Week 3

 

Hello Everyone!

We had a great first full week at school!  Our capstone of the week was our Terry Fox Run with Ms. Rowland's grade 1/2 class.  Students were enthusiastic, energetic, and endured throughout the full 30 minutes of running!  After the run, students were asked to reflect on their classmates and nominate one person for the draw based on trying hard like Terry, being kind to others, and having fun with a positive attitude.  It was very hard for many to narrow their choice down to just one peer because everyone did such a great job throughout the run.

Literacy:

We added the letter 'N' to the letters we have practiced.  We spent quite a bit of time working with our six letters to build (write), sound out, and read words with our 6 letters. 

Additionally, we have been working on rhyming in oral language.  This crucial phonological awareness skill allows children to breakdown language into the units of sound that make up words which will in turn support them as they sound out words in reading and for writing.  

You can help at home by pointing out the rhymes in stories that are read aloud or by singing silly songs like 'Down by the Bay' or 'The Quartermaster's Store'.

I Can Talk About Events From My Community's Past / I Can Retell Main Events From a Story / I Can Make Meaning Through My Drawing

Over the past couple of weeks we have been building an understanding of the history of Residential Schools in Canada.  We've started by sharing our own identities with classmates and reflecting on the feelings of loss those who attended Residential Schools may have felt as their identities were stripped away.  This important and sombre work will end with both grade 1/2 classes sharing their learning with the whole school through a virtual Orange Shirt Day program on September 29. 

As part of this work, we have been reading and talking about the story, "When I Was Eight" by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokaik-Fenton.  We've written a retelling together and have started illustrating our story in order to make a class book.   Part of our process has been learning to understand how and when to show emotion in our drawings as a way of enhancing our reader's understanding and connection to the story.  We've also talked quite a bit on what makes a '4 Star' picture and how to move beyond simple stick figures and think about colour schemes.  This continues to be a work-in-progress - so stay tuned for our finished class book.

September 1st - 3rd, 2021

Hopefully this first week of school was a smooth transition for students and parents.  I certainly enjoyed meeting all of the new students and catching up with those returning to room 5 this year.  

Just a reminder that I would like students to say goodbye to me after they see their "person" and before they leave for the day.  This way I can catch you with any messages I might have and it helps me feel better knowing they have connected with you.  

I Can Understand Everyone is Unique, Including Me / I Can Understand the Groups and Communities I Belong To

This week we have begun building our sense of identity and belonging within our classroom community and within our grade group cohort.  We used the story, "Our Class is a Family" by Shannon Olsen, as a stepping off point to discuss how we want to feel and be treated within our "school family" and established some norms to guide our learning and play.  We will formalize these norms with 'signatures' once all students have had a chance to have a voice (we have a few students who will be joining us beginning the second week of school).  Additionally, students have created first day self-portraits to hang on our family picture wall to help them view themselves as important members and stakeholders in our classroom family/community.