Hello!

Can you believe that it is the end of April already? I cannot believe how fast the past month has flown by. It has been a busy few weeks indeed! 

As we approach May, we are busy preparing for Catholic Education Week. This is a week set aside to celebrate and highlight our Catholic Education. 
A schedule of events has gone home this week! Here is a copy of the schedule. Please let me know if you have any questions at all about any of the events.  I would love to see as many of you as possible at our Open House on Wednesday morning!

There will be many reminders going home about the daily events.  Remember to check this blog and Twitter for frequent reminders! Also, there will be information is going home about purchasing tickets for the basket raffle. It is an amazing fundraiser and there are spectacular baskets to be won!

The month of May also means that EQAO testing will begin for my Grade 3 friends  The tests will be administered at the home schools with their Grade 3 class. Information about which dates your child will write will be sent home through the home school. I have been working with the resource and classroom teachers to ensure that the students are prepared to write these tests.  When I say that the students are prepared, what I mean is that I want to make sure that the students are ready to do their best. No one is expecting them to do more than they are capable of.  I tell them all the time...... "We never ask you to do something that you cannot do. You CAN do this!" There will be accommodations in place to help the students feel more comfortable, and more successful. This test should not be a source of stress or concern for the students.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding the test. I am happy to chat with you about it!!

In other news, we have been working quite hard in our little corner! 

The students have been reviewing vowel sounds, both long and short. We have also spent some time reviewing and practicing the different spelling patterns for the many different sounds. We will continue reviewing this throughout the remainder of the year. 

In our reading, we are still looking at inferring as a comprehension strategy.  The students are doing an excellent job of using their previous knowledge to come to new conclusions while listening to stories. Right now, we practice this skill during shared and guided reading sessions (large and small group instruction).  As reading skills develop, this strategy will help them come to a deeper understanding of what they are reading independently. 

As I mentioned in the last post, we have spent a great deal of time learning about Earth Day. Our discussions have involved why it is important to help our planet, some ways in which we can help our planet, and also why it is important to have a day to recognize and promote this cause. It has made for some excellent class discussions with many practical implications. 

To celebrate what they have learned, the students have completed either a poster promoting Earth Day, or a simple comic depicting ways that we can all help out. The students will be presenting their projects in the next few days.  We will review how to speak clearly in front of an audience and how to present information to others in a clear manner. This project involves many skills we have been working on all year (reading, speaking in whole sentences, making eye contact with others, understanding media etc.) so I cannot wait to see what the students present! 

Thank you for tuning in yet again!  I just want to reiterate again how proud I am of each of my students.  Your children work so hard everyday and are learning new things all the time. They really have come so far since September!! I feel so lucky to be a part of their academic journey and to get to spend my days with them. Thanks for sending them to me everyday!

I hope that you are all enjoying the warm weather! Have a great week!

Welcome to Spring (for REAL this time!!)

Can you believe this weather!? Thee gorgeous days in a row....things are looking up!

Although the afternoons have been warm, the mornings can still be a bit chilly.  Please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for the morning temperatures. Layers are a great idea and allow the children to be comfortable all day long! Also, please consider writing your child's name in his/her clothing.  There have been many misplaced items and articles of clothing sent to the lost and found.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful and blessed Easter weekend.  In our class, we spoke a great deal about Holy Week. We read stories and learned about Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Each of these events play such an important part of of our story as Catholics. What an amazing sacrifice and what a joyful reason we have to celebrate! I hope that the students read you the books that they completed and brought home.

We have been busy learning new skills everyday here in the PLC!

We have been using our inferring skills to understand more about what we read.  Our Inferring Learning Goal reminds us that we use information we already know and add some new information to "read between the lines" and understand the whole idea of the text. This will continue to be a goal!

We have also continued to practice our Procedural Writing.  Just recently we wrote a text about how to sharpen a pencil.  We are definitely getting the hang of it! 

Throughout the year, we have been focusing on developing expressive language skills through nursery rhymes and fairy tales.  Learning nursery rhymes and fairy tales have allowed the students with practise in memory, basic language concepts (opposites, prepositions, etc.), phonemic awareness, rhyming words, and the rhythm of language.  Because nursery rhymes have a natural rhythm, research says that children catch on to the words quickly and begin to recite them freely.  Ask your child about some of the poems and nursery rhymes we have learned! 

Today, we practiced our Word Wall Words in 3 ways!  We used markers and chart paper, we used play dough to spell them out and we practiced writing the words in sentences! Check out our words for the week! 



