Hello families,
This week we finished up our pumpkin and gourd sketches using realistic colours with our water-colour pencil crayons. After adding colour, we used a wet paintbrush to blend the colours.
In writing we worked on the letters J, U, N, O, L, Q, V and W. An important thing we learned about Q is that it has a best friend named U, and they are almost always together!
During Daily L.A. students who were at the "read with teacher" station read a book with me and did some word work with the moveable alphabet.
The station "listen to reading" was introduced this week as well. Please see below for more information about Epic! and personal headphones.
As we continue to weave Indigenous ways of thinking throughout our learning, this week we focused on gaining an understanding of a big word: Ethnobotany. We brainstormed ways that people within Alberta use plants, today and in the past. Check out this plant index website where we learned some medicinal uses for the wild rose, our provincial flower.
https://galileo.org/kainai/wild-rose/
We then looked at how plants can be used to make colour! Utilizing some materials from my garden, students experimented rubbing with chives, flowers, and crabapples.
At the end of the week we discussed another use for plants, eating! Its sounds like students grow lots of delicious vegetables and fruit in their gardens at home. Here is a book we read about the harvest:
Grade 2s also practiced the practical life skill of safe cutting using kid friendly cutters and a cutting board. Grades 1s will have a chance to practice next week. This station is only available at my teacher table and items are explored, not eaten!
On Thursday we had our first artist in residence session and it was amazing! Students learned more about making colour pigment from natural materials. We used yellow from marigold flowers and red from beets!
Students also learned about the "wet on wet" technique with water colour paint and how the colours "bleed".
Our final art will be inspired by Peter Renolds, children's book illustrator and author.
In math we continued with place value and learned the math game Monster Munch! Grade 2 students are beginning to explore and practice up to the 1 000 place value and grade 1 students up to the 100 place value.
Check out some of the responsible work choices students made this week!
Epic! Listen to Reading
In literacy this week, we learned about listen to reading. If you are able, please send headphones for your child to use at school. They will be kept in their cubby to use during listen to reading time. This year we will be using Epic! and we do have a class code but I believe it only works between 7am-3pm, but you are welcome to try it at home: ypq1713
Library Books
Each student can take out 2 library books for the duration of 2 weeks. I encourage students to leave one book at school and to take one home so they always have something to read that they are interested in. We have library time every Tuesday afternoon so if your child wants to exchange their books please ensure if they brought one home that it is sent back to school for library time.
Looking to shop for books online through Scholastic year round? I have set up a scholastic account for our class. By using our class code you can help our class earn points to put towards new books! I will be sending home Scholastic flyers each month. Happy reading!
Class Code: RC358893
Birthday Walk
Is your child's birthday coming up? At LBS we like to celebrate with the Montessori Birthday Walk Around the Sun. A Google Slide template has been created on my Google Classroom to share the story of your child. I will also email it out each month to those who have a child with a birthday that month. Please carefully review the instructions and let me know if you have any questions. Please make a copy and do not edit the template. When it is complete, please share it with me through email so I can share it with the class on your child's special day!
Absences
If your child is going to be absent, please make sure to contact the office via phone or email. I would also appreciate being cc'd on the email so I am kept in the loop!
Physical Education
This year, we will have indoor gym time every other day. On the days that we do not have time in the gym, we will be going outside for phys ed. Please make sure your child has appropriate shoes for both indoor and outdoor phys ed. At LBS, we love to go outside in all types of weather (unless it's colder than -20) so we will be going outside - rain, snow, or shine!
Art Cards
I hope you have a wonderful long weekend!
Ms. Greenhall
Upcoming Dates
- October 28th - PD Day - No School
- October 31st - Halloween (more school details to come)
- November 7 Photo Retakes
- November 10 Remembrance Day Assembly
- November 11 Remembrance Day
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