Feb. 23rd 2015 week Red River Jig, Ramona Fun, Circle of Courage Generosity and RESCHEDULED BOGGY CREEK VALLEY

Greetings Parents and Students,

It is hard to believe this is the last week of February!  Next week is a short week with P.D. Day on Thursday and Teachers Convention on Friday.  Students have NO CLASSES on those days.

As you are aware, Boggy Creek Valley has been rescheduled for TUESDAY, MARCH 10^TH.  I am need of parents to join us on this day.  We will leave school at approximately 10:30 a.m. Cross your fingers for warmer weather.

WRITING TRAITS FOCUS THIS WEEK:  WORD CHOICES.  The children are learning about verbs (action words) and NOUNS (person, place or thing).  Strong verbs are exciting and make your actions CLEAR.

MATH:  Solving problems involving subtracting and adding 10s.  EXAMPLE:  Keithan is playing a game.  On his 100 chart, he started at 56 and ended at 16.  Which number did Keithan subtract?  See photos.

READING/WRITING:  This week, the children wrote paragraphs about their own personal experiences of being “sick”, just like Ramona.  They each read their paragraph to the class before displaying it in the hallway bulletin board.  

JOURNALS:  On Wednesday, we revisited our Circle of Courage Goal; Generosity and each child wrote a paragraph in his/her journal explaining how he/she has demonstrated generosity this term.  U of R teachers, Tayah Rutzki and Keigan Duczek, assisted with the lesson.

On Wednesday, with Mrs. Pankewich’s class, we participated in a lesson about Chinese New Year.  We talked about the Chinese Zodiac and the Year of the Pig. We discussed food, clothing and special activities for those who celebrate Chinese New Year. See the following videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEYq5Wqb2qQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8etqkmb7YbsGenerosity

Roan was our fabulous STAR OF THE WEEK.  Roan enjoys spending time with his older sister, Brynn, his parents and grandparents.  He is playing hockey this winter and is looking forward to spring football.  He has visited Calgary, Disney World and Mexico. He loves the Magic Treehouse reading series.  He spends time at the cabin in the summer, where he swims, boats and fishes.  He has a pet frog, fish and a hermit crab.  

On Monday, we read the story Fiddle Dancer, by Wilfred Burton.  On Thursday, Grade 1 Teacher Intern, Miss Gold, joined our classroom to teach us how to dance the Red River Jig. The dance consists of a resting step and 3 to 4 fancy steps.

RESTING STEP: kick right, step right, step left, step right

FANCY STEPS:

1.    BUNNY HOP (v-formation): jump to left then back to original spot, jump to right then back to original spot 

2.    MARCH: lift right leg and slide/ drag back and then do the same with the left leg

3.    CHI-GALLOP (rocking horse/miniature horse):  hop on left and jump, hop on right and jump. Then repeat with left leg as starter 

Miss Gold discussed the significance of the sash.  The sash had hundreds of uses.  A few examples include:  rope, calendar, belt. Now it is used for jigging (dancing) with the girls wearing it on their shoulder and the boys, on their waste.

We listened to the music of the Red River Dance and then tried the different dance moves as 2 classes and then demonstrated to each other, in small groups of 8 to 10.  To end the lesson, Miss Gold read Wilfred Burton’s newest book, Call of the Fiddle.

Yes, it has been a week of indoor recesses.  Hopefully the weather changes for the better, next week. 

Please send your child to school on Friday morning with his/her READING LOG AND MINUTES TOTALED.  Friday is the last day for sending Scholastic Book Orders, as well.

Keep warm one and all!

Ms. Selimos

        

Go Pats Go and Feb. 9, 2015 week with Selimos

Hello Parents and Students,

Spring Break is nearing and hopefully the weather will IMPROVE!  The children will hopefully be able to enjoy Feb. 16^th week of holidays outside, playing in the snow and enjoying some fresh air and sunshine.

