Welcome to the middle of April, if only the weather would co-operate!  Fingers crossed for a warmer and drier week ahead.  Thank you very much for all your support this week, helping your children participate in all of our special days.  The classroom was pink on Wednesday to celebrate Pink Day.  We have been discussing being a good friend and being tolerant of others and their differences.  When our Reading Buddies visited on Tuesday, they helped us trace our hands, cut them out and decorate them.  These hands became part of a poster to show that we are all special and we belong.  This poster is on display in our classroom.  On Wednesday, the children created figures wearing pink shirts.  The children added positive messages on their shirts to reinforce being a good friend.  This wonderful art is on our classroom door.  On Thursday, we showed our support for Humboldt by wearing our jerseys, LKS shirts and green and gold.  Thank you so much for helping to explain this unimaginable tragedy to your children.  It was touching to hear the children discuss why they were wearing jerseys, how their parents wore jerseys or green and gold to work.  They also talked about leaving hockey sticks outside their homes.  The children were so proud to be part of something that everyone in the school, the city and the country were participating in. 
     The class also completed their April pictures this week.  The children participated in a variety of measuring activities using cubes and marshmallows for non-standard measurement.  In the computer lab, they used ABCya to connect the dots and put numbers in numerical order.  During gym classes the students played a co-operative game in pairs called "knee to knee" and practised their dance moves.
     We will be having a scientist visit Tuesday morning to guide us through a variety of activities.  Thank you very much to our volunteers for the morning.  If you are volunteering, please arrive at school at 8:35 so the scientist has the opportunity to discuss your activity with you.  Volunteers are listed on the April calendar.  Volunteers will have to sign in at the office and get a visitor's tag. If you are unable to attend, please let the grade parents know as soon as possible.  The scientist's visit is always a great learning opportunity.
     On Thursday, April 19, LKS will be hosting a "Day in the Life of your Student".  Everyone is invited to visit our classroom with your child acting as a guide and host.  Miss Santiago and I will be setting up a variety of favourite classroom activities for you to do with your child.  These include drama, math, reading, sight words and building centres.  The Kindergarten Open House is from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.  This evening is organized as a drop in activity and you will not need to attend for the entire hour.  Miss Santiago and I look forward to seeing you then.  Please see us if you have an questions.  Thanks in advance.

This Week:

Monday-Library (A), Computers (B)
Tuesday-Scientist visits in the morning
               Snuggle up books exchanged
Wednesday-Library (B), Computers (A)
Thursday-Return Sound Review books and Sight  
                 Word Books
               *LKS Open House   6:00 pm-7:00 pm
Friday-Music
             Snuggle Up books exchanged

Special days this week:

Wednesday, April 11-wear pink

Thursday, April 12-wear a hockey jersey to honour the Humboldt Broncos hockey team

Friday, April 13-wear your Terry Fox shirt to remember the first day of the Marathon of Hope

Thursday and Friday special days were just announced today.  Sorry for the short notice.

     I hope that everyone had a wonderful first week of April.  It was hard to believe it was April with all the snow flurries and cold weather.  Fingers crossed that this week will be warmer and hopefully not too rainy.  The children visited the book fair in the library this week.  Thank you very much for returning all the wish lists and payments for the books you wished to purchase.  Many books were sold out when we visited on Friday and those books will be ordered and your child's purchases will be delivered to our classroom when they arrive.  We do not know the timeline for delivery, but hopefully it will be quick.  Thanks in advance for your patience as we work through this new system with Mabel's Fables.  If you have any questions, please see Ms. McGee.  
     This week the children completed their April calendars and made robins in nests for the artwork.  The children are also enjoying inspecting the birds' nests we have in the classroom.   In math, we are starting measurement activities using non-standard units including cubes and paper clips.  Our Reading Buddies traced the Kindergarten students' feet on Tuesday and the children measured and recorded the results on Friday.  This activity can be seen on our bulletin board outside our classroom. Pictures to follow.  We will continue with measurement activities in the following weeks.
     In the computer lab, Miss Santiago had the children use Pebblego to research facts about the rain.  There was no gym this week due to volleyball and badminton tournaments in the gym.  The children used their library period this week to visit the book fair.  Regular library periods will resume this week.
     On Wednesday, April 11, LKS will be participating in Pink Day.  Pink Day is the International Day against bullying and discrimination.  It is a day to celebrate diversity.  Let's show our support and wear PINK on Wednesday!


