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.
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.
Happy Birthday Tyler!
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
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...
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
"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
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.
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!
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.
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
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