December 12-23

Hello families and welcome to another week!

HOLIDAY CONCERT

Please bring your child to the K classroom at 6:10pm, as we are the first act (6:30pm). Please dress your child in black and white for the show!
After our number, we will return to the K room to watch a movie and wait for you!
(Don't forget to bring an extra item for our Food Bank Drive.)

LIBRARY

Please be sure to have a look for any unreturned library books and send them in ASAP. Children will not be taking books out over the holidays.

THE MITTEN

We will be reading and working with Jann Brett's popular story for the next 2 weeks. In math, we'll be learning to identify, say and use ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). Please reinforce at home. We will also be reading and writing the sight words THE, WAS and IN. Your child will bring home a booklet titled 'The Mitten'. Please enjoy reading it with your child. Ask them to find words that they know.

We will also be working on 'retelling' the story (summarizing the story). This is not an easy concept and children sometimes get bogged down with details. Encourage your child to retell stories that you read together, summarize his/her day, retell about an event or activity he/she did, etc. Modelling and practising together will ensure your child develops this important skill. Remember to be patient--it takes time to learn!
The children will also be dramatizing the story using various props. Using concrete materials helps children remember important details, make connections, think creatively and have fun!

GIMME 5

A Gimme 5 activity book was sent home with your child today. These were ordered from the Ontario Produce Marketing Association to complement our 'Healthy Living' unit. Although they are a wee bit late, they are still very relevant and I hope that you will enjoy reading through and completing the activities with your child.

SHERRI KERR PERFORMANCE

We are very lucky to have Jack's Mom (Sherri) and her friends perform for our class on Wednesday, December 21st at 1pm in the library. Parents, grandparents and caregivers are welcome to join us for this musical performance. Thank you Sherri, for sharing your talents with us!

GOODBYE TO MS. BLAKE...

Ms. Blake's placement finishes this Friday and we will be sad to see her go. Ms. Blake has worked incredibly hard to bring in interesting resources and to set up and lead various activities (a post office, a shaving cream number practise centre, a paint centre, a water absorption experiment using celery and coloured water, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" velcro board of healthy and unhealthy snacks,and more!). Ms. Blake brought warmth, energy and enthusiasm to our class. She got to know each of the children and worked hard to support and encourage them on their learning journeys. We will miss you Ms. Blake and we hope that your plan to return as a volunteer in the new Year works out!! Thanks for all the care and concern you have shown our class.

SPIRIT WEEK

Next week is 'Spirit Week' and each day there will be a different school-wide activity. Please see December's newsletter for an outline of events!

LAST DAY- December 23

We will have a little party on our last day and children are welcome to bring in a small treat to share with their friends (fruit, cheese and crackers, juice boxes and veggies and dip are great choices).

Happy holidays and all the best to you and yours for 2012!

Warmly,
Ms. Cox

December 5-9

Hello everyone!
What a busy time of year! Please read on to see what's coming up...

MULTICULTURAL LUNCHEON

Thank you for returning the slips indicating what food item you will be sending in on Thursday for our 13th Annual Multicultural Luncheon. Please note that the lunch begins at 11:30 and ends by 12:30. This means that our Child Care friends will attend with the Child Care Centre, however JK and SK students wishing to attend must be accompanied by a parent. Ms. Muzumdar and I will be busy ladling out food! The SK class will run as usual from 12:55-3:25. Thanks for participating. It's always an uplifting celebration!
***please remember to label all of your containers with your name and child's grade****

INTERVIEWS

I am still conducting parent-teacher conferences before and after school for those who were unable to attend last month. Please send a note in your child's agenda indicating your preferred time. Phone interviews can be scheduled, as well!

FOOD DRIVE

What a generous group! We are off to a great start with our campaign and our box is starting to fill up. In fact, we will be heading down the hall tomorrow to look at the school graph and add a 'soup can' to our bar! Nice.

HOLIDAY CONCERT

The children have been singing and dancing to "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas/Eid/Hanukkah/Diwali". Please encourage your child to sing these songs for you as we continue to prepare for the big show!
Please also remember that Food Bank donations will be accepted at the door on the night of the concert.

WATER BOTTLES

Despite my many 'pleas' I still have a number of students without water bottles. As I mentioned, we do not have a fountain in the class and it can be disruptive having students heading out to the hallway to get a drink. Thanks for your attention to this.

IN CLASS

The SK's are really starting to get the hang of our Writer's Workshop and we are starting to see some fantastic writing (as well as some very motivated, proud writers!). Bravo! Students are also busy adding to our 'word worm' of sight words. So far the students have learned a,and, I and the. Ask your son/daughter to find and read these words to you. Have them sing our 'the' chant, too.

"You can say the,
you can say thee,
either way you say it
it's T-H-E!"

We are also beginning our investigation of how people and animals prepare and adapt for winter. We will be learning about hibernation, migration, food gathering, food storing, appropriate clothing, and shelters. Ms. Blake has painted 2 beautiful pictures of animals hibernating. These paintings are on display at our painting centre and will serve as models for the children's creations. Thanks, Ms. Blake!

We will also be discussing the myriad celebrations and traditions that we have as a class. We'll read fiction and non-fiction and possibly have some guest speakers (let me know if you're interested in sharing). December's Show and Share focuses on this theme and I thank you for taking the time to complete this activity with your child. In the past, it has proven to be one of the year's favourites!

That's all for now. Have a great week!

Warmly,
Ms. Cox

November 28-December 2

Hello everyone!

LAST WEEK

We had so many exciting things happening in our room last week (and I was sorry to miss the first 3 days, but both of my children were quite sick)! Our study of 'healthy habits' got off to a great start with Ms. Bhullar and Mr. Cummings stepping in to deliver the planned activities. Ms. Blake and Shanice were also on hand to ensure things ran smoothly.

The children really enjoyed the lesson that our dental hygenist students (Dilal and Jill) delivered on healthy/unhealthy snacks. It was very hands-on and we still have the posters, the song and the 2 HUGE TEETH in our room! We will use these materials again this week as we complete our investigation of proper dental hygiene.

We will also be continuing our look at 'healthy habits'. In writing, students will be drawing and writing about their 'fab(ulous) food'. We will be focusing on 'stretching' words out in order to spell them phonetically.

In reading, we will continue with "My Fruits and Veggies". We are also beginning our sight word "Word Worm"! Sight words are common words (about 25) that good readers recognize automatically. A firm grasp of these sight words (the, and, a, is, etc.) helps lay the foundation for early reading.

Our math focus this week will be on sorting foods based on various characteristics and concepts (healthy/unhealthy, long/short, heavy/light, more/less). Many of these are key concepts for Kindergarten.

We will be working on a new painting technique called 'dot painting' in which a fine instrument (a q-tip) is used to apply paint to a surface (a large carrot cut-out!). The technique requires fine motor dexterity (and patience!).

We will finish the week with a science experiment involving boiled eggs, cola, toothpaste and toothbrushes! Be sure to ask your child on Friday what it was all about!

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS

Book order forms will be sent home tomorrow (Monday). They are due back on Monday, December 5. It's a bit earlier this month, but I want to ensure that all orders arrive before the holidays!

SHOW AND SHARE

November's Show and Share is winding down. We should be back on track by the end of this week and ready to begin a new round in December!

HOLIDAY CONCERT

Please watch for further details re: the CHPS Holiday Concert scheduled for Thursday, December 15, 7pm.

OTTAWA FOOD BANK FOOD DRIVE

The Kindergarten Team is organizing a school/community-wide drive for the Ottawa Food Bank again this year. Last year, we raised over 600 pounds of food and we hope to raise even more this year! Watch for more details in December's school newsletter.

HEALTHY HABIT CHARTS

Please help your child complete his/her 'Healthy Habits" and "Brushing My Teeth" charts. Each child will receive a "Healthy Habits Hero" certificate...designed by Ms. Blake!
Thanks for helping with this important self-reflection.

Please be sure to check the blog regularly over the coming weeks, as things continue to get busier and busier!

Thanks for checking in and have a wonderful week!

Warmly,
Ms. Cox

November 21-25

Welcome to another week!

INTERVIEWS

Thanks to all of you for making our parent-teacher conferences such a success! I always look forward to the chance to sit with you and discuss your child's successes and next steps. I hope the experience was as positive for you as it was for me. For those of you who were unable to attend, please just give me a call (613.224.7922), or send a note in your child's Note Tote to re-schedule. We can also chat over the phone, if it's more convenient.

PLEASE WELCOME SARAH BLAKE

Sarah is an ECE (Early Childhood Educator) student from Algonquin College who is completing a placement with us over the next 5 weeks. Sarah comes with a valuable set of skills and insights and a pile of warmth and energy! The children have welcomed her and are already very comfortable seeking her attention and assistance. Sarah's roles include observing, designing, implementing and evaluating several activities (linked to our curriculum and planned with my supervision), assisting with daily classroom procedures and working with the children in small group, one-one-one and eventually, whole group settings. Sarah has written a more detailed introduction of herself and posted it on our "Kinder News" bulletin board. Please stop by for a peek!

OUR DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN

Along with Sarah, we have Shanice (our Brookfield High School co-op student) back with us after a brief hiatus. Welcome back, Shanice!

Emily, our Carleton University volunteer, continues to come on Thursdays (when her course-load permits!).

This Wednesday we will have our dental hygienists students, Dalal and Jill, back from the Canadian Institute of Health to deliver their lesson on 'healthy and unhealthy' snacks. This ties in perfectly to our study of 'healthy habits', this week! Their lesson plan looks informative, fun and hands-on. Thank you Dilal and Jill!

As well, beginning shortly, we will have volunteers from the 'Ottawa Reads' organization coming in once, maybe twice a week to read with our students. More info to follow.

