Hi parents,
A big wet good morning to everyone! It seems like a very long time since I have seen everyone, and am looking forward to Wednesday when I get to see all my kids again! Friday and Monday were professional days. On Friday I went to an art workshop down at Art starts on the corner of Robson and Richards. This is a new art gallery made by children, for the children. I talked to the curator there and I am in the works for setting up a workshop for our children to go there. I think they would enjoy the intimate little gallery and the activities that would be done there. So stay tuned for information on this. On Monday I worked on learning about our new school Ipad cart and how to operate the little tablets. I am excited about implementing this technology within our own class as well as being able to use the projector and laptop to further extend my lessons. Two valuable learning days!!

What have we been up to?
We are continuing, slowly but surely through our spider unit. This last week we looked at the Spiders Anatomy and learned some dinosaur words like "cephalothorax"! The children learned a very important scientific skill of "labelling".This week we will look at the life cycle of spiders. Every time we do a science project it is often linked to an art project as well. So if you come in, you will get to see both the science that we did as well as the beautiful pastel and watercolour art projects.

Every day we do math, either with Ms. Taylor, Ms. Jung or Mrs. Applebee. The children work in age appropriate groups to learn different numeration skills. The grade ones are working on teenage numbers...ie. 17 is ten and 7 more. If your child is unfamiliar with the teenage numbers, then this is a really great time to review this concept with them.

Due to our professional day cooking was cancelled. This week it will be the grade two's turn and they will make a yummy treat for the children to eat for the Halloween Festivities. If you still have not sent the $10 for cooking, I would really appreciate it. I think at this time, I only have half of the cooking fees in.

What's coming up?
Well, it's Halloween of course! The first fun filled event is the Halloween Howl which is sponsored by the PAC and JKC. The children are not to wear their costumes to school for this (which I understand is tomorrow). If they go to JKC, they can take their costumes with them. Do not send them in their costumes.

On Friday, the children will have the opportunity to wear their costumes to school. We will have our annual school parade ( I think during our assembly, in the gym), so the children will love to wear their costumes then. Please make sure that if they have big, rough, itchy, uncomfortable costumes that they can change out of it, if they want to. Also, often the children choose not to put on the face paint as it can become very uncomfortable and itchy as well if left on too long. So feel free not to put the make up on until it is time for them to go out trick or treating. 

For this Friday, our Halloween day at school, we will have a tiny, low excitement celebration together. We will snack on the cookies that the Grade 2's will make, we will have some popcorn, that i will make and we will watch a few videos about Halloween safety and maybe a Rugrat episode. Something low key as they will be excited enough as it is. It is not necessary to send any snacks or treats for this event.

Regarding "treats". I tell the children that they are not to bring their treats to school as we do talk about having healthy lunches, no junk food as it does not help them maintain a healthy energy level for the afternoon. Often after eating their candy/chocolate treats they crash and their behaviours tend to become a little irratic. So, I would appreciate your support in keeping their treats at home and enjoying them with their family. Thank you.

Enjoy your week with the children. Keep reading daily and returning the Home Reading every day. Especially, have a great Halloween!!
teri

My daughter (Abby) and I carved pumpkins last night. Guess which ones I did? Guess which ONE my artistic daughter did?

Good Morning Everyone,
It is early Tuesday morning and this is the best time for me to do my blog. Any morning people out there?
First off Thank you to everyone from myself and Ms. Craig for coming out the Intake Conferences. For me it was wonderful meeting all the new parents of our wonderful children and to have an uninterrupted opportunity to have a quick chat about expectations, concerns and philosophies. I loved it. It was also great for me to have some opportunities to talk to my former parents. Communication is a big key to my teaching. I like to communicate my expectations to the children and I like to communicate to all the parents. That shows that we are all on the same page of what is going on. So, always feel free to come in and talk to me. I have a very open door policy! With that again, thank you, and below some information!

1. We are still looking for a Monday lunch person. Thank you to Beverly's mom who has been dropping by to see if we need help....we always do. 

2. Cooking fees are still needed for our cooking program. Thank you to those who have already paid. We have had one opportunity so far for each group to cook but with all the Fridays off that has been it. We are excited to make more yummy stuff next Friday.

3.There are hot lunches being offered on Mondays and Tuesdays. Often your child does not remember that they have a hot lunch. Will you either let me know or remind your child. They must eat their hot lunch down in the lunch room as the trays are too cumbersome for little people to bring up and down.

4. Did you know that this Friday and next Monday are Professional Development Days? For my first one I plan to go to an all day Art Workshop. I am soooo excited!

5.We continue to explore Spiders. Due to our short weeks it is going slower than my usual themes, but we are still enjoying them. We wrote some simple poetry and combined it with som bright line art on "I like Spiders". This week we will be talking about the Spiders Anatomy. So get ready for some big words coming out of their mouths.

6. If you are a grade two parent you should have received a math news email forwarded to you from me from Ms. Jung. If you did not get it , let me know. In grade one the children are covering numbers to 30, recognizing more, less and the same...and working hard on correct number formation. Please help reinforce the numbers to 30 at home. Working on the teenager numbers is critical right now, helping them remember that it is 12 (for twelve) not 21.
Counting forwards and backwards from 30 and for some from 100. The beginning of grade one math is numeration and solidification of the numbers. Some may think it goes slowly for their child, but you will feel confident when they begin their grade two math, how confident and prepared they are for the challenges that Ms. Jung throws at them.

Lastly, I would like to do some clay work on Thursday afternoon from about 100 till 300. If I could have a parent helper, that would be great. It does not take any skill to do this project. It might take a little muscle power in rolling out clay slabs...but that's it. This parent will be calling children one at a time to do a simple clay leaf. If you can help....I would sure appreciate it. Just remember it's first come first serve!! Ha ha.

With that have a great week.  
Teri

Happy Tuesday morning to everyone and a happy belated Thanksgiving to all as well.

I hope everyone had a fantastic long weekend with their friends and family and that all the bellies are full with the feasts that they enjoyed! We talked with the children about sharing food together with friends and families and how it is such a special opportunity to have conversations and talk about their day, not just on Thanksgiving but everyday. We had the opportunity to share some food on Friday as the Grade ones made some very delicious Applesauce muffins with the cooking mom and grandma team. They turned out to be very yummy and the smells of the muffins were so tantalizing and eagerly awaited to be munched on at the end of the day. Thank you grade ones and thank you cooking supporters. It was a busy day on Friday what with assembly, gym, buddies (we made a beautiful thankful turkey with our buddy class which is displayed right outside Mr.A's door), then we had cooking, grade two guided reading (thank you to Samara's mom ...michelle for supporting us in this), then art and writing about Thanksgiving. That was our fulllll on day for Friday. You will have the opportunity to see our writing/art on Thanksgiving when you come to the parent teacher conferences today and Wednesday. Both Ms. Craig and I look forward to meeting up with everyone. Thank you again for all your support.

Important Information:
1) We have started our cooking program this year which is a very valuable part of my curriculum. The children have the opportunity to learn about cooking, how to stir, about ingredients, about measuring, taking turns, writing up a recipe and other important scientific things that go along with cooking. To make this possible, we are asking for $10.00 from every child for the purchase of ingredients. At this time I think that will be all that we need for the entire year. I will let you know later in the year if money runs out, but usually costco purchases keep us going all year long. Send your money in cash, as that is easier for me to pay off the parents who are purchasing the supplies. Thank you.

2) Please send your child with indoor shoes to change into especially as the weather is becoming very rainy and when they come in boots they are often tracking muddy stuff into the classroom and onto the carpet where they sit. Thank you.

