Friday April 29, 2016

Today's Learning:
Gym: dances - Macarena, Hokey Pokey, Cupid shuffle, hitch hiker,  7 Jumps, YMCA, Sunny Sunny, Bunny hop, Bird dance, Can Can
Creative Writing: acrostic poems 'Butterfly'
Science: adding the yellow 'mantle' layer to our plasticine earth
Class Meeting: several students reading
Laptops: researching using the 'dictionary application' and 'Read and Write Gold' to read website information
Art: Toilet paper butterflies WOW!

Ask me:
- to show you an array for 4X3
- to tell you about my butterfly art project
- how to use the Read and Write Gold reading application 
- what my favorite dance is

Reminders:
- Pink MAY newsletter in backpack of youngest student

Thursday April 28, 2016

Today's Learning:
Gym: Student led stretches, Jump Start dance, 'The Sea Child Bubble Story' relaxation activity
Music - pls see music blog
Class story: 'The Mighty Chief and the Gopher'
Assembly - Gr. 1/2
Class meeting - sharing circle using Mrs. Turk's special rock - what was your favorite part of the assembly?
Creative Writing - introduction to acrostic poems
Math: addition and subtraction centers

Ask me:
- what an acrostic poem is
- what my acrostic poem for my name is
- to use your name, or the word 'FAMILY' or 'LOVE' or 'MOMMY' or 'GRANDMA' and let's make an acrostic poem together
- what my favorite part of the assembly was
- how the sharing circle works?  who gets to speak?

Reminders: 
- today was the last day for the Hot Soup Program

Wednesday April 27, 2016

Today's Learning:
Gym: dances - Macarena, Hokey Pokey, Cupid shuffle, hitch hiker,  7 Jumps, YMCA, Sunny Sunny, Bunny hop, Bird dance, Can Can
- Learning Commons Book Exchange
- Science: Bean Growth Observations
Class Novel: 'Arthur and the Minimoys'
Music: pls see music blog message
Body break 
Math: addition and subtraction centers and multiplication

Ask me:
- what cool books I signed out from the Learning Commons
- how my bean is changing
- what is 'metamorphic rock'
- what is 'sedimentary rock'
- what layer of the earth do we live on?

Reminders:
- none today!

Thursday April 21, 2016

Today's Learning:
Gym: dances - Macarena, Hokey Pokey, Cupid shuffle, hitch hiker,  7 Jumps, YMCA, Sunny Sunny, Bunny hop, Bird dance, Can CanMusic: pls see music blog
Class meeting: individual students sharing and reading to classmates
Science: laptops to check Rocks and Minerals websites, RAZ Reading and Brain Pop
Science - Bean Observations
Body Break - outside
Math - Addition and Subtraction centers (some Gr. 3 students working on multiplication)

Ask me:
- what I've learned about rocks and minerals
- how I show 'trustworthiness'
- to show you one of our dances

Reminders:
No school tomorrow or Monday!

Tuesday April 26, 2016

Today's Learning:
Gym: dancing - can can, bird dance, bunny hop, hitch hiker, twist, Macarena, electric slide, Sunny Sunny.  LEAP mark
Science/Art - layers of the earth, creating the earth's layers in a plasticine model
Laptops: using 'Read and Write Gold' application to read difficult documents and websites
Guest presentation - Rikki - about our school garden
Music - pls see music blog
Body break
Math - Subtraction, Addition and multiplication centers

Ask me:
- What is my birthstone?
- what are the 2 annual plants that have already sprouted in our school garden? (chives and strawberries)
- what are the 4 layers of the earth? (inner core, utter core, mantle, crust)
- to show you the cool websites about the layers of the earth:
http://www.ngkids.co.uk/science-and-nature/structure-of-the-earth#
http://www.myschoolhouse.com/courses/O/1/69.asp
Brain Pop Junior:  user name: vistaheights    password:  brain pop
     - click: science      click:   land    click:  rocks and minerals
- about the fire drill this afternoon


