Mrs. Mayer's Gracefield Kindergarten Class

Afternoon Volunteers for February 10th

2012-01-22T10:16:00.002-05:00

I now have three volunteers for the morning class for Friday, February 10th. Thank you! I am still looking for three enthusiastic volunteers for the afternoon class on Friday, February 10th to run a centre for our Scientists in School program in our classroom. This year, our Scientists in School program is focusing on animal homes. Please let me know if you are able to volunteer. I will send home a permission form for this event soon.

Have You Filled a Bucket Today?

2012-01-20T21:26:00.008-05:00

As part of our kindness and caring focus, this past week the Kindergarten students listened to the story Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide To Daily Happiness For Kids by Carol McCloud. This book is a winner of nine awards. This book explains that everyone carries an invisible bucket to hold our good thoughts and feeling about ourselves. When our buckets are full, we feel happy and when our buckets are empty, we feel sad. We need other people to fill our buckets. We fill buckets when we say and do things that are kind, considerate, caring and respectful. We dip into buckets and remove good feelings when we are mean, inconsiderate, uncaring or disrespectful.

I have encouraged the students to be bucket fillers this weekend. On Monday, I will ask the students whose buckets they filled, what they said or did to fill their buckets, how they felt when they filled their buckets and how they think the other people felt when they filled their buckets. Throughout the week I will also encourage the students to be bucket fillers and not bucket dippers at school. I will also tell the students that they can use their lid to protect their buckets by keeping others from dipping into their buckets and removing their good thoughts and feelings. Students can use their lid by being optimistic, by using DEBUG (move away, ignore, ask the person to stop, get adult help) and by not believing the hurtful things that are said to them.

For more information about this book and bucket filling you can visit www.bucketfillers101.com.

Volunteers Needed For Upcoming Special Event

2012-01-16T23:14:00.003-05:00

I am looking for some volunteers for an upcoming special event. I will need three enthusiastic volunteers for each class on Friday, February 10th to run a centre for our Scientists in School program in our classroom. This year, our Scientists in School program is focusing on animal homes. Please let me know if you are able to volunteer. I will send home a permission form for this event near the end of January.

Ice Dogs Game

2012-01-16T22:36:00.002-05:00

If you have ordered Ice Dogs tickets for Saturday, January 21st, the tickets will be sent home on Thursday, January 19th. There is a pre-game skate on Saturday from 5:00 - 5:30 p.m. The Grade 1 to 8 students who have been practicing singing O Canada with Mrs. Stieva are to meet in the front lobby at 6:30 p.m. The game will start at 7:00 p.m.

School Calendar and Newsletter

2012-01-15T00:03:00.002-05:00

The school January calendar and newsletter are now available on the school website. You can click HERE for the calendar and HERE for the newsletter.

Thank You

2012-01-05T22:47:00.003-05:00

Thank you so very much to everyone who donated to World Vision and Kiva! With the donations, the families of our Kindergarten students have purchased the following gifts for children and families in need:

*5 fruit trees (e.g., banana, papaya, mango, orange) for a family
*Warm blankets for children
*Antibiotics and medicine for 10 children
*Supplies for a classroom of impoverished children
*2 hens and a rooster for a family
*Fish farm for a family
*Support for a family struggling in poverty
*Fertilizer and supplies for a pineapple farmer in Nicaragua

Together, we have helped many children and families!

Thank you!

Teddy Bear Picnic

2012-01-05T12:55:00.012-05:00

On Friday, January 27th we will be having a Teddy Bear Picnic in our classroom!

On that day, the children are asked to:

*Wear PJs (students may also bring housecoats and slippers)

*Bring one teddy bear (if your child does not have a teddy bear then he/she may bring another stuffed animal)

*Bring a blanket or towel to sit on

*Bring a drink

At our Teddy Bear Picnic we will sing songs, play games and eat a special Teddy Bear Picnic snack provided by Mrs. Mayer.

We are looking forward to having a 'beary' good time!

SK Grad Photo Day

2012-01-04T14:53:00.002-05:00

Friday, January 13th is Senior Kindergarten Grad Photo Day. All Senior Kindergarten students will be photographed in the afternoon on this day.

The photographer will be taking four pictures of each student. The students will be wearing a blue graduation gown in all of the pictures. Students are encouraged to wear a white shirt with a collar for the pictures.

Photo proofs and order forms will be sent home by the end of January. There is no obligation to purchase any photos. SK students will receive a free Gracefield Senior Kindergarten Graduating Class Composite at the end of the year.

Calendars, Newsletters & Volunteer Schedules

2012-01-04T14:49:00.002-05:00

I have now posted on the right side of the blog the January calendars and newsletters and the January, February and March volunteer schedules. If you are unable to volunteer on a day that I have scheduled you in, please let me know. If I have not scheduled you in to volunteer, please let me know when you are available to volunteer.

Have A Wonderful Holdiay

2011-12-23T22:14:00.007-05:00

I wish everyone a wonderful two weeks together with family and friends. Thank you for all of the thoughtful cards and gifts. I truly appreciate them. On Christmas Eve, don't forget to use the Magical Reindeer Dust that I enclosed in your child's plastic mail folder :)

Over the holidays, your child may be interested in exploring the Jan Brett Website. Click HERE for the link to the website. During Computers in December, the Kindergarten children explored the fun Jan Brett interactive games HERE. Your child may also be interested in exploring the different online math games that I have listed on the right side of the blog under: Online Number Sense Games.

By January 4th, I will post on the blog our January calendars and newsletters and also the volunteer schedules for January, February and March. I am looking for some extra afternoon volunteers between January 9th and 19th. Please let me know if you are able to help out during those two weeks. By January 4th I will also post our December photos on our classroom website.

I look forward to seeing everyone again when we return to school on Monday, January 9th!

Week of December 19 to 23

2011-12-16T19:18:00.005-05:00

Please click HERE for the Gracefield Christmas Newsletter.

For the week of December 19 to 23:

Monday: We are collecting scarf, mitten and hat donations for Operation Winter Warmth

Tuesday: We are collecting new toy donations

Wednesday: ALL Kindergarten students attend school in the afternoon from 12:35 to 3:15 p.m. (There is no morning JK class on that day). Please see the Christmas Concert Reminder post below for more information. We are collecting non-perishable food donations in the classrooms and at both concerts.

Thursday: We are collecting donations for Niagara Regional Police's efforts to raise money for baby Matthew who has cancer.

Friday: Students are encouraged to wear festive colours and clothing. We will have a JK carol sing at 10:30 a.m. and a SK carol sing at 2:30 p.m.

Thank you for your support!

French Immersion Program

2011-12-16T18:31:00.000-05:00

The DSBN is pleased to now offer French Immersion beginning at the Grade 4 level across the system. In addition, as of September 2012, we will be implementing a Grade 1 French Immersion Pilot at 5 locations. As well as the new Grade 4 entry, Grade 5 entry will continue across the Board for 2012-2013 school year.

Click HERE for information re: entry levels and the application process. Parent information evenings will take place during the weeks of January 30 - February 10th. Applications for Grades 1, 4, 5 and 7 (at select schools) will be online. Application packages will also be available at your child's school starting January 9, 2012. Further program information will be sent home with your child in January.

Niagara Regional Police Volleyball Games

2011-12-15T07:42:00.000-05:00

On the afternoon of Thursday, December 22nd, the Niagara Regional Police will be at Gracefield to play volleyball against our boys, girls and staff teams. Every year they do this to support a charity. This year, they are supporting a family with a 10 month old named Matthew. Matthew has a brain tumor and several small spinal cord tumors (diencephalic syndrome). He is just starting 72 weeks of chemo therapy. We are asking students to bring in $1.00 or $2.00 donations for Matthew's family on Thursday. Mrs. Mayer will be playing on the staff team! The SKs will be watching the staff team play. Thank you in advance for your support.

Christmas Concert Reminder

2011-12-14T23:45:00.000-05:00

Our school Christmas concert will be on Wednesday, December 21st at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. We hope that family members and friends can attend either the afternoon or evening performance to watch us!

At the end of November, I sent home a CD with our Christmas concert songs and the lyrics. We are practice singing the songs at school. I would appreciate your support in helping your child to also practice the songs at home.

Concert Outfit: On the afternoon/evening of the concert, Kindergarten students are asked to wear a festive Christmas outfit (e.g., favourite Christmas dress/outfit; Christmas colours (e.g., red, green, white); Christmas shirts, sweaters and/or socks etc.) for the concert.

Afternoon Concert: ALL Kindergarten students are asked to attend school in the AFTERNOON on Wednesday, December 21st. Please bring your child to school at 12:35 p.m. (this is 10 minutes earlier than usual). The afternoon concert will run from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. We will be watching the rest of the concert after we perform and will also have time for a small snack (please send a snack to school). Please pick up your child at 3:15 p.m.

Evening Concert: Please bring your son/daughter to the Kindergarten classroom on Wednesday, December 21st at 6:35 p.m. The evening concert will run from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. The Kindergarten students will be performing first. PLEASE pick up your Kindergarten son/daughter from the Kindergarten classroom immediately following our evening performance (approximately 7:10 p.m.). We cannot 'clog-up' the hallway where the rest of the school will be lining up. If you do not wish to stay to watch the rest of the concert - you may go home after your Kindergarten child has performed.

Parents and grandparents are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for Community Care to the afternoon and/or evening concert.

I am looking for two or three adults to help me out from 6:45 to 7:15 p.m. with the Kindergarten students as we go to and from the gym for our performance. Please let me know if you are able to help out.

Donations For Our Community

2011-12-14T23:40:00.003-05:00

Christmas time is an important time to let those families in the community, who would otherwise go without, know that they are loved. For those with limited resources, the added burden of providing for their family at Christmas can stress an already trying situation.

Gracefield students and families are asked to send in donations for those in need in our community. Until December 22nd, each classroom is collecting the following:

**New mittens, hats and scarves
**New toys for boys and girls
**Non-perishable food items (tuna, pasta, rice, pasta sauce, juice, powdered milk, canned fruit/vegetables/stew, cereal, baby formula, baby food, cheese spread, granola bars, vegetable oil)
**Canadian Tire Money

Please also consider donating to World Vision Canada. You may choose to make a direct donation (https://www/worldvision.ca/Pages/Home.aspx) or you may send in a donation to the school (cash or cheque made payable to Gracefield school). With the money collected, the Kindergarten classes will purchase one or more 'gifts' through World Vison Canada.

Thank you for your support.

Reminder: Kindergarten Carol Singing

2011-12-14T23:30:00.000-05:00

This is a reminder that parents, grandparents and younger siblings are invited to join the Kindergarten classes to sing Christmas carols.

Date: Friday, December 23rd
Time: 10:30 a.m. for the JK class and 2:30 p.m. for the SK class
Location: Kindergarten classroom

Annie Reminder

2011-12-06T20:13:00.000-05:00

This is a reminder for Kindergarten students who are going to see the production of ANNIE to enter the front door of the school at 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday, December 7th and meet Mrs. Doyle in the gymnasium. When the students return from the trip, the Kindergarten students will be dismissed from the Kindergarten exterior door at 3:15 p.m.

Friday, December 9th Events

2011-12-05T23:35:00.001-05:00

This Friday, December 9th is pajama day at Gracefield school. Staff and students are encouraged to wear their pajamas to school on that day. Students may also bring in their backpack: slippers, a stuffed animal and/or a housecoat if they wish.

On the evening of Friday, December 9th, student council is hosting a family movie night in the gymnasium from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. They will be playing the holiday movie: Elf. There is no cost to come to watch the movie; however, student council is asking each family to bring a hat, scarf or a pair of mittens donation for Community Care. Popcorn, candy and water will be sold at the movie. All proceeds will go towards the Grade 7 and 8 year end trip to Camp Couchiching.

