November 18th, 2022

Hello families,

This week we honoured Métis Week through "Rock Your Mocs" day on Tuesday as well as continuing our learning about the Four Sacred Medicines. As a class we took part in a sage smudge and discussed how smudging can help clear negative energy and encourage healing. After we read Becoming a Good Creature  by Sy Montgomery and discussed how we can learn so much from observing nature.


We also completed our Medicine Wheels. Students illustrated the Four Scared Medicines, making connections to the four directions and four parts of us (spirit, heart, body and mind).





Our class further explored Cedar by rereading the book Stand Like a Cedar  and reading If Instead of a Person by Courtney Defriend. We then used cedar cuttings to make prints with paint. As a class we brainstormed meaningful words describing cedar and students wrote these around their prints.






Through this learning we continue to work on the following Social Studies outcomes:

Grade 1: 
  • I can describe the connections we have to Indigenous and diverse cultures found in our communities.
  • I can explore ways in which Indigenous peoples and diverse cultural groups contributed to the origins and evolutions of our community over time
Grade 2:
  • I can describe how the presence of Indigenous origins is reflected in the community today
  • I can explore the cultural characteristics of Indigenous communities 

In math students learned a game called "Roll it, Make it, Expand it" to help support their understanding of representing numbers in standard form, expanded form and with base tens.


We took part in a couple number talks to encourage our mathematical vocabulary and thinking.



We also began a math project where students will independently demonstrate their understanding of place value. We are making donuts!





In Daily L.A. students began using the Montessori green material during the Word Work station. A new station called "Work on Writing" was also introduced. Students at this station had the opportunity to work on their Best Part of Me writing, and when done, could free write (a student favourite!).





We also started on our Words Their Way "Word Work Groups." All grade 1/2 students work with their Word Work Groups for the last part of the day (2:10-2:30). This is just a portion of our literacy instruction which is targeted at supporting students individual next steps. Last week we got to know each other and introduced our routine. This week we started our personalized word work.



Here is an outline of each group. Please ask your child which teacher they are working with to see what their focus is!

In Ms. Greenhall's Word Work Group students have been learning about consonants. This week we reviewed the letters B, S, M and R using the Animated Literacy actions. We then cut and sorted pictures that start with these letters. Ask your child about the actions for B, S, M, and R.
In Ms. Lacour's Word Work Group students have been learning about vowels. This week we reviewed short "A" and looked at the "AT" word family. We then sorted pictures to match the corresponding words. Ask your child about words in the "AT" family.

In Ms. Midgley's Word Work Group students have been learning about digraphs. Digraphs are two letters that go together to make one sound. This week we learned about the SH sound and sorted pictures based on whether they started with s, h or sh. Students who were ready for the challenge also used the corresponding words. We learned about the Animated Literacy character Sheriff Shadrack and his Shaggy Sheep - ask your child about the sound and action for 'sh.'

In Ms. Gierl & Ms. Green's Word Work Group, students are learning about Common Long Vowels. We began our learning this week focusing on the different sounds like A makes. We explored short A sounds such as "cat, cap, trap" and long A sounds such as "tray, pail, rain, hay." We began sorting using picture cards into short A and long A columns and some students extended their learning by brainstorming additional words that would fit into each category. Our next steps will challenge us to move forward with short and long A sounds in word form.

In Ms. Romanko's Word Work Group students have been learning about blends, inflected endings and novel study. Blends or are groups of consonants whose sounds blend togetherEach letter within the blend is pronounced individually, but quickly, so they ‘blend’ together. This week we worked on the blend 'ST' and sorted pictured based on whether they started with s, t, or st. Students attempted to write out labels for their pictures if they had time. Our inflected endings group worked with the plural endings 's' or 'es'. They looked for patterns in words to know when to add an 's' or an 'es'. The base words ending is sh, ch, s, or x needed an 'es'. If there was already the letter 'e' on the end of a word, it only needed an 's'. It was tricky but in the end all of the students understood the difference! We have a few students working on reading comprehension. These students were given a short passage to read and answer questions following their reading. They all did amazing and will move on to a short novel study next week.



Our class continued to learn about emotions and read the book Sadly Every After inspired by the Disney Movie Inside Out. As we read the book, we went through each emotion and recorded our ideas.




During our daily mindfulness practice we have been learning about different strategies to be calm. Breathe Like a Bear is a great book if you are looking for a child friendly book with simple calming strategies!


We learned the candle and flower breathe as well as hot chocolate strategy this week. Ask your child which one is their favourite so far!




Have a great and restful  weekend,

Ms. Greenhall

Upcoming Dates

  • November 14th - Conference bookings opened at 7:00am. Please email me or call the office if you are having trouble booking
  • November 21-27 Book Fair  (Room 8 Visits the Book Fair on Monday)
  • November 24-25 In-Person Parent Teacher Conferences
  • Thursday, December 1st - Banzai Fun Lunch
  • Thursday, December 15th - Waffles and Chix Fun Lunch
  • Thursday, December 15th - Winter Concert (AM & PM)

Winter Concert

Mark your calendars...December 15th will be our Grade 1-6 Winter Concert. Kindergarten concert will be in April. More information will come from Mrs. Kawchuk as we get closer to the performance date.


Card Club Days for Grade 1/2 

(For students who returned signed forms)


Cards are only to be brought to school on card club days. Students attend card club from 11:40-12:00 instead of going outside for lunch recess. 

  • Monday, November 21st 
  • Monday, December 5th 


Grade 1 Books

Dear grade 1 families, 

We are very pleased to share The Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s gift to each Grade one student at our school.  Grade 2 students would have received a book last year from this program. This book has been provided with the support of TD Bank Group. The book this year is Fast Friends written by Heather M. O’Connor,  illustrated by Claudia Davila and published by Scholastlc Canada. 

 We are excited that students will bring these books home to share with you. Reading together as a family helps to develop a love of reading and a passion for books.  Books will be sent home Monday. Thanks and Happy Reading!!! 



Hybrid Book Fair

We are pleased to be hosting a hybrid (In-School and Virtual) Scholastic Book.   

Our class will get an opportunity to visit the Book Fair on Monday, November 21st.


On Monday your child will make a Wishlist which will be sent home. If you would like to purchase anything from your child’s wish list you can choose to do so using any of the three purchase methods listed below.  


         Cash sent in with your child and initialed wish list  
o    Initial next to the items you would like to purchase and send in exact cash  
o    Please note, that in-school purchases already include GST 
o    Cash orders need to be sent in by Thursday, November 24th 
·         
    Online using the link posted on your child’s teachers blog or below  
o    Link is active from Monday, November 21st till Sunday, November 27th  
o    Online orders will be shipped to the school and sent home with your child when they arrive

         In-Person during your parent teacher conference time   

* You are under no obligation to purchase the products listed.*  


Holiday Flower Fundraiser

On behalf of Lake Bonavista School Council and Society, please see the attached fundraising opportunity:


Listen to Reading

The Daily LA Listen to Reading station can be quite distracting for other students if headphones aren't used. If you are able to send headphones for your child to keep in their cubby at school, that would be very helpful.