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!