Miss Owen's Blog

June 24, 2010

2010-06-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

Although there are many special activities at the end of the year, we are still working on the curriculum. Today we explored magnets as part of our unit on force and motion. In pairs we moved pieces of metal through light cardboard and then noticed that sometimes magnets attract, and sometimes magnets repel each other. Some of us even figured out how to tell when to expect the magnets to pull toward each other and when to expect them to push apart.

You can continue to build on this learning throughout the summer by noticing pushing and pulling forces in activities around you. You could even observe any magnets you may have on hand.

Some families plan to leave before school actually finishes on Tuesday at 2:50. If your child will not be at school on Tuesday afternoon, please let me know so I can send home their things. Report cards will not be handed out until Tuesday. If you will not be here then. Please make arrangements to have your child's report picked up at the office.

June 23, 2010

2010-06-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

What a great job Division 9 did today at the Primary Celebration! We danced well and looked great thanks to Ryan's mom and Heléna's mom.

I had planned to post a video here, but the person using my camera couldn't get it to work properly, so I have only this shot of the beginning. I apologize to those whose children are at the back. Everyone had a chance to be at the front, but this is the only shot I have to post.

The other photo was taken right after the celebration ended. You might be able to see our costumes.

Tomorrow we hear the local chorolations choir.

The next big event is on Tuesday. We'll clean up in the morning. In the afternoon, we'll go to the pool. When we get back, we'll have a brief celebration of our learning, get our report cards, and go home for the summer.

The end of this year is very close!

June 18, 2010

2010-06-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

We did some long jumping. Here we are flinging ourselves into the long jump pit. We all tried to get better, and we did! Miss Owen signed a certificate for each of us that lists our longest jump.

June 17, 2010

2010-06-17T07:43:00.001-07:00

We are practicing our Red River jig for the Primary Celebration on June 23 at 1:00. The music is available at
http://fiddlechicks.com/audio/redriverjig_gilbert.mp3

If your child wants to practice, you can just fire up the computer. You might even want to dance along.

May 18, 2010

2010-05-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, we will make stuffy pigs using the directions in a Jillian Jiggs book.

Please send an old nylon stocking (Pantyhose) or sock at least 7" long and a button for the pig's nose. I do have needles for everyone.

We could also use a lot of help between recess and lunch with this tricky project for little hands.

May 13, 2010 A

2010-05-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

First of all, my apologies for waiting so long between posts. There always seemed to be something else more urgent to attend to.

Today I want to follow up on some of the topics I posted about before.

First of all, our class has completed our pilot of Dreambox. I am writing a report on our experience. (It is also in line behind many more urgent items.) The response from students has been mixed and my own impressions are also mixed. I will post the highlights of my report here when I have them written out.

Secondly, a group of Primary teachers at Gibsons Elementary have been working on a Learning Community Team project. We have been investigating the result of our teaching practice on the children's facility with mental Math. I'll report our findings here when we have them, too.

On Pro-D day, I shared our work with the rekenreks with the rest of our staff. There are many ways this tool can help children to build a mental image of a number.

While I was researching the development and the uses of a rekenrek, I came across the statement that when we speak of mental math, we are not talking about math in our heads, but math with our heads. This seems to me to be an important distinction. When we work with our heads, we are using clever and efficient means to solve problems. To do that, we have to understand numbers well enough to know which strategy is likely to work best at any given time.

May 13, 2010

2010-05-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

Today we wrote stories with transition words. Transition words are words like: first, second, next, then, after, before, finally, etc. When you are reading with your child, see if the two of you can find transition words in the story.

April 7, 2009

2010-04-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

Congratulations!

We have a Math star in our hallway. The stars hang in the hallway outside our classroom and celebrate those students who can answer all the addition facts to 18 in three minutes. We are looking forward to a whole universe of stars over the next weeks.

Our computer Dreambox lessons are finished. Right now we have lots of enthusiasm for worksheets full of Math facts. Of course, that's not all we want to do in Math, but for now, we are enjoying the practice and the sense of being able to do harder and harder questions.

We are also practicing our skipping skills. As temperatures rise outside, skipping is a great activity to build strong bones and a healthy cardiovascular system.

Does your child have a skipping rope?

March 25, 2010

2010-03-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

We have a Talent Show coming up at Gibsons Elementary. Some students have already asked to take home a permission form. Since this is voluntary, asking for the form is the responsibility of the students.

The next responsibility is to return the form by the end of the school day on March 30. No late entries will be accepted this year.

Talk with your child to see if he or she would like to participate. If so, be sure the form is filled in and returned by Tuesday next week.

We had a great first day at the pool! Thanks so much to Shirley Waite for the oranges at the end of the swim!

March 24, 2010

2010-03-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

Our swimming days are the next 5 Thursdays: March 25, April 1, 8, 15, and 22. Please be sure your child has appropriate clothing for walking to the pool. And of course send a swim suit and towel.

March 17, 2010

2010-03-18T08:04:00.001-07:00

Thank you to everyone who returned the form for the swimming pool. To the rest, please return that form as soon as possible. This is a relatively new requirement for us, and I have to get the forms to the pool BEFORE we go for our lessons.

You will be getting a second form about swimming. It's the one that gives us permission to take your child off the school grounds. Our dates for swimming are Thursdays March 25, April 1, 8, 15, and 22. It would be great if you could come with us.

We have a new seating plan and in response to our class meeting, we are earning points by getting our work done. We can earn extra points for working quietly and for doing other things that make our classroom a better place. So far, the response has been positive.

An area where many children can use help is with basic Math facts to 18. I know many of you are working on this at home. Thank you.

March 15, 2010

2010-03-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

Daylight Savings Time seemed to get the better of many children. When we started our day, 11 children were missing from their desks.