December Calendars and Newsletters

2011-12-05T23:33:00.000-05:00

This is a reminder that the JK, SK and school calendars and newsletters are posted on the right side of the blog under: December Calendars, Newsletters and Permission Forms.

Please Send A Drink Everyday

2011-12-03T18:22:00.002-05:00

In order to avoid the spread of germs, I have closed our classroom water fountain. Please provide a reusable drink container filled with a refreshing cool drink for your child each day. If the students have a reusable drink container, they are able to have a drink throughout the morning/afternoon when they are thirsty (e.g., after outdoor play, after Phys. Ed., after playtime, during snack).

Wednesday, December 7th

2011-11-30T18:38:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, December 7th half of the Kindergarten students will be participating in the school trip to see Annie in Niagara Falls. On that day, I will be teaching the morning JK and afternoon SK classes for the Kindergarten students who are not participating in the trip.

The Kindergarten students who are participating in the school trip are asked to arrive at school at 10:45 a.m. Please encourage your child to have something to eat before he/she arrives. Please enter the school at the front door of the school and meet Mrs. Doyle in the gym. Mrs. Doyle will be supervising the Kindergarten students on the trip. The production begins at 12:15 p.m. and is two hours in length. The students will return to school in time for dismissal at 3:15 p.m. I will dismiss the students at our regular dismissal door.

If you have any questions about Wednesday, December 7th, please email me at: Lisa.Mayer@dsbn.org.

Reminders

2011-11-26T20:50:00.002-05:00

This is a reminder that the last chance to purchase tickets to see Annie is Monday, November 28th.

SK parents, please return the report card envelopes. I will be using the same report card envelopes to send home report cards in February and again in June.

The last Scholastic book order before Christmas is due on Thursday, December 1st. If you plan to give the books to your child as a gift, please enclose a note with the order and I will wrap the books up in an envelope or a bag when I send them home in your child's backpacks.

Number Sense

2011-11-26T19:00:00.004-05:00

Number sense is a very important strand in mathematics that we will be focusing on for three months.

In the classroom we will be using 5 frames, 10 frames, subitizing (recognizing quantities by sight), Rekenreks, number lines and 100s charts to focus on developing number sense. The DreamBox Learning on-line program is an excellent program that helps students develop their number sense. This program uses 5 frames, 10 frames, subitizing, Rekenreks, number lines, base ten blocks and 100s boards. I hope to be sending home information soon on how your child can use DreamBox Learning at home.

I have also posted the number sense songs (e.g., Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed) that we are singing in class on the right side of the blog under Poems and Songs.

5 FRAME

*Use the 5 frame to focus on quantities 1 to 5.
*Use the 5 frame to add and subtract to 5.

10 FRAME
*Use the 10 frame to focus on quantities 6 to 10.
*Use the 10 frame to add and subtract to 10.

SUBITIZING (recognizing quantities by sight)
*Use dice, dominoes and home-made dot pattern cards to work on subitizing.
*Flash a quantity represented with a dot pattern for a couple of seconds and ask your child to identify the quantity by sight (not by counting).

REKENREK
*Use the Rekenrek to count.
*Use the Rekenrek to focus on subitizing.
*Use the Rekenrek to focus on doubles.
*Use the Rekenrek to add and subtract.

NUMBER LINE
*Use the number line to count forwards and backwards.
*Use the number line to skip count (count by 2s, 5s, 10s).
*Use the number line to find/identify numbers.
*Use the number line to add and subtract.

COUTING BEADS
*Use the counting beads to count forwards and backwards.
*Use the counting beads to skip count (count by 5s and 10s)
*Use the counting beads to add and subtract.

100s BOARD
*Use the 100s board to count forwards and backwards.
*Use the 100s board to skip count (count by 2s, 5s, 10s).
*Use the 100s board to find/identify numbers 1-100.
*Use the 100s board to add and subtract

COUNTING
*The students are practicing counting objects one-to-one.
*The students are practicing counting forwards and backwards.
*The students are practicing counting on forwards and backwards from a number other than 1 (e.g., counting on from 5: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). This helps students with adding and subtracting.
*The students are practicing skip counting by 10s (SKs are also starting to practice counting by 2s and 5s).

IDENTIFYING & PRINTING NUMERALS
*The students are practicing identifying the numerals from 0 to 10.
*The SK students are also practicing identifying the tricky teens (11 to 19) and numerals 20 to 100.
*The students are/will be practicing printing numerals without reversals. They are/will be learning that numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 start on the left side. 0 and 8 start in the middle and 9 starts on the right. When printing 0, 8 and 9 we start by going counter clockwise.

CONCEPT OF 5 & 10
*Having a strong concept of 5 and 10 is very important.
*The students are/will be discovering different ways to make 5 and 10 (we will call them partner numbers) (e.g., 1 + 4 is 5, 2 + 3 is 5, 1 + 9 is 10, 2 + 8 is 10, 3 + 7 is 10, 4 + 6 is 10, 5 + 5 is 10).
*The students are/will be learning that when we reverse the partner numbers, we have the same total (e.g., 1 +4 is the same as 4 + 1; 2+ 3 is the same as 3 + 2).
*The students are learning to use their fingers, Unifix Cubes, 5 frames, 10 frames and Rekenreks to construct different ways to make 5 and 10.
*The students are learning how other numbers are related to 5 and 10 (e.g., 6 is one more than 5; 4 is one less than 5; 9 is one less than 10).
*The students are playing the game What's Missing? to work on the concept of 5 and 10. The students start with 5 or 10 pennies. Someone hides some of the pennies and the students determine how many pennies are missing.

DOUBLES
*The SKs will be introduced to doubles (e.g., 1 +1, 2 + 2, 3 + 3).
*I have posted the doubles facts poster (on the right side of the blog under Online Number Sense Games) that I will be introducing to the SK students.

Help Wanted

2011-11-26T18:26:00.000-05:00

I am looking for some parents who are able to help me to create a class set of counting bead strings for our classroom. I have the materials but do not have the time to make all of them myself. I would like to create bead strings of 100 beads. If you are able to help me to make 5 bead strings, please let me know and I will send home the materials next week. I would like to use the counting bead strings in the classroom in January.

Christmas Concert

2011-11-24T18:00:00.000-05:00

Our school Christmas concert will be on Wednesday, December 21st at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. We hope that family members and friends can attend either the afternoon or evening performance to watch us!

By the end of November, I will be sending home a CD with our Christmas concert songs and the lyrics. We will practice singing the songs at school. I would appreciate your support in helping your child to also practice the songs at home.

Concert Outfit: On the afternoon/evening of the concert, Kindergarten students are asked to wear a festive Christmas outfit (e.g., favourite Christmas dress/outfit; Christmas colours (e.g., red, green, white); Christmas shirts, sweaters and/or socks etc.) for the concert.

Afternoon Concert: ALL Kindergarten students are asked to attend school in the AFTERNOON on Wednesday, December 21st. Please bring your child to school at 12:35 p.m. The afternoon concert will run from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. We will be watching the rest of the concert after we perform and will also have time for a small snack (please send a snack to school). Please pick up your child at 3:15 p.m.

Evening Concert: Please bring your son/daughter to the Kindergarten classroom on Wednesday, December 21st at 6:35 p.m. The evening concert will run from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. The Kindergarten students will be performing first. PLEASE pick up your Kindergarten son/daughter from the Kindergarten classroom immediately following our evening performance (approximately 7:10 p.m.). We cannot 'clog-up' the hallway where the rest of the school will be lining up. If you do not wish to stay to watch the rest of the concert - you may go home after your Kindergarten child has performed.

Kindergarten Carol Singing

2011-11-24T17:45:00.001-05:00

Parents, Grandparents and younger siblings are invited to join the Kindergarten classes to sing Christmas carols.

Date: Friday, December 23rd
Time: 10:30 a.m. for the JK class and 2:30 p.m. for the SK class
Location: Kindergarten classroom

World Vision Canada

2011-11-24T17:31:00.000-05:00

In past years, my students have surprised me with gifts during the holiday season. While I appreciate this generous gesture, there are many in our community and in the world who are in great need. Instead of buying me a gift, please consider making a donation to World Vision Canada.

World Vision Canada is an organization dedicated to working with children families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. For more information, you can visit World Vision Canada's website at https://www/worldvision.ca/Pages/Home.aspx

If interested, you may choose to make a direct donation to World Vision Canada or you may choose to send in a donation to the school (cash or cheque made payable to Gracefield School). With the money collected, the Kindergarten classes could purchase one or more 'gifts' through World Vision Canada.

Please send any donations for World Vision Canada to the school between December 1st and 23rd. In January, I will notify you which gift(s) through World Vision Canada the Kindergarten classes were able to purchase with the money collected in December.

Counting

2011-11-24T17:15:00.000-05:00

Counting is an important mathematical skill. Meaningful counting activities assist students in developing two separate skills:
1. Fluency with the counting words and their sequence
2. The ability to connect this sequence in a one-to-one correspondence to the objects being counted

It is easier for students to count items that can be touched or moved and even easier for students to count items that are ordered in some way such as beads on a string or on a Rekenrek. Students must construct the understanding that one number word is used to identify one item through multiple experiences in counting a variety of items.

In the classroom we have been learning strategies to help us count accurately. When counting objects, we have been practicing moving the objects into a line before counting them and moving each object to the side as it is counted. When counting items on paper the students will be learning to count the items in an orderly fashion (left to right or top to bottom), touching each item as it is counted, crossing out eat item with a pencil as it is counted.

After students develop these strategies, it is important for students to develop fluency counting forward and backwards from different starting points. This skill will allow students to count on and back when finding answers to early addition and subtraction activities.

November Reading Strategies

2011-11-24T17:00:00.003-05:00

In November, we have been continuing using the Reading Strategies: Look At the Pictures and Does It Make Sense? while reading our mini books and messages. We have also started to use the Reading Strategies: Fix Up Your Thinking and Reread.

Fix Up Your Thinking: Good readers monitor their comprehension as they read and are able to identify when their understanding breaks down. If the reader determines that what they read does not make sense, the reader then needs to fix up their thinking by using one or more fix-up strategies. Throughout the year, we will be learning these fix-up strategies. We are currently learning Look At The Pictures and Reread.

Reread: When rereading, readers attempt to make meaning from text. Readers reread words to gather more information and to clear up confusion.

When your child brings home his/her mini book each week, please encourage him/her to use these four reading strategies (Look At the Pictures, Does It Make Sense?, Fix Up Your Thinking, Reread) with your support while he/she is reading the mini book at home.

I hope that you are keeping all of the mini books that I have sent home in a special place at home (e.g., a shoe box) so that your child can reread the mini books throughout the school year. While reading the mini books at home, you can also focus on the high-frequency words and go on word or letter hunts.

Thank you for your support.

Annie

2011-11-22T11:32:00.002-05:00

A note is going home today about the opportunity for JK to Grade 8 students to go to see Annie in Niagara Falls on Wednesday, December 7th. I'm sorry for the short notice. On that day, the Kindergarten classes will have a different schedule. ALL Kindergarten students are asked to arrive at school at 10:45 a.m. PLEASE encourage your child to have something to eat before he/she arrives. We will be boarding the bus at 11:00 a.m. The production begins at 12:15 p.m. and we will return to school in time for dismissal at 3:15 p.m.

If you are interested in having your child participate in this school trip, please return the form and money to school by this Friday, November 25th.

Exploring Trees Outside

2011-11-13T19:11:00.002-05:00

I have now posted photos on our classroom website of the Kindergarten students exploring trees outside on our school yard. If the weather cooperates, we plan to spend some more time outside exploring trees this month. Please continue to send to school: pine cones, acorns, chestnuts and maple keys.

