This Week in Room 108

Hello,

First off, please join me in wishing Safwan a very happy belated birthday. This big guy on campus celebrated his seventh birthday last Friday with cupcakes for everyone. Rock on, Safwan! Enjoy your youth while it lasts. Secondly, congratulations to Aadil and Shawna who received certificates to recognize their demonstration of Empathy. They are both very deserving students and a constant reminder to the class about thinking about how other people feel. Way to go!

Now here's what's going on in our little space lab this week...

Language:

Writing: We're off to a rip-roaring start with Procedure Writing. Students composed a piece of Procedural Writing last week as my diagnostic to see what they could do so I would have an understanding of what we need to focus on. Students were given the rather dry suggestion to "explain the steps involved when you brush your teeth." Pretty much the whole class decided to come up with their own ideas and they were fantastic: everything from "How to go rock climbing," to Shawna's world famous Cesar Salad recipe. There were numerous shared writing activities and students sequenced the steps involved in carving a pumpkin. This week, we will take a close look at transition words and how to take a drab set of instructions and juice it up with descriptive writing. Students will learn how to write an inviting lead paragraph that makes the reader want to read on. That's the goal.

Word Study: We will continue our investigation of compound words.

Reading: We will be focussing on two areas in Reading this week: Firstly, we'll be wrapping up Visualizing. Students will use words and drawings to express the pictures that come to mind when they reflect on poetry and stories. They will create booklets to hold their completed work.

Secondly, we'll be looking at the different ways that we find information in books. This is called Question and Answer relationships. Sometimes the answer is "right there in the text." Other times, some of the information is presented in the book, but we have to do some of our own thinking. This is called "author and me." Sometimes we have to think and search for information throughout different parts of the text and put it all together. Finally, sometimes we have to find the answer "on my own." We'll start this week by looking at information that's "right there in the text," before moving on to more complex comprehension strategies.

Math: Transformations in Geometry. We will wrap up this unit this week. Students will be given a diverse range of tasks to demonstrate their understanding of reflections (flips), rotations (turns), and translations (slides). I am strongly motivating the class to use the proper mathematical vocabulary.

Social Studies: I am combining Grade 2 and 3 Social Studies this week by looking at Jewish holidays and urban and rural life in Israel. I hope to bring in a couple of special guests to talk about Hanukkah traditions. We will also be comparing Stone Soup (the version set in ancient China) with Bone Button Borscht which is set in a Russian Jewish community.

Science: This may be our last official week of Science until the new year. Grade 2s will be completing their model of a polluted community. Grade 3s will be observing plant life with Miss Lowen.

Homework:

1. Reading reflection questions in Reading Response Journal - this will be an extension of the visualizing we've been working on in class. * Please note that the activity is always either pasted into the notebook or written down by your child. This is why it's imperative for all students to bring in their homework on Friday - Monday at the latest.

2. Cursive practice sheet. I've decided to begin Grade 2s on cursive, due the fact that several 2s are already using cursive and the remaining students are expressing a desire to learn it now. It is not part of the Grade 2 Writing curriculum, just to let you know. I won't be drilling students on cursive, but rather would like it to be a fun and pleasurable experience that will hopefully make writing more comfortable in the long run.

3. Mapping sheet. We've been working on coordinates on a grid. Students really enjoyed this Geometry/Social Studies lesson last week. "Can we do some for homework?" Alright. You asked for it - you've got it. Grade 3s will be challenged to create their own grid. Explanations will be attached.

* There is a small, but very vocal minority in the class that are disrupting instruction and work periods. For this reason, I'm starting a "Three strikes and you're out" policy this week. Students who are talkative during these times (as well as walking through the hallway), will get a strike. If they get three strikes during the day, they do not get a stamp on their passport at the end of the day. Those students who have five stamps in their passport by the end of the week will be involved in "Freaky Friday." There will be a time set aside at the end of the week when these students who have worked hard to control their social talking, will get to do a bonus arts and crafts activity that connects to our learning. Students who do not have five stickers will be given grammar or math to work on quietly. I don't believe in punishing the whole class because of a few students. I hope that the whole class will be getting freaky on Friday. Please help me by reminding your child about the importance of refraining from social talking when it is time to learn.