Reminders:
- Earth Day was last Friday!
- Learning Commons Book Exchange tomorrow - pls bring all books for renewal or exchange

Thursday April 14, 2016

Today's Learning:

Gym - more dancing: Hokey Pokey, Bird Dance, Sunny Sunny, review: electric slide  new: 7 Jumps (Danish dance)
Music - pls see music blog
Science: check in and watering of Spring seeds
Class Story: Charlie the Caterpillar (exciting hooker for writing)
L.A. - independent, writing (30 min, uninterrupted)
Art - butterfly mural
Body break - 
Math - 

Ask me:

- about the life of a butterfly
- how many minutes in a half hour?  what is this fraction (1/2)
- how many minutes in an hour?
- how to dance the '7 Jumps' dance
- did I participate in Digital Champions?  If so, how is my project coming along?

Reminders:
- book fair notice in backpack

- Book a 15 minute parent/teacher conference online
- no school tomorrow!

- Vista Heights School Learning Commons is having a Book Fair!                         

We will be selling Scholastic books and merchandise during the school day

Tuesday April 19 to Thursday April 21, 9am – 3pm. 

And at our special Family Event during Parent/Teacher Conferences.                           

Thursday April 21 4 pm – 7:30 pm.  Friday 8:30 am to noon.

There will be classroom draws for free books and display posters.

A special Family Event draw of a $25 book for one student and $25 of books for the winning student’s classroom.

Wednesday April 20, 2016

Today's Learning:

gym: dances - Macarena, Hokey Pokey, Cupid shuffle, hitch hiker,  7 Jumps, YMCA, Sunny Sunny, Bunny hop, Bird dance, Can Can
Science: Rocks and Minerals Pre-test
Cultural Appreciation Videos: First Nations pow wow 'Jingle Dance', Chinese Fan Dance, others: Somali, Afghani, Irish jig, Scottish Highland fling
Health - posters with partners, beginning large, good copies
Fire Drill
Music - pls see music blog
Body Break - outside - Basketball, football, skipping
Music - additional period (see music blog)

Ask me:
- how to hold the mallets properly when playing the Orff instruments
- how to multiply using 'groups of'

Reminders:

- Book a 15 minute parent/teacher conference online
- no school Friday

- Vista Heights School Learning Commons is having a Book Fair!                         

We will be selling Scholastic books and merchandise during the school day

Tuesday April 19 to Thursday April 21, 9am – 3pm. 

And at our special Family Event during Parent/Teacher Conferences.                           

Thursday April 21 4 pm – 7:30 pm.  Friday 8:30 am to noon.

There will be classroom draws for free books and display posters.

A special Family Event draw of a $25 book for one student and $25 of books for the winning student’s classroom.

Wednesday April 13, 2016

Today's Learning:

- Gym - Dance unit: Macarena, Bird Dance, Bunny Hop, Sunny Sunny, YMCA, new: '7 Jumps' (Danish folk dance)

- Learning Commons Book Exchange
- BrainPop 'subtraction without regrouping, vocabulary and easy/difficult quizzes, RAZ Kids Reading
- Music - pls see music blog
- Body Break - new dance: 
- Math: subtraction strategy: 'number line'

Ask me:

- what books I signed out of the Learning Commons
- how to use a number line as a strategy for solving subtraction problems
- how to dance the '7 Jumps' dance

Reminders:

- Book a 15 minute parent/teacher conference online

- Vista Heights School Learning Commons is having a Book Fair!                         

We will be selling Scholastic books and merchandise during the school day

Tuesday April 19 to Thursday April 21, 9am – 3pm. 

And at our special Family Event during Parent/Teacher Conferences.                           

Thursday April 21 4 pm – 7:30 pm.  Friday 8:30 am to noon.

There will be classroom draws for free books and display posters.

A special Family Event draw of a $25 book for one student and $25 of books for the winning student’s classroom.

