The students continue to work on procedural writing. Not only are they learning to use transition words, but also ensure the procedure can be carried out by another. We dicuss the importance in choosing a topic that they are an "expert" in. Ask your child what it means to be an expert (know the topic, good at it, and can teach someone else). 

The students have been practicing their counting on and doubles strategy for addition. You can help your child by practicing their doubles or to give them a number and they have to count 5 more from that number. We will continue to do addition and subtraction in the new year. 

Our science unit on energy is coming to an end. We have been learning how to concerve energy and the difference between renewable and non renewable resources. Ask your child for some examples on renewable and non renewable resources. You can also ask them for tips to conserve energy at home. 

Hello everyone,

The students have been writing procedures and practicing using transition words.  They have started to make their own procedures.  Ask your child what procedure they wrote about.  This week in reading, the students have create story cubes.  They toss the cube and answer different story elements.  The six sides are: characters, setting, events, problem, solution, and connection.  You can ask your child to identify these story elements when reading at home.

In math, we have started our new unit on addition.  We are learning two different strategies for addition: counting on and doubles.  We will continue to look at these two strategies next week.  We have also discussed what a number sentence.  Ask your child what a number sentence is. 

The students also did their first presentation on their energy chains.  We discussed the importance in using a loud and clear voice, as well as, giving eye contact to the audience.  In art, we learned different lines.  Ask your child what their favourite type of line. 

Things that the students should have brought home:
class picture
data management unit
patterning unit
energy chains
Piet Mondrian paintings
daily and seasonal changes unit
doubles book

Last week, the students continue with their Language Program routine with spelling, poetry. letter to the star of the week and  our morning message, which the students learn about letter blends, vowel pairs and proof reading strategies.  The students have also been working on identifying key events in stories.

The students have completed their patterning unit, which should have went home with your child.  Their mark is on the title page.  They should have also brought home their Daily and Seasonal Cycles unit.  In Science, the students are working on different energy sources, such as electricity, us, wind, gasoline, etc.

Hello everyone,

Last week, the students continued to learn about procedural writing.  We discussed how each procedure should include transitional words.  Ask your child what transitional words are (First, next, then, after that, and finally).  We have made procedures on how to wash our hands and how to line up for a fire drill.  We will do a few more as a class and then they will try a few on their own before their "Expert " assignment. 

In reading, we have been looking at what to look for in a retell.  We started with the 5Ws.  Who was in the story? Where does the story take place? When does the story take place? What did the characters do? and Why did the characters do that? This will help students create a full retell with characters, setting, problem, and solution as the year goes on. 

In math, the students continue to practice patterning.  The students have learned about a pattern repeating three times, what a core is?, what a rule is? and what an attribute is?  The students will have a test on Thursday.  Ask your child if he/she can explain these terms to you.

In science, we have discussed the importance of the sun and how the sun is our primary source of energy.  We made energy chains to show how important the sun is.  Ask your child why the sun is so important.

Even with the short week this week, the students were working deligently on new concepts.  The students started their new math unit: Patterning.  We have discussed the core of a pattern and how many times a pattern has to repeat for it to be a pattern.  Ask your child what the core of a pattern is and how many a pattern has to repeat to be a pattern.  They have also been practicing labelling their patterns. Your child should have brought home their Data Management unit home with them on Thursday with their overall mark on the title page. Please review their daily work along with their final evaluation.  

We have also started a new writing unit: Procedural writing.  Procedural writing is also called "How To" writing.  It is teaching someone how to do something.  We introduced the topic by reading a few read alouds that demonstrated what procedural writing looks like and sounds like.  We read How to Babysit Grandpa and How to Sneak a Monster into School. 

The students also learned a new science unit on energy.  We discussed what energy is and different types of energy.  Ask your child what energy is and what types they remember.  We watched a video and had a smart board lesson on the different types of energy.  The scientist in school on Tuesday will discuss energy in more detail.  It will be a great kick off to the unit.  

Hello everyone,

I guess another welcome is in order!  Thank you for your patience and understanding with the work to rule action.  Please visit the blog frequently, as I will be updating it on a weekly basis to keep you informed on what is happening in the classroom.

The students have been diligently working on Data Management in math.  It is a fancy way in saying that they have been describing graphs.  They have been learning to read bar graphs and pictographs and describing the data.  They have also been collecting and organizing the data into charts and tally marks. At home, you can create survey questions and write the data into tables/charts using tally marks.

In language, the students just recently finished learning all of their letters and sounds.  We are now creating sentences.  Ask your child how to make a complete sentence.  Hint: There are five things to look for.  Along with making sentences, we have also started our spelling program.  Check your child's agenda for their words for the week.  Their first spelling test will be on Friday.