Thanks so much.

Have a great week!

E. Hawkins

Homework/Friday Folders

Hello,

Please ensure your child brings in their Friday Folder on Friday with his or her Book in a Bag. The bag for the Book in a Bag, should be inside the Friday Folder. Whether they need their book for another week, their Reading Response Notebook should come in at the end of each week.

A few students didn't return their homework last Thursday and today they didn't have their Friday Folders with them. This is an organizational piece that seems to help students and some students were wondering where they should put this week's homework. Please remind your child on Friday morning to pack their Friday Folder.

Students know that they are to fill out one side of their Grocery Shopping List without any assistance. They should try to find the correct spellings on their own e.g. copy the name of a cereal down from the box. They do not need to fill out every section - especially if you don't have pets or babies around the house. I'm strongly encouraging students to make the list as authentic as possible so that the list can be used while grocery shopping. Take your children to the supermarket and have them read signs and use their shopping list.

Thanks. The week at a glance is below, including this week's homework.

Erin Hawkins

This Week in Room 108

One panel from Ellie's triptych of the class. Bravo!!!

Hello again,

Here's what we're working on this week:

Language: Remaining retellings of Miss Rumphius will be completed and we will be moving on to a short and sweet look at Procedure Writing. This is one of the dryer forms of writing, so I am looking for ways to make it fun and relevant for the class. I've told Shawna that she might be helping lead a Kootie Catcher tutorial for the class which will be turned into a piece of Procedure Writing. Thanks to Shawna for making Kootie Catchers for everyone in our class. Both Shawna and her dad looked extra tired on Parent Interview night. Now I know why...

In Word Study, we will be looking at letter blends and compound words. There will be action-packed activities to take the drudgery out of spelling. Speaking of spelling, students were quizzed on homonyms last week. Those words that they spelled out of context will be on their Words to Know list for this week. If students aced the quiz, they will be tested on compound words. Those who did so-so on the homonyms will have their Words to Know list topped up with compound words. Students shouldn't have more than 10 words on their spelling list.

In Math, we will be moving into Transformations (flips/slides/turns or as we like to say using Math language: reflections, translations, and rotations). I'm pushing our class to use proper math terminology, rather than watering down the program. This will serve them well immediately and in the future. We'll also continue working on double digit (Gr. 2) and triple digit (Gr. 3) addition and subtraction and problem solving.

Science: We are winding down science this week. The Grade 3s have been joining the 2s as they construct a local community with boxes to show how the Don River and Lake Ontario become polluted.

Social Studies: As Science peters out for the next few weeks, we'll have time to go deeper into cultural studies (Gr. 2s) and Urban and Rural (Gr. 3s). The big question that we'll be investigating this week is: What makes is a community?

Homework:

1. Reading Response Journal reflection questions from Book in a Bag reading. This sheet will be short and it will be pasted into your child's Reading Journal. Those who did not return their journal must bring the sheet home and paste it in later. If you do not have glue at home, please make sure the sheet is tucked into the journal so that I can find it.

2. Create a shopping list. I'll be sending home a double-sided shopping list. The first side should be completed by your child. Have him or her look for food items you are running low on or out of. Let them do it by themselves and have fun. On the back, students can write a good copy of the list with spelling mistakes corrected. They are encouraged to find the correct spelling words on their own. Parents can offer hints if needed. Try to make this an authentic list that actually makes it to the grocery store. It would be even better if your child can go grocery shopping with you and read off from the list. I'll make a copy on Friday and send it home so it can be used. This is an authentic learning experience.

3. There will be a single-sided math sheet for each grade to practice addition.

That's all. Have a great week!