Next week, we will celebrate Earth Day.  In the days leading up to this, the students will be learning all about our planet and how we can care for it!  Talk to your child about protecting our planet and the little things we can do to help out every day. Watch for more exciting activities!

A few weeks ago, we read a book called Big Deals and Little Deals.  It helps the students learn strategies to problem solve more independently. I mentioned the book in the last post.  We have been using the language and the strategies in the classroom and the students are beginning to use the strategies more independently.  I am very proud of them!
Please let me know if you would like any more information on this book or the strategies it teaches!




We have many exciting things coming up.  Our Easter Mass will be held here at SJA on Wednesday at 1:15pm in the gym.  All are welcome! We can look forward to Education Week, EQAO for the Grade 3 students, many different performances and presentations coming to the school (stay tuned for more information and dates!) AND....the Ottawa Senators playing amazing hockey in the playoffs!!!!  Students (and staff...yeah!) are encouraged to wear jerseys on game days to show our support! GO SENS GO!!!!

Enjoy the week everyone!  As always, please let me  know if you have any questions or concerns. I am happy to chat! 

Happy Spring everyone!

I hope that everyone had a nice and relaxing March Break! I have loved hearing about all of the fun adventures that the students had on their week off!

We are half way through a very busy week!  We have been doing a lot and learning many new things.

Our week started with a little surprise!!

Before the break, we had created and left a trap to try and catch a leprechaun.
Unfortunately, when we returned on Monday, there was no leprechaun in sight, but he did leave us a little note and hid a treat for us! Sneaky leprechaun!!!! Oh well, maybe next year!

We read the book, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick. It follows the same patterns as the other Old Lady books we have read throughout the year, however, its theme is Easter. Throughout the next few weeks, we will complete different activities related to this book. Ask your child about them!!






This week, we have also been discussing a book called, `Big Deals and Little Deals`. In the book, it explains the difference between a big deal (something that hurts your body, something dangerous, scary situations) and a little deal (someone bothering you, someone hurting your feelings). It teaches different strategies to handle the little deals on our own. The strategies that the book uses mimic those we have learned about while using our WITS! (Walk away, Ignore, Talk about it, Seek help) Look for more info as we practice the strategies in the class. Please let me know if you would like more information about the book or the strategies we are using.

In our writing, we have continued with our Procedural Writing Goal. Check out our Learning Goal and Success Criteria. The success criteria helps the students to remember the steps to take to meet the goal. We have practiced writing many procedural texts, including How to Get Ready for Recess, How to Catch a Leprechaun and How to Make a Bowl of Cereal.

A few weeks ago, we made some yummy fruit salad and then we wrote about how to make it!
The different colours on the big text help us see that we have included all of the important parts of a procedural text.







We also have a Learning Goal in our reading practice.  Right now, we are looking at predicting and inferring as strategies to help us understand what we are reading. Through many oral activities, we have noticed that when we use information that we already have in our brains, and add it with new information, we can come up with some pretty cool inferences!

This chart helps us with our inferring skills! 

Homework calendars continue to come home on a monthly basis. Students also have Word Wall Words every week to practice. Please work with your child to complete the activities and return it to school at the end of the month.  With the hectic lives we lead, it is not always possible to complete daily activities. I completely understand that there are times when more time is required! Help your child make a plan to work around outside commitments (for example: sports, clubs, special family events, etc.)  The activities are usually short and require about 5 minutes to complete. In addition to the homework calendar activities, it is very beneficial to read to and with your child every night.  Please remember that a major role in the development of your child’s language is played by you, the parent. Working on language skills at home and in various settings outside of the classroom, helps your child to reinforce and carry over the skills into everyday activities. 

The Easter weekend will soon be upon us. In class we will be looking at the story and the significance of this important weekend. 

I am really looking forward to celebrating the Spring season! Stay tuned for our Spring and Easter vocabulary words, our Spring writing activities and (hopefully) some Spring weather! 

A reminder that Friday is Hat Day here at SJA. We are raising money for our Lenten Project, OK Clean Water. Bring in some change and wear a hat all day!!! 

Also, we are continuing to collect used children`s books for our used book sale here at the school.  Proceeds will also go to OK Clean Water. If you have any books that you no longer read, please send them in to the school.  On the day of the book sale, students will have the opportunity to buy a book from the sale. The date is still to be determined. Stay tuned! 

As always, communication between home and school is very important. Please do not hesitate to write me a note in the agenda or to call. I would be happy to discuss any concerns or questions. 

Hello!

