Your child might come and tell you that they did not do anything at school today!  Not quite true, but true in the sense that regular curriculum was put away today as they all were given the INSIGHT assessment, a new tool that all Grade 2 students in Elk Island Catholic Schools have been directed to complete.  The assessment is actually pre-recorded onto a DVD.  Using the SmartBoard and the computer, the students are given oral directions, examples and a count down timer is displayed.

Here's an example of what the SMARTBoard looks like with an appropriate answer being displayed for the students to see.

Each child has their own assessment booklet and their answers are recorded inside by filling 'bubbles' next to the chosen one, often using a multiple choice format or a yes or no format.

The children used 'offices to allow them to have a private spot to work in.

It was a long, long morning!

BUGS in my hair!

Here's a book you might want to see if you can sign out of the library.  It's a funny and non judgemental look at the reality of head lice, which often find their way into classrooms.

Had I known about their existence in our room before the end of the school day, I would have sent home the bright green pamphlets with your children today.  Another teacher suggested I needed to blog about it!  Hope you are all reading this post this weekend so that you can get a head start on treating the little guys!

I took a series of photos of the front of the pamphlet that gives you some information about the treatment.  Remember, the little bugs play no favourites and it is not a sign of uncleanliness to find that they have decided to invade your life!

It really is important that you begin treatment immediately and be diligent in searching for the little bugs and their eggs each and every day for at least a week.  Like fruit flies, they are not so very easy to eliminate.

With our impending swimming lessons, please ensure that you do not allow your child to share combs or brushes.  Hats should only be worn by your own child.  I suggest that all hats be given a thorough washing over the weekend as well.  I know that the health centre has great information, as do all of the pharmacies.  There are special kits that you can buy, and looking for the nits and removing them each and every day will make this 'little' problem go away much sooner!

Happy weekend!

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church

On Wednesday we were welcomed along with another school from our community to our Catholic parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Because of the bishops' congregation, Father Pierre was our priest.

The church was full of children from the age of 5 to 10.  The sound of laughter and excitement was everywhere.  The 'Hymn Squad' from our school led the congregation in happy song!

The two littles ones from my class were so proud that they were able to receive Communion.  The rest of the children went up for a blessing.  It will be wonderful for the others when we return to mass  at the church closer to the end of the year, and they will also be able to fully participate.

Here are some of my lovelies from last year.  In Grade Four, the students receive their own Bible.  It is touched to their foreheads, mouth and chest so that the Word of God can be in their minds, on their lips, and in their hearts.

Back at school, the students are getting into the spirit of Halloween by studying bats.   They paired up and read some nonfiction books about these creatures.  As they found facts, they then added those facts to their sheet, and also added the page number from the book to prove that they could confirm the new learning.

They worked co-operatively and diligently!  This topic is proving to be a real hit with them all!

Exploring liquids

Our science unit, Exploring Liquids, allows the students to use a variety of liquids in great little experiments to learn what properties liquids possess.  On pieces of wax paper, the students dropped small amounts of the liquids and then recorded their observations.

Can you see the difference between the water, oil, dish soap and honey?

Ask your child to explain what they have learned.  They might surprise you with the word "molecules'.

Being able to transfer their observations and thinking onto paper is a very important skill.

O Canada! ( a reason to be thankful!)

It is always exciting to get mail!  This large package arrived in our classroom this week.

The students are learning about our own wonderful country and have worked on a map of Canada and a map of Alberta.  We read a story about our flag, and then opened this mysterious package.

Inside were a whole array of bright and colourful maple leaves all the way from Ontario, graciously collected and then sent to us by Mrs. Matheson's brother and sister in law (and their puppy Sprocket)!

The students were amazed at the variety of colours and sizes of these leaves.  It seems amazing that this important symbol of Canada, one we so easily identify with, does not naturally grow here.  The ones that have been planted, never seem to get to this bright colour, falling off when they are still green or just turned yellow.

Each of the students' social studies duo tang now has a real maple leaf on it!

Oh Canada!  How proud we all are of thee!

Look at the smiles!  They are almost as big as these leaves!

Here's the letter that will be coming home on Tuesday:

Dear Parents,

As part of our belief that we should all live a long and active life, the students as Madonna Catholic School will have the wonderful opportunity to participate in swimming lessons this year.  We will be swimming from 1:45 to 2:30 Thursday afternoons in October, November, and December specifically on October 23, October 30, November 6, November 20, November 27, December 4^, and December 11.

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, which cover both the lessons and the bussing, are being collected separately from school fees and payment options are listed on the long yellow sheet which is in the plastic pouch of your child’s BEE binder. I will also need to know what level of swimming your child will be entering for these lessons by Wednesday, Oct. 15 so that the information can be shared with the pool staff who organize the students into appropriate groupings. 

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.

 Just another quick note:

Please know that you are welcome to join our school as we celebrate mass on Wednesday, October 15 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish at 9:30 a.m.  I am asking all the children in my class to bring one small non-perishable, such as a can or small box of food, which we will contribute to the food drive that the parish is conducting for those with less than us.  Did you know that our parish is currently sponsoring a family from Columbia and that they are in the legal realm of bringing and sponsoring a family from Syria?  We are all asked to do our part. 

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,"    Matthew 25:35

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Have you seen a turkey around here?

Thank you so much families, for taking this little project and elevating it to a new level of fun and creativity.  After the students heard the story of Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano, about a turkey who knew that he was destined to be invited to be part of Thanksgiving dinner, as the main course, this project was introduced.  In the story, the turkey uses disguises to avoid his fate.  The students were given turkeys to disguise and also they were asked to use the turkey's voice to describe how he would explain his new look.

It was the student's opportunity to stand up and share in front of their classmates.  The classmates listened closely to what the turkey said and then guessed what the turkey was actually disguised as.

The ideas ranged from....mad scientist

to

clown,

"army guy"

and

ballerina!  

The students were so proud of their creations!

Tonight was the second Parent Council meeting of the school year and sadly, again quorum was not reached.  The rules state that there must be 8 parents attending in order for votes to be taken.  There were only 6.  Would you be willing to participate in this important part of our school community?  The meetings are about once every 6 weeks.  Many exciting projects are planned but it takes many hands for the work to get done.  Please consider coming out to the meeting planned for November!

More - Less - Same

For the last few days, the students have been working with dot cards, training their brains to 'see' a quantity rather than having to touch each dot and count on.  

Using a variety of dot cards and ten frame cards, the students are practicing using the cubes to demonstrate how they can create a quantity that is MORE or LESS or the SAME as the quantity shown on the card.

To adults, this seems like such an easy activity, but there are a number of students who are challenged to understand these mathematical terms. They need to continue to refer to the original card to remember that they are making quantities for that number.

Lots of smiles when they were successful!