Gingerbread Day

I am looking for parent help
for Wednesday, December 19th as we will be baking and decorating Gingerbread cookies.
We plan to start at 1:00 and hopefully be finished baking and decorating before 3:00.
How you can help:
- come in from 1:00 to 3:00 on Wednesday (please let me know if you can help)
- send in small candies to decorate with (please send in tomorrow so I will know what needs to be purchased)
Thanks in advance for your continued support, especially at this busy time of year.

Terrific Tuesday



The Snow was perfect so many RBES Classes worked together to build snowmen!



Christmas Concert and Activities.

I feel we are ready to welcome December as our Christmas Concert is this coming Wednesday and the preparations have put us in the Christmas spirit.
Some parents have asked me about what the children should wear for concert night. 1T is singing a song about snowflakes. Likely you have heard your child singing it at home. Please dress your child in anything you would like. I suggest not an overly warm sweater as it tends to get quite warm in the classroom and the gym. The Concert starts at 7:00 pm. Please bring your child to the classroom at 6:45. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call or email me. 

Student Teachers

 

Your child may have mentioned that we have two student teachers in our classroom. Miss Jasslyn Sontag and Miss Natalie Bridgeman are two of six U of A students doing a five week practicum in our school.  I enjoy having student teachers as it helps me to keep current and my students benefit from the extra support.
Miss Sontag and Miss Bridgeman are both lovely, enthusiastic young ladies who are quickly becoming a part of our class and school community.

Children Serving Children

Operation Christmas Child

Thank you parents for sending in items to fill shoe boxes.  I know 1T students are feeling good about giving! A special Thank you to Mrs. Falkenberg for spending the better part of the morning packing these boxes to the brim. 

Operation Christmas Child

Following please find the letter sent home in mid October. It has been a while and I know you have been busy so this is a reminder. I realize students are not back at school until Wednesday, which is the deadline. I can extend it to Thursday in the hope of filling two boxes. Last week we watched a short, but inspirational, DVD of children receiving these precious boxes. Your children were very excited about the idea of sending off two boxes.

Dear Parents:

Gift filled shoe boxes are sent to children around the world in 3^rd world countries by an organization called “Samaritan’s Purse”.  Our classroom is participating in the “Operation Christmas Child project this year.

We will be putting together two or three shoe boxes to send for children from ages 5 to 9.  We would like to ask your help in doing this.  If you are able to provide one or more of the following items, please send it to school with your child as soon as possible. As well, there is a minimum $7.00 fee for shipping, so if you could contribute something toward that it would be appreciated.

Suggested gifts are:

Toys:  small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small etch a sketch, slinky, etc.

School Supplies:  pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons or pencil crayons, colouring books, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, etc.

Hygiene Items:  toothbrush, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc.

Other:  hard wrapped candy, sunglasses, ball caps, socks, T-shirts, toy jewelry, hair clips, watches, small picture books, etc.

Please do not include any of the following:  toothpaste (due to custom regulations), liquids or items that leak, melt or freeze (these can spoil boxes), shampoo, gels, paint, cream, lip balm, liquid glue, etc.; food (due to shipping regulations) chewy, soft centered, crumbly or unwrapped candy, gum, Rockets, Tootsie Rolls, etc.; used items, breakable items like glass, porcelain, mirrors, etc.; items that can scare or harm a child like knives, war-related toys, toy guns, etc.

The deadline to have items to our classroom is Wednesday, November 14 as they will be taken to a drop off  point on Friday the 16th.  There are extra boxes in the office if your family would like to do this as a family project.

Thank you for helping a child.

Cathy Towne and 1-T Students

 

Social Studies

 

So far this week we have been learning a lot about 1-T families! I appreciate your support with this as it not only helps students learn that each child's identity is shaped by their family, but also begin to appreciate and embrace differences. Please ask your child to tell you about some of what has been shared. Next week children are asked to bring in something that represents a group or interest outside their family. Please refer to a previous post for more details and contact me if you have questions.

Social Studies and Sharing

Our current Social Studies topic is “Belonging in My World”.

Students will develop an understanding of and

appreciation for how identity and self-esteem are

enhanced by a sense of belonging and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and vitality of their groups and communities.

Following please find two activities requiring your help from home.

1.    Family first shapes our identity. Please send in something from home that tells about your family. It could be a special recipe, a picture, an artifact from your cultural background or something that shows a special interest your family shares. We will have a daily “Sharing Time” during the week of October 15 – 19^th.

2.    Belonging to a group outside the family also helps to shape our identity. If your child has an item that would represent a group they belong to, it could be brought in for their “Sharing Day” during the week of October 22 – 26^th.

Some suggestions

          - dance-group apparel/photos

          - sports or club uniform/photos

          - group logos, symbols, badges

- activities they enjoy like collecting things, drawing, bike riding, swimming, reading, family activities.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Halloween Activities

We are doing Halloween Crafts tomorrow from 1:20 to 3:00. If you are able to help please come ready to get gooey!
 
As well, we will be carving pumpkins on October 30th from 2:00 to 3:00. Please let me know if you are able to help as this activity requires at least three other adults. 

Lastly, if you are able to send in a pumpkin for our carving day that would be much appreciated. Just so you know, we will carve the ones we get on the 30th and do a draw for who gets to take one home at our Halloween party on the afternoon of October 31st. That means the pumpkin you send in may find it's way to a different home in the form of a Jack-O-lantern. 

October 10th's Special Person

Isabelle 
Isabelle likes the colours pink and purple. Her favourite animal is a peacock. Isabelle has a dog named Chloe and two cats named Scruffy and Lucky.

Happy Thanksgiving!

                                                  

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Just a reminder that there is no school for students on Tuesday, October 9th as it is a P.D. Day for teachers. Also, there will be no Spelling next week as it is a short one.

October 4th's Special person

Austin 

Austin's favourite colours are blue and black.

Austin likes the number eight. Austin has a dog named Jazz. 

October 3rd's Special Person

Madison
Madison likes the colours pink and light blue. 

She likes the number 30. Madison has a dog named Mia. 

Today's Special Person

Olivia
Olivia likes the colours black and pink. She likes the number one. Olivia's favourite thing to do at school is go to the Library.

Today's Special Person

Winter

Winter likes the colours black and blue. Winter likes tacos. Her favourite fruit is apples. Winter has a stuffy bunny. She likes hearts.

Today's Special Person

Spencer

Spencer likes the colours black and grey. He has two dogs. He has a little brother named Lynx. Spencer's favourite food is steak and his favourite fruit is strawberries.

Yummy - Yum - Yum!

Madison's Nana and Alexis' Mom with our Apple Pies!

My Oh My! No nicer way to end the week than with apple pie and ice-cream! Thanks to the parents who sent in apples and our helpers. We couldn't do it without you!

Literacy Centres

Working Together

Making Words

Reading Together

How many letters in your name?

Spelling Game - "Up to My Neck"

Students had a great introduction to working in groups at Literacy Centres with the support of Moms and Nanas too! At these Centres students are use their knowledge of letters and sounds. The activities reinforce what we are learning and provide a variety of ways for children to be engaged in purposeful work.   

Today's Special Person

Elliot

 Elliot's favourite colours are blue and orange. He has two dogs named Tali and Tachum. Elliot's favourite sea animal is a hammer head shark. He likes perogies and his favourite fruit is strawberries. Elliot likes to play lego and ride his bike.

Today's Special Person

Seth

Seth likes the colours blue and black. He likes bubblegum ice cream. He has a black dog named Colby.

Mmmm! Apple Pie!

Preparing the apples October 2011

Nothing says Autumn like a slice of warm apple pie with a little icecream!

On Friday morning we will be baking two apple pies to enjoy in the afternoon. If you have apples on a tree that you can spare, please let me know and send in on Thursday. Then I'll know how many I need to bring in. Thanks in advance! 

Library Change This Week

Please send in library books tomorrow, Wednesday, as the Library will be closed on Thursday.

Today's Special Person

Max
Max likes the colours red and green. His favourite animal is a cat. He has two cats. A black one named Fifty and a grey one named Easy. Max likes to sleep with his stuffy dog that is as big as him!