Practicing Letters, Sounds, Words, Numbers and Making 5 & 10

2011-11-13T19:04:00.001-05:00

This is a reminder that I have posted a variety of slideshows that you can use with your child at home to review letters, sounds, high-frequency sight words, numbers and making 5 and 10. Go to our Kindergarten website and click on the bottom bar on the left to access the nine different slide shows. You can use your mouse or the Enter key to advance through the slides.

On our Kindergarten website I have also posted Jolly Phonics songs and Handwriting Without Tears Videos which you may also be interested in using.

SK Parent-Teacher Interviews

2011-11-12T10:09:00.000-05:00

SK to Grade 8 students will receive a progress report card on Tuesday, November 15th. Parents of SK to Grade 8 students are asked to call the office (905-934-1411) to arrange a time for their parent-teacher interview. Parent-teacher interviews will be on the evening of Thursday, November 17th. If you are unable to attend that evening, we can arrange an alternate date and time for your interview.

To Button, Snap and Zip

2011-11-12T09:29:00.013-05:00

Getting dressed on time in the morning can be a challenge for many of us, but it is particularly difficult for young children who have to contend with buttons, zippers, and snaps when their fine motor skills are still developing.

Kindergarten children want to be independent but get easily frustrated when the buttons and snaps won't do what they want them to or the zippers won't cooperate. Helping young children learn to deal with such things is best done during less stressful times.

Concentrate on one skill at a time. Work together and assure children that they will be able to do this with practice. As a parent, you might want to consider shoes and boots with Velcro fasteners (zippers tend to get stuck when they have snow on them) as well as other clothing items that children can manage more easily as these skills are developing (e.g., mittens instead of gloves, neck warmer instead of a scarf, boots and coats without liners, shorter coats without double zippers). To help your child when he/she is going to the washroom at school, please provide pants and skirts that are easy for your child to fasten and unfasten. Pants and skirts with buttons, snaps or suspender clips often are difficult for young children and could potentially lead to a washroom accident if the child needs to come to me for help to unfasten his/her pants or skirt after he/she was unsuccessful.

Adults can provide a variety of opportunities to develop these skills. Dressing and undressing dolls and stuffed animals with clothing that have buttons, snaps and zippers are good for practice. The activities that I provided on the right side of the blog also help children develop the fine motor skills that they use when doing buttons, snaps and zippers.

Many children have difficulty in getting the sleeves of their sweater or coat back to the way they need to be after becoming inside out. Besides teaching your child how to zip his/her coat, also teach your child strategies in solving problems he/she may be faced with such as dealing with sleeves that are inside out.

Before winter arrives, have your child practice putting on and taking off his/her winter boots, snow pants, hat, scarf, etc. independently so that on the first day of snow your child will not become frustrated in dealing with the many items of winter clothing. Also, please label ALL of your child's winter clothing and boots with his/her name ahead of time. Often on the first day of snow, many students do not recognize their own winter clothing and it can be quite difficult to decide which pair of blue, black or pink snow pants, boots, mittens or hat belong to each child. Especially if more than one child has the same or similar articles of clothing.

I will be sending home this week a Getting Dressed Task Card. This task card shows the order that I will be encouraging the students to get dressed in their outdoor clothing. The students start at the top with snow pants (or splash pants) and follow the items until they get to the bottom. Mittens are last because it is difficult to zip or put items on when we are wearing our mittens. You can put up the Getting Dressed Task Card in your home where your child can refer to it while he/she is getting dressed. Children learn best when there are consistent routines in place and when there are consistent expectations of the child.

The other side of the coin of course, is encouraging children to take responsibility for themselves and their belongings. In our haste and desire to support the child, sometimes we do for our children what they are capable of doing on their own, and without meaning to, we are sending a message that they do not have to take this responsibility. At school, the students are asked to independently hang up their coats, backpacks and snow pants on the hooks in their cubbies and put their hats, scarves, and mittens on their shelves in their cubbies. The students are encouraged to put things away in their cubbies as soon as they take them off in order to avoid a pile of outdoor clothing from 11 or 18 students on the floor of the cubby area where things could get easily mixed up and misplaced.

Helping young children gain skill and independence with dressing and undressing is no small task. However, it is well worth the effort. Children are so proud of themselves when they are able to put on their outdoor clothing and do up their zippers, buttons and snaps ALL BY THEMSELVES! Thank you for your assistance in helping your child become independent with dressing in his/her outdoor clothing!

Remembrance Day

2011-11-08T22:18:00.003-05:00

On Friday, November 11th, Gracefield School will respectfully commemorate Remembrance Day with a ceremony in our gymnasium starting at 10:30 a.m.

The morning Junior Kindergarten students will not be attending the ceremony as we would have to leave in the middle of the ceremony to prepare for our 11:15 a.m. dismissal.

Kindergarten parents and grandparents are welcome to bring their Kindergarten children to the ceremony if they wish to do so.

Exploring Trees

2011-11-06T19:35:00.000-05:00

This month we will be exploring trees outside on our school yard and learning about trees in our classroom by exploring items from trees and reading books about trees.

I am asking for your assistance in collecting various items from trees for us to explore in the classroom during the month of November.

Please bring to school any of the following:

Pinecones

Acorns

Chestnuts

Maple keys

Cross sections of trees (so that we can count the rings)

Bark

Leaves

Anything else that you can think of (especially if you have something from trees that do not grow in Ontario)

Halloween Party

2011-11-06T19:33:00.002-05:00

On Monday, October 31st we had our Halloween Party! All of the students and adults dressed up in costumes. We went on a parade, played Haloween games, sang Halloween songs, ate our party snack and read a Halloween story. I have posted photos from our party on our classroom website.

November Art Gallery

2011-11-06T19:29:00.002-05:00

On Thursday, November 3rd, we had our first Niagara Falls Art Gallery Workshop for this school year. Both Kindergarten classes did a fabulous job listening and watching each step and carefully completing their pictures. I will be hanging the pictures up in the school for others to see what a great job all of the Kindergarten students did. Please enjoy this slide show of everyone's pictures.

The JK students learned about the primary colours: red, blue, and yellow. They painted the primary colours and then they mixed primary colours to make secondary colours: orange, green, and purple. The JK students carefully followed the step by step directions to draw a fish. Finally, they painted their picture with the primary and secondary colours.

The SK students learned how to draw all of their body parts and how to draw their eyes and hair with more details. They also learned about the horizon line and adding a background to their pictures. The SK students carefully followed the step by step directions and drew their self-portraits. Finally, they coloured their pictures with oil pastels.

November Calendars and Newsletters

2011-11-02T00:31:00.001-04:00

Links to the JK, SK and school calendars and newsletters are posted on the right side of the blog under November Calendars, Newsletters and Permission Forms.

Photo Retakes

2011-10-29T12:52:00.003-04:00

School photo retakes are this Thursday, November 3rd in the morning only. Please let me know if your JK child will be having retakes. I will have JKs go for retakes before 9:00 a.m. We will start art gallery as soon as the JKs finish their retakes. SK parents are required to bring their SK children to school at 9:00 a.m. for retakes.

Special Helper

2011-10-24T11:25:00.001-04:00

Today we started at the beginning of the JK class list (alphabetical by first name) to assign the JK students another turn to be the Special Helper. This time, I am not sending a note home to let you know the date that your child will be the Special Helper.

The day before your child is the Special Helper, he/she will be bringing home the Special Helper backpack. In the backpack will be a note indicating the sound that we will be focusing on during the next school day. Please help your child find an item that begins with that sound. For ideas of items for each sound, you can refer to the list that is near the beginning of the Jolly/Printing Duo-Tang and also on the right side of the blog under Jolly Phonics. Some parents also Google: words beginning with___ for ideas. Place the item (or picture) in the large section of the Special Helper backpack.

Please help your child to think of three clues to tell the class about the item (e.g., It is an animal. It lives in the desert. It has one or two humps on its back.) Help your child to practice saying the three clues. Print the clues on the page that is in the backpack and place the page in the small front pocket of the Special Helper backpack. SKs are encouraged to print their clues themselves.

Please send the Special Helper backpack to school on the next school day. The Special Helper can line up outside at the beginning of the line (near the classroom door). During Circle, your child will tell the class the three clues (with help from me when needed). Three students will try to guess what the item is. Your child will then show the item to the class and will have an opportunity to tell us about the item. Your child will take the item home in his/her own backpack on that day.

Many students look forward to being the Special Helper and learn to follow the class list in order to determine when it will be his/her turn to be the Special Helper. I will be explaining to the students that when students are absent, we will need to change the order of the Special Helpers. If a student is scheduled to be the Special Helper next, but is absent on the day that he/she would take the backpack home, I will give the backpack to the student who is next on the class list. When the absent student returns to school, I will then give his/her the backpack to be the Special Helper on the following day. If your child has the Special Helper backpack and is absent on his/her Special Helper day, please let me know if you think that your child will be absent for more than one day. In this case, I will send home my extra Special Helper backpack with the next student on the class list. Please let me know when you think that your child will return to school, and I will arrange to have your child to be the Special Helper on that day.

Thank you for your support!

Brain Gym

2011-10-23T19:55:00.003-04:00

Brain Gym is a series of simple, fun and physical movement activities to improve the brain's functioning and reduce stress to the body. These activities, which are based on Educational Kinesiology (also known as EduK), were developed by renowned education therapist Dr. Paul Dennison over 20 years ago.

Blocks in learning occur when information cannot flow freely among the functional centres located throughout the brain and body. The Brain Gym movements promote efficient communication within the body and brain.

The Brain Gym movements can:

**Coordinate the right brain and left brain: by developing neural pathways between the two hemispheres. By developing the ability to use both eyes, both ears, and the whole body together, the Brain Gym movements can improve coordination and reading, writing, and communication skills.

**Coordinate the back (what you know) and frontal (ability to express and process that information) lobes: by developing neural pathways between the two lobes. By relaxing muscles and tendons, the Brain Gym movements can enable you to take the risks necessary to participate actively in the learning process and improve focus and comprehension.

**Coordinate the upper and lower brain: by re-establishing neural connections between body and brain. By balancing emotions and rational thought, the Brain Gym movements can relax you and enable you to think clearly, concentrate and organize your thoughts.

Thousands of schools in over 90 countries worldwide recognize the value of using Brain Gym in the classroom to help prepare students for learning. As a result of using Brain Gym movements regularly in the classroom, many teachers report significant improvements in students' concentration, attention, confidence, creativity and learning.

The SK students are practicing the Brain Gym movements that they learned in JK including PACE (drinking water, Brain Buttons, Cross Crawl, Hook Ups), Lazy 8s, Double Doodle, Energy Yawn, Thinking Cap, Calf Pump, and the Owl and will soon learn some new movements. The SK students are also using four exercise songs (that use Brain Gym movements) on the Catch a Brain Wave Fitness Fun CD.

The JK students are beginning to learn PACE and one song on the Catch a Brain Wave Fitness Fun CD. I will post more information about PACE soon.

Mat Man

2011-10-23T19:39:00.004-04:00

In September, the JK students were introduced to Mat Man. Mat Man helps children develop body awareness and drawing skills. As I played the Mat Man song, the children cooperatively built Mat Man on the carpet using our Wood Pieces and a few other pieces. We made his head, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, body, arms, hands, legs, and feet. I then showed the students how building Mat Man and singing the Mat Man song can help us to draw a picture of ourselves. We sang the song as I drew a picture of a person on the chart paper. The students were then asked to draw a picture of themselves at the table while I played the Mat Man song.

