May 25th, 2015 week with Ms. Selimos and Police Showcase Trip

Bonjour Parents and Students,

Where DID the month of May go?  This week, we enjoyed presenting our dialogues using the puppet theatre in small groups.  The children enjoyed practising fluency and expression, as they re-enacted the cafeteria scene with Vincenzo and his classmates, based on the story, The Sandwich.

On Monday morning, we attended a special assembly in the gym, where we listened to the Junior Band play for us.  Emaan was one of the lucky students, chosen from the audience, to help conduct one of the songs.

With this beautiful weather, we have been eating lunch outside on the front lawn.  The children have loved the green space; playing soccer, Frisbee, tag, and other games.  The new benches at the front look great!

On Thursday, we will be finished GRADE 2, Math Makes Sense and we will be doing some review work and I will be introducing multiplication.  See photos from BrainpopJuniour.com about multiplication.   The MATH BINDERS will go home on Thursday.   You may keep them.  DO NOT RETURN THEM TO SCHOOL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igoGDE5hLjw  Multiplication song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BchpGkLvTy8

Alex was our adorable, outgoing STAR OF THE WEEK.  She did a SPECTACULAR job presenting about her family.  She loves spending time at the reserve with her family and her dog.  Saskatoon born, Alex, proudly showed us her first pair of baby shoes, moccasins. She enjoys swimming, being outdoors and doing things with her siblings and cousins. 

On Wednesday afternoon, we went to the Brandt Center for the Regina Police Service Showcase. We enjoyed the “mock” robbery drama, canine presentation, SWAT team, Sheldon the robot, relay race and much more.  We definitely needed more time to visit the exhibits.  Thank you to the parents of Keithan, Lukas, and Imogen for joining us and taking care of us.

Please remember to send your child to school on FRIDAY with his/her READING LOG MINUTES FOR MAY.

NEXT THURSDAY IS OUR BROWNS COULEE TRIP:

BROWN’S COULEE with Outdoor Ed. Teacher (Lori Milligan) on THURS. JUNE 4^TH.We will be leaving by bus at approximately 10:30 a.m. We will be back by 3:30. 

Healthy bagged lunch: sandwich, 2 bottles of water (partly frozen), fruit and veggies, crackers, snacks. 

Clothing requirements:  jeans (no shorts), t-shirt, hoodie or jacket, runners (NO rubber boots) and an EXTRA pair of socks, as we might get wet during pond dipping lesson.

Remember:  mosquito repellant, sun screen, sun glasses, hat, etc.

 Bathroom:  toilet paper and a plastic ziplock bag. 

Have a wonderful weekend one and all!  

May 19, 2015 week with Ms. Selimos and Weather Specialist Guest

Greetings Parents and Students,

Thank you to the SAC for the yummy ice cream treats we ate last week during 10:30 recess. We really enjoyed the cones!!!

I hope everyone had a FABULOUS long weekend!  This week we have been busy working on puppetry, dialogue and drama based on the story The Sandwich by Ian Wallace. The children will perform their dialogues on Friday using the puppet theatre.  As well, George Bothwell librarian, Marilyn, shared fractured Red Riding Hood fairy tales with us on Tuesday afternoon.  We are busy creating “thank you cards” to present her with.

Grade 2 math emphasis continues to be collecting data; using tallies and check marks, and creating lists/charts.  The children have had a blast asking friends about sports activities, ice cream treats and more and then interpreting and presenting their results to the class using the data projector.  

Our handsome STAR OF THE WEEK was Nate, who shared, with excitement, about his new family member, Tucker, an 8 week old Chocolate Lab puppy.  Nate is an only child who enjoys traveling with his parents and spending time with them at the cabin.  He likes to downhill ski and to ride his quad.  He has 2 cats and another dog.  He enjoys playing soccer and collecting Lego.  

For French we played some transportation sorting games and categorized based on water, land, and air.  We will wrap up this unit and move onto zoo animals in June.

On Thursday morning, Weather Specialist, Tiffany Lizée, of Global News,  visited our classroom, talking with the children and sharing a very informative power point presentation with the class.  Ask your child which colour NOT to wear if filming at Global News and why.  Tiffany’s wardrobe is her own.  She does her own hair and make-up.  The crew works as a TEAM and their workspace is windowless.  She talked about the editing process of writing news pieces and how editing may occur over 6 times per article.  Some of the cameras cost $20 000.00 each.   The Morning Crew is at work at 3 a.m. to deliver the 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. news.  

Tiffany grew up on a farm in southern Saskatchewan and was constantly exposed to the ways and wonders of the weather.   She loved watching Saskatchewan storms and studied in Edmonton after high school, becoming a weather specialist!  She is presently studying to become a meteorologist, via correspondence through Mississippi State University.  

