Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! 

Love, 

AM Kindergarten

Friday, October 29th, 2021

Hi Families, 

Literacy

This week, our rhyme was "Five Little Pumpkins". There are a few different versions of this rhyme, so we've included our version below. Each day, we learned a new verse to the rhyme, and identified whether there are rhyming words, practicing isolating words in context, as well as developed actions. Have your child share the rhyme and actions with you at home.

Our rhyme also connected to our Friday STEM challenge (PM Kindergarten students will do the STEM challenge next week, so no picture posted!) Ask your child what the challenge was. 

We continued introducing our Animated Literacy characters, and pairing the letter with its sound and action. The Animated Literacy visuals are now in Google Classroom if you would like a copy for home practice. 

Math

In Math, we have been practicing counting groups of objects, as well as creating our own groups for counting. Children practice accurate 1:1 correspondence through different strategies when counting, depending on the size of the group: pointing to each item as it is counted, pulling the item away from the group as it's counted, or transferring objects from one hand to the other when counted. 

When counting at home, try counting to at least 15 with your child, and listen for discrimination between 12, 13, 14, 15. 

EYE-TA

Kindergarten teachers all over the Calgary Board of Education are currently collecting information for the EYE-TA, until November 5th. Information regarding the assessment was sent home earlier to families. Observations and results for your child will be shared during November conferences. 

Masks

Please remember to pack extra masks in your child's backpack to be used as needed. As a school, we are handing out a large number of single-use masks daily. 

Reminders

- please see the additional blog note regarding MOVE-vember and the Veteran's Food Drive
- Freezer Feastival ongoing until November 11th: https://lbs.myteamfund.ca/ 

- Tuesday, November 2nd: Photo Retakes
- Thursday, November 11th: Remembrance Day. School Closed. 
- Friday, November 12th: PD Day. No school for students. 

Have a wonderful Halloween weekend!
Ms. Thomas

Move-ember!

 November is movement month at LBS! We are encouraging students to be active throughout the winter with a movement challenge for move-ember :). 

Students are encouraged to keep track of their movement minutes outside of school time from November 1-30. The class that earns the most movement minutes at the end of the month will earn a special reward! Please support your child in tracking their movement minutes either on Google Classroom or hardcopy (this will be specified by your child's teacher). 

 

Let’s encourage each other to be active and healthy! See the video for more information about our at school and at home challenges for the month.

https://youtu.be/bvVI4kMnXG4

Lake Bonavista School
Active Living and Wellness Committee

Veterans Food Drive

Dear Parents and Guardians, 

The Grade 6 Students in Action Club have organized and will be running a food drive starting on November 1st and ending on November 16th. The collected food will be going to the Veterans Food Bank, as Remembrance Day is coming up and we would like to show our appreciation for our Veterans.  This also connects to our learning in preparing for the upcoming Remembrance Day assembly that Room 7 and Room 8 will be hosting. 

Please bring non-perishable food items such as: soup, pasta, baby food, cereal, peanut butter, protein or granola bars, trail mix and canned goods like fish or vegetables. Any other non-perishable items that you think of are welcomed to be donated. Don’t forget to try and bring some gluten free or nut free items in case of anyone with allergies.

Written by: Lily and Will

Friday, October 22nd, 2021

Hi Families, 

Sorry for the late blog update!

Literacy

Last week, as part of our Literacy routines, students were introduced to some of the characters from the Animated Literacy program. Animated Literacy provides explicit, systematic instruction in phonological awareness, through multi-sensory approaches. There are opportunities to build differentiation through the program, so learners who are at different stages of their letter/sound acquisition. 

This visuals will also be added to Google Classroom by the end of the week if you would like to print them and have your child colour them, or to complement your home practice routines. 

We also learned a seasonal rhyme and developed actions together:

See if your child care recite with you, and teach you the actions. 
It's ok if new actions are developed. 

We also introduced Mat Man this week. Mat Man is another multi-sensory activity that teachers body awareness, drawing and pre-writing readiness skills. Mat Man is made up of the different straight and curved lines used to form our letters. 

Mathematics

We compared and sorting objects in the classroom by colour, shape, size and other attributes. We also sorted ourselves into hair colours, pants colour, teacher and shoe type (velcro, laces, slip ons). 

You can practice this at home by having your child sort objects and having you guess the rule, or vice versa. Extra spicy version: sort by attribute or category (things that fly vs things that don't, wild animals vs pets, etc) 

Indigenous Learning

Connecting to our story, "The Sharing Circle", students created their own talking stick. In the story, a sharing circle helps the members of the animal community solve a conflict that has happened, and a talking stick lets everyone's voice be heard. We plan on practicing using our talking sticks in the classroom, and then brining them home to host child-led sharing circles with our families. 