Good job to all who got to school on time today!

This afternoon we had a class meeting to think of ways to make our classroom better. After much discussion and a vote using stickers, we chose two things:
1. Get a pet, preferably a rabbit.
2. Have a hot tub put into the classroom.

We followed up that decision making with some problem solving activities.

We found out that if we want a pet, someone needs to take responsibility for the pet at the end of June. We also have to get some money to buy the things the pet will need.

We found out that putting in a hot tub would take too much work to be finished before the time everyone moves on to the next year. We also have to get more money than we can imagine, and we have to get permission from the people in charge of the school building.

We are going to find out if there are ways we can solve these problems.

In the mean time, we can do some of the other things that were also on our list, things like getting points for being quiet, putting up decorations for Easter, and moving our desks into a new configuration.

March 3, 2010

2010-03-03T14:45:00.000-08:00

Not only did we have parents in to see our work today, but we also got a new Math manipulative.

It's called a rekenrek. (And two of them wrecked right away. James' Nona was here and she helped to repair them, but they still need more glue.)

Today we used our rekenreks to think about doubles plus one, which is what we have been working on in Math. The rekenreks help us to see the numbers in new ways. After we've used them a lot, we should be much better at our mental math.

March 2

2010-03-02T15:42:00.000-08:00

I had a message to glue into the planners today, and I forgot to put it out. Here is what it said:

My huge apologies! I had the wrong dismissal time for Tuesday and Wednesday. It is 1:35, not 1:45.

I am about to begin phoning everyone to be sure you get the message. If I don't reach you, I hope you are reading this.

I'll see you tomorrow with your child.

February 27

2010-02-28T10:05:00.000-08:00

We did a great job of our readers' theatre of the The Three Billy Goats Gruff. The video does not do justice to the performance. The camera did not take a complete track of the whole story. I'm sure your child will happily perform his or her part (and probably other parts as well) at home.

Thank you to all who have sent in the interview time sheet. Most have been given their most preferred time. If you don't have an appoint time yet, please call me at the school to make an appointment for Wednesday or Thursday.

Children will be dismissed early on both Wednesday and Thursday to allow for interview times.

February 25, 2009

2010-02-25T13:31:00.000-08:00

Baby Charlotte grew 8 multi-links since we measured her in November. Now she is 37 multi-links long.

We will do a readers' theatre performance in the Primary assembly after recess tomorrow. Parents are welcome to attend.

February 24

2010-02-24T17:36:00.000-08:00

Today we did Olympic printing. We copied some work from a chart in the room. Then Miss Owen marked it. If we score 12-13, we get a gold medal on our paper. If we score 10-11, we get a silver medal on our paper. If we score 8-9, we get a bronze medal on our paper. We will show off our work on the bulletin board in the hallway.

Today a notice went home about the parent-teacher interviews that are coming up. Please return the green form as soon as possible so you can have your most preferred date and time.

Tomorrow is Green Day.

We will wear green. We will also try to have a lunch that is good for the environment. We are trying to bring more reusable containers or food like apples that don't need wrapping at all.

February 17

2010-02-18T07:15:00.001-08:00

We had a great time on 100 Day!

We had a special book for all our activities. We even had some activities left over to do at home. Here we are wearing our special 100 Day glasses. It's much easier to do 100 Day work when we wear these glasses.

We also held a draw to decide who would get the Olympic mittens Mr. Heidebrecht gave us and the growth chart with the Olympic mascots on it. Here are the winners with their prizes.

Remember that Friday is a Professional Development Day. Children don't come to school that day. I will be with the rest of the teachers on the Sunshine Coast at Chatelech learning more about teaching both Reading and Math, especially to children who struggle.

February 16

2010-02-16T18:38:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Pinkey was pleased to report that Division 9 worked hard for her while Miss Owen was away enjoying Pairs Figure Skating.

Tomorrow is 100 Day, and everyone is reminded to bring a collection of 100 things displayed in a way that is easy for others to count. Today we talked about using smaller containers to hold 10 itmes each, using small bags, and using elastic bands. The most important thing is that parents and children talk together about the collections.

Watch for information on the next opportunity for Parent-Teacher interviews. A notice will come home giving you choices of when you want to meet with your child and the teacher to set goals for the final term.

February 6, 2009

2010-02-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

We have been very busy lately.

We've been writing stories. First, we listen to a story many times. We act out parts and practice saying lines from the story. Then we use pictures from the story to help us tell the story ourselves. We will be bringing home our first story after we have had a chance to read it to a Kindergarten child. You can see samples of stories other children are writing around this time of year. http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/perf_stands/writing.htm This link takes you to page where you can look at writing performance standards. Simply click on your child's grade level. The part that applies right now is the part about Literary writing.

We've been using the Olympics to learn more about Canada. We got to watch the torch relay run right past our school. Some children from our class broke into a spontaneous rendition of O Canada when it was over.

We've been deepening our understanding of the number system and increasing the number of strategies we can use to do mental math. Some of this is through the use of Dreambox, and some is through more traditional methods.

We've been painting. We are learning to use materials correctly. For example, we use only the tip of the brush for paint.

We are looking forward to Valentines Day. We will celebrate on February 12. Please keep all cards at home until that day.

January 27

2010-01-28T07:06:00.000-08:00

Who knew there were so many interesting facts stored up by Gibsons Elementary students -- or so many ways to attach those facts to backs!

Now that we are used to using Dreambox, many children are making good progress through the lessons. Some others still need serious teacher time. Parents who give me their email addresses by Friday will be able to follow their child's progress for free as long as the pilot continues (into March). Of course, the two-week free period will remain open to anyone at any time.

