*~*tHiS iS hAlLoWeEn*~*

Hi there!

Thanks for checking the blog!  We had an AWESOME day in Room 10 as we kicked off the Halloween weekend with some fun filled activities!  I wish you all a safe and happy weekend as you treat (not trick!) your neighbourhood on Sunday.  Hopefully the children will not be too sleepy on Monday morning!  The Grade 2 team have decided to ask that parents PLEASE limit the amount of candy that comes for recess snack.  Particularly for the morning recess break- it’s probably no surprise that sweets don’t sustain our brains until lunch time.  Please encourage your Grade 2E-er to bring 1 treat with a healthy option.  I will be reminding them about healthy choices, and will reward them when they make those smart choices.  Thanks for your help here!!

A HUGE thank you goes out to those parents who have volunteered with driving to our Crossings Branch Library field trip, AND those who provided sweets for today’s celebrations! Thank you to Jen Zgurski, Rhonda Steed, Sarah Pietras, Marnie Rogstad, Cindy Goldhawk and Amber Toone for driving and to Cynthia Allum, Louise Lindley, Rhonda Steed, Marnie Rogstad, Leslie Wensmann, Heather Hall, and Sarah Peters for providing yummy treats and supplies!

You may have noticed that there is a Home Reading help sheet that went home today.  Please read these helpful hints over and keep them in mind when your student does their home reading.  Also, please watch for a study guide to come home next week for their Math Data Analysis test, as well as their Halloween Books! We need a little bit more time with the writing, but I am sure proud of what we have been able to accomplish so far. 

Have a safe and spooky Halloween weekend!

-Anna Tsentouros

Happy Autumn!!

Hello Grade 2E Families!

I hope you are enjoying your long weekend with your families and the fabulous weather!  The MMH staff enjoyed our two days of Professional Development and we are busy working with some new ideas for the classroom! 

I just wanted to send out a gentle reminder that the Grade 2 students need to bring in a pumpkin for Monday October 25^th.  These pumpkins will be used all week for a math activity, and then will be sent home on either Wednesday the 27^th or Thursday the 28^th, just in time for you to carve them at home for the Halloween weekend!

I’m pleased that the Home Reading program has been off to a great start, and am hoping you are enjoying that one on one time with your Grade 2E student at home.  Please remember to fill in the Home Reading Log Book (in the ziplock bag) and initial every day for when you read.  The Comments section isn’t necessary every time, but if you have any information you’d like to pass along please do so.  Also, PLEASE do not forget to initial your child’s agenda every day!! Thank you for your help with this. 

We are busy in Room 10 wrapping up a few units including our Early Lethbridge First Nations study, and our Data Analysis Unit.  Please watch for a study guide to come home regarding our Math Unit, and help your student study for their unit test. 

I am super proud of our Grade 2ers as they have been working SO HARD at special Halloween Writing activity for the past few weeks.  This is the first major writing project in Grade 2 and we spend a lot of time going over techniques of what makes a fantastic writer.  Their Halloween books will go home on Friday October 29^th.  Please make sure you go through their work and have them share with you what they have been doing, as this project is a large part of their Writing mark for their first reporting period.

I think that’s it for now!  Enjoy your beautiful autumn weekend!

-Anna Tsentouros

Some IMPORTANT OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER DATES!

October 26^th- Life Touch Picture Retakes
October 27^th- Crossings Branch Field Trip 1-2pm
October 28^th- Spelling Test
October 29^th- Halloween Parade/ Party
November 2^nd- Spirit Assembly @ 8:30am
November 10^th- Remembrance Day Assembly @10:30
November 11^th-12^th- No School- Remembrance Day & Fall Break
November 19^th- Report Cards sent home
November 23th- Spirit Assembly @ 12:45
November 24^th- Hot Lunch
November 25^th-26^th- No School- Parent/ Teacher Interviews

MiDdLe oF OcToBeR aLrEaDy?!?!?!

Hello families!

Once again, huge thanks go out to our volunteers who came out and braved the cold weather on our Galt Gardens field trip: Louise Lindley, Emerice Shore, Sarah Pietras, Marnie Rogstad, Jen Zgurski, Rickele and Deb Knox.  We learned lots about Lethbridge’s history and some interesting facts about some buildings downtown.  I was SUPER impressed with how Grade 2E behaved themselves on our second field trip, as they did an amazing job on their treasure hunt.  Thank you to everyone who helped out! 

Since next week is such a short week, there will be no spelling/ homework assigned.  However, I will send home a list on Monday of the sight words we have covered so far, so that you can review these with your student. 

We are all set for parent drivers on our Crossings Branch Library tour for October 27^th from 1-2pm, however, if there are any other volunteers who are wanting to attend PLEASE feel free to join us!  You are welcome to be a driver or to meet us there as well. 

If you weren’t happy with your student’s portrait package from Life Touch, please send the package back for retakes on October 26^th.  Hopefully by then, our class photo will be reprinted and ready to go!! 

Another thing to keep in mind is to please send in a pumpkin with your child on October 25^th.  We will be doing some Math activities and will compare/ measure our pumpkins.  Pumpkins will be sent home on either October 27^th or 28^th, just in time to be carved at home for the spooky holiday. 