Tiffany did an EXCELLENT job keeping the children engaged and excited to learn about her workplace and job!  Thanks again!

DATES TO REMEMBER:

«ALEX IS STAR OF WEEK MAY 25^th «

Mon. 25^th (Day 5)             Spelling Test

Tues. 26^th (Day 1)             See Spelling List 

Wed. 27^th (Day 2)        Regina Police Service Showcase trip in p.m. by bus, at 12:30.

Thurs. 28^th (Day 3)            PIE the SAC on Thurs. 28^th at noon in bowl.

 Tickets = $0.50 each

Fri. 29^th (Day 4)          READING LOGS DUE

Library Exchange

                          

                     «CORBIN IS STAR OF WEEK JUNE 1^ST«

May 11th, 2015 week with Ms. Selimos

Hello Parents and Students,

In Health, Mrs. Beckel and the students have been focusing on diversity. Last Tuesday, Mrs. Beckel started the class by intentionally excluding, first one half of the class, and then the other from a game, and then led a discussion about how it felt to be excluded. She followed up by reading Dr. Seuss’ THE SNEETCHES, in which the “Sneetches” learn an important lesson about including others. They talked about terrible instances when groups have been excluded and mistreated just for being who they are (the Jews, black people, First Nations people, etc.) Please take some time to discuss this topic with your child. We are trying to establish how important every person is and how unfair it is for one person or group to mistreat another. 

On Friday morning, the children had the opportunity to explore the Agrium Seed Survivor Trailer and to plant a seed. In the afternoon, they participated in the school dance in the gym.  Great dance moves!!!!

On Monday afternoon, Outdoor Ed. Teacher, Lori Milligan, joined us for an hour to discuss our June field trip to Brown’s Coulee.  The children have been asked to wear pants, tucked into long socks to “keep away the wood ticks.”  No shorts!  We will be collecting wood ticks.  We discussed how to tell the male ticks apart from the females. Each child must be wearing a hat, sunglasses (if possible) and to be dressed in layers of light coloured clothing.  Sun screen your child before coming to school.  Please send mosquito repellant, which will be applied once we arrive to Brown’s Coulee.  A healthy, bagged lunch will be encouraged with fruit, veggies, sandwich and WATER.  Please freeze half a bottle of water and fill the remaining with cold water.  Place a sock over the bottle to keep it dry.   We will be doing a pond dipping study and a worm watch.  Check out the following link with your child:

https://www.naturewatch.ca/  Worm watch for Brown’s Coulee trip

For one math activity, Grade TWO math students created a pictograph of FAVOURITE ICE CREAM FLAVOURS.  Each child is to survey family members at home or on the phone and to return their pictograph to school before the long weekend, if possible.

Lunch hour has been a lot of fun this week.  The children are exploring globes and working on various puzzles… flags of the world, pandas, castles and more.

Try the attached SCIENCE EXPERIMENT at home with your child at the sink.  

TOPIC:  Air pressure and water.   We had a blast in class trying it!  Ask your child to explain WHY the paper stays on the cup filled with water when turned upside down.

 

Jack was our fabulous STAR OF THE WEEK.  He is the youngest of 4 children in his family.  He was born in Saskatoon. His favourite colour is orange.  He LOVES to eat long noodles and perogies.  His hobbies include:  hockey, baseball, building with Lego and computers. He is looking forward to a family trip to Disneyland this fall.

REMINDERS:  

No school this Friday and next Monday.

1.      Nate is our STAR OF THE WEEK on May 19^th. 

2.    Global News Weather Specialist, Tiffany Lizee visits our class on Thurs. a.m.

3.    Please send permission slips and $11.00 in cash or on Parent Portal for MacKenzie Art Gallery and Golden Mile bowling if you have not already done so.

    Enjoy the May long weekend!    :)

     Ms. Selimos 

May 4 2015 week with Ms. Selimos

HELLO PARENTS AND STUDENTS,

Our writing trait review this week was using exact nouns.  Our new focus is using stronger verbs in our writing. We enjoyed working on a few pieces of writing about MOTHER’S DAY.  We know that you will LOVE the writing masterpieces written about our lovely moms. 

The Grade 2s began the final math unit with me; Data Analysis.  We have been learning about CONCRETE GRAPHS and PICTOGRAPHS.  The children have enjoyed surveying classmates about pets, hobbies, favourite colours and more.  We used real crayons, 2 sided counters and pennies to create CONCRETE GRAPHS. We created a list of questions incorporating vocabulary such as:  favourite, most popular, least popular, tie, more than, less than, put in order from least to greatest, put in order from greatest to least.  EXAMPLES:  Which colour was the most popular?  How many more kids liked green than red?  Etc.

