Our Learning This Week...
Hello and Happy Fri-yay! I hope you all had a wonderful week! The countdown is on to our Winter Break and the kids are getting excited : ) There are many exciting activities and events planned for this week. Read on to find out about those and what we have been up to this week.
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This week in language arts we began talking about consonant clusters (sometimes called consonant blends) for the letters /r/ and /l/ (e.g. cr, br, fr, cl, bl, fl etc.). These letter combinations can be found in many words and sometimes sound like one sound but are really two sounds that have been blended together. Students listened for these sounds in words, played some fun online games to reinforce this concept and made words using our moveable alphabet that had various clusters in them.
In math, we finished up our Counting Collections activities in which students learned to count larger collections (up to 100) of objects by 2s, 5s and 10s. We discussed why skip counting is important and when to use it (i.e. when counting large collections of objects and estimating).
In social studies, we have been learning about what a community is and the different types of communities. After watching a short video, the students labeled pictures of different communities as urban, rural or suburban. They also sorted pictures into a chart under the correct community type.
In science we finished presenting our building designs and talking about the physical actions the students used to change the materials to make different parts of their house. For example, did they cut, bend, twist, break or stretch items to make them into windows, doors etc?
We also began talking about the Winter Solstice as part of our learning about the seasons. We discussed what it is, when it happens and how it is observed by people historically and today. For example, in First Nations culture the solstice was a time of reflection, telling stories and ceremony. The students worked on writing their Winter Solstice poems using the information they learned.
We also welcomed Hal Eagletail, a Knowledge Keeper from the Tsuut'ina Nation, who talked to us about how to say "Hi" in Dene, how to make different animal calls, how the buffalo teaches us to face our fears and problems, not run away from them and much more. We also sang a fun song based on "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" while he played the drum.
In gym we finished up a fun week learning about volleyball using balloons. The students learned to set and bump the ball and even had a chance to play in teams to try to get the ball over the net.
Lastly, we got together with our Buddy Class and went onto the computers. Students practiced logging into their Google accounts and accessing our Google Classroom. They had a great time!
Important Information & Reminders:
Upcoming Spirit Days - Below are the dates for some upcoming spirit days that we are having at EMJ to spread some joy and excitement during these last few weeks leading up to the winter break!
- Thursday Dec 19th - Pajama Day
- Friday Dec 20th - Anything Holiday/Winter Goes!- Dress in whatever winter or holiday garb you feel like to celebrate the last day before the break.
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Winter Market - EMJ is excited to host our annual Winter Market again this year! Organized and run by our Paced Learning Programming students in Grades 4, 5, and 6, the event was a great success last year, and we are thrilled to bring it back. We’ll be kicking off our store during the Gingerbread House Decorating Night on December 12th, giving families a chance to shop for special items.
The students will also organize shopping times during school hours, where each class can visit the market between December 16th and December 20th. This event provides a fantastic opportunity for students to purchase gifts for family and friends at a minimal cost, with all items priced at one dollar. Some smaller items will be bundled together into a single package. Our goal is for each student to have the opportunity to purchase five gifts. However, this will depend on the number of donations we receive. We kindly ask that you do not purchase new items for the store. Items for sale at the Winter Market should be gently used or previously loved donations that you are willing to part with for a good cause.
How You Can Help
To ensure the success of the Winter Market, we are seeking donations of good-quality items suitable for students to purchase. Please note that we cannot accept used personal hygiene items, food, used clothing, or earrings. Additionally, we ask that you refrain from sending large items due to limited storage space. Please remember that your donation may be gifted back to you!
Suggested donation items include:
- Pet toys
- Books
- Kids’ toys
- Cups
- Ornaments
- Trinket boxes
- Candles and candle holders
- Suit Ties
- Purses
- Games
- Sports items
*A list of more gift ideas will be posted in the upcoming weeks.
Donation Timeline
We will be accepting donations from November 20th to December 4th. In addition to gift items, we are also looking for gift bags, wrapping paper, and gift tags. Donations can be brought to Room 5. Proceeds from the Winter Market will go towards supporting the Calgary Food Bank.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at 403-777-8500 or email Ms. Peterson at cjpeterson@cbe.ab.ca.
Mom's Pantry Fundraiser Info:
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Please note that the use of activities in our Google Classroom is optional. These are not assigned, but are offered as optional activities that can support some of the learning we are doing in class. We will also be using the websites during class throughout the year at different times. If you have trouble logging in or questions about the classroom, let me know. Your child's email and password were sent home this past Monday.
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Login Instructions: Logging in the first time...
1. Go to classroom.google.com
2. Click Go to Classroom
3. Enter the email address for your Classroom account. (I will email this to you).
4. Click Next.
5. Enter your password. (Everyone's password is: 12345678)
6. Click Next.
7. If there is a welcome message, review it.
8. Click Accept.
9. If you're using a Google Workspace, click I'm a Student.
10. Click Get Started.
Here is a video that also explains the process:
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- Healthy Hunger website: www.healthyhunger.ca.
- Please see the step by step ordering instructions.
- TBA
Upcoming Events and Dates to Remember:
Dec. 16 - Library Day
Dec. 17 - Winter Market
Dec. 19 - Assembly (pm)
Dec. 19 - PJ Day
Dec. 20 - Anything Holiday Goes!
Dec. 20 - Last day of classes before break
Dec. 21-Jan. 5 - Winter Break/No School
Jan 1 - Happy New Year!
Jan. 6 - Classes Resume
