November 24-27

Looking back on learning....... 

On Wednesday, our class enjoyed a wonderful field trip to the Calgary Confluence. Their team offers rich, engaging programming that helps students build a deeper understanding of the history of how Calgary came to be. Throughout the day, students explored the stories of the land and the people who have shaped this area over time.

A highlight for many was the chance to play traditional Indigenous games, which encouraged teamwork, problem-solving, and an appreciation for cultural teachings. We also visited a Métis cabin, where students were able to step into the past and learn about Métis life, traditions, and contributions to the region.

It was a meaningful and hands-on learning experience, and the students represented our school with curiosity and respect.

Phonics:

- The sounds of "ed" - d, t, ed

-Students learned "ed" is added to a verb to make it past tense ( call - called)

-Students sorted words with "ed" based on their ending sound.

Math:

-We continued with skip counting by 20 and 25 to 1000.

-Students became more familiar with coins and their value.

-We counting coins to find their totals and "paid" for items using multiple coin combinations. 

-Students are working hard to skip count by 10 starting at various numbers (ie. 25 - 35, 45, 55).

Writing:

-Students gathered information on Jellyfish through text.

-We pulled out the important facts and used jot notes to form brain webs.

-Students used their jot notes to form completes sentences to write a body of informational writing.

Social Studies:

-Students are now exploring the different regions of Canada.

-We learned about the arctic region (weather, landscape, vegetation and animals).

-We learned about the Canadian Shield and viewed images on the rocky landscape (weather, landscape, vegetation and animals).

November 17 - 21

 Special Notes:

- If you have not signed and sent back the field trip form, please have your child bring them to school on Monday.

- The weather is changing quickly. Students are outside for recess and lunch. Please make sure your child has winter items in their backpack to ensure they are warm enough.

Looking back on learning......

Phonics:

- Students learned how to make a noun plural by adding "s" or "es".

- When words end in hissing sounds (ch, sh, z, x, or s) you add an "es". If they don't have these special endings, we just add "s"

- Example - kiss - kisses, bush - bushes, plant - plants

- Students practice reading out loud with a buddy to help them pause appropriately at punctuation. 

Winter Count:

- We learned about an Indigenous tradition called a "Winter Count". Each year as the first snow falls, some Indigenous people reflect on the previous year. They take the time to use images to share things of significance by drawing them on an animal hide. This helps keep oral stories and memories alive.

- We talked about events in our lives over the last year and students picked one that really stood out to them. Some if the things were new animals, trips, getting new pets, having pets pass away, and some family members became very ill and others beating illness. 

- Together we put our memories on a "bear hide".

Metis Like Me:

- We read the book "Metis Like Me" by Tasha Hilderman. The book highlights some of the Metis traditions and celebrations.

- Students read and conversed about bannock, Saskatoon berries, crafting with beads, traditional dance/songs and bead work.

- We looked closely at the bead work on moccasins and then students drew a nature picture. Once their picture was done, they used a dot technique with paint to paint their pictures to look like it was done with beads.

Writing:

- Students started informational writing this week.

- They practiced making their own brain webs full of facts and explored. writing jot notes (not full sentences).

- Students learned how to use recorded facts to write answer the question "what is a cavity" using at least 4 sentences.

-Continuing to focus on using full sentences, capitals and end punctuation.

November 13 - 14

Important Information: Field Trip forms will be coming home on Monday. Please review, sign and send them back promptly.

Looking back on learning.....

Phonics:

- We talked about exceptions to the silent e rule (love, give, come, dove, live)

-We reviewed what happens when an "e" follows a c/g.

-Students practiced reading and sorting words into hard c/g and soft c/g sounds.

Math:

- Students continued to work with numbers to 1000.

- We have been working on place value using hundreds, tens and ones.

- Students have been using 1000 charts to count forward and backwards starting at various numbers.

- They have been playing doubles, our new skip counting game. This will help reinforce skip counting by 10, 2, 20, and 25.

Social Studies:

- Students have started to learn about Canada.

- We have been learning the provinces and territories using a song to help us remember all of the new places.

- Students have learned how to look at a map and/or picture and use a compass rose to determine positions of places and objects.

October 1 - 3

 Looking back on learning.....

Phonics:

-We did our second week of review for digraphs.

-We now know the sounds of sh, th (2), ch, nk, ck, ph, and wh.

-Students learned they use "ck" at the end of a word right after they hear a short vowel.

-Helpful saying: Short vowel, long spelling.

-Heart words of the week (would, could, should).

Writing:

- We continue to build writing stamina and awareness of how to self edit our work.

-Students have been working to recall information to complete a written response with more than one sentence.

-They are referring to personal checklists to ensure they have capitals, punctuation, spaces and their ideas make sense.

Medicine Wheel:

-This week we looked closer at the medicine wheel.

-We talked about how each section/colour represented a part of us (spirit, body, heart, mind)

-Students learned about the interconnectedness of each part.

-Indigenous cultures often refer to the medicine wheel to deepen understanding of the cycles of life, nature, and community, encouraging respect for all creation and fostering harmony through interconnectedness and shared responsibility.

Art:

- We created Zentangle Pattern Leaves.

-Students worked hard to refine their line skills and create different variants of line patterning.

-After a discussion about warm and cool colours, students picked their preference for their background.

Sept 22 - 26

Orange Shirt Day 

Today our school came together to recognize Orange Shirt Day with a full school assembly. We reflected on the importance of ensuring every student feels safe, valued, and that they belong at school. Classes engaged in conversations about kindness, respect, and the right for all children to learn in a supportive environment. Together, we also learned about Phyllis’ story, reminding us why “Every Child Matters” and why it is so important to carry these lessons forward in our daily actions.

 

Looking back on learning......

Phonics:

- This week was our first week (one more next week) reviewing digraph sounds.

- We learned that a digraph is when two sounds go together to make one new sound.

-Sh, ch, th, and ck.

Fall Equinox:

- Students learned that equinox means equal.

-When there is equal daylight/night time.

-We talked about signs of fall we see outside and things we enjoy about fall.

-Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn response.

Science:

-We are getting close to finishing our unit all about materials in our world.

-Students continued to look closely at natural materials around our school.

-We talked about a "talking stick" used by Indigenous people when in a sharing circle.

-We had our first sharing circle out on the land.

-Students learned how a sharing circle is a place where they can speak their thoughts and opinions in a safe place.

-Student learning all about Sunflowers (the fall flower) and how they bloom during the fall and not the summer as most other flowers do.

-We learned about their life cycle and represented each stage using a medicine wheel.

- We finished our learning with sunflower art, focusing on the use of line and chalk pastels.

Math:

-We continued to learn about number patterns this week.

-Students learned how to identify the rule in number patterns (ie. It is counting by 3 or by 10).

-We concluded our pattern unit with a show me what you know pattern test.

-Students learned how to play addition war with cards (Ask your child to play at home)

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