good Morning!

Good morning families. This is our first week of learning online on Fridays. Mrs. Babcock has passed the reins over to me (Miss Schaff) for this portion. I hope I do as great of a job as she did. :-)
Finishing up our Science and Poetry this week, you are to simply finish your animal projects by decorating your poster boards and gluing your information to it, and to complete your good copies for your I am From Poems. Don’t forget to send them to me! I’d love pictures and if you are going into class, bring them with you. 

Don't forget to take a look at the Morning Routine and Online Resources!

WEEK NINE

Sight Words  any, round, his, some, walk

Print or make your own sight word flashcards. Post them on the fridge, a door, or somewhere your child will see them. The key is repetition through the week.

Reading 

This month our focus is Living Things and Their Environments, which ties in to the Grade One Science curriculum. Please see right sidebar with reading group names. Your child will know their reading group. You should spend about 20 minutes per day on a lesson, in addition to the 20 minutes per day that your child reads independently. 

Writing 
We are starting to write simple stories. Stories have several components. 1. At least one character. 2. A setting (Where the story takes place.) 3. A beginning, middle (Story Problem) and end (Resolution to the problem).  

Please find an outline below.

This is a story about ___________________________________. (A character) 
This story takes place __________________________________. (A setting) 
In the beginning ______________________________________. (The beginning of the story)
Then suddenly ________________________________________. (The middle and story problem)
In the end, ___________________________________________. (Story ending/problem resolution)

For example:
This is a story about a small, fluffy kitty named Fluffer.
The story takes place in my garden.
In the beginning, Fluffer was happy chasing bugs in the garden.
Then suddenly, Fluffer chased a fly up a very tall tree! Fluffer was scared and could not get down.
In the end, a firefighter came to the rescue and used their ladder to save Fluffer from the tree.

Math

I have set up a class account for IXL Math. You can use this program at home for additional math practice. Your login information has been emailed to you.

Please remember the most valuable part of your teaching will be the discussion and hands on practice with your child.

JUMP Math

Monday: 137

Tuesday: 138

Wednesday: 139-140

Thursday: 141-142

Friday: review, complete unfinished pages, work on the beginning of the book.

Mindfulness
This week, we are going to think about how we can calm our bodies. One way we can do this is by grounding our selves, literally! It can also be called Earthing. It might sound silly, but there are theories that if you walk barefoot in grass, sand or on earth with bare feet, it has a calming effect. Try it and let me know if you think it is true. Suggested ideas: Grass, sand, dirt, river rocks, logs, lakes/streams. Wiggle your toes to a more calm you!

Author of the Month

Robert Munsch is our Author of the Month. He is a very famous author! Last week, some of us read, David’s Father by Robert Munsch. If you haven’t had the chance to read that one, that’s another great one to try.

Art Project
This week, you are going to design and create your very own dragon from The Paper Bag Princess BUT it is a game. You will need one die, playing cards 1-6 or simply place the numbers 1-6 into a bag and pull them out. You are to randomly roll for your body shape, head shape, eyes, mouth, arms, and legs. If you’d like to add scales, wings or any other details, feel free!

Here is how my dragon turned out! I might play again and see what other type of dragon I can make!

Fun Activities
1. Orally retell the story of The Paper Bag Princess to someone. You could even make a video! Try to include as many details as possible and do your best to go in the right order.
2. Design and create your own puppets. One Prince, One Princess and One Dragon and act out the story.
3. Make up a different ending to the story and retell your new story. (I would love a video of this!)

Have a lovely week, everyone! 

Pictures

Monday, May 25th

Good Morning!

I hope you had a great weekend. This will be my final blog post before handing the blog over to Miss. Schaff! Miss. Schaff will provide online learning support on Fridays, for those children who are staying home (though of course everyone is welcome to the resources!!). For those attending school next week, please check your email to see which days your child will attend.

Our final weekly Zoom is this Wednesday at 1pm. We may hold one or two Zoom meetings from our classroom that students from home will be welcome to join.

Don't forget to take a look at the Morning Routine and Online Resources!

WEEK EIGHT

Sight Words  fly, ask, how, as, stop

Print or make your own sight word flashcards. Post them on the fridge, a door, or somewhere your child will see them. The key is repetition through the week.

Reading 

This month our focus is Elements of a Story, which ties in to the Grade One Writing curriculum. Please see right sidebar with reading group names. Your child will know their reading group. You should spend about 20 minutes per day on a lesson, in addition to the 20 minutes per day that your child reads independently. 

Writing 

This week we are continuing to practice opinion writing. The layout of the page should look like this:

Cats vs. Dogs

Cats/dogs are better than dogs/cats. Let me tell you why.

Reason 1:

Reason 2:

Reason 3:

I think cats/dogs are___________.

Math

I have set up a class account for IXL Math. You can use this program at home for additional math practice. As of now, I only have a one month trial and I'm not sure if we will continue through June. Your login information has been emailed to you.

Please remember the most valuable part of your teaching will be the discussion and hands on practice with your child.

JUMP Math

Monday: 116-117

Tuesday: 130-131

Wednesday: 132-134

Thursday: 135-136

Friday: review, complete unfinished pages, work on the beginning of the book.

Mindfulness

Heartbeat

Our heartbeat is an amazing representation of our emotions. Like our breath, it is always with us. So, we can use our heartbeat to connect with the present moment in times of difficulty or stress.
You might like to begin this practice with three deep breaths.
Children place their fingers or hands over the part of their body where they can best feel their pulse.
– on the side of their neck, under their jaw
– inside their wrist
– or, over their heart
Ask them to close their eyes and notice how quickly or slowly their heart is beating.
Encourage them to think about their current state of emotion and consider if this might be connected to how quickly or slowly their heart is beating.

Direct them to stand and jump up and down on the spot ten times.

Ask them to return to sitting and feel their heartbeat again, noticing any changes.

They may like to close their eyes and focus on their heartbeat until it slows back down.

Author of the Month

Our Author for the month of May is Drew Daywalt. Here is a reading of Love From the Crayons.

Art Project
Try this cute emu art this week. Link for face template here.

Fun Activities

1. Create a fairy garden in your backyard. You can use so many used objects from around your house to make something special!
2. Learn some new knock knock jokes here. Then, make up your own! I would love to hear what your children come up with!

Friday May 22

Dear Families,

This week, we will be focusing again on our animal projects and poetry. We will have one more lesson like this before we return to school in June.

Friday posts will change after that point to include more of the regular programming for families who choose not to send their children to school. Big changes, I know!


Science

Now that we know what our animals look like, where they live, what they eat and some interesting facts, now we need to include some pictures! You may print your pictures or colour them yourself or a combination of both printed and coloured. I’d like 3-5 pictures please. Under each picture, please write one sentence that says what is in your picture. That is called a caption. A caption is when there is writing under a picture explaining what is in the picture.
Here is my example. :)

This is a picture of a family of raccoons living in a tree.




Poetry

This week we are taking on a tricky project. We are going to do a variation of the ‘I am From.’ Poem. You will need support from an adult or older sibling to do this. Using a separate piece of paper, you will copy down the poem and fill in the blanks. This will be our rough copies and next week for your final finale, you will finish your good copies. Follow along below.

I am from _______________________________(A specific place in your house you like)
and from ___________________________________(A description of your home.)

I am from __________________________________________ (Three things your family tells you to do.) and from ___________________________________________(Three things your family says to you.)

I am from ___________________________________________(Three family traditions)
and from ___________________________________________(Three favourite foods)

I am from __________________________________________(An important family belonging), ______________________(an important personal belonging) and _______________________your favourite place.

Most of all, I am from _____________________________________ (your family members.)

And that is me!



Miss Schaff’s I am From Poem

I am from my big, soft bed with my sparkly blanket
and from the big, yellow house with purple door.

I am from, Brush your teeth, Be kind, and Try your best and from I love you, You’re smart and You can do anything you want to do.

I am from Dairy Queen Cakes on your birthday, Taco Tuesdays and Jelly beans in your popcorn
and from Sloppy Joes, Pepperoni Pizza and Pancakes.

I am from my mother’s locket, my tooth fairy pillow and from Maple Wood Farm.

Most of all, I am from my mother Brenda, my dad Edward, my sister Jeanie, my husband Mike and my son Gabriel.

And that is me!

Monday, May 18th

Good Morning!

I hope you had a great weekend! Please remember to let me know if your child will be returning to school on June 1st. Children will be placed, with their siblings, in either the M/W group or the T/Th group for full school days. Online learning will look different in June and we are just waiting on instruction to see how that will proceed. Please note that the Math and Writing pages have been updated to include Week 8, but we are on Week 7.

Our Wednesday class Zoom is at 1pm!

Don't forget to take a look at the Morning Routine and Online Resources!

WEEK SEVEN

Sight Words  over, again, every, live, then

Print or make your own sight word flashcards. Post them on the fridge, a door, or somewhere your child will see them. The key is repetition through the week.

Reading 

This month our focus is Elements of a Story, which ties in to the Grade One Writing curriculum. Please see right sidebar with reading group names. Your child will know their reading group. You should spend about 20 minutes per day on a lesson, in addition to the 20 minutes per day that your child reads independently. 

Writing 

This week, I would like students to practice opinion writing again. The layout of the page should look like this:

Would you rather explore the moon or the ocean?

I would rather explore the _______.

Reason 1:

Reason 2:

Reason 3:

I think the moon/ocean is___________.

I would also encourage looking up pictures of either the moon or ocean to learn, to print and add to writing, or to use as an example so that students can draw a picture to go with their drawing.

Math

I have set up a class account for IXL Math. You can use this program at home for additional math practice. As of now, I only have a one month trial and I'm not sure if we will continue through June. Your login information has been emailed to you.

Please remember the most valuable part of your teaching will be the discussion and hands on practice with your child.

JUMP Math

Monday: 105-107

Tuesday: 108

Wednesday: 113-114

Thursday: 115

Friday: review, complete unfinished pages, work on the beginning of the book.

Mindfulness

Mindful Safari
Go outside and ask your child to remain quiet, calm their thoughts and move slowly while on safari.
Ask them to turn their sense of sight, touch and sound onto high.

Search for beautiful natural objects to explore.

– What does it look like?
– What colour is it?
– What does it smell like?
– Can I touch it?
– What does it feel like?

Search for creatures that move.

When they find a creature, encourage students to watch the creature in silence for as long as they would like to.

– What does it look like?
– How does it move?
– What colours can you see on its body?

Author of the Month

Our Author for the month of May is Drew Daywalt. Here is a reading of his story, The Day the Crayons Came Home. 

Art Project

Crazy Crayon Craft - this project was based on Drew Daywalt's crayons!

Fun Activities

1. Make your own wrapping paper. You may have been receiving packages, packed with brown kraft paper. This is perfect to reuse as wrapping paper, after your children decorate it for you! Stamping with various objects around your house (including apples and potatoes) creates beautiful paper!
2. Make a guitar with a box and rubber bands! Link