Every month, when I ask the students to draw a self-portrait, we will build Mat Man first and sing the Mat Man song as we draw our pictures.

You can listen to and sing the Mat Man song and build Mat Man at home by clicking HERE to go to Mat Man World. You will need to create an account. It is free and only takes a minute.

Thursday is Black and Orange Day

2011-10-23T19:22:00.002-04:00

Thursday, October 27th is black and orange day at Gracefield School. Students and staff are encouraged to wear black and/or orange clothes on that day.

Bag 2 School Fundraiser

2011-10-17T19:51:00.002-04:00

We are having a Bag2School fundraising collection this week! To raise funds for our school, we are asking everyone to donate unwanted used clothing. The more we collect, the more funds we raise. We will receive $200 per ton.

Please put clean adult and children clothing, soft toys, bedding, drapes, shoes, belts and purses in the Bag2School bag that was recently sent home or in any other type of bag.

Please drop off the bag(s) at the front office any time between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18th or Wednesday, October 19th. The bags will be picked up from our school at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 20th.

Activate Your Schema

2011-10-16T20:00:00.002-04:00

In October, the SK students are focusing on the reading comprehension strategy: activate your schema. When we activate our schema, we think about what we already know about a topic. By activating our schema about the topic before we read a story, it helps us to understand the story when we read it. The SK students have been practicing activating their schema in class with Mrs. Mayer and with Mrs. Stieva before we read a story. Before reading the library book at home this week, please encourage your SK child to activate his/her schema and share what he/she knows about the topic of the story/book. You will have to tell your child what the topic of the story/book is (e.g., the story is about: cars, sharing, going to the zoo, being a good friend etc.).

In the library journal, please:
*Print the date and the title of the book at the top of the page.
*Print the sentence and ask your son/daughter to print below your printing.

Examples of sentences that focus on activating your schema are:
*I know that cars have four wheels and a steering wheel and can go fast!
*Sharing is when you let your friends have some of the toys too.
*When you go to the zoo you can see elephants, lions and monkeys.
*I am a good friend when I am nice to them and share.

Outdoor Play

2011-10-16T19:50:00.003-04:00

This is a reminder that an important part of our Kindergarten day is outdoor gross motor play. At the beginning of our day, we will be playing outside unless it is raining or it is very cold. The only days that we will not play outside is when the students have a scheduled Physical Education day. On those days, the students will be engaging in gross motor play in the gymnasium. We will only occasionally not have outdoor play when we have special events or special occasions (e.g., Halloween party or class trip). If the students in Grades 1 to 8 are outside before 8:45 a.m. and during the lunch recess, then the Kindergarten students will be outside on those days for outdoor play, even if it is damp and/or misty outside. Please bring your child to school suitably dressed for the day's weather and ready to play outside. A pair of splash pants is a good investment for the Fall damp days.

Thank you for your support!

Short Vowel Sounds

2011-10-16T19:47:00.000-04:00

In our Jolly Phonics program from October until January, when we focus on a vowel (A, E, I, O, U) we will be focusing on the SHORT VOWEL sound.

Short Vowel Sound Examples:

A: ant, apple, alligator, astronaut, axe
E: egg, envelope, elephant, elf, exit
I: insect, iguana, ink, igloo
O: octopus, olive, otter, octagon, ostrich
U: umbrella, umpire, up, underwear

From January until April, when we focus on a vowel sound, we will be focusing on the LONG VOWEL sounds that are spelled with two letters (e.g., ai, ee, ie, oa, ue). Long vowels sound like the name of the letter.

Long Vowel Sound Examples:

A (ai): nail, train, chain, mail, paint
E (ee): three, tree, feet, seed, green
I (ie): pie, tie, lie
O (oa): boat, goat, soap, toast, road
U (ue): clue, barbeque, statue, tissue, glue

Please remember that you can refer to the list of words that begin with or contain each sound (located near the beginning of the Jolly & Printing duo-tang and also on the right side of the blog under Jolly Phonics) when you are trying to think of words that begin with or contain each sound.

Halloween Party

2011-10-16T19:32:00.004-04:00

On Monday, October 31st we will be having a Halloween party! Kindergarten students (and volunteers) are asked to wear their costumes to school on that day. We have a busy day scheduled. The Kindergarten students will parade through the school, play games, sing Halloween songs, and read Halloween stories in our classroom. Special treats will be provided by the parents who have been assigned to the Halloween Party (according to our Party Treats Schedule that is going home this week). Students only need to bring their drinks to school for their snack. Please have your child wear clothing under his/her costume. In the past, many students have wanted to take off part of their costumes partway through the morning/afternoon.

Magazine Fundraiser

2011-10-12T22:57:00.002-04:00

Your child has recently brought home a package for a new fundraising program for our school, which involves the sale of magazine subscriptions, supplied to us by Canadian Community Reading Plan. The fundraiser kicks off today and will run for two weeks until Wednesday, October 26th. This fundraiser will help raise needed funds for activities that benefit our students and at the same time promotes reading literacy. Our school retains a significant portion of the subscription price for every magazine purchased, so every order counts.

Through this magazine fundraiser, you may wish to purchase new subscriptions, renew any subscriptions that you currently have or order subscriptions as gifts for anyone in Canada.

You may place orders by filling out the enclosed order forms and returning them to school or by ordering on-line HERE.

Thank you for your support.

Trip to Puddicombe Farms

2011-10-09T17:30:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful time on our trip to Puddicombe Farms. THANK YOU to all of the many volunteers who accompanied us on our trip. I have posted photos from our trip on our classroom website.

Developmentally Appropriate Writing Tools For Young Children

2011-10-09T17:14:00.003-04:00

Research has shown that when preschool (Junior Kindergarten) children are learning to print letters, it is most effective when the children use writing tools that provide friction and resistance. These tools provide the child with extra information to the joints and muscles that are used for writing. This extra information helps students to remember how to form the letters. When writing on paper, crayons provide friction and resistance. Chalk also provides friction and resistance when used on chalkboards or pavement. When young children use pencils, pens and markers, these tools rarely give the children the additional input that they need.

The Handwriting Without Tears Junior Kindergarten workbook is a crayon based book. At school, the students will be using crayons when they practice printing letters in their workbook. Starting in mid October, when your JK child practices printing the capital letters in his/her Jolly and Printing Duo-tang at home, please have him/her use crayons.

Research has also shown that small writing tools are developmentally appropriate for Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten children. When young children use small writing tools, it encourages them to use the precise pinch that is needed for a mature tripod grasp. Little pieces of crayon and chalk (2 to 3 cm long) also help children to develop fingertip control and strength. When moving a child to a pencil, a golf pencil is developmentally appropriate for young children. Golf pencils are in the proper proportion with the size of young children's hands. Red primary pencils are too heavy and long for little hands.

The Handwriting Without Tears Flip Crayons are designed with dual colours and dual tips to encourage fine motor development. When children flip the crayons, they are using in-hand manipulation skills. These skills lead to improved finger coordination.

This week I will be sending home a box of Flip Crayons, two golf pencils and two small pieces of chalk for your child to use at home. Please encourage your child to use these tools at home.

Parent Interviews

2011-10-09T17:00:00.000-04:00

During the last two weeks of November and the first week of December, I am inviting all JK parents to visit the classroom for one morning to observe your children within the classroom setting and to have a short interview with me. This week, I will be sending home to JK parents the date and time of your classroom observation and interview. I will be having the parent-teacher interviews during my prep time. This year, all of my prep times (when the students are with Mrs. Stieva) are at the beginning of the morning. Our parent-teacher interview is a time for us to discuss how your child is transitioning to school and how your child is progressing during the first three months of JK in the areas of: social/emotional development; physical development; language; the arts; math; and science & technology. During the interview we will also discuss our focus for the term and any questions or concerns that you may have.

JK parents will receive a Parent Observation Guide to assist you in your observation of your child in the classroom. While observing your child throughout the morning, if you have any questions or concerns, please write them down on the Parent Observation Guide. You may then talk with me briefly about these questions or concerns at the end of the morning (11:20 a.m.).

SK students will receive a progress report card on November 15th. At the beginning of November, SK to Grade 8 parents are asked to call the office to arrange a time for their parent-teacher interview. Parent-teacher interviews will be on the evening of Thursday, November 17th. If you are unable to attend that evening, we can arrange an alternate date and time for your interview.

Reading Strategies

2011-10-08T09:41:00.001-04:00

Throughout the two year Kindergarten program, Kindergarten students begin to develop knowledge and skills that will help them to read. In order to read individual words, Good Readers apply their knowledge of letters and sounds by saying the individual sounds in a word and then blending them together to say the word. Good Readers also monitor their comprehension and use various reading strategies when necessary. These reading strategies help readers to decode unfamiliar words and to make meaning.

When reading our daily message and mini books in October, the JK and SK students have been focusing on the reading strategies: LOOK AT THE PICTURES and DOES IT MAKE SENSE?

LOOK AT THE PICTURES: Good Readers look at the illustrations on the page to help them to read unfamiliar words. This strategy is an easy strategy for beginning readers to learn how to use.

DOES IT MAKE SENSE: Good Readers also monitor their comprehension and decide if the words and sentences that they read make sense. If the words or sentences don't make sense, Good Readers then use other reading strategies (that we will soon be learning) to help them to fix up their thinking in order that the words and sentences will make sense. This reading strategy is an important strategy for students to remember to use; however, beginning readers often focus on decoding the words and forget to monitor their comprehension. As a result, beginning readers will often read sentences that do not make sense, without realizing it.

At home, when your child is reading the mini book that I send home each week, please encourage your child to use these two reading strategies and to identify our high frequency words that we are focusing on.

DreamBox Learning

2011-10-07T18:19:00.010-04:00

DreamBox is an on-line math program for students in JK to Grade 3. The DreamBox Learning's instructional philosophy is: "Our math content simultaneously develops conceptual understanding, computational fluency, and problem-solving ability. We believe that all children can become proficient, flexible, mathematical thinkers when their learning environment is engaging, personalized, and responsive to their developing mathematical ideas and strategies. We provide children with opportunities to develop the full range of skills and logical thinking, from learning the basic facts for computation, to developing problem-solving strategies."

DreamBox is so much more than a computer math game. "Through continuous assessment and adaptation, DreamBox individualizes every aspect of your child's experience: the lessons, hints, level of difficulty, pace and sequence, instructional tools, and much more."

DreamBox uses instructional tools that the students use in the classroom: Rekenrek (math rack), 10 frame, dot arrangements (for subitizing), number line, 100s chart, etc.

DreamBox has received numerous awards, including the 2010 BESSIE Award for Best Math Website and the Mom's Choice Gold Award for excellence in family-friendly products.

Last year over 600 students in our Board, including the students in JK to Grade 3 at Gracefield school, subscribed to DreamBox Learning. As of August 1st, 2011 DreamBox Learning is now only available to new customers and schools in the United States. DreamBox Learning has informed us that we may renew our subscription at our school. We have the opportunity to purchase a licence for DreamBox Learning for a full 12 months from the date of purchase for our JK to Grade 3 students. The licence includes 24 x 7 access to the program in order that students can access the program both at school and at home. The licence is $20.00 per student (plus tax). That works out to a little less than $2/month per student to have access to DreamBox! DreamBox charges parents who subscribe on their own $12.95/month or $60.00 for 6 months for one child (plus tax). This is a wonderful opportunity for both the school and parents to provide extra support for students' math education.

Gracefield Staff would like to ask parents for their input. If we purchase a DreamBox Learning licence, will you support your child's use of DreamBox Learning at home? Are you willing to contribute $10.00 towards the $20.00 per student licence? I have posted two polls on the right side of the blog. Please indicate your views on both polls by Friday, October 14th. In addition, you may also post a comment for this post by clicking on Comments below. It would be wonderful if the many parents who have been requesting us to renew our subscription indicate why they support the use of DreamBox Learning.