Tuesday April 19, 2016

Today's Learning:

gym: dances - Macarena, Hokey Pokey, Cupid shuffle, hitch hiker,  7 Jumps, YMCA, Sunny Sunny, Bunny hop, Bird dance, Can Can

- Health - safety posters
Music - pls see music blog
Body break - outside: basketball, soccer, skipping or football
Math: addition centers and multiplication group

Ask me:
- if I learned multiplication today? 
- to show you 4 X 3 =         (ask me to draw it)
-  how my 'smooched' paint butterfly looks

Reminders:
- Learning Commons tomorrow morning for book fair *bring money if you would like to purchase items in our morning time

- Book a 15 minute parent/teacher conference online for this Thursday evening or Friday morning

- Vista Heights School Learning Commons is having a Book Fair!                         

We will be selling Scholastic books and merchandise during the school day

Tuesday April 19 to Thursday April 21, 9am – 3pm. 

And at our special Family Event during Parent/Teacher Conferences.                           

Thursday April 21 4 pm – 7:30 pm.  Friday 8:30 am to noon.

There will be classroom draws for free books and display posters.

A special Family Event draw of a $25 book for one student and $25 of books for the winning student’s classroom.

Monday April 18, 2016

Today's Learning:

gym: dances - Macarena, Hokey Pokey, Cupid shuffle, hitch hiker,  7 Jumps, YMCA, Sunny Sunny, Bunny hop, Bird dance, *new: Can Can

- Art - butterfly smooching with acrylic paint
- Laptops: health safety poster research with partners, signing up for Earth Rangers, Brain Pop - subtraction and Raz Kids Reading
Science - Bean Growth observations
Class novel: Arthur and the Minimoys
Body Break - outside
Math - Gr. 2 addition centers and Gr. 3 multiplication

Ask me:

- about our HUGE butterfly mural
- how to use the 'borrowing strategy in a math subtraction equation - ask me:    835
                                                                                                                            - 457 

- how much fun Mr. D is
- how to dance the 'Can Can'


Reminders:

- Book a 15 minute parent/teacher conference online

- Vista Heights School Learning Commons is having a Book Fair!                         

We will be selling Scholastic books and merchandise during the school day

Tuesday April 19 to Thursday April 21, 9am – 3pm. 

And at our special Family Event during Parent/Teacher Conferences.                           

Thursday April 21 4 pm – 7:30 pm.  Friday 8:30 am to noon.

There will be classroom draws for free books and display posters.

A special Family Event draw of a $25 book for one student and $25 of books for the winning student’s classroom.

Friday April 15, 2016

Today's Learning:

- Earth Rangers Presentation
- Class Meeting: various students reading to class
- Math - new subtraction strategy: 'borrowing'
- Art - large class butterfly mural
- Math - post-test subtraction

Ask me:
- why an armadillo has hair (keeps him warm and he knows if something brushes up against him)
- what frightens animals? (noise from vehicles, humans)
- how many mosquitoes does a Little Brown Bat eat in one hour? (500)
- what are the Earth Rangers trying to protect? (animals)
what senses would a falcon use to find food? (sight, smell, sound)
- what bacteria is killing Little Brown Bats? (white nose fungus)
- what flying mammal weighs as much as a loonie? (Little Brown Bat)
- what animal lives in the ocean but doesn't look like an animal? (cold-water coral)
- how does a Kestrel falcon kill another little bird? (he punches it, it crashes to the ground and then it swoops down to collect his prize)

Reminders:
- head lice notice in backpack
- Earth Rangers campaign card in backpack

- Book a 15 minute parent/teacher conference online

- Vista Heights School Learning Commons is having a Book Fair!                        

We will be selling Scholastic books and merchandise during the school day

Tuesday April 19 to Thursday April 21, 9am – 3pm.

And at our special Family Event during Parent/Teacher Conferences.                           

Thursday April 21 4 pm – 7:30 pm.  Friday 8:30 am to noon.