March is here and it looks like the cold, cold weather has stayed in February! I am certainly looking forward to spending more time outdoors in the beautiful March sunshine! It is hard to believe that it is already March.....where has the year gone?!?! 

Please allow me to begin by saying how sorry I am that we have had to postpone skating, TWICE!  This cold has made it difficult to schedule outdoor activities.  I appreciate your patience and understanding! We are looking at possible dates for rescheduling, so please stay tuned! I know how much the students are looking forward to it! 

I hope that everyone has received their Lent Calendar.  Lent is the 40 days and nights leading up to Easter where we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Saviour.  Lent is a time to show that we understand the sacrifices that have been made for us. Using the calendar is a great way to show the children that "giving something up" is the only way to be closer to God.  We can try to do nice and kind things, everyday, to bring us closer! Please let me know if you need another copy. 

v       In our writing, we have been practicing our procedural writing.  We started by looking at the steps necessary to get ready for recess, and we also looked at the steps necessary to make yummy pancakes! You can help your child with this skill by talking about the steps you take to complete tasks at home such as brushing your teeth or making a sandwich.  You can reinforce what we are learning at school by using transitional words such as first, then, next and finally as you describe your procedure! 

    Throughout the year, the students have been learning about different strategies that will assist in their reading comprehension.  Throughout the next few months, we will focus on Inferring.  This strategy is often referred to as "reading between the lines". This strategy involves forming a best guess using evidence such as context clues and picture clues. 

    We continue to look at the elements of narrative stories. Understanding how stories flow will help give the students a more thorough comprehension of the stories that they read. When reading narrative stories with your children, ask questions about the characters and the setting. Also, talk about the sequence of what happens in the story. What happened at the beginning, middle and end of the story? 

   Here are our Word Wall Words for this week. Thank you for helping your children practice these words every week.  

    two, yellow

    from, this, talk, 

    drink, would, into, more, how

    that's, another, buy, by, know

    We have been learning nursery rhymes and poems at school since September.  Nursery rhymes and poems are an excellent pre-reading and developing-reading resource. Their repetitive refrains, beats, patterns of repetition, rhymes, and predictable language is exactly what young readers need.  Here is one we learned just last week!
 

If you have not already received them, Term 2 IPE's will be going home shortly. I am happy to meet with you to discuss the Term 1 report card, next term’s IEP goals as well as any plans for next year.  Please do not hesitate to contact me and we can set up a meeting or a phone call.  

The students have been working really hard and I am really proud of each of them.  I continuously see progress in each child and it is a great feeling!

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to the Spring season and all of the learning that we will do in the next few months!!

Hello everyone!
I hope a good week was had by all.  We are having a nice Spirit Week here at SJA.  Remember that tomorrow is Hawaiian Day...wear something tropical!!

I am very sorry to report that we are going to have to cancel skating for tomorrow again, both the morning and afternoon. We have a scheduling conflict in the afternoon and the weather looks like it will be just too cold in the morning.  We are going to try for next Friday, March 6th.  I will send home the permission forms (again!!) early next week!  I know that the students are looking forward to it!

Also, look for information about our OK Clean Water Project!

Students will be receiving their Term 2 IEPs within a few weeks. Here you will see the new expectations that your child will be working toward for this coming term. If you have any questions or if you would like to chat about it, please feel free to give me a call.  I am happy to go over the IEP with you!!

Stay warm and stay tuned for more information about our class happenings next week! 

Due to the weather forecast for the morning, we will be cancelling our MORNING skating trip tomorrow.  Watch for more information about rescheduling the activity!

Please stay tuned for information about our afternoon trip!! 

Happy Thursday everyone!  One day closer to the long weekend!  Hopefully the weather will warm up and you can get outside to enjoy the time with family!

This week, your child's report card and IEP will be coming home.  I am so proud of their hard work and successes!! While there is no official interview day here at St. John the Apostle, I am more than happy to meet with you if you would like to discuss your child's progress and/or next steps.  Please write a note or call the school and we can find a time to chat.

This week we focused on friendship, love and kindness to lead us up to Valentines Day. There were no word wall words, only Valentines words!  The students have been reading, writing and talking about Valentines all week! They are pretty excited! So.....we are going to have a Pyjama and Pancake Party tomorrow!  Students can wear their jammies, or they can wear red and white.....or BOTH! The students are also welcome to bring in cards for their classmates tomorrow. There are 10 students in each group. I am sure it will be a wonderful and lovely day!

Stay warm tomorrow!  Enjoy the long weekend.  Looking forward to hearing about all of the adventures had!