September 13, 2017

Today we were introduced to Mrs. Patricia who will be helping our class Wednesday-Friday until April.

We started our day off writing agendas, today's notes are:

• Bring in headphones
• Read for 20 minutes
• Student handbook form
• Math pages 29-30 
• Question 1,2a,c,e,f 3a,b,c,f, 4,5,6a,b,c,7
• Cursive writing page 8-9 (those that did not finish in class)
• Scholastic book order

You will be receive an invoice for the trip on Freshbooks.

After agendas we went to PE

After PE we had math. We looked at modelling 3 digit numbers today. We were able to successfully build and model three digit numbers, decomposing and composing the number 178 looking at the many ways we can represent it. We worked on our secret number activity again but this time with a number between 100 and 1000. They were able to identify that there must be more than 1 hundred in the hundreds column and no more than 9 for the number to qualify. Afterwards, as a class we looked at writing our numbers in words and co-constructed a chart to help us write numbers to words. We wrote the word form for numbers 1-10, 10-90 (counting by tens), and 100-900 (counting by hundreds) in words. Then we moved on to the textbook questions.

Whose finger is that!? *cough* Alister :)

After math it was time for first lunch and recess

After recess we took some more time to work on math then moved on to cursive writing! We modelled as a class the steps to form letters c and a, and then moved on to writing in our new cursive writing books. 

After we did literacy and discussed what a noun is. We know that a noun is a person, place or thing! We then brainstormed some nouns as it relates to our UOI unit. For example, on our chart the person we described as a firefighter works at a fire station and he or she uses a hose or a firetruck! We then moved on to our independent group task which was sorting people, places, and things. 

Nice pose Esha!

Afterwards, we went to French with Mme. Stella. 

After that it was time for second lunch and recess!

After recess we had UOI. For UOI our learning objective was: what does it mean to be a good citizen? We watched a short video to explain some ways we can be a good citizen. Afterwards we brainstormed as a class ways we can be a good citizen. Next we moved on to our independent task which included drawing ourselves and writing our ways we can be a good citizen. Students chose 2 or 3 ways they can be a good citizen! 

To conclude, we handed out homework and agendas. We have scholastic book order forms with some very exciting book, games and other stuff!

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR TODAY - RE: OCTOBER LUNCHES

Ordering Website is now Active for the month of October. You may start ordering your child's lunches! Please make your child is under the correct grade, as there were many mistakes made for last month's ordering. http://mydigitalmailroom.com/sja The last day to order for October will be Wednesday, September 26th. After this date, our system closes and is unable to open for October ordering. All payments are due on Friday, October 6th. 

Cheque payments will not be accepted. If you choose the cheque option on the ordering site, it will be assumed that the payment is made through FreshBooks and you will be invoiced. 

Another item has been added to our Hot Lunch Program as a Special. This month's special is Shepherd's Pie that will be available every Friday!

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September 12, 2017

Today we started our day off a little bit differently.

If you are here before 8:30 you will be signed into before care, if it's after 8:30 please go directly to the classroom to hang up your bags, change your shoes and start writing the agenda. I will be there!

After assembly we wrote our agendas. Today's notes are:
-Bring in headphones
-Trip form
-Read for 20 minutes
-Student handbook form
-Math pages 23-24 Questions 1,2, 4ab, 6c, 7
The reflection is an extension.

Then we went to PE with Mrs Jans.

After PE we had math in which we looked at modelling 2 digit numbers. To start off we built given numbers with the base ten blocks, and afterwards we played a "secret number" game with a partner in which one partner choose a number on the hundreds chart and built it with manipulatives, then the other partner had to guess what it was. Then they switched roles.

Afterwards, we started our independent math work from the textbook. In this we looked at writing numbers that were represented with base ten blocks, drawing base ten blocks when given a number.

Then we had first lunch and recess. 

After recess we had music with Mr. Oliver. 

Then we continued working on math. Here we started to recognise and write the numbers in words. 

After math we went to French.

After French we had second lunch and recess.

