Spelling List A
Spelling List B
Spelling List C
Please don't feel obligated to study these at all over the break.
But, if your child ever complains about being bored....
Friday, March 26, 2021
Friday, March 26
Hi parents,
We had a great day today that was filled with fun activities.
In the morning, the students used tissue paper to decorate hard-boiled eggs. Our original plan with to have the students peel off the tissue paper and see how the paper dyed the egg. However, they looked so nice covered in tissue paper that most students decided to just leave it on.
Some eggs were left behind :(
The students did a great job with this week's spelling quiz!
Then, we watched the movie "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs", which was awesome and actually quite funny. Mr. T delivered a breathtaking performance.
We did a 5-finger retell activity and talked about the characters, settings, and events in the movie.
At the end of the day, we did a Music / Art activity, in which the students listened to three ocean-themed songs and drew pictures of what the songs made them think of.
I hope you all have a wonderful Spring Break!!
Zac
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Thursday, March 25 (PJ Day Tomorrow!)
Hi parents,
We had a pretty good day today!
In the morning the students had Music class, math time, and work period. Ms. Rehill taught a very informative and fascinating lesson on the Titanic, as many students have started to show an interest in it lately. It's perfect timing because we're just starting to look into Boats and Buoyancy.
We did Daily 5 and Spelling practice too, of course.
In the afternoon, we had a Lockdown drill. The students did a great job with this despite not knowing it was coming! As such, we have earned a Pajama Day for tomorrow! We will also be watching a movie, so feel free to send a special 'movie snack' with your child (we wish we could still share popcorn).
Tomorrow is not all fun, however, as we still do have a spelling quiz. I think the students have gotten a lot of quality practice in this week so I'm optimistic about this one!
Have a nice night!
Zac
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Wednesday, March 24
Hi parents,
We had a great day today!
As usual, we started our day with addition and subtraction practice, then Ms. Rehill read more from Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business.
Today the students learned about Manitoba as part of our "This Land is Our Land" project. We watched this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSAW6g0mJD8
We had some great class discussions afterwards. The students completed another page in their TLIOL booklets, in which they coloured in the Manitoba flag, and drew pictures of the provincial animal and plant, as well as pictures of the landscape and natural resources.
We practiced Spelling and did Daily 5 in the afternoon (as usual). The students worked hard, listened well, and were a joy to teach today.
Have a nice evening!
Zac
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Tuesday, March 23
Hi parents,
We had a good day today!
We started our science exploration into Boats and Buoyancy today. We did an experiment in which we learned that an orange with its peel will float, but an orange without a peel sinks. The student tested a variety of other materials to see if they would float.
We had Music class, and worked on 2-digit addition and subtraction. The blog probably sounds a bit like a broken record lately in terms of math, but that's just because these concepts require so much practice! Kids can usually pick up things like 2-D shapes and measurement in a couple weeks, but adding and subtracting take time and dedication. I'm really impressed by how hard the students have been working so far, and I am confident they are going to walk away with an exceptional understanding of these important, foundational topics.
We did Daily 5, Gym, and Spelling Practice in the afternoon.
Have a nice night!
Zac
Monday, March 22, 2021
Monday, March 22
Hi parents,
We had a good Monday today!
In the morning, the students wrote to answer some comprehension questions about the Junie B. Jones novel we are reading now, "A Little Monkey Business". The class also worked on some math worksheets that featured both 2-digit addition and subtraction problems. These worksheets are kind of like the 'final boss' for addition and subtraction. Having to pay close attention to the + and - signs in each problem adds an extra layer of difficulty that can really throw students off - however, it is also the best way to ensure students have a true understanding of the differences between addition and subtraction!
Today, as part of our "This Land is Our Land" booklets, the students learned about Saskatchewan.
The class also wrote in their journals about their weekends.
In the afternoon, we did Daily 5 and Spelling Practice. This week, our spelling words are focused on the 'ea' blend. I introduced the students to the catchy rhyme: "When two vowels go walking, (sometimes) the first one does the talking". This is also an equally catchy Jack Hartmann song:
We ended our day with a quick game of "Name the Song".