Erin Hawkins

* P.S. Check out the link on the previous post for free online talking books from Scholastic. My son read some books for kindergarten and really enjoyed them. There are books of different levels as well as word games, author biographies and more. This is a great way to keep reading going at your home. The words are highlighted as the story moves along, so it's something your child can do independently. The password is included in the last post as well.

Book Flix Reading Resource - Check it Out

My sister passed along this resource from Scholastic. If you follow the link, you'll be able to access a selection of grade appropriate stories that your child can read along with at home. This is another way to foster reading at home. Now if you're busy cooking dinner, your child can read a book with support.

Check it out. http://auth.grolier.com/login/bookflix/login.php?bffs=N

Your login is: tdsb

Psdw: trillium

Erin Hawkins

Hello Hello

Mapping with Google Maps earlier in the fall.

I just wanted to say thank you to all the parents whom I've been able to sit down with so far. The students of Room 108 really are great and I'm proud to be teaching all the boys and girls in our class. We have a lot of fun learning and I know that this will be a year of huge leaps and bounds in all subject areas. We get our hands really dirty in our class, which may explain why the room looks so lived it. I feel like if the room is hospital clean at the end of the day, something was not quite right with the day. I'm happy to hear you tell me that hands-on learning helps your children understand concepts and that they are retaining and applying information in different areas. It really is worth the extra effort.

Thanks for you warm support. I look forward to the few remaining interviews next week.

Have a terrific weekend.

Erin Hawkins

This Week in Room 108

Was it really just a month ago that we were sitting outside in the sun, sketching the tree in front of our classroom?

Hello,

Due to our involvement in last week's Remembrance Day assembly, many of my plans from last week had to be carried over to this week in Language especially. Please refer back to last week's plans to see what we'll be continuing with this week. Don't forget that there is no school this Friday due to parent/teacher interviews. I'll be sending home interview times tomorrow for those who have returned the interview request slip. If you haven't sent the slip in, please do so ASAP.

Thanks so much.

Homework for this week is due Thursday and it will only consist of reading. Your child should have a new book in a bag along with questions in their Reading Response Journal.

That's all for now. Next week should be a more normal week.

SmartBoard = Smart & Not Bored

Today Room 108 was a Demonstration Math Lab. Mr. Steers and I co-taught a lesson on symmetry for guest teachers. We were also joined by our Math instructional leader and former Clairlea teacher/librarian Susan Pitre. We packed in a lot of learning and the boys and girls were SUPER engaged. Awesome!

We got the party on the go with a symmetry game on the SmartBoard. Students categorized shapes as symmetrical or non-symmetrical by dragging the shapes into their chosen vortex.
Circle of infinite symmetrical lines about to be swallowed into the "Symmetrical" vortex. I've had nightmares where this has happened to me.

Students were presented with a problem to solve. They were asked to design a book cover using pattern blocks. The design had to have at least one line of symmetry. Three pairs of students had their designs brought to the high tech projection tool called Elmo (I'm not making up the name). Using Elmo, their designs were captured on the SmartBoard. Students then had to draw lines of symmetry on their designs using a line tool with their fingers. What learning. What fun!

This group came up with a minimalist design, but the class discovered that it had four lines of symmetry. Vocabulary that came out of today's math class included: congruent, horizontal, vertical, and diagonal.

Symmetry is #1!

Remembrance Day Service

Hello,

Please join us at 10:30 in the gym tomorrow for Clairlea's Remembrance Day service. Our class will be performing a drama movement piece to Robbie Robertson's "Fallen Angel" as our way of paying tribute to Aboriginal Canadians who fought in WWI and WWII and those who are serving in Afghanistan.

First Nations Soldiers

Close to 4,000 members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force were of aboriginal descent, an astonishing number given the limited civil rights accorded Canada's First Peoples in the early twentieth century.

Overcoming Cultural Barriers

First Peoples troops encountered a double cultural barrier in the military: the racial prejudice that marked the contemporary non-aboriginal world, and a military hierarchy that worked almost exclusively in English, a language many aboriginal recruits did not speak. Records and memoirs suggest that most units eventually embraced First Peoples soldiers, even providing a more welcoming or progressive environment than other areas of contemporary society.

