February 22nd - 25th

 Hello Room 5! I hope you are having a restful and relaxing warm weather weekend!

This week has been busy even with it being a short week with Family Day on Monday. In writing, the students continue to work on accurate use of transition words and event writing after reading several books and the students had to retell main parts of the story. 

In Mathematics, the students continue to explore related facts in multiplication and division. They are learning about arrays, number lines and showing equal groups of items. They are also learning the language to use when discussing multiplying and dividing various things. 

In Social Studies, we have been discussing the goods of the various countries we study in Grade 3 and how these goods are produced from various natural resources. The students completed a scavenger hunt where various goods and natural resources were displayed around the classroom and then they had to categorize them. We have also talked about the differences between imports and exports of goods within the countries to meet their needs and effect their quality of life.

In Science, students looked at measuring volume and pitch.  They had the chance to make a kazoo and realize how they could alter the position of the straws in order to change the pitch that their instrument made. We also discussed how sound can be measured in decibels and the damage that can come from hearing too many high level decibel sounds with our ears.

Next week, we begin the month of March and soon spring will be here! I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and don't forget to wear your formal uniforms on Monday please!

Valentine's Day

 Hello everybody,

 As next Monday is Valentine's Day, I thought I would send out the class list of names if your child is interested in handing out cards.  The class list is as follows:

Ibbi

Prisha

Gigi

Manuel

Jana

Yakub

Tvisha

Shruthi

Arta

Leeben

Raiden

Lauren

Tair

Jiya

Risha

Ilie

Evelina

Shermat

Arnav

Naksharaa

Amelia

Eldana

Daniel

Tamiris

Noureen

February 1st - 4th

 Hello to all of Room 5! Our second month of 2022 has started and a very happy Lunar New Year to those who celebrate it as part of their culture. A big thank you to all the parents who were able to volunteer and join us on our trip to Telus Spark on Wednesday. It was a great learning experience and those trips cannot happen without parent volunteers who can help out!

In Mathematics, we continue to look at multiplication and how it is just like repeated addition of the same numbers. We looked at arrays and what they represent when talking about multiplying two numbers together. We also explored reading a data chart and being able to answer questions related to the information. 

In Science, we had the chance to visit Telus Spark and learn a bit more about Hearing and Sound looking at the various parts of the ear and how it contains the smallest bone in the human body! We learned about measuring loud and quiet sounds in decibels and how to muffle or amplify a sound using different materials. The students also had time to explore the various other spaces throughout Telus Spark and learn about erosion, constructing towers or objects and even how to make a stop motion movie!

In Social Studies, the students were tasked with researching about a service found in Calgary and then creating an argument as to why this service was an essential one for the people who call Calgary home. Each group of students had to present their argument to the rest of the class and then the students had to chose their top 5 essential services and give reasons why they chose them.

In Writing, we continue to explore transitional words and using them in our event writing practice. The students had the chance to hear the story Blackout by John Rocco and then piece together a retell of the various events that occurred throughout the story.  The students are learning to incorporate both transition words in their sentences and also to include a beginning, middle and end with as many details as they can. 

I hope you all enjoy your Sunday as it appears to be warming up throughout the week. As a result, our scheduled Cross-Country skiing has been cancelled due to a lack of snow covering our school playground. Remember to please wear formal uniforms on Monday and see everyone at 8:00 am!

January 24th - 28th

 Well, it is hard to believe that January 2022 has come and gone so quickly! Students continue to work hard in class and I am proud of their overall efforts throughout this month.

In Mathematics, we continue to work on understanding how multiplication works just like repeated addition and what the order of the numbers in a multiplication sentence signify. We have also been exploring data charts and what the information can tell us about a certain topic. Students are working on understanding the language and what we must do in order to answer the questions correctly.

In Writing, we continue to explore using transition words and being able to complete an event story with a defined beginning, middle and ending to it. The students have talked about getting dressed to go outside on a cold day, how to make French toast and riding a rollercoaster from a book we read. Students continue to work on adding more details to their sentences in order for their reader to feel like they were at the event the writer is talking about.

In Science, we are starting to explore Hearing and Sound and look at the various aspects of the human ear that allow us to take sound waves and process them in our brains to make sense of what the message is telling us. We are doing this in anticipation of our field trip to Telus Spark next Wednesday, February 2nd where we will be learning more about hearing and sound in a hands-on classroom setting. 

In Social Studies, we continue to explore services and we talked about how we would cope if an essential service (electricity) was not accessible to us for a period of time. Students had to write their feelings and also the realities of what this would mean to them at home without electricity which is such a given in our city 24 / 7. 

A reminder there is no school on Monday, January 31st and that we will be at theTelus Spark Centre on Wednesday, February 2nd all day. Please remember for our field trip that all of the students are expected to be in their formal uniforms and have a lunch bag / box to bring with them on the trip. I hope you enjoy the rest of your long weekend and see everyone on Tuesday morning! 

January 17th - 21st

 Another week quickly comes and goes! It was nice to be able to get outside and enjoy some fresh air during our recess times this week!

In Mathematics, students continue to work on open ended word problems and being able to figure out various ways to solve the problems.  We are also started to look at multiplication and seeing how it acts just like repeated addition with the same number being added a certain amount of times.

In writing, the students had to take an event from their lives and then write about it using transition words to start each sentence to let the reader know what happened in the beginning, middle and end. Also, we talked about taking our planning pages and adding more details to flesh out our sentences with triple scoop words to make the special event come to life for our readers.