Have a nice day!
Zac
Friday, March 19, 2021
Friday, March 19
Hi parents,
We had a great Friday today and did a lot of work focused on emotional regulation.
We started our day off with a virtual presentation from Elder Randy Bottle, who spoke about the importance of the Spring Equinox to the indigenous peoples of Alberta.
We had our spelling quiz in the morning, and then went outside for a picnic and body break. When we got back inside, Ms. Rehill taught the class about the "Zones of Regulation". This concept helps students understand how their emotional wellness may affect their behaviour, and what steps they can take to move back into the "green zone". The chart below summarizes what each 'zone' could look like in different students.
We did another "Music Appreciation" lesson in which the students listened to four different songs and drew pictures to show what each one made them think of. The songs each were intended to align with a different 'zone of regulation'. We listened to:
Riptide - Vance Joy
Sad Mood - Sam Cooke
Lookin' Out My Back Door - CCR
No More Mr. Nice Guy - Alice Cooper
Stay tuned for next week's spelling words, and have a nice weekend!
Zac
Thursday, March 18, 2021
Thursday, March 18
Hi parents,
We had a pretty good day today! In the morning, the students had Music, and we learned about BC as part of our "This Land Is Our Land" project. The books are coming along really nicely.
The class continued to work on 2-digit subtraction problems, and the students are clearly becoming more and more comfortable with them!
We had a Fire Drill in the afternoon, did Daily 5, practiced spelling, and talked about how to effectively clean up. Then we cleaned.
Tomorrow is our spelling quiz so please remember to send back your child's workbooks if you have not already done so!
Thank you and have a nice night!
Zac
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Wednesday, March 17
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Today was a very fun day for the class - in fact, I have never met a group of kids with more St. Patrick's Day spirit! The students spent most of the morning investigating the mysterious leprechaun shenanigans that have been occurring around LBS. They wrote letters to "Lucky" the leprechaun, and lots of students also made drawings, crafts, and pots of gold for him (or her).
The students wrote in their journals about how they would convince Lucky to come out and visit them. Some students wrote about how they would trap a leprechaun.
We had a long work period so the students could catch up on their work from yesterday.
We continued to practice 2-digit subtraction with regrouping. It's coming along really well!
Ms. Brady read the story "Leprechaun on the Loose" aloud to the class (in her authentic Irish accent!), and then the students did a 5-finger retell worksheet in which they identified the characters, events, and setting of the story.
In the afternoon, we did another Mindfulness lesson with Ms. Pavey. We had a somewhat questionable cleanup. I think the students are starting to push the boundaries with Ms. Rehill a bit more this week now that she has started to teach more lessons.
Have a fun night! Don't forget to drink lots of water!
Zac
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Tuesday, March 16
Hi parents,
We had a good day today! In the morning, the students worked on 2-digit subtraction problems. Some students have started to work on 2-digit problems involving 'regrouping' (also known as 'borrowing'). We used the Golden Beads and a Number Rock video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nku3jVLbPBw) to help the students build some written strategies. Any additional (or should I say, subtractional) practice at home will be incredibly beneficial! We'll keep practicing at school too.
The students had Music class, and then Ms. Rehill taught the class all about Alberta as part of our "This Land is Our Land" project. I'm not sure if I actually mentioned this project on the Blog yet, but it's really cool. We will be learning about each of the provinces and territories in Canada, talking about natural resources, landmarks, landscapes, animals, plants, traditions... pretty much everything! We will start each lesson with an Acknowledgement of the Land, and then the students are given a pretend Plane Ticket to fill out to really help them get into the adventurous mindset.
We watched this video about Alberta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1FzAqw4P1k
The couple that made the video above also have videos for the other provinces and territories, and they're all quite informative and well put together. We'll be watching more as we continue our exploration!
In the afternoon we did Daily 5, Work Period, and Spelling Practice.
Remember that tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day!!! Please remind your child to wear green if possible.
Have a nice night!
Zac
Order Your LBS Yearbook!