HEALTHY HABITS

Our focus this week is on healthy habits and a letter, as well as 2 charts will be going home tomorrow with all the details. Please help your child complete the charts ("Brushing Your Teeth" and "Healthy Habits") and send them back after a week, so they can obtain their 'Healthy Habits Hero' certificates!

Please also watch for "My Fruits and Vegetables" booklet. We will be doing a shared reading (big book) of this all week, and your child will bring home his/her own copy to read to you.

We will also be learning about the different food groups, everyday and sometimes foods, dental hygiene, hand-washing, and the importance of exercise and sleep! We have lots of hands on activities planned to help students grasp these important concepts. Please continue the discussion at home and at the grocery store!

WRITER'S WORKSHOP

The Kindergarten class had their first ever Writer's Workshop and it was a great success! This ties into our School Improvement Plan, which is focusing on writing this year. I am using reading and writing guru Lucy Calkins' series "Units of Study for Primary Writing: A Yearlong Curriculum", "Launching the Writing Workshop" as my guide. Each workshop begins with a brief 'meeting' during which time I introduce a new concept and model it for the children. Our first workshop focused on building enthusiasm and helping students identify themselves as 'authors'. I then modelled how writers:

1.CHOOSE A TOPIC they CARE about
2.THINK about the topic
3.TALK about it
4.SKETCH it
5.WRITE about it (this includes scribbles, random letters, beginning sounds/letters, words and labels, sentences).

There is a WIDE range of writing ability at this stage, so each child's instruction is scaffolded and supported. The key is that each child FEELS successful and FEELS like a writer! We will move onto structure and mechanics at an appropriate pace.

The students have special hard hats that say "Writer at Work" that are ONLY worn during Writer's Workshop. This helps keep this time special!

SHOW AND SHARE

Thank you so much for partipating in this month's activity. The children are doing an AMAZING job with their patterns! I can't believe how quickly they grasped the concept of 'core of the pattern'. They are eager to have their chance with the 'briefcase' and they take it very seriously! We will turn all of their hard work into a class book that will then travel home! (Please note that the "Book of Peace" I mentioned last post did not get done. Our "Hands of Peace" quilt took a bit longer than anticipated. We did, however, have a very poignant discussion about how each of us could bring peace to our classroom, homes and communities.)

Thank you for checking in and have a wonderful week!

Warmly,
Ms. Cox

Eid Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak to all of our friends and their families! We have enjoyed hearing about the children's special celebrations. Please feel free to send in photos, special books or any other artefacts that will help your child share their personal experiences with us.

PHOTO RE-TAKES and CLASS PHOTOS

Re-takes and class photos will be done this THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10. Bring your smiles!

WATER BOTTLES

A friendly reminder to send your child with a small water bottle for snack time. It is disruptive having students leave the room for water. Thanks for your attention to this!

INTERVIEWS

Thanks to all of you for sending your preferred times back so quickly! I will send home a confirmation notice with your meeting time. Interviews will run for 10-15 minutes on Thursday, November 17, 12-7pm.

Thank you for checking in!
Ms. Cox

November 7-11

Hello and welcome to another week!

I am pleased to tell you that I have noticed all of our hard work paying off! The children have been doing a fantastic job with all of our routines, procedures and problem-solving strategies. They are beginning to internalize the difference between telling (to get someone 'out' of trouble) and tattling ((to get someone 'into' trouble)and they are growing more comfortable and confident when dealing with conflicts and strong emotions. Well done!

Last week in science, we used the seeds from the pumpkin that we carved to discuss the life cycle of pumpkins. The children then completed a diagram of the life cycle and discussed what pumpkins need in order to live and grow. Their work is proudly displayed in our front hall (be sure to have a look) and thank you to Shania (a former CH student who volunteered for the day) for putting them all up! We also had fun graphing our 'Favourite Treat'. The children are learning how to look at graphs and tell about the information they reveal. Well done.

In math, we have begun focusing on patterning. The children helped me figure out different patterns we could make using big, sparkly leaves. Then, they created their own leaf patterns using 2 or 3 differnt colours. These patterns will be added to your child's portfolio.

We have a busy week ahead with fall and Remembrance Day as our focus. Our Shared Reading is called "Fall is...". Watch for your child's copy and enjoy listening while he/she reads it to you! We will also be talking about some of the characterisitcs of poetry as we learn the poem/song "Little Poppy".

We will be experimenting with different tools in Art class as we sponge paint negative leaf images. Students will also be making 3-D poppies.

In writing, students will be reflecting and writing about how they can bring peace to others. Watch for the "SK Book of Peace" to start making the rounds at the end of the month.

In science, we continue to talk about the seasons and the characteristics of each. We brainstormed a very long list of describing words for each season. Students also 'Paired and Shared' their favourite season with a friend. Pairing and sharing helps develop young learners oral communication skills, social skills, listening skills, as well as their re-telling skills (sometimes they are asked to tell what 'their friend' said...not as easy as it sounds!). Please continue to talk to your child about the changing seasons (falling leaves, geese heading south, cooling temperatures, shorter days, etc.).

NICKELBY TRAVELLING JOURNAL

What a success! Thanks for participating. The children loved this activity and they filled an entire notebook with their drawings, letters, words and stories. Bravo! This activity encourages early writing, helps children see that writing serves a purpose, helps them see the connection between their own experiences and writing and helps them feel successful and confident. All efforts are praised and as the year moves along, we will start focusing a bit more on the 'mechanics' of writing. Nickelby has had a wee rest, but the kids are excited to have him make the rounds again! Watch for the bag...

SHOW AND SHARE

Thanks again for helping with October's Show and Share! The children enjoyed bringing in items that began with their assigned letters. We will be compiling their work and photos into a 'travelling book' (one that they get to bring home and share with you)...enjoy!

This month's Show and Share focus is on Math, specifically, patterning. Please see the schedule that will be sent home tomorrow (Monday) and watch for the case. Again, don't worry if the case doesn't arrive on your child's assigned day (we get off track when kids forget the case, are absent, etc.). Everyone will get a turn. Thanks for your patience!

LIBRARY BOOKS

Please remember to send your child's library book each Thursday. If your child doesn't come home with a new book each week, it is because one wasn't returned. Please send in any overdue books. Thanks for your attention to this. The children are disappointed when they aren't able to sign out new books.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS

November book orders will be sent home this week and will be due back by Monday, November 14th.

REMEMBRANCE DAY CEREMONY

Carleton Heights will be holding a ceremony in the gym on Friday. It usually takes place from 10:15-11am and all parents and community members are welcome to attend.

Thank you for checking in and have a fantastic week!

Warmly,
Ms. Cox

October 24-28

Hi everyone,

The children are busy this week reading, writing and counting a variety of spooky things! Please watch for the booklet "Counting Pumpkins" and encourage your child to read it to you. We continue to work on oral counting and I've already had a number of students beat their previous records! Bravo!

Also watch for the 'Halloween Word Book'. Students brainstormed a list of Halloween words and then practised their letter formation by copying the words in the book.

Your child will also be bringing home some creepy crafts on Friday...!

SHOW AND SHARE

Thanks to all of you for participating in our monthly Show and Share. Please note that although there is a schedule, it is somewhat fluid! Just watch for the Show and Share case to come home and then you'll know it's your child's turn! Often, parents need an extra night, a child forgets the case, or someone is away, so the schedule needs to be adjusted. Thank you for your patience!

PICTURE ORDERS

Student photos were sent home today and orders are to be returned FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28. Please check your envelope for the re-take date (I will verify and post, shortly).

ZIAD'S PARTY!

Please check your child's Note Tote for an invitation to Ziad's Halloween party! Ziad's Mom has asked that a reminder invite be sent home on Friday, so watch for that and don't forget to RSVP (see invitation for details). Have fun!

CLASS HALLOWEEN PARTY

We will have a little Halloween party on Monday afternoon. Children are welcome to wear a costume, or dress in orange and black. Feel free to send in a nut-free treat for the children to share (but not too much--we always end up with tons!!). Thanks so much!

ELP PROGRAM

I am happy to share that our Board's Early Literacy Program is now up and running thanks to our volunteer, Emily and co-op student, Shanice. Essentially, the Board sends a bin of books each month with a 'reading behaviours' checklist for the volunteers to fill out after reading with each student. The one-on-one reading time is very popular with the students and it helps me monitor and assess their developing reading skills.

THINGS TO WORK ON AT HOME

As always, please continue talking and reading with your child each night. I will be sending home a letter identification sheet for you to complete with your child. Please point to the letters randomly and ask your child to tell you the name of the letter and the sound it makes. Ask your child to give you a word that begins with that letter.You do not need to send the sheet back. Lots of repetition, letter games, books and puzzles will help your child develop his/her literacy skills. There are also plenty of great websites, including www.starfall.com, or www.hubbardscupboard.org. Happy reading!

Thank you for checking in!

Warm regards,
Ms. Cox

Week of October 17, 2011

What a great week we had! The students have really been enjoying learning about fire safety. I am also very pleased to see how much writing has been going on around our room! Several students used the fire safety vocabulary in the Dramatic Play area (currently 'Fire Station #12') to send notes and messages and to post on our bulletin board...bravo! Students are also enjoying using the large white board to copy their friends' names, print numbers and write 'daily messages'...wow!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AHSAN (October 12th)!!

THIS WEEK

We will continue with our investigation of fire safety. Please ask your child to tell you about (and demonstrate) some of the important safety rules he/she has been learning. We have learned and practised the following:

1. stop, drop and roll
2. who to call in an emergency (9-1-1)
3. fall and crawl (when you see/smell smoke)
4. feel the door (hot door/cool door)

This week, we'll be reviewing possible fire hazards (matches, lighters, candles, etc.), the importance of having a 'family escape plan' and the 'get out and stay out' rule.