In Science, we continued to look at the effects of water and how it can erode the landscape around it. Students saw first hand the devastation that can come take place in many parts in the world when all the trees are cut down on the sides of hills. This can cause great property loss as a result of landslides bringing down water and mud onto populated areas below.

In Social Studies, we looked at our four countries of study in Grade Three and talked about how access to services can vary greatly from place to place and even within a country depending if a place is rural or urban. Students also learned about the many services we have available to us within Calgary that greatly effect our quality of life.

As we head into next week, the students will be receiving their rapid test kits on Monday and the teachers who are running the auditions for the speaking parts for Grade Two and Three students should know the students who will be chosen for the speaking parts.  Remember to wear formal uniforms on Monday and see everyone bright and early for school! Enjoy your Sunday!

Telus Spark Field Trip - February 2nd

 

Field Trip Plan to Telus Spark - Feb. 2nd

We are planning our first out of school field trip and are very excited! As of now, our plan is to go to the Telus Spark Science centre on February 2nd. Our class and Mrs. Howell's class will be going on this date! This will be an all day field trip. We will need 5 volunteers that meet the specific requirements from the CBE. If you are not sure if you meet the requirements, please let me know. If you are able to volunteer, please send me an email at adhakes@cbe.ab.ca. If you are planning on helping out during this field trip please note: 

Mrs. Taylor will be scanning QR codes for proof of vaccination the morning of the field trip and Telus will also need to see proof of vaccination.  Bring a paper copy in case the QR scanner is not working.

 As excited as we are, we are also being cautious about this field trip. We understand with COVID that anything can change at any given time. We will not be sending home the forms until January 24th, so we can keep a close eye on protocols and mandates. If you have any questions, as always, please let me know!

January 10th - 14th

 Hello Room 5! Thank you for your efforts this part week as have returned to school to start the 2022 year! Students were diligent about wearing their masks in class, sanitizing their hands and respecting distances with each other! As we are all in this together, it makes a world of difference in keeping everyone safe and healthy.

In Mathematics this week, we reviewed some 2 digit addition and subtraction and the various strategies we can use to solve for the sum and differences. The students are also looking back at 3D objects and reviewing the amount of faces, vertices and edges found on each object. Some are certainly easier than others to remember all the moving parts!

In Science, we explored the effects of weathering and erosion on rocks and how water and wind play big parts in reshaping the earth's landscape.  We have looked at soil and the various layers that are found within it. Students learned there is a lot more below the top soil that we tend to see as the only part of the soil.

In Social Studies, we have begun to explore services and how access to these can effect people's quality of life around the world. Students were able to figure out that here in the city of Calgary, we have access to so many different services that help in our everyday lives. We will be comparing the access to services here with those of the countries of Peru, Ukraine, Tunisia and India.

In Writing, the students are starting to explore the ideas of an Event story. We have talked about what it contains and what it does not contain when compared to the other story types like walking stories. Students will be practicing writing about an even that has happened in their own lives and then adding those descriptive details to make it come alive for the reader. 

Finally, Mrs. Taylor has asked if all grade 2 and 3 teachers could share this information about our upcoming school performance and some of the speaking parts that are available for the students to try and audition for. Thanks and see you on Monday morning in your formal uniforms.

Dear Parents of Grade 2 & 3 students,

We are very excited to begin our rehearsals and practices for our Spring Production which will be held, Covid dependent, on April 21, 2022 in the evening. If Covid regulations do not allow for an in-person performance, it will be recorded and sent to parents to enjoy as a family.

We are giving grade 2 and 3 students the opportunity to audition for a speaking part in this production. If your child is interested in auditioning and you are NOT going to be away for any extended absences/holidays between Jan 10 - April 21, please have your child memorize the line on the following page from our upcoming play, Willy Wonka.

They will have the opportunity to share their line, with expression and in a projected voice, on the following dates:

Rm 4, 16, 17 on Monday January 17

Rm 5, 6, 18 on Tuesday January 18

Rm 7, 8, 19 on Thursday, January 20

Rm 3, 14, 15 on Monday January 24

Once auditions are completed, students will be notified if they have received a speaking part and receive their script to practice at home no later than January 26. Practices will happen at school during various lunch hours until the production in April.

See the next page, for audition instructions and lines to memorize.

Thank you for your help and support as we prepare for this production. We look forward to seeing all of you as parents on April 21 as all students at LRD will be performing throughout the evening.

Audition Script

Practice the lines below. Be prepared to act it out for your audition. You are not auditioning for a specific role. These lines will give us an idea of your strengths in acting, to be considered for any role in the play. Please be very enthusiastic so we can see your full potential!

___________________________________________________________________

Violet:

I’m a gum chewer, normally, but when I heard about Wonka’s contest, I laid off the gum and switched to candy bars. Now of course I’m right back on gum. In fact, I’ve been working on this piece for over three months solid. I’ve beaten the record set by my best friend, Miss Cornelia Prinzmetal. Hi Cornelia, listen to this…

(Violet chews loudly into the microphone)

Violet:

That’s the sound of you losing! Listen some more…

(Violet chews even more loudly, adding smacks and pops.)

___________________________________________________________________

Thank you for auditioning for the play! Remember, even if you don’t get an acting role, you will still be part of the production singing songs with your class.

Reminder:

Auditions will be held at lunch, during your “outside time.” Students in grade 3 will come to the Gym office as soon as lunch starts, then go back to class to eat. Students in grade 2 will eat their lunch, then come to the Gym office for their audition.

The audition schedule is as follows:

Rm 4, 16, 17 on Monday January 17

Rm 5, 6, 18 on Tuesday January 18

Rm 7, 8, 19 on Thursday, January 20

Rm 3, 14, 15 on Monday January 2