Order your 2020 - 2021 yearbook today and take advantage of the early bird price. This year due to covid, our teachers are taking the photographs that will be featured in the yearbook and hub students will also be featured.
Visit ybpay.lifetouch.ca to place your order. Your yearbook ID code for this year is: 11352721
Monday, March 15, 2021
Monday, March 15
Hi parents,
We had a pretty good day today!
In the morning, we had a class discussion about "Natural Resources", using the classic strategy game "Age of Empires" as a visual aid. We talked about how humans use natural resources to help them survive, and how natural resources can be altered and combined to serve new purposes.
Ms. Rehill led the students through a fun map-making activity in which they created detailed maps of our classroom using scrap paper.
The students also wrote in their journals about their weekends.
In the afternoon, we did Daily 5 and Spelling Practice.
It seems like a leprechaun may have moved in to our school library. Some students found a small door on the side of one of the shelves. The kids have started writing letters to the leprechaun and also creating counterfeit money to give to it.
Please remember to send your child's workbooks back to school tomorrow!
And also to wear green on Wednesday. :)
Have a nice night,
Zac
Friday, March 12, 2021
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Wednesday, March 10
Hi parents,
Today was another great day for our class! We actually had such a productive day that the entire listening club was erased.
In the morning, the students listened to Ms. Rehill read Junie B. Jones, and then they filled out worksheets with comprehension questions. We almost never do activities like this, so we weren't sure how the class would do with it, but they really blew us away! They must really like Junie B. Jones!
The students wrote sentences and drew pictures to show what they are 'working on' at school, and what their goals are. They glued these pages to large paper bags. Then they decorated the bags. I'm going to send the bags home tomorrow with all of the students' workbooks inside, so that they can show you everything they've done this year for Student-Led Conferences. Please remember to send the workbooks back to school on Monday, March 15.
We worked more on 2-digit addition today. I can't believe how fast the students have gotten! Next week we'll start 2-digit subtraction.
In the afternoon, we did Daily 5 and a much better classroom cleanup.
I'm looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow and Friday for Student Led Conferences!
Have a nice night,
Zac
Tuesday, March 9, 2021
Tuesday, March 9
Hi parents,
We had a really good day today!
In the morning, the students had Music class, and then they worked on a writing activity meant to go with Student-Led Conferences. For this activity, students wrote about things they have learned over the course of the year - things that they will finally be able to show you when they take all of their workbooks home on Thursday!
We had a long work period this morning to help everyone catch up on all of yesterday's work. The 2-digit addition is continuing to go exceptionally well.
In the afternoon, we tried a more structured approach to Daily 5 and that was also a big success! Having two teachers in the room has been hugely beneficial in ensuring every Daily 5 group is on task, selecting appropriate leveled books, and working collaboratively with their peers.
We did some scarf-juggling in gym.
Our end-of-day cleanup was comically bad but I'm confident that we can fix it moving forward. I think today I probably could've put 15+ names up in the Listening Club for being silly during cleanup time, but unfortunately I couldn't write fast enough and the rest of them got their act together after I'd only written down ten. I think the students are struggling to grasp the idea that when I tell them it's cleanup time, they need to start cleaning right away. I think if even just a few more students would stop what they were doing and start tidying, it would create a ripple effect that would get the whole class working together.
Have a nice night!
Zac
Friday, March 5, 2021
Friday, March 5
Happy Friday!
We had a good day today. In the morning, we split the class into two 'math groups' and working on 2-digit addition. 2-digit addition is the second most difficult concept students have to learn in Grade 1/2 (the first being 2-digit subtraction) so we will probably be spending a lot of time over the next couple of weeks just reinforcing this skill and applying it in different contexts.
Today we talked about the important role of 'place value' in solving 2-digit addition problems, and how it often helps to add the 'ones' column before the 'tens'. I asked the students to highlight the numbers in the 'ones' column first to help them remember this.
We attended a Virtual Assembly, hosted by rooms 7 and 8, about perseverance and never giving up.
The students did an excellent job with today's spelling quiz! Thank you for all your hard work at home.