We are currently wrapping up our units in science and social studies.  The students were learning about daily and seasonal cycles and different rules, relationships, and responsibilities in their lives.  We will be starting our unit on energy next week.

In art, the students created artwork inspired by Piet Mondrian to reinforce the concept of primary colours.  Ask your child to tell you a few things they learned about the artist and what the primary colours are. We have also been playing a few getting to know you activities in drama to create a classroom community.

WELCOME TO 1A!

Welcome back to a new school year.  I'm excited to be working with you and your child.  A brief information package was sent home in your child's agenda in the front pocket.  Please take some time to review it as there is important information about some of the rules and procedures for the classroom.  If you could also ensure all forms are returned to school at your earliest convenience, it would be much appreciated.

I look forward to a great year!

Until next post,

Ms. Kim

Welcome back everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your March break. As you probably know, the students have finished letter writing in our Language Program as they completed their culminating task of writing a letter and sending off Flat Stanley.  Please note that the letters have been sent, so check with the recipient to see if they have received it. The students have also finished their brief unit on Symmetry.  We will review once more sometime this week.  However, we will begin our new unit: Time.  The students are expected to know to the hour and half our.  As for Science and Social Studies, the students continue to work on the project.  This project is based on the teaching methods I have learned from the numerous workshops I have taken this year.  It is an initiative that TDSB is implementing which is based on more of an inquiry based approach to learning.  It helps students to have a deeper understanding of the topic and begin to solve problems using different perspectives. Already, they have learned the strategy "Pro-Pro", which is looking at opposing views by only analyze the positives of both and creating a third model based on the positives of both.

The students continue to work on letter writing during their writing block.  They are quite familiar with the different parts of a letter and are now beginning to add detail to the body of their letters.  We will soon start the Flat Stanley Project to finish the unit.  All of the information about Flat Stanley will be sent at the end of the week.  In math, the students have been learning different addition strategies such as doubles and counting on.  Ask your child to explain both these strategies to you.  The students should have been reviewing these at home on IXL.  In Social Studies and Science, we have been working on structures and the local community.  The students will be conducting an inquiry "project" to help improve the school's garbage and recycling needs as the culminating task for both structures and the local community.

Happy Snowy Monday!

The students have started their new writing unit: Letter Writing.  They have been learning that there are 5 parts to a letter.  Ask your child if she/he can label the parts: Heading, Salutation, Body, Closure and Signature.  We have been busy writing to teachers and we will be writing letters to different people, such as our learning buddies.  In Math, the students have been making number books.  The books compose and decompose numbers to 20.  That is, the book shows how numbers can be shown in different ways.  We will be working on number sentences (addition) this week.  We have also started our Science unit on Structures.  See if your child can identify a few structures at home.

Hello everyone,

I apologize for the late update!

Most students have finished their presentations on their procedures.  The procedure with the rubric will be coming home at the end of this week.  You should have also seen your child bring home their math unit on measurement with their evaluation mark. This week, we will begin our new writing unit on letter writing and continue to retell stories and make connections during our reading block.  In math, the students have been working on two and three dimensional shapes and figures.  Your child should have brought home a cube and square-based pyramid made our of toothpicks and marshmallows along with a paper cube.  We have introduced the different shapes and figures as there are many to learn.  We will however, be looking at the different edges, vertices, and faces as we progress in the unit.  This week, the students should complete IXL I.1 and I.2.  These two strands will help identify the 2D and 3D shapes/figures.  We have also started addition in math by looking at all the different ways to add to a particular number.  Ask your child all the ways to add to the number 4 (0+4, 1+3, 2+2, 3+1, and 4+0). In our Local Community unit, the students have been identifying significant community helpers and how they satisfy our needs and wants.  They made riddles to guess particular community helpers.  The riddles will go home at the end of the week.

Happy New Year everyone! The first week back is always a bit slow as we are all trying to get back into the routine.  We have been wrapping up three units: Measurement, Procedural Writing, and Energy.  We will be starting new units next week.  In math, we will be working on 2 and 3 dimensional shapes and figures, letter writing in our Language Program, and The Local Community for Social Studies.  As a wrap up to Measurement, the students and I had individual conferences as their assessment piece.  The students are currently making their final copies for their procedures and will have the opportunity to take them home next week.  We ended our Energy unit with electricity and power failures.  As a kick off to our new math unit, the students used geoboards to identity different 2D shapes.  Please continue to read and retell books with your child.  Ask them what happened in the beginning, middle, and end.