Sink or Float?

We finally were able to put our 100 Day buoyant structures in the pool (Grade 2 structures only).







We let them float for 100 seconds, then took them out. Some of the glue dissolved right after we took them out. Hot glue was fine -- but regular white glue caused some disappointment. Luckily it all happened after they floated!

The Lizard

We are focusing on the short vowel i sound this week!


Words of the Week

Grade 1
lip
sit
did
big
him
Bonus Word: lick

Grade 2
miss
lift
chip
lick
little
Bonus Word: lizard

Catsup

This week we are focusing on the sound of the letter a -- the short vowel sound as in "at".

This week's poem has many short a's!


From now on, our words of the week will not be "word family" words, but will have some kind of phonetic focus. So now we have to remember to listen for the beginning sound, the end sound and the middle sound!

Words of the Week

Grade 1
tap
lap
map
cat
pat
bonus word: that

Grade 2
that
past
have
add
class
bonus word: splat

100's Day -- 100 pieces of Lego

We built using 100 pieces of Lego. Each child built something with the exact same pieces as everyone else.

These are some of our results:

100's Day -- Counting to 100!

We counted Fruit Loops by 10's!

The mats really helped those of us who can't quite count by 10's to 100 yet!

Then we made necklaces. I love the variety in pattern everyone made!

100's Day -- 100 Popsicle Sticks

Why do we celebrate the 100th Day of school?
100 is a base number like 10. Once we can count to 100, we can count to 1000! It is a "milestone" number. We count by 2's to 100; by 5's to 100; by 10's to 100.

We sent home 100 popsicle sticks and asked the students (and parents) to build a structure using all of the sticks. Exactly 100. The Grade 2's were to make a buoyant (floating) structure!

Here are all of our structures!





















Next week the Grade 2's will put their buoyant structures in the pool to see if they will float (for 100 seconds!)

Happy Valentines Day

We made collographs (gluing low relief things onto a printing plate, then printing)

We thought about what we were going to make, we made a sketch, glued cardboard onto a plate (foamcore-- recycled) and then inked the plate and pulled our prints. They turned out wonderfully!

Here are 2 examples!

This one is a very traditional Valentines Card:

(sketch, plate, final signed print)

The next one one started off as a traditional looking card, but when printed, I think that it looks like a group of gemstones -- diamonds and rubies!

Click on them to see them larger -- they look great!

Snowball

This week's poem is by Shel Silverstein -- it is one of my favourites!


Words of the Week

Grade 1
pet
let
wet
met
get
Bonus Word: then

Grade 2
last
fast
past
cast
mast
Bonus Word: could

Math Monday -- Geometry

This week we will continue with geometry....


We have been working on some problem solving.

How many different ways can we make a triangle using the pattern blocks?

How many different ways can we make a hexagon?

Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Friday was a busy day between going on a trip, eating lunch in the classroom and it being the 100th Day of School!
We started our day in the classroom and divided up into our groups and then we boarded our school bus for the trip downtown. Thank you so much to our parent helpers, Tracy, Tara, and Jason :) We couldn't have done it without you!
We arrived at Roy Thompson Hall a bit early (better early than late), but we did get a bit wiggly before the performance began. Some of us were VERY excited to be WAY UP HIGH on the upper balcony. Some of us weren't so excited. It was really high!


The program was a bit advanced for the Grade 1's. Ms. Donovan (our Music Teacher) prepared them well though. The performance was rooted in percussion. Ask your child what instruments "the man in pajamas" played (he actually changed out of his pajamas before he started playing, but they will know who you mean). He played many traditional percussion instruments, as well as household items such as pots and pans and even a basketball!

Our wonderful bus driver was waiting right outside when we exited. We were back to school very quickly -- but a few of us still fell asleep on the ride :)

We were only able to just begin our 100 Day Celebrations -- so we will continue celebrating all week, although we will have to stop for some Valentine Celebrations on Tuesday. This week will again be a busy week -- with Report Cards coming home on Monday, and then Parent-Teacher Interviews happening on Wednesday and Thursday Evenings (and mornings). Our PA Day on Friday will carry us into a long weekend -- Next Monday is Family Day!

Give Me Fives!

We have been having some difficulty skip counting by fives, so we have been practicing every day. First we made this chart. We traced and cut out our hands. Then we counted each finger. Each time we finished counting a hand (5), we put up the corresponding number until we counted the whole class. One of the students was on a vacation (lucky! he went to the warmth of Mexico!) but he will trace his hand when he comes home. His # 100 is waiting for him :)


I tell the class to GIVE ME FIVES! and then we start counting! Keep practicing at home... maybe try counting everyone's fingers AND TOES!

Snow Moon

Part of our study of the seasons included how animals prepare for winter. We also discussed how we prepare for winter, and how our behaviour changes in the winter.

First Snow in the Woods shows animals in the forest getting ready for an early winter. The photographs really showed the children everything that the animals need to do. We loved it. I just found out that there is a movie too!

Over and Under the Snow is a beautiful book which shows what the animals do in the winter. It shows some of the activities that we like to do outside in the winter too!

We also talked about how we can help the animals (especially birds) by putting out bird feeders. We talked about how important it is to keep feeding the birds if you start (if you start feeding the birds in your birdfeeder, then they rely on that food. If you forget to fill your birdfeeder, the birds might starve!)

Our poem of the week is a bit more sombre than our poems have been lately....
(this poem is by Joanne Taylor)


Words of the Week:

Grade 1
deep
keep
peep
beep
sleep
bonus word: moon

Grade 2
moon
soon
loon
noon
spoon
bonus word: February

Math Moday - Geometry - Shapes

Geometry

Remember:
The ability to identify and describe shapes, sizes, positions, directions, and movement is important in many work situations, such as construction and design, as well as in creating and understanding art. Becoming familiar with shapes and spatial relationships in their environment will help children grasp the principles of geometry in later grades.

Go on a "shape hunt". Have your child look for as many circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles as he or she can find in the home or outside. Do the same with three-dimensional objects like cubes, cones, spheres, and cylinders. Point out that street signs come in different shapes and that a pop can is like a cylinder.

Play "I spy", looking for different shapes. "I spy something that is round." "I spy something that is rectangular." "I spy something that looks like a cone."

• Sphere: A perfectly round object, like a ball, or a globe.
• Cube: A box that has perfect squares for each face, like the famous Rubik's cube
• Cylinder: A round tube with a circle on each end, like an empty toilet paper roll.
• Cone: An object with a circle at the top that gets smaller and smaller until it reaches a point at the bottom, like an ice cream cone.
• Pyramid: An object with triangles for sides, forming a point at the top. The base is usually a square. The Pyramids of Egypt are a famous example.
• Rectangular Prism: A box that is not a perfect cube. Some of the faces may be rectangles, like a shoebox.
• Triangular Prism: See picture below. Note that the base is rectangular, and the two side faces are triangular