Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

We want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Also, Happy New Year and all the best for 2014! We look forward to seeing everyone on January 6th, 2014. Please remember that Mrs. David will be on Jury Duty the first week back. Actually, I don't know if I'll be there the whole week - I'll find out on a daily basis. The class will be in good hands with Ms. Blakely, Ms. Alannah and Mr. Campbell. Have a safe and healthy break which begins this Friday, December 20th.

See Important Class Annoucements

Investigating 3D Solids

 Today the students further investigated 3D Solids. We began by reviewing the names of the 3D Solids and their characteristics. Next we put the 3D Solids into a bag and had the students feel them with their hands, describe them and finally guess which solid it was. We had a great discussion about how the solids felt (curvy, straight, points, faces etc). Students also did a great job describing why it could be certain solids and why it could not be other solids.

                        

Students continued to guess 3D shapes during centre time. Miss Alannah brought out her iPad and the students had fun using the app "Solids Elementary" to look at nets of shapes and find the wooden version of the shape in our solids bin.

Craft Show Announcement

Please see an announcement under important class announcements.

Another Visitor to our Classroom

Today we had Jorge from the Coxwell/Danforth Library come and visit our class. He sang some songs, read some books and left us with information for parents about the library and upcoming programs they are offering. The students really enjoyed his visit.

On a side note, we put in forms in each child's bag requesting volunteers for our Scientist in the School, who will be visiting our class on Jan 13th (in the afternoon). I realize I may have put incorrect forms (the volunteer confirmation form) in some of the students bags instead of the request of volunteer form. Please let me know and we'll make sure to send home the correct form.  Thanks for your understanding.

Continuing Our Colour Inquiry

Today we continued our colour inquiry. We had a discussion about 

paint chips, what they are used for and their different names. 
Students were then given paint chips and asked to choose a colour 
and make different shades of it (create their own paint chip). They 
were also asked to name their different colour paint chips.

After mixing, the children were asked about their process: What 

colour did you make? What name might you give your colour? 

How did you make it? Where might you see this colour outside?

    

 

See New Announcement

Please see new announcement posted about The Holiday Sing Along.

More Learning

Here's another great "Morning Message" we found at our Reading and Writing Corner:

Here's a look at our beetles eating their apple.

Math - 3D Shapes/Solids

We have begun to investigate 3D shapes/solids in our class. We began by introducing the solids and talking about their characteristics (e.g., how many sides, corners etc). We also discussed what real life objects looked like each solid. Ask you child if they know something that looks like a cube, a sphere or a cone etc.

Today we made predictions of the solids would roll, slide or roll and slide. See if your child can tell you which solids rolled, which ones slid and which ones did both!

After our large group discussion, students went to centres. Some students did a solids hunt, where they searched for solids within the classroom. We will later go out into the community and do a solids hunt. 

 

 Ms. Alannah also had her ipad in our classroom and she quickly did an activity with some students. She showed them a solid that was all rolled out (that's called a net) and the students had to discuss which solid it would be when they put the solid net together!

Observing our Classroom Trees in December

Here’s a look at our November observations for our three classroom trees:

Tree One:

 

G.D. – “There are only branches.”

J.S. – “I wonder how the branch broke off.”

Q.G. – “I saw it break off during a wind storm.”

Tree Two:

 

M.C.  – “There aren’t as many leaves on the ground.”

C.B. – “Did the wind blow the leaves away?”

J.M. – “Maybe when the snow came it covered the leaves.”

Tree Three:

R.G. – “There are no more leaves”.

D.P. – “The leaves are gone on the ground”.

Q.G. – “There are no leaves left on the playground”.

Primary Colours

Today we watched a fun song about the primary colours. The students loved learning it and singing along.

Here's a link to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu44JRTIxSQ

Some Learning From Today

Today a small group of students wrote individual books at the art table. Afterwards, they read their books to each other. I believe a few of the students may have taken their book home. If so, ask them about them.

Some students began making roads and valleys in the sand table today. I look forward to seeing where this goes. 

Investigating Colours Further

Today some students investigated colours further. Students were given some paint chips and asked to mix primary colours and try to create one of the colours on the paint chip. We had some interesting conversations about what happens when you add more blue paint to red paint compared to when you add more red paint to blue paint!

Our Colour Inquiry

We continued our colour inquiry on Friday. We read a book about three white mice who were hiding from a cat. However, each mouse fell into a bucket of paint (one red, one yellow and one blue). As the mice climbed out of the paint buckets, their paint mixed together and they turned purple, orange and green! After we read the book, the students further explored mixing paint colours. Some students continued to investigate how to make purple, green and orange, while others investigated how to make different shades of these colours.

Here are some of our initial questions we had about colours.

Trying to make different shades of purple.

Winter Dressing

Please see an announcement about Winter Dressing under Important Class Announcements.

Writing Notes

G.F. wrote a note today on his block structure when he knew that he was only half way through building it, but it was time for lunch! What a great idea. G.F. had the opportunity to continue building his structure after lunch.

Computer Time

Each week Ms. Blakely takes students to the computer lab. Most weeks the SKs go and the JKs rotate every second week. Here is a look at one student's work in the computer lab when they were asked to create a picture of themselves:

Our Colour Inquiry Has Begun

This morning we began our inquiry about colours by asking the students what they wondered about colours. Students asked us many questions including: How do you make colours? How do you make red? How are rainbows formed? Why are colours different?

Afterwards, we showed the students three glasses of water (one red, blue and yellow). We explained that all colours have at least one of these colours in them. We asked the classed what they thought might happen when we mixed these different coloured waters together. Then we let our students explore that question for themselves.

Students began making many discoveries as they combined the 3 glasses of water together. Some students not only discovered how to make orange, purple and green, but  they discovered how to make light purple and light green!

While students were making discoveries about colours at the art table, others were making similar discoveries at the light table and light projector.

Mrs. David, I made green by putting the blue over the yellow.

I made purple using red and blue.

Students also had fun painting using the 3 primary colours to see what other colours they could create.

 They made many interesting and exciting discoveries. Here's what a few of the students had to say about their discoveries: