March 30th - April 2nd

Looking back on learning.....

Reflecting on our Spring Break:

This week, students had the opportunity to reflect on and share their Spring Break experiences. They created a visual journal page using drawings and words to highlight special memories, activities, or moments from their time off.

After completing their pages, students brought their journals to a sharing circle, where they practiced speaking and listening skills by sharing their experiences with their peers. This activity helped build confidence, encouraged storytelling, and strengthened our classroom community as students learned more about one another.

Phonics:

This week in phonics, we focused on the “oi” and “oy” vowel teams. Students learned that both patterns make the same sound, but are used in different positions within words. Typically, “oi” is used in the middle of a word (such as coin, soil, and boil), while “oy” is used at the end of a word (like toy, boy, and enjoy).

To help students master this concept, we practiced a variety of strategies. These included reading decodable texts to practice the patterns in context, word mapping to break down and analyze sounds, songs to reinforce learning in a fun way, and hands-on word work activities to build confidence and accuracy.

Social Studies:

This week in Social Studies, we explored the difference between imports and exports. Students learned that imports are goods brought into a country (such as fruits from another country), while exports are goods sent out to other countries (like Canadian oil or lumber). We also discussed how different types of transportation are used depending on where goods are going—for example, ships for overseas travel, trucks for nearby locations, and planes for faster delivery over long distances.

We also took a closer look at the three levels of government in Canada: federal, provincial, and local. Students learned what kinds of decisions each level is responsible for. For example, the federal government handles things like the military and mail, the provincial government is responsible for schools and healthcare, and the local government manages city parks and roads.

In addition, students learned how leaders are chosen through the voting process. We discussed the role of a candidate, how to vote, and what it means to cast a ballot. To bring this learning to life, we held a mock vote in class so students could experience the process firsthand!

Writing:

This week in writing, students focused on using their five senses to help brainstorm adjectives and make their writing more descriptive. By looking at images, students generated words to describe how something looks, feels, acts, smells, and sounds. They then used these ideas to transform simple, “boring” sentences into more detailed and engaging ones.

Students also began exploring narrative writing. They started to learn about the key components of a story by brainstorming ideas for characters, setting, problems, and solutions. This work is helping students build a strong foundation for creating their own stories in the coming weeks.

Happy Easter!