Greetings Parents and Students,

It was a quick week before the 2 weeks of holidays!  Great Grant Road School Spirit with gingerbread house making, Golden Mile bowling, Ugly Sweater Day, & carol singing.

Kintley was our incredible Star of the Week.  Her favourite colours are pink and purple and she loves to eat apple pie.  She enjoys spending time with her mom, dad, and older brother.  She often goes to the farm to visit her grandparents and loves to ride on the combine with her grandpa.  She likes to play soccer and baseball.  She went camping to Buffalo Pound and is a lucky girl, as she went to Disney World and met two princesses.  She shared her very first stuffed animal for Show and Tell and her first baby clothes (when her parents took her home from the hospital).

On Tuesday Ms. Holtby read the story “The Bead Pot” by Thelma Poirier. Students discussed the various articles of beaded Powwow regalia. As a class, they looked at beaded moccasins, earrings, broaches and more. The students then had the opportunity to bead their very own bracelets. They were reminded to think about using beads for meaning and creating a pattern. Some students decided to write their name or make a surprise for a special person! We hope you enjoyed your surprise! 

We wrapped up our Grade 1 Math Unit; facts to 12 and will complete the Grade 2 Math Unit; facts to 18 the first week of Jan. 2019.  Please practice +/- facts to 12/18 over the holidays with your child.  Many of the photos this month were of math strategies we have been working on over the past weeks.  Have your child explain the DOUBLES STRATEGY, NEAR DOUBLES STRATEGY, MAGIC 9 STRATEGY and TENS STRATEGY.  Use the photos to help your child explain.  You can easily make ten frames at home using paper/pencil or an egg carton with 2 parts of the egg carton cut off. 

 The children used TEN FRAMES as a visual to SEE ten in numbers. 

EXAMPLE:  7+6 = (7 + 3) + 3 = 13 EXAMPLE:  5 + 9 = 4 + (1 +9) = 14

Math photos are based on a math lesson reinforcing minus 1 and minus 2 math facts (NEAR DOUBLES).  Try some of these questions at home with your child.  Please send Unit 3 Math Makes Sense booklets back to school, completed (if your child missed a lesson) and SIGNED in the New Year.

We began Wednesday morning with a school parade honouring Mrs. Bonnie Ewing, our amazing Administrative Assistant who is retiring.  She was presented with roses and cards from each of the children at Grant Road School.  We took this opportunity to sing her our LOVE SONG about her, once more.

On Wednesday morning we held our Multicultural Feast in the classroom.  Delicious!  Informative!  Fun!  The children are doing a fabulous job sharing about their own personal celebrations this week, presenting their written articles, and enjoying our breakfast feast. They were extremely proud to share and to tell us about their dishes.  We used our Starblanket mats as settings. Thank you VERY much parents, once again, for your help in making this special feast such a success.

Our French focus this week continued with Christmas vocabulary through LOTO/ BINGO, French story about a lonely Christmas tree and the song:

 

 Notre Arbre de Noel; www.youtube.com/watch?v=h81AK0-s7xM and Quand le Père Noël   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ynt7aO8CuGw   

 

 We also created ‘Garfield’ PWIM cartoons. 

 

We had an incredible time at Golden Mile for bowling gym fun on Tuesday afternoon.  Glow in the dark bowling and dancing for 90 minutes was the best!  It was wonderful to meet Saria’s new baby sister, Pippin and her mom at the bowling alley. 

 

Ms. Holtby ended her First Nations Traditional Art Expression unit with a fun lesson of

‘beading’, on Monday afternoon.  What a beautiful keepsake!  Ms. Holtby will be returning to the University of Regina, back for classes, for one more semester, before she receives her degree. We hope she enjoys the book of pictures we created and ‘love letters’ we wrote to her. We will miss her SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!

Thank you parents for the beautiful Christmas cards, wishes, baking, chocolates, gift cards, ornaments and so much more.  We look forward to continuing our Grade 1/2 journey with your children in 2019!

  Kate IS STAR OF THE WEEK JAN. 7^th, 2019.  Bring your poster.

Merry Christmas!  Happy Holidays!  Happy New Year 2019!  See you back in class Grade 1s and 2s on Monday, January 7^th, 2019.

  

  

  

  

   

  

Ms. Selimos, Ms. Holtby, and Ms. Daniels

Dec 10th, 2018 week Gingerbread Houses and MORE

Dear Parents and Students,

We have a lot of fun activities occurring over the month of December! On Monday afternoon, students engaged in a FUN-TIVITY in the gym with Grade 1 to 3/4 classrooms where they participated at 3 interactive stations; Mike and Ike, Dice Stack, and Save Fred (gummy worm & lifesaver).  There was a lot of laughter, group participation and cheering.