We did a 'music appreciation' activity in which the students listened to three different songs, all written and performed by Irish artists. They drew pictures and wrote words to show what each song made them think about and feel.
Student-Led Conferences: March 11 & 12
Student-Led Conferences are next week. If you have not booked a time yet, please do so through our school's website! These conferences will be virtual, but I'm hoping that we'll still be able to maintain the 'student-led' aspect. As such, students will be bringing home all of their workbooks next week in intentionally decorated paper bags. I'll include some potential 'guiding questions' you can ask your child to help spark some discussions about their learning this year. I'm sure they will be so excited to show you everything they've completed!
After conferences, please send the workbooks back to school, as we'll need them for the following week's work. :)
Stay tuned for spelling words!
Have a nice weekend,
Zac
Thursday, March 4, 2021
Thursday, March 4
Hi parents,
We had a fun pajama day today, but by the end of it, it really seemed like the students needed a nap. I think I need one too - there was some unusual energy in the room today.
In the morning, the students worked in groups to write about the characters, setting, and events in Junie B Jones and the Silly, Smelly Bus.
We had Music class, practiced spelling words, and went outside for a body break.
We did Daily 5 in the afternoon.
The students brainstormed ideas about why libraries are important.
Tomorrow is our spelling quiz!
Have a nice day!
Zac
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Wednesday, March 3 (PJ DAY TOMORROW)
Hi parents,
We had a good day today!
In the morning, we did a fun activity in which the students wrote 3 'hint' sentences about themselves, and then the class had to guess which person was being described.
We learned about 2-digit by 2-digit addition (with and without regrouping!)
For example, students solved problems like:
25
+ 13
They learned to start by adding the ones column and then adding the tens. While we've certainly done some work with 2-digit addition before, this was the first time we 'officially' learned about it, and the first time we used the traditional algorithm. I'm looking forward to practicing more problems like this moving forward!
I'm not sure if I've shared this video before, but it's a good way to reinforce addition with regrouping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hz0fAQV0ac
In the afternoon, we did Daily 5 and had a special Mindfulness session with a virtual 'artist in residence', and mindfulness expert Amber Pavey.
Tomorrow is our PAJAMA DAY!!!
The students earned this through their exceptional behaviour during the lunch hour. :)
Have a nice night!
Zac
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Tuesday, March 2
Hi parents,
We had a good Tuesday today!
In the morning, we used Google Earth to find various landmarks in Calgary, including some people's houses!
Blog Homework:
Find your own house on Google Earth! Draw a sketch of the front of your house.
The students had Music class this morning, and then we did a Writing Prompt in which the students had to write predictions about what would happen next. When we left off, Junie B. had just called 9-1-1 because she was stuck in the school. The students' responses were creative, funny, and often pretty accurate!
We did a quick math activity where the students were given a series of addition and subtraction problems that were missing the + and - signs. Just to give you a few examples....
19 __ 10 = 29
37 ___ 4 = 33
100 __ 40 = 60
19 ___ 2 = 21
The students caught on to these pretty quickly and blasted through them.
In the afternoon, we did Daily 5 and Spelling Practice. We almost finished reading Junie B. Jones. At the end of the day, the students received copies of Moira's Birthday by Robert Munsch.
Have a nice night!
Zac
Monday, March 1, 2021
Monday, March 1
Hi parents,
We had a good Monday today, full of pretty typical Monday activities.
In the morning, the students wrote about what they did on the weekend in their journals. I challenged them to also include a sentence about their 'favourite music' as of right now, as a nod to our music activity from last week. I'm hoping the students will develop more appreciation for different kinds of music and be less complain-y when we do Music at school!
Ms. Rehill challenged the students to use rulers and meter sticks to measure 5 different distances or objects outside. They did a great job with this and I found it interesting to see which students measured using 'centimetres' and which students measured using 'ruler lengths'. Both are valid approaches in Grade 1/2.
We talked about communities, cities, provinces, countries and continents. We used Google Earth to find where Lake Bonavista School is on earth.
In the afternoon we did Daily 5 and spelling practice.
Have a nice night!
Zac
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