There will be classroom draws for free books and display posters.

A special Family Event draw of a $25 book for one student and $25 of books for the winning student’s classroom.

Thursday April 14, 2016

Today's Learning:
Gym: dances: bird, bunny, sunny, review: electric slide, new: 7 Jumps
Music - pls see music blog
Science - check in on spring beans planted with our Gr. 1/2 buddies
Story: 'Charlie the Caterpillar'
Creative Writing - independent, uniterrupted writing "Life as a butterfly"
Art - class mural of large butterflies
Body break: Wake and Shake
Math: new subtraction strategy: decomposing numbers

Ask me:
- how to dance the '7 Jumps' Danish folk dance
- how to decompose this equation:  78 - 43 =

Reminders:

- Book a 15 minute parent/teacher conference online
- Summer Soccer opportunity (in backpack)

- Vista Heights School Learning Commons is having a Book Fair!                         

We will be selling Scholastic books and merchandise during the school day

Tuesday April 19 to Thursday April 21, 9am – 3pm. 

And at our special Family Event during Parent/Teacher Conferences.                           

Thursday April 21 4 pm – 7:30 pm.  Friday 8:30 am to noon.

There will be classroom draws for free books and display posters.

A special Family Event draw of a $25 book for one student and $25 of books for the winning student’s classroom.

Tuesday April 12, 2016

Today's Learning:
Gym - dances: Macarena, Hitchhiker, Bunny Hop, Bird Dance, Hokey Pokey, Cupid Shuffle, YMCA, Sunny Sunny
Science - Little Green Thumbs Bean Growth Observations - Day 30!!!!
Math - Pre-test (subtraction)
Music - pls see music blog
Body Break - outside free play
Math - Subtraction strategies: number line and zero zapper

Ask me:
- how to dance the cupid shuffle
- about the subtraction strategies I learned today (number line and zero zapper)
- about the bean sprout I am documenting - how tall is it?  how many leaves does it have? how has it changed over a month?
- how many days in a month?
- to show you the Brainpop video on SUBTRACTION (search in 'math', 'subtraction', 'subtraction without regrouping            login:  vistaheights      password:  brain pop
- what are some other words that mean 'subtract'?     (take away, minus, remove)

Reminders:
- Learning Commons Book Exchange tomorrow - pls bring all library books to renew or exchange

Monday April 11, 2016

Today's Learning:
Gym: dance: Macarena, Bunny Hop, Bird Dance, YMCA new: Twist
Class meeting
Art: finishing up tissue paper butterflies, adding detail and antenna
Science: :title Green Thumbs Bean Observations
Laptops: research for health posters
Continued art
Body Break: learn how to dance the Cupid Shuffle
Math: post-test for number representation using addition strategies

Ask me:
to how you how to do the TWIST dance
to show you how to do the Cupid Shuffle dance
if I am in the Digital Champions Club, how my group is coming along?  Do I need to bring/make any props or costumes?

Reminders:
Parent Teacher Conference letter in backpack

Friday April 8, 2016

Today's Learning:
Class meeting: Mr. D subbing for Mrs. Turk today!

Gym - dance unit - introduction, Bunny Hop, Bird Dance, Hokey Pokey, Macarena, Sunny, Sunny, YMCA, car wash, LEAP mark
Class meeting: sharing and reading by individual students
Class novel: 'Arthur and the Minimoys'
Science: Bean Growth Observations
Art: Tissue paper butterflies and large group butterfly collage
*special thanks to Miss Kandi for volunteering and her art expertise

Ask me:
- about the cool butterfly art we did today
- how my bean is changing
- to show you the 'car wash dance'

Reminders:
- Digital Champions on Monday lunch time, for those who attend
- **** pls send any paper towel or toilet paper rolls to school, as we are collecting for a craft.