To end the day we finished off with our OWA writing pre-assessment. Students were asked to brainstorm and write a letter of a recount to a friend that missed a day of school. They worked hard and independently to complete this. Again this pre-assessment is for me to know what the student's know.

September 11, 2017

Today we started our day off with our assembly.

After assembly we wrote agendas in which the notes were:

• Bring in headphones (these can be purchased cheap at the Dollar store as well)
• Trip Form
• Read for 20 minutes
• Student handbook form (this was in the Welcome e-mail I sent out in August)
• Math (if students didn't finish in class)
• pg 19 Questions 1,2,3,4,5
• Extension: 6,7
• Spelling (if students didn't finish in class)
• Cursive(pg 8-9) (ignore this for today, we did not get to do this today but since students write agendas first thing in the morning they already wrote it)

After they went to PE with Mrs. Jans

When they came back we started our patterning and problem solving unit looking at grouping and counting to 100. To start off I gave each group several objects to group and count.

Two groups had beads

One group had clothespins

One group had paper clips

The students were able to group their objects into groups of ten working as a team and realised that they can add on the left over objects that weren't enough for a group of 10. We then went to work in our textbooks and notebooks and I realised that before they worked straight in math workbooks so we took some time to talk about how to work and write math in our new notebooks. Presentation and pace is still up and coming!

We also had a whole-school announcement today to commemorate the events of September 11. The students were very interested in hearing about it.

After math we went for first lunch and recess.

After recess we took some time to finish up math, unfinished work has been sent home.

Next, we started our spelling. (Please see the section on the right for our spelling words this week) We worked on missing consonants, completing sentences, a crossword, and making sentences.

This week's spelling words are:
1) fox

2) cut

3) hill

4) wind

5) put

6) all

7) moon

8) saw

9) tell

10) new

Next, we went to French with Mme. Stella.

After we had second lunch and recess.

After recess we had our unit of inquiry. We looked at the roles of key members in our community. We defined what a community is and brainstormed some community helpers before going on the tablets to investigate community helpers and their roles. 

Cheers to a great Monday! Eat healthy and get lots of rest. :)

Happy First Friday!

Happy first Friday of our short week!

Thank you parents for everything this week in terms of getting the students prepared for the school year and returning several forms.

Today we started off our day completing our agendas in which the notes were:

• Bring in headphones
• Trip forms due Monday
• Read for 20 minutes
• Student Handbook form
• All about me bag (some students did not get to present today as we had house games so I sent them home in case they needed to bring stuff home for the weekend)
• Fall Fiesta Form due Monday (SUPER EXCITING EVENT! Please attend! There is awesome food, events, face painting...throwing balloons at teachers!)

Again if they have already brought it in, they didn't write it down. We started sharing our all about me bags with Rohaan kicking it off. He demonstrated our learner profile "Being a risk taker."

Afterwards, we went to PE with Mrs. Jans. 

When we came back we buckled down and did our first math assessment. This was a pre-assessment on our upcoming unit for "Patterning and Problem Solving" The students worked extremely hard on this test and showed a lot of determination and perseverance. This diagnostic test is for me to see where the students are with their learning so far in this unit. Next week we will dive into Math Makes Sense and begin our Math Centres!

After, we went for first lunch and recess.

Next the students had Music with Mr. Oliver and got to explore using Boomwhackers!

Afterwards,  we continued our "All About Me" bags. It was exciting to see the objects and pictures they brought it, as well as how respectful our everyone was while our friends were presenting. 

Then we went to French with Mme. Stella.

Next, was our second lunch and recess.

Again we had our "All About Me" presentations. Not everybody got to go today, so the rest of the students will go on Monday. I'm very proud of all the students who were risk takers today! Presenting isn't always easy but they did an amazing job.

Finally, to round off the week we had our final house games which consisted of a hula hoop pass (with our bodies!). Theta won for the PYP and Kappa won for the teachers.

Then it was home time. Have a wonderful and restful weekend. I'm looking forward to our first full week next week!

Cheers!

Bonjour!

To start off the day we had our second house games which consisted of a relay race using scooter boards, a ball toss, and a bean bag balance walk. Zeta came out on top!