DSBN Parent Involvement Commitee Conference

2011-10-07T17:53:00.008-04:00

The DSBN Parent Involvement Committee invites parents to attend a FREE evening of learning, sharing and networking with a focus on ideas to make your School Council bigger and better as you support student learning. You can attend two of 12 sessions including a session on Brain Gym presented by Liz Jones-Twomey (co-creator of Catch a Brain Wave Fitness Fun CD). For more information and to register, please click HERE.

Calendars & Newsletters

2011-10-04T19:08:00.004-04:00

On the right side of the blog under October Calendars, Newsletters and Permission Forms are links for the October JK and SK calendars and newsletters and the school October calendar and newsletter.

I have also posted under Volunteer Schedules the volunteer calendars for October, November and December. If I have not scheduled you to volunteer and you would like to volunteer, please email me or send me a note in your child's folder to let me know when you would like to volunteer.

Scorecard Harry's Night

2011-09-29T18:05:00.003-04:00

Gracefield community night at Scorecard Harry's will continue this year. The first Tuesday of every month staff, students and their family and friends are invited to celebrate our school spirit and community partnerships with dinner/appetizers at Scorecard Harry's. A portion of sales will be donated back to the school.

High Frequency Sight Words

2011-09-25T16:35:00.001-04:00

Students need to develop a sight word reading vocabulary in order to be able to read with fluency and comprehension. High frequency sight words are words that are most frequently used in books. Students should be able to read these sight words in 1-2 seconds. The ability to read many words automatically by sight enables students to focus their active attention on deriving meaning from the text, rather than on decoding the words. By the end of Senior Kindergarten, students are expected to be able to recognize 30 high frequency sight words and are encouraged to also recognize 9 colour words and 11 number words. We will also be focusing on a few additional words that we often use and see in our messages and books.

Beginning this week, we are starting to focus on three high frequency words (I, see, a) in class. Throughout the year I will indicate on the class calendar and on the right side of the blog the Words of the Week (high frequency words) that we will be focusing on each week. At school we will use the Words of the Week in or daily messages and review the words in various games and activities (e.g., word hunts, word cheers). In January, February and March we will be learning songs to help us learn the number and colour words. The Words of the Week are put up on our Word Wall as we learn them. The SK students will be encouraged to use the Word Wall as a reference whenever there is a need to spell a high frequency word.

On the right side of the blog under High Frequency Words, I have posted a JK and SK Word Wall that contains all of the words that we will be focusing on this year.

Some suggestions on how you could review the Words of the Week at home are:

*Make Words of the Week flash cards and play a flash card game.
*Go on a word hunt in a book ("How many times do you see the on this page?")
*Use the Words of the Week to form sentences.
*Hide some of the words in your house and ask your child to read them when he/she finds them.
*Put the Words of the Week up on your fridge and ask your child to read them daily.
*Discuss which Words of the Week rhyme, begin with the same sound, or have the same amount of letters.

Phonemic Awareness and Rhyming

2011-09-25T16:33:00.001-04:00

Phonemic awareness is the recognition that words are made up of individual sounds and the ability to manipulate sounds. Phonemic awareness develops through a series of stages during which children understand that language is made up of words, which are made up of syllables, that are made up of phonemes (or individual sounds). Phonemic awareness is an oral ability, enabling children to identify rhyming words, identify words that begin the same, and identify the individual sounds in words. Meaningful, interactive games and activities give children the best practice in phonemic awareness.

The JK and SK students will be focusing on rhyming and listening in September, October and November. Rhyming and listening activities help children develop stronger auditory discrimination and awareness. These activities give children exposure to and experience with hearing, identifying and creating words that rhyme.

Nursery rhymes, Dr. Seuss books and many picture books are great sources for rhyme. When you read books written in rhyme, ask your child to help you finish each phrase with the rhyming word. Play rhyming games, allowing your child to make up nonsense words if he/she can't think of 'real' words, as long as they rhyme. I have many reproducible rhyming games that I can give you copies of (e.g., Out You Go!, Rhyming Concentration, Go Rhyme!, Rhyming Tic-Tac-Toe, Puzzle Match, Flip a Rhyme, etc.). Please let me know if you are interested in receiving some of these games.

Beginning in October, I will be sending home the Rhyming Bag with one JK student each day. When your child receives the Rhyming Bag, please help your child to choose two items that rhyme (e.g., ring, string) and send them to school in the Rhyming Bag on the next school day. Please try to be creative in order that we will have examples of many different rhymes. I will be sending home a note this week indicating the date that your child will be asked to bring two items that rhyme to school. I will be taking pictures of the children with their rhyming items and making a class book of all of our rhymes.

Word Families

2011-09-25T16:29:00.001-04:00

Starting in October, the SK students will be focusing on one word family each week. I will be listing the word family every week on the calendar and on the right side of the blog.

Word families, sometimes called phonograms or chunks, can really help emergent readers begin to understand our complicated, and often inconsistent, language by providing some predictable patterns within words. When learning to read , patterns are important. Children recognize word patterns and this makes it easier when sounding out words.

For example, consider the "est" word family. First, show "est" to your child and have him/her repeat the sound. Then show the word "best" and demonstrate how you can read the word by first making the "b" sound and then the "est". Repeat it slowly and then more quickly. Now continue with some other members of the "est" family such as nest, pest, rest, test, vest, west.

Can you see how much easier this method of using chunks of letters is compared to sounding out one letter at a time? We break words into chunks naturally as skilled readers and teaching children this skill can help them learn to read.

What is even better is that once children learn the 37 most common word families in English, they will be able to decode 500 words! That puts emergent readers well on their way to mastering the entire decoding process. The most common word families include: ack, ain, ake, ale, all, ame, an, ank, ap, ash, at, ate, aw, ay, eat, ell, est, ice, ick, ide, ight, ill, in, ine, ing, ink, ip, it, ock, oke, op, ore, ot, uck ,ug, ump, unk.

Word families are indeed an efficient way to get children reading. Once children learn these one-syllable phonograms then they will more easily be able to decode longer words too.

After Thanksgiving, I will be sending home the Word Family Bag with one SK student each day. When your SK child receives the Word Family Bag, please help your child to choose three items/pictures that belong to his/her assigned word family and send them to school in the Word Family Bag on the next school day. I will be sending home a note this week indicating the word family that I have assigned to your child and the date that your child will be asked to bring the three word family items/pictures. I will be taking pictures of the children with their three word family items/pictures and making a class book of all of our word family items.

Personal Hygiene and Healthy Practices

2011-09-18T23:21:00.002-04:00

During the month of September, we will be focusing on personal hygiene and healthy practices.

We will be focusing on:

*The importance of washing our hands
*Covering our cough with our elbows
*Turning away from others when we cough or sneeze
*Using a tissue
*Not touching our mouth, nose, or eyes with our hands (unless we recently washed our hands)
*Not putting toys, pencils, crayons, etc. in our mouth
*Brushing our teeth
*Eating healthy snacks and meals
*Exercising
*Getting plenty of rest

Hand washing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of germs.

Children and adults should wash their hands:

*After using the washroom
*Before eating
*After blowing their nose
*After playing with pets
*It is also a good idea to wash your hands as soon as you get home from work, school, or shopping so that you will not spread germs at home that you may have picked up when you were away from home.

It is important to teach children the proper way to wash their hands:

*Wet hands and wrists
*Use soap and scrub hands well for 20 seconds (sing the ABC song) - scrub palms, backs of hands, in between and around fingers and thumbs
*Rinse thoroughly under running water
*Dry hands well

Niagara Region Public Health has a poster that you can put up at home to remind everyone of the proper hand hygiene procedure. Look under September Calendars, Newsletters and Permission Forms on the right side of the blog.

How Long Must My Child Stay Home When Sick?

2011-09-18T23:16:00.003-04:00

The Niagara Region Public Health Department has listed recommendations on how long children should stay home from school when they have common infectious diseases (e.g., pink-eye, chicken pox, strep throat). I have posted a copy of this on the right side of the blog under September Calendars, Newsletters & Permission Forms titled: How Long Must My Child Stay Home When Sick?

The Niagara Region Public Health Department also suggests that children should stay home and away from others if they have any of these symptoms:

*Fever
*Diarrhea
*Rash
*Vomiting
*Sore throat
*Frequent coughing or sneezing
*Yellow or green discharge from the nose, ears or eyes

You should contact your family doctor for a diagnosis if your child has any of these symptoms and he/she will advise you about care and treatment.

Hand washing, when done correctly, is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of common infectious diseases.

Patterns

2011-09-18T23:04:00.006-04:00

During the month of September, the children are working on patterning in their mathematics program.

Developing an understanding of patterns and relationships is central to learning mathematics. The students are learning to identify, describe, reproduce, extend and create simple patterns. Opportunities to explore various patterns allow students to recognize the repetitive nature of patterns. The children are exploring: people patterns (boy, girl, boy, girl), action patterns (touch head, stand, sit, touch head, stand, sit), sound patterns (clap, clap, tap, clap, clap, tap), object patterns (sheep, pig, pig, sheep, pig, pig), colour patterns (red, red, blue, blue, red, red, blue, blue), size patterns (big, medium, small, big, medium, small), and letter patterns (ABCC, ABCC).

The Senior Kindergarten students are learning to find the core of the pattern. The core is the shortest part of the pattern that repeats.

At home, you can use common household object such as buttons, coins, crayons, dry pasta, toy cars or animals, etc. to make patterns with your child. You can also use various actions or sounds to make patterns. Ask your child to make a pattern with objects, actions or sounds and tell you the pattern. Make a pattern for your child and ask him/her to describe the pattern and extend it. I have posted on the right side of the blog a few on-line pattern games that your child can also try at home.

In class, the children are learning that patterns are all around us. On Friday, September 30th, I would like JK and SK students to bring to school a pattern that they found at home. I am asking JK and SK students to be pattern detectives by looking at home for patterns on pillow cases, shirts, socks, ties, wallpaper, wrapping paper, towels, table cloths, napkins, tissue boxes, things from nature and other objects in their homes. The pattern may consist of a repeated sequence of colours, shapes and/or designs. Please do not send a pattern that your child has made. The purpose of this activity is to recognize, identify and describe patterns in our environment.

Thank you for your support!

Small Literless Snacks Please

2011-09-18T22:58:00.003-04:00

When packing your child's snack each day, please pack ONE simple and SMALL nutritious snack that your child can eat independently in a short amount of time.

In an effort to reduce waste, I am requesting your help in sending litterless snacks to school for your child everyday. By doing this, there is less waste in two ways:

1.) Your child can keep any of his/her snack that he/she didn't eat/drink
2.) We have less garbage from the non-recyclable wrappers and containers that many of the snacks come in

Please try to provide your child with:

*A reusable food container
*A reusable leak-proof drink container

In order to avoid the spread of germs, I have closed our classroom water fountain. Please provide a reusable drink container filled with a refreshing cool drink for your child each day. If the students have a reusable drink container, they are able to have a drink throughout the morning/afternoon when they are thirsty (e.g., after outdoor play, after Phys. Ed., after playtime, during snack).

Pencil Grasp

2011-09-18T22:48:00.002-04:00

It is important for your child to use the proper pencil grasp so that your child will have good control of the pencil while printing and will avoid cramping.

The standard pencil grasp, also called the tripod grasp, uses three fingers for holding the pencil:

*The thumb is bent
*The index finger (pointer) is pointing to the tip of the pencil
*The pencil rests on the side of the middle finger
*The last two fingers are curled in the palm and give the hand stability

It is also important for your child to:

*Have the thumb and index finger form a circle (open web space)
*Rest the printing hand and arm on the paper and the table
*Have the eraser end of the pencil point toward his/her shoulder and rest on his/her hand
*Place the helping hand flat and relaxed on the paper to hold the page still
*Gently hold the pencil (avoid holding it too tightly)
*Use moderate pressure when printing (avoid using too much pressure)

You can help your child by:

*Encouraging the proper pencil grasp at home
*Provide small golf pencils and little pieces of chalk and crayons (2 to 3 cm long) for your child to use (encourages the correct grasp)
*Strengthening his/her fine motor skills by providing fine motor strengthening activities (posted on the right side of the blog under Fine Motor Skills)
*Purchase a pencil grip (e.g., the Crossover Grip)

Fine Motor Skills

2011-09-18T22:42:00.002-04:00

Skilled fine motor movement is important for school tasks such as printing, drawing, colouring, and cutting. It is also important for self-help skills such as dressing (doing snaps, buttons, zippers) and eating.

In the classroom in September and October, the Kindergarten students will be working on various fine motor strengthening activities. Here are some of the activities:

*Rolling snakes with play dough
*Pinching small tongs to pick up small items
*Pinching a tennis ball with a slit cut partway across like a mouth and feeding the tennis ball coins one at a time
*Punching holes in paper with a hole punch
*Lacing small beads on a string
*Placing small pegs on a pegboard

I have posted on the right side of the blog under Fine Motor Skills additional activities that you can do at home to help your child develop his/her fine motor skills, pinch strength, grip strength, and cutting skills.

School Newsletter, Calendar and Forms

2011-09-07T23:40:00.005-04:00

The school newsletter and calendar are now available on the school website. Please click on newsletter or calendar to view them. In an effort to continue to reduce paper and photocopying costs, as well as be environmentall friendly, we are asking parents to access our monthly newsletters and calendars on the internet.

Your child has brought home a number of important forms from the office and myself that need to be completed, signed and returned ASAP. Don't forget to also send in the form at the end of the September School Newsletter for the chance to win a prize. Please return all of the forms to school in your child's plastic mail folder.

Welcome Back To School!

2011-09-04T23:29:00.003-04:00

Welcome back to school! I hope everyone had a wonderful summer with their families.

I am looking forward to a fantastic year in Kindergarten at Gracefield School. I plan to work closely with all of you by keeping the lines of communication open throughout the year. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

I have posted on the right side of the blog the JK and SK September calendars and newsletters. During the first week of school, I will be sending home some forms from myself and from the office. Please complete the forms and return them to school ASAP.

This year, I will be taking the JK and SK students for Library, Computers and Physical Education.

During the 2011 - 1012 year, Mrs. Stieva will be meeting the JK students every morning at 8:45 a.m. for attendance, outdoor play and entry. Mrs. Stieva will also be dismissing the SK students every afternoon at 3:15 p.m.

Getting Ready For September

2011-08-22T23:22:00.012-04:00

As we get ready for September, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Please put your child's name on ALL of his/her belongings that are brought or worn to school (e.g., shoes, boots, backpack, snack bag and containers, coats, sweaters, etc.). Mabel's Labels (http://www.gracefield.mabel.ca/) has a great package of labels for shoes, clothing, containers and backpacks. Help support our class by purchasing Mabel's Labels. Look below at a June post about our Mabel's Labels Fundraiser until September 30th.

Please provide a fairly large backpack for your child to use daily to and from school. It should be large enough to hold: duo-tangs, a snack bag, a mail folder and a library book. Many parents are purchasing rolling backpacks that have wheels and a handle that your child can pull instead of wear on his/her back. Please ensure that the backpack is easy for your child to open and close.

Please provide a resusable snack bag, resusable snack container and a resusable spill-proof drink container for your child to use daily. There are many reusable waste-free containers available now that are stainless steel, plastic and/or fabric. Please ensure that the containers are easy for your child to open and close and are labelled with your child's name.

Please provide a pair of durable running shoes that can be left at school. The children will be wearing their indoor shoes everyday at school in the classroom and in the gymnasium when they have Physical Education. Please do not provide shoes with laces. Shoes with wide twin velcro straps are the easiest for young children to put on and stay fastened throughout the day. Before school starts, please try to stretch out your child's new shoes a little and encourage your child to practice putting them on independently at home.

In the interest of the children's safety, I prefer that students do not wear flip-flops to school. Sandals that have straps and fasteners to keep them on the children's feet are safer. For the very active students, running shoes are preferred. If your child is not wearing socks with his/her outdoor shoes, please provide an extra pair of socks that your child can wear with his/her indoor running shoes.

Please choose pants that are easy for your child to pull down/up when he/she uses the washroom. Overalls and pants with zippers and snaps are often difficult for young children to manage. In order to avoid embarrassment, please have girls wear a small pair of shorts under their skirts and dresses.

Student Treasure Box

2011-08-22T23:03:00.005-04:00

In September, each Kindergarten child will have a turn to be the class Special Helper. During the first week of school, I will send home the date that your child will be the Special Helper. When your child is the Special Helper in September, he/she will be asked to bring his/her Treasure Box to show the class. Your child will be asked to explain how he/she decorated the box and to tell us about each item that is in the box. Your child's Treasure Box will go home at the end of his/her Special Helper day.

Your child may want to start to make his/her Treasure Box now.

The Treasure Box can be:
*Any type of 'box' (e.g., shoe box, storage box)
*Any type of material (e.g., cardboard, plastic, wood, metal)
*Any size or shape
*Decorated (e.g., painted; covered with wrapping paper; decorated with: stickers, foamies, photos, glitter, markers, etc.)
*Labeled in a creative way with your child's name

The Treasure Box can contain any 10 items that are important or special to your child:
*Favourite book
*Favourite food (wrapper or picture of)
*Favourite toy
*Favourite stuffed animal
*Favourite shirt
*Photos of family members and/or pets
*Anything else that is important or special to your child
*Parents may choose to add sticky notes to each item or a one page summary explaining each item so that I can help your child to describe each item (e.g., This is my favourite stuffed animal. His name is Bobo. I got him for my birthday.) (e.g., This summer we went camping at Balsam Lake. I found this rock when I went swimming.) (e.g., This summer I played soccer. This is my soccer shirt. I was on the _____ team.)

SK students may use their Treasure Box from JK; however, SK students may want to change some/all of the items that they put in their Treasure Box when they were in JK.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this special activity at home with your child. Please feel free to ask me any questions about the Treasure Box.

Subscribe To The Blog

2011-08-22T23:00:00.001-04:00

During the 2011 - 2012 school year, I plan to use the blog as my main form of communication instead of sending home paper copies of calendars, newsletters, notices, reminders, etc. In September, I will again have a THIS WEEK section on the right side of the blog where I will list: what we are focusing on, when the students have Library and Phys. Ed. that week, and special events. I will also have a DATES TO REMEMBER section where I will list dates of: special events and when book orders and permission forms are due. I will keep all posts, files and photos on the blog so that you can access them months after they are posted. You may also choose to print and/or save some of the files (e.g., calendars) that I post on the right side of the blog on your computer.

Starting in September, I am hoping that you will be able to check the blog weekly so that you will always be well informed. I have set-up a program that can e-mail you when I update the blog. On the right side of the blog under SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL, please enter your email address and click on subscribe. You will then receive an email from feedburner. In the email, click on the link to activate your subscription. Feedburner will then e-mail you every time I update the blog.

I post my files as PDF. If you do not have Adobe Reader on your computer to open PDF files, you can download it for FREE. Click on GET ADOBE READER on the right side of the blog to go to their website.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about this.

The First Week Of School

2011-08-22T22:40:00.005-04:00

Senior Kindergarten Students:
*All SK students start on Tuesday, September 6th and attend school every day from 12:45 - 3:15 p.m.
*Please meet me behind the school near the Kindergarten exterior door at 12:45 p.m.
*Please send: a backpack, a snack and a pair of indoor running shoes to leave at school

Junior Kindergarten Students:
*Please refer to your schedule for dates and times for the first week of school

On Tuesday or Wednesday when you attend your adult and JK child visit, please:
*Meet me behind the school near the Kindergarten exterior door
*Bring your child's backpack and indoor running shoes

On Thursday or Friday your son/daughter will stay on his/her own for the entire morning (8:45 - 11:15 a.m.) with half of the class:
*Please meet me behind the school near the Kindergarten exterior door at 8:45 a.m.
*Please send: a backpack, snack, mail folder (you will receive on Tuesday/Wednesday), indoor running shoes (if you did not bring them on Tuesday/Wednesday)
*I will take attendance at 8:45 a.m. and then we will say good-bye to you and go to the playground for outdoor play
*The children will be dismissed from the Kindergarten exterior door at 11:15 a.m.

2011 - 2012 Bell Times

2011-08-22T22:35:00.002-04:00

Morning JK Class: 8:45 - 11:15 a.m.

Afternoon SK Class: 12:45 - 3:15 p.m.

Grade 1 - 7
Entry: 8:45 a.m.
Lunch: 11:35 a.m.
Afternoon Entry: 12:35 p.m.
Afternoon Dismissal: 3:20 p.m.

The Grade 1 - 7 students will be eating lunch in their classrooms for 20 minutes followed by a 40 minute recess outside (weather permitting). If you would like to have your Grade 1 - 7 child go home for lunch on the first day of school, please provide your child's teacher with a note indicating that your child will be going home for lunch. A permission form will be going home in September asking you to indicate how often your child will be going home for lunch.

Welcome to Grade 1!

2011-08-22T21:54:00.006-04:00

Welcome to Grade 1 SKs! I have posted a slideshow on the Kindergarten website for you to view.

The Grade 1 classroom is beside the staffroom and across the hall from the washrooms near the front of the school.

On Tuesday, September 6th, the Grade 1 students are asked to:

*Arrive before 8:45 a.m. to visit with their friends on the tarmac or playground
*Line up at 8:45 a.m. with their classmates outside their new entry door (near the parking lot)
*Bring a backpack containing: lunch, two snacks, indoor running shoes and school supplies

Ms. Pagano and Ms. Parker (Educational Assistant) will meet everyone outside before 8:45 a.m.

Grade 1 School Supplies

2011-08-22T21:29:00.008-04:00

Primary students (Grades 1 to 3) are required to provide the following supplies starting on the first day of school:
*Pencil case
*Pair of blunt scissors
*Box of crayons (replenished throughout the year)
*Pencil crayons (replenished throughout the year)
*Two erasers (replenished throughout the year)
*Five pencils (replenished throughout the year)
*Three glue sticks (replenished throughout the year)
*One white glue bottle (replenished throughout the year)
*One box of Kleenex (replenished throughout the year)
*Five different coloured duo-tangs
*White dish bin to store personal items in classroom / hallway
*Non-marking running shoes for gym

Please lable all of the above items with your child's initials or name.

Kindergarten students will NOT be required to provide school supplies.

Thank You For a Wonderful Year!

2011-07-06T09:27:00.002-04:00

Thank you for a wonderful year! Thank you also for all of the lovely gifts for the Kindergarten classroom. I hope that you and your family will have a great summer. I look forward to seeing you again in September.

Mabel's Labels Fundraiser

2011-06-21T08:47:00.005-04:00

We are having a Mabel's Labels Paperless Fundraiser on-line until September 30th to raise money for the Kindergarten classroom. Please tell your neighbours, friends and family members. Please keep in mind that orders MUST be placed at our personal web address http://www.gracefield.mabel.ca/ for our classroom to receive credit from your order.