Austin was our amazing STAR OF THE WEEK.  His favourite colours are red and blue and his favourite food is a cheese burger with ketchup and mustard from Burger King.  He loves his parents very much.  He enjoys camping with his dad and spending time with his mom and ‘Hammy’ his hamster.  He is a fan of the Calgary Flames and loves collecting Batman toys and more.

Open the Bonnie Ewing attachment and have your child ‘sing’ the love song to our wonderful, amazing Admin.  Assistant, Mrs. Bonnie Ewing, who will be retiring at the end of 2018.  We will MISS HER SO MUCH!  On Wednesday morning we sang the song to her and videoed.

REMINDER:  Food hamper donations until Dec. 19^th.

This week’s writing traits lessons focused on DETAILS and supporting your TOPIC with details.  Wednesday’s lesson involved providing details about themselves.

Ms. Holtby continued exploring First Nations and Metis art expressions and Traditions.  The students are learning that art can be expressed in various ways that illustrate their feelings, portraying a message or passing on knowledge. The class explored a webpage that provided information about artist Leah Dorion. Then, Ms. Holtby read Leah Dorion’s story The Giving Tree, and discussed the artwork. Pointillism was introduced. The class had the opportunity to create their own art piece using pointillism. The class reviewed as a group what pointillism means in art. Ms. Holtby provided the students with examples of Leah Dorion’s work. She then shared with the students an example she created.  She described the meaning and the symbols used to portray the message of her artwork. Students chose an animal and were provided the symbolic meaning according to the Michif (Metis) culture. The students then created their own art piece using paint and Q-tips.

The Grade 1s continued to play the “cup game” for math to reinforce subtraction.  Example:  There are 9 bats flying.  3 are still flying.  How many went inside the bat cave (cup)?  9 - __ = 3   We also used dominoes to create addition/subtraction facts. Grade 1; Unit 3 Math booklets will go home next week.  Please review with your child, sign, and return.

Grade 2 parents:    Check out the Roller Coaster question the children solved for math using subtraction strategies and drawings on Monday. We had a blast taking a “rollercoaster” ride on GoNoodle to begin the lesson.  Subtraction vocabulary was reinforced: difference, subtract, how many more.  Addition and subtraction of 1 and 2 was another target area.  The children played the ONE LESS, TWO LESS GAME (see purple game card in attachments).  We used POWER OF TEN CARDS too.  If you want to place some games at home with your child, Google or check out ‘Power of Ten’ sites like: 

                                 http://poweroften.ca/concentration/

Our phonics letter of the week was Kk.  Kate and Kintley thinks it’s an awesome letter. ;)   We brainstormed words beginning with Kk, explored rhymes and solved mystery sentences.  They children were able to successfully figure out the sentences with “k” words.

On Thursday afternoon, the children had a BLAST creating their gingerbread houses with their Grade 4 Learning Buddies.  Our classroom smelled amazing!  We hope the houses made it home safely.

For French we learned a new song; Quand Le Pere Noel Vient Me Visiter.  We used a Santa puppet to review prepositions vocabulary in an interactive way.   See photos.

NEXT WEEK: 

1.   Mon. 17^th (Day 5)  Multicultural December Celebrations homework is due.  I have ATTACHED IT TO the weekly e-mail.

2.  Tues. 18^th (Day 1)   Bowling in p.m.  & School Carnival from 6 to 8 p.m.  Grade 1 parents;  See your child’s Unit 3 Math booklet.  Sign and return.

3.    Wed. 19^th        Multicultural Breakfast - send 6 to 12 portions.

4.    READING LOGS #4 due THURS. 20^TH BEFORE BREAK!  To receive 4/4, you will need to read 160 minutes or MORE, as 2/3 of month will have passed.

5.  Fri.  21^st     Bring ONE favourite BOARD GAME & 1 healthy drink.  DO NOT send computer gadgets, etc.  EARLY DISMISSAL is at 2:30 p.m.    

  Mon. JAN. 7^th, 2018 (Day 5)     Classes resume

                                          HAPPY NEW YEAR 2019

                                        Kate is Star of the Week & Spelling Test

Ms. Selimos, Ms. Holtby, and Ms. Daniels

  

   

  

  

 

December 3rd 2018 week with Ms. Selimos

Dear Parents and Students,

We have a lot of fun activities occurring over the month of December!

