Thank you!

Thank you for sending in your children in PJs and fun stuffy toys! We had a blast celebrating PJ day.  Pictures sometimes will be on the blog and other times we will be updating HomeRoom and sending links via remind for you to be able to see individual photos and save them.  HomeRoom allows us to send you a link to a private gallery of ours and you can view many of our photos.  We sent out a link already three times and up to 17 parents/guardians viewed us each time.  It is a a great way for you to be able to save memories of just your child rather than only view a select amount of collaged photos on the blog.  

Reminder to year two parents/guardians to please start sending back challenge folders.

Important information for everyone: Our Rockin' Readers is a lot of fun however, this time around our volunteer list is very limited.  We have decided to do it on our own in the classroom and books will still be going home.  We will change it up and ask for volunteers to go on walks with us every few weeks via REMIND and who ever will be available that week will be able to join us.  We love the ravine but exploring it with your help will be even more fun.  When spring comes along this will also allow us to explore the parks/splash pads closer to our school too.

NUTS/TREE NUTS: We have noticed some treats coming in that say peanut free BUT please read ingredients-just because it is peanut free doesn't mean it is tree nut free and we do not allow any nuts in our classroom.

Now we will explain some of the photos you may have seen on HomeRoom already (with some descriptions from new CURRICULUM).

MATH:

*In the above photos you see our students measuring using non-standard units of measurement.  They had a lot of fun exploring our classroom, comparing measurements and sharing them as a class.

*Ever wonder how this connects to the Kindergarten curriculum well take a looksie:

"MATHEMATICS LEARNING THROUGHOUT THE DAY
The development of understanding of mathematical concepts is not limited to a
particular time in the day. Mathematics learning is incorporated throughout the
day – it can be made visible, or explicit, to the children in any context, and can
be observed by the educators at any time."

*15.4 demonstrate an understanding of the
counting concepts of stable order (i.e., the
concept that the counting sequence is always
the same – 1 is followed by 2, 2 by 3, and
so on) and of order irrelevance (i.e., the
concept that the number of objects in a set
will be the same regardless of which object
is used to begin the counting).

* 16.1 select an attribute to measure (e.g., capacity),
determine an appropriate non-standard
unit of measure (e.g., a small margarine
container), and measure and compare two
or more objects.

BELONGING AND CONTRIBUTING (with LITERACY/CATHOLIC values)

Talking about the true story of ROSA PARKS connects our students to the world around them. It also reinforces Catholic Values of treating others the way God would want us to treat them.  It also connected us to literacy by allowing students to orally respond to a story and recreate it/retell it in their own words when drawing a recreation in their journals.

Belonging and Contributing:
5.2 talk about events and retell, dramatize, or
represent stories or experiences that reflect
their own heritage and cultural background
and the heritage and cultural backgrounds of
others
 22.1 communicate their ideas about something
(e.g., a book, the meaning of a word, an event
or an experience, a mathematical pattern, a
motion or movement) through music, drama,
dance, and/or the visual arts
 27.2 think critically about fair/unfair and
biased behaviour towards both themselves
and others, and act with compassion and
kindness
 
 We LOVED taking part in dramatic play with all our new doctor items! This is a great way for students to Collaborate and contribute as well as  to develop social oral language skills.  It also helps them learn about empathy for others while they practice being caregivers.

 Our water table allows many of our students to practice SELF REGULATION which is another one of our curriculum strands!  Many students go to the water table to have a calmer activity and calm their bodies.

 Playing with our new donated rocket ships, submarine, and building with recyclables also allowed us to work on collaboration and self regulation as we needed to practice taking turns and sharing as well as, being patient with our friends.  We also learned to not just tell friends what to do but how to share ideas and compromise.

 We sure do LOVE playing with our friends-keep in mind when we do we are always learning in different ways.  It may look like all fun and games but as little 4-6 year olds we are constantly learning.

CAN YOU GUESS WHAT STRANDS THESE PICTURES FIT IN AND GUESS WHAT WE ARE UP TO?? Keep in mind the 4 STRANDS are: 
1. Belonging and Contributing
2. Self Regulation and Well Being
3. Math and Literacy Skills
4. Problem Solving and Innovating

FINAL EXTRA STRAND: Catholicity and Focus on Faith

                                                       Reading to our friends.

                                                       Teaching our friends about adding.

                                                       Sharing spaces/dramatic play

                                          Recreating what the Groundhog did today

                                                    Showing school spirit

                                             Enjoying all of God's creations in all weather 
                                             with our friends.

 

 Thank you so much to all of you for your continued support! We hope you are enjoying our new way of picture sharing with you!
Have a wonderful weekend! DON'T FORGET IT IS A PD DAY TOMORROW so students stay home.