I will send home a reminder for those parents who signed up for Halloween treats on October 29^th.  Come check out our Halloween parade first thing in the morning!  Afterwards, we will be teaming up with the 4 other Grade 2 classes and doing different activities.  At 11:00, we will come back to Room 10 for treats and a movie.  Parents are welcome to attend any of the above activities!

I think that’s it for now!

-Anna Tsentouros

...POST SCRIPT- I’d like to point out that it’s SNOWING!!!! AND I bought my first Christmas decoration for the year.  AH!!! 

CLASS PHOTOS!

Hi folks!

If you have other students at MMH, you'll probably  notice that their class photos were taken and sent home today.  Ours were taken, printed, and then after carefully looking through I've discovered that they've printed THE WRONG ONE by accident!!

We had two photos taken since the first one we were missing a student- which is what caused the confusion!!

Anyway, to make a long story short, LifeTouch is printing the RIGHT class photo, and we should be recieving it in the next 10 business days.  With ALL the students in it.  Whef!!

Thanks!
-Anna Tsentouros 

Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday!!

Hello families!

First off, a huge thank you to Marnie Rogstad, Louise Lindley, Carey Martens, and Cynthia Allum who are our Home Reading parent helpers! 

Soup from a Stone- Fancy that!!
Trouble getting your Grade 2er to eat all their veggies?? All you have to do is make your own pot of STONE SOUP! I couldn't believe how fast these monkeys ate up our delicious concoction! Thank you for all those parents who bought and prepped vegetables.  Grade 2E did an amazing job in their performance, and a huge shout out goes to Ms. Nevels for working so hard with them. 

I still need two more parent volunteers for our October 15^th field trip to the Galt Gardens (9:00am to 11:00), as well at least 3 more drivers for the Crossings Branch Library field trip on October 27^th from 12:50 to 2:10.  If you are able to donate some of your time please me email me back asap and that would be wonderful! 

Remember, it is the Scholastic Book Fair on October 14^th and 15^th.  Parents are welcome to look at any time, and our class will be visiting the Fair on both the 14^th and the 15^th (after the field trip).  If you want your Grade 2er to purchase a specific book, just let me know in advance. 

Pumpkin Math:  Each student needs to bring in a pumpkin on Monday October 25.  We will measure and compare them for a Math project, and send them home in time for carving.

Halloween Party:  On Friday October 29 we will have a school wide costume party at 8:45.  Parents are welcome to walk the parade with us.  We will then join the grade 2s for Bingo and Crafts.  Our class party will be from 11:00-11:45.  Parents who have agreed to donate snack for our party will be notified in the child’s agenda.

*Remember, there is ONE MORE DAY to get your HOT LUNCH money in! It is due on Tuesday, October 12th

Thank you for all of your help with Fire Safety Prevention Week! We had an awesome guest speaker from the fire department come in and discuss other safety tips with our class.  Each student got to take home a fabulous book that included a CD filled with Fire Safety prevention tips. 

This month we will really dive into creative writing.  We will be working on using our “juicy words” as we learn to think like authors

Here's to another awesome week in Grade 2E!!

-Anna Tsentouros

October News!

Hello families!

You may have noticed your Grade 2er came home with a bunch of paperwork today! :)  One item was in regards to the Magazine Fundraiser- all of the information should be in the mini booklet, and if you need more order forms they can be picked up in the office. 

Another was a fire safety grid for a map of your home!  In our health curriculum, fire prevention and safety is an important subject.  We will be discussing “How to React to Fires” both at home and at school. 

I am asking each student to work on a fire prevention plan for your house.  Please use the grid paper to sketch a simple floor plan of your house.  Parents can help with this part in a significant way by talking through this process with your child.  Here are some things to consider:

·         Mark all POSSIBLE escape routes (doors, windows)

·         Discuss obstacles along the way

·         Test smoke alarms and check extinguisher expiration dates

·         Decide on a family meeting place

·         Talk about 911, how to use it, what to say and remaining calm

·         Review your home address, and how to find help with neighbours

·         Review STOP, DROP and ROLL as well as crawl under low smoke

·         Practise your escape route

Please return the finished floor plan/fire prevention map to school by Wednesday, October 6^th

Thank you for your help with this!

Third line of business is....Stone Soup!

Stone Soup is a Ukrainian tale and we will be reading it in class next. With fall upon us, I thought it would be fun to utilize some of the vegetables from our local farmers by making a class pot of Stone Soup.

We will be making a large pot of soup in class on Thursday, October 7, 2010. Your child is coming home with a note explaining what vegetable they have signed up for.  If you could put your vegetable in a small ziplock bag that would be most helpful.  We will add each child’s contribution to the soup and create a wonderful and healthy stone soup.

It would be greatly appreciated if your child’s vegetable could be washed, sliced and ready to be “thrown” into the pot.

Each student will also need to bring their own BOWL and SPOON! 

Thanks for your support and I can’t wait to see the Stone Soup “concoction” we will come up with.

Along with making our Stone Soup on Thursday October 7th, the students will be having a SHORT MUSICAL PERFORMANCE for a Grade 1 class in the music room at 8:30am.  This is approx.  10-15 minutes long, and parents are invited to come and watch with the Grade 1 class. If you are attending this performance, please do not be late! 

Wishing you a great weekend :)

-Anna Tsentouros