Please watch for the book "How do Fires Start?". Please read it with your child and encourage them to 'touch read' each word.

In Math this week, we will order 'fire hoses' from longest to shortest and shortest to longest. We'll continue counting to 30 (and beyond!) and we'll work on printing numbers 1-10. For those who need a little more fine motor practise, we'll be tracing the numbers in lentils (they love it!), using the white boards and then pencil and paper. Those who have mastered 1-10 will be challenged to go higher and to work on some addition problems.

I will also be assessing who can print their names accurately using mixed case.We've been working hard on this since September and I've seen lots of good progress! Please continue to practise at home. Those who are ready will move on to their last names.

WELCOME TO SHANICE!

Shanice is a Brookfield High School co-op student who will be joining our class each afternoon for the next several months. Shanice has joined us for one day so far (and was a huge hit!) and will be coming regularly beginning tomorrow. Shanice's responsibilities include assisting me with classroom preparations, assisting small groups, helping with transitions, reading one-on-one with students and generally, working with the children. Shanice, like all volunteers, is always under my direct supervision. She is warm and friendly and brings many talents to our classroom! Welcome, Shanice!

WELCOME TO EMILY!

Emily is a Carleton University student volunteer who will be helping in the SK class each Thursday. Thursday's are busy days as we travel to gym and the library, so having Emily will be a great help!
Emily will also be helping with preparations and other classroom activities. Welcome, Emily!

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS

Thanks to those of you who have already sent in your orders. If you have not yet done so, please send in your order by Wednesday, October 19th.

SPARE CLOTHES

Just a reminder that I am still missing quite a few sets of 'back-up' clothes! Please send in a labelled bag with pants/shirt/socks/underwear for your child to keep at school in case of an accident. Thanks!

PA DAY

Please remember that Friday, October 21 is a board PA Day. Teachers will be involved in professional learning activities at the school. There are no classes.

Thank you for checking in and have a wonderful week!

Warmly,
Ms.Cox

Thursday, October 6th

Welcome to Kinder News! I will try to update the blog every week or two, so please try to check in regularly.

What we're working on...

The students have been doing an amazing job learning our new SK routines and procedures (everything from unpacking their backpacks, changing their shoes, putting their Note Totes into the right bin, finding their name cards and books, remembering their Circle Time Manners and on and on!). Bravo, SK!

We have been reading and singing and role-playing and 'writing' about how to make and keep friends. We have also been talking a lot about using friendly voices, making friendly faces, using our hands for helping, and solving conflicts. I am so proud of how quickly all the children have internalized the strategies we've been talking about (using our words, walking away, taking turns, seeking help). I've quickly gone from being the referee to the coach who offers occasional reminders!

This week, we've been learning about safety (at home and in our neighbourhood). In Math, children worked on saying and printing their telephone numbers (please continue to practise at home).

In Language we continue to work on 'touch reading'. Your child brought home the song "Twinkle, Twinkle Traffic Light" and a 'reading wand'. Encourage your child to use the wand to touch each word as they sing/read to you. This activity helps strengthen early readers' understanding of directionality, spacing and word segmentation. Play games with the wand...can you find the letter 'a'?, etc. Have fun!

In Writing, students worked on identifying and printing the words stop, go and slow. Please continue to point out words and signs and letters when you are walking about with your child. Praise all of their attempts at reading! At this stage, the focus is on building confidence and helping your learners see themselves as readers and writers!

The children have also been working on recognizing their friends' names. We are looking at beginning sounds and identifying letters. Please continue to encourage your child to print his/her name using mixed case letters (only the first letter is capitalized).

We will also be working on recognizing and printing numbers 1-10 (higher for those who are ready!). We have a few friends who are counting to 100 already! It is very common for children at this age to have trouble with numbers after 12. Let your child hear you counting and encourage them to help you. Repetition is key! The goal is to have everyone counting to at least 30. Thanks for your help.

Next week, we will be focusing on fire safety in conjuction with Fire Prevention Week. Please take some time to discuss fire safety at home and to review your family's fire escape plan.

NOTE TOTES
Thanks so much to everyone for remembering to check and return the Note Totes each day. Please remember to leave the book OPEN if you've put a note inside.

BACK-UP CLOTHES
A reminder that each child needs a labelled, ziploc bag of back-up clothes to be left at school (shirt, pants, socks and underwear). I am still missing quite a few! Thanks for your attention to this important matter.

SNACKS
Please be sure to send your child with an easy to manage WATER BOTTLE and 1-2 healthy snacks. Several children still do not have a water bottles and it is quite disruptive to have children leaving the room (always with a partner!) to go to the water fountain. Also, at this age, the water fountain is not a healthy option as many children continue to put their mouths right on the spout (despite many reminders). Thanks for your attention to this.

SHOW AND SHARE
The October Show and Share schedule will be sent home on Friday. Your child will come home with the Show and Share case with instructions inside. This month, we are working on letter sounds, beginning sounds of words and letter formation. Please help your child with his/her assigned letter. They will complete the sheet and bring in an item from home that begins with their letter (ex. a ball for 'B'). I will take each child's photo with their item and then we'll compile a class alphabet book to share with you!

LIBRARY
Please remember that we have Library every THURSDAY. Children are easily disappointed if they are not able to check-out a new book, so please remind them to pack their library books! Happy reading!

GYM
We have gym every Tuesday and Thursday. Children must have sturdy, velcro running shoes (we are very active...lots of running, hopping, throwing, catching and kicking!).

COMMUNICATION
My preferred methods of communication is in person, by phone, or the Note Tote. I do not always have a chance to check emails at work, and I don't want to miss something that you send that might be time-sensitive. Also, please do not report your child's absence to me via email. It must be called into the OFFICE. I always appreciate a note if you know your child will be away, but please contact the office, as well.

That's all for now. Thank you for checking in and please be sure to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Happy Thanksgiving!

Warmly,
Ms. Cox

June 20-June 24

June 21st....welcome summer! And, happy National Aboriginal Day!

To celebrate the beginning of summer and National Aboriginal Day, we will be reading "Claire and her Grandfather" and learning about the many important contributions First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples have made to Canada. Be sure to ask your child about the "3 Sisters"....!

Goodbye to Zeinab!

Today we had a 'farewell to Zeinab' party. It was a fun way to say goodbye to our dear friend. The children gave Zeinab cards and artwork and we shared a heart-shaped cake and M&Ms! Zeinab read the kids one of their favourite books ('Alphabet Mystery'), helped us sing a few songs and then gave the children some sweet treats. Thanks, Zeinab! We'll miss you!

LIBRARY BOOKS

Please check your child's agenda tonight as several students have library slips indicating overdue books. Please send in the books ASAP as Ms. Lynda is busy organizing the library for next fall! Thank you, Ms. Lynda!

CONCERT

Don't forget about this Thursday's Summer Concert a la Mme. Leduc and her various players! The SK's will not be performing, but we will be enjoying the show! It begins at 2pm.

FAMILY DAY

Please remember to return the BLUE FORM indicating whether you will be able to make it in for our Family Day this Friday. The students will sing a few songs and then share their portfolios with you. We'll also enjoy some tasty treats and celebrate all of our summer birthdays!

Happy birthday, Tariq! Tariq turned 6 today and proudly wore his crown and led our line! Bravo!

SUMMER BIRTHDAYS!

Adrienne--July 26
Abasiofon--August 8
Sabari--August 30

COMMUNITY BUILDINGS

Our collaborative community is beginning to grow! We now have a police station (with helicopter landing pad!) (Markus) and an animal hospital (Abbey)! Children are encouraged to tell us about their buildings, the materials they used, and to identify the 2-D shapes and 3-D figures they see. We are off to a great start and I look forward to seeing the rest!

This week, we continue investigating the new musical instruments, as well as listening and moving to music from around the world. We have also set up a new 'measurement station' with various measuring devices which children are encouraged to identify, explore, explain and use.
We will be discussing the changing of the season and what summer brings. We'll be reading some summer poems, learning some new chants and using our journals to record our responses.

Thank you for checking in and I hope to see you on Friday!

Warmly,
Ms.Cox

Goodbye to Zeinab!

Zeinab- our wonderful, resourceful, patient, and loving Brookfield Co-op student is set to leave us next Tuesday, June 21st... The children have all grown very attached to Zeinab over the last several months. She is met (swarmed!) each afternoon as the kids arrive and held in a giant Kinder-hug until I can extricate her from all the tiny, loving arms! The children have enjoyed reading with Zeinab, working on activities and crafts, chatting with her and playing games. Zeinab has been a vital part of our program and has enriched the experiences of all the kids.

Zeinab, I have enjoyed working with you so much and I can't tell you how much I have appreciated all of your extra effort, patience and hard work. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours and hope that you will come back and visit us next year!

"Strawberry Social" at Carleton Heights Child Care Centre

The SK class has kindly been invited to attend a "Strawberry Social" at the Carleton Heights Child Care Centre on Wednesday afternoon. Children will have the opportunity to visit the Centre (just down the hall!), eat some treats and join in some activities with the JK/SK morning students, as well as the preschoolers. Thank you to Suzanne Daly (Director, CHCCC) and all the staff, for inviting us!
We are looking forward to a wonderful visit!

June 13-June 17

Hello everyone,

COMMUNITY TRIP A HUGE SUCCESS

We had wonderful weather for our walkabout in the Carleton Heights community on Friday. Abbey and Sabari's Moms joined us as we walked down Prince of Wales Drive (we held onto a rope and made a great 'train'!). We discussed safety issues along the way (crossing safely at the lights, crossing safely as we passed driveways and streets and walking on the inside of the sidewalk-away from the road). Well done! We also stopped along the way to check out the mailbox, read some signs, and discuss stores and shops.
Our first stop was at the TD Bank. Karen and Kaillen gave us a behind-the-scenes tour. The kids really enjoyed checking out the safety deposit boxes and playing with the safes! Each student also received 'money' and a deposit slip, which they filled out, stamped and gave to the teller. Nice banking! Before we left, each student was handed a 'silly banz' and colouring sheet. Thanks, TD!
From TD we headed to The Farmer's Pick to meet Alphonso. We were given a tour of the loading docks, fruit and veggie prep area, cooler, bakery, dairy and deli sections. We also learned about the technology that is used to check inventory and place orders in Toronto. Each child then had the opportunity to get behind the counter and act as a cashier! Super scanning, everyone! Alphonso kindly gave each student a delicious apple on the way out. Thank you, Alphonso!
The SK's then began their trek back to school, but not before a quick stop at Baskin Robbins where the manager, Badir, kindly gave each student a bowl of ice cream. Re-energized, the SK's headed back to school just in time for dismissal.
A wonderful trip that allowed the students to learn more and experience the buildings, services and people in their community.

This week....

This week we will wrap-up our look at 'community' with some letter writing (thank yous), reading (watch for the book, "Using My Hands"), a community collage, number practise and measuring and much more!

MUSICAL REQUESTS

We have been busy exploring various instruments in class and experimenting with different elements of music and now we are going to explore music from different cultures. If you have a CD, or tape that you would be willing to send in and share with us, please let me know! I hope to have each child share a selection of music. Thanks so much for participating.

SHOW AND SHARE: Community of Shapes!

June's Show and Share will run a little differently. Each child is asked to choose a carton/box/container from their recycling box at home and decorate/paint/label it to resemble a building in their community. We will then assemble all the buildings/parks/roads, etc. to create a collaborative, 3-D miniature community! This will allow the children to consolidate what they have learned about community, art and 3-D shapes. Please help your child label his/her work. Send it in whenever it is ready, but we'll make June 22 the latest due date. Thanks again for your help and have fun! If you need any supplies or materials, just send me a note and I'll send some home.

KINDERGARTEN FAMILY DAY

The Kindergarten Family Day scheduled for this Friday, June 17 is RESCHEDULED TO FRIDAY, JUNE 24.
Essentially, it will be an open house where parents can come in and share the day with their child. Portfolios will be available to look at, treats will be served and parents can come and go as they like! We look forward to seeing you!

CONCERT UNDER THE SUN

There is a summer concert scheduled for 2pm on Thursday, June 23. The concert will showcase the musical talents of Mme. Leduc's various classes and bands. The students work very hard on their pieces and it is always quite a show, so we hope to see you there!

END OF YEAR

If you know that your child will not be returning to CHPS in the fall please let me know. This information really helps with planning. Thanks!

REPORT CARDS

Report cards will be sent home on Thursday, June 29 and the last day of school is Friday, June 30th.

LIBRARY and AT HOME READING

Although we will continue to visit the library, books will no longer be checked out. Please check your child's agenda this week for a list of any overdue books.
This will also be our last week for At Home Reading. Thank you so much for all of the time and energy you devoted to the program. The kids loved it and the repeated readings helped solidify many of the concepts covered in class, as well as reinforcing sight words. Bravo!

Thanks so much and have a great week!

Warmly,
Ms. Cox

June 6-June 10

Hello everyone,
I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful weather over the weekend...finally!
Over the next few weeks we will be investigating 'our community', senses, summer and shapes, Father's Day, as well as reviewing some of the key concepts learned this year.

FIELD TRIP
This Friday, the Kinders will be walking to the TD Bank and Farmer's Pick to learn about these members of our community. We will be leaving shortly after 1pm and returning by 3pm. Regular drop-off and pick-up times will remain in effect. If you are able to volunteer please let me know ASAP. Permission forms will be sent home shortly.

ELOT TESTING
Tomorrow I will be conducting the board mandated ELOT (Early Literacy Observation Tool) with each student. This is an observation tool that assesses student's literacy skills. The testing takes about 20 minutes per child, is done one-on-one and is kept light and fun (stickers and treats when they finish!). It looks at letter recognition, book/print awareness, and phonological awareness. Reults are sent to the board. Ms. Leach will be teaching the class while I conduct the testing.

Rain Forest Feast
Thank you so much for sending in all of the delicious Rain Forest foods on Friday! The kids enjoyed all of the bananas, papyas, pineapples and chocolates. I think the highlight was cracking the coconut! The kids were thrilled with the hammering and the eventual cracking and tasting! A big thank you to Zeinab for guiding me through the process!

We have a few more Show and Share presentations from May to finish up and then depending on where we are on the calendar, we may or may not have a Show and Share for June. I'll keep you posted!

Please check in regularly this month, as there's a lot going on!

Warmly,
Ms.Cox

May 30-June 3

Hello everyone and welcome to the first week of June!
Last week, the children began exploring life in a Rain Forest. We will continue our investigations this week.

In Math, the children have been reading the Big Book titled "Graphing the Rain Forest". This non-fiction book looks at the different types of animals found in the Rain Forest and also gives many different examples of how scientists track the animals they see. So far, we have looked closely at tally charts and have made several of our own! This week we will look at and make pictographs. Children will also design and administer their own surveys. They will come up with their own questions and gather and present the results using a tally chart!

In Language Arts, we will be focusing on Jan Brett's book "The Umbrella", which is set in the Rain Forest. Children will have many oppportunities to hear and discuss the story. We will be focusing on 'characters' and retelling. We will use masks and props to help us retell. Students will also be writing about their favourite part of this book. Again, please remember that 'writing' at this stage varies greatly from student to student. The focus is on encouraging the children to see the importance of writing, the different purposes it serves and ultimately, that they themselves ARE writers! At this stage, their writing might be pictures, random letters, words or sentences.

In the Arts, we will be designing and creating a cooperative Rain Forest mural using a variety of materials. We will also continue performing our "Animal Boogie" dance and we will continue exploring the classroom instruments.

Our Creative Play area has been converted into a Rain Forest Ranger Station and the students are busy under the canopy tallying the various animals and birds that they spot!

The children are doing a wonderful job with this month's Show and Share! Many students are able to identify some Canadian coins already! Well done!

June's Scholastic Book orders will be due on Monday, June 6th.

Please note that Friday, June 3rd is a PD DAY, and therefore there are no classes.

Lice Alert!

We do not actually have any cases of lice at this time, but please continue to check your child regularly as there have been some recent cases in other classes. Thank you for your keen attention to this matter.

Wishing you a wonderful week!

Warmly,
Ms.Cox

May 16-20

Hello everyone and welcome to another week. I cannot believe it is mid-May already...

SPRING CONCERT

What a show! The Kinders kicked-off the evening with a fantastic rendition of 'Mr. Sun', followed by a carefully choreographed, crowd-pleasing 'Rockin' Robin'! Too cute! The kids did a wonderful job and thanks to all of you for helping them practise at home and for bringing them to the show (I know how busy the evenings can be!). Thank you!

FIRE DRILL

The school had a fire drill last week and the Kinders did a FANTASTIC job! Everyone remembered to stay calm, to stop talking, to drop any toys, to line up quickly at the back door and to walk quietly, in our line, to our designated spot. Well done, SK!

THIS WEEK...

The children enjoyed learning about frogs and their habitats so much the last 2 weeks, that we've decided to continue our study of 'things slimy'! We are now investigating worms and learning all about what hard workers they are.

In Math, the children are using worm manipulatives to measure and compare various classroom objects. They are encouraged to draw and label their results in their notebooks. We are also investigating Canadian coins and have set up a patterning station with coin patterning cards.

Our Dramatic play area has been transformed into the "Carleton Heights Fine Flowers and Garden Centre" where the children have been busy 'planting' and selling flowers. Markus, Adrienne, Abbey, Liam and Abasiofon worked together today to make a list of the different flowers they sell as well as their prices (you might want to shop elsewhere...our tulips cost $45 a stem!?). Lots of learning and lots of fun!

Our Language focus this week is on book writing. The children have made a variety of collaborative books this year and now they are beginning to write their own individual stories. After modelling how to write a book called "My Weekend" the children were invited to think about their own weekends and write their own stories. They took this very seriously and several children continued writing even after Choice Time began! Please remember that writing at this stage involves thinking about the ideas, drawing pictures to represent the ideas, orally telling about the pictures, labelling with random letters, labelling with beginning sounds, labelling with words, writing phonetically, and perhaps writing with accuracy. There is a broad range at this stage, and I meet the children where they are and encourage them to take steps forward on the continuum as they feel ready. The main goal is to show them that writing has many purposes and, most importantly, to help them see themselves as writers!

We are also learning a variety of new worm songs, finger plays and poems (watch for the worm/cup puppets). To encourage and strengthen your child's phonemic awareness (letter-sound recognition) try playing rhyming games at home (simply substituting the first letter of family members' names will get quite a laugh!). Please continue to encourage your child to identify letters and simple words as you go about your day.

SHOW AND SHARE

May's Show and Share schedule has been sent home. Thank you in advance for participating. We have a Math focus this month (more/fewer and coins). The schedule does not always end up being exact due to illness and occasional forgetfulness, but rest assured your child will come home with the case at some point!

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS

May's book orders are due Friday, May 20th.

SUNNY WEATHER...

if we ever get any, please ensure your child has a hat and sunscreen (put on at home) as our play area gets full sun in the afternoons.

That's it for now. Thank you for checking in and enjoy the upcoming long weekend!

Warmly,
Ms. cox

May 2-May 6

Happy 'Music Monday', Education Week and election day! And, welcome to May!
Here's what we're working on...

The theme for this year's Education Week is "Learning Together, Succeeding Together". This theme runs deep all year round in our Kindergarten classroom!

HOMES/HABITATS/FROGS/CONCERT REHEARSAL and MOTHER'S DAY

This week, our focus is a bit wider than usual! We continue to discuss spring changes and we have set up a science centre full of various nests (mouse, hummingbird, oriole) and our water table has been transformed into a pond full of (fake) frogs, ducks and fish. The children have been examining how various animals build their homes and today we read "A House Is A House For Me" by M. Hoberman. This book introduces children to the concept that all living things create shelter for themselves. The book gets a bit 'carried away' and starts pointing out 'houses' for non-living things (a jar for jam, a glove for hands, etc.). The children then thought about their own homes, cut and coloured a house and drew the members of their families. We will continue to investigate different types of homes and habitats. We will also investigate frogs, their habitat, as well as their life cycle. Don't forget to check out the Museum of Nature's permanent frog exibit with your child!

Children will be sorting and patterning with frogs this week. They will also have the opportunity to play 'roll and count' with dice and frogs. Children who are ready will add and subtract with their frogs! We will also continue counting and working on number-word recognition.

The children have also been discussing the characteristics of poems. We will be sharing some froggy poems this week. Please watch for "Polliwog School" in your child's note tote and enjoy reading it with him/her.

With the help of Zeinab, the students will be creating their own 'frog and fly' craft, as well as experimenting with various tools to create their own frog paintings.

Our sunflowers are really starting to sprout and the students described what they observed and then measured (using unifix cubes) and recorded their observations on Friday. Green thumbs abound!

SPRING CONCERT

The CHPS Spring Concert will be held next Thursday, May 12 from 6:30-7:30pm.
I hope that you and your child(ren) will attend! All 3 Kinder classes will be performing the song "Mr. Sun". Get your cameras ready! Watch for more details to follow. I will also send home the lyrics soon so you can practise at home.

SHOW AND SHARE

Thanks again for participating in April's Show and Share. Our bulletin board is now full of the children's 'passports' and we have yarn pointing to all the destinations, near and far! May's schedule will be sent home next week.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS

Book order forms will be sent home tomorrow and orders are due by May 12th.

GLUE STICKS

Our glue stick stash is getting dangerously low! Please send in a glue stick with your child (I think 1/student should see us through to the end of June). Thanks so much!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all of our hard-working, nurturing, loving and patient Moms! Enjoy your special day!

WELCOME COLIN!

The SK class is so happy to welcome our new friend, Colin! Today was Colin's first day and he was warmly welcomed by all the kids and I know that he will quickly feel at home in our class. Welcome, Colin!

Thank you for checking in have a fantastic week!

Warmly,
Ms.Cox

April 18-April 22

Hello everyone and welcome to another week! Before talking about what's ahead, I'd like to share some highlights from last week...

We wrapped up our study of transportation by making 'banana boats' on Friday. This activity was fun and delish, but it also required the children to follow multi-step directions (which they all did with ease!). If you'd like to make them at home, here's how:

1. cut a banana in half, lengthwise (this is the boat)
2. spread yogurt on top (this is the seat)
3. sprinkle with chocolate chips or raisins (these are the passengers)
4. insert a toothpick into a muffin tin liner and stick into the boat (this is the sail)
5. remove sail and enjoy!

Last week, the children were treated to several Grade 6 puppet shows. Each show was written by the Grade 6's and contained a moral (no bullying, be honest, be safe, etc.). The Grade 6's also made the puppets and they were AMAZING! The SK's loved touching and seeing them up close after the shows. Wow!

Our 'Travel and Transportation' Show and Share has been so interesting! Thank you for all of your hard work. The children have been enjoying learning about passports, seeing interesting artefacts and finding different countries on the map. We have a bulletin board with a world map in the centre, the completed passports on the outside and then yarn connecting each student to where they've travelled! We have quite a class of travellers, by the way. Very worldly! We are opening a 'Travel Agency' in drama tomorrow!

On Friday, with the help of our wonderful Zeinab, the children planted sunflowers! We read a non-fiction book about flowers first, discussed how plants and flowers begin to grow in the spring and then decided it would be fun to plant our own flowers! Together, the class decided on the sunniest spot to put our pots and there they now sit...ready to grow! Don't forget to ask your 'little gardener' how his/her flower is doing (I've planted a few extras...just in case!?).

This week is a short one due to Good Friday (no school). The school is also closed on Monday (Easter Monday). I am away on Thursday for the final Kindergarten PD in the series of 3 (this one focuses on teaching Math to young learners). The kids did a great job with Mrs. Bhullar and she will be returning again on Thursday.

This Wednesday, we have a presentation by the Ottawa Safety Council. Perfect timing as we gear up for bicycle, park and swim season.

Our focus this week is on Earth Day (April 22). Your child brought home a book to share with you tonight titled "I Can Help the Earth".
Today, we made earth 'puppets', learned a new song "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle", read "Big Earth, Little Me" and brainstormed all the ways we can help take care of the earth. The children came up with a very impressive list. Please take some time this week to point out what you are putting in the garbage, what you are recycling and what you are composting. If they don't already, perhaps ask your child to help you sort items into the proper containers. Doing is learning!

We continue to focus on finding the main idea in the books we read--not always easy, but they are gaining confidence with this new skill. We play a game each Monday called "2 Word Weekend". Each child thinks about his weekend, decides on the best part and then tells us about it in 2 words! It was hard at first, but they are really getting the hang of it now. I think it helps contextualize the concept of 'main idea' and how it is different from a simple 'retelling'. We've also started a chart of fiction and non-fiction books and the children are quite adept at deciding which titles belong where! Now when I ask them what non-fiction means they shout, "FACTS!"

In Math we are focusing on number-word recognition. We have a new match game which they all enjoy playing and we are using the white boards, too. Please reinforce at home (I suggest focusing more on the word recognition than actually printing the word, but do what you feel your child is comfortable with...you know them best!). And of course, keep counting to 30 (and beyond), as well as skip counting by 2's, 5's and 10's.

I've really noticed a change in the class as a whole, these last few weeks. I notice friendships deepening, empathy and awareness of others increasing, confidence growing and personalities strengthening. It really is a year of tremendous growth--emotionally, socially and academically. I feel very lucky to be a part of it--they are a special group of children.

Have a wonderful week and thank you for checking in.

Warmly,
Ms. Cox

April 4- April 8

The children continue to explore the world of transportation and travel. The kids enjoyed making (and eating) 'wheels and axles' on Friday. We used cucumbers, bananas and pretzels...what clever engineers!

THIS WEEK

This week, we are focusing on trains. We have been reading "The Little Engine That Could" and trying to decide on the main idea. As mentioned last week, this is a difficult concept. It is not unusual for children at this stage to simply 'retell' the story. So, to help them with the concept, we are discussing how the main idea is often 'hidden' in the book...we don't read it, or always see it. We are trying to think 'deeply'! It's hard, but will come with lots of practise. Today, with lots of teacher steering, we decided the main idea in "The Little Engine That Could" was..."don't give up". Well done! Please continue to reinforce at home and praise all of their efforts.

We are also busy learning a new game called "Speed Math". The kids love it! Partners each get a die and a pile of chips/counters are placed in the middle. The timer is flipped and the children roll the die, count and take the number of chips as indicated by the die. When the time is up, they count their chips and the player with the most chips wins. It's a great game to encourage quick number recognition and counting. Try it at home using pennies, buttons, pasta, etc. Have fun!

We are continuing our investigations of capacity, as well as things that are shiny and dull. Zeinab, our Brookfield co-op student has been working with the students at the science centre, as well as helping with their crafts/fine motor activities. She is also finding time to read one-on-one with each student. We are so lucky to have you, Zeinab!

The children have enjoyed learning/singing "Down By the Station" so far this week. Tomorrow we will start learning "Little Red Caboose". Ask your child to sing these songs for you!

In gym, we continue to work on all sorts of gross motor skills (running, hopping, walking backwards). The kids love playing follow-the-leader (me) and I get a great work-out! This week, we will try having a 'new' leader decide on the movements. We are also developing our soccer skills (passing and trapping) and trying a little bit of yoga (there are lots of fun poses for kids..."windshield wipers", "the boat", etc.).

SHOW AND SHARE

Today, you received the April Show and Share calendar and outline. Please note that all of the needed materials/instructions will be IN THE CASE that your child will bring home on his/her assigned day. There will be a story to share, a world map to explore together and a little passport for your child to fill in. As mentioned, please feel free to send in any other materials you think the children might enjoy seeing from your travels! Thanks again for participating. Show and Share is a very valuable learning opportunity and one that the children look very forward to.

SCHOLASTIC

April book orders are due on Monday, April 11.

LIBRARY

Please remember to send in your child's library book EVERY THURSDAY. Students are disappointed when they are unable to sign out a new one..
Thank you!

GUEST TEACHER

I will be at more Kindergarten PD April 7, 14 and 21st. Mrs. Hannah will be in most of those days. She and the children are settling into a nice routine.

Thank you so much for staying in touch and I always look forward to chatting with you when you stop in after school, or when I happen to see you at Child Care! As always, the door is open wide, so do stop in.

Have a wonderful week.

Warmly,
Ms. Cox

March 28-April 1

Welcome to another (chilly!) week....

TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION

Over the next few weeks we will be investigating the nature of travel and transportation. We began today by looking at pictures of different modes of transportation and thinking about what we saw. The children concluded that all the pictures shown were vehicles! We then filled in a chart that was labelled 'air', 'water' and 'land'. The students took turns thinking of a way of travelling and deciding which category their example belonged in. Well done!
Our read aloud today was a book all about vehicles with wheels. The purpose was to see if the children could think deeply about what it might be like if wheels had never been invented...they decided it would be very hard to do a lot of things! We are beginning to talk more explicitly about the 'main idea', or 'author's message' during out read alouds.

