Spelling List A
Spelling List B
And introducing...
Spelling List C (Grade 3/4 level words - not for the faint of heart!)
Hi parents,
We had a great Crazy Hair Day today! So many amazing styles. Thank you to everyone for your creativity and efforts.
This morning, we did the spelling quiz and then had Music. Ms. Thaxter taught the students about indigenous methods of 'creating colour' through natural dyes. The students used beets, moss, raspberries, spinach, and onions to dye rocks. They later added tradition indigenous symbols to their rocks to decorate them and express themselves.
In the afternoon, the Class Dojo Store finally opened. The students had a good time spending their hard-earned points on a wide range of highly overpriced trinkets.
Tomorrow is a PD day, so I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Zac
Hi parents,
We had a pretty good day today!
I realize I haven't really mentioned this before, but every morning, we spend 15-20 minutes learning about social studies topics, and having class discussions. We've talked about famous landmarks, people, geography, inventions, all sorts of things. Lately we've been focusing on 'history', and making comparisons to modern day. Today we learned about schools in the past, and had an excellent class discussion about equality, acceptance, and cultural backgrounds. The students remembered what they'd learned about Orange Shirt Day, and we talked a lot about how grateful we are that nowadays, schools are welcoming, kind places where everyone can learn.
School nowadays also do fun things like Crazy Hair Day, and in fact, LBS is having a Crazy Hair Day tomorrow.
We watched the short film 'Hair Love' (it will make you cry) and then talked about hairstyles. The students designed four of their own crazy hair styles, and named them too.
In the afternoon, we listened to an indigenous story, and the students responded to a variety of thought provoking questions. The class made "TH" tongue twisters. We played Kickball in gym.
Tomorrow is Crazy Hair Day, and also the spelling quiz!
Have a nice night!
Zac
Hi parents,
We had a good day today! The students worked on their data collection assignments (see previous post), had Music class, practiced 2-digit math, and wrote sentences about their graphs.
I talked to the students about the "Counting on" strategy, which comes in handy for solving math problems mentally. "Counting On" basically means solving a problem by counting forwards, or backwards, from a given quantity, rather than starting at zero.
For example, consider the problem: 23 + 4 = ?
Many young students will see a problem like this and think, "I don't have enough fingers for this", and feel overwhelmed. Using "Counting On", students can visualize the number 23 in their head, and then count up 4 more times. They can even use their fingers to keep track of their counting, holding up another finger for each number. Once they are holding up 4 fingers, they know it is time to stop counting, and hopefully that will happen as they say '27' aloud.
Anyway, I am a big fan of "Counting On" for Grade 1s and 2s. I think many students kind of figure it out on their own, but sometimes it takes a lesson like today's for it to click.
In the afternoon, Ms. Thaxter taught the class about 'th' tongue twisters and indigenous games (Ball and Cup was a big hit!), and also led them through Daily 5.
CRAZY HAIR DAY: THURSDAY, JAN 28
I forgot to mention this to the students today, but this Thursday is a school-wide crazy hair day. Students are encouraged to try out a crazy hairstyle. As with Halloween, please avoid 'violent' hairstyles (for example, sword-shaped hair, or gun shaped hair).
Have a nice night!
Zac
Hi parents,
Today we finished our graphing activity, in which the students asked their classmates questions and recorded their responses.
Here are some quick summaries of the data:
Favourite Day of the Week: Friday
Least Favourite: Monday
Favourite Kind of Monkey: Gorilla
Least Favourite: Spider Monkey
Favourite Pet: Cat
Least Favourite: Spider
Favourite Season: Summer
Least Favourite: Autumn
Favourite Subject in School: Dismissal
Least Favourite: Lunch
Favourite Animal: Orca
Least Favourite: Eagle and Bumblebee
Favourite Animal (different options): Lizard
Least Favourite: Parrot
Favourite Fruit: Strawberry
Least Favourite: Blueberry
Favourite Pet: Bunny
Least Favourite: Bird
Favourite Animals: Alpaca
Least Favourite: Bunny
Favourite Type of Puzzle Art: Coyote
Least Favourite: Jungle
Favourite Video Game: Minecraft
Least Favourite: Car Racing
**40-50% margin for error
Hi parents,
We had a pretty good Monday today, but not particularly interesting.
The students wrote about their weekends, practiced 2-digit addition and subtraction, and were introduced to this week's spelling words. Ms. Thaxter led the class in a discussion about the word "indigenous", and what we know about Canada's indigenous peoples. I was happy to see that most students remember quite a bit!
The students worked gradually through a larger graphing activity, in which they had to:
1. Create a survey question, with 4 possible answers
2. Create a table to keep track of data
3. Ask their question to their classmates and tally responses
Tomorrow we will be creating graphs to show the data! The students are really excited about this activity so the challenging part has been making sure they take their time and keep their data organized. Neatness is key when it comes to data collection!
Have a nice night,
Zac
Spelling List A
Spelling List B
Hi parents,
We had a loud Friday today.
But it was still a good day all around. We practiced 2-digit addition, did a quick graphing activity, and had the spelling quiz. We watched a Wild Kratts episode about coyotes, which we learned are one of the most versatile and adaptive mammals out there! Coyotes can live in forests, deserts, cities, and just about anywhere in between. They have adapted to be able to survive by eating a wide range of different foods.
Ms. Thaxter led the students through an exploration of the properties of liquids, by making 'calming jars', using colourful water, oil, and sparkles. The students enjoyed shaking up the jars and watching the liquids mix and then separate. As is the case whenever we do anything fun, the room became loud, but everyone was happy and engaged.
Stay tuned for next week's spelling words!
Have a nice weekend,
Zac
Hi parents,
We had an excellent day today! The students were kind to each other, followed the rules, and worked hard throughout the day. In the morning, we had Music, and then the class responded to the writing prompt: "If I was stranded on an island, I would want..."
I was super happy with how this writing prompt went because everyone seemed to be excited about it. The students did not need reminders to add colourful pictures, or add details, or use their neatest printing - it all just happened naturally. Great timing too, with report cards right around the corner...
We practiced spelling, did Daily 5, and worked more on 2-digit math problems. I'm teaching it a bit differently this year and trying to do a mixture of addition and subtraction problems, rather than focusing on one before the other. I'm hoping this approach will help students continue to look for the different + and - symbols, and also learn that addition and subtraction problems are solved in different ways. Sometimes I feel like teaching them separately causes kids to mix up the strategies.
We ended our day with 'story telling', which has become part of our regular routine now it seems. I think that's so cool because it happened so organically. It's nice to see that even in 2021, kids still love telling and listening to stories. Who needs technology anyway.
Tomorrow is our spelling quiz. Have a nice night!
Zac
Hi parents,
We had a good but loud day today. In the morning, I taught the students about 2-digit addition and subtraction. We mostly talked about how to write out 2-digit problems in a way that makes it easy to line up the ones, tens, hundreds, etc. Organization is key!
In Animated Literacy, we looked at the letter Q, arguably the weirdest letter in the whole alphabet. Quentin Quail was the rep.
We did a bit of graphing review today, and the students were given data sets of farm animals and asked to create their own bar graphs. They did pretty well with this, especially since we haven't done much graphing since earlier in the year. I noticed the class had trouble with "How Many More ____ than ____" questions. We'll work on that.
In the afternoon, Ms. Thaxter led a lesson around the classic story "Wilfred Gordan McDonald Partridge". The students wrote about the who's, what's, where's, why's, and when's found within the story.
We ended the day with a practice spelling quiz, Classroom of Doom (which is a math game), and some storytelling. The students have been really, really into telling scary stories lately, and their skills are actually pretty good! Surprisingly focused and not ramble-y. The ones that end in jump scares are especially hilarious too.
Have a nice night,
Zac
Hi parents,
We had a pretty good day today and did some fun work.
In the morning, the students had Music, and then we did a math / art crossover activity in which the students created "Shape Superheroes" with powers that were related to the shapes of their heads. The activity also helped students develop their muscle drawing skills. The heroes they created were so imaginative, I was thrilled with how they turned out. Plus, it was nice to see how much they remembered about shapes.
We did an Animated Literacy activity around the character "Sheriff Shad". The students seem to be doing pretty well with the Sh- blend so far.
In the afternoon, Ms. Thaxter led another lesson around the 5 W's. We read the Princess and the Frog. Those classic fairy tales have some unusual messages, that's for sure.
We've started to learn 2-digit addition in math! As of right now we are focusing on basic problems that do not involve regrouping, aka 'carrying the one'. The students are building their understanding of how they can use place value to help them solve addition problems, by grouping the 'ones', 'tens', 'hundreds', etc.
When we get to regrouping, this video will comes in handy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hz0fAQV0ac&t=29s
Have a nice night,
Zac
Hi parents,
We had a great Monday today that was a bit different from our usual Monday routine.
In the morning, the students listened to a book called "If I Had Animal Hair..."
They learned about different animals have different kinds of fur / hair that help them in many ways. We learned that Reindeer fur helps them to float in water. We learned about porcupines, pangolins, and lions too. The students chose an animal from the book and responded to the prompt: "If I had _______ (the animal they chose) Hair..."
We started working on our Sh- spelling words. For students who already practiced their words at home, it was just the same Sh-, different day.
But that's alright because that's the best way to learn new words!
We've been doing basic addition and subtraction facts as part of Morning Math, and I have to say, I am absolutely thrilled with how well the students are doing! I don't think I've ever taught a class with such a solid understanding of basic addition and subtraction. These skills will undoubtedly help them throughout their education - keep up the great work at home!
In the afternoon, Ms. Thaxter taught the students about the 5 W's (Who, What, Where, When, Why). We talked about how understanding these words is important because they allow us to ask questions, which allows us to learn new things!
Have a nice night,
Zac
Grade 3 & 4 Students at Lake Bonavista School are excited to share two action projects for the LBS Community to engage in. These action projects were generated from their studies around Waste and our World. Students want to share the message that everyone can make a difference through environmental stewardship.
Big Mouth Bin
The Big Mouth Bin Initiative helps raise awareness on the importance of recycling and reusing unwanted textiles. We invite the LBS community to collect and drop off unwanted textiles (ripped/old clothing, shoes, purses, belts… anything fabric) in the Big Mouth Bin throughout the school year. A Big Mouth Bin has been placed on the East Compound. Did you know that by putting unwanted textiles in the bin it will give the textiles a second life? You would be surprised at what new product your unwanted textiles could turn into!
Gorillas on the Line
Supporting the Calgary Zoo’s “Gorillas on the Line” initiative, we are collecting any broken, used or unwanted handheld electronic device(s) (cellphones, iPods, iPads, tablets, mp3 players, chargers and accessories) to spread awareness on the importance of electronic recycling. All electronics collected will be delivered to the Calgary Zoo. The mining of ores that are used to make new cellphones contributes to habitat loss and the endangerment of gorillas. When we reduce, reuse, then recycle our electronic devices, we lessen the demand for coltan and help protect gorillas in the wild.
Spelling List A
Spelling List B
Hi parents,
Today was a great way to end our first week of 2021! Online school doesn't count.
The class did an excellent job with this week's spelling quiz! I've seen enormous progress in the students' ability to identify sounds in unfamiliar words, as is evident from the number of students choosing to challenge themselves to do both spelling lists. Whatever you're doing at home, please keep up the great work.
Ms. Thaxter led the students through a fun activity in which they made their own 'stress balls' using balloons and flour. They even got to add wacky hair and faces after. We're planning to do a lot of work around mindfulness this month, and the stress balls are just the first of many fun activities that will help the students practice strategies to help with emotional regulation.
We read a story called "Where's the Party?" in which a cat named Georgie tries to invite all of his friends to a party, only to find they've thrown a party for him. The students wrote pretend invitations to their vision of the best party ever. Let's hope we can make some of these parties happen in the distant future!
Stay tuned for next week's spelling words!
Have a nice weekend,
Zac
Hi parents,
I can't believe I ruined my blog updating streak yesterday... sorry about that, I'm not sure how I forgot.
Today was a fun day for the class. In the morning, we had Music, and Ms. Thaxter taught a fun science / math activity in which the students used eye droppers to fill up containers with water, and then used food colouring the dye the water and experiment with colour mixing. The class had a blast - apparently filling containers with water is the new "Fortnite". I think they also learned a lot about teamwork, patience, colours, and liquids!
In the afternoon, we did some Animated Literacy work around the character "Chauncey Chipmunk". I was a bit nervous when we started the Ch- sound this week, but I think the students have really gotten the hang of it! Tomorrow's spelling quiz will be their final trial.
At the end of the day today, we read the story "Kathy" from the book "Sideways Stories from Wayside School". It was about a girl who constantly looked for the worst in everything and everyone. I thought it had a great message that I hope resonated with the class.
Also, Tomorrow is School Shirt Day!!
Have a nice night!
Zac
Hi parents,
We had a good day today!
In the morning, we read a story called "The Trouble with Time Travel". It was a cool book that approached all the classic time paradoxes with child friendly language. The students responded to the writing prompt: "If I had a time machine..." They did an awesome job with this one and had some really creative ideas, including visiting parents as babies, visiting grandparents, seeing dinosaurs, and visiting themselves as adults.
We did a quick measurement activity where students were presented with a number of containers and asked to identify the ones with the greatest and least capacities.
The students also had Music in the morning and some outdoor recess time.
In the afternoon, we did Daily 5, mindfulness, gym, spelling practice, and work period. The afternoons have become very routine oriented, which is great for myself and the students, but fairly boring to read about in the Blog (sorry about that).
Have a nice day!
Zac
Spelling List A
Spelling List B
Hi parents,
First of all, I want to thank you all for your support and hard work during our online week of school. That must've been the most difficult first-week-back ever. The quality of work completely exceeded my expectations, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to assist and motivate your children to do their best.
We had a good first day back at school today! The students did a surprisingly good job of readjusting to our classroom routines and expectations after our exceptionally long winter break.
This morning, the students met Ms. Thaxter, a pre-service teacher who will be working in our classroom for the next four weeks. I am sure she will have a wonderful experience getting to know the students, and grateful for the support and expertise she can provide during her time in our class!
The students wrote in their weekend journals, practiced the new spelling words (which I forgot to post on the Blog, sorry about that), and did a math activity based on measurement. For this activity, students used 'measurement' terms such as "empty", "full" and "half-full" to label a series of cup drawings and sort them in order from emptiest to fullest.
The spelling words this week will be a bit trickier than usual, because they all involve the ch- letter blend. I'll post them, and some practice videos, on the blog right after this.
Have a nice night,
Zac
Spelling List A
Spelling List B
