Lockdown Practice

Hi Everyone,

Today we had our first lockdown practice.  Just like fire drills we practice lockdowns approximately twice in a year.  During the lockdown students move to a place in the room where they are out of view from windows and doors.  In our classroom we are sitting near the computer.  We are quiet and the lights are turned off until we are given the all clear by school administrators.  I could not have been more proud of my class, they were phenomenal!!   We even had the opportunity to meet our SRO (School Support Officer) police officer who commended us on a job well done. 

JK students took their job during a lockdown very seriously without being frightened.  Way to go JKs!

Our Favourite part of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

We also drew pictures of our favourite part of the story.
Here is a sampling of the responses:
-Letters climbing up the tree
-Letters falling out of the tree
-Mom and Dad letters coming to help the letters after they had fallen
-Letters sneaking out of bed to climb the tree again

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Retelling

We used magnetic letters and a party palm tree to retell the story.    Being able to retell a story is an important skill for all good readers. 

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Trees

Last week we engaged in play at various centres all connected to our weekly read-aloud,  Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. 

While at the Art Centre we made torn paper trunks and hand print leaves to make our own Chicka Boom trees.  The letters of our names climbed the tree...some falling out, "Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom!"

Writing centre

The writing centre opened with our name cards (which include pictures of each student along with their name) and a photocopied sheet upon which we can write the names of our friends.  This is one of the activities that will be added to the writing centre over the year.

Halloween Party

Monday October 31, we will be celebrating Halloween.  Students are invited to dress in simple costumes.  Please remember that spills, rips and tears can occur, as well as lost props for costumes!  Please keep this in mind when sending costumes and accesories to school with you child.  No swords, toy guns or masks please. 

Students will parade to the various primary classrooms to display their costumes. 



Class Parties

Our first class party will be Monday October 31, Halloween.  Please select one of the following special occasions (Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day or End of the year) to send in something for the children to snack on at our classroom party.  Please email  sarah.davies@ocdsb.ca or send a note in your child's notetote, indicating the occasion and what item you would like to send.  Thanks.

Party Sign-up

Morning Class

Occasion	Volunteered Item(s)	Volunteers
Halloween	Fruit Tray
	Veggies & Dip
	Cupcakes
	Cookies
	Juice & Cups
Christmas	Fruit Tray
	Veggies & Dip
	Cupcakes
	Cookies
	Juice & Cups
Valentine’s Day	Fruit Tray
	Veggies & Dip
	Cupcakes
	Cookies
	Juice & Cups
End of the Year	Fruit Tray
	Veggies & Dip
	Cupcakes
	Cookies
	Juice & Cups

Catching Up

The next few posts will be catching everyone up on what we have been doing the past two weeks.  Sorry about the delay in getting these entries online. 

For this shared reading poem we read and chanted the poem for several days.

A Turkey is a funny bird.
Watch him wobble, wobble
All he knows is just one word
Gooble, gobble, gobble!


We discussed the difference between letters and words.  One way I help the students to remember the difference, capitalizing on a favourite meal of many kindergarteners....spaghetti and meatballs.  The spaces between letters within a word are "spaghetti" spaces (skinny), a new word starts at a "meatball" space.  We use popsicle sticks with pom poms to help discover which spaces are,in-fact, meatballs. 

During centre time students were invited to use wikki sticks to put circles around letters in the poem. 

When reading with your child at night see if they can locate letters they know and look for "meatball" spaces too!

Happy Birthday, Ella

Thank-you to Ella and her Mom for the  popcorn treat brought in for the class, in celebration of Ella's birthday. 

Picture Day

Just a reminder that picture day is tomorrow, October 12.
 

Scholastic Book Orders

With this blog entry we begin the monthly Scholastics book orders. Each month a Scholastic Book Order will be sent home with your child. Each order helps earn free books and teaching materials for our classroom; however there is never any obligation to order.  If you do decide to place an order, please ensure that your child’s name is placed on the order sheet and the Payment is made by cheque only (cheques are to be made out to Scholastic Canada Inc). 

October 11

Initials

With this activity we learned how to use glue at the art centre and practiced our fine motor skills by gluing glitter and/ or buttons to our initials. 

Sand Trays

Thursday we introduced a new centre.  "Sand trays"  using their fingers or the eraser end of a pencil students could draw pictures or write names (using our name cards) providing a tactile literacy experience for those kinaesthetic learners.