A Record of Accomplishment

First Peoples troops left a remarkable record of wartime accomplishment. Several were commissioned as officers, and many served as battle-hardened platoon leaders and combat instructors. At least 50 were decorated for bravery on the battlefield. Many acquired near-legendary status as scouts and snipers, drawing on pre-war hunting skills and wilderness experience. The most decorated, Corporal Francis Pegahmagabow, an Ojibwa from the Parry Island Band near Parry Sound, Ontario, received the Military Medal and two bars for his bravery and effectiveness as a sniper. Former rodeo performer Henry Norwest, a Metis, was credited with 115 kills before his death. Alexander Smith, Jr. and his brother Charles, the sons of Six Nations Cayuga chief Alexander G. Smith, were both awarded the Military Cross.

- Taken from Warmuseum.ca

Symmetry

Look at all the lines of symmetry this geometry whiz discovered! The shape may double as a coffee filter for her java-loving teacher afterwards.

Yesterday, several students had trouble recalling what symmetry is. Angst ensued. After a mini lesson, and some warm-up activities, students quickly picked up the concept of symmetry.

They learned that the line of symmetry is the line that divides a shape into two identical parts that can be matched by folding the shape in half. Today we discussed the words "similar" and "congruent." In geometry, congruent means identical size and shape. Students then cut out three different shapes and looked for lines of symmetry.

Snip snip here, snip snip there and a couple of tra-la-las...

Cut it out! I mean it.

Math makes him happy. Either that, or the math lesson ran so long that he started growing a long, white beard.

A crescent shape and it's line of symmetry as worn on the nose of Mr. Math Happiness.
Another soon-to-be coffee filter just waiting for some beans.

The star attraction of this activity.

Who has the fastest scissors in the East? Look at that concentration.

One girl's symmetry is another girl's origami.

Beginning the long task of finding lines of symmetry on a circle.

Folding the super star.

Another happy student works the star.

This boy is:

a. Showing off 28 lines of symmetry.

b. Teaching the class semaphore.

c. Putting on a puppet show with Mr. Circle.

This Week in Room 108

Happy Birthday to RC. Throw another log on the fire!

Hello there,

Here's what we're working on this week:

Language,

Reading/Writing: Students will complete their rough draft of their Miss Rumphius retell. We have started working on editing and this week I'll be working with the students on proofreading and dictionary skills. While the spell check is replacing the good old dictionary, I still feel that it's important for students to know how to use a dictionary. Plus, looking closely at words (especially misspelled words) can only help with spelling.

Which witch is which? In spelling, we're starting a unit on homonyms - sometimes known as homophones. We weren't able to get our "words to know lists" happening in time for Friday Folders today, but we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Math: Today, we kicked off our Geometry unit with a diagnostic test on symmetry. I learned that most students either don't know much about symmetry, or they've forgotten what they knew. This week, students will be busy with numerous hands-on activities to solidify their understanding of symmetry, including the introduction of the SmartBoard in our class. This Friday, Mr. Steers and myself will be running a demonstration math class with the students of Room 108 for guest teachers to attend. Very exciting. I'm just thrilled that I've finally had training on the SmartBoard and I look forward to having the students use it more in the future.

* We will still be working on Place Value (adding and subtracting).

Science: Grade 3s continue working with Miss Lowen on Plants while the Grade 2s will begin constructing their model of a community to show how pollution can contaminate the Don River and Lake Ontario.

Social Studies: We will continue mapping and the class will compare modes of transportation in urban and rural settings around the world. As an extension to our look at Diwali last week, I will hopefully be showing the students a documentary for children about what school is like in India. Thanks to Rishikkesh's mother for the tasty, spicy Diwali treats!

We will be spending a portion of time working on our performance for the Remembrance Day assembly on Thursday, so we may not get to all that I have planned, but I live in hope.