Janaury 25, 2010

2010-01-26T07:11:00.001-08:00

We had a great DEAR day! The children brought in a wide variety of books and dropped everything to read them. We even used our books in gym as place markers and in a running game.

On Tuesday, we will each have a poem in our pocket. Then we will ask each other to read the poems we have throughout the day.

On Wednesday, we will wear a fact on our back. The fact is to come from a book we have read (or had read to us). Attaching the fact could pose a challenge. I wear keys around my neck on a lanyard. When I have lean over children, I often flip the keys over onto my back. I plan to wear my fact attached in the same way.

On Thursday, we will dress up as a book character we like.

Then on Friday, Nicola Campbell, a First Nations author will come to talk to our students about her books. (I will be in Madiera Park in the morning talking about mine.)

We are ironing the kinks out of our Dreambox use. All the children can log in on their own now, and most are good at staying on task. The teacher's dashboard lets me know that some are using the program at home.

You can still give me your email address if you want to check on your child's progress or allow your child to use the program at home.

We now have permission for our parents to extend the usual two-week period to the full time that we will be piloting the program.

I'm available to answer any questions about Dreambox or any other aspect of our classroom life.

January 20, 2010

2010-01-20T22:33:00.000-08:00

We've read the story of The Lion and the Mouse. We've practiced saying some of the lines from the story. We are now writing the story for ourselves and doing a wonderful job!

Watch for a big book to come home in the next few days.

Today we learned just how big the sun is, why we can block such a large object with just our small hands, and how to make large things look far away in a picture.

Until further notice, we will dismiss from the computer lab on Tuesdays.

January 13, 2010

2010-01-13T18:32:00.000-08:00

We got to see Baby Charlotte again today. She is definitely growing. But today she was not a happy baby. We learned that sometimes fussy babies who are not hungry want to nurse so they can calm down. We heard Baby Charlotte telling her mom that she didn't want to be moved. We know that fussy babies are not bad babies. They are babies with a problem and they need our help, so Maria, Baby Charlotte's mom, listened to her baby and didn't move here.

The following message will go home tomorrow in the planner. Some children have been ill, so I am posting the information here, as well.

Those following the class blog know that we have begun to use a computer Math program called DreamBox. Parents can receive two weeks of free access to their child’s work by giving me their email address and asking me to include them in the invitation to parents. I will send out the invitations through the site on Monday evening, so if you want to be included, please let me know and give me your email address by Monday at 3:00 pm.

January 12, 2010

2010-01-12T07:27:00.000-08:00

DreamBox will not be our whole Math program.

We have been learning strategies for mental math. That's math we can do in our heads.

First, we are learning what the word strategy means. It's a way to make something easier to do.

So far, we have worked on a strategy for +0 and the "counting on" strategy for +1 and +2.

You will be seeing special strategy sheets come home from time to time. They have two columns of questions. If you look at them closely, you will see that the questions are similar, but that the column on the right is slightly more difficult than the column on the left. Children who have problems with any of the strategies get extra help at school. You can also check how your child is doing and give hints that work for you.

January 11, 2010

2010-01-12T07:19:00.001-08:00

After school today teachers from across our district went to a session to learn about an online Math resource called DreamBox.

We were impressed by some of the things it can do for the children. We were even challenged a little by some of the tasks.

This program uses technology to figure out a child's level and then presents tasks meant for exactly that level. Each child moves along at his or her own pace.

We have agreed to pilot this program for 90 days.

Once I have the class logged in, and the children have learned how to use the program, I will be sending home information about how you can participate at home. Parents can sign up for a free two weeks. After that, there will be a charge. I'm hoping it will be minimal because I'm sure most of you would like to see exactly what you child can do.

Of course you will always be welcome to come in and watch what your child is doing with this or any other activity. With the number of classes wanting to participate, our schedule will probably have to change somewhat to give all of us the time we want.

January 7

2010-01-08T06:45:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the timing is just perfect!

Shannon came today for a Roots of Empathy lesson. She talked about how babies get teeth and how Grade Ones and Twos lose them. Then she asked the children to draw pictures about losing teeth and write about the feelings that gave them.

After Shannon left, we went on with other work.

Suddenly, Maya called out, "My tooth came out!" And like a magnet, that tooth pulled all the children out of their seats for an inspection. Sure enough, there was a new space in Maya's mouth and a tooth in her hand.

At Gibsons Elementary, children who lose teeth while they are at school get a tooth container from the office so they can take teeth home safely.

January 6

2010-01-06T11:38:00.001-08:00

Today we looked through a frame to find something interesting to draw. It's a lot harder than it looks.

January 5

2010-01-05T18:35:00.000-08:00

We welcomed two new students today.

Cory and Malaki bring our numbers up to 23. They help to balance the girl/boy ratio. They joined in well and we look forward to working with them.

January 10, 2010

2010-01-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

Today the children brought home a Word Wall list. This is a list of words they are expected to spell correctly in class.

That's because the words are posted on the wall where the children can see them at all times.

Note that the children are NOT expected to memorize these words. Some will, and that's fine. But the real goal is to give them a growing list of words for which they are responsible.

The list grows by 5 words each week. Look for a new list each Monday. New words are always circled. Watch, too, for the practice sheets the children bring home each day. The children are given clues and write all five words daily in response to the clues.

During the daily practice, the children learn a great deal about language by using the clues. They also focus on printing.

Families use the Word Wall Words in a variety of ways. Some have their child simply read the words each day. Some give clues themselves and have their child choose which word fits each clue. Some post the list on the fridge or on a bulletin board. When the child is writing, the parents can remind the child to check the list.

By using the correct spelling for this list, children often learn the words by memory by the end of the year.

December 10, 2009

2009-12-10T22:26:00.000-08:00

Sometimes a teacher needs a little help. Today 3 students took on some of the leadership. They did a good job. So did those who responded to them.

You can be proud of your children.

December 9, 2009

2009-12-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

This afternoon we saw Baby Charlotte again as part of the Roots of Empathy program in our room.

We practiced singing a lullaby in case Charlotte got fussy.

We noticed how much Baby Charlotte had grown. She can hold her own head up a bit now. She can open her hands by herself.

Then sure enough, she got fussy. But she didn't want a lullaby. She didn't even care about being held and rocked. What she really wanted was to eat.

So we got to watch her drinking breast milk. This was the first time for some of us to see a baby drinking from her mom. After she ate, Baby Charlotte wanted to go home, so we sang our good-bye song to her and began to look forward to her next visit.

Tonight we are going to do our concert for our community. We are all ready and will do our best.

December 8, 2009

2009-12-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is our big day!

Please have your child in the classroom IN COSTUME by 6:50. That means brown top and pants and black gloves. Everything else they need will be here.

All children sing in a choir at the end, so you will pick up your child at the end of the performance in the classroom. It can be a bit chaotic in the classroom at the end. I will want to know how each child leaves, so be sure we've made eye contact before your child goes home.

December 7, 2009

2009-12-08T07:55:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is our dress rehearsal. Please do not send the costume pants. Black gloves are fine.

On Wednesday, have your child here by 6:50 so we will be ready for a 7:00 performance.

December 3, 2009

2009-12-04T06:12:00.001-08:00

You should have received tail lights in the planner by now. These have a peel and stick backing. To be really secure, they will need some stitching as well.

We will not have spats, so apart from noses, we are all set--

And the noses have to be put on that night in the classroom, so we are all set.

Plan to come early enough to find a place to park and to get your child into the classroom in time to have a nose applied. One strategy would be to park, get into the gym and reserve yourself a seat by putting something on it, and then bringing your child down to the classroom. Once your child is in the room, you can go and hang onto your seat. I'll send a list of who will be where on the stage later so you can sit where you can see your child best.

At this time, during the choir numbers, our class is on the right as you face the stage. I'll let you know if that changes. Every year we struggle to find a way to make every child visible to the whole audience when the choir sings. We've never been fully successful. What we can do, is tell you that the singing is fabulous! For a young choir that has not had much time to practice, your children are amazing! This is, without a doubt, the best group singing from the primary children I've heard at Gibsons Elementary, and I've been here a while.

December 2, 1009

2009-12-02T22:13:00.001-08:00

Today we worked on a Christmas decoration. Painting small spaces with tiny brushes takes a lot of concentration.

We also learned more about babies. We learned why babies cry and what we can do to soothe a crying baby.

We learned that a crying baby is not a bad baby. A crying baby is a baby with a problem who needs our help.

December 1, 2009

2009-12-01T21:59:00.001-08:00

December is a busy month at school as I'm sure it must be at home.

You can help your child to cope by keeping to bedtimes so you child has enough rest and keeping to routines as much as possible.

Today I saw academic growth in everyone. I also saw a class of very focused children. You can all be proud of the ones you send me each morning.

November 25, 2009

2009-11-25T13:11:00.000-08:00

Only one month until YOU-KNOW-WHAT!

Mr. Heidebrecht asked all teachers to remind parents that ALL children need to come dressed for the weather. Right now, that means coats and boots at a minimum. They should also have a way to keep their heads dry: hoods or umbrellas.

Please, please, please, have your child also bring indoor shoes EVERY DAY. Sitting in boots all day is not healthy. It's especially not healthy when the boots get full of water and the choice is sitting in wet boots or nothing.

Thanks to those of you who send your child properly dressed each day.

NOTE: If you do not have jackets, boots, shoes, or other necessities for your child, we have fund for that. Let me know what you need. All the kids at Gibsons Elementary deserve to be warm, dry, and healthy, even in rainy weather.

November 20, 2009

2009-11-21T11:17:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrated Jessica's birthday with cupcakes she brought.

We also got to practice on the stage for our Christmas concert.

November 19, 2009

2009-11-19T22:10:00.000-08:00

Today we talked about how people and animals prepare for winter. You can extend this conversation with your child by pointing out what you are doing to get ready. You can also note changes in nature that you see together.

Tomorrow we have a full day of school.

November 18

2009-11-19T06:46:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow will also be an early dismissal day.

If you haven't seen the book sale in the Library, do stop in. There are some wonderful books and the library gets credit for the books sold, so the school benefits by being able to buy new books as well.

Be sure to check the planner pocket for the red notice about the costumes we'll need for the Christmas concert. There's a need for helpers, so if you are inclined toward the arts or are good at crafts, this could be your moment to shine.

November 17, 2009

2009-11-18T06:37:00.000-08:00

Grade One is a time to set a good foundation for life-long reading. Much of the day is given to reading activities. Hearing a story is still a great way to develop reading skills. During story time, children hear language used by some of the world's best writers, see illustrations by professional artists, and are challenged to think about literature or stretched in their knowledge of the world.

Your story times at home also build that foundation. Although it's important for your child to read, it's still important that you read to your child.

Wednesday and Thursday this week, students will be dismissed at 1:35 so teachers can meet with parents. The schedule is posted outside the classroom door, and your interview time is in the planner.

Nov. 12, 2009

2009-11-12T19:55:00.000-08:00

The Primary Team at Gibsons Elementary is putting emphasis on mental Math this year. Mental Math involves using strategies like visualizing arrays of numbers. We use a variety of arrays to help children develop flexibility in building numbers. Watch your child for signs that he or she is using mental Math strategies.

November 10, 2009

2009-11-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

We went to the gym for a Remembrance Day assembly. We listened to the school choir and band and to poems and a short talk by a Legion member. Then we watched a short video that helped us to think about the soldiers.