Mabel's Labels' personalized sticky and clothing labels are extra durable and will not come off in the dishwasher, microwave or laundry. They are ideal for students. With personalized text and choice of colours and icons, their products are as fun as they are practical.

*Tag-Mates: no sew, no iron, stick-on clothing labels
*Bag Tags: made of durable metal are great for backpacks
*Shoe Labels: fit inside small shoes and boots perfectly and really stick
*Skinny-Minis: are microwave and dishwasher safe and UV resistant

Just click HERE to view these and other great Mabel's Labels' products and place your order. It really is that easy!

Thank you in advance for supporting the Gracefield Kindergarten classroom!

Safari Niagara

2011-06-18T11:42:00.002-04:00

THANK YOU to all of our volunteers for accompanying us on our trip to Safari Niagara on Friday! We had a great time! I have posted some photos from our trip on our classroom website under JUNE PHOTOS. If volunteers have a couple of great photos from the trip of the students that were in their group, please email them to me and I will include them on the website.

Kindergarten Orientation

2011-06-16T23:30:00.001-04:00

I am looking forward to our Kindergarten Orientation on Wednesday, June 22nd from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. This is an opportunity for next year's JK students and their parents to visit the Kindergarten classroom and learn about our Kindergarten program. This orientation will help to familiarize the students with the school environment, with their classmates and with myself so that they will be more comfortable arriving on the first day of school in September. I will be giving parents an orientation package containing information about our classroom routines and activities and information on how you can help to prepare your child for Kindergarten.

At the orientation, I hope to take a photo of every JK student. I would like to create a My JK Friends photo book for each student to refer to over the summer.

I would like all JK parents to complete a Child Profile and return it to school by June 30th. The information that you provide on this form will help me to get to know your child in order to better provide for your child's learning needs.

If you are unable to attend the orientation on Wednesday, June 22nd, I would appreciate it if you could arrange to have your child visit me by Friday, June 24th in order that I can take a photo of your child and give you the Child Profile and orientation package.

During the week of June 27th - 30th, parents can pick-up at the office a copy of the completed My JK Friends photo book and a schedule for the first week of school.

SK Graduation

2011-06-11T14:25:00.008-04:00

This is a reminder that on Tuesday, June 28th the Senior Kindergarten students will be having a graduation ceremony in the Library from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Parents, Grandparents and siblings are invited to attend.

The ceremony will consist of:
*The SK students singing a song and reciting a poem.
*A slide show of photos of the SK students over the past two years.
*The SK students being presented with their SK Graduation certificates and class composites.

I have sent home the lyrics and words of the song and poem. Please help your SK child to practice learning the song and poem at home.

If you would like to have a copy of our slide show, please send me a CD or memory stick (labelled with your child's name). I will copy the slide show onto your CD or memory stick and send it home on the last day of school.

Help Wanted

2011-06-10T23:37:00.006-04:00

In order to provide a clean environment for your children, I like to clean and disinfect all of our many classroom toys twice a year. Beginning on Thursday, June 16th, I am looking for parents to help me to clean and disinfect our classroom toys.

I am asking volunteers to:
**Clean one or more bags of toys at a time at home with dish soap or a small amount of bleach in the water.
**Clean one or more bags of wooden toys at a time at home with damp cloths (dipped in water with a small amount of bleach or dish soap) or disinfecting wipes.

It is very important that you spread out the toys on a towel and let them dry completely for one or more days before you return the toys to school. I will be packing the toys away when I receive them to ensure that they stay clean and do not get dusty over the summer.

If you are willing to help to clean our toys, please let me know by Thursday, June 16th. If I receive enough help, I'm hoping that we will finish cleaning all of the toys by the last day of school.

Thank you!!

The Warmer Weather Has Arrived

2011-06-10T23:15:00.001-04:00

Now that the warmer weather has arrived, the students tend to be very thirsty, especially after outdoor play and Phys. Ed. If the students have a reusable drink container, they are able to have a drink throughout the morning/afternoon when they are thirsty. Please try to provide your child with a reusable drink container filled with a refreshing cool drink during these last weeks of school.

The students will occasionally be going outside for Phys. Ed. instead of going into the gymnasium. On Phys. Ed. days, please have your child wear running shoes to school so that they can be active and safe during outside Phys. Ed. classes.

In the interest of the children's safety, I prefer that students do not wear flip flops to school. Sandals that have straps and fasteners to keep them on the children's feet are safer. For the very active students, running shoes are preferred. If your child is not wearing socks with his/her outdoor shoes, please provide an extra pair of socks in your child's backpack for your child to wear with his/her indoor shoes.

Please remember the 'three finger rule' for tops and dresses that have shoulder straps. The straps should be 4 cm or three fingers wide. In order to avoid embarrassment, please also have girls wear a small pair of shorts under their skirts and dresses.

Eric Carle Night Sky

2011-05-31T23:20:00.002-04:00

As part of our Eric Carle theme, the students made a night sky picture with a moon, stars and a ladder going to the moon similar to Eric Carle's PAPA, PLEASE GET THE MOON FOR ME book. First, the students sponge painted a small piece of blue paper with white paint and painted a large piece of paper with blue paint. Next, the students cut a moon out of the small piece of paper and glued it onto the piece of paper that they painted blue. Then, the students used two skeweres and toothpicks to make a ladder. Finally, the students put star stickers on their page. The Kindergarten students did a wonderful job!

Eric Carle Caterpillars

2011-05-18T23:48:00.002-04:00

This month, we have been reading books by author and illustrator Eric Carle. Eric Carle creates the pictures for his books by painting tissue paper and then cutting and gluing various shapes out of the painted tissue paper.

The Kindergarten students made a caterpillar similar to the caterpillar in Eric Carle's THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR book. The students painted various pieces of paper in five different colours. The students then traced and cut out different shapes out of the painted pieces of paper and glued them on a page to form a caterpillar. It was a lot of work, but the students did a fantastic job!! I have posted photos of the students caterpillars above.

Next week, the students will be making another Eric Carle picture.

Painted Lady Butterflies

2011-05-18T23:20:00.001-04:00

The Painted Lady caterpillars arrived in our classroom on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 17th. The students are very excited with our new addition to our classroom. I have posted photos of our classroom caterpillars above. Each week, I will add new pictures of our caterpillars, chrysalids and butterflies.

The Painted Lady may be the most widespread butterfly in the world. It is found in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

EGGS: The Painted Lady begins it's life cycle as an egg that is the size of a pin head (1 mm). Eggs are pale green and are laid on thistle, mallow or hollyhock leaves. In 3 to 5 days, a caterpillar hatches from the egg.

CATERPILLAR (LARVA): We received close to 150 Painted Lady caterpillars, small cups and food from Boreal on Tuesday, May 17th. I had help (thank you Olivia and Gina) to put the food in the 30 little cups, poke holes in each lid, and put a few catterpillars in each cup. We put the cups in a glass aquarium so that the students can watch the caterpillars eat, grow and molt without disturbing the caterpillars. The Painted Lady caterpillar is black and purple with yellow and green stripes. The hungry caterpillar eats constantly and grows quickly. A Painted Lady caterpillar in the wild eats thistle, mallow, malva, hollyhock, sunflower or canola leaves. As it eats, the caterpillar's skin gets tighter. Soon it sheds the tight skin (this is called molting). The small black balls that we will see in the cups will be the skin that the caterpillar shed. Caterpillars molt 4 to 6 times. The little brown balls that we will see in the cups will be the caterpillars poop (frass). The caterpillar has 6 legs on the thorax that will become the butterflys legs. The 'false legs' (prolegs) on the abdomen are used for climbing and are shed during the last molt. A Painted Lady caterpillar has stiff hairs (bristles) on each segment that sense touch and are used as a form of protection. In 7 to 10 days, the caterpillar will have matured and can be up to 3 cm long.

CHRYSALIS (PUPA): The mature caterpillar will then hang upside-down in a j shape from the lid of the cup and attach it's tail with silk thread that comes out of a hole below its mouth (spinneret). Suddenly, the caterpillar's skin splits open revealing a shiny gold case underneath (chrysalis). I will carefully tape the lids of the cups on the aquarium lid once the chrysalids have formed. The chrysalis stays motionless most of the time but will occasionally wiggle, expecially when disturbed. Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar becomes completely liquid and reforms itself into a butterfly. After 7 to 10 days, the chrysalis becomes darker and transparent when the butterfly is about to emerge.

BUTTERFLY (ADULT): The chrysalis shell splits near the bottom (head) and the butterfly reaches out with its legs and grasps the outside of the chrysalis. The emergence takes only a minute. The butterfly hangs upside down and pumps blood into it's four wings, inflating them. Then it waits for it's delicate wings to dry. It is important that there is enough space for the butterfly to unfold it's wings. Often, there are red spots on the bottom of the aquarium. This is not blood, it is leftover colouring from the wing formation. After a few hours, the butterfly is able to fly. The Painted Lady butterfly is mostly black, brown and orange with some white spots. The underside of its wings are grey with white and red markings. The adult has a 5 to 7 cm wingspan. The butterfly has taste receptors on it's feet that helps it taste sweet liquids. When these receptors contact something sweet, a reflex action is set-off causing its long, straw-like tongue (proboscis) to uncoil. Painted Lady Butterflies enjoy sweet oranges, sugar water, and aster, thistle, cosmos, sunflower, zinnia and buttonbush nectar. A butterfly smells and feels with it's antennae. It has large compound eyes made up of many smaller, six-sided eyes. Adult butterflies only live about 14 days. We will release the butterflies outside after they have been in our classroom for 2 to 3 days.

Dance-a-thon

2011-05-15T16:06:00.001-04:00

Thank you for your support for our Dance-a-thon fund raiser. It was great to see so many parents and grandparents come out to dance with us. The school raised over $2,000.00. The students enjoyed dressing up in Hawaiian/Caribbean/Beach clothes, wearing a glow-in-the-dark necklace and dancing with the colourful lights. We danced: The Chicken Dance, The Hokey Pokey, The Twist, The Cha Cha Slide, The Limbo Rock, The Macarena, Born To Hand Jive, The Hampster Dance and The Locomotion. The students also did the Hula with the Hula Hoops. I have posted photos from the Dance-a-thon on our classroom website under Dance-a-thon.

Summer Camps

2011-05-14T18:06:00.002-04:00

Occupational Therapy For Children in St. Catharines is offerring various one-week summer camps that focus on developing fine motor and visual perceptual skills, printing, and/or social skills. For more information, please go to: http://www.ot4kids.ca/id6.html

Niagara Falls Art Gallery is offering various summer art camps in St. Catharines. For more information, please go to: http://www.niagarafallsartgallery.ca/0_flyers/artprograms.htm

Parent Appreciation Tea

2011-05-14T17:45:00.006-04:00

The staff and students of Gracefield Public School would like to honour all parents with a Parent Appreciation Tea on Friday, May 27th from 1:30 until 2:30 p.m. in the Gracefield gymnasium. Please R.S.V.P. by Tuesday, May 24th. We hope that you can attend!

Dance-a-thon Reminder

2011-04-25T11:58:00.004-04:00

Friday, April 29th is our Dance-a-thon!

** All Kindergarten students are to attend school in the morning (8:45 - 11:15 a.m.)
** There is a best-dressed contest with a winner in each class. Students are encouraged to wear: beach, Caribbean, Mexican, Jamaican, Hawaiian and/or Pirates of the Caribbean themed clothing (e.g., grass skirt, flower leis, Hawaiian shirt, shorts, summer dress, sandals, summer hat, inflatable arm bands or waist floaties, snorkel, coloured sunblock, sunglasses, etc...).
** We will be having outdoor play at 8:45 a.m. (weather permitting)
** We will be having snack before the Dance-a-thon: please send a snack
** Please send an extra drink in a container labeled with your child's name that your child can bring to the Dance-a-thon
** Glow necklaces are available to purchase for $2.00 each to raise money for all of the prizes that students can win at the Dance-a-thon
** Please return sponsor sheets and money to school - we are raising money for technology products for our school
** Please let me know if you are able to donate some prizes for our Dance-a-thon
** JK/SK students will be dancing in the gym from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
** Parents are welcome to dance with us in the gym.