Thursday April 7, 2016

Today's Learning:
Gym - dance unit - introduction, Bunny Hop, Bird Dance, Hokey Pokey, Macarena, Sunny, Sunny, YMCA, car wash
Music - pls see music blog
Science - finishing up typing of animal research/Health safety research
Health -  safety posters
Science: bean observations - diagrams and descriptive
Math: 'Explosion Math' addition strategy (adding 3 digit numbers and carrying)

Ask me:
- what new dances I've learned
- how I am trustworthy
- to show you how successful I am at 'explosion math'

Reminders:
- pls bring any toilet paper or paper towel rolls

Wednesday April 6, 2016

Today's Learning:
Gym - dance unit - introduction, Bunny Hop, Bird Dance, Hokey Pokey, Macarena, Sunny Sunny, Car Wash
Learning Commons Book Exchange
Science: bean observations - diagrams and descriptive
Music - pls see music blog
Boday break
Math: 'Explosion Math' addition strategy (adding 3 digit numbers and carrying)

Ask me:
- what books I've chosen to read today
- to explain 'explosion math'
- to show you the Macarena and the carwash dances
- about the bean sprout I am studying - how it has changed over the last couple of days

Reminders:
- CBE notice in backpack of youngest/only child
- Digital Champions tomorrow lunch time, for those who attend! :)
- **** pls send any paper towel or toilet paper rolls to school, as we are collecting for a craft!

Tuesday April 5, 2016

Today's Learning:
Class meeting: Mr. Smith subbing for Mrs. Turk today! discussion about this month's virtue: trustworthiness, LEAP gym self-assessment
Gym - dance unit - introduction, Bunny Hop, Bird Dance, Hokey Pokey
Class novel: 'Arthur and the Minimoys'
Virtue Bookmark - trustworthiness
Science: bean observations - diagrams and descriptive
Class Novel: 'Arthur and the Minimoys'
Music - cancelled today
Boday break
Math: 'Explosion Math' addition strategy (adding 3 digit numbers and carrying
Ask me:
- did I participate in Digital Champions Club today?  If so, what is my topic and what is the technology my group will be using?
- what was my L.E.A.P. mark today?
- to explain 'explosion math'

Reminders:
- Learning Commons boo exchange tomorrow - bring all books for renewal or exchange

Monday April 4, 2016

Today's Learning:
Class meeting: Mr. Smith subbing for Mrs. Turk today! discussion about this month's virtue: trustworthiness, LEAP gym self-assessment
Gym - dance unit - introduction, Bunny Hop, Bird Dance, Hokey Pokey
Class novel: 'Arthur and the Minimoys'
Virtue Bookmark - trustworthiness
Science: bean observations - diagrams and descriptive
Class Novel: 'Arthur and the Minimoys'
Music - pls see music blog
Boday break
Math: 'Explosion Math' addition strategy (adding 3 digit numbers and carrying
Ask me:
- did I participate in Digital Champions Club today?  If so, what is my topic and what is the technology my group will be using?
- what was my L.E.A.P. mark today?
- to explain 'explosion math'

Reminders:
- Learning Commons boo exchange tomorrow - bring all books for renewal or exchange

Friday April 1, 2016

Today's Learning:
- Gym: 'JumpStart Dance-play'
- Creative Writing: task to write for an uninterrupted period of time topic: Vista Heights River
- Science/S.S.: laptops cont'd typing of animal research using the SMART Notebook application
- Class meeting - various students sharing and reading
- Sciecne/ L.A. Buddies; working with Mr. Beattie's class planting more seeds, and story/reading with buddies
- Body Break: outside/unstructured play time

Ask me:
- what is the virtue of April? (trustworthiness).  How do I plan to be trustworthy. Let's have a family discussion about what a trustworthy person does/shows
- what April Fool's Day trick Mrs. Turk played on our class?  HAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHA!!!
- what does the acronym L.E.A.P. stand for?
- what my LEAP mark was for today?

Reminders:
- CBE Transportation notice in backpack of youngest or only child
- Digital Champ[ions Club on Monday lunch for those involved