 Ian was our STAR OF THE WEEK.  Ian’s favourite colour is green and he enjoys eating cheeseburgers from Fuddruckers.  His twin brother is Derek.  Ian is his baby brother.  Ian enjoys his time with his family at the farm where he rides a dirt bike, a tractor and spends time with his grandparents.  He loves cheering on our Saskatchewan Roughriders.  He is presently playing indoor soccer.

On Monday, as a Grant Road School community, we celebrated our United Way fundraiser in the gym, as various teachers were ‘pied’ in the face and one of our teachers was taped to the gym wall.  On Monday, I sent out the video of Jake ‘pieing’ our amazing Vice Principal, Mrs. Wagner!  What a sport!  Thank you again parents and students for your monetary contributions.

Austin is the STAR OF THE WEEK the week of Dec. 10^th, Kintley the week of Dec. 17^th, and Kate on Jan. 7^th, 2019!

1.  You may send GINGERBREAD HOUSE MATERIALS to school the morning of Thursday, DEC. 13^th.

2.  Remember to hand in your ONE PAGE “Celebrations” homework by Dec. 17^th.We have already received a few and are looking forward to the children sharing their celebrations with their classmates.

3.  On Tues. Dec. 18^th you, your child, and family are invited to the GRANT ROAD CARNIVAL (6 to 8 p.m.) There will be free entertainment, stations, and more, for all of you to enjoy.  We will be performing a 3 song medley.  It begins with Deck the Halls, then Jingle Bells, and finally, We Wish You a Merry Christmas.  If possible, please find a SANTA HAT for your child to wear. We are accepting a monetary donation of your choice or food items for the FOOD BANK. We will also hold a bake sale. At the carnival, we will start at 6 pm with a performance in gym. Grade 1/2 students are to arrive at 5:45 pm in the classroom, where they will store their jackets.

4.  Bowling  in p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 18^th.

5.  December Reading Log minutes will be due on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20^th, before the holidays.

6.  The Grade 1/2 MULTICULTURAL BREAKFAST will be on WED. DEC. 19^th.  Please send your child to school with a food sample of a dish (small portion), if possible, from your cultural background.  No nuts please. EXAMPLES:  6 to 12 portions of something:  6 yogurt cups, 6 cheese strings, 6 spring rolls, 6 samosas, 6 tiropites (Greek cheese pies), small bag of crackers or tortilla chips.  Each child will be asked to bring something and to present their items.

On Monday, we practiced our printing, as we wrote the poem; Christmas Cookies in our printing booklets.  Have your child read it/sing it to you (Tune:  Frere Jacques).  On Tuesday we began the week creating letters to Santa Claus!  The kids enjoyed writing to him.  They were to ask him a question or two. They are featured in the hallway for everyone to read at the carnival.   In the afternoon, the children wrote a poem called:  My Peppermint Stick in their printing notebooks. 

On Wednesday, the Grade 1 students played the “cup game” for math to reinforce subtraction.  Look at the pictures and try the cup game at home with your child. Example:  There are 10 bumble bees flying.  2 are still flying.  How many went inside the hive (cup)?  10 - __ = 2

Grade 2 parents:  Check out the elevator question we worked on using “picture /drawing strategy” and number families to solve.  Also, check out the Roller Coaster question the children solved for math using subtraction strategies and drawings on Monday.  As well, subtraction vocabulary was reinforced: difference, subtract, how many more.  Addition and subtraction of 1 and 2 was another target area.  The children played the ONE LESS, TWO LESS GAME.

We wrapped up our farm animal unit on Monday with ‘Animal bingo’ and the story:  Petit Poussin, Que Dis-Tu?  We began our new Core French unit; Christmas vocabulary, this week. 

Some of the videos we enjoyed was:  Notre Arbre de Noel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h81AK0-s7xM

                                    and

Quand le Père Noël.wmv - YouTube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ynt7aO8CuGw

Through Santa puppetry and song, the children learned their prepositions in French:  sur, sous, dans, devant, derrière, à côté de. 

On Thursday, with the children we read Do Not Open Until Christmas by Jean Little. The activity involved reading comprehension; discussing the problem, solution, and theme of the story which is one of our reading goals, as discussed at the interviews. 

For Social Studies Ms. Holtby began a new unit with a focus on First Nations, Inuit and Metis Traditional Art. She began her lesson with the Treaty Promise, explaining that we are on Treaty 4 Territory. The Treaty Promise was also used as an example of a form of Art with expression through poetry. The students discussed and brainstormed different art forms such as, painting, drawing, coloring, dance, bead work, and acting! As a class we read the book Inuksuk by Laura Edlund. The students then created their own Inuksuk describing what it represents. Student then shared the meaning of their Inuksuk.