Then we went to Physical Education with Mrs. Jans. (We have PE everyday, but the students don't change their clothes for PE just their shoes. On Mondays and Wednesdays students come dressed in their PE uniforms)

After a packed morning we wrote our agendas, in which the notes for today are:

• Bring in headphones
• Read for 20 minutes
• Student handbook form
• All about me bag for tomorrow 
• Fall Fiesta Form
• Trip Form

If your child already brought in forms they didn't write it down again.

Afterwards, we started math! Our first unit is on patterning and place value. Today, we investigated the base ten blocks; looking specifically at hundreds, tens and ones units. We discussed why each block is each value. Afterwards, I gave students specific values to build houses, buildings and structures with their values. (e.g. 4 hundreds, 3 tens, 6 ones). 

After math it was time for lunch and recess.

After students completed an "All About Me" banner. Students created a self portrait, and shared their favourite subject, hobby, animal, food, and what they want to be when they grow up!

Then students went to their first French lesson of the year with Mme. Stella.

After French it was time for second lunch and recess.

After, recess, we began to introduce our UOI for this unit which is All for One and One for All in How We Organise Ourselves. Today we looked at four learner profiles (Risk-taker, caring, inquirer, and open minded) and we completed a graffiti activity where students discussed and wrote down  as we learned and explained what being an Inquirer, risk-taker, caring, and open-minded means.

Today our class read-aloud was a story titled "The Day the Crayons Quit" we had very interesting discussions today and I LOVE how open minded the students were discussing the colour pink's role in the story.  

Lunch Money:

September lunch payments are due tomorrow!

Cheers! Have a wonderful evening!

First day of school!

Wow! What an amazing first day! We had a great day getting to know each other and what we did over the summer holidays.

To start off we participated in a name game to learn each other's names and some interesting facts about each other. I am very excited that I have a class of such active students!

The students then went to Physical Education with Mrs. Jans.

When the students returned from PE we created our desk name cards with a picture to describe themselves. As they showed off their artistic side I helicoptered around to the students to ask them what their picture means to them and why they drew it.

Afterwards we completed an "All About Me" activity in which students anonymously filled out a sheet and then used a coloured pencil to guess who it belonged to in our class. I was quite stumped on a lot of sheets!

Then we had first lunch and recess.

After recess the students had Music with Mr. Oliver.

And then it was time for the House Games! It was an intense battle of musical chairs with students representing all grades in the PYP and MYP program. There was a great deal of team spirit and sportsmanship displayed throughout the games. Kappa came out the winner for the students and Theta took home for the teachers!

Then we had second lunch and recess.

After recess we joined with Miss Jasolka's class to participate in some more icebreaker activities. We played a game called "The wind blows west..." where students were able to share what they did in the summer, hobbies, likes and dislikes.

When we came in, we co-constructed our classroom rules and were inspired by Kid President! The students came up with rules and we put together a contract which everyone signed.

To finish off the day we started to create a birthday card. We did not get to finish but the idea for this is that when it is someone's birthday they will get a card that another classmate made on their special day!

The agenda for today was: 
-Bring in headphones for listening to reading
-Read for 20 minutes
-All about me bag

Since we did agendas in the morning there were some additional forms sent out later that included the Fall Fiesta, and trip letter!

Have a restful night! See you tomorrow!

Cheers!

About me!

Hello! I am very excited to be teaching grade 2 at St Jude’s Academy this year. I am looking forward to a lovely year with you and your child. I graduated from the Master of Teaching program at the University of Toronto and also did my undergrad in Kinesiology and Health Science at York University. Last year I taught Year 4 in London, England and I also have qualifications for special education and physical education.

Let me tell you a little bit about my philosophy of education; my philosophy of education is the holistic development of the child encompassing their physical, social, mental and spiritual well-being.

Here’s a little bit more about me, I played varsity ice hockey at York University during my undergraduate years and still continue to play as well as run road races mostly half marathons. In the summer I also play fast pitch and work as a personal trainer. As you can tell I love sports and being active. 

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