Lots to Celebrate in Learning Centre 3!

Family Literacy Day
Thank you to those of you who knocked on our classroom door for Literacy Day! The students were so excited to learn alongside their own family members during the school day! I'm sure it will be a fond memory for many of the students in our school.

GMS Achievers Assembly
On Wednesday the school gathered in the gymnasium for our monthly Achiever's Assembly. Kate and Ethan shared a piece of their writing at the assembly.  They did a wonderful job showing off their talents to our students and community members! Congratulations to Carys and Tyler who received a certificate for outstanding achievement in December's virtue: Empathy

Welcome Hifsa!

We have also recently welcomed a new student into our classroom! Hifsa is in Grade 4 and has moved to our community from Pakistan. We are so happy to have her in our classroom!

Summarizing, Main Ideas and Supporting Details

This week we have been focusing on creating summaries of what we read/listen to. Students have been working with each other to create brief summaries which include the setting, characters and main events in order. We have been looking at the characteristics of good summaries and "not so good" summaries which have helped the class choose which details to include and which details should be left out!

Students have also been identifying "main ideas" and "supporting details" in their Daily 5 reading and creating their own main ideas and supporting details during Writers Workshop.   While working on their health reports about "keeping our bodies healthy", students are practicing how to write strong paragraphs where the main idea is enforced with supporting evidence and examples. We are currently on the rough draft phase of our reports -expanding the ideas from our pre-writing and learning how to properly organize information and format our report writing.

Boston Pizza Lunch
We will be having a Boston Pizza Lunch on February 13th. Order forms were sent out this week and are due back by Wednesday, February 5th.

Parent Project
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to write me a letter about your child.  I have been learning so much about each of my students including their strengths, goals, interests and unique talents over the past month. I appreciate the insight you have provided while addressing any important information early on so I can ensure a successful school year for your child.

Important Dates:
February 5:          Boston Pizza Order Forms are Due
February 13:        Boston Pizza Lunch
February 17-21:   No School

Ms. Cameron

News from Learning Centre 3!

Welcome Mrs. Faulconer!

Welcome to Mrs. Faulconer, our new Educational Assistant in Learning Centre 3. Mrs. Faulconer brings such a positive energy into our classroom and we are happy to have her join our team for the remainder of the school year!

Sugar Shock!

One of the highlights in our classroom this week was our "Sugar Shock" experiment during Health. We have been learning about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. This led us towards taking a closer look at the unhealthy habits in our diet.  Have you ever wondered how much sugar is in one can of pop? The students worked together to find out!

New Learnings in Learning Centre 3:

I'm so proud of the hardworking researchers we have in our classroom! We have been learning how to write a quality report about keeping our bodies healthy and are currently working on the Pre- Writing phase.  We have been learning how to choose current and reputable resources. As the students explore different research materials, they are "pre-writing" - jotting down their ideas and warming up their brains before they write!

Track Your Thinking!
We are learning to "Track Our Thinking" while we read. Not only does this help us with our "Pre-Writing" but it also helps us comprehend fictional and non-fictional text. Students have been documenting their thinking onto everything from paper to whiteboards to even post-it-notes tucked into their novels! In our daily small groups we have been learning to do a "close read" meaning reading the text multiple times. The first time we read a text we are merely breaking the surface and becoming familiar with the text.  Re-reading the text a second time gives us more information. The third time we read a text we begin to understand what we read enough that they can ask and answer questions, explain it to others and identify the main idea and key details.  Students are encouraged use the following symbols as they track their thinking:
?    Question
!     Interesting
*    Important
L    New Learning

Swimming Fun!

This week marks the end of our swimming lessons at the Lawson. It was exciting to see the students develop their swim skills over the last few weeks and create memories with their classmates for years to come!

The Science of Sound

Our classroom has been buzzing excitement, music and even duck calls! The students created their own pan flutes, and duck calls using straws, while exploring concepts such as sound vibrations and pitch.

A Visit from Elder Betty

On Friday we had a special visit from Elder Betty, who shared three First Nations stories of oral tradition.

Your Invited to our Knock on the Door for Literacy Event!

Monday January 27, 2014 (Family Literacy Day)

Anytime between 8:30-4:30

Please come to the school, knock on your child's classroom door and take your child to the Resource Centre for a 15 minute "Literacy Break". Children's Books and Word Work Games will be available for you and your child to use during this time. All families that attend will be entered to win a Scholastic Book Fair shopping spree for March 28th.

"Studies show beyond dispute that children's achievements in school improve with increased parent involvement in education" (Henderson, 1998)

Thank you for being involved in your child's learning journey!

