Learning Skills
For the Progress Report, which goes home in early November, the two learning skills that we will focus on are Responsibility and Organization. The expectations for these skills will be discussed in class. Below are the expectations that these skills entail. If you could talk about them with your child and have your child tell you how they feel they are doing, that would be most helpful. These expectations will be sent home, discussed in class and will also be visible in the classroom.
Responsibility:
-I line up quietly when the bell rings.
-I do not take or touch things that do not belong to me unless I have asked to use them.
-I take care of my things and the class.
-I keep my space clean and organized.
-I admit when I have done something wrong.
-I stay on task even when the teacher isn’t looking.
-I do what I am supposed to do when I am supposed to do it.
-I look at what everybody else is doing if I am unsure of the given direction or task.
-I speak politely to my classmates and teachers.
-I know what to do when I need help.
-I come to class prepared with everything I need for the day.
-I complete and submit homework assignments on time.
-I am respectful when there is a guest teacher.
Organization:
-I use the resources around the room to help me with my work (e.g., word wall, anchor charts, dictionaries).
-I keep my desk and cubby area tidy and can find the things I need easily.
-I put things away and hang things up without reminders.
-I make sure I have the tools and supplies I need for the day (e.g., pencil, eraser, coloured pencils).
-I bring things home and back to school on time (e.g., library books, homework, things to be signed).
-I manage my time well to ensure that I am not rushing, but that I complete my tasks in the allotted time frames.
Math
The strand in Math that we have been covering through September and that we will continue into October is Patterns and Relationships. The expectations for this strand are the following:
-identify and describe repeating elements and operations in a variety of patterns, including patterns found in real-life contexts
-create and translate patterns that have repeating elements, movements, or operations using various representations, including shapes, numbers, and tables of values
-determine pattern rules and use them to extend patterns, make and justify predictions, and identify missing elements in patterns that have repeating elements, movements, or operations
-create and describe patterns to illustrate relationships among whole numbers up to 1000
We will be moving on to our Geometry strand next. The expectations for this strand are the following:
-sort, construct, and identify cubes, prisms, pyramids, cylinders, and cones by comparing their faces, edges, vertices, and angles
-compose and decompose various structures, and identify the two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional objects that these structures contain
- identify congruent lengths, angles, and faces of three-dimensional objects by mentally and physically matching them, and determine if the objects are congruent
- give and follow multi step instructions involving movement from one location to another, including distances and half- and quarter-turns
I have been observing the kids in class to see how they are doing and will continue to assess their knowledge through observations and "check-ins" (tests).
Language
We have been discussing paragraph writing and will continue to do so. We have also practised writing simple and complex sentences that make sense using proper grammar, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation.
Our focus right now in writing is Descriptive writing. The kids have really enjoyed writing about bubble gum and describing Mr. Twit’s disgusting beard. We focus on the 5 senses when we are describing something along with all of the other features necessary to compose a descriptive paragraph.
For reading, we will be focusing on strategies that help us to better comprehend what we are reading such as fix-up strategies (e.g. slowing down, using context clues, making connections) and visualizing (the ability to create a picture of what we are reading about, in our head). A big focus for reading this year is displaying comprehension through answers to questions about the text, in writing. The children will learn to ensure that they have given enough detail from the text, and enough of their own ideas, to support their answers and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of what the given text is about.
Religion
We have finished our discussions and activities in regard to Samaritans on the Digital Road - This program is done throughout the board at every grade level, to engage students in learning about participating in the digital world in a proactive, responsible and compassionate manner. We will continue to talk about being a good Citizen, treating others like Jesus would and to participate in SEL activities to promote positive mental health.
Science
We have begun with our Structures unit. The students will participate in activities and experiments about what a structure is, especially focusing on the difference between the strength and stability of a structure. One of the activities for this unit is an at home research project. The students will investigate and find information about a famous structure and will present it to the class. I will not be grading the actual project done at home, but I will be grading the oral presentation which will reflect the oral grade on the February report card. They will also have a test at the end of the unit. More information with regard to the project and test will be sent home closer to the date of each activity.
Recycling
I will continue to ask the children to bring home any recyclables home. The children can ask me for a bag if they need one, to bring home their containers in. They are doing an amazing job with this and I thank you once again for your help with this process!
Learning Commons
For now, the Learning Commons remains closed for circulation, however, the children have been borrowing classroom books. I help children choose a book at the beginning of the week, and they return it to a bin in the classroom when they are finished. At the end of the week, I collect all the books that children wish to return so the books can sit over the weekend. I return them to the shelves on Monday to be recirculated.
If your child wants to bring their own book to read at school, I highly encourage that. My library may not have anything that your child is interested in reading, so if they have a book they enjoy, they are more than welcome to bring it.
Gym
We are scheduled to go to the gym on Wednesday and Friday. However, I have been trying to take them outside as much as possible and therefore, the days for now vary. Thank you for sending them in shoes that they can run in. We have started to play Soccer-Baseball and the kiddos really seem to be enjoying it. We have had to modify the rules so that no one touches the ball with their hands, but it is working well.
Distancing
The children have been doing a pretty good job distancing themselves and I give constant reminders to do so. Recess can be a tricky time for them to stay away from each other. If you could please reiterate to your child the importance of keeping their distance from others, especially when not wearing their masks, that would be appreciated.
Homework
Homework begins next week! The homework will be posted on our weekly Hapara site, so students will be easily able to access it. We will have our first WWW test on Friday, October 9, and will continue to do them weekly, on Fridays, unless otherwise noted.
I want to thank you all for your support thus far this year. It is a year like no other and it really helps to know that I have a great team of parents supporting me. Thank you as well for all of the donations such as wipes, kleenex and any other donations that have been made to the class. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions . Thank you for a great start to a great year!
Have a fantastic Thanksgiving!
Sincerely,
Mr. Pouliot
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