Looking for a Bit of Help...Applesauce Anyone?

After picking many apples with my family today, I'm hoping to make applesauce with the class one day this week. I would like to do this either Tuesday or Wednesday first thing at the start of the school day. If there is a parent or two who would be available to help the students peel, slice, and chop apples in preparation of making the applesauce, please let me know. Having done it alone with the class last year, I would really appreciate an extra set of hands. I will have an apple peeler and slicer ready. 

A Crazy Week

It's been such a hectic week. When we first looked at reorganization early Monday morning, my class seemed to be okay with no changes required. Unfortunately with the loss of just a few more students by Tuesday afternoon, my class was then required to reorganize along with the other French Immersion classes. It is always very difficult for staff and students and it is something we try to avoid if at all possible. I was very sad to lose the 10 lovely grade two students who have been with me for the past two weeks. I'm sure they will have a great year with Mme Lavoie and I will continue to teach them art in her class for the remainder of the year. Mrs. Hilton will continue to be our English to Immersion teacher and Mrs. Bernert will continue to do health with the class. 

So it's been crazy trying to finish up work started as much as possible with the grade twos, while at the same time, not going too far ahead with the grade threes before the 10 other grade threes join us on Monday. At the same time, I was trying to get everything ready to send to Mme Lavoie and receive my new students. I didn't get as many photos taken as I would have liked of the variety of activities we did this week. 

In Language, we read the poem "Dans mon potager" as a shared reading. We focused on appropriate pauses, looking carefully at punctuation, and reading with expression. We read a short story "Lou et Trouloulou" which focused on the "ou" sound and then completed follow-up activities over several days. We will be focusing on writing complete sentences in reading response questions over the next little while. The students completed a flag about themselves, a school vocabulary crossword, and several readings/responses on safety. They also began our words/sentences of the week. Each week they will get a list of words on the first day and then a sentence to copy each following day, using those words. They also had some fun doing group story writing on chart paper. 

In Math, we continued with non-numerical patterns. The grade twos focused on accurately identifying which attributes change in a given pattern as well as creating their own patterns. The grade threes focused on identifying changing attributes in a pattern but also had to describe them in detail. I will be going over this again next week with our new students and we will begin looking at some numerical patterns as well. We also started doing our daily math. Each day, the students do several short questions from one of the five math curriculum strands at the start of our math period. It is a great way to review concepts regularly and to get them in a math frame of mind after recess. Prodigy Math has been set up for all the grade three students and I have input grade three level questions on patterning for them. For those who were in my class last year, logins/passwords remain the same. New students will also be given logins and passwords which they will also be able to use at home. 

I didn't continue in Science or Social Studies in anticipation of the changes in classes. In art, the class made the Lego figurine self-portraits that I did with Mme Lavoie's class. 

Sadly, I am going to have to take a an indefinite break from posting my blog. Our union will be escalating work to rule protocols as of Monday, September 21. Blogs, Newsletters, any outgoing classroom information, will no longer be possible. I will post the September Newsletter and other information outside of the classroom door as this is information that I have sent previously to the escalation. I continue to be available by phone during school hours, notes in agendas and quick drop-ins for questions/concerns just before or just after school. I hope for a quick resolution to the bargaining situation so that things can return to normal. 

Have a great weekend!

All Set For a New School Year

I have been working for the past little while to get everything ready for my new and returning students. It's been a great first week back!

This summer's sewing project was to make shoe bags for the students to hang their indoor shoes at the end of the day. Each year, I try to make things a little more organized and this also helps keep the room tidy for the custodians to clean. A few new bins for me, some whiteboard erasable dots on the guided table, and the fm system all ready and the class was set for the students!

We started the week by making personalized name cards and doing some get to know each other activities. "Par ici la sortie" was a fun read aloud about zoo animals trying to escape at the end of the season. We did some short reading and writing activities over the past few days as well.

We started our math with a survey and graph on birthdays. Then we got right into our first math unit on patterning. While both grades need to be able to create/identify patterns and explain the changing attributes in a pattern, the grade threes will be going into more detail. After the first day of pattern making and explaining orally with manipulatives, both grades got right into doing written activities on patterns. 

In Science, the grade twos have started a unit on animals while the grade threes will be learning about plants. In Social Studies, the grade twos are beginning with some activities on cardinal directions and mapping. The grade threes are beginning with the types of communities found in Ontario. 

This year we have a student in our class with a peanut allergy. We spent some time discussing allergies after reading "Aïe! Ça pique!". We looked at the two types of medications and took turns practising with them. We talked about how each of us can help keep Jack safe in the classroom and how to help him in the event of an allergy attack. Jack shared with all of us where his medications are kept. 

It's been wonderful getting to know your children and I'm looking forward to the rest of the school year with them!

Summer Break is Here!

Well, the end of the year is finally here. It's been great having all of your children in my class this year. I get very attached to the students and will miss them all very much as they move on to grade three. 

This week in Language, we read "Respectez...mon Océan." for our shared reading. We practised the "br/cr" sounds in "Bruno" and "Le crocodile".

 

In Math, we did a short unit on probability. We looked at the fairness of spinners and explained why they were or were not fair. The class made their own spinners. We also looked at probable, improbable, certain, likely, unlikely, and impossible as descriptors for whether an even will happen. It was a fun way to finish up this year's math. 

We also spent some time working on unfinished work in both Math and Language. Some may come home incomplete, but I always have enough information to assess their understanding from class activities. The booklets are opportunities for additional practise. While I prefer that the work be completed, I realize that all students work at different paces and may not always complete the work I have provided. 

In Social Studies, we have finished going around the world by doing some activities on Canada. 

On Tuesday, we had our class picnic. Although it was a lot of work to get all of the fruit ready, it was worth it to see how much they enjoyed making their own fruit kabobs. We also ate some of the fruit at first nutrition break.  

With all the rain, we decided to eat in the class before heading over to the park. We moved all of the desks out of the way and then I put out tablecloths for the class to sit on. We enjoyed fruit kabobs, popcorn, cookies (thank you Declan and family), fruit platter ( thank you Anthony and family), and cupcakes (thank you Ava and family)!

A special thank you going out to the wonderful helpers, Ava, Mia, Elizabeth, Gabby, Sophie, and Nuria, who stayed in with me at recess to clean up the class after the picnic!

Luckily it had dried up enough after the second nutrition break so that we were able to go and play for close to an hour an a half!

On Wednesday, we finished emptying the desks and everything has been sent home, including extra clothes. Mme Panet came around and distributed report cards to the students. 

The final assembly for the school year was on Thursday morning and we said goodbye to all the students and staff who will be leaving Amherstview to go to other schools. All of the primary students sang a goodbye song for Mme Panet that the classes had learned ahead of time. The students made little yearbooks of their time in grade two. They also brought in games to play. It was also our very last dollar auction of the year. Everyone traded in their dollars for one last chance to buy something from my auction bin. We finished off the day with some free time on the laptops. 

Thank you to everyone who brought treats for our last day, Dylan, Mia, Sophie, and Liam (and families of course). 

I feel very privileged to have gotten to know and work with all of your children. They are so enthusiastic about learning and participating. I hope everyone has a wonderful summer and I look forward to seeing your children around the school over the next few years as they progress through the grades!