Important Dates:
January 27: Family Literacy Day - Knock on the Door for Literacy Event
January 30: Parent Project Letters are Due
January 31: No School (PD Day)

Have a fabulous weekend!

Ms. Cameron

Making Kindness Count!

Pay It Forward Challenge

GMS is kicking off the new year with kindness - our monthly virtue for January! In our classroom, we have been reflecting on the concept of "pay it forward" and making kindness count everyday. I've challenged the students to perform random acts of kindness this month. The students thought it would be neat to document all of the random acts of kindness we perform. Check out our "Kindness Club!"  Encourage your child to spread kindness this weekend!

A Visit From Constable Duff
On Wednesday, we had a classroom visit from Constable Duff, who talked to us about safety and bullying.

Swimming Fun

Our Synonym Garden

Even though it's snowy and cold outside, we are sure feeling bright and sunny in Learning Centre 3! We have been working on expanding our vocabulary by learning how to use a thesaurus. Each student contributed one or more flower petals to our "garden" by looking up a word of their choice in the thesaurus and recording the synonyms (words that has the same, or similar, meaning as another word). We have also been working on a number of activities that encourage students to use powerful words in their writing while learning to use a thesaurus independently. 

Happy Birthday Jacob!
Birthday shout out to Jacob, who celebrated his big day on Friday, January 17th!

Your Invited to our Knock on the Door for Literacy Event! 
Monday, January 27, 2014 (Family Literacy Day)
Anytime between 8:30 and 4:30

Please come to the school, knock on your child's classroom door and take your child to the Resource Centre for a 15 minute "Literacy Break".

Children's Books and Word Work Games will be available for you and your child to use during this time.

All Families that attend will be entered to win a Scholastic Book Fair shopping spree for March 28.

"Studies show beyond dispute that children's achievements in school improve with increased parent involvement in education." (Henderson, 1998)

Thank you for being involved in your child's learning journey!

Important Dates:
January 21 & 23: Swimming Lessons at the Lawson
January 27: Family Literacy Day
January 30: Parent Project Letters are Due
January 31: No School (PD Day)

Have a great weekend!

Ms. Cameron

We Are Going To Rock Your Socks Off in 2014!

Welcome to our new class blog! I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside such a wonderful group of students in Learning Centre 3! I am amazed at the amount of effort the students put towards their learning and the kindness they show to towards others. Mrs. McDonald and I have been in touch over the holidays and I hope to make the transition as smooth as possible for your child.  I'm committed to engaging my students through rich learning experiences while providing a safe and caring classroom environment.

Meet Ms. Cameron

On Monday morning, I was "Bubbling with Excitement" to meet my new class! I introduced myself using a "Me Bag" which contained items to help the students learn more about their new teacher! Some of the items included...

A Dance Shoe: I have been dancing since I was 4 years old (tap, jazz, hip hop, and lyrical) and taught dance for 6 years before becoming an elementary teacher!

A Picture of my Pet: I love to share silly stories about my puppy, Gracie. Gracie is a Pug crossed with a King Charles Spaniel.

A Baker's Icing Bag: I love to bake and learn new things. I have recently taken classes to learn how to decorate cakes!  It's a fun hobby but one that takes lots of practice and I'm still in the learning process!

A Book of Yoga: I love yoga! I attend Yin, Ashtanga and Sattva classes weekly.

A Rider Game Ticket: I'm a football fan! I attend every Rider home game - rain or shine!

Toy Tractor: I'm a farm girl! I grew up on a farm outside of Bulyea, SK. I moved to Regina after graduation and have been living here in Regina for almost 7 years now.

Mindfulness in the Classroom
This week we reviewed classroom routines and expectations. I introduced a "cool down" station which students can access when they need a small break, time to work through a problem, or simply want to showcase their thinking on our Buddha board. Students  can paint an image on the board and watch the picture slowly disappear before their eyes. The board is based on the idea of mindfulness - living in the present moment. Mindfulness involves purposely focusing our attention and observing what is going on around us, including our thoughts and feelings. Sometimes our thoughts wander to past or future events, which can make us feel anxious. I hope to share more mindfulness techniques with our class this year. Research shows mindfulness has the potential to improve attention, focus, self management skills and lower anxiety and stress levels. 

2014 is going to be a fantastic year to meet our school goals! This week in our classroom we have been reflecting on ways we can "Rock Your Socks Off in 2014!" Ask your child to tell you about their personal goal!
Here are a few examples...

In 2014, I am going to knock your socks off by...

