Almost April!

Hello everyone! Thanks for checking in at our classroom blog!

A quick reminder that was on the annoucements today: Students are asked to wear BLUE in support of Autisum on Monday! You could even just wear a MMH T shirt if you have one! 
You may have noticed the giant pile of Owl things sent home today. We have finished up our owl unit and our Owl Moon book study.  Please go through your child’s work and talk to them about some topics we covered such as similes, verbs, and adjectives.  We also did some neat owl art projects!  Our “Owl Toilet Paper Tubes” will be sent home just before Easter break.

Speaking of Easter break, I can’t believe we’re almost there!  One unit we will be tying up before we move along is our Hot and Cold Temperature unit.  Students also took home their science duotangs, and we will have a Hot and Cold unit test on Monday when they return. 

PLEASE go through your students Science duotang with them! They should be familiar with the activities we did together.  They need to be comfortable with:

-          Describing temperature by using terms like “hotter than, colder than”

-          Measuring and reading temperature in degrees Celsius

-          Describe how heating and cooling things can change them(melting, freezing, cooking)

-Identify ways in which the temperature in homes and buildings can be adjusted

(by turning up a thermostat, by opening or closing a window, by using a heater in a cold room)

-          Describe, in general terms, how local buildings are heated.

-          Understanding the role of insulation in keeping things hot or cold!

-          Identify a safety rule whne dealing with hot and cold temperatures!

I know it seems like a lot, but we’ve covered all of these topics in class and through the discussions, books, videos and experiments, I’m confident that our students know this!

For those students who wish to participate, we are holding an INSULATION CHALLENGE called "Hold on to that Ice Cube!"
We did an experiment in class to see what kids of materials work best as insluators.  I've challenged the class this weekend to make their own, by combining different kids of materials.  The goal is to keep an ice cube cold as long as possible.    This is completely voluntary!!

Some students chose to participate and brought home a baby food jar and an experiment sheet.  If the project gets completed this weekend, have them bring in the container they've constructed on Monday morning and we'll put them to the test! 

“LOONIE MATH!!!”

To help us practice adding our big numbers, we’ve started Loonie Math!  Loonie math is where every letter is associated with a number (A= 1, B = 2, C =3 , etc).  We’ve been figuring out how much words are “equal to” by adding their value together.  For example, the word GRADE is like adding

7 + 18 + 1 + 4 + 5 = ___

There are many ways to do this!  It is up to the students to figure out what they want to add first! Some can easily see that 1 + 4 + 5 = 10   and that    18 + 10 = 28   so finally they have to add   7 + 28.  By using “Make Ten”,  they should see that 7 + 28   is just like 5 + 30 = 35. 

Of course, there are many different ways to add the numbers together. I’ve challenged the students to find out what family members names are, favourite words, colour words etc.  We are TRYING to find LOONIE WORDS! Words that are exactly 100, no more no less!  Give it a try with your student!!

Our kids took the news of the SAAG field trip being cancelled very well! We are rescheduled for the MORNING of April 26^th, 2012 from 10:00 to 11:30.  The bus will come at 9:45 to pick up the students from MMH.

With Spring break just around the corner, one of our activities (which will tie in nicely with our social studies unit on cultural traditions) is to dye Easter eggs.  We will be learning about how the Ukrainian people traditionally dye their eggs and then each child will have the chance to dye or decorate some of their own eggs. 

Each child will need 4 hardboiled eggs on Thursday April 5th.   

In order to assist with transporting the eggs back and forth from school, I will be sending home cut up EGG CARTONS on Wednesday April 4^th.  Have your child carry their eggs instead of placing them in their backpack.   Please do not send them before that date as we do not have fridge space. 

On April 18th from12:30 – 1:30, our students need help with a special art project.  We are making Easter Batiks and the children will be using hot wax to block out their designs.  Parents are needed to ensure student safety, monitoring the electric pans holding the hot wax.  If you can help out with this wonderful project, please email me asap.  I am in need of 4 parents to help with this.

SHOUT OUT to the Parent Council for putting on such an awesome SPRING DANCE!! Thanks to all those families who were able to come out and support!  Grade 2B...WAY TO REPRESENT!! SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

Don't forget that the Friends of Mike Mountain Horse Society is putting on a Hawaiian Auction Adult Night! 
Date: Friday April 27th 2012
Time:  7-11:30
Location: At the U of L
Cost: 15.00 / person
Dress: Hawaiian! 
Food and drinks will be available, as well as a silent and live auction.  If you have any prizes you are willing to donate, please contact Jodi Meerkerk at meerkerkmj@shaw.ca.

Tickets can be purchased at MMH on April 18th from 6:30 -7:30. 

All money raised will go to parent countil projects in 2012 & 2013...so in other words, all money raised will go back to awesome projects/ events for YOUR KIDS!! Please show your support!

Check out the dates for April to mark your calendars!

I will let you know when I've added new dates!