We wore poppies.

When we came back, we wrote and drew our thoughts. You can see what we wrote if you visit the bulletin board outside our classroom.

November 9, 2009

2009-11-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

Did you get your child's Driting? It's in a special planner pocket. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

The children are writing their own report cards this week. I'm impressed by what a good job they are doing. I think you will be, too.

November 6, 2009

2009-11-07T18:59:00.001-08:00

Today we had examples of good sharing: Things kids made or items with personal meaning.

A word about H1N1...

At the end of the day, I ask kids if they want a hug or a handshake. Some people have been startled to see this in the face of H1N1 fears.

The kids in our class will have washed their hands (and I will have washed mine) at least once before the end of the day. Anyone who sneezes, coughs, or even puts his or her hands near a nose is asked to wash right away. That said, if you would rather I not shake hands with your child, please let me know and we will make another arrangement.

You should also know that our custodians are more diligent than usual in cleaning classroom surfaces daily. We even had our carpets shampooed an extra time during our professional development day.

November 4, 2009

2009-11-04T19:27:00.000-08:00

We met Baby Charlotte today! When she comes, we sing a her a hello song. Shannon brings Baby Charlotte around so she can meet all of us. We don't touch her, but we can smile at her.

Baby Charlotte has a special green blank to lay on in our classroom. We all stay off her blanket. Sometimes today she was on her tummy and sometimes she was on her back. She played a little bit. Shannon measured her with our multilinks. She is 29 multilinks long. Shannon says we can watch her grow.

We have a bulletin board with information about Baby Charlotte. Last time Shannon came we guessed whether Baby Charlotte would be smaller than, bigger than, or the same size as the doll Shannon brought. We made a graph about our guesses. Most of us thought Baby Charlotte would be the same size as the doll. She is bigger than the doll.

Baby Charlotte was in the newspaper with the rest of her family. We put that part of the newspaper on our bulletin board.

We are all looking forward to the next time Baby Charlotte will visit us.

November 3, 2009

2009-11-03T19:46:00.000-08:00

Division 9 shows an impressive improvement since the beginning of the term. Everyone knows the routines and follows them well.

Our desks have moved. Now our desks make a big rectangle with a great meeting space in the middle.

Today we read Where The Wild Things Are. Then we played Wild Thing. Two players sit knee-to-knee and look into each others' eyes. The first person to laugh is out and the other player is the Wild Thing.

October 30, 2009

2009-11-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

What a great day we had! We roasted the seeds from Vampire. We estimated them and counted them. Then we divided them among us. Everyone here got 15 seeds.

After recess we watched a presentation from Tricia Hunter who has had 24 surgeries to correct problems she has had since birth. She answered lots of questions.

You can see part of Tricia's presentation here. (It might take a minute to load. Be patient.)

In the afternoon, we joined four other classes for lots of Hallowe'en fun. Older kids led small groups around to activities like games, face painting, singing, dancing, bowling, drawing, listening to stories, Bingo, and lots of other fun things.

October 29, 2003

2009-10-30T07:28:00.001-07:00

Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins!

Our class pumpkin, whose name is Vampire, is open and we are looking at his insides.

We are singing about pumpkins and counting plasticine pumpkins. We have drawn pumpkins and written Math stories about pumpkins.

Tomorrow we'll continue with pumpkins.

October 28, 2009

2009-10-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

Today Shannon came to talk to us about baby Charlotte who will be coming to our class soon. First we had to learn some of the rules about what to do when baby Charlotte is in our class. We also guessed what baby Charlotte can do already and how big she is. When she comes, we'll see if we are right in our guesses.

One important rule is that none of us will touch baby Charlotte. We have a special green blanket for her to sit on. We will sit around the blanket so we can see her and she will be safe.

October 27, 2009

2009-10-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today we worked on putting periods at the ends of our sentences. Everyone made some improvement! For some of us it was the first time to use a period. For some of us, it was the first time to try to write a whole sentence. Some of us wrote two whole pages. We get better each time we work in our Driting (Drawing and Writing) books.

October 22, 2009

2009-10-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

Today we took magnifying glasses out to our tree. We looked at parts of the tree more closely and wrote about what we saw.

We are also learning that it doesn't matter how we arrange a set of items, the number of items will still be the same. The Grade Ones learned about the plus sign and practiced using it. The Grade Twos are working with bigger numbers. It's important to know as much as possible about how the number system works. We'll be spending a lot of time on that.

Here are some ways you can help with Math:

Play board games, especially those that use two dice. In a fun way, children will move from counting every dot to knowing exactly what a roll is worth.

When children are really comfortable with numbers to 20, you can use dimes and pennies to count. The motivation of counting money keeps kids working for a long time, getting lots of practice. Dimes and pennies reflect the number system, so they are a great set of tools. If you child doesn't really understand that a little dime is worth ten bigger pennies, you can play trading games until the understanding comes.

October 21, 2009

2009-10-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

We made scarecrows today. Aren't they fantastic!

Thanks to the moms who helped us and to Donna who brought in the so many materials from her garden and told us what to do.

You can meet these wonderful fellows (and gals) tonight at Family Fun Night. That's 5-8 in the gym.

October 20, 2009

2009-10-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we make scarecrows. Today we crumpled up lots of paper to get ready. Just wait until you see the final product!

We will share our scarecrows with everyone at Family Fun Night on Thursday. You can see them there. After that, you can see them in our hallway and in our classroom.

October 19, 2009

2009-10-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

At the end of today we had a very emotional chat about family breakups. Your child may come home with questions about adult relationships. If there is any situation I should know about, just put a note in the planner.

October 16, 2009

2009-10-17T08:36:00.001-07:00

Grade Two students are learning to build numbers to 100 using special rods and cubes. In just two days we've made huge improvement in how quickly we can build the numbers because we are learning more about what the numbers mean and we can read them with new eyes.

Ms. Knecht's Grade Five class are our special big buddies. Big buddies come down and read with little buddies. What a treat that is! One on one time with someone they can look up to. In some cases, the big buddies are tutoring students who need a little extra boost.

Isn't Gibsons Elementary a great learning community! We are so lucky to be doing our learning here!

We are always happy to have parents come and help. Isaiah's mom, Amy, used to help in my classroom when she was in high school. Now she's back as a parent.

Any time you want to come in for a visit, just sign in at the office(in case of emergencies we need to know who is in the building), knock at the door (the door person will let you in, so you won't be disrupting the whole class), and join in either by watching or participating. If you want to volunteer on a more formal basis, talk to me.

October 15, 2009

2009-10-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

Today the rain stopped long enough for us to go out to see "our" tree. We made pictures that show what our tree looks like right now. We also added animals getting ready for winter. These are truly wonderful pictures.

October 14, 2009

2009-10-15T15:26:00.001-07:00

With Thanksgiving over, we are all thinking about Hallowe'en. Black cats add atmosphere. You can see our cats hanging from our ceiling if you visit us.

October 13, 2009

2009-10-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

Next Wednesday, October 21, between recess and lunch (10:55 to 12:10) we will be building scarecrows. We could really use some adult help. All the materials will be here, but we need grown-ups to help with tying and general supervision. If you are free, please join us.

October 9, 2009.

2009-10-11T12:58:00.001-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

We made jello jigglers and ate them all up!

October 8, 2009

2009-10-08T18:30:00.001-07:00

I can see a jigaree.
It is jumping after me.
Jumping here.
Jumping there.
Jigarees jump everywhere.

We read the book about jigarees today. When we were done, one of us asked if jigarees are real. We spent a long time talking about what we thought about jigarees and how we could decide if they are real.

Now that you've seen some in this picture, what do you think? Are they real, or not?

October 7, 2009

2009-10-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

See our beautiful patterns?

We worked hard on this project that combined Math, Social Studies, and Art. Just wait until Friday when we bring these home! The ones in the picture aren't finished yet. We did even more work than you can see here!

October 6, 2009

2009-10-07T19:50:00.001-07:00

On Tuesdays, we go to the gym with Mr. Heidebrecht. This time we had to run putting our feet into the hoola hoops.

October 5, 2009

2009-10-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

We said a final farewell to Duke this morning. We planted a heather plant on his grave. Someone else had made a cross, and we put it back. We also put back the flowers others had left on his grave. We miss him.

We are getting ready for Thanksgiving. We've made construction paper turkeys and we are working on special place mats for Thanksgiving dinner or simply as artwork to save and display.

Today we got to use lots of special games Miss Owen has to help us learn to read and to learn about numbers. We'll be able to use these games on other days, too.

October 2, 2009

2009-10-03T15:14:00.000-07:00

We read the story The First of Octember. Then we made lists of things we wanted on that magical day. We've posted our work outside our classroom.

October 1, 2009

2009-10-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

Today we worked on the letters that start high and then go down. Those are l, i, and t. We made a short video so you can see how to make these letters correctly. If you notice any of us making a mistake and starting at the bottom, especially when we write our names, please remind us to start high and go down.

September 30, 2009

2009-09-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

Today our Art lesson allowed us to practice painting skills (including clean-up) and to learn a bit of colour theory. We can name the warm colours and mixed orange by putting a tiny bit of red into yellow.

We also wowed the SETAs who came to our class. We already knew that the special words in Gibsons Elementary are

Safe,
Cared for, and
Respected.

September 28, 2009

2009-09-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

I'll be gone on Monday afternoon and all day Tuesday. But the learning will still go on. The main focus will continue to be our work with patterns. I've left some activities for the children to do that will deepen their understanding of patterns.

I look forward to seeing what they have learned when I come back on Wednesday morning.

I wrote the above on Sunday evening. I got to school today to hear that Duke died on the weekend. We had a funeral for him this morning. I'll post photos when I can get time online.

For parents, this is a great time to talk with your child about death in general.

September 24, 2009

2009-09-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

We had a great Terry Fox run. Great weather, great attitude, great parental support!

September 23, 2009

2009-09-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

We used the Smart Board to start our patterning unit. After we practiced on the Smart Board, we created a pattern in pairs. Then we copied the patterns of other pairs using our own material.

For example, we might have used red and yellow multilinks to make a pattern of red, yellow, red, yellow, red, yellow. Then we used our red and yellow multilinks to copy a pattern made of square and diamond pattern blocks. So square, square, diamond became red, red, yellow.

Patterns are all around us. You can extend this unit with your child by noticing the patterns around you. Here are some places to look: clothing, tiles, fences, some garden plantings, upholstery, the way leaves arrange themselves along stems or branches... See what else you can find together.

Later we will be looking at the patterns in our number system. If your child can read numbers, you might want to go on a number pattern hunt together.

September 23, 2009

2009-09-23T07:17:00.001-07:00

Today we got to see Maya's violin.

When someone has something very special to show us, we make time for sharing. As a general rule, toys are out. The exceptions are one toy after a birthday and one toy after Christmas. Things that are good to share are items others may not see every day (like a violin) or something a child has made. It is impractical to have everyone show something every day. The time is more valuable if the items are more carefully chosen and a child has prepared what to say.

We can also share news. Lost teeth are always newsworthy. So are new pets, a family move, an upcoming trip. Again, the time is more valuable if the child who tells the news has thought ahead about what to say.

I clear both showing and telling before the first bell rings in the morning. If a child does not ask before that bell, he or she is welcome to talk to me the next day.

