January 8th - 19th

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a lovely winter break, and I apologize for not posting last week. There have been a lot of changes to our classroom since we returned. Mrs. Salmons now teaches half time (Mon., Tues., every 2nd Wed.), while I am in the class the other half of the time. Though I will not be able to update you on Mrs. Salmons' subjects, I am going to continue the website for updates on my subjects. Currently, we are both teaching Math (but different units), and we are both teaching Language Arts (She focuses on reading, while I focus on writing.). I will also be teaching Art and Social Studies. If you have any questions about our schedule, feel free to contact either of us or the school.

So, a quick update on our learning so far in 2018:

In writing, students are focusing on making their stories more descriptive. We have read some very detailed writing as an example of something we will strive for. (Ask your child about Mr. Twit's hairy beard.) We have discussed that descriptive doesn't mean more things happening in a story (and then..and then..and then..); instead, descriptive means more details to describe what is happening. To work towards this, students have practiced describing pictures using the five senses and 'exciting' words (ex. freezing or chilly instead of cold).

In Math, we are learning how to tell time on an analog clock. We haven't practiced down to the minute yet, but we will next week. One piece many students are getting tricked by is the hour hand - students often think the hour is the number it is closest to, not the one it has passed last. While students are already pretty good at telling time, practicing at home will help make them become more fluent. The ultimate goal is for them to be able to read time without even thinking about it.

In Social Studies, we reviewed world maps and explored atlases. In Art, students did many winter themed directed drawings, as well as made new name tags for their desks. The students also used warm or cool colours to create a watercolour background for a project we'll finish next week.

Reminders: Library is on THURSDAYs now

Troll forms are DUE

Book orders due Friday, January 26th