Thank you to Katy, Imogen’s mom, for the sharing an amazing presentation, slide show and videos of COSTA RICA last Friday!!!!!

Outdoor Education Teacher, Louise Krueger, joined us on Monday morning to discuss the Boggy Creek Valley trip, which will take place the first Wednesday we are back from Spring Break.  We reviewed clothing expectations, lunch items, science experiments which we will try on site with the kids, and more.

On Tuesday, Urdu teacher, Hina Momin joined us for lesson 2.  We reviewed the first 6 letters of the alphabet, took a “pop” quiz and then learned the next 6; jeem (J), chay (ch),hey (H), Khey (kh), dal (d), dal (DAL).  Check out the following Urdu alphabet videos with your child: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_mtfgm_tL0 

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1ahuv7_urdu-alphabet-jingle-education-in-urdu-for-kids_shortfilms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z719EX52iSc

On Thursday we welcomed University of Regina ECS 100 students, Tayah Rutzki and Keigan Duczek, who will be working with us in our Grade 2/3 classroom, every Thursday morning until early April! J

For Social Studies (Treaties focus) we explored Google Maps from Planet Earth, to continents, to Canada, to SK, to Regina, etc.  The children found it very interesting to locate Grant Road School and other buildings.  Explore Google Maps at home with your child.  Find your home on Google Maps.  Look for the Regina airport, Legislative building and more.  We also watched a video called The Seven Grandfather Teachings which focused on the 7 principles; wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility and truth.  You will find this video on the School Board ROVER SITE, which you have access to.  It is absolutely worth watching, as parents, with your children.  In addition, we read a story called Where Do You Live?  This story was written in “e-mail format” between cousins who were writing letters to each other, learning about each other’s community.  One lived in the city (urban) and the other lived in the country (rural). 

Ronin was our amazing STAR OF THE WEEK.  Ronin came to Canada from Nepal. He lives with his mom and dad.  He enjoys martial arts and loves to swim.  He has traveled across Canada (Calgary, Vancouver, Banff and more).  He enjoys camping and fishing. He LOVES school and is a very enthusiastic student.

Mathematically, this week, the children are learning how to add using different strategies.  They are working on understanding TENS and regrouping. We have used ten frames and ten rods/units.  They have been introduced to writing the 2 numbers (addends) in columns, as well as in rows.  They know that the answer when adding is called the SUM and the 2 numbers you add together are called the ADDENDS.  Please review the following steps and reinforce with our child at home:  

EXAMPLE:         27 + 4=

                         20+7+4=   20+ (7+4)=    20+11=  31    

       

On Thursday, our class held MATH OLYMPICS with our 2 university students.  The kids worked in teams of 3 to kick a “tissue ball” and measured using non-standard units (ten rods).   The purpose was to learn how to count 3 numbers using a 100 chart and of course, to have fun.  Try this game at home, using your own non-standard units.

Congratulations to PATS TICKET winner, Sabah, who won the tickets for the Friday, February 13^th Pats Game vs the Swift Current Broncos.  Hunter was the lucky winner of the Pats t-shirt.  Brodie and Nate won Home Depot gloves and Roan was the lucky winner of the Friday, February 20^th Pats Game vs the Saskatoon Blades.  THANK YOU TO EVERYONE who participated in the Goat Getter fundraiser.

REMINDERS: 

1.     Reading logs due on the 27^th… so read over the break.  

Ramona chapter 6 should be FULLY read by Mon. 23^rd.

2.     Boggy Creek Valley trip on Wed. 25^th

3.     Ramona Novel Study:  Make sure you have read Chapter 6!

«ROAN IS STAR OF WEEK Feb. 23^rd«

Enjoy the Spring Break Week everyone!  Classes resume on Feb. 23^rd

Feb 2 2015 week with Selimos - Foot Art, Urud Lessons Too

Greetings Parents and Students,

We discussed the BOGGY CREEK VALLEY TRIP on Wednesday.  See your child’s agenda for the details re:  clothing and food requirements.  Please join us for this wonderful experience on FEBRUARY 25^th if you can! I already have a few parents joining us.   THANK YOU!  Send $3 cash or pay on-line for the bus cost.  I need permission trips returned immediately.  As well, I would like you to send 1 cup of the “assigned” ingredient before February 13^th, as we will make the trail mix in class next week, before Spring Break.

