Friday, April 29th, 2022

 

Friday, April 29th, 2022

 Hi Families, 

Interdisciplinary Learning

As we explore local bird species, we have also been exploring different sources of information. We know that the internet, and the Calgary's Bird website was a great place to start, but we also learned this week, that authors and illustrators often embed real information in picture books. Ask your child what was learned about Magpies from these two texts:

As we closely study each of the City of Calgary bird nominees, students are also exploring different art media. We are using them as documentation to share with others, as well as creating groups of each bird in the classroom for bird watching with binoculars. 

We really enjoyed seeing the students Black-Capped Chickadee observation sheets this week, the stories of exploring new places in our community, and even running into classroom friends while out and about! Thank you for so enthusiastically sharing this home-school learning opportunity! 

A student example from this week. Great use of details to record their ideas. 
The annotations are mine, to document the what is shared orally.  

This week, students are coming home with an observation sheet for the Black-Billed Magpie. If you need another copy, the template has been uploaded to our Google Classroom --> Classwork --> Resources --> Have You Seen...Backyard Birds

Students are asked to record how many Magpies they observed in the space, where they saw the bird (tree, ground, bird-feeder, roof, light-post, etc.) as well as what the bird was doing (eating, drilling, calling, etc.)

No writing necessary. Students should record in pictures they can speak to. 

We will need the Magpie observation sheets back by Thursday, May 5th. Please ensure your child's name is written on the back. 

Finally, we have been creating a collaborative art project between all three kindergarten classes, using our learning last week with the City of Calgary Nature Kits and the book, "An Egg is Quiet". As a responsible choice in the Work Period, students can paint a watercolour egg of their choice and add it to the nest. 

An Egg is Quiet: Video

Literacy

In our Literacy work this week, we practiced our rhyming in order to predict rhyming couplets in our poem. Students had a lot of fun with their predictions, and are embedding skills taught throughout the year by identifying not just a rhyming word, but isolating the rhyming part.

Physical Education

Our unit on gymnastics continues this week, with the introduction of the climber, and other apparatuses. Please ensure your child is coming to school "Head to Toe, Ready to Go" 

HEAD TO TOE - READY TO GO!!!  

Head ....................... long hair pulled back 

Ears/Throat/Wrist ............... jewellery off 

Shirt.................................. one layer shirt 

Waist ................................................tucked in 

Pants.........................sporty pants or shorts, no belts or zippers 

Ankles..........................pants rolled up if ankles are covered 

Toes...............running shoes, gymnastic slippers or bare feet (no footed tights) 

Some reminders:
- Thursday, May 5th: Please return your child's Magpie observation sheet
- Friday, May6th: AM Kindergarten
- School Council Growing Smiles Fundraiser: Fundraiser Link

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Ms. Romanko

Gymnastics - Safety Expectations

 

Gymnastics - Safety Expectations

We will begin gymnastics in our regularly scheduled gym classes on Monday, April 25th.  The gymnastics unit will last two weeks.  Safety routines, cooperation and sportsmanship are taught and reviewed in each class.   

This physical activity opportunity will help students acquire individual skills through a variety of developmentally appropriate movement activities. 

It is important for students to come to school prepared for being actively engaged. The following guidelines are very helpful… 

  

HEAD TO TOE - READY TO GO!!!  

Head ....................... long hair pulled back 

Ears/Throat/Wrist ............... jewellery off 

Shirt.................................. one layer shirt 

Waist ................................................tucked in 

Pants.........................sporty pants or shorts, no belts or zippers 

Ankles..........................pants rolled up if ankles are covered 

Toes...............running shoes, gymnastic slippers or bare feet (no footed tights) 

  

“Playing & moving safely is everyone’s responsibility”  

Friday, April 22, 2022

Hi Families, 

Our learning this week focused on our continued exploration of local bird species, using activities from The City of Calgary Nature Kit to develop our understanding of bird eggs, food and beaks. 

Interdisciplinary Learning

While exploring eggs, we applied mathematical thinking to describe the shape. Students were able to identify that if an egg was flat, it would be an oval. They were then introduced to the term "ovoid" to describe the 3D shape. 

We ordered eggs from largest to smallest, and made predictions about which eggs belonged to which bird, making connections between the size of the bird and size of the egg, the colour of the bird and the colour of the egg, as well as our past experiences in nature. 

Ask your child if they can recall which egg belongs to which bird out of the following: Black-Capped Chickadee, Northern Flicker, Eagle, Hummingbird, Mallard, Robin.

We also explored different styles of beaks, comparing them to common tools for scooping, straining, probing, cutting/tearing, sucking and tweezing, depending on the birds food source.

Knowing that Chickadees use a small, tweezing or pinching beak for small insects and seeds, we also introduced a new material harvesting the seeds from the dried sunflower heads that were donated to our classroom in the Fall. We love not only learning what it's like to be a Chickadee, but also noticing how different the sunflower seeds are! Some are striped, some are solid, some are long and skinny, some are short and fat! 

As we closely study each of the City of Calgary bird nominees, students will be asked to observe the space around their home - front yard, backyard, local park - for each bird. 

This week, students are coming home with an observation sheet for the Black-Capped Chickadee. If you need another copy, the template has been uploaded to our Google Classroom --> Classwork --> Resources --> Have You Seen...Backyard Birds

Students are asked to record how many Chickadees they observed in the space, where they saw the bird (tree, ground, bird-feeder, roof, light-post, etc.) as well as what the bird was doing (eating, drilling, calling, etc.)

No writing necessary. Students should record in pictures they can speak to. 

We will need the Chickadee observation sheets back by Thursday, April 28th. Please ensure your child's name is written on the back. (PM students will bring this home on Monday.)

Literacy

In our Literacy work this week, we started our final review of letters and sounds, while layering in accurate and efficient lowercase letter formation. This week, we reviewed the letters c, o, s, v and w. Ask your child if they can tell you what these letters all have in common. 

We also introduced some I Spy visuals into the classroom, that allow for a range of skill practice. This week, we practiced using them in two different ways:

1. I Spy Initial Sound: "I spy with my little eye, something that starts with..."
2. I Spy Rhyming: "I spy with my little eye, something that rhymes with HAT..."

All the images on the visuals are CVC words (consonant-vowel-consonant), so students have been introduced to all the sounds. This should be taken into consideration when you see pictures such as the "bear", which has sounds students have not been introduced to yet, so is not decodable as a full word. Instead, think of a "cub", which has consonant and short vowel sound, which have been introduced, and is decodable for students. 

Some students can extend their learning by:

3. CVC Writing: Your child can find and write two words that rhyme, practicing our efficient spelling strategies. They can write as many rhyming pairs that they see. 

For home practice, these visuals (three different versions) can be found in Google Classroom --> Classwork --> Resources.

Finally, in gym, we have introduced racket sports, stating with badminton, solely for our entertainment, and being able to use birdies ;) We love a good thematic unit. 

Some reminders:
- Friday, April 28th: Please return your child's Black-Capped Chickadee observation sheet
- Friday, April 29th: PM Kindergarten
- School Council Growing Smiles Fundraiser: Fundraiser Link

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Ms. Romanko

Friday, April 15

 Hi Families, 

Despite the daily snow storms, that seemed to peak at our dismissal time, we had a wonderful week that ended with our in-class art program! For some reason I cannot get the photos to post in order, sorry families!

Learning the "dip, drip, drop" method.

Some of our finished products. 
We look forward to bringing them home soon!

Leah Donald, fibre artist.
Our first in-person visit this year!

Leah guiding us through the art.
We used local, dyed wool roving for the felting process. 

Agitation is key to getting the wool fibres to stick together!
Bubble wrap gives bumpy agitation.

Another unique form of agitation. 
Wet felting is fun and easy!

Additional photos are in our Google Classroom as a slide show: Google Classroom --> Classwork --> Artifacts of Learning. 

Thank you to our volunteers who were able to support our wet felting experience - many hands make for a successful experience! It is so exciting having volunteers back in the classroom! We will have another volunteer opportunity in May, and possibly in June, so if you are interested in volunteering, please make sure your police clearance is complete by calling the office. 

In Math, we continued exploring 2D shapes and 3D objects. Students were assigned "homework" - what 2D shapes and 3D objects can you find at home? We invited students to play I Spy with you, identifying what shape or object they saw on the exterior of your home, and see if you could find it. This is also a great car game for driving to school! 

