Wednesday

Hi parents,

We had a really good day today!

In the morning, the students worked diligently to finish up their 12 Days of Christmas books, decorate their gift bags, practice spelling words, and finish their math. I couldn't believe how quiet the classroom was. It was actually a little too quiet, to the point where I was concerned that everyone was collectively sad. 

We did some caroling, and the students had Music class too. We spent longer than usual cleaning. 

Tomorrow is the last school day of 2019! I can't believe how fast this year has went by so far, and although there have definitely been ups and downs, I feel that we are going into 2020 on a very positive note. :) . Here are some things to keep in mind for tomorrow:

1. It is Holiday Sweater day.

2. We are having a spelling quiz.

3. Students are cleaning their cubbies, so please send an additional bag if possible!

4. We are having a small 'party' in the afternoon, and snacks are welcome.

Have a wonderful night,

Zac

Tuesday

Hi parents,

Today was a refreshingly peaceful and productive Tuesday! The students worked hard throughout the day and emotions were mostly in check, despite Christmas being only a week away. 

In the morning, the students responded to a writing prompt that I was a bit hesitant to give them, because I was worried it would be too difficult. They were asked to write about what would be the perfect gift for someone in their family, or for a close friend, if money / reality was no issue. We had a class discussion first, and I couldn't believe how thoughtful the students were! One student said, "I would buy my mom a teal baby goat, because her favourite colour is teal and she loves baby goats". Another shared that they would get their dog a special kind of dog bone that the pet store ran out of a long time ago, and they haven't been able to find since. Another students said, "I would give my mom a clean house, because I always make a mess and she always wants me to clean it up".

And those are just a few examples - I hope you have a chance to look at what your child wrote soon, because I'm pretty sure everyone in the class did an excellent job with it.

We went to the Library for the last time of 2019, and I am extremely happy to report that our class has NO LOST BOOKS! The students with overdue books really searched the classroom today and were all able to find the books they thought may have been lost.

In the afternoon, we did caroling, Daily 5, and a step-by-step drawing activity where the kids drew festive penguins.

Tomorrow is our Pajama / Stuffy day! And on Thursday, we will be having a small holiday party at the end of the day. It is also 'holiday sweater day'. :)

Have a nice night!

Zac

Monday

Hi parents,

We had a pretty good day today! Most of our day was just spent with work period time though, so this blog post won't be too exciting.

In the morning, the students wrote in their Days of Christmas books, and in their journals. They also practiced spelling words and went to Music. Some students have started (and finished) our weekly math problems this week, which are all based around 'doubles'. Some students are even working on multiplication problems by 2, because multiplying by 2 is the same as adding doubles. Still, the students are thrilled that they are officially working on multiplication already, which is normally a Grade 3 concept.

In the afternoon, we had Daily 5, gym, and more work period. Here are some important dates that are coming up:

Pajama / Stuffy Day - Wednesday, December 18

We are having another PJ Day on Wednesday because I completely forgot to advertise the one from last Friday, so only a few kids actually got to participate. 

"Holiday Sweater Day" - Thursday, December 19

Everyone is encouraged to wear a festive sweater on Thursday. Since it is also the last day of school, we will be having a little party in the afternoon! If you are interested in sending snacks, please let me know! :)

Have a nice night,

Zac

The LAST Spelling Lists of 2019!

Spelling List A

Snow	Frosty	Candy	Ice
Tree	Santa	Gift	Cane

Spelling List B

Icicle	Reindeer	Gingerbread	Snowflake
Sleigh	Penguin	Christmas	Lights

The students brainstormed these words today. They are fun and festive, but also very difficult, so please don't let them ruin anyone's holiday spirit.

Friday the 13th

Hi parents,

I am so sorry, I completely forgot to remind the class that today was a school-wide Pajama Day! I think this exact same thing happened last year. We'll have to have another pajama day next Wednesday, I think, to give everyone a chance to wear their pajamas and bring a toy / stuffy.

Today we had our Spelling Quiz, and then the class worked some more with the Museo Kit. This time, I set out a series of photos taken from 1904-1918. The photos showed what classrooms and schools looked like in the past. One of the most interesting photos was a taken on Halloween! It was cool to see all the students costumes.

After that, we had Daily 5, watched the Grinch, and did a thorough classroom cleanup.

Have a great weekend!

Zac

PJ Day Tomorrow!

Just a reminder that tomorrow is a school wide PJ Day!

I am also okay with students bringing one stuffy. :)

Thursday

Hi parents,

Today was a very emotional day, for some reason! Maybe it had to do with the pressure of the Winter Concert, or maybe it's just getting too close to Winter Break, but we had a lot of tears and disagreements today. And most of them were a result of very minor incidents.

Still, I feel like today was a very positive day for our class overall. Although a lot of disagreements arose, the students were able to peacefully resolve every one. Whenever a student was crying, there were other students there to comfort them. I heard students giving each other amazing advice - you might even call it 'wisdom'. So even though the day was challenging, it was great to see so many students rising to the occasion and doing everything they could to help their peers.

I don't really have much else to write, because aside from the Winter Concert, I think our entire day was spent 'character building'.

I hope to see you all tonight!

Zac

AARCS Fundraiser

AARCS Fundraiser

Rooms 12, 16, 13 and 4 are doing another fundraiser this year to raise money for the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS). During the daytime and evening winter concert shows on Thursday, December 12th, we will be selling homemade Crunchy Tuna Cat Treats and Wowbutter Banana Dog Bites. Each bag will cost $3 and all proceeds will go towards AARCS to help ensure the animals in their care have their basic necessities this holiday season. Please bring cash if you are interested in purchasing treats for your own pets or as a holiday gift! Thank you for your support!

If you have any questions please email Ms. Midgley (lemidgley@cbe.ab.ca) or Mrs. Ireland (hlireland@cbe.ab.ca)

Wednesday

Hi parents,

We had a really great day today! Our morning was mostly spent rehearsing for the Winter Concert, eating snack, and going outside for gym. The students had a bit of time to work on their Days of Christmas books, as well as spelling and math.

This week's math is kind of a review of all the things we've looked at this year. I made a point of giving a mix of both addition and subtraction problems, to teach students to look carefully at each problem and determine whether it is a + or - sign before they get started. I've tricked a lot of them already.

We had some great class discussions today about being polite and waiting your turn. Some students acted out what it looks like when their classmates interrupt them, and I think that helped the message sink in. I think there were only about 3 interruptions for the whole rest of the day!

In the afternoon, the students did Daily 5, and then the class learned about the objects they observed yesterday from the MuseoKit. We talked about some of the ways that school is different now than it was 100 years ago. I'm going to ask the students to create venn diagrams to show their ideas tomorrow. Unfortunately, we hadn't learned what venn diagrams are yet, so at the end of the day, they tried making venn diagrams to show how they are similar to and different from one of their classmates.     

Vin Diagram

Winter Concert!

Tomorrow is the big day - it's our Winter Concert! Remember that there is also a daytime show at 9:30am. For the evening show, please try to arrive around 5:40pm, because it usually takes a little while to get the students organized before the show begins. Also, because the Winter Concert is such a spectacular event, I usually encourage students to wear their fanciest clothes. 

Have a nice night,

Zac

Tuesday

Hi parents,

We had a pretty good day today! The afternoon craft was a little bit hectic, but somehow the sock snowmen turned out very cute. Unusual, but cute.

In the morning, we rehearsed for the Winter concert, and the students had a chance to explore some more artifacts from the Glenbow Museum Museo-kit. This time, they got to learn a bit about the types of supplies that were used in schools 100 years ago. There was this one particularly intriguing artifact that looked kind of like a long, rectangular, almost strap-like piece of hard fabric.... I wonder what that's all about.

Today I did remember to send home the tickets for the Winter Concert! Please remember, there is a also a daytime show at 9:30am and you are all welcome to attend. Typically, the daytime shows are a bit less busy. And you are still welcome to attend the evening show too, if you enjoy it that much.

Have a nice night!

Zac

This snowman sets an unrealistic standard for snowman beauty. We did not make this one.

Monday

Hi parents,

Today was a great way to start off our second last week before Winter break! The students worked hard on their Days of Christmas books, journal entries, and spelling practice. We did a step-by-step drawing of a cat in a Christmas sweater, and had some good conversations about respectful listening, and being a 'Jr. Teacher'.

I explained to the students that it can be difficult for me to make sure all 22 students are following instructions, and that I would really appreciate if they would help me out by giving their classmates polite reminders when needed. We talked about the difference between giving reminders and being bossy, and how telling someone "please stop talking, Mr. Link is waiting" is much more effective than aggressively shushing them.

At the end of the day, we had some time to work in math groups, and then I forgot to give out the tickets for the Winter Concert. I'm sorry!! I will send them home tomorrow for sure.

Sock Craft: Tomorrow!

We are going to be doing a snowman sock craft tomorrow afternoon. Thank you to everyone who has already sent in socks! This craft works best with one adult sized white sock, and one adult sized colourful sock. However, I am confident that we can make it work with whatever socks we may have, so if you have any mismatched socks you wouldn't mind parting with, please send them in tomorrow. :)

Also...

AARCS Fundraiser

Rooms 12, 16, 13 and 4 are doing another fundraiser this year to raise money for the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS). During the daytime and evening winter concert shows on Thursday, December 12th, we will be selling homemade Crunchy Tuna Cat Treats and Wowbutter Banana Dog Bites. Each bag will cost $3 and all proceeds will go towards AARCS to help ensure the animals in their care have their basic necessities this holiday season. Please bring cash if you are interested in purchasing treats for your own pets or as a holiday gift! Thank you for your support!

If you have any questions please email Ms. Midgley (lemidgley@cbe.ab.ca) or Mrs. Ireland (hlireland@cbe.ab.ca)

Have a nice night,

Zac

Spelling Words

Spelling List A

Cut	But	Hut	Nut
Shut	Donut	Walnut	Peanut

Spelling List B

Were	Germ	Herd	Alert
Clerk	Iceberg	Desert	Verse