Our Egg-speriment

2011-04-25T11:09:00.003-04:00

On Thursday, April 21st we did an egg-speriment (experiment) to test the strength of an ordinary egg. I asked our young scientists if an egg is strong and powerful or weak and fragile? Many of the students thought an egg was weak and fragile and some of the students thought an egg was strong and powerful (I think they are starting to expect the unexpected!).

For our egg-speriment, I placed four uncooked ordinary eggs under the four corners of a cookie sheet. I asked the scientists to hypothesize (make a scientific guess) how many books we would be able to stack on the cookie sheet before the egg would break? The predictions ranged from 1 to 115 books.

The young scientists tried to carefully place books on the cookie sheet one by one. In the morning JK class, we stacked 85 books on the cookie sheet before some eggs broke. In the afternoon SK class, we stacked 45 books on the cookie sheet before some eggs broke. In the afternoon, the students chose many larger hard-cover books to stack on the cookie sheet. This may be why we were only able to stack 45 books. After some eggs broke, some of the young scientists in the afternoon class tried to hold the stack of 45 books to discover how heavy the 45 books were. It was very difficult to hold the stack of books because they were very heavy and the stack was very tall. We all concluded that the eggs are strong and powerful to be able to hold the heavy stack of books.

We learned that the shape of the egg is what makes the egg shell so strong. Eggs are shaped like a dome. The egg can support the weight because the weight doesn't press down on a single point, instead, the weight is distributed evenly around the egg. Nature made egg shells both weak and strong. Egg shells need to be strong to withstand the impact of falling to the ground when the egg is laid and also to withstand the weight when the mother sits on it. Egg shells also need to be weak so that the baby can get out of the egg when it is ready to hatch by pecking at one single point of the shell.

Please look at photos from our egg-speriment on our classroom website under April Photos.

Geometry in April

2011-04-25T10:25:00.005-04:00

In April, we are focusing on three-dimensional figures and positional words in our math program.

We have been discussing and comparing the properties (the number of flat faces, the two dimensional shape of the flat faces, the number of edges) of various three-dimensional figures (cube, sphere, cylinder, cone, pyramid, rectangular prism). The students sorted various three-dimensional figure objects (e.g., globe, can, die, party hat, etc.) according to their properties. With their knowledge of the properties of three-dimensional figures, the students are now able to identify a 3D figure only by feeling it with their hands (and not looking at it).

The students also explored and experimented with the various three-dimensional figures to determine which figures slide, stack and roll. We discovered that the cylinder is the only three-dimensional figure that can do all three (slide, stack and roll). We also concluded that figures that have curved sides can roll, figures that have a flat face can slide and figures that have two parallel flat faces can stack.

We are also focusing on positional words(e.g., above, below, on top, under, beside, inside, outside, left, right, top, middle, bottom, in front of, behind, between). We have been playing the game, Where is the object? by using positional language to describe the location of the object on a 9 square grid. We are also playing other games by using positional language to describe the location of an object. We have started to play barrier games by using positional language to describe to a partner how to build a tower or to describe the location of objects on a 9 square grid. When we play barrier games, we have a barrier (e.g., a checker board standing up) between the pair of students. One partner gives the instructions while the other partner follows the instructions. When the students are giving and following instruction in the barrier games, they are developing their oral language and listening skills.

The Power of One

2011-04-13T23:24:00.008-04:00

On the afternoon of Wednesday, April 13th, Gracefield students had the opportunity to meet Marcelo da Luz and the Power of One (XOF1) project team and their solar car. The objective of the XOF1 project team was to develop and build a solar car in Ontario to set a world distance record. After achieving this, Marcelo and the XOF1 project team has been traveling around the world to promote their mission and commitment. Their mission is to inspire others to accomplish their dreams in a positive way to benefit mankind and the environment. Their commitment is to promote the use of clean and sustainable energy.

Ontario has forbidden solar cars to drive on public roads. This hasn't stopped Marcelo and the XOF1 team from traveling through Ontario! Their motto is "One Person Can Change the World, You." On April 10th, Marcelo started his journey from Niagara Falls to Toronto by pulling the solar car himself as he walks. Marcelo inspired the staff and students of Gracefield with his perseverance and courage! Please visit the XOF1 website at: http://www.xof1.com/ Please also visit our classroom website to see photos from today that I have posted under April Photos.

Outdoor Play

2011-04-07T18:46:00.003-04:00

This is a reminder that an important part of our Kindergarten day is outdoor gross motor play. At the beginning of our day, we will be playing outside even if it is damp and/or misty outside. Please bring your child to school suitably dressed for the day's weather and ready to play outside. A pair of spash pants is a good investment for the damp Spring mornings. The only days that we will not play outside are: when the students have a scheduled Physical Education day, when the morning JK class has a scheduled Computers day and occasionally when we have a special event (e.g., Art Gallery).

April Art Gallery

2011-04-04T22:03:00.004-04:00

Today, the Kindergarten students participated in their second Niagara Falls Art Gallery workshop this year. The Junior Kindergarten students created the life cycle of a frog in oil pastel. The Senior Kindergarten students created a full figure portrait in oil pastel. All of the students demonstrated perseverance as they stayed with the task until it was done even when they were getting tired. Great job JKs and SKs! Here is a slide show of the students' pictures. The students pictures are now up in our classroom and in the hallway. I will send them home after Easter.

Kindergarten Home Reading Program

2011-04-03T17:27:00.010-04:00

Thank you for joining the Kindergarten Home Reading Program! I hope you have had a chance to listen to your child read the book that went home on Friday.

How to Participate in the Home Reading Program:
**Please try to listen to your child read their book every night.
**Please encourage your child to handle the book with clean hands and to keep it away from pets and younger siblings.
**Encourage your child to point to the words with his/her dominant hand as he/she reads.
**Refer to Activate Your Schema and one of the other Star Strategies when you read each book. After practicing each strategy by itself, you may soon encourage your child to use more than one strategy while reading each book to help him/her to read any unknown words.
**Please refer to my suggestions that were included in the Ziploc bag on how you can help your child to read a book.
**Praise all attempts! The students are so proud on the next school day when they tell me that they read their book at home!
**Most importantly, please help to make this a positive and enjoyable experience for your child

What to do when you are finished reading the book:
**Record the name of each book on the tracking page.
**Keep the tracking page in the Ziploc bag.
**When your child is not reading his/her book, encourage him/her to keep it in the Ziploc bag to avoid misplacing the book.
**Please try to return the books daily in the Ziploc bag.
**Keep the Jolly Phonics sounds page, Word Wall page, Flash Cards and Star Strategies book at home.
**Please do NOT enclose money or notes in the Ziploc bag - the bags are often emptied and filled by someone other than myself.

Thank you for taking the time to do this very important activity with your child each night.

Dance-a-thon on April 29th!

2011-04-03T16:44:00.008-04:00

Gracefield School's 3rd Annual Dance-a-thon will be on Friday, April 29th! We will be having a Hawaiian/Caribbean theme. Students are encouraged to dress in Hawaiian, Caribbean, and/or beach clothes (no bathing suits please). The students will be dancing for one hour to raise money for technology for our school. Students are asked to collect money from family, friends and neighbours. This is our major school fundraiser of the year. Sponsor sheets will be sent home this week. Please return sponsor sheets and money to school by Wednesday, April 27th.

Dance-a-thon Schedule:
**10:00 - 11:00 a.m. - ALL Kindergarten Students and Grade 1 students
**12:50 - 1:50 p.m. - Grade 2, 3, 4, 5 students
**2:10 - 3:10 p.m. - Grade 6, 7, 8 students

On Friday, April 29th , afternoon SK students will be attending school in the morning (8:45 - 11:15 a.m.).

Prizes will be awarded in each class for:
** Best dressed (Hawaiian/Caribbean theme)
**Hula hoop contest
**Limbo contest
**Best Twister
**Spot dances

Any parent or business willing to donate prizes would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Mrs. Mayer.

Glow-in-the-dark necklaces will be available to purchase on the day of the dance for $2.00 each. The money raised will go towards purchasing prizes.

In the month of April, the students will be learning various dances (e.g., Bunny Hop, Chicken Dance, YMCA, Macarena, The Limbo, The Twist, etc.) in class and during Phys. Ed. classes. Click here for dance step instructions.

Parents are welcome to dance with us in the gym from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Colours and Light

2011-04-03T16:30:00.003-04:00

In March, we learned about colours and light. We read the book Mouse Paint (Ellen Stoll Walsh) and learned about primary and secondary colours. We learned that the PRIMARY COLOURS are red, blue and yellow. We practiced mixing colours to make SECONDARY COLOURS (red and blue make purple, blue and yellow make green, red and yellow make orange). Each student made a colour wheel showing the primary and secondary colours and made a Mouse Paint Book.

We read the book Hello, Red Fox (Eric Carle) and learned about COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS. Complementary colours are opposite each other on the colour wheel. We learned that complementary colours are made with the three primary colours (one colour is a primary colour, the other colour is two primary colours mixed together). The complementary colours are red with green, blue with orange and yellow with purple. The students made butterflies by colouring coffee filters with complementary colours and then spraying them with water to let the colours blend together. At home, you can go to a challenging on-line colour mixing game: Colour mixing game

We also learned about the colours of light. A ray of light from the sun is made up of seven different colours (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). The primary colours of light are red, green and blue. Red and green light make the secondary colour yellow. Blue and red light make the secondary colour magenta. Green and blue light make the secondary colour cyan. When all three primary colours of light are mixed together, they make white light. To learn about light, we experimented with: prisms, flashlights with red, green and blue acetate paper, diffraction glasses. We also learned about colour light by exploring with: kaleidoscopes, holograms (3D pictures made with lasers), fibre optic light, items that change colour in sunlight (shirt, key chain), items that glow in the dark (stars, silly putty, paint), items that glow in black light (tonic water, white cotton shirts, highlighters, 'magic pen', items that are heat-sensitive and change colour when you hold it (mood ring, shirt). At home, you can go to two on-line light colour mixing activities: Mixing colours of light activity and Mixing colours of light game.

Geometry in March

2011-04-03T16:14:00.002-04:00

In March and April we are focusing on Geometry in our math program. In March, we focused on two-dimensional shapes. We discussed and compared the properties (number of sides, length of sides, number of points) of various two-dimensional shapes (square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, trapezoid, rhombus, parallelogram, circle). The students sorted the various shapes according to their properties and constructed shapes with Chinese jump ropes in Phys. Ed. We also discussed and explored the relationships between shapes when they are combined (composed) or taken apart (decomposed). The students used Pattern Blocks and Tangrams to explore the relationships between shapes. We explored how to compose and decompose shapes (e.g., we can make a trapezoid with three triangles) with Pattern Blocks and Tangram pieces. They also created pictures and fabulous designs with Pattern Blocks and Tangram pieces. Please look at the students' Pattern Block designs on an older post and also on our classroom website. I have posted some on-line Geometry games on the right side of the blog.

Our Pattern Block Designs

2011-03-24T19:07:00.002-04:00

I just had to share the fantastic Pattern Block shape designs that the JK and SK students made today! Here is a slideshow of our designs. I hope to add more photos on Friday. Please also look on our classroom website to see more photos from February and March.