What shapes and objects can you find in your home? In your community?
What structures are made up of lots of different shapes?
Read aloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJkonvA2RB8

In Literacy, we created a labeled Guided Drawing of an Easter bunny. We connected to our poem this week, and labeled the body parts that "hop" and "flop", using rhyming parts for efficient spelling. 

Our Easter Bunny Guided Drawings:
Ears that flop and feet that hop!

Can your child teach you the drawing?
Hint: start with the eyes.

Finally, with the return of carpets to the classroom, we are practicing the skill of sitting at the carpet for learning. Students were introduced to Listening Larry to help support what is called "Whole Body Listening". They quickly picked up the importance of having all our body parts listening when there is information being shared.

Listening Larry Whole Body Listening.
Ask your child how to listen with each body part,
and why it is important. 

If you would like to watch the story at home:
https://video.ibm.com/recorded/126399661

And the additional text to support connections at home:
https://video.ibm.com/recorded/126399462

Lake Bonavista School is planning for next year, and needs your help to prepare staffing and classroom organization. Please take a moment to fill out our next year planning form to help us build actual student numbers for 2022/2023: Planning for Next Year Form

Upcoming important dates:
- Monday, April 18th: No School for Students. PD Day for Teachers.
- Friday, April 22nd: AM Kindergarten
- Friday, April 29th: PM Kindergarten
- School Council Growing Smiles Fundraiser: Growing Smiles Fundraiser

Have a wonderful long weekend everyone! We will see students on TUESDAY! 

Ms. Romanko

Friday, April 8th, 2022

 

Hello Families,

What a fast week! We had a great week, exploring many new work choices. Ask your child which new choice was their favourite.

Math

We looked at not only 2D shapes this week but also 3D objects. We brainstormed how 2D and 3D are different and how to describe each one. We looked at a WODB to see if we could use our new mathematical terms! 

Some of the students responses included:

    -the circle doesn't belong because it has no points

    -C doesn't belong because it has 3 sides

    -D because it's the only one that is blue

    -C because all of the other ones are flat

    -C because it is the only one that is a 3D object

    -the cube because it is the only one that has lots of corners and sides

Science

Did you know that The City of Calgary, in partnership with Nature Canada and Bird Friendly Calgary, needs your help in picking an official bird for YYC? We are learning about one bird at a time and will decide as a class which one we think should be Calgary's official bird. If you are interested in learning more about this here is the link! 

https://engage.calgary.ca/CalgarysBird?fbclid=IwAR2GhwpZZJ7jc2rMfdZ3tKL8yub1uwoWXL-paY9m_An96lfcpyuWBEpzZt4

Art Felt

On Thursday, April 14th we will be enjoying a visit from Art Felt Studios. Please return the Acknowledgement of Risk form by Wednesday so that you child may participate.If you are able to volunteer, please email: miromanko@cbe.ab.ca 

Important Dates:

April 14th-Art Felt-please return forms

April 15th- Good Friday-No School

April 18th- PD Day-No School

April 22nd- AM Kindergarten

April 29th- PM Kindergarten

April 4th, 2022

 Hi Families,

Sorry for the delay in posting a blog! Here are a few updates.

Graduation Photos and School Photos

These came home last week. If you did not receive a class photo, please email me and I will track one down for you. Orders are due by April 7th for the individual photos.

Math

We have begun learning how to describe 2D shapes and have been using our descriptive words when looking at Which One Doesn't Belong pictures. Here are a few examples.

Science

We have also begun looking at nests and asking questions such as: Why do birds build nests? How do they build nests? What materials do they use? How long does it take? 

Ask your child what animals other than birds build nests!

Please ensure your child is dressed for the weather each day as we may venture outside more often now as the weather improves and not just on a Friday. 

Art

We spent a lot of time last week on competing our Art Cards. Stay tuned for more information from Parent Council soon on how you will be able to view and purchase your child's creation!

Important Dates

April 8th- PM Kindergarten

April 15th- Good Friday-No School

April 18th- PD Day-No School

April 22nd- AM Kindergarten

April 29th- PM Kindergarten