Thank you!
-Anna Tsentouros

Monday April 2nd- Insulation Challenge! /Wear Blue for Autisim!
Wednesday April 4^th- Choir performances in the am
Thursday April 5^th- Spirit Assembly at 8:30am,  Crazy Hat/ Hair Day, Grade 2s Egg Decorating!
Friday April 6^th – 13^th- Easter Break No School
Monday April 16^th- Classes Resume
Wednesday April 18^th- Grade 2s Batik project at 12:30
Monday April 23^rd- MS Read A Thon Kick Off
Thursday April 26^th- SAAG Art School Field Trip at 10:00
Friday April 27^th- Professional Learning Day No School for Students
Friday April 27th-  Hawaiian Auction Night at the U of L!
Monday April 30^th- Education week begins!



Miss Tsentouros found her camera cord!!

Hi readers!


Just a few things to remember about the upcoming week:


1) If you haven't yet, please sign up for a time slot for our Celebrations of Learning! The students are pumped to have their parents come in and to show off what they've been working on!


2) Both Thursday evening and Friday are available for sit-down Parent/ Teacher interviews. If you feel after reading the report card and the celebration of learning, you'd still like to meet to discuss your child's progress, please email me asap and we can arrange a time for Thursday evening, Friday morning, ...or anytime that works best with your schedule! 


3)  On Wednesday March 14th we have a Spirit Assembly at 12:45, where the Grade 2 students are asked to wear Green as they will be performing their St. Patrick's Day Rap!  If you are able to stop by the gym at 12:45 to see the Grade 2s in action, PLEASE DO! They have been LOVING their time with Ms. Nevels and practising this song and should be a great mini performance!


4) I have enough parent volunteers for the SAAG field trip to Art School near the end of the month! Thank you to April, Deanna, Tony and Mary for signing up!

Have a wonderful weekend! Don't blow away in the wind!

Also, I found my camera cord so I thought I'd update the blog with some photos of the past few events!  Enjoy!

100th Day

  Winter Walk 2012

 Valentine's Day

 Jordin's Magic Show

 Art Class

March News

Hi Readers!

Thanks for checking in- I’ve got lots to update you on for the month of March! Please make sure you update your calendars at home.  Report cards are written and ready to go home on Friday. Please read through the report card with your child! It’s helpful for the office staff if you send back the report card envelope on Monday when you’re done- you do NOT need to send back the report card.  Thank you to those parents who have already signed up for a time for our Celebrations of Learning on Tuesday March 13^th.  If you’d still like to meet for a more formal interview, please email me as soon as possible, and we can find a time next week for discussion. 

The celebration of learning will be a casual time for you to come in, and CELEBRATE what your child has done. It’s supposed to be a time for you to come and see what life is like in the day of your Grade 2 student!  Please be mindful of the time you sign up for, as the room can get quite crowded with many adults.  I’ve already had some parents note that the evening of the 13^th does not work for them, and we’re able to find another time/ morning.  Let me know immediately if it doesn’t work for you.

If you HAVEN’T signed up for a time via Conference Manager, PLEASE visit https://mikemountain.schoolsoft.ca/login.jsf to create a log in and sign up for a time slot. 

Information regarding a couple of the dates listed below in March:
We are going to Art School at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery on Thursday March 29^th! We require 4 parent volunteers who can either catch the bus from MMH or meet us at the SAAG. We are there from 12:45-2:15. Please email me back ASAP if you’d like to join us to volunteer for this trip. Because of the nature of the trip and the program regulations, we’re asking that younger siblings do not join. 

PARENTS WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH A FEW THINGS!

Next week, I’m asking EACH STUDENT at some point in the week to bring 1 toilet paper roll tube (just the cardboard part, not the TP!) as we will use them for an art project. If you have more than one to bring, please send more with your students!  If you have the tube from a paper towel roll this will work as well! 

Last but not least, I’m asking for your help in promoting our Home Reading Program within your homes.  I have noticed a serious decline in the number of students who regularly bring their home reading book back (read and signed) and who are ready for a switch.  If your child has LOST their home reading back, PLEASE let me know so I can send home a new one. I can’t stress how important daily reading, at THEIR level is.  This is the best way to prepare our students for the home work expectations and reading level expectations of Grade 3.  Every day there is a different parent who has volunteered their time to come and switch these books, read with your child, and make sure that our program runs efficiently.  If there aren’t enough books, it is not worthwhile for them to come.  I’ve had a chat with our students today, explaining that it is their responsibility to do this, and not their parents! Thank you for your efforts here. 

Important Dates in March:

Thursday March 8^th- Healthy Schools Expo 5:30-8:30 at MMH
Friday March 9^th- Report Cards Sent home!
Tuesday March 13^th- Celebrations of Learning!
Wednesday March 14^th- Spirit Assembly at 12:45- Dress in Green
Thursday March 15^th-PD Day-No School for Students
Friday March 16^th-PD Day-No school for Students
Wednesday March 21^st- Hot Lunch
Monday March 26^th- Character Ed Assembly hosted by the Grade 3
Thursday March 29^th-  SAAG Field Trip
Thursday March 29^th- School Dance 6:30-8:30