Division 10's News of the Week

Happy Family Day to everyone!
The sun is shining and the sky is blue!!
I hope everyone will be out and enjoying each others company.
We are so lucky to have been given an extra day to revel in the outdoors and in our families. Also remember that tomorrow Tuesday is a Professional Day for Bayview, so this will make your weekend and exceptionally long weekend. I hope to hear some wonderful stories.

We have had a busy and productive week last week. WE continued learning about Penguins. We talked about the parts of a penguin and why the penguin was designed and built like he was. Because their bones are not hollow, like most birds bones are, allows them to be able to swim underwater for a very long time. But it is a bird and not a fish...as the penguin has feathers! We also learned about the life cycle of a penguin and have been doing lots of work to show that we understand the concepts being taught. The children have really been enjoying all the penguin stories that have been read in class, both the fiction as well as the non-fiction.Penguins are definitely very cute little birds!!
If anyone has any little jars (baby food works the best), I would love them for a penguin art project that I would like to do.

When I teach a unit be it about Penguins or winter or anything, I completely immerse the children in the subject. We do all of our reading, writing, science, poetry, art etc. all about that subject. That is why your children become experts by the end. Know that even though we are focusing on Penguins, we are doing everything else too! Just in case you wondered.

This last week, we also talked about the Groundhog and whether the cute little critter would see his shadow or would not. Well none of them did. I listened to the news and none of the critters from around North America saw their shadows, so spring will be here soon. I have certainly been seeing signs of it everywhere!!

This week we will be continuing our talk about Penguins but will also take a look at the Chinese New Year celebrated this week. It is the Year of the Monkey!! We will be doing some talking and reading and some art that will involve this subject.

In math the grade twos have just started exploring the concept of double digit adding (without regrouping) and will be starting double digit subtracting (without regrouping). It is important to continue practicing their basic addition and subtraction facts at home so that they will find the next concepts not seem so complicated.

The grade ones continue looking at number families and how multiple combinations of facts can add up to the same number...4 plus 3 equals seven but so does 5 plus two....Everyone is working very hard at becoming mathematicians!

On Thursday we had a visit from Sarah. Sarah volunteered last term for us and did an extensive unit on Drama and movement, all around the subject of Bats. Sarah has returned from a one month extensive Yoga course. So on Thursday we were lucky enough to have Sarah do some Yoga with the kids in the afternoon. She will be alternating her activities as she is so talented. One week we will receive some drama from Sarah and one week we will do yoga. We are very lucky to have such a talented volunteer!!

On Friday we went and had our second skating session.Thank you to all the parents who drove. A big get well to Brody who had a fall and cut his chin on the ice. Hope you are feeling better Brody. The rest of the children did so well. I have been proud of how they perservere.

Reminders:
1) Gala is February 19th. Buy your tickets online or from the office. It is an amazing event.
2) Our basket is the Gourmet Basket. If you would like to send in any gourmet items you still have time.
3) On Wednesday, I will be sending home a class list so that if you are planning to do Valentines Day cards you will have the list of ALL the children. We will be postponing our Valentines Day party till the 15th of February as we have skating on the 12th.

With that,
enjoy the pictures!
t