Week 7

Highlights:

• This week we had pre-service teachers from the University of Calgary visiting our school! We met Ms. Brown and Ms. Black on Monday. They were very helpful and it was fun having them in the classroom. 
• For journal writing we learned about editing our work - so, once we are done writing in our journals we have to go back and check that each sentence started with a capital, each sentence had an end-marker (i.e. period), there were spaces between words, and we had to re-read the writing to make sure it made sense. 
• In Word Work, the grade 1s learned about the letter "S", which also has the Magic C in it. 

We brainstormed a few words that started with the s-sound, and noted them in our writing journals.

• We have also been introduced to new literacy centers as we are getting ready to begin guided reading groups next week. They include creative writing, literacy games, and practicing keyboarding skills on Dance Mat Typing.

We also learned about acrostic poems, and made one as a class about OCTOBER:

• Tuesday was Photo Day!
• We also started a new unit in gym: Volley Ball! 

Here we are practicing some ball-handling drills that help to develop our hand-eye coordination...

 We also learned how to "bump" a volleyball that comes towards us. We practiced having arms straight ahead, one hand on top of the other and palms facing up with thumbs touching to bump the ball. We also practiced standing with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.

• In math, we gathered everyone's tallies and totaled up the number of vegetables that were harvested harvested by room 1.  

• Then we continued on with creating the vegetables out of construction paper and glued them onto our large mural:

• We also started Weekly Wellness Goals - this week our class decided to make it "acts of kindness." Ask us about what we did to accomplish this goal every day this week :)  

Reminders:

• Families are welcome to our literacy-based ‘curriculum evening’ tonight. It is a drop-in format and will take place from 5 pm to 7 pm. 
• Swim lessons are scheduled for the afternoons (2:10pm - 2:50pm) of October 24, 28, 30 and  November 4, 6, and 13. 
• November 7th is Photo retakes.
• Next week we hope to begin our Home Reading Program.  If you have been cleared to volunteer you will receive an invitation email for Sign-up Genius. You can go on there and book yourself into days that you would be available to come and help with home reading. It involves having kids read to you and helping them exchange their books for new ones.  It works best to have two volunteers for each day.