Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Thank you for all your Christmas Wishes and gifts!  I look forward to seeing everyone in the new year :)  I Hope everyone likes their Christmas Placemats made from their hand prints and foot print.

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas From Ms. Dilley and Mrs. Fitkall's classes:

Everyone did a wonderful job singing and dancing!

Check out our photos and videos of us singing...

Here we are singing...   Little Saint Nick and Feliz Navidad

http://youtu.be/hg3jce3smhU

http://youtu.be/39XYEz83IBo

Creative Chaos Came Today!

Wow, look how great their multi-medium winter art turned out!!!!  When they dry they will be posted outside the office for all to see and enjoy :)  It sure was messy but sooooo much fun.  It was so much fun I got to make one too!

Step 1: glue tissue paper onto the background...

Step 2: Pat circle shapes full of white paint onto our backgrounds...

Step 3: Glue face, hat, arms etc. on...

Step 4: Let dry...

Step 5: Peel tape off and display :)

Yoga!

Thank you to Samara (Faith's Mom) and Jen for coming in to teach us Yoga.  The breathing techniques and exercise is always a wonderful addition!

 

For more information on their new program...

Natural Art

Andy Goldsworthy is known as a "land artist".  This means that his art is created out of the land and things found on it.  Materials that he uses include rocks, leaves, twigs, stones and any substance found in the environment.  Photography is also a feature of his work as a number of hes creations are ephemeral.

Check out a trailer of some of Andy Goldsworthy natural art:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT3lveJmjY8

Here is some of the 'Natural Art' from Div. 18, from today!!!

To continue with natural art our class is collecting natural/non-natural and clean items like:

-shells

-beads, glass beads

-glass rocks, interesting rocks

-marbles

-assorted buttons

-plastic jewels/gems

-small plastic animals

-interesting seed pods

-cleaned pieces of silk plants, flowers, boughs from a Christmas tree

-solid coloured, small table sized pieces of fabric, fancy scarves, lace table cloths

-small pieces of driftwood

-small wooden shapes (craft size)

-Pretty, small boxes

-Small glass jars (decorative, spice jars, vase)

-florist wire, craft wire, scrap booking wire
-metal keys

-small working flashlights
-ribbon
-wine corks
-interesting finds

We will be collecting these all year long, so we appreciate you sending them in any time and supporting your child's learning!

***Div. 18 will be using these items to work on: line, shape, colour, texture, pattern, construction, stories, cooperative work and collaborative planning.

Materials are mediums: "Every material has its own individual qualities.  It is only when the sculptor works direct, when there is an active relationship with the material." (Sylvia Kind, Nov. 2011)

"When imagination is valued and encouraged in all aspects of the curriculum, the classroom comes alive..." (Susan Fraser)

Exciting News!

I am very excited to introduce our Student Teacher Ms. Meedin.  She has visited our class and has participated in the school community as well.  You may know Ms. Meedin already as she is a swim coach at the Leisure Center.  She is fabulous with our kids and is a hard worker.  I am thrilled to be working with her and guiding her in her journey as a Teacher.  She will be in our class working with us for the next three weeks and teaching a few lessons with me.  After Christmas break she will then rejoin us for more of her practicum.  The kids have responded with enthusiasm and comfort with Ms. Meedin joining us.  This is a great opportunity for our class to be involved in new ideas and to have two teachers working in the room with our kids :)

 

Student Progress

This week coming up we will be updating our continual assessment of our students.  Please be patient as we often have to do assessments with grade ones on a one to one basis.   Once our Nov. assessment is done we will be sending out a Progress Checklist to let you know how your child is doing.  Please note that if we had any concerns about your child we would contact you and would have spoken to you about it.   

Don't forget you may email, write a note in the planner or talk to us at any time with questions or concerns.

Our emails:

janine_fitkall@sd42.ca      (and)     sarah_beynon@sd42.ca

Lest We Forget

Let us all remember all the men and women who have sacrificed for us!  Thank you to Lieutenant Doyle and all his Navy members that keep our Canadian shores safe! (Mr. Doyle is a support teacher at our school.)

Cross Country Race!

Congratulations Div. 18 for a great Effort in running the cross country race on Wednesday!!

Thank you Mrs. Sinow for all your hard work in making a great race!

Taiko Fit Drumming

Friday was our first lesson in Japanese Drumming with Bachi sticks.  They learn movement, rhythm, song and drumming all at the same time.  What a workout they were getting.  They had so much fun for 45min.  We have two more lessons on the next two Fridays in the gym.  Check out our photos and video of our first lesson...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jIlySfZylo

Class Community

We have been working on this display since September. We have worked on several SmartLearning lessons with the following books:

Courage of the Blue Boy: The author's message is everyone in a community is special in their own way and is part of what makes the community so wonderful!  Each student made hand prints and cut them out to make our wonderful rainbow!

 

Have you filled a Bucket Today?  The author's message is that everyone carries around an invisible bucket and when you are happy your bucket is full.  How do you fill your bucket?  Your bucket gets filled when you are kind, polite, help others and thoughtful of others.  If you dip into someone's bucket by being unkind you also dip your own bucket :( We have lots of bucket fillers in our class!  Who's bucket have you filled today?

 

I like Myself? The author's message is that each individual is special and unique.  We made the yellow flowers with their individual photo as the center and they wrote four things that they are good at or make them special.

 

 The Grouchies:  The Author's message is that we can choose to be happy and look at things positively in life.  We can push the grouchies away by making smiles your choice!

Science World 'The Air Around Us'

Thursday Oct. 20, 2011

What an exciting Science presentation!  We learned may ways air moves around us and how it keeps us on Earth.  Most of all it was fun and exciting!  Here are some fun photos of the presentation: