Friday, April 26, 2024

April 22-26

April 22 - 26 


Reminders - Swimming Lessons This Week!

We are so excited for our opportunity to take swimming lessons this week.  It will be busy and exciting for us, but also very tiring.  We ask that you please ensure your child has had an extra hearty and healthy breakfast each day, as our schedule will be off from our regular routine, and we likely will not be having a snack until we return to school at 10:45.  


We had an excellent day at the Leighton Art Centre on Monday.  I hope that your child shared some of the many amazing things we got to do on our day.  


Here are some of the highlights that kids had from the day.  



Trying to create the echo - Clark

Seeing my friends on the bus - Walker

The nature walk and painting - Arlo

Looking at the artifacts up close - Ryker













Math

Learning Intention:

I can compare and order objects according to length.


We continue to work on and develop our skills with addition and subtraction and are focusing on building our strategies to become more efficient and flexible.  We are also working on measurement as well, and had the opportunity to measure different things.  We worked with a partner and measured different parts of our bodies and compared them.  We also measured some shelves in our class to see which one was longer. 





 

Social Studies/Science and Earth Day 


Learning Intentions:

How does caring for the natural environment contribute to the well being of our community?

I can discuss how change in the appearance of environments, plants and animals are related to the seasons.  

I can investigate animal behaviour throughout the seasons, including hibernation.  

I can discuss the benefits of spending time in nature.  


Upon returning for our Field Trip, we took  

time this week to enjoy a virtual author’s visit, similar to those we have experienced throughout the year.  This story was connected to the Indigenous groups on the lands of Haidi Gwaii.  It also shared with us how the times of the year are connected to the moon and the seasonal changes.  The author shared how children on Haida Gwaii were a part of the art pieces that were created in this book through felt and other materials found in the natural environment. 

We then connected this back to our learning at the Leighton Art Centre, and thought about our own memories shared on the land together this week.  Students then 

reflected on this, drawing a picture and then writing about what they enjoyed.  We then thought about why it is important to take care of this place and the land that we live on.  Students were very thoughtful in their responses.


Makerspace 

I can communicate effectively with others

I can collaborate with others.

I can show empathy to others.

I can show respect to others. 

To finish off this week, we spend time working with others in makerspace.  The task was more open this week, allowing us to explore materials and try to work together with different people.

Literacy

We continue to move along with learning our letter sounds and are now into R controlled vowels.  This week was the ‘ar’ sound.  The r is very loud, so we are still remembering that a vowel is connected to this sound in the word. 


Saturday, April 20, 2024

April 15-18

Dear Parents,

I hope that everyone is enjoying the spring weather this long weekend!  Read below to hear about our week!


Reminders:

As a reminder, we will be going to the Leighton Art Centre on Monday April 22 for the whole day.  

The Leighton Art Centre is located 30 mins outside the city limits.  The weather conditions are slightly different at the art centre compared to in the city.  Currently, there is still snow on the ground and temperatures are often cooler.  Please send your child dressed in layers(t-shirt, sweater, jacket), hat, mittens, jacket, and boots that will keep their feet warm and dry.  It is recommended that you pack an extra pair of socks and change of clothes in case it is needed.  As well, we will be active all day!  Please pack a sizeable snack, full leakproof water bottle, and lunch for your child.  



Social Studies

This week we have been building our background knowledge and learning about the founders of the Leighton Art Centre AC and Barbara Leighton.  Both were artists and contributed to the foundations of art education in Alberta in a different ways.  Students viewed and responded to photographs of the Leighton Art Centre when it was originally built and how it exists now.  As well, students looked closely and responded to different pieces of artwork by both AC Leighton and Barbara Leighton.


Learning Intentions

  • recognize how communities might have been different in the past than they are today

  • appreciate people who have contributed to their communities over time 


Click on the links below to learn more about AC and Barbara Leighton and the legacy that they created.  


 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQSZvAwuSk4&t=6s

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCryNtV6vJVklLuTGHdgJowg



Math 

In math we have been working on deepening our understanding of addition by counting on and rearranging numbers to create “friendly” numbers like 10 to add and count on from.  As well, we worked with Mrs. Gordon to practice our doubles strategies with number facts up to 10.  


Learning Intentions

  • Any addition situation involves parts and a whole. The parts are known, but the whole is not known.

  • There are always multiple strategies for determining the result of a computation, whether it is an estimated or an exact result.

The following is a summary of key ideas your child is learning in mathematics.  You can use this summary as background and to support your child. Some suggestions for simple activities are included.  


What Is Counting On?

Counting on means starting to count from a number other than 1. To count on, you hold one number in your head, while you count to add a second number.

For example, to count on from 4, you would say 5, 6, 7, … .

Usually, you don’t say the number you are counting on from, but you could say it in a whisper.


How Can You Add by Counting On?

You can add two amounts by starting with the first amount and counting on the second amount. Don’t count the first amount again.

For example, you can add 5 and 3 by counting on from 5. You could say 6, 7, 8. The addition is 5 plus 3 is 8.

You can put down objects to count the second group, or you can use your fingers to keep track of the numbers you say. The number of numbers you say is the second amount. You could say 5 … 6, 7, 8. That’s 5 and 3 more is 8.

Sometimes it is quicker to count on by 2s. If you count on by 2s, it can be a little trickier to keep track of how many numbers you count.

For example, to add 6 to 8, you might say 10, 12, 14 if you can keep track of adding 6 by saying only 3 numbers.

Most students in Grade 1 will find it easier to keep track of addition if they count on by 1s.


When Is Adding by Counting On Useful?

You can add any numbers by counting on, but counting on is especially useful when the second number is small. That’s why it is sometimes useful to think about adding numbers in a different order.

For example, you can think about 3 + 8 as 8 + 3 since it’s much quicker to add 8 and 3 by counting on from 8 than it is by counting on from 3.


Helping Your Child

It is useful for children to practise counting on, and they can practise at any time. For example, if you and your child are waiting for an appointment or travelling on a bus or in a car, you can say, “Count on from 10” or “Let’s count on from 4.” But to count on for addition, you need an adding situation.

You can encourage your child to count on whenever two amounts are being combined. For example, if you have gathered 4 library books and another 5, you could say, “This pile has 5 books. Count on 4 more to find out how many books we are taking out altogether.”


Make 10

It is extremely useful for students to have opportunities to learn and internalize the various sums that make 10: 5 + 5, 6 + 4, 7 + 3, 8 + 2, and 9 + 1. Internalizing these facts comes from practice.

Using the 10-frame can be useful, since if a frame is full, it shows a fact that sums to 10.


Literacy

This week in writing, we worked continued to work on writing instructions. We read several funny “how to” books like “How to Walk an Ant”.  Take a look at home for “how to” books to add into your family literacy time!.  We worked Y sounding like E an I at the endings words.  This is still challenging for some of us, so additional practice would be helpful. 



Sunday, April 14, 2024

April 8-12

 April 8-12


Another week seemed to fly by in Grade 1.  Here is a look at some of the things we got up to this week.


Thank you to everyone for their prompt return on all of our field trip forms for Leighton Art Centre and Swimming lessons.  We will be notifying and finalizing parent volunteers very shortly.  These experiences are great opportunities for our students and we are very excited.  



Social


With our upcoming field trip, we began to have discussions and conversations around some various topics that will prepare us for our learning at the Leighton Centre. 

We looked at urban and rural communities, by looking at our own community as well as the place where the Leighton Centre is located.  We discussed and identified differences and similarities between these 2 different types of communities.  We recorded this using pictures and visuals in a chart.  

We started our conversations about our own timelines, since we were 1 years old till now.  Thank you to those who had conversations with their child, as you are the ones who hold these memories.  We will continue our timelines and discussions next week as well.  


Learning Intentions:

What are some differences between rural and urban communities.  

I can recognize how my family might have been different in the past than it is today.  


Phys Ed - Gymnastics

The use of gymnastics equipment this week has been a big hit.  It has been amazing to watch the skills and confidence change within even just a few days this week.  Gymnastics will continue for one more week.  Thank you for your support in ensuring that your child is ready for this activity in gym.  A reminder for girls to please have their hair tied back, or hair ties available for them to have their hair pulled back and out of the way.  



   


 

Math


In math, we continue our work in adding and subtracting.  This week, we focused on Subtraction as Comparing.  Subtraction is always a more complex skill for many students to master.  Some further questions and practise at home would continue to support your child in their understanding of this concept.  


Now that we have a solid understanding of the concepts of addition and subtraction, we can begin to shift our focus to also becoming more fluent and automatic with our addition and subtraction skills.  We spent time learning about the doubles from 1-6 with Mrs. Gordon, who is working with us as our math learning leader.  We learned a new dice game with her.  We also practised our skills of adding 2 numbers using cards and seeing who’s number was greater.  Games are a great way for us to practise our math skills



Subtracting to Compare

In a comparison situation, there are two groups, and we want to know how many more are in one group than in the other.

For example, if there are 10 children on the play structure and 4 students are standing near the school, how many more students are on the play structure?

We can answer that question by subtracting: 10 – 4.

Once you know there are 6 more children in the larger group, you also know there are 6 fewer children in the smaller group.


Comparison Models

You can show comparisons in many ways.

For example, to compare 11 and 3:

You can subtract 11 – 3 by matching all the counters you can and then counting the rest:

You can see there are 8 extra in the group of 11.

You can use a number path.

You could put down 8 counters on the number path to get from 3 to 11, so 11 is 8 more than 3.

You can use 10-frames.


Relating Comparison Situations to Part–Part–Whole Situations

When you subtract to compare 12 and 5, you are trying to figure out how much more 12 is than 5. You can think of it as a part–part–whole situation where the whole is 12, one part is 5, and you want to figure out what the other part is.

You can represent the subtraction situation using a bar model.

12 – 5

In reality, all meanings of subtraction are related: part–part–whole, takeaway, and comparison. Every time we subtract, we know a whole and a part and look for the other part. We can choose how to think about any situation in the way that is most helpful to us.


Helping Your Child

There are many everyday situations where we want to know how much more one group is than another. When situations like that arise, encourage your child to help you use subtraction to compare the two groups.

For example, you could ask the following questions:

How many more plates than forks are on the table?

How many more people live at our home than live at Grandpa’s home?

How many more people are there than chairs?



Literacy

This week in writing, we worked on writing instructions.  We had a good time trying to write clear instructions on how to brush your teeth.  We worked on adding ed and ing endings to the ends of words.  This is still challenging for some of us, so additional practice would be helpful.  



June 17-21

June 17-21 A few reminders: All Home Literacy/Decodable Books - Please have your child return these.  We will not be sending any more home f...