This afternoon, staff will be challenging the boys and girls volleyball teams to a match the last hour of school.   Go teachers go!  ;)   ;)   ;)

A friendly reminder that there is NO SCHOOL on Friday, as it is a Professional Development Day. 

Happy weekend!

Ms. Selimos, Ms. Holtby, and Ms. Daniels

  

November 26th, 2018 week with Ms. Selimos FARM INQUIRY and more

Hello Parents and Students,

This week we wrapped up our farm unit by completing a series of activities. With our learning buddies we created 3-D barns as a home for each child’s farm animal. For French we made 2-D barns with animals we drew in the barns and the French sounds they make.  In class, we made bread in the bread maker and discussed that bread comes from grains. As a team, we made our very own butter by shaking whipping cream in a jar until it became solid. We enjoyed our butter and Ms. Selimos’ homemade jam on our fresh loaf of bread we made in our bread maker this morning. YUM! See this week’s photos of the students with the bread and eating the delicious homemade treats.

On Wednesday, George Bothwell Librarian, Jane Grigg, visited our class in the afternoon for half an hour.  She read Polar Bear’s Underwear and performed the Gingerbread Man puppet show. We sang some Christmas carols using musical instruments. It was a great session!

Try making butter at home as a fun family experiment. Click on this link for the directions:

https://www.thebalance.com/homemade-butter-in-a-jar-1388339

 ‘Sitting on the Farm’ by Bob King was a huge hit on our class. Sing this great song with your child and have them show you the actions.

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

This week, we completed the farm inquiry study with poster presentations. The Grade 1/2 put a lot of effort creating their posters.  They are very proud of their finished product. Please have your child present to you at home and celebrate their inquiry learning.

For math, both grades continued their work on number families. See the new NUMBER FACTS DOUBLES RAP attached in the pictures. With addition, we have been trying to memorize our doubles (2 + 2 = 4; 6 + 6 = 12; 9 + 9 = 18). Ask your child if they know their double facts. Play the doubles songs to them as a tool for them to memorize the facts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jOzhiACB68

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9YQ4phTB0E

The Grade Ones have started working with subtraction stories in their math this week. The Grade Twos have been working with missing parts addition and subtraction. See the photos for students work samples.

Continue at home to make addition and subtraction stories with your child. If I had 2 bananas at home and I bought a bunch of 6 bananas at the grocery store, how many do I have now? OR I baked 18 holiday cookies and I gave 8 away to my friends, how many are left?

Great job Grade Ones and Twos with your Reading Log minutes! We are so proud of the many minutes you have logged by reading at home. Enjoy your Pizza Hut coupon for a personal pan pizza before the end of December.

Remember to hand in your ONE PAGE “Celebrations” homework by Dec. 17^th.We have already received a few and are looking forward to the children sharing their celebrations with their classmates.

The Grade 1/2 MULTICULTURAL BREAKFAST will be on WED. DEC. 19^th.  Please send your child to school with a food sample of a dish (small portion), if possible, from your cultural background.  No nuts please. EXAMPLES:  6 to 12 portions of something:  6 yogurt cups, 6 cheese strings, 6 spring rolls, 6 samosas, 6 tiropites (Greek cheese pies), small bag of crackers or tortilla chips.  Each child will be asked to bring something and to present their items.

On Tues. Dec. 18^th you, your child, and family are invited to the GRANT ROAD CARNIVAL (6 to 8 p.m.) There will be free entertainment, stations, and more, for all of you to enjoy.  We will be performing a 3 song medley.  It begins with Deck the Halls, then Jingle Bells, and finally, We Wish You a Merry Christmas.  If possible, please find a SANTA HAT for your child to wear. We are accepting a monetary donation of your choice or food items for the FOOD BANK. We will also hold a bake sale.

Also, a friendly reminder to please send a 2 L carton (cut and taped into the shape of a gingerbread house) to school with your child the morning of DEC. 13^th with the icing, candy decorations, etc. The instructions were given to you at the 3 Way Conferences.

Ian will be our next STAR OF THE WEEK on Dec. 3^rd. Austin is the STAR OF THE WEEK the week of Dec. 10^th, and Kintley the week of Dec. 17^th.

Have fun today at Grant Road’s INCREDIBLES II movie night in the gym.

 

Have a wonderful beginning of December weekend everyone!

Cheers,

Ms. Holtby, Ms. Selimos and Ms. Daniels