Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to the best Grade 2A ever!

Busy Week

Well the week is almost finished. It has been so busy and crazy around here but fun busy and crazy. I truly believe that preforming in a concert is such a great experience for children. Practicing something to make it "perfect" is a great training for many things to come in their lives. Overcoming jittery nerves, stage fright or even learning a new skill such as playing the Orff instruments are also great accomplishments. Our group really did get better each time they preformed. I think they could tell the difference as well and it really made them feel like they accomplished something. Concerts are a lot of work for everyone involved so we really appreciate your kind words. They looked so great in their fifties outfits so thanks for going the extra mile with the outfits.

I have taken a few pictures over the last month of the students getting ready for Christmas. When I get a  few extra minutes (after school is finished) I will put the photos together in a movie. Keep checking the blog.

Mr. 9l and Miss 8m have fifty nights of reading this week. Congratulations to both of you! Here is 9l's picture.

We are happy and proud to congratulate 1w on becoming a Canadian citizen. In our classroom we really stress how lucky we are to live in such a great country. 

Have a wonderful holiday season! Enjoy every second with your family.

5o NIghts of Reading and a Few Other Things!

Congratulations to 6z for 50 nights of reading! Keep up the great work. Sorry the picture is blurry! 

We have started our book talks on the Christmas or holiday books. I can tell the kids are getting better at presenting to the class. They know they have to catch everyone's attention, speak up, look at their audience and "know their stuff!"  6z did an outstanding job on his book talk. 

Here is the spelling list for this week. 

Winter Wonderland!

I am so proud of the wonderful job the kids have done on this art project. This project covers a great number of art outcomes that we have worked on this fall. We worked on background, foreground and horizon, shades of colour, and perspective. In addition it provided a bit of a challenge to our fine motor skills as the layers of blue snow were made with torn paper. It was not easy making those small tears!  I think the results are beautiful!

50 NIghts and Some Info!

We have another student with 50 nights of reading. Congratulations! It is great to see so many children practising reading at home.

Just a bit of info about the $1 I asked the students to bring. We have been working on a Christmas card project. We have made cards and written letters that will be sent to classes all over North America. It is part of an online project. All of our cards (we are sending 29) are going to the U.S.  except one. The postage for a card to the States is $1.20 so the loonie will help cover some of our postage. We can hardly wait to get our cards and letters in return!

Three New Pictures

First of all we have another student with 50 nights of reading. Congratulations 26r! You are a great reader!

Just happened to find these three cowpokes at Agribition!

Here is our spelling list for this week. We have moved on to long vowels now. Each week we will be studying a new long vowel sound and all of the spelling combos that can make up that long vowel sound. This week is long a- the spelling combos are a__e, ai, ay.

 

Agribition Movie

I put together a quick movie of the Agribition pictures I had. Sorry some kids aren't in the pictures but I didn't have pics of all the students.

50 Nights of Reading!

Congratulations to another hard working reader!

A Hard Working Reader!

Congratulations to 24t for getting his "50 Nights of Reading!"

Thanks so much to all of the parents who helped on our Agribition trip. It was a long day but fun! 

Math Facts

We are starting a new math unit on addition and subtraction. In this unit we learn how to apply addition and subtraction and we learn strategies for the basic addition and subtraction facts. We  slowly work our way through a list of strategies, practising each strategy as we go. Today we already practised +1 and +2. I call the +2's "head bobbers" because we just start with the big number and then bob our head and count two more. Pretty soon the kids will not need to count out loud while bobbing and will be able to answer automatically. Today we took out our playing cards from 1-9 and just drew random cards and practiced adding 1 and then 2. Don't forget to say 2 plus ____, as well as ____  + 2. In other words have the blank both before and after the + 2.  



These are the facts that should be practiced this week:

1+1, 1+2, 1+3, 1+4, 1+5, 1+6, 1+7, 1+8, 1+9, and same in the other order  2+1, 3+1, 4+1 etc.

2+2, 2+3, 2+4, 2+5, 2+6, 2+7, 2+8, 2+9, and the same in the other order  3+2, 4+2,5+2, 6+2, etc. These facts should be known automatically.



Having said all this, we do have kids in our class who already know all of their facts to ten automatically already. Great!

Agribition

We leave right away at 9:00 and will be away for the whole day. Please pack a lunch and make sure your child's backpack is empty of everything else. We do have to carry our lunches (backpacks) around all day so try to pack a lightweight lunch (no thermos). We will be leaving our mitts, hats and ski pants at school. We only go outside to get from one building to the next. Lost hats and mitts is not something we want to worry about.

Making Butter and the First 50 Nights of Reading Reader!

So after a few tries we finally got our butter made. Apparently I forgot that you buy whipping cream and not buttermilk. I've only done this about 20 times. Anyway, we finally shook our cream and got our butter. It was so yummy! Now we are true farmers!

 Congratulations to 18a who is the first student in the class to reach 50 nights of at home reading! Keep it up!

Math Game-Break the Bank

This afternoon we played the game Break the Bank. This game incorporates many math concepts-odd, even, counting money, counting by fives and tens and even subitizing (instantly seeing how many). There are a few kids who have yet to develop subitizing even at the dice level (instantly recognizing   what the dice roll is without counting.)

Everyone is bringing home a game board this weekend but not the dice or markers. If you can round up enough dimes and nickels it would be best if you could play with real money. We played with bingo chips etc.

The game is played as follows.

If you roll an even number, put a marker on dime.
If you roll an odd number, put a marker on nickel.

Set a time limit. When the beeper goes, count and see who has the most money!

I encourage the kids to count as they go. The constant counting repetition is good. As well, some kids will get to the point where they can instantly see how much money they have.

Here are the spelling words for next week.

Remembrance Day Art Project

We finished an art project this week that covered a couple of different art concepts. We learned about horizons, background and foreground. Then we learned that the farther away something is, the smaller it looks. I'm trying to teach the kids that you don't always have to draw/place your objects along the bottom of your paper. The finished products look great.

Basketball Tickets

 Cougar Athletics is hosting two evening events to support the Shine On Foundation.  They would like to pack the stands with MacNeill students, staff and families.  


Each student  at MacNeill will be receiving a ticket to cheer on the Uof R Cougars and support the Shine On Foundation.  The foundation supports mothers undergoing cancer treatment – to either access treatment that is not covered by Sask Health, or to create memories with their family during this challenging time.  Crystal McGregor (a former teacher at MacNeill) received support from the foundation but wasn’t able to use the funds prior to her passing.  This foundation, and the legacy that Crystal has with the Uof R Cougar Women’s Basketball team will be highlighted at the event.   

November 3-7

Just a reminder of the Remembrance Day Program on Nov. 7 at 10:45. Our class (along with the rest of the Grade Ones and Twos) will be singing a song. Our school theme this month is empathy. 

MacNeill Newsletter

The MacNeill School November newsletter is now available on the MacNeill School homepage.

MacNeill homepage

Reptile Pictures

Here are a few pictures from our visit with Dan the Reptile Man!  Everyone who wanted to touch the snakes and lizards got to. Some people (including Mrs. Hosie) did not want to.

The Special Guests!

Today our class had a special guest. He brought a bunch of live reptiles. He had two snakes, two lizards and a gecko. We got to pet some of them. We learned that corn snakes live in a corn field. They don’t eat corn but they eat mice. Snakes shed their skin. The snakes felt smooth. The gecko had hair on his toes so he could climb walls. Most geckos are small. The bearded dragon lizard felt rough. We also learned some reptiles smell with their tongue. The whole visit was very awesome!

Agribition

I just received the confirmation that our class will be able to go to Agribition on Tuesday, November 25. This is an all day trip. I will need a minimum of five parents for this trip. Please let me know if you can attend. I am excited! Agribition is a great trip!

October 27-31

We have a special presentation in our classroom that I just finished arranging today! On Tuesday we have a presenter coming in with some live reptiles. Just in time for Halloween!

On October 31 the SRC is having a spirit day. If you wish to wear a costume to school bring a toonie. If you don't want to wear a costume you can wear orange and black. We will be meeting with our Grade 7 and 8 buddies that morning.

Our spelling words for the week are as below. We may decide to add a couple of scary words on Monday. The students should know which group they are in.

School Clothing/Halloween

The MSCC will be taking orders on October 24 for school clothing. Look for the table set up.

October 31 is a SRC spirit day at MacNeill. Bring a toonie and wear your costume to school. No masks please and costumes must be school appropriate. Another option for those who do not want to wear their costume to school is to wear orange and black.

Counting!

Here are some pictures of our class doing one of the many counting activities we do. We need to be able to count by 2's, 5's and 10's up to 100. We also need to be able to count backwards the same way! We are applying our ability to count by 2's, 5's and 10's to count larger collections of items. I always encourage the kids to arrange the items into a group of ten if they are counting a larger amount of items. This week we also began to learn how to estimate. First we decide if there is less or more than 50 items. If it is less than 50, then we use 5 as a referent. If we think there are more than 50 items, then we use 10 as a referent. Quickly we scoop out our piles of 5 or 10, then we can quickly estimate. This does take some practice!

When we meet next week for our goal setting conference, I will be sharing some assessment information from the beginning of the year. We will also talk about behaviour, work habits and social goals.

New Math Game

I just found a great new math game for the students to play. It flashes a set number of items arranged in ten frames and the students are to write the number shown in a certain amount of time. I'll put a link here but also in our math list section. Try the ten frame first.

Number Flash

Scholastic Book Orders

Scholastic Book Orders were due today but a few kids said they forgot and would still like to order. I will hold the order until Tuesday.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to our first four students who completed their first 10 days of oral reading at home. They brought their Home Reading Duotangs in and received their awards.

Field Trip Pictures

Well it took some of us awhile to warm our feet up after our trip. Rubber boots are not warm! Most of the kids did enjoy getting outside and running and climbing. We learned about plants, berries, trees, animals, lichen, and beavers!  We learned what First Nations people used many of these items for. The cows (and cow pies!) were also a big hit. Thanks to 9l's dad and 18a's mom for helping us out on our trip.

By the way, I never use the students' names online. Each student has a class number and we refer to each student online by their number and the first letter of their name.

During the week of Oct. 6-9 we will not be having a spelling list. I often do this during a short week. We will be focusing on learning some Thanksgiving related words.

Trip

Well it's 7:36 and I'm about to leave for school but I haven't heard anything from the outdoor ed department yet. So I do have my ski jacket, mittens and hat with me. Not sure yet if we are going but I will be prepared. I will post as soon as I hear.

Math Games

Fridays are usually game days in our math class. I will try to tell you about some of the games we play in class so you can play them with your child at home. This week we played +1, +2 or +3. After assessing each student's level for addition/math facts, they were assigned a group (either +1, +2 or +3).  Partners were given a dice and a 100 chart. Players rolled the dice and added +1, +2 or +3, depending on their level of ability, then counted along the game board. The purpose of this game was to practice adding 1, 2 or 3 automatically without counting. You could download a 100 chart from here-100 chart



Some students brought home a ziplock bag with a book or two in. Please return Monday.



$$$- I have been asked to remind parents that they need to go online and pay the $4.00 for their child's agenda.



Thursday, October 3 at 10:00 will be our first guided reading time. It is for thirty minutes and does not involve any writing. You will get a group of about six or less students and simply oral read and discuss the book(s). Please let me know if you are able to come. Thanks.I will be sending out a calendar with all the October dates.



Spelling List for next week. More short a words but with blends etc.



Group 1-flap, rash, blast, stab, , bath, back, damp, ask, glad,  there, then

Group 2- flap, rash, blast, stab, strap, bath, back, damp, baskets,  glad, there, then,

12m, 20r, 24p- bath, glad, flat, clap, back, ask, there

Update for Speaking Assignment

I have had  a couple of emails about the speaking assignment. Sorry if I didn't give enough info. Yes you should prepare your child at home for the speaking assignment. I will be discussing it with them about it this morning. I don't really want to give one due date. I usually just ask for volunteers each day and whoever feels ready to speak can present. This keeps it more low key for those who are nervous about speaking. I hope to have everybody speak by the middle of October. Hope this clarifies things.