 Please encourage your child to talk about the main idea during your at home read alouds. Some questions to ask:
1. What do you think the author is trying to tell us?
2. What is the message in this book?
3. What do you think is the main idea of this book?

This is not always easy, or obvious to young learners. Identifying the author's message becomes easier as children gain experience and exposure to critical thinking. However, it is important that they begin developing this important skill.

In Math, we will be creating patterns (AB, ABC, or AAB) by choosing from different transportation stamps, we will be sorting and classifying vehicles, continuing to work on printing our numbers 1-10 (there are a few students who are still reversing some numbers. Please have your child print their numbers for you at home, and have them practise any that are reversed). I am also assessing oral counting this month. The expectation is K students will count to 30 by the end of the year. Please continue counting at home! Children often struggle with numbers 13-19, but once they memorize those, and begin to see the pattern, they are off to the races! We have a few friends who are counting to 100! Keep it up!

We are also experimenting with volume. We have a bucket full of beans, a big scoop, a little scoop and several different sized containers. Today we estimated how may big scoops to fill the big container. It took 6 and the kids guessed 7! Wow! We did the same with the little scoop---this proved confusing at first, as many thought it would take 'fewer' scoops...maybe because it was a 'smaller' scoop...not sure. As we counted, we realized it would be a lot more! They continued to adjust their estimates (smart bunch!) ...all the way to 70!

We will also be exploring different word families (-ar and -ain). Watch for the 'buses' coming home and encourage your child to spin the wheel and read the words for you. Encourage them to tell you the beginning sound, ending sound and then have them put it together. See if they can come up with some other rhymes, as well! The students came up with great lists of rhyming words today (at this stage, the focus is on hearing the rhyme, NOT the actual word...made up words are fine for this exercise!).

Their fine motor/art activity this week is a choice of vehicle with their picture inserted as the driver/pilot/captain. The children are being encouraged to think about what they might see on their journey and then to add these details to their work. I have seen a big improvement in the whole class's scissor work! The children are much more patient when detail work is involved. What perseverance!
Over the week, children will be encouraged to add a sentence to their artwork describing where they are going in their vehicles!

In science, we are investigating how wheels make things easier to move (tomorrow we will compare how many trips it takes to move blocks by hand, versus by a huge dump truck!). We are also learning to identify, describe and sort objects that are dull and shiny.

In music this week we will be creating music to use as sound effects for some of our vehicles...we will be exploring volume, speed and beat. It will be fun....and LOUD!

TRIP TO THE MUSEUM

A big thank you to Markus's Mommy and Sabari's Mommy for joining us on our trip to the Museum of Nature! The children really enjoyed the experience. Our tour guide was fantastic and provided many hands on activities for the kids. They got to compare real fossils to model fossils, dig for fossils and try to put a fossil puzzle together! They particularly loved wearing their 'paleontologist' packs loaded with clipboards, pencils and magnifying glasses. What experts! Some other highlights included the movie (with real mist!), the life-sized dino-diorama, and, of course, the fossilized dinosaur 'poop'!
(If you have not sent in the $10 fee for the trip, please kindly do so. Thanks!)

The children had a great day on Friday with their guest teacher, Mrs. Hannah. Well done! Mrs. Hannah will be back again this Friday and I know the children will make her feel welcome.

Thank you for checking in this week and please feel free to post a comment. I know I've had a few parents ask about posting, and from what I see, you follow the prompts and then you should be in (let me know if it's not working for you!).

Warmly,
Ms. Cox

March 21-25

Happy spring, everyone!  I am looking forward to seeing all the children tomorrow. I hope everyone enjoyed the week, whether you were on holiday, or not.

MUSEUM OF NATURE TRIP--TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 9am-11:25am

The children have really been enjoying our exploration of dinosaurs and a trip to the newly re-opened Museum of Nature is a great way for the kids to consolidate all of their learning. It will be a memorable morning.

Please send in your child's permission form and $10 fee (if you have NOT already paid the $35 fee). Please remember that there will be NO AFTERNOON CLASS on Tuesday. Please note that children must be picked up by 11:25am. Child Care students are to be picked up by 3:30pm on Tuesday.
Thank you so much for your continued flexibility.

THIS WEEK

The children enjoyed our March 11 'Dino Shin Dig'...we listened to dino music, wore our dinosaur masks, ate dino eggs and cookies and transformed ourselves into paleontologists as we used our tools to dig out miniature dinosaur fossils from hardened mud eggs! It was not easy work, but we are a very determined group of scientists! Your child brought his fossilized egg home to share with you.

Before we wrap up our study of dinoaurs we will be discussing, drawing and writing about our March Break, completing a dinosaur/fossil match up, writing about our trip to the museum and continuing with your 'Dinosaur Counting Carrier' Show and Share. Thank you so much to all of the families who have already had the chance to share the song and activities with their children.

I will be away on Friday at a board Kindergarten workshop. This is the first of 3 in a series. I am really looking forward to it as I am always eager to learn new ideas and strategies for teaching young children! Please be sure to review with your child the expectations for conducting themselves when we have a guest teacher. As you know, our SK's are very  friendly, polite and eager to learn, but sometimes a change in routine can be upsetting for young students. I will also be reviewing the expectations with the children, but it is always helpful when things are reinforced at home, as well. Thanks so much.

Have a wonderful week and thank you for checking in.

Warmly,
Ms. Cox

March 7-11

'DINOSAUR DAZE' continue!
 The SK's will continue their exploration of dinosaurs with Shared Reading, read alouds, dinosaur egg counting and stamping, "Different Dinosaurs" mini-books, 3-D art of an ankylosaurus (using sunflower seeds), songs, and a dinosaur fossil kit (the kids will use the tools of paleontologists to uncover dinosaur fossils!). Students will also incorporate the new vocabulary they have been learning into a fun (and funny) writing activity (picture your child as a dinosaur...and their description of themselves to go with it!). Watch for these 'ferocious' photos and write-ups!
We will wrap up our week with a little 'Dinosaur Shin Dig' on Friday! We'll wear our dino masks, sing songs and eat some 'dino' treats!

SKIP COUNTING
The children will also continue skip counting. Please keep counting at home (by 1's to at least 30, by 2's to 20, 5's to 25 and 10's to 100). Keep it fun!

SHOW AND SHARE
The March Show and Share schedule will be sent home today. The focus this month is 'skip counting'! Watch for our new "Dinosaur Counting Carrier". Please be sure to keep the case in a safe place (away from younger siblings and pets), as it contains small items. Thank you!

SCHOLASTIC
March book orders are due this Wednesday, March 9.

MARCH BREAK
March Break runs from Monday, March 14-18. Enjoy!

AT HOME READING
Thanks to everyone for making the At Home Reading program so successful! Please note that new books will not be sent home over March Break.

LIBRARY
New library books will not be signed out this week, but please be sure to RETURN ALL BOOKS. Thanks!

KINDERGARTEN TRIP, March 22
We are in the process of finalizing plans for a trip to the Museum of Nature on Tuesday, March 22. All of the Kinder classes, as well as the DD class and the Carleton Heights Child Care Centre will be going. As such, we will be running the trip in the morning (8:55-11:25) and there will be NO AFTERNOON CLASS that day. Please watch for further details and information will be sent home soon!

Thank you for checking in. I wish you a peaceful week and a wonderful March Break!

Warmly
Ms.Cox

Friday, February 25th WInter Fun Day CANCELLED

Hello again,
So sorry to tell you the Winter Fun Day has been cancelled due to the poor conditions on our yard. As such, we will be having a REGULAR day on Friday. Children are to come at the regular time (12:55-3:25pm).
I will try to ease their disappointment with hot chocolate and dinosaur treats!
Again, I apologize for any inconvenience and I thank you for your understanding!
Warmly,
Ms. Cox

Pink Shirt Day

Wednesday, February 23 has been designated "Pink Shirt Day" by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada to support anti-bullying education and awareness. Put some PINK on your child tomorrow! Thanks!

February 22-25

I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend, as well as Family Day! We have a shortened week, but it's long on fun!

WINTER FUN DAY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25--9a.m.
Please read the letter that was sent home in the agenda today (Tuesday). It explains that there will be NO AFTERNOON CLASS on Friday, as we are reversing our day in order to take part in the school-wide 'Fun Day'! The children will be participating in cross-graded groups and enjoying all sorts of outdoor activities. We participated last year and the children had tons of fun! Please drop your child at 8:55a.m. and pick him up at 11:25am. Arrangements have been made with CHCCC, so please see Suzanne for more details re: your pick-up time from child care. Bus students will have signed and returned alternate bus time pick-up/drop-off forms. Please call me if you need further information. Thanks for your flexibility!

DINOSAUR DEN

The Kindergarten class has gone back in time...all the way to the time of the dinosaurs! For the next few weeks we will be exploring all things dinosuar.
This week we will continue to read a variety of fiction and non-fiction and focus on differentiating between the two. The children are really starting to grasp that non-fiction has FACTS! Our 'shared reading' will be the big book, "Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs" by Byron Barton. In small groups we will read the little book "Dinosaur Story". The little book will be coming home for you to read with your child. Over the next 2 weeks our 'shared writing' will focus on dinosaur facts. I will model the writing process, encourage the children to 'share my pen' and then add our writing to the writing centre to serve as a model for the children.
Our math activities will focus on dinosaur sorting (using small dinosaurs), patterning (using stamps), and measuring dinosaur bones using non-standard tools (unifix cubes). We will also be estimating, counting and creating dinosaurs using shapes. And, we'll be counting by 2's, 5's and 10's, so please reinforce at home with lots of counting!
Our artistic endeavours over the next few weeks include a dinosaur mask, painting clay dinosuar magnets, sponge painting dinosaurs, as well as colouring and adding texture to various dinosaur outlines.
Our budding scientists continue to enthusiastically observe, measure and draw conclusions about our fast-growing Paperwhite. We had 3 blooms on Thursday! Children will also have the opportunity to turn their knowledge about paleontology into practise as they uncover fossilized dinosaur bones!
We'll be singing and moving to "The Dinosaur Song", "Dinosuars Big, Dinosaurs Small", and "Dinosuars, Dinosaurs". See if you can get your child to sing one of their favourites at the end of the week!