We also introduced the students to a Molly of Denali, an animated series featuring a First Nations character from Alaska: https://gem.cbc.ca/media/molly-of-denali/s01 

Halloween Expectations

This Friday, October 29th, students at Lake Bonavista School will be celebrating Halloween! 

It is a AM Kindergarten day. Students are invited to wear their costumes to school. If students choose to wear their costumes to school, they must arrive with it on. We remind students that we are not wearing costume masks, and that no weapons are allowed. 

Due to COVID regulations, no outside treats (edible or other) are permitted for classroom sharing. 

Thank you families! 

Additional Reminders:

- Friday, October 29th: Halloween at LBS

- Tuesday, November 2nd: Photo Retakes

- Thursday, November 4th: Moustache Day

- Sunday, November 7th: Time Change

Thank you families!
Ms. Thomas

School Council FREEZER FEASTIVAL!

 Fill Your Freezer Feastival

Friday, October 15th, 2021

Hi Families, 

 

What a chilly week! With all the new, cold weather clothing coming to school, please make sure these items are labeled with your child's name or initials – a Sharpie on the clothing tag works well. This is a good time to continue developing independence with your child, practicing new zippers, buckles and straps to keep transitions to and from school successful.  

 

Be Thankful 

 

With Thanksgiving on Monday, we explored some of the things students are thankful for. Each student created a personalized picture of what they are thankful for, as well as added an idea to our collaborative class gratitude pumpkin – adding to our pumpkins will be ongoing work.  

Sensory Table 

 

Last week, the students helped us gather materials for a co-created Sensory Table experience.  

 

With the natural materials, students have the option to engage in different activities: 

 

Leaf rubbing

Leaf punching

Leaf Man art provocation

Apple alphabet hunt

 

Literacy 

 

We continue to build our phonemic awareness routines through short, targeted opportunities.  

 

Ask your child to show you examples of these routines. These examples were already introduced and practiced this week: 

 

Isolating Final Sounds 

 

Can your child model the following words? Have them punch the air with the final sound.  

 

1. Sat 

2. His 

3. bus 

4. Leg 

5. Zip 

 

Blending Words 

 

Hold out your right hand as you say the first word.  

Hold out your left hand as you say the second word.  

Clap the compound word together. 

 

1. Eye – brow  

2. Door – knob 

3. Air – port 

4. Foot – print 

5. Play – ground 

 

Alphabet Song 

 

Did you know there is a new version of the classic Alphabet Song? The new version slows down the letter names so L/M/N/O are clear and distinct from each other. It allows for more successful discrimination between those letters.  

 

See if your child can sing it with you. Our classroom recording can be found in Google Classroom under Resources. 

 

Language Awareness 

 

By introducing nursery rhymes piece by piece, there are opportunities for: 

• - Building awareness of rhyming words in context 

• - Identifying rhyming roots 

• - Vocabulary development 

 

So far, we have introduced and practiced "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Little Miss Muffet". See if your child can share these at home with you.  

 

Math 

 

We continued looking at patterns by exploring different books with text patterns, illustrations patterns and sounds patterns. Some books had repeating patterns, and some books had growing patterns.  

 

Going on a Bear Hunt: Michael Rosen performs We're Going on a Bear Hunt  

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books: There Was an Old Lady

Brown Bear, Brown Bear: Brown Bear

 

Google Classroom 

 

As you receive login information for your child, please make sure you are attempt logging in to Google Classroom for the first time, and reach out if you have any difficulties. Google Classroom will be used throughout the year for a variety of reasons: 
 
1. Sharing artifacts of learning 
2. Storing classroom information like resources 
3. Connecting in the event of online learning 

 

Lanyards  

 

Single strand lanyards without a safety release mechanism (either velcro or an engineered plastic clip at the back), are a prohibited item in the Calgary Board of Education as they can present a choking or ligature risk to anyone wearing one. These lanyards can be grabbed by another student or caught on playground equipment resulting in serious injuries.  

 

Mask lanyards help support independence and proper mask care, however, they must to "tear away". If your child wears a lanyard without a release mechanism, we will remove it and pack it in their backpack for home.  

 
Thank you for supporting safety at school.  

 

Important Dates and Reminders: 

 

Monday, October 18th - No school for students, PD Day for teachers 

Thursday, October 21st - Pajama Day 

Friday, October 22nd - PM Kindergarten. School Shirt or Blue and White Day 

Friday, October 29th - AM Kindergarten. Halloween at LBS 

Have a wonderful weekend families! 

Ms. Thomas