Sept 30

Happy Monday!

We have a very busy month coming up! I have sent home our October Reading Log. Click on the link on the side bar. Walk-a-thon is coming up on October 11, our goal is $1860, that works out to $60 per child. Please try your best to get those pledges. We will have another pledge tally on Friday. We will collect the money after the walk-a-thon.

If your child is involved in the Cross Country meet this Wednesday, please click on the Athletic Department blog for more info!

Important October Dates:
Wed Oct 2; Hot Lunch begins (woo hoo!)
Fri Oct 4: Food Bank Mass & Adoration, Confession for Gr 3
Sat Oct 5: Work Bee
Fri Oct 11: Walk-a-thon-- Noon Dismissal
Mon Oct 14: Thanksgiving-- No School
Thurs Oct 17: Interim Reports go home
Fri Oct 25: Provincial Pro-D-- No School 

Homework:
1. Read for 15 mins
2. Good copy-- Getting to Know Me
3. Sp. Unit 4- WTW #1-4
4. Math w/s

Please SIGN their spelling test Unit 3.

Sept 26

Hello parents!

I apologize as I forgot to hand out the hot lunch forms for November at the end of the school day. I will be sure to hand them out on Monday. They are also available on the school website if you would like to print a copy out earlier. They are due next Friday.

No homework on the weekend, unless your child has some late assignments to hand in.

No school tomorrow as we will be at Holy Cross (my old stomping grounds!) for a faith development workshop. Enjoy your long weekend!

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Why the Pro-D Days? Because teachers need to keep on learning!

Sept 25

Today, your child is bringing a letter home explaining our RAZ-kids program. For those of you who were here in Grade Two, the log-in is very similar to last year, but the teacher id is mfonsecab. Click on your child's name and then type in the password. I have given each child a password by choosing a noun that starts with the same letter as their name and their student number for the class. The password is written in their planner covers as well as on the letter sent home. If you did not receive the email, there is a link on the sidebar explaining the program. Reading a story and doing a quiz can count towards their 15 minutes of daily reading.

Please write their current pledge total on their planner for a class tally tomorrow. This is just the first of four tally days so keep getting those pledges!

Homework:
1. Rd 15 minutes
2. SS-- Now and Then Clearing the Land (Do not work ahead)
3. SP. 3 -- CH, TEST tomorrow
4. Sci-- Structures w/s

NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY!

PLANNERS ARE HERE!

Please check out the new planners and ensure that they are signed every day :)
The students were so excited! It was like Christmas in September!

Sept 24

Week Four! Here we go! I apologize for the lack of blogging yesterday, I realized that I did not blog for the week this morning on my way to work!

We have started our Walk-a-Thon campaign and the theme this year is "Building Our School, One Brick at a Time" with an emphasis on Lego bricks.  Our goal is for each student to bring in $60. That brings our class total to $1860. The top class from Primary will receive a pizza party.

For every $20 a student brings in, they get a ticket to place in the draw for a top prize. For each student who brings in $40, they will receive a Lego mini figure. The student who brings in the most money will receive a major prize. There are many other prizes to be won! So please go out and get pledges to support our school. Prizes will be awarded AFTER the monies have been turned it.

There will be four pledge tally days where I will ask the students to bring in a total of their pledges so far. They do not need to bring in the pledge forms. The days are: Spet 26, Oct 4, Oct 9 and Oct 11.

WALK-A-THON IS ON OCTOBER 11.

There is NO SCHOOL on Friday due to a PRO-D Day. Our spelling and math quizzes will be on Thursday. 

We have started an ALL ABOUT ME writing project in class. This will be drafted, edited and corrected in class. Students may have to bring the good copies home to complete from time to time. 

Homework:

1. Rd. for 15 minutes

2. Math w/s

3. Sp Unit 3- WP 

4. Mirror- writing good copy

Start student this week is Bea. Sheets are due on Thurs.

