LOCKDOWN

Today, we experienced a lockdown toward the end of the school day. Thankfully, it was a false alarm. Despite the fear and uncertainty, the students handled the situation incredibly well, following all procedures and expectations with calmness and maturity.

As part of our lockdown protocol, we turned off the lights, ensured the doors were locked (they are always locked during class), and safely gathered in the bathroom. It was a frightening experience for everyone, but the students remained calm and quiet throughout.

After the lockdown was lifted, we took time to process the event together. Some students expressed their feelings with tears and questions, so we gathered on the carpet for a supportive and heartfelt discussion. It was a meaningful moment of connection during a challenging situation.

For additional details, please refer to the email sent by the office.

Thank you for your continued support.

Happy New Year!

I am so impressed with how well the students have settled back into routines after the holidays. I hope you all had a wonderful break! We have jumped right back into learning and are off to a fantastic start.

In Reading, we are working on digraphs and continuing to practice sounding out words. Please remember to return your child’s home reading book after they have read it for five days. Also, keep practicing the sight words that were sent home. If you need another set, feel free to reach out, and I’ll be happy to send one home.

In Writing, we are focusing on writing complete sentences. Over the next few weeks, we’ll transition into descriptive writing, which is always an exciting unit for the students.

In Math, we have started learning subtraction. The students are catching on quickly and enjoying our subtraction stories. Building strong number sense is essential for their success in math. To support this, you can practice activities like counting forward and backward, skip counting, and breaking numbers into parts at home. For example, the number 10 can be broken into 5 + 5 or 4 + 6. The class has been doing a great job coming up with creative ways to make numbers!

In Science, we’ve begun studying habitats, and in Social Studies, we are starting a unit on communities.

In Bible, we are continuing to explore familiar stories from the Bible. Today, we learned about Joseph and discussed his journey.

A few reminders:

  • This Friday is Cozy Casual Day. Students can wear their comfiest clothes to school!
  • I will be away this Friday as I will be traveling to the Island with the junior girls’ basketball team as their female chaperone—GO KNIGHTS! Jessie Roorda will be in for me.

Thank you for your continued support in making this year a success for your child. If you have any questions or need additional resources, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Christmas Concert

Friday is our Christmas Concert. The doors will open at 9:30 and the concert starts at 10:00. We should wrap up by 11:30 and then the students will be dismissed from the classroom immediately after the concert.

Concert Wear:  Festive Clothing (Christmas sweaters or Christmas best or Christmas colours – no uniforms)

This week students are invited to wear Christmas hats or socks if they would like, they can wear them in class with their uniform.

Next week the students can wear:

Christmas Dress Up – Final Week of School

  • Monday = Christmas colours: red, green, white 
  • Tuesday = Christmas sweaters/shirts 
  • Wednesday = Christmas PJs 
  • Thursday = ALL THE CHRISTMAS 

Let me know if you have any questions.

We had another wonderful week together! The students are definitely showing they’re ready for a well-deserved break. To help build excitement, we’ve started our Christmas countdown to the holidays, where we reveal a fun activity each day. Yesterday, we made salt dough ornaments as gifts for our Grade 9 big buddies. These thoughtful presents will be given to them during our buddy time on Tuesday. Our big buddies have been amazing this year, and the students especially enjoyed working on the wooden snowman project with them!

This week, we continued learning and growing in several areas:

  • Word Families: We are nearing the end of our unit.
  • Math: We worked on adding numbers up to 20.
  • Science: We explored objects in the sky.
  • Social Studies/Christmas Around the World: We learned about how Christmas is celebrated in Italy, including traditional foods, celebrations, and legends.

After finishing our word family unit, we will begin working on blends, digraphs, and continue practicing sight words. Please keep reading with your child at home and practicing the sight words sent home in their book bags.

A major highlight of the week was our skating field trip! The students behaved so wonderfully, and I was incredibly proud of them.

Just a reminder, this will be our last spelling list before Christmas.

Thank you for your continued support at home, and have a wonderful weekend!

Spelling words

  1. you
  2. was
  3. to
  4. the
  5. that

Dear Families,

We are having an incredible week in our classroom! The students have been working hard and making great progress in many areas. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to and some reminders to keep the learning momentum going at home.

Language Arts: Sounding Out Words

This week, our focus on phonics has truly paid off! The students are getting better and better at sounding out new words. Many of them are applying these skills during our reading time, blending sounds smoothly to tackle words with confidence. A big shoutout to everyone for their efforts—it’s wonderful to see their growth!

Math: Adding Numbers to 20

Our math lessons have been all about addition this week, and the students are shining! They’ve been practicing strategies like counting on, using number lines, and finding patterns. It’s exciting to see their confidence build as they solve problems with sums up to 20. Keep practicing those math facts at home to strengthen their fluency!

Science: States of Matter Wrap-Up

We wrapped up our science unit on States of Matter this week. The students have done such a fantastic job exploring solids, liquids, and gases. From making butter to observing melting and freezing, they’ve learned how matter can change states through hands-on activities. It’s been a fun and engaging way to learn about the world around us!

The Importance of Home Reading

Thank you to everyone who has been consistently completing home reading! Reading at home is such an important part of building fluency and fostering a love for books. Please remember to send the books back once they’re finished so your child can exchange them for new ones. This ensures they always have something fresh and exciting to read at home.

Looking Ahead

As we continue into the next week, please keep up the great work supporting your child’s learning at home. Whether it’s practicing math facts, reviewing sight words, or reading together, your involvement makes all the difference!

Thursday is out first skating field trip. Please remember to send a helmet with your child. They will not be allowed to skate with out one. They can wear casual clothing, gloves and warm jackets are recommended.