Dear Families,

Welcome to our 2015/2016 Classroom Blog!  My blog will serve as a communication tool between home and school about all the purposeful, engaging, and FUN learning your child is partaking in his/her Grade 2 school year!

Please note, I will be updating my blog weekly (every Fri. evening there will be a new post).  Your child and you are encouraged to visit it over the weekend :) I will have detailed explanations (with pictures) about your child's specific learning each week.  This way, you will be informed about what is happening in our class and help reinforce learned concepts at home, too.  Together, we will work as a dedicated TEAM - 'Together Everybody Achieves More' to support your child's academic, social, and behavioural goals.

As a teacher, I strongly believe in sound parent-child-teacher communication and working closely to help my students rise to their highest potential!  I can say with confidence, the students certainly have and continue to put in their 'Level 4 Personal Best' in tasks set before them.  As we soon enter a New Year, I am optimistic we will continue our learning with purpose, passion, and productivity!

Thank you for your continued support in your child's learning, it is deeply valued and appreciated.

Holiday Wishes:

Thank you boys and girls who showed school spirit for Holiday Hat Day!

It is with a warm and open heart that I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and soon to be a Happy New Year!  I hope you have an enjoyable and safe holiday with all your family and friends.  We all lead such busy lives, but I believe the holidays are a time to stop, listen and think about all the ones we love, cherish and respect.  I am very blessed to have such caring, loving, and amazing family, friends, and students in my life.  Speaking of students, I will certainly miss seeing your child’s enthusiastic, warm, and beautiful smile over the holidays and I am delighted we’ll all be reunited and get back into our daily routine of fun and learning in January!

Thank you families for ALL the heart-warming gifts!!

I would like to take this moment to extend my thank you to all my families and their children who took the time, energy, and love to give me such heart-soaring gifts for Christmas.  I will cherish them ALL.  It means the absolute world to me knowing that I have your unconditional love and support.  Also, knowing that you believe in me as your child’s teacher is something that I cherish deeply.  My students are my greatest gift! It has been a tremendous year thus far, and I look forward to creating many more beautiful memories in 2016!

Reindeer Gift Bags:
At the beginning of the month, your child wrote a letter to Santa and/the Elves.  Guess what!?There is a surprise for your child in his/her gift bag!  They are not aware of it because we had some very hard working, caring, and thoughtful Elves visit our classroom when we weren't here to deliver a special letter for each student!  Amazing!  Please enjoy reading these letters with your child!  I believe they'll be pleasantly surprised :)

Donations to Our Ernest Cumberland Food Drive:
A huge thank you to all the families in our class who contributed to our school's food drive!  We used a 100's Chart to keep track of all the items that were donated.  Our final total was: Kraft Dinner 41 boxes; Evaporated Milk  40 can!  Tremendous!  Thank you, thank you!!  Together we all made a significant difference in the lives of those in need.  The Spirit of the holidays is about giving, caring, and being there for our loved ones, but also to those less fortunate than us.  It is a proud moment to be an Ernest Crusader!

Kleenex Donations:
Your acts of giving don't stop there!  Thank you to those parents for donating boxes of Kleenex for our class.  With the cooler temperatures here, our runny noses certainly appreciate being wiped and cleaned :) I am  optimistic with all the boxes received, we should be good for the year.  Thanks again!

Lots of Kleenex, thank you!!

Procedure: Making Hot Chocolate
Over the month of December, I have been teaching and modelling a new writing form called a Procedure.  In order to help reinforce this new learning at home, please ask your child the following:  "What is a Procedure?  What are the parts of a procedure?"  

HINT!  Please take a look at the picture below of the Anchor Chart with the Learning Goal and Success Criteria.  That's what I'm  looking for when your child orally shares the 'parts of a procedure.' But please don't show them the picture, see if they remember the parts independently :)  This is an opportunity to 'check for understanding' from the lessons I've taught thus far.  Thank you!

Around the holidays, some of you may wish to do some baking with your child at home.  I encourage your child to write a procedure on a piece of paper using the Success Criteria (above) to complete it and then bring it to school after the Break to share with our class! 

Enjoy the pictures below of our procedure on "How to Make Hot Chocolate"

Materials for our Procedure

Mmm!  Mati, Hannah, and Owen sipping with a smile!

Kaylie, Amy, and Thomas B. enjoying their hot chocolate!

Archie & Danica - "Yummy in my tummy, Miss Gill!"

Reanna & Thomas M.

Vasiliki, Brandon, & Alexis - patiently waiting for their drink to cooooool down!

We love procedures!  Especially when we make something yummy!

Mikenna & Madison - can't wait for their first sip!

Procedural Writing Samples

Student Sample

Artist Visit:
On Wednesday, we had the pleasure of having Mr. Sean Dawson visit our classroom to teach and engage students in an Art Lesson.  Sean's art lesson focused on using water colours to paint a winter scene.  He taught the children about the foreground, background, and the line of horizon (all of which are an expectation for the Grade 2 art curriculum).  

Please visit his website <www.swd-art.com> over the weekend!  He is truly a passionate and talented artist who instills the value of art in our lives.  

       “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”  -- Pablo Picasso  

Thank you Sean for reinforcing this powerful quote - it is so very true!!  We thoroughly enjoyed having you join our learning community, you are an inspiration!  Thank you, thank you!!

Take a moment to check out our creations below :)

Introducing Mr. Sean Dawson

Sean's creative works of art

Teaching and modelling a lesson for water colour painting

Hannah & Owen

Amy

Alexis, Thomas B., Jack, & Thomas M.

Vasiliki & Brandon

Ethan F. & Reanna

Cameron & Evelyn

Madison & Ethan F. listening attentively to Sean's instructions

Thank you Sean for inspiring us to embrace art as a form of expression and creativity!

Procedure: Making Edible Christmas Trees
On Thursday afternoon, we wrote another Procedure!  The students are becoming confident writers in this writing form.  Thank you parents for your continued generosity in providing delicious toppings for our class to share, use, and build their edible Christmas trees!  
Check US OUT!  

Evelyn & Archie - working together to get the job done!

Vasiliki admiring her creation!

Thank you Jack for providing so many wonderful  toppings for all of us to use and decorate with!

Brandon & Mikenna following their steps for the Procedure

Danica, Kaylie, Hannah, Thomas B. all working hard!

Owen sharing his tree to his dear friend Brandon!

Diligent Amy working carefully on her Christmas tree!

Character Recognition Awards:
This morning, we had an assembly to recognize students for their efforts in demonstrating November's (Courage) and December's (Empathy) character traits.

Congratulations to Mikenna and Ethan W. for being recognized for displaying Courage – “We do the right thing even when it’s difficult.” 

Courage Recipients - Ethan & Mikenna

Congratulations to Amy and Archie for being recognized for displaying Empathy -"We think about the feelings of others."  

Empathy Recipients - Amy & Archie

Well done!!  The four of you have all demonstrated these traits in your thoughts, words, and actions.  Thank you for working diligently hard to show character!!  I am so very proud of your efforts!  Continue to be your best selves in all that you do. 

Website:
Please visit the following website over the holidays.  I think your child and you will enjoy this winter activity together (making snowflakes)!!  Simply copy and paste the link below in your search engine.  
http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com  

Quote:

“We may not be able to do great things. But we can all do little things with GREAT LOVE.”

-- Mother Teresa

                                                                                                                                   Namaste,

                                                                                                                                                           Miss Gill