Sept 19

PHOTO DAY tomorrow! Please remember that we need to wear full uniform (no gym strip necessary tomorrow so we don't look so layered!) Girls may only wear school colours in their hair (black, white, navy blue and red) and simple accessories only.

Homework:
1. Rd for 15 minutes
2. Writer's brain-- good copy (coloured)
3. Math w/s-- both sides

Rel quiz-- CH 1 tomorrow
Sp test-- Unit 2 tomorrow
No math quiz tomorrow

Sept 18

Thank you for your donations for our Terry Fox Walk today. We raised a lot as a class!

Homework:
1. Rd for 15 minutes
2. Sp Challenges #1-3,5,6
3. Star student sheets for Matteo & Antoinette
4. Brainstorm writer's brain

Religion quiz for ch 1-- Friday
(We have been discussing it for two weeks, and they have a study sheet with answers!)

PHOTO DAY FRIDAY!!! FULL UNIFORM NEEDED!

Sept 17,2013

Today we started French. I introduced the students to my alter-ego Madame Fancy Dancy, who speaks French :) Our program is about introducing vocabulary along with actions. We learned how to say: (I apologize for the missing accents below, for any of our French speakers!)

I am = Je suis
How are you? = Comma ca va?
I am doing well = Ca va bien
I am doing bad = Ca va mal
I am doing so-so = Ca va comme ci, comme ca

Homework:
1. Rd for 15 minutes
2. Sp WP
3. Math w/s (back)

TOMORROW IS TERRY FOX RUN! PLEASE SEND IN YOUR DONATIONS!
We are trying to fill an ice cream bucket to win a prize!

Sept 16

Happy Monday!!! Today was a fun day. We sliced open a coconut... with a lot of force... a hammer was involved. But don't worry, safety first, the students were at a safe distance! They were really adventurous and tried the coconut water and the meat (copra) inside and also tasted the dried sweetened coconut that is used to make macaroons. Some liked it a lot and some did not... but they were all really great about trying it.

We are learning about materials and structures in Science and started with natural materials (hence the coconut lab!) and now we are moving into man-made materials.

We have begun reading Little House in the Big Woods, which ties into our Socials unit of Pioneers.

I was very pleased with the Math quizzes last Friday and will be sending them home, along with the spelling test books, for your signature tomorrow. I still have a few students who need to write the Math quiz as they were away on Friday.

Homework:
1. Rd for 15 minutes
2. Sp Unit 2- WTW #1-4
3. Math w/s front only

Reminders:
-- Terry Fox walk is on Wednesday on school grounds. Please be generous with your donations of coins.
-- Friday: Photo day-- full uniform required
-- Hot lunch does not begin until October, so please send a lunch on Wednesday.

Sept 13

Two weeks down! Wow! That went by fast! Only 38 more to go ;)

I hope your child is having fun as we have done some really neat things this week. There is no homework assigned for the weekend. If your child has not handed in all their work, then they have some catch up work to complete.

On Monday, we will be looking at coconuts and the uses that it has. I looked at my allergy list and no one has a listed coconut allergy. We will be tasting coconut water and the meat from a fresh coconut.

SPELLING:
Next week, we will be working on Unit 2. As I have mentioned, the routine is

Monday-- Write the Words
Tuesday-- Word Power
Wednesday-- Challenges

You are welcome to work ahead.
The corresponding page numbers are in their black duo tangs and also on page on this blog ----->

Photo day is on FRIDAY, SEPT 20. Full uniform needed.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Sept 12

Summer decided to make a comeback... just like '80 clothing :)
Students are allowed to wear their gym strips again tomorrow.

Thank you for your patience with the planners. I really hope they arrive by next week!

Homework:
1. Rd for 15 mins
2. Math w/s
3. Comm Skills pg 3,5

 Reminders:
-Spelling Test Unit 1
-Math Quiz- (Odd/Even, Number Patterns)

Sept 11, 2013

THANK YOU to all of the families who came out last night to celebrate the start of the school year! I hope you all had a great time at the BBQ. If you were unable to come, your child is bringing the information package home today. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.

We started our Pioneer unit in Socials this week and today, we made butter! Yummy! We were able to try it with a piece of bread. If you want to make it at home, here is our VERY easy recipe...

Pour two cups of whipping cream in a container (we used a plastic water bottle). Shake, shake, shake for about 20 minutes. (Take turns! So fun!) Drain in a strainer (the leftover liquid is buttermilk). Salt and enjoy!

Homework:
1. Rd for 15 minutes
2. Butter reading comprehension (not the cheese part)
3. Sp.1-- Challenges
4. Math w/s (front and A-C on the back)

Message From PFG

The Walkathon is on October 11th this year, and the PFG will be looking for a number of volunteers for different jobs on the day of the event.  A sign up sheet with more information will be coming home soon!

The next PFG meeting will be held on Monday, September 16th, at 7pm, in the Cenacle Room in the Parish Centre.  They are still looking for volunteers to complete their executive committee:

• The Co-Chair is responsible for arranging PEC meetings, and carries out the Chair's duties in their absence.
• The Volunteer Coordinator communicates with Parent Reps and the Family Service Coordinator to find and organise volunteers for PFG events.

They are also looking for two Parent Representatives from each class.  Parent Reps liaise with the teacher and class parents regarding fundraising efforts, and help the Volunteer Coordinator recruit volunteers for PFG events.

Joining the PFG is a great way to fulfil your family service commitment (not including the mandatory maintenance hours) for the year.  For more information, please attend the meeting, or email: fundraising@ccsunited.ca

Sept. 4

Homework:
1. Writing--good copy
2. Bookmark

Reminders:
*Back to School BBQ-- Tues. Sept 10--5:30-7:30
Please send RSVP forms
 *Picture Day-- Sept 20
 *NO SCHOOL- ProD-- Sept 27

Sept 3, 2013

In all the chaos of today, I forgot to send home my parent letter! I apologize, it will be sent home tomorrow. I did send home a notice about the Back to School BBQ and an expectation package that the students and I discussed today. Please sign the expectation package and send it back to school.

Just a few reminders about tomorrow:
1. PE tomorrow-- wear your gym strip under your uniform, if it is too warm, we change into our uniforms after gym. Don't forget your running shoes
2. Early dismissal tomorrow-- 2pm

The classroom is a NUT FREE zone, due to allergies in the class. Thank you for your cooperation.

WELCOME

Here we are! A new school year! When I was a student from elementary all the way through university, this was always my favourite time of the year. I love the newness of it all: the books, the supplies, the topics, backpack, shoes... all of it! As a teacher, I look forward to getting my classroom ready for a new batch of students. I still get excited about new supplies (and new shoes!) As I've already taught most of your children, in Kindergarten, I look forward to getting to know them again and to see how they have grown since then. Please ensure that you subscribe to this blog via email to keep in touch. I will try my best to update all the lists and schedules by the end of the week.

Today, your child will be bringing home a short letter with some important information, as well as an information package to students. Please go over the information package with them, sign and RETURN it to the classroom. Another copy will be given to you, which you can keep, on Meet the Staff Night (September 10).

LABEL!!! LABEL!!! LABEL!!!

Please don't forget to LABEL everything that is sent to school that you would like back... uniform pieces, jackets, shoes, bags, lunch bags, water bottles, food containers, etc! I know it's time consuming to do so, but you will save yourself time, money and grief if you LABEL it all!

                                            Parent Volunteers

If you need to fulfill parent hours, please email me and let me know. I will be more than willing to send work home for parents to do.

PLANNERS

I do blog homework for the first half of the year, until students get in the habit of using their planners properly (this is a learning outcome in Grade Three!) Please sign the planners EVERY DAY even if your child has completed all the work at school. Students want to earn their Fonseca Bucks and having planners signed is part of the homework check. THANKS!

I look forward to a fun and busy school year! Please come and check us out the classroom (in the room formerly known as the Library)!