May 5-9

 Dear Parents, 

Reminders: Ms. Gardner’s class will be attending City Hall School.  This week will be busy for our Grade 1 students.  Please remember to dress for the weather each day.  It looks like it could be cooler and possibly wet, so a spring/rain jacket and layers to take on and off will be helpful.  We will be outside and on the move each day.  Your child may be extra hungry this week.  Pack a large lunch and two snacks, and a full water bottle for the day.  As well, your child will be tired at the end of day.  We will have many new experiences.  Please be mindful and help your child get the needed rest to be successful during this week at City Hall School.

It was a busy week of learning, as we continued to get ready for our week at City School.  Here are some of the highlights

Sketching and Learning Outside

We went outside to revisit a space on the school field that we had sketched at once before.  This time, we did a 4-Directions sketch, where we looked up, down, left and right and recorded things we noticed in each area.  We noticed how spring is also showing more changes as the days move along.  It was also quite windy when we were outside too, but it was great practise as anywhere could be our learning space at City Hall School!  We also really enjoyed just rolling down the hill as well!  

    

    

 

Learning Intentions:

I can collect ideas that are inspired by a variety of experiences 

I can express ideas through a variety of different written forms 

I can record factual information in various ways

I can describe seasonal changes

I can describe how seasonal changes affect humans and animals in the environment

I can record seasonal changes over time

I can recognize familiar landmarks and places in our own community from other communities

Social Studies - Calgary in the Past

As we have been getting ready for City Hall School, we have taken time to learn about Calgary in the Past.  We have watched 6 short videos that have shared some of the main events that took place in Calgary, starting from about 1911 to just after 2001.  We have learned many interesting things about the story of Calgary, in the past.  We recorded a main event after each video in our visual journals.  

    

    

 

Learning Intentions:

I can recognize how communities might have been different in the past then they are today

I can understand different ways our community has changed over time

I can explore stories that started in the past and continue today, in our community

Literacy

This week, we reviewed the endings that can be added to words, such as -es and -ed.  Many of us are still working on remembering these rules and extra practise would definitely help!  We also learned how y can make vowel sounds too!  At the end of words, y can say long vowel i and y can say long vowel e.  

April 28 - May 2

City Hall School Ready - Walk to Lake Bonavista!

This week we went on another adventure to our local landmark - Lake Bonavista.  Once we got there, we hiked up the big hill to see the amazing view of the mountains and the city skyline.  Students observed and sketched the city view.  We were excited to see downtown from so far away. 

     

         

Learning Intentions:

I can collect ideas that are inspired by a variety of experiences 

I can express ideas through a variety of different written forms 

I can record factual information in various ways

I can describe seasonal changes

I can describe how seasonal changes affect humans and animals in the environment

I can record seasonal changes over time

I can recognize familiar landmarks and places in our own community from other communities

Mustard Seed Visit

On Friday Seed School Coordinator Miss Danielle visited our Grade 1 community.  She spoke to our students about poverty and people experiencing homelessness in our city.  We gained a good understanding of what poverty and homelessness are.  She also read a story to us.  Ask your child about something they learned.   

Learning Intentions - Wellness

I can recognize how individuals are valued 

I can describe the differences between safe situations and unsafe or uncomfortable situations

I can describe ways that communities support relationships with others

Math

Learning Intentions:

I can investigate additional and subtraction strategies

I can add and subtract within 20 

What Is Counting On?

Counting on means starting to count from a number other than 1. To count on, you hold one number in your head, while you count to add a second number.

For example, to count on from 4, you would say 5, 6, 7, … .

Usually, you don’t say the number you are counting on from, but you could say it in a whisper.

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How Can You Add by Counting On?

•	You can add two amounts by starting with the first amount and counting on the second amount. Don’t count the first amount again. For example, you can add 5 and 3 by counting on from 5. You could say 6, 7, 8. The addition is 5 plus 3 is 8. You can put down objects to count the second group, or you can use your fingers to keep track of the numbers you say. The number of numbers you say is the second amount. You could say 5 … 6, 7, 8. That’s 5 and 3 more is 8.
•	Sometimes it is quicker to count on by 2s. If you count on by 2s, it can be a little trickier to keep track of how many numbers you count. For example, to add 6 to 8, you might say 10, 12, 14 if you can keep track of adding 6 by saying only 3 numbers.
•	Most students in Grade 1 will find it easier to keep track of addition if they count on by 1s.

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When Is Adding by Counting On Useful?

You can add any numbers by counting on, but counting on is especially useful when the second number is small. That’s why it is sometimes useful to think about adding numbers in a different order.

For example, you can think about 3 + 8 as 8 + 3 since it’s much quicker to add 8 and 3 by counting on from 8 than it is by counting on from 3.

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Helping Your Child

It is useful for children to practise counting on, and they can practise at any time. For example, if you and your child are waiting for an appointment or travelling on a bus or in a car, you can say, “Count on from 10” or “Let’s count on from 4.” But to count on for addition, you need an adding situation.

You can encourage your child to count on whenever two amounts are being combined. For example, if you have gathered 4 library books and another 5, you could say, “This pile has 5 books. Count on 4 more to find out how many books we are taking out altogether.”

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Definitions

count on: to count beginning with a number other than 1; for example, to count on from 3, you would say 4, 5, 6, …

Literacy 

This week we moved on to looking at the endings of words.  We learned about plural words, and that sometimes we need to add -es, not just the letter s.  We also learned about verbs and past tense and that the ending -ed has some important rules as well.  We also reached 100 book exchanges!  Well done!  We enjoyed an extra recess time.  What will be chosen next for our earned reward!  Keep up the home reading! 

April 22-25

 It was another week packed with learning and fun, as we really start to shift our minds towards being ready for City Hall School.  Here is some of the things we got up to this week in our learning.

City Hall Ready - Walk to the Ridge

Even though it was a little chilly, the sun was out and we took a walk together to the ridge on Tuesday.  We got a different perspective of the land and saw some landmarks far away.  We then captured what we saw in a landscape drawing.  We are really starting to build our stamina for sitting and sketching.  We even got to sit on the camping stools!  Take a look!

   

          

More Time Outside

We took time on Thursday to go outside as well.  We did a Daily Double journal, where we recorded observations from around us, using our 5 senses.  We noticed many different things, especially connected to spring.  We then reflected and wrote down ideas starting with I think…. I notice…. I wonder….  This time allowed us to notice and pay attention to the world and things around us.  

 

Learning Intentions:

I can collect ideas that are inspired by a variety of experiences 

I can express ideas through a variety of different written forms 

I can record factual information in various ways

I can describe seasonal changes

I can describe how seasonal changes affect humans and animals in the environment

I can record seasonal changes over time

I can recognize familiar landmarks and places in our own community from other communities

City Hall Special Guest - Miss Janelle - Friday 

We ended our week with a special guest joining us - Miss Janelle. She will be our City Hall School coordinator who will be joining our class each day, during our days at City Hall and coordinating the activities and experiences that we will be doing each day.  She has already met a few times with Mrs. Kosior and Ms. Gardner to talk about our big question about stories, and has helped to create a plan for the things we will do together.  We are getting very excited.  

We are excited for….

• Seeing the City Hall School classroom in person

• The revolving door going into City Hall

• The city bus we will get to take to and from City Hall

• Using some lockers for the week inside our classroom

Miss Janelle read a story book to us.  We then got to look at some special artifacts she brought from City Hall School.  We looked at them and also thought about what we noticed, what we thought and what we wondered.  We thought about the stories that the artifacts might be about and can’t wait to explore more artifacts when we are at City Hall School and learn more about the stories of our city and our connection to it.  

 

        

Next week, we will also be having a guest joining us from the Mustard Seed, to talk a bit more about things we might see while we are downtown.  

How can you help your child get ready for City Hall School?

Walking is going to be a part of our days every day when we are at City Hall.  To help your child feel ready, it may help to go for a walk together every day - start off short and then build up going a little farther each day.  This will help get your child’s legs ready and strong for walking downtown!  

Take a trip downtown?  If your child isn’t familiar with the downtown area and is having feelings of nervousness, going together as a family for an outing together might also help relieve some worries and help your child to feel prepared too!  

Literacy 

This week we focused on reviewing long vowel sounds with silent e with g making the “j” sound with silent e and some exceptions to the silent e rule, such as v at the end of a word but still needing a silent e and scribal o.  These are some interesting and challenging rules to remember, so a few minutes of extra practise can definitely help.  Please see the following home practice. 

April 14-17

A Couple of Reminders:

Home communication folders have gone home again this pass week with another update connected to reading.  We continue to build our understanding of new letter sounds and the rule of silent e and a few extra minutes of practise can go a long way each day.  Thank you to your support with returning home decodables.  We are over halfway to our class earned reward!  

We will also be going for a community walk on Tuesday after our morning recess.  More details will be coming in your messenger.  Please help your child be dressed for the weather on Tuesday!  

Lots was going on again in Grade 1 this past week.

Here are some of the top highlights from our learning.

City Hall Ready - Outdoor Exploring and Sketching!

The weather was so beautiful on Tuesday, that we took advantage to go outside and explore the land.  We continue to look for the stories of this place and were looking for the story of spring.  We did a Zoom-in journal activity, by picking something that was interesting to us to draw.  We then “zoomed in” closer, drawing a smaller part of the object.  We did an amazing job at sitting and sketching quietly.  

    

Learning Intentions:

I can collect ideas that are inspired by a variety of experiences 

I can express ideas through a variety of different written forms 

I can record factual information in various ways

We went out again on Thursday and took a closer look at the garden space.  We noticed some different signs of spring and different plants that are growing in this area.  We Zoomed-in again, sketching what we saw.  It was definitely a bit chiller than on Tuesday!  Yay, Spring.  We will continue to be going outside in the next few weeks, so dressing for the changing temperatures and being outside will help us to enjoy the changes of the season!  

   

Gym (Scooter Boards)

In gym class, kindergarten and grade 1 students are focusing on large group skills. Safety was our priority this week while learning about scooter boards. Students did an excellent job working in pairs and as a large group to learn new skills. 

   

Learning Intentions: 

• I can move my body in different ways using a scooter board.

• I can stop safely when I’m riding a scooter board.

• I can take turns and share the scooter board with my classmates

• I can follow a path or line with my scooter board.

• I can keep my balance while riding the scooter board.

• I can try new ways to ride (on my stomach, sitting, on my knees, etc.).

• I can listen to instructions and follow the rules during scooter board games.

Math

We concluded our investigation of representing numbers by decomposing and composing numbers.  Students built their understanding by “composing” a number by putting together groups to create a number.  Conversely, students built their understanding of “decomposing” or taking a part a number by breaking it into groups.

Learning Intention

• Compose and decompose numbers to 100.

• Representing number to 100 in a variety of ways

Composing Numbers

Generally, “to compose” means to create something by putting things together. You compose numbers by putting together two or more quantities to create a larger quantity. For example, you can put together 3 tens and 4 ones to create 34.

You can put together more than just tens and ones.

For example, if you put together 4 eights and 4 ones, you would get 36.

If you put together 8 and 11 and 20, you would get 39.

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Decomposing Numbers

Generally, “to decompose” means to break something into parts. You decompose numbers by breaking them up into smaller quantities.

For example, you can break 56 apart into 5 tens and 6 ones.

You can also break 56 apart into 8 groups of 7.

You could also break 56 apart into 11 groups of 5 and 1 more.

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Helping Your Child With New Words

Ask your child to put together some smaller numbers to create bigger numbers. As you talk about the task, use “put together” and “compose” interchangeably so that your child will learn that they mean the same thing.

Similarly, ask your child to take apart a big number. As you talk about the task, use “take apart” and “decompose” interchangeably so that your child will grasp that they mean the same thing.

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Helping Your Child

When items come in packs (e.g., of 2 or 3 or 4), have your child figure out how many items are in several packs.

Alternatively, ask your child to figure out how many packs you need to open to have a particular number of items.

Literacy

This week we focused on reviewing long vowel sounds with silent e and the sound “c” makes “s” with silent e and well as g make the “j” sound with silent e.  Please see the following home practice.