September 21, 2009

2009-09-21T13:41:00.001-07:00

Today we all did some reading and practiced for the Terry Fox run. Some of us got to show how well we can count. This afternoon, we got to work with plasticine. Plasticine takes lots of rolling to get soft enough for little fingers to work with it.

September 18, 2009

2009-09-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

We got to see some blue jay eggs today. Then Miss Owen used the Smart Board to show us her photo a robin's egg that she found on her deck a few days ago. It's a strange time for bird's eggs, but they are interesting to look at.

September 17, 2009

2009-09-18T06:18:00.000-07:00

Our first Science unit invites us to consider living things. We've sat quietly outside and tried to sort things into living and non-living categories. Two items so far have stirred debate:

Branches fallen from trees
Air

Next week we'll begin a home reading program. This works best when the child takes a book home one day, and returns it to school the next day whether or not that book was read. That way, we can still use the book at school if we need to. The child can always take the same book home another day. I suggest you treat the home reading like the planner in that you store it in the backpack. That way it won't get lost.

Sending the material back and forth each day is especially important for those who bring home a duotang. We use the duotan in class daily and if your child leaves the duotang at home, he or she will miss important aspects of the next day's reading lesson.

September 16, 2009

2009-09-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

Today we started to keep track of the weather on our weather calendars. Everyone put the right weather in the number 16 box. Yay!

Knowing which book is just right for us to read is a very important reading skill. Today we began looking for just right books for each of us. Some children are already good at knowing what they can read. Others need a little help. But everyone will be choosing just right books within a few days.

A word about the homework calendars: Those are for your convenience. Many families find it handy to have some suggestions about what to do. If you decide to use the calendar, you may have your child bring it back when it's completed and I will add a sticker and send it back home. The real benefit of the homework calendar is the time you spend with your child on tasks. It says, "I care about what you are learning." Any way you communicate that is wonderful.

If anyone is interested in a job stapling booklets together, I have a job for you! Talk to me before or after school, and we can set up a schedule that makes us both happy.

September 15, 2009

2009-09-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today we did some serious building. Here are some things we made.

September 14, 2009

2009-09-14T18:44:00.001-07:00

Welcome to fourteen Grade One students and eight Grade Two students.

We had a good day today. Everyone did a good job of printing his or her name on a name card. We played with Duke a little bit and played a number game. We also put name tags on our hooks and desks and got into desks that fit us.

There is usually a new blog entry here each day. So check back regularly to see what's happening in our class.

Please remember to look at the planner and sign it every day.

Miss Owen

September 11, 2009

2009-09-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

We worked so hard today that we had a longer choice time than Miss Owen meant to give us.

The best thing about this class right now is that everyone takes responsibility for cleaning up.

We will go to new classes early next week.

September 10, 2009

2009-09-11T05:37:00.000-07:00

We had a busy day. Our slideshow will show you some of what we did.

September 9, 2009

2009-09-09T19:50:00.001-07:00

We worked hard today.

First, we learned about three-toed sloths and made learning pictures about them.

Then we worked on a hard Math puzzle, but we kept on working until we figured it out.

We are also jumping little jumps and big jumps to raise our heart rates. We are getting stronger.

We don't know yet which teachers we will be with next year.

With all the rain, we need extra clothes at school.

Septmeber 8, 2009

2009-09-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

Here we are, back at school again, ready for a new year. We are missing some friends from last year, and we welcomed a new student.

Because we are in Grade Two, we know a lot more than we did at this time last year.

Today we talked about our holidays. We drew pictures that showed what was important about our holiday. We remembered what makes a picture interesting for others to look at.

Tomorrow, we'll write about our holidays.

Flip-flops are good for the beach, not for running around the field. If we wear flip-flops, we have to bring other shoes so we can run fast safely.

Tomorrow we will be in school for the whole day.

School supplies stay at home until the teachers tell us to bring them. That will be when we go to our new classes.

Welcome Back!

2009-09-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

Did you have fun this summer?

I sure did! Can you see all the mud that got on my car on my travels down some roads not many people get to drive down?

Are you ready for school?

I am.

Here's what you need to know for the first day:

School starts for you at 11:20. You get to sleep in.

We'll have a sort of recess and lunch break, so bring some food.
Remember, no nuts, seeds, or berries.

Then you will go home at 1:35.

Please keep you school supplies at home until we tell you to bring them.

Do bring a happy smile and a story to tell us about what you did or what you saw.

You've probably heard that people all over the world are thinking about a flu that is making some people very sick. It's a good thing you all know how to keep your coughs and sneezes off other people. You also know how important it is to wash your hands often. You know how to stay healthy.

I'm looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday.

June 24, 2009

2009-06-25T07:35:00.001-07:00

Can you believe we are facing our last day in Grade One?

Are you as impressed as I am with how far your child has come? Watch out Grade Two!

Tomorrow afternoon we will swim at the pool. When we get back to class, we will have a brief leaving ceremony. You are more than welcome to attend the ceremony.

For those of you who ordered the photo books, I will probably have to deliver them to you. Of course they might arrive today, but if they don't, I'll be knocking on your door as soon as they arrive.

You child will be bringing home a Word Wall sheet and a few pages of interlined paper. These should give you something to work with when it comes to writing. On rainy days, consider playing board, card, or dice games that will help you child to keep up with number facts. And of course, remember to cuddle with a story every day. You child can read, but it's also OK to read books that are too hard for your child to read. Talk about what you do and what you read.

I'll see you all in September. The first few days the children will be with this year's teacher, so we can start right where we left off.

June 17, 2009

2009-06-18T07:03:00.000-07:00

In case you missed my phone call, here are the details about the photo book I am making for the class.

The book will be 8"X6" and will have 20 pages. There will be between 60 and 80 photos. The cost will range from $16 to $12. The difference in price is because of the difference in mailing charges that come from bulk orders.

If you want a book, send me $16 by Friday. I'm hoping the books will arrive by Thursday. If not, I will deliver yours to your house and give you any refund owing.

June 16, 2009

2009-06-17T06:21:00.001-07:00

We were glad to see so many of you at the year end celebration. We hope you were impressed by how well we can read now. Not only did we read The New Baby Calf, but we read it together and we read it in parts. That's pretty hard work.

Did you see the blue notice in the planner about Duke? He likes to go visiting during the summer and he can stay for a long time on his summer visits. Your family has until Friday to return the form if you want to have a turn with Duke this summer.

June 10. 2009

2009-06-10T10:31:00.002-07:00

How well does your child to mental math? Mental math is math the child does without using concrete manipulatives. In other words, it's math they do in their heads.

Try asking a few simple questions. Watch to see if your child is mentally counting, or using some other strategy to figure out the answers. Give increasingly difficult questions to build mental math strength.

Before or after story time might be a good mental math time each day.

June 10. 2009

2009-06-10T10:31:00.001-07:00

June 5, 2009

2009-06-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun at Sports Day!

We hopped in sacks and kicked things and threw things and ran with things and danced. We cheered for our team and for other people, too.

We were really excited when the ribbons arrived after the very last minute had already passed. We cleaned up the playground really well and even tidied the classroom before we left.

We were good sports, which is the main thing.

June 4, 2009

2009-06-04T07:31:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is Sports Day. We should have sunscreen, hats, and water bottles.

In the mean time, we are taking a look back at our year to see what we have learned. Have you heard us read lately? Most of us are also writing at least two pages in our Driting books. Our writing uses interesting language and includes lots of details. We can write both the inside and the outside stories. Soon we will write our final report cards.

June 3, 2009

2009-06-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

We had a visit from two local foresters who showed us beautiful slides of animals, plants, and jobs from the forest. Then we each got a western redcedar to plant.

One of the foresters has agreed to come back and take us for a walk in our local forest so we can see the plants and animals up close.

June 1, 2009

2009-06-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

Today we learned the names for private body parts.
Here are the ones we named.

Boys have 3 private parts:

bottom
penis
testicles

Girls have 3 private parts:

1. bottom
nipples
vulva

We know that it's important to show respect for our own bodies and the bodies of others.

It will help if you talk about these things at home as well because each family has its own way of dealing with personal issues.

May 12, 2009

2009-05-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check the planner pocket for important information on our personal safety unit. During these lessons, your child will learn standard names for private body parts and will learn when it is OK to say no to an adult or older child.

These lessons often bring on the sillies if children are embarrassed by the topics.

On another level of safety, we had a great discussion about what to do if we have an earthquake during school hours. The children had some excellent questions:

What can we do if the door won't open?
What if we aren't in the classroom when the shaking starts?

They also know what to do if the adult is injured and can't help them. (Count to 60 after the shaking stops, follow the designated student to safety, and if you are the "door person," tell an adult that there is someone injured in the building.) We spent a lot of time talking about how important it is to behave calmly and to keep everyone around us safe in an emergency.

You can be proud of the responsible attitude your child has shown during the discussions.

May 11

2009-05-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Today was a day for changes.

We were assigned to new reading groups.

That meant we had to move some furniture in our classroom.

That meant we had to have a new seating plan for our desks and also for our carpet time. (Our carpet time is now lino time.)

We also read about earthquakes and practiced what to do if one happened at school. We talked, too, about what to do at home if we felt an earthquake there. We know it's serious, but we don't want to be too scared.

You can help by talking about what your family would do during and after a quake.

April 30, 2009

2009-04-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

We finished our swimming lessons this afternoon. Everyone shows improvement! And everyone had fun!

I'm sorry that I forgot to bring my camera today, but you can see how well your child swims the next time you swim together. Tomorrow I'll send home the certificates from the instructors.

I was also very impressed today at how well the children did in putting pieces of pasta into groups that would make it easier to count. We've decided that groups of 2, 5, and 10 work much better than groups of 13 or 7. We wrote riddles for each other about numbers and put them into little books. During free time, we can do the riddles our friends made.

April 27, 2009

2009-04-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

When Dylan's team reached 100 points, Dylan asked that his prize be a day teaching the class. We negotiated one lesson. Today with his Mom as a helper, Dylan showed us how water combined with the dye in washable felt and traveled up a strip of coffee filter paper.

Dylan said the hardest part was to get people to listen. Part of that was his lack of experience in managing a classroom. But not all. Our whole class has been slipping in this area lately. Here's how you can help. Watch your child. Does he or she wait until someone else has finished talking before talking? Does he or she actually look at your when you are speaking? Being a good listener is a vital skill both in the classroom and in life. Any help you can give your child in learning to listen well will be a lifelong gift.

2009-04-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

Look at our beautiful art work.

We read The New Baby Calf, a book that Barbara Reid illustrated.

Then we used her style to make animal artwork. You can see the originals in the hallway, but until then, you can enjoy them right here.

April 23, 2009

2009-04-24T07:50:00.000-07:00

Retro Day!

Some of us came with attitude as well as retro clothes.

Can you tell which decade each of us dressed for?

April 22, 2009

2009-04-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

Hurray for Canada Day!

Mr. Heidebrecht got all dressed up.

We went to the gym to listen to our choir.

April 21, 2009

2009-04-21T20:02:00.001-07:00

Aren't we amazing!

We had some very crazy hair in our classroom today. Riley took this photo for us. Thank you, Riley.

Remember that tomorrow is Canada Day in our Spirit Week. It will be interesting to see how each person decides to celebrate being Canadian.