Aazan was our handsome STAR OF THE WEEK.  He was born in Pakistan and is the middle child.  He has a younger sister and an older brother.  He speaks Urdu at home.  He has traveled to Banff, Lake Louise,  and Drumheller in Alberta.  He enjoyed the Children’s Museum in Winnipeg.  He loves to ride his bike and to go on picnics.

Our new French theme is transportation.  We learned the song:  Wheels on the Bus, played some drama games and read Comment Voyager?  The children also created a beautiful card for moms. Here is the link for the bus song: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90tU5m5hHG0 

We focused on the water cycle this week for science and created “wheels” of evaporation, condensation and precipitation.  We read an AWESOME book called Flash, Crash Rumble and Roll by Franklyn M. Branley, which explained thunder, lightning and provided us with SAFETY TIPS.  We have discussed cirrus (feather clouds), stratus (raindrop clouds)and  cumulus (fat, puffy, cotton clouds) through games, songs and writing activities. Here are some links to explore:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T05djitkEFI   Water cycle song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWb4KlM2vtsn Great water cycle rap song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY9HG8zUgOE  EAL water cycle process video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3NeMVBcXXU Water cycle rap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U80LVjVX75k  Drawings, video of water cycle

The boys and girls are looking forward to the school dance tomorrow afternoon.  We will dance for half an hour in the p.m. in the gym.  We are also looking forward to our one hour session re:  Agrim Seed Survivor Mobile Classroom on Friday morning.

REMINDERS:

1.     Go to Parent Portal and/or check your child’s agenda on MONDAY, May 11^th.  I will be sending a note re:  MacKenzie Art Gallery ($3.25 cost) and Bowling/bus ($7.75 cost).  

2.    Jack is STAR OF THE WEEK on Monday, May 11^th.

Happy Mother’s Day weekend, to all of our wonderful moms and grandmas!

Ms. Selimos

April 27 2015 week with Ms. Selimos

Hello Parents and Students,

I hope everyone has a chance to look at his/her child’s agenda tonight re:  up and coming trips and activities.  Again, the Grant Road Office is highly encouraging that parents use PARENT PORTAL to pay for children’s trips, fees, activities, on-line. 

Enjoy the photos enclosed from last Friday’s CAREER DAY.  The kids had so much fun dressing up!

This week, we created paragraphs in our journals re:  Circle of Courage Independence goal for Term III.  For language arts we continue to read stories about nutrition.  We read “What Did You Put In Your Pocket?” and created a tune, as we read it.  The children created exact nouns, interpreting the story in their own words.  On Wednesday we read, Split Pea Soup by James Marshall and did a writing activity about likes and dislikes.   For Writing Traits, we focused on exact nouns (choosing the right word for what you want to say). 

Here are some links to explore with your child re:  weather study.  This is our NEW SCIENCE unit.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/climate-weather-sci   Real examples of weather

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Li59FFilYQ   Stormy Weather fiction story

http://fox2now.com/2014/05/15/weather-and-kids-how-to-keep-children-calm-before-and-during-a-storm/    News story to keep kids, adults calm re:  storms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dxbC4-nlEc   Weather rap song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5Lig67t2xg     Seasons song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UckUHeWXD0  Weather trends during different seasons video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1hwLi3smwM   Season Adventure with Shawn and Team (8 min.)

REMINDERS:

1.        Reading Logs due Thursday, April 30^th

2.       Send donations re:  Nepal this week.

3.       Bake sale for Nepal fund on Monday.  Send 50 cents to $2.00 if you would like your child to purchase a treat.

4.       See MAY calendar in your child’s agenda on Thursday.

5.       Aazan is STAR OF THE WEEK on Monday, May 4^th.

6.        Grade 2 MATH:  Parents, sign and return binder with Unit 6 geometry unit.  LAST UNIT of math for GRADE 2 is: Data Analysis

We are enjoying extra time on the playground in the sunshine this week!  We have been eating our lunches and going outside to play from 12:15 to 12:45.  Love this weather!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ms. Selimos

April 20, 2015 week with Ms. Selimos

Hello Parents and Students,

Mathematically, we constructed 3 – D solids out of clay and labeled them with attributes.  Thanks to Imogen’s mom for helping with this activity. We are now working on analyzing the FACES of objects/solids.  For example:  What is a Kleenex box?  Rectangular prism.  How many faces does it have?  6   What are the shapes (2-D) of the faces?  Rectangles and squares.  Play this solid game at home with your child using real items.  EXAMPLES:  yogurt container, cereal box, ice cream pail, etc.

