Learning, always learning....

I often hear parents say "It wasn't like this when I went to school", to which I can answer "It wasn't like this when I started teaching!"  I'm so glad that we are creating learners who question, co-operate and think!  The students practised working in groups to complete a series of questions about the four countries that we will be comparing to our own country throughout the year.

They practised looking for answers in text, recognizing that they will have to synthesize in order to answer.  The answer is not right there in the text.  They have to use what they already know  to create an answer that makes sense.

They practised reading the maps that they coloured to also assist in answering specific questions.

They practised talking to others, to arrive at an answer that everyone could agree on!

Later on, the students worked on a collage-type project.  It was multi stepped, beginning with orientating the paper, sketching a bare tree, outlining and colouring in only one direction,

pasting on a cut out photo of themselves, and adding punched out little Autumn leaves.

Each one was so proud of their final product,

and I was so proud of their listening skills, 'stick to it' attitude,

and their pleasure in a job well done!

DID YOU KNOW???

Madonna Catholic School has been adopted by Chapters for this month.  Please consider offering support through sponsorship right at the store.  Here's what I received when I adopted our school:

Help a school in your community by giving the gift of books: every $12 donated gives one book.

Spread the word on Facebook, Twitter or by e-mail and encourage your friends and family to adopt a school! Love of Reading will give a book to your school for every 50 adopts (up to a limit of 500 books in total). With your support, we can give one book to every child at your school, and in schools across Canada.

Thanks for your support,

The Adopt a School Team.
adoptaschool.indigo.ca

Please adopt and get your friends and family to do so too!

A swimming we will go....

Dear Parents,

As part of our belief that we should all live a long and active life, the students at Madonna Catholic School will have the wonderful opportunity to participate in six swimming lessons this year.  We will be swimming from 1:45 to 2:30 Thursday afternoons in October, November, and December specifically on October 17, October 24, November 7, November 21, November 28 and December 5^th.

We would love to invite fathers and/or grandfathers to take on the role of supervisor to ensure that the male students are safe as they change.  As Mr. Harmata reminded all of the teachers, our school district’s policy is to have all volunteers who will be in contact with students on a regular basis to provide a criminal record check, a child intervention check and sign a confidentiality undertaking also with an acceptable use agreement.  All of those forms can be obtained through the school’s front office.  It may seem like a great deal of work, but our children are so very precious to us, that I know you won’t mind taking the time to get these forms filled out.

The fees of $37.00 per student, which cover both the lessons and the bussing, are being collected separately from school fees and should be sent in to me as soon as possible.  I will also need to know what level of swimming your child will be entering for these lessons. 

A gentle reminder that long hair is best braided for the lessons, that combs cannot be shared, that swimming items should be packed in a separate sturdy waterproof bag (not a disposable bag from groceries) in the backpacks in the morning, and that the students will not have time to blow dry their hair so having a warm hat is encouraged.

Many Parts...One Body in Christ

A few weeks ago, I led the weekly Wednesday morning assembly.  I shared the story of The Crayon Box That Talked, where the crayons were not polite and kind to each other.  A child used them in the picture that was being drawn, to show them that they could get along and make wonderful pictures together!

Here's Kristin Andreassen's sweet video that the students watched...and clapped along to!

Each grade level then was given a colour to use to create a picture of themselves.  Grade One used red and orange...

...Grade Two used green...

...Grade Three used blue...

..while Grade Four used purple and pink.

Even the Kindergarten classes got into the spirit and used yellow for their pictures.

It took a while but the rainbow of students that make up our sweet school are now all represented on our long wall towards the gymnasium.

No one picture is more important than the other.  Instead, it is that all of the pictures add to the overall effect of creating the rainbow.  So it is with each of us...we are all parts, but we are ONE BODY IN CHRIST!

Lucky girl lost a tooth at school today!  She's the first one to take home our "TOOTH FAIRY" literacy bag!  Hope the tooth fairy is good to her tonight!

Double the Fun!

Have you ever heard of 'reverse recess'? It means that the students play and run and get their exercise first and then return to the classroom to have their morning snack or lunch.  Thought I would share these happy smiling faces as they munch on their fruit or vegetable that they have brought for morning snack.  

Fruits and vegetables are the perfect thing to pack for your busy child because they have the right dose of vitamins and natural sugars to give these little learners the energy to make it through until lunch.

Prepackaged fruit snacks or fruit rollups just don't come close to the nutrition that is packed into nature's sweets!

It does my heart good to hear the students' say "Guess what I brought?  I have veggies and dip!" or "Great!  My favourite!  Grapes!"  Involve your child in choosing what they would like to see as a snack.  The easy choice is nature's best food, fruits and vegetables!

Here are the DOUBLES games that the students will be focussing on for the next few days.  The curriculum asks the students to recognize a variety of strategies when adding or subtracting to ensure their understanding of the way numbers work.

When a student knows the doubles, such as 8 + 8 makes 16, they then can think about using what they know to help with an equation such as 8 + 7.  Here's what they may be saying inside their head..

"I know 8+8, so when I see 8+7 I can see that 7 is one smaller....that means that answer will be one smaller....the answer is 15....that's one smaller than 16."  

Does your child know all the doubles to 20?

Daily Five

The students have had about a week of Daily Five instruction and are working on building their stamina in each of the five areas up to 20 minutes.  Building stamina allows the students to have the opportunity to do what research tells us is the best way to have children be successful readers.  The structure or framework which the students work in helps them work independently and develop the daily habits of reading and writing.  

To date the students have been working on 'reading to self' and 'working on writing.'  'Reading to someone' is another important component of the program.  To ensure that this element is included, the students will be bringing home a 'home reading book' that is a right fit for their independent reading level.  As a student moves up through the levels, it is still very important that they have the practise of reading aloud.  They are working on fluency, expressiveness and comprehension.  Reading is much more than saying the words.  Understanding what is being shared is the area to focus on now.  

If your child still has a 'kanga pouch' from Gr. 1 or 2, they are welcome to use that.  If they do not, may I suggest a plastic pouch such as these that I purchased for less than $2.00 @ Dollarama.  Since all of the books that the children will be bringing home belong to me, it is important that a plastic pouch protect them from the spills that happen in backpacks all the time!

While you are out getting a pouch, please pick up a set of highlighters.  I appreciate that you sent one or two at the start of the year, but the students will be using multiple colours when they are working on writing.  Again the set at Dollarama is just fine and costs very little!  There is no need to pay more!

I have four iPads that I have the students use for 'listening to reading.'  Please send in a set of earbuds, with whichever ear piece that your child prefers.  These should be in a small ziplock bag and will be kept in their book boxes to use when it is their turn.

Thanks for all your support!

Getting to Know You

Over the weekend, all of the students will be looking about their homes for 4 or 5 small items that will fit into the paper bag that they brought home.  The items will be shared on Monday at school.  This activity will allow all of us to know each other better.  Here's all the pieces cut apart.

It is best to fill in the blue page first before trying to paste it onto the back of the bag.  Notice how the page is folded over so that it forms the top closure of the "backpack"?  The other two blue strips are folded and glued on to make the straps.

Once the backpack is created it is time to fill it!

For example, I might put in a small photo of my family because they are so important to me, a little cat statue because I love cats, a pin cushion with needle and thread because I can sew and maybe a packet of seeds because gardening is one of my hobbies.

Being able to share with our classroom family, allows the students to have a chance to express themselves orally.  Talking about themselves is always easier than talking about other topics.

I look forward to learning more about each and every student this way.

Don't forget:  OPEN HOUSE on Monday @ 7:00 p.m.  See you then!