AROUND THE ROOM

The listening centre is now filled with dinosaur books on tape and the library is full of dinosaur fiction and non-fiction. We have several dinosaur books at the 'big book' stand. Our dramatic play centre has been turned into a paleontology research base, complete with helmets, goggles, 'fossil finders', brushes and shovels, posters, fact cards and books. The sand centre is filled with dinosaurs, fossils, eggs, rocks, feathers and plants for our young paleontologists to uncover, observe and describe.The paint centre has 3 large, colourful dinosuar cut-outs for children to model their paintings on, if they choose. There is always lots of time for children to explore, play together and discover new things.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS
This is the last call for February's book order. I will be placing the order at the end of the week! Thanks.

Thanks for checking in and have a wonderful week!
Ms. Cox

WINTER FUN DAY CANCELLED

The school-wide Winter Fun Day scheduled for this Thursday, February 17th has been CANCELLED. The tentative new date is Friday, February 25th. I will confirm this date and any other changes with you very soon. Please check the blog regularly.
Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience.

February 14th-18th

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! The children had a great time today talking, reading and singing about friends. They also enjoyed handing out their Valentines and sharing lots of treats! Thanks so much for taking the time to help your child write out his cards.

WINTER FUN DAY
Carleton Heights is set to have a Winter Fun Day this Thursday, February 17 at 9am. In order for our class to take part in the fun we'll need to reverse our day. This means children will come to school from 9am-11:25am. THERE WILL BE NO AFTERNOON CLASS. Arrangements have been made for bus students, as well as those attending CHCCC (please see Suzanne for info re: pick-up times, etc.). The Fun Day may be rescheduled due to the uncooperative weather...please check back for more info AND I will send a note home. Thank you for your flexibility! The children will have a great time!

NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18th or MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21st
Teachers will be at the Palais des Congres for a professional development day. There are no classes.
Monday is 'Family Day' in Ontario. I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy the day with your children!

WELCOME ZEINAB
The SK class is very lucky to have Zeinab Khazaal, a Co-op student from Brookefield H.S., join us every afternoon (starting today). Zeinab will assist children with activities, read one-on-one, help set-up and tidy up and assist in all aspects of our program. She is warm and friendly and already a big hit with the kids (she brought in treats today!). Welcome, Zeinab!

THIS WEEK...

Our focus this week (as every week) is 'Friendship'. We continue to explore the different characteristics of fiction and non-fiction works. I will be modelling letter writing and we will complete some 'Shared Writing' when we write a thank you letter to our Reading Buddies (for the fun 100's Day activities they shared with us). Students will also be encouraged to visit our 'post office' and write letters to their friends and families.
We will be reading "Looking for the Letter 'L'". Watch for it and enjoy repeated readings with your child! Our Shared Reading this week is "Hearts Everywhere".

Our Math activities this week focus on Valentine pattern cards (identifying and extending using manipulatives). We will also be counting to 100 by 10's, counting down from 10 and practising our numbers (7 & 8) in our notebooks. Please continue to help your child count to 30 if they are not already doing so independently.
Our crafts this week include heart painting (using brushes, sponges and cookie cutters) and Valentine cards.
We continue to observe and measure our Paperwhite each day. The kids were soooo excited today when they arrived...we have our first BLOOM!! It's a pleasure to watch the children enter the class each day and head straight for their flower to check on its progress. Many of the children are now very comfortable picking up the ruler and measuring the flower on their own. Bravo! If you're looking for a fun and easy activity to do with your child, why not plant a bulb, or another fast growing plant? Talk about what it needs in order to live, let your child do the watering and the measuring. It's easy and fun to encourage your tiny green thumb!

Thank you for checking in and have a wonderful week!

Warmly,
Ms.Cox

February 7-11th

Hello again, everyone and Happy Chinese New Year! We have many exciting things on the go.

This week, we will be continuing to learn about Chinese New Year. We are reading a variety of fiction and non-fiction books. The children are really beginning to grasp the difference between the two! Please continue to reinforce at home. Our shared reading is a poem/song called 'The Dragon'. We are touch reading and identifying sight words. We will also use this poem as a 'jumping off point' for some creative writing. Together, we will brainstorm adjectives describing dragons and then the children will draw and describe their own dragons. The students have all cut, coloured, pasted and read their mini 'Chinese New Year' books and will be bringing them home to read with you tomorrow. Enjoy!

Our Math centre this week contains "Lucky Penny" adding and subtracting as well as a missing number activity in which the children must help the dragon fill in the missing numbers along his path (from 1-30). Lots of counting at home (we're also learning how to count by 10's to 100), and reinforcement of the terms 'adding', 'subtracting' and 'equals' will really help our budding mathematicians.

The SK's had a wonderful Chinese New Year parade and party on Friday!We used Wednesday's 'snow day' to decorate the classroom (thank you to Adrienne, Markus, Abasfiofon and Davide). Thank you to Adrienne's parents for sending in lucky red envelopes and treats for all the kids! After we completed our dragon puppets we headed down the hall to visit our Grade 5 Reading Buddies (who gave each student a red lantern)...how nice! We also paraded by our Child Care friends and then to the main office to take a picture with Mr. Tayler. Ask your child to sing our "Chinese 'hello' Song" for you!

100's DAY!
This Friday marks the 100th day of school! It's quite a milestone and we will be celebrating! Watch for a poem, mini book and pretend sunglasses. I would also ask that parents help their child collect, count and bring in 100 items to share (buttons, pieces of cereal, stamps, coins, candies, beans, etc.). The purpose is to get your child counting to 100, to help them visualize what 100 looks like and to think creatively about what they could collect. Of course, we'd like to create a "100s Day" book, so please help us! Thank you!

CHARACTER TREE
The SK's have been talking a lot about the qualities of a good friend.We know that a good friend is someone who listens, shares, cares, helps, smiles, includes others, uses a friendly voice and solves problems calmly. Each day this week we will start with our 'Friends' song (ask your child to sing it for you). We will then share our ideas about how each of us can be a good friend that day. It's a good way to focus our energy and it helps set a positive tone for the day. Outside our classroom we have a large paper tree that is quickly getting covered in 'Character Hearts'. Students in all 3 Kinder classes, as well as the Child Care give these hearts to their classmates when they catch them doing something friendly. I think we may have to plant another tree for all of our hearts! What a kind group of friends.

SHOW AND SHARE
Please find the new February Show and Share schedule in your child's note tote tonight (Monday). The focus is on 'friendship'. Children are asked to reflect on something friendly that happened to them at school. They draw a picture and, with your help, write a one or two sentence explanation. Watch for the Show and Share case (paper will be inside).

GRADE 4 EFI PROJECT
Mms. Kerkoven's Grade 4 EFI class is conducting a school-wide survey to gather information about children's TV watching habits. A slip will be coming home tomorrow--please fill in what you can and send it back by Thursday. Thank you for helping!

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS
Scholastic order forms went home today and will be due back on Monday, February 14th. Thank you.

VALENTINE'S DAY
Valentine's Day is on Monday, February 14th and we will be exchanging Valentine's and having some treats! Our 'friendship' focus will carry over into next week.

REPORT CARDS
By now you've had a chance to look at your child's report card. Please call me, or stop by, if you have any questions or if there's anything you would like to discuss further. There is no interview time set aside by the Board for this term, but I am happy to meet with you, or chat on the phone at any time. Please do not hesitate.
Also, please return the signed page 3 of the report card if you have not already done so. Thanks.

That's all for now--have a great week!
Ms. Cox

January 27th is Family Literacy Day!

This year's theme is "Play for Literacy" (visit the official website at www.abc-canada.org for more information and ideas). Families are encouraged to play board games, card games and word games to practice literacy skills and have fun! Make literacy a part of your child's routine every day. Have them help you with a recipe, sing a song, discuss pictures in the newspaper, or read a favourite story. All it takes is 15 minutes a day to keep everyone's literacy skills sharp!
Don't forget to join us at Carleton Heights for the book sale in the library (Thursday and Friday). Also, I will be sending home a little package with some ideas for enjoying Family Literacy Day. Have fun!
Ms. Cox

January 24-28

This week the Kinders are learning about PENGUINS! It's a topic that all children seem to love and enjoy and we can do so many fun and enriching activities around it.
We started today by brainstorming what we already know about penguins. The children came up with quite a list...we already seem to have quite a few 'penguin experts'! Our new circle time name tags (penguins, of course) contain our phone numbers. We'll be trying to memorize them over the next week or two. Please reinforce at home.

Our 'shared reading'  is a poem called "Penguin". It's written out on large sentence strips and the children are encouraged to 'touch read' it, find words they know, and echo read with me.

Children will be reading and bringing home the book "A Penguin Adventure". This book focuses on positional words (on, in, above, etc.). The children will also be doing some writing in these books. As always, students are encouraged to spell as much as they can on their own (using the resources around the room and by 'sounding out'), however, when needed, I copy the words for them on a small whiteboard. Kyle, Liam and Davide came up with some very creative sentences! Nicely done. Please watch for this book and enjoy reading it with your child.

The math centre this week focuses on addition and subtraction (using penguin cards and crackers!). Children are encouraged to choose a card, read the equation, copy it in their notebooks and then use the crackers to help them find the answer. It's a challenging activity, but the children are supported along the way. Abasiofon, Tariq and Adrienne worked very hard on their equations today! We will also be ordering penguin cards from 1-10, and counting by 10s to 100. Be sure to ask your child to do this for you at home.

The craft centre was very busy today as Abbey, Jeremie and Sabari were eager to make their own 'penguin headbands'. We will wear these to our 'Penguin Party' on Friday! Adrienne and Davide also enjoyed painting penguins today. They used the penguin outline and the coloured photos of various penguins to decide on their designs. Their 'Macaroni Penguins' were very accurate...nicely done!

In science this week we will continue to focus on caring for, observing and measuring our Paperwhite Narcissus. It's already 6.5cm tall!

We also put a bucket of water outside today and made some predictions about what will happen to it overnight. Most of the class predicted it would freeze (some thought it might 'disappear'). We'll check tomorrow and discuss our observations. We'll add the ice block to our water table for further investigation (and it will serve as a nice iceberg for our penguins!).

Our dramatic play centre has been turned into an 'Antarctica Research Centre' with maps, binoculars, 'Penguin Patrol' hard hats, field journals, penguin books, pictures and 'Junior Researcher' ID badges. The kids are pretty serious about it...!

As always, the children are encouraged to visit areas that interest them...computer centre, class library, listening centre, puzzles, workshop, math games, fridge phonics, white boards, MEC builders, and so on.

PENGUIN PARTY
We will be having a little penguin party on Friday. Please have your child dress in black and white! We will make snow cones, eat freezies, and enjoy penguin crackers. We'll wear our headbands, sing  'I'm a Little Penguin'  and move around like penguins! Should be fun!

SHOW AND SHARE
Please do not worry if the Show and Share case doesn't come home on your scheduled day. Sometimes it is forgotten at home, or a child is sick. If you miss your day, it will come again
ASAP.

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
Please spread the word to friends and families that registration begins January 31st!

ZIPLOCK BAGS
Please remember that your child's agenda, library book and At Home Reading materials are to be kept in the Ziplock bags provided. The bags protect the materials, keep things from falling out and make organizing things easier.Please help your child take care of his/her belongings, as well as those of the school and class. Thanks for your help!

BLIZZARD OF BOOKS
There is a book sale this week in the CH library! Check the newsletter for specific dates and times (I'll try to post them...I don't have the info here at home).

AT HOME READING
Please continue to focus on making connections, using picture clues, asking 'does it make sense', and sounding out. For children who are not ready to read just yet, focus on finding particular letters, ask what sounds the letters make, talk about punctuation, make predictions, and so on. Have fun!

POSTING COMMENTS
I believe it should now be possible for anyone to post a comment. Just scroll to the bottom of the page where it says 'comments', click on it, type and post! Please let me know if it still isn't working! Thanks for your patience.

Thank you for checking in and staying so involved! Have a wonderful week!

Warmly,
Ms. Cox

Week of January 17-21

This week, we will be continuing our investigation of winter and snow. Children will be taking turns 'touch reading' the story "In the Winter" (it is written out on large sentence strips and they will also be bringing home their own copies to share with you). When children 'touch read' they touch each word with a pointer as they say it. This helps them understand that each sentence is made up of a number of words. It also encourages correct directionality (left to right) , proper word order and the tracking of print. The reading strategies that we are focusing on currently are using picture clues and the beginning sounds of words.

Our 'shared reading' or 'big book' this week is called "The Snow". We are focusing on making connections (text to text, text to self and text to the world) and identifying sight words.
Writing activities include recording winter words, writing about our favourite winter sports and, of course, practicing our first and last names.

We will be working on subtraction as a large group, as well as in our small groups. Some will use manipulatives (snowmen counters ) to figure out the solutions, others will do it on their fingers, and some in their heads! Please be sure to try some at home.

Our artwork this week is a painted 'blizzard' on canvas...Markus, Adrienne, Jeremie and Abasiofon finished theirs today and they look amazing!

We have a few science experiments on the go, as well. Ask your son or daughter about the Paperwhite Narcissus (thanks to Mrs. Erola)  we planted on Thursday! The kids were very excited to plant the bulb and they loved the 'puck' that magically turned into soil when we added warm water! Lots of 'mucking about' by everyone! We then drew what we observed, discussed what plants need in order to live and figured out where the best spot to put our growing flower would be. Watch for photos...coming soon. This week we will also be investigating whether snow is clean, or not....

AT HOME READING
Thanks so much to everyone for getting our At Home Reading Program off to such a great start. The repetitive nature of the books promotes reading success, which in turn, builds confidence in our young readers. Keep it up and keep it fun!

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS
Book order forms were sent home today and are due back by Friday, January 21st.

LOCK DOWN
A pink note explaining board 'lockdown' procedure/practise was also sent home today. Our class will miss the school-wide morning drill, but we will have our own practise so all the children are comfortable and know what to do. I explained it in simple terms without going into detail about 'why' a lock down might occur (to avoid any unnecessary anxiety).

SHOW AND SHARE
Our January Show and Share continues to be a big hit! The kids love listening to the clues and trying to figure out what is in the box. We are now learning how to 'tally' the number of guesses. Today, Kyle guessed Abbey's 'surprise' after the first clue! Nice work, Kyle (and great clue, Abbey!).

SUPPLIES
Our class is getting very low on Ziploc freezer bags (we use a lot!). If you are able to send in another box, it would be much-appreciated. Thank you.

POSTING RESPONSES
Please add your comments to the blog site! As always, I am eager to hear from all of our parents, grandparents, caregivers and friends. And, we're always looking for new ideas (crafts, great books, science experiments), too. Please join in.
Have a great week!

Welcome to the new SK Blog!

As mentioned in December, I have decided to use this blog rather than a printed monthly newsletter as one method of communicating with families. My hope is to update the blog each week with a summary of the topics being covered, titles of books, descriptions of activities, suggestions for home, upcoming dates, Show and Share, special events and other 'happenings and hoopla'! I will include photos of student work, but I will NOT post photos of the students.  I am new to 'blogging' so this is a work in progress and will evolve as I learn to navigate the many features! I am really looking forward to sharing our news with you and I hope that you will find the blog helpful and informative.

Warmly,
Ms. Cox



Week of January 10-14th


Welcome back and Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had an enjoyable holiday. The children have slipped comfortably back into our classroom routines (not always easy after a long break) and have started 2011 with energy and enthusiasm!

For the next few weeks our focus will centre on snowmen, snow and winter. This week, we are reading a mini-book titled "Let's Make a Snowman!". Please read it with your child when he brings it home and have him find words that he knows (we've been working on the sight words 'the' and 'and'). The children are also working on addition problems. Some are learning how to say the equation or 'sentence' (ex. "2 plus 2 equals 4") whereas others are ready for more of a challenge. Meet your child where they are and reinforce with simple addition activities at home. We will also be making paper bag snowmen puppets (focusing on cutting on the lines, colouring carefully and gluing with precision...fine motor skill development!). Students will also be learning winter-related vocabulary and recording new words in their journals. Our Shared Reading (big book) this week is "Snowman" and we are focusing on the sight words 'a, and, the'. We are also learning some new songs with actions!

As always, there are a variety of centres available once students have completed their small group work. This week, they may choose from 'snowman sponge painting', the measurement sort box  (heavy or light?),  Mr. Tayler's Repair Shop (dramatic play), musical instrument centre (with a focus on playing forte or piano---loudly or softly), the sand table, the MEC builders and a retelling of "There was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow" (children use the props to retell this popular story).

SHOW AND SHARE

Our January Show and Share is off to a great start thanks to Kyle's super clues...it took us 3 guesses to figure out it was a pencil! Clever clues, Kyle and great reading! Tomorrow we will start tallying our guesses. Please follow the schedule and watch for the 'Surprise Box'!

NO SCHOOL JANUARY 14th

Please remember that there is NO SCHOOL on Friday. This is a Professional Activity Day for teachers to work on report cards.

TRAVELLING BOOKS

As you have probably noticed by now, the children are very keen readers and writers! Enthusiasm, fun and lots of praise are key to early literacy development. One way I encourage our young learners is to take their work and compile it into different books. They LOVE  seeing their work in a book! It makes them feel proud and special. And, most importantly, it helps them see themselves as readers and writers. Please continue enjoying these books with your child---they work hard on them and they love to share them with you.

OUTDOOR PLAY

Please remember to send snow pants, hat and mittens every day. It is cold, but sunny in our yard!

SCHOOL FEES

I still have a few parents who have not submitted the $35 fees. Please make the cheque payable to Carleton Heights Public School. Thanks in advance for your attention to this!

AT HOME READING PROGRAM

Our At Home Reading program has started up again and the kids are excited! The program was a huge hit last year and received a lot of positive feedback from parents. As I mentioned, this is just one part of your child's literacy development. Continuing to read a variety of high-quality, high-interest  fiction and non-fiction is crucial. The pattern books that are used in this program help children develop confidence and sight-word recognition. They are not meant to replace all the great books out there! Please remember to return the book, duotang and Ziploc bag every THURSDAY.

Thanks again for your continued support and have a great week!

MAKING CONNECTIONS

One final note...we are focusing on 'making connections' to what we read. Connections can be 'text to text', 'text to self', or 'text to world'. Please help your child think about what they've read by asking them what it reminds them of.  Some questions to ask include:  What does this story remind you of? Has this ever happened to you? How do you think the character is feeling? What would you do? Essentially, we want to move beyond a simple retelling and into  more thoughtful and analytical responses. The best way to do this is talk, talk, talk and model, model, model! Have fun!