On Monday, we took off our socks and did some “Foot Art”.  The children had many giggles and enjoyed this crazy, fun Ramona art lesson!  Thanks parents, for participating in this activity, at home, with your children.  They could hardly wait to share YOUR creations with us.  The class photos are priceless! TOMORROW, the Ramona grocery shopping meal assignment is due.  Feel free to go on-line to various groceries store to find prices with your child.  We surfed:  Superstore, Safeway, Sobeys in class. 

We welcomed Urdu teacher, Miss Hina Momin to our classroom on Tuesday.  She will be joining us one hour per week for the next month or so, to teach us about her language and culture.  The Urdu alphabet has 36 letters and the alphabet is similar to the Arabic language when writing it.  The oral language (spoken language) is similar to the Hindi language.  It is the official language of Pakistan. Proud Urdu speakers in our classroom this year are:  Zeeshan, Emaan and Danish.  When you write in Urdu, you write from the right side of your page, moving left; the opposite direction of English!  We studied the first 6 letters:  alif (A), bay (B), pay (P), tay (T),  thay (Tt), say (S) and practiced writing them and saying them.  Please have your child recite them to you at home.  See photos 1 to 5.

We began our new GRADE 2 math unit this week.  Can your child skip count by 10s starting at a “different” number?  EX:  6 + 50 or   17+80        See photo “Adding Tens” and try this activity at home with your child using DIMES. Continue to drill basic addition and subtraction facts. As well, we worked on expanding to add.  Your child will be able to show you his/her work at home. 

EXAMPLES:  43+9 =

            40 +3+9=

            40+12=

Our cursive letter of the week was Kk.  Please practice letters e, l, h and k (under curve loop) at home with your child.  They are excited to learn how to hand write their names, as well.

This week, Mrs. Pankewich’s class joined us for our new unit of study in February:  Treaty Education.   Our lessons will cover:  “A Treaty is a Promise”, Respectful Relationships, Harmony Bracelets, Sharing the Land and Its Resources, Ceremony and Dance, Flags, Louis Riel and Bannock Making.  On Tuesday we read “A Promise is a Promise” by Robert Munsch and discussed how we feel if we keep a promise or break one.  We related it to personal experiences at home, in the classroom and on the playground.  On Tuesday and Wednesday we created Treaty Posters:  As long as the sun shines, grasses grow and rivers flow.   Each child wrote a “personal” promise on his/her poster. On Wednesday and Thursday, respect was our “theme”, where child created a cartoon using speech bubbles about problems he/she has encountered on the playground and how to solve them.  We read the book:  Where Did You Get Your Moccasins? and discussed some of the new vocabulary, as well.

For French, we continue with our Valentines vocabulary for this week.  I have also introduced a “Body Parts” theme.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, we played HOLLYWOOD SQUARES, a game show, to reinforce new body words such as:  eyebrows, knee, neck, elbow, etc.  Check out the following link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ5zj3YQ0Tg    Bonjour Monsieur Comment Ca Va; Body parts song.

Imogen was our adorable STAR OF THE WEEK.  She loves to spend time with her older brother, her mom and dad and her grandparents.  She enjoys her beach days at the cottage on Hornby Island in British Colombia.  She has traveled to Hawaii and to Costa Rica with her family.  She is allergic to bananas.  She enjoys swimming, building sandcastles and riding her bike.  We are looking forward to Imogen’s Costa Rica presentation with her mom Friday afternoon.

Cheers,

Ms. Selimos