Homework:

1. Students will answer the questions in their Reading Response journal based on the book they chose for their Book in a Bag.

2. There is a double-sided symmetry sheet that is educational and artistic all at once. Students can get creative with this work.

* Please go through the papers in your child's Friday Folder including Scholastic, which is due on Nov. 18th and also your preference for an interview time.

Cheers!

That's all. Have a pleasant week.

E. Hawkins

Funny Healthy Snack

For those needing a break from all those little chocolate bars...

These are apple slices with slivered almonds for teeth. This idea came from the blog Thrift Candy http://thriftcandy.blogspot.com

Get Me To The School On Time!

Please do your best to ensure you child makes it to school on time. This may mean going to bed a little earlier and setting the clock a little earlier. I know how hard it is to get out of bed on these cold, dark mornings, but here are some reasons why punctuality is so important:

1. When your child is late, they miss crucial morning routines. These routines (e.g. attendance, calendar, morning message, etc.) anchor the day and students feel lost if they miss them.

2. Students miss instruction. Teachers hit the ground running each day and often late students enter midway through instruction, thus causing teachers to repeat lessons. It gets crazier when numerous students stumble in at different times and the teacher has to reteach several lessons rather than supporting students in need.

3. There's usually a taxi chain of kids waiting for late slips in the office. Mrs. Kumagawa and Mrs. Carson are multi-taskers, but the large amount of late slips needed each day, pull them away from their work.

4. One day a week, our class has Drama and Music first thing in the morning. They only see Ms. Park once a week. If they miss half a class, it becomes very difficult for the student to join in with what the rest of the class is working on. It also makes assessment difficult for Ms. Park when she hasn't had complete attendance.

Thank you for listening. This isn't about one or two lates due to emergency. This is about chronic lateness. If your child is late more than ten times, teachers are now required to contact parents and if lateness continues, the office becomes involved and a letter comes home.

This Week in Room 109

When Good Clowns Turn Evil - New on Fox. Check your local listings.

Hello,

I was not at school today as I had to return to the doctor's to follow up on the Never Ending Story that is my cold. After waiting over an hour, while being subjected to E-Z Rock, she told me the antibiotics are working and I'm good to go. If I hear one more Celine Dion song...

Anyway, the children were left with the wonderful Ms. Varney and I'm sure it was smooth sailing. I ambitiously left the homework and book bags to go home today. I hope it all made sense. I'll check in with the class tomorrow.

Here's what we're working on this week:

Language: Students will finish drafting their written retellings of Miss Rumphius. Tomorrow, students will be put into Guided Reading groups. I plan to read with one or two groups and have Mr. Baron work with another group. We will be working on comprehension strategies. We will continue to work on plurals in Writer's Workshop.

Math: Friday was Miss Conti's last day. She did a fabulous job teaching place value. I met with her after school to go over the formative quizzes from last week. Overall, students are really showing that they understand place value. I will meet with students this week to go over the test and provide detailed feedback so they know what they're doing well at and what still needs some work. I will target my teaching this week on the areas of need.

Social Studies: After looking at the cultures and traditions of Mexico, I hope to look at Diwali, as this Hindu celebration is this week. We will also be working on mapping.

Science: Grade 3s are still working with Miss Lowen on soil and plants. I will be working with the Grade 2s on proper waste disposal and I hope that we can begin constructing our village out of boxes. This village will illustrate how chemicals and toxins end up in Lake Ontario.

Healthy Living: Grade 2s will be looking at food groups and Grade 3s will be looking at packaging and nutritional information.

Homework: 1. There is a math sheet going home - one for each grade.

2. Students will either read their new Book in a Bag, or continue reading their chapter book for last week. They are to fill out their reading sheet that is pasted in their Reading Response notebook. If your child didn't bring in their Reading Response notebook, they should have brought home the piece of paper that had their questions.

3. Lastly, students are to work on their spelling Words to Know for their buddy quiz this Friday.

That's all,

Have a great week,

E. Hawkins