Cards, Partner Reading and Outdoor Gym

So many parents wonder what the "morning message" is. Here is a picture of what we do each morning as part of our spelling program. The words that have a box around them are "sight words"-words that can not be sounded out. 

September 22-26

This week in 2A we will be starting our first spelling list. Up until now we have been reviewing many sight words and spelling patterns while we do our morning message. We will continue with our morning message but will also have a list this week to study for the test on Friday. Look for the list in your child's agenda. We will talk about how important it is for their printing to be neat so they know what the words are when they get home!  Please know that the 10 or so words on the list are just an outline for the students. My lists are generally based on phonics and throughout the week we practise applying that spelling pattern to many words-not just the words on the list. I will put two "surprise words" on the test. These are words that are not on the list but do follow the same pattern/sound we worked on all week. For example-land may be a list word but I may ask the kids to spell band on the test. I want the students to learn to apply the spelling, not just memorize and then forget!

We will also be having our first speaking assignment. As part of a unit on community, each student chooses an occupation to present to the class. They need to include what the job entails, tools of the trade and why they are interested in that occupation. I'm looking for about 4 sentences. They will each go to front of the class to present.

This Week at School

This week we really focused on printing and proper letter formation. I group the letters into groups which are formed the same and we review the letter formation in that manner. This week we did clock climbers (c,o,a,g.q,) and kite strings (l,i, k, h, b, p they start at the top). Next week we will do j, r, f then m and n.



We also got our new decks of cards out and learned how to play Go Fish. When you come to our class on Family Barbque/Meet the Teacher night, please help us out by making sure your child's cards are open and then shuffle them a few times to loosen them up a bit. They are so stiff at the beginning that the kids are having a hard time with them. I have been shuffling my fingers stiff! We will be using our cards a lot this year to play many, many math games.

Raz-Kids--Our school has bought a license for our class to have access to Raz-Kids. This is a site with access to hundreds of levelled books.Next week I will send your child's password so they can begin reading many books online. They will love this site!  They gather points etc.and go through the levels.

Snack- please try to pack a quick snack that your child can eat just before recess. Anything that needs to be eaten with a spoon does not turn out to be quick! Cut up fruit, veggies or cheese is the best. Thanks.

Math Patterns

Our first week in school we reviewed what a pattern is. We copied patterns in sound, movement and drew patterns. Here are some pictures from an activity where we made our own patterns using blocks. This week we will learn about using different attributes such as size, shape, colour, thickness and position in our patterns. Students in Grade Two are expected to make patterns using three different attributes with a repeat core of at least three elements.

Games are a huge part of my math program. This week we played Snakes and Ladders. It is a good game to review counting numbers to 100 as the students need to pay attention to which direction they are going on the game board.

Know Your Address

As part of our first Social Studies unit we will be learning about our school community and the surrounding areas. Please make sure your child knows their home address and the name of their neighbourhood (Lakewood etc.)  If they can spell their address-BONUS! 



We have had a successful first week of school. We are still learning routines and establishing relationships. The students are becoming more comfortable and many have read their journals in front of the class. Hopefully we will finish collecting all of those "papers" by early next week.

First Day!

Wow! That was a busy day! Most of our day was taken up by controlling our supplies! Tomorrow I will be giving each of the students a large ziplock bag to hold their extra supplies that they will need later on in the year. I will be sending home any supplies that are in excess of what was on the school supply list.



Our classroom is located quite far from the water fountain. Please send a water bottle with your child. It is nice for the students to be able to get a drink whenever they are thirsty. At this time of year, I will walk the whole class to the washroom a couple of times a day. They are still encouraged to use the washrooms at recess and can ask during school as well. The walk through the school gives us a chance to get up and move as well!



We read two stories today. A funny story about a cat getting ready for school and a wonderful story about "bucket filling." We will be using the bucket analogy to remind everyone to treat their classmates with respect.