Jan 12-16, 2015

Another 5 day week is upon us. Please check the schedule ("What's Coming Up" tab) to see what we have going on beyond the curriculum.

Last week was quite the adjustment for most students. We talked about 4 important things to remember:
1. Get more sleep! Your child needs minimum 10 hours of sleep every night. Sending them to bed 30 minutes before the 'usual time', can lead to higher success and more positive class time.
2. Eat healthy. Fruits! Vegetables! Keeps us energized and is better for our bodies. Although the sugary pre-packaged food is easier for parents to pack in a child's lunch, the result of these products is very obvious in the classroom. I encourage you to pack a variety of fruits and vegetables in their lunch.
3. Wash your hands. There are a lot of illnesses going around, anything from stomach to colds/flu. A simple prevention technique is washing your hands with soap and water. I encourage washing their hands instead of hand sanitizer before every meal.
4. Dress Warm! There have been multiple times where I have to ask "where are your mittens?" and the response? "Mom didn't pack them!" I encourage students to take accountability and pack their bag and think of all of these things before they leave the house. With the ever-changing weather lately (and the history of January weather in Alberta), I do not let students outside with a hat and mitts/gloves. Instead of packing your child's backpack in the morning, ask them "what will you need to wear outside for recess today?" This allows them to think and prepare for the day ahead.

Language Arts
Writing-This week in writing we are discussing 2 major topics: character detail and effective story endings. Character detail allows the reader to understand exactly what the character looks like, is wearing, sounds like, how he/she moves, etc. This character detail is also not to come in the form of "He has blue pants. He has red lips. He has hazel eyes. He has big feet." We are exploring different ways to introduce characteristics that are exciting to the reader.
Effective story endings can be challenging because most students want to finish the story quickly and forget to wrap up details. We will be exploring different ways (using feelings, sounds, emotions, connections) to end a story.
Reading-This is a reminder that students are being asked to complete 4 hours of reading at home during the month of January. Please record this in your child's red duotang and return it to school for every hour read. I have noticed more and more students about asking to download RazKids at home on a phone or tablet...Please do!!! This time spent on RazKids also counts towards home reading. If you have questions, please contact me.

Math
Patterns-Our patterns test will be this Thursday Jan 15. A review of what will be on the test will be on Tuesday during our math time.

Science
Hot and Cold Temperatures-Still our focus for the week, but we will be looking at thermometers and measuring temperature using these instruments.

Social
Wrapping up our unit about the communities of Saskatoon, Iqaluit, and Meteghan and moving onto the cultures of these communities (before the end of January).