3) Continue to read every day and return the home reading bags every day as well. Even if the child cannot read their home reading book that day, it is still important to send it back as in the afternoon during Drop Everything And Read, they read to a partner. The grade ones are typically partnered up with a grade two and then are reading their books once again out loud to them, then the grade twos read four pages of their chapter books out loud to their grade one partner. So as you can see it is important to remind your child to get into a habit of reading their book at home and then putting it immediately into their back packs. Thank you.

Finally big thank yous to:
1) All the families who sent in kleenex, handy wipes, soap, plastic bags and an electric sharpener and so many other wonderful things for our classroom...thank you thank you...it is soo appreciated.
2) All the parents who are helping with the lunch program...coming in and looking after the children....you will see a much happier child with a full belly, ready to learn. The only day still not covered right now is Monday. So if you think you have some Monday time to hang out...it is usually from 1200 till 1230, we would appreciate the help.
3) To the moms who are doing the cooking (and a grandma)...the children love it and I appreciate it.

If there are any of you who still want to volunteer, please let me know. You are always welcome.
With that, have a great week and I will see many of you tomorrow at our Intake conferences.

We are learning about spiders. This shows what we already know!

Cheers,

Our smiling portraits, in the style of Todd Parr

Teri

Hello to everyone,
I am soo excited to be starting my blog...i even took a couple of pictures to add to the excitement of them.
Thank you for getting back the paper work to me...some are still coming, so don't think I don't want them I do.
As I said earlier today, I am soo excited to be back in the saddle again and am falling in love with the class. They are a wonderful group. I am especially proud of the grade 2's for being such amazing role models and for taking on such leadership roles. They have been waiting since last year for their turn at "putting up chairs, taking down the attendance, doing the calenders etc." Just you wait grade ones, it will be your turn next year.

During our first week back we were busy learning rules of the classroom (give me five on the carpet), how to be safe, fair and kind and just participating in activities where they had to listen to multiple directions and do what I asked them to do for an entire day. That is exhausting. But if you have been into the classroom you can look around and see all their amazing work already.
We have artwork and writing about themselves in the hallway, and writing and artwork in the classroom. If you haven't discovered already, we love to do art and are constantly decorating our class.

This year there will be a lot of teacher's involved in the education of your child.
Mainly it will be me...yayayayy
On Tuesdays you will have Ms.Craig (another big yay)
Now...onWednesdays you will have Ms. Montagano...she will teach the children social responsibility and eventually they will do the care kit. Mrs. Montagano is a teacher of the grade 4/5's and while she is teaching your child I will be teaching the art to her kids.

On Thursdays, Mr. Asmoucha (Mr. A) will do social studies and music. He is sooo funny and kind and an amazing guitar player. The children are always very excited when they know he is coming!!

On Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, your child will work with Mrs. Hinds...the PE teacher...please come properly fitted, equipped (running shoes etc) for her highly energetic days.

And finally the grade 2's will be receiving Math instruction from Ms. Jung. (I will be teaching hers and my grade one math)

AS you can see it's kind of like being in high school!! If you have any questions for any one of the teachers or myself...always feel free to drop in for a chat!!

Just a little more reading and I will sign off:
1)We are in dire (yep dire) need of two more lunch parents...one for mondays and one for Tuesdays. If you can do it on a daily, we would love for you to volunteer!!

2) Also...on alternating Fridays we will be cooking first the grade 2's then the grade ones's so I need some cooking parents...especially for the grade one class...at this point i only have one parent(grandparent) being able to do this job. If we do not get enough parents, I would have to divide that group in half and then they would only be cooking once every three weeks. So hopefully someone can help!!

3) Home reading is very important. Please help your child remember to read and then put their homereading in their back packs!!

FINALLY:
If you have not sent back the two forms...one information on your child, or the sign up for parent teacher interviews, please do so asap.

And with that, 
feel free to email me anytime you want...i will try respond in a timely fashion!!

TAke care and enjoy the sunshine!!

that's the jam we made and tried...so delish

teri