Language arts activities this week were of stories based on food/nutrition.  We read REGGIE ALONE and focused on reading fluency and expression.  The writing component focus was:  sequencing (first, then, next, after) and answering questions (comprehension). We read PORRIDGE FOR EVERYONE and focused on adjectives and contractions.

Our phonics letter of the week was Ll. 

For French we played the HAMBURGER BATTLESHIP GAME in class. The children LOVED this activity!   I sent the activity home for you to play in French with your child.  Bonne chance = Good luck J See photo as well.

Sabah was our amazing STAR OF THE WEEK.  Sabah arrived to Canada from Libya last spring and joined us for Grade 2, speaking no English.  We are very proud of her efforts with language acquisition!  She is in Grade 3 now and is the oldest of 4 siblings.  She is a great helper at home to her mom and dad.  She is very helpful; washing dishes, making her bed, holding the baby, etc. as the “big sister.”  Sabah enjoys singing, dancing, riding her bike and playing with her 2 dogs.  Her neighbours are wonderful people who she refers to as her Canadian grandpa and grandma and they often help her with her studies. 

We completed our 2 week unit on maps for SOCIAL STUDIES.  We went outside and drew symbols of landmarks north, east, south and west of the school.  The kids Vocabulary included: compass rose, directions, north, south, east, west, continents, oceans, community, map symbols, legend.  Please use the following links with your child to reinforce MAPS. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeeLivQH7Ok  Cardinal Directions (north, south, east, west)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRYSSNq5GSc       Maps,  an intro. for kids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj1veZY5hrY          Navigation song PBS kids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IpdjyD_uPo         Maps and cardinal directions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLrxbbP31NA         Maps and globes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QlJn_iMeAg        How to read a map song

This week I have been administering the DNA (Diagnostic Numeracy Assessment) to the Grade 2s.  This involves testing of equality and number facts.  I administered the test in early fall, as well.

DATES TO NOTE:

1.     On the afternoon of WEDNESDAY, MAY 27^th, I will be taking the 2/3 class with the Gr. 3 class to Regina Police Service Showcase at the Brandt Center in the afternoon.  The trip is FREE.  We only need to pay for the bus cost of $1.20 / student.  I will be looking for parents to join us!

2.   READING LOGS DUE  on THURSDAY, APRIL 30^TH.

3.  «AAZAN IS STAR OF WEEK MAY 4^TH«

April 13, 2015 week with Ms. Selimos

Greetings Parents and Students,

I hope everyone enjoyed the Spring Break.  Please remember to send a water bottle to school for your child.  I have many thirsty children, especially after recess breaks.

We began the week with an awesome trip to the ROYAL SASKATCHEWAN MUSEUM on Monday afternoon.  We followed up on Tuesday with a language arts writing project.  Each child created a brochure including information about the following:  bus ride, First Nations Gallery, legend (Bee Stinger), toys and games and the Paleo Pit.  Expectations for this writing lesson included:  factual sentences with capitals and periods, illustrations including First Nations and animal content, and drawings to support their sentences.  Legible printing was reinforced. We used walking dictionaries and inventive spelling.

Mathematically, we reviewed 2-D shapes (triangle, square, rectangle, circle) this week.  Vocabulary included:  corners (vertices, straight/curved lines).  We played some riddle games, used geo-boards and elastics to create shapes,  and mid-week,  we made models of shapes using straws and play dough.

We have engaged in concrete math activities this week for our geometry unit.  The kids loved using the solids (cones, cylinders, spheres, rectangular prisms, cubes) to create structures.  They were introduced to geo-boards and elastics, in order to create shapes (2-D) before the break.  On Monday we made shapes (triangles, squares, rectangles) using straws and play dough.  New vocabulary included:  corners=vertices, line segment, sides, curved lines, length and width. 

Ask your child questions about the solids/objects poster.  Example:  How many vertices does a cone have?  Does it stack?  What shape it its face? Which object has exactly 6 faces that look the same? Cube…  The Grade 2s will be making our own solids using clay on Friday.  We will display them in the egg cartons.

Another language arts focus this week was:  rhyming, after reading the story, THE HUNGRY THING.  They had a blast creating their own HUNGRY THING MONSTER.  We also studied adjectives for Writing Traits, which carried into THE HUNGRY THING story. 

We received MAIL this week.  We finished our Urdu lessons before the break and received a Certificate of Achievement Award from Saskatchewan Organization for Heritage Languages (SOHL).

For French, we enjoyed creating Garfield cartoons about Garfield’s favourite hobby, eating!  The children practiced reading their cartoon strips to each other.

Sabah will be our Star of the Week on April 20^th.   We are looking forward to her presentation. 

Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Ms. Selimos