This Week:

Monday-Library (A), Computers (B)
              Scholastic Book Orders Due
Tuesday-Snuggle Up books exchanged
Wednesday-Pink Day
                   Library (B), Computers (A)
Thursday-Return Sound Review Books and Sight 
                  word books
Friday-Music
            Snuggle Up books exchanged

     Happy long weekend!  I hope you are enjoying your time with family and friends this weekend.  We had a busy week with many Spring and Easter activities.  The children drew on hard boiled eggs and then dyed them on Monday and also created bunny bags for their goodies!  On Tuesday, we had our Spring party.  Thank you to all of our volunteers and for our food and drink donations.  A great time was had by all.  The children had the opportunity to circulate through 6 activities, including writing a bunny card, designing an Easter egg on aluminum foil, constructing a stand-up bunny, assembling a puzzle by counting by 10's, creating a chick and making a fun bunny face.  We also started our working on measurement by sequencing Easter eggs from the smallest to the largest.  The students also played a variety of games using sight words on plastic eggs.  These activities will continue next week.

     
     We will be visiting the book fair in the library on Wednesday and Friday this week.  There is a new format which is explained in the Parent Bulletin.  During our first visit on Wednesday morning, the children will be creating a wish list of books they would like to purchase.  This list will be sent home with your child.  On Friday, you may send cash or your credit card number and your child may purchase some items from their wish list.  The book fair is also open Thursday and Friday for you to visit with your child.  As always there is no obligation to purchase books.  Both of our book fair visits are scheduled for the morning. Please see Ms. McGee if you have any questions.  This is a new format, so we are all learning the procedure.
     In the computer lab this week, the children went on BookFlix and explored stories about Easter and bunnies.  The students played a game called Rice Crispies and Duck, duck goose.
     A reminder that there is no school on Monday, so mailbags should be returned to school on Tuesday to exchange Snuggle Up books.  Thanks in advance.

This Week:

Monday-No School
Tuesday-Snuggle Up books exchanged
Wednesday-Book Fair visit to create Wish List
Thursday-Return Sound Review books and Sight Word books
Friday-Bring your wish list and payment for any items you wish to purchase at the book fair

You may return library books, but the library will be closed for book exchange due to the book fair.

Scholastic Book Orders are due Monday, April 9.

Mark your calendars-Thursday April 19 is the LKS Open House and you will be able to visit classrooms and participate in the same activities that your child completes at school.

     Welcome back, I hope that everyone had a wonderful March Break.  It was great to hear about all the fun activities that happened during the week off from the children.  We had a busy week exploring "The Three Little Pigs" through a variety of activities.  The children had the opportunity to investigate the characters, setting and retell important details from the story.  We concluded with the children building a house for a pig which would withstand the huffing and puffing of the big bad wolf.  Each child was given a plate with a pig in the middle, 12 fruit gummies and as many toothpicks as they wished.  They were challenged to build a house with the pig inside.  When their house was completed, the big bad wolf came to try to blow it down.

Waiting for the builders!

Building a house

The big bad wolf huffed and he puffed, but he could not blow the house down!

A great house for a pig!

The children worked diligently to build a strong structure for their pigs and it was great to hear the children talk about how they were making a cube, or using triangles, or using many toothpicks to make their house stable.  

     We also completed our March pictures this week.  In the gym, the children played Octopus and moved with Just Dance video with Miss Santiago.  The students used PebbleGo to investigate Spring happenings in the computer lab.

     On Friday afternoon, Lambton-Kingsway participated in Earth Hour.  At 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm we shut off the lights in our classroom to help save energy, help the climate and draw attention to the wildlife loss in Canada and around the world.

    Please read the LKS Parent Bulletin to find information regarding the Book Fair the beginning of April.  This Book Fair is hosted by Mabel's Fables and will work a bit differently that our Scholastic book fairs.  Children will be able to make a wish list of books that they would like and then may bring in the money or a credit card number during the purchasing time.  As in the past, all children will have the opportunity to visit the book fair and purchasing books is not required.  We will be also be discussing this in class, that sometimes you just go to a store to look and not buy anything.  The book fair may also change our library schedule that week.  I have put the regular library times on our April calendar, but we will have to be flexible as the library will be a busy place.

     Our March Sharing Assembly is Wednesday at 9:00 am in the gym.  The children will be singing a song under the leadership of Ms. McGee.  The children have been busy practising during their music periods.  Everyone is invited!  The character trait being celebrated is Honesty.

     Wishing everyone a great long weekend with their friends and family.  A reminder that there is no school on Friday, March 30 and Monday, April 2.  Please return Sound Review books and Sight work books by Wednesday so we have time to add the new work.  April calendars will be sent home this Tuesday.

This Week:

Monday-Library (B), Computers (A)

Tuesday-Spring Party (am)

             -check the calendars for volunteers

              -Snuggle Up books exchanged

Wednesday-Sharing Assembly

                   -Music

                   -Return Sound Review books and 

                    Sight Word books

Thursday-Library(A), Computers (B)

                 -Snuggle Up books exchanged

Friday-No School

Monday-No School

     Happy March Break!  I hope that everyone has time to have fun and do some special activities with your family this week.  Try and make time to put the devices and screens away and play games, read or explore with your child.  It is difficult to believe that Spring arrives next week as I see snowflakes outside my window.  Fingers crossed that we have some "lamb" weather when we return to school.
     We had a busy week exploring "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" in Room 159.  In the drama centre the children enjoyed playing the characters from the story and acting out the story.  It was great to hear so many different voices for the characters and such great detailed retelling.  The students also completed a book discussing the setting, the characters and the sequence of the story.
     The children continued explored 3d shapes this week and sorted shapes into 2 categories, shapes that roll and shapes that slide.  We had set up ramps and 3d shapes on the carpet, so the children could experiment and then record their findings.  They also learned that shapes with flat faces slide, shapes with curved surfaces roll and some shapes can do both.
     We have also set up a table with a 100 piece puzzle for the children to work on.  Interested children can visit this centre and then leave the puzzle and other children can come and also add to the puzzle.  It is a great invitation for teamwork!  Our Reading Buddies visited on Friday and everyone played a 3d shape bingo game.  Miss Santiago and I sent home the sheets so you can play this at home.   Enjoy!
     In the computer lab, the children played Shape Construction on ABCya.  Miss Santiago introduced the children to crab soccer in the gym.  The children had a great time!  We also practised writing sight words on the white boards in small groups this week!
     
This Week:

Monday-Welcome Back!
               Library (B), Computers (A)
Tuesday-First Day of Spring!
               Snuggle Up books exchanged
Wednesday-Music
Thursday-Library (A), Computers (B)
                Return Sound Review books and Sight Word books
Friday-Snuggle Up books exchanged
            Pizza Day

     Happy March!  Fingers crossed that Spring is on the way.  The children completed their March calendars this week and created lions and lambs as we classify the weather this month.  Hopefully there will be more lamb days than lion days.  As the weather continues to change please send splash pants or snow pants (depending on the weather) with your child.  Our playground continues to have wet spots and no one wants to be dirty or wet for the school day.  Thanks in advance.  If your child does not have splash pants, this is a great time to purchase a pair.
     We investigated "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" this week.  The drama centre had bowls, chairs and towels for beds.  The children enjoyed wearing the name of their character and acting out the story.  The Junior Kindergarten students completed work naming the characters in the story and the Senior Kindergarten students drew the characters, the setting and the beginning, middle and end of the story. Our building challenge this week was to build a bed for Goldilocks.  Goldilocks was made of paper on a recipe card, but had keys taped to the back of the paper to make her heavier.  The children were given a variety of materials including 2 paper cups, small blocks, craft foam, popsicle sticks, pompoms, chopsticks and recipe cards to build a bed.  They had to use a minimum of 2 different materials, the bed had to hold Goldilocks and there had to be space under the bed.  The students did a wonderful job constructing their beds.  We will be studying "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" this week. There will be a lot of "trip trapping' over the bridge!
     We continued learning and experimenting with 3 d shapes this week.  We built a ramp and the children took turns determining if their shape would roll, slide or roll and slide down the ramp.  We then classified the shapes in a Venn diagram.  Please see pictures to the right of the blog.  In the computer lab, the children played "What Came First?".  This game uses adventure stories to practise story sequencing and is on Book Flix.  In the gym, the children used the parachute to play Cat and Mouse and also played a game called Birds Nest.
     On Tuesday, we will be attending a presentation from the Youth Wellness Network,  entitled, "How to Become Your Own Best Friend."  This is based on extending the golden rule to treating ourselves the way we want to be treated so we can treat others the way they want to be treated.  This presentation teaches students the tools to build a stronger foundation of self-esteem and self-love.
     Miss Santiago and I would like to wish everyone a wonderful March Break.  Hopefully you will have the opportunity to spend some fun time doing special things with your family.  This is always a great time to explore a new book, a board game or just enjoy a nice walk in the neighbourhood.   Hopefully we will return to sunny warmer days!

This Week:

Monday-Library (B), Computers (A)
Tuesday-Snuggle Up Books exchanged
               Youth Wellness presentation
Wednesday-Scholastic Book orders due
                    You can order and pay online
                    Music 
Thursday-Library (A), Computers (B)
                 Return Sound Review books and 
                 Sight Word Books
Friday-Snuggle Up Books exchanged
            Have a wonderful March Break!

See everyone on Monday, March 19!