"becoming a better reader and writer" - Chloe
"Making new friends and work on spelling" -Raeann
"Showing empathy to others every day! To make their day good." -Emily
"Not to stop playing basketball. It's not about winning, it's about having fun!" - Joshua
"My goal is to everyday make 5 people have a glorious day." -Jacob"Showing kindness to others. Help them when they need your help. Make them feel better" -Fizza

Happy Birthday Tyler!

Shout out to Tyler who turned 10 years old on Tuesday, January 7th!

Swimming Lessons
Not only has it been an exciting week of getting to know each other, but we also had our first 2 swimming lessons! The kids had a blast in the pool and it was a great way for students to be active while developing their swimming skills.

Creating Mind Movies!
In literacy, we have added a new comprehension strategy to our CAFE board called "Creating Mental Images". Our class has been practicing visualizing what we read using the 5 senses: hearing, sight, see, smell and taste. We can imagine a movie playing in our mind while we read!

January CAFE Strategies: 
This month we will be focusing on ....
C- Creating Mental Images
A - Flip the Sound
F - What's the Reading Rate? (Using the best speed for the read)
E - Focus on Thesaurus's and Glosseries

January & February "6 Traits" Writing Strategies:
Ideas: Well chosen details that elaborate on the main idea.
Organization: Providing a "Take it away" ending.
Voice: The voice fits the topic.
Word Choice: Don't repeat words too many times!
Sentence Fluency: Writing should sound smooth when read aloud. The text is easy to read.
Conventions: Support the readers understanding of the texts.

New Learning Outcomes: 
We have also introduced many new learning themes for the month of January.
Science: Sound
Social Studies: Community Resources and Wealth
Health: Nutrition and Exercise
Arts. Ed: SK Arts
French: Animals

Scholastic Book Orders:
I will be sending home a Scholastic Book Order each month with your child. The due date for orders will be written in your child's agenda. If you would like to order from Scholastic, please return the order form with a cheque made out to Scholastic.

Important Dates:
January 14, 16, 21, & 23: Swimming Lessons
January 15: Scholastic Books Orders are Due
January 30: Parent Project Letters are Due
January 31: No School (PD Day)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ms. Cameron

Parent Project

Parent Project

I am writing to ask you to become a partner with me in your child’s education.  I will only be teaching your child for a short amount of time, but I want to make a contribution that will last a lifetime. I know my teaching must begin with making children feel at home in the classroom and helping all students come together into a learning community. This community is made up of unique individuals, each with his or her own learning styles, interests, history, hopes and dreams.

Please help me by writing a letter about your child. This letter will help me get to know your child better. After all, you are the expert!

In your letter please include the following:

•        What are your child’s strengths? These can be academic, athletic or social.
•        What are your hopes for your child this year?
•        Do you have any other information about your child that I should know?

Once you have completed the letter, please send it to school with your child in an envelope labeled “Letter about (Students Name)”.  Please send your letter to school before January 31st.

Thank you for helping me get to know your child better. I hope to use the information provided to help me assist your child in reaching their full potential this school year.  I  look forward to a wonderful partnership in your child’s education.

Ms. Cameron

Happy New Year!

Dear Parents/Guardians,

I want to extend to you and your child my warmest welcome as we enter a new and exciting year in 2014. My name is Tayler Cameron and I am thrilled to be your child’s teacher for the remainder of the school year. I feel very lucky to be joining such a passionate and committed school community. I have a passion for literacy and providing students with the tools to become more independent readers.  

Communication

Communication between home and school is essential to a successful school year.
Two main tools for daily communication between home and school include your child’s agenda and our classroom blog.

• Writing in our agendas will continue to be a main tool for communication between home and school. Your child will write a daily message or reminder. Please check your child’s agenda and sign under each agenda message to let me know you have received the important messages that were sent home. I will also be checking the agendas each day for messages or notes from parents. Notes from school will be sent home in the front pocket of your child’s agenda.

• Another important communication tool is our classroom blog. This blog will act as a virtual window into our classroom. This is a great way to stay connected and share what we have been doing in our classroom with your family. Please note there is a new class blog address. You can access our blog at http://ready-set-grow-3.blogspot.ca or from the Gladys McDonald home page, using the “classroom” link.  The blog will be updated at the end of each school week. Please visit the classroom blog regularly for weekly updates, pictures, reminders, upcoming events and helpful resources.

Our classroom is always open to your input and suggestions. If you have any questions/concerns, or would like to discuss your child’s progress with me, please do not hesitate to call 791-8500, email (Tayler.Cameron@rbe.sk.ca), stop by our classroom, or write a note in your child’s agenda.

I consider it a great privilege and responsibility to be your child’s teacher. I look forward to getting to know both you and your child.

Sincerely,

Ms. Cameron