Happy Holidays!

Dear Families,

We have had a very happy and successful first 1/3 of grade one!

Just a reminder to check backpacks for your child's report card.  Parent/Teacher conferences will be held in February.  If you have any urgent/ immediate questions or concerns, please contact me in the New Year.  I will be away over the holidays and will not be checking e-mails. If your question is regarding music or physical education, please contact Mrs. Buonomo (Music) or Mrs. Fraser (Gym) in the New Year. 

Thank you for all of the thoughtful gifts.  I hope you have a happy and safe holiday season.

Ms. Bakkan

See you on Tuesday, January 3rd!

Pictures!

"We got Santa letters!" -Sydney

"We love Santa!" -Cambrie

"We love the things Santa wrote to us!" -Ethan

"I love you Santa!" - Ronick

"I was surprised that we got notes back!" -Amelie

"We are all happy!" -Zach

Thank you Twyla (Reed's Mom) for our classroom tree! 

We are counting down to Winter Break and Christmas!

"We are excited to open our boxes!" Gabby

"Only two more days!" Wahiba

These are our Rudolphs!!

by Aden

Winter Poems and Writing

Our Pumpkin.... Kind of.... Almost dirt!

Ask me what glide, huddle and doze mean!

We are learning about big numbers now!!

TOMORROW & FRIDAY!!

Dear Families,

Important Information:


Tomorrow: Thursday, December 15th

-Wear red or green day (optional)

Friday, December 16th

PAJAMA DAY (optional)!  Students may wear pajamas to school and bring a stuffed toy to snuggle.  Please make sure that the stuffy is not their one and only favorite in the unlikely event that it gets damaged or lost!

REPORT CARDS GO HOME! Students will be bringing their report cards home on Friday.  Please refer back to my blog on November 11th, titled, "Our Learning" for assessment information.

EARLY DISMISSAL!  Students are dismissed at 11:35am for Winter Break!


Over the next two days, the grade one students will have the opportunity to celebrate together.  We will have the movie, "The Polar Express" playing in the project room, games and activities in another grade one room and crafts in a third room.  On Thursday, December 15th for 1 hour and on Friday, December 16th for 45 minutes, students will have the choice of rotating through these activities.  The grade one teachers have language arts activities to follow up on The Polar Express on both days.  Please note that students will be served a small 5oz serving of Hot Chocolate made with hot chocolate powder and water on Friday.  Teachers will ensure it is a safe temperature for the students.  Please make sure to let me know if you would not like your child to receive hot chocolate.  Students can bring a special snack for themselves for Friday as well. Please do not send treats in for other children.

Thank you and stay tuned for another post with pictures of some of our recent learning and activities.

Thank you,
Ms. Bakkan

This Week

Hello Parents / Guardians, Here are just a few reminders before we break for Winter Break. Weather Please ensure your child is dressed for the extreme temperatures (hats, mitts, boots, snow pants and warm jackets).  The students will have some outside time for recess when the temperature is warmer than -20c including windchill.  Donations If you and your family have any children’s (G rated) DVD’s that you would be willing to donate for indoor lunch/recess, please send them to school on Monday. Christmas time is traditionally associated with a time of giving and sharing. In keeping with the spirit of Christmas, we will be running a Christmas hamper campaign from December 5th through to December 13th. During this time please send your cheques or cash donations to the school in a sealed envelope marked ‘Christmas Hampers’. We will be distributing gift cards from all funds collected to Evanston families who would appreciate a little extra during the holiday season. Caroling Students at Ken Taylor School have been participating in a Creative Movement unit for the three weeks in December. Together we have learned about a variety of cultural celebrations and dances that are from around the world. Each class will have an opportunity to share what we have been learning during our Caroling Assemblies next week. Below is a list of dates and which class is performing when. We welcome parents and guests to come and share in the magic of the season with us.  Tuesday, December 13 @ 9:30am  Pearson/Stewart  Brar/Bakkan                Thursday, December 15 @ 1:00pm  (Red and Green Day) Hargreaves/Sayani PM Kindergarten   Friday, December 16 @ 8:30am (Pajama Day)  Carstairs/Witczak AM Kindergarten  Steckly/Fraser/Jordan  Lost & Found We have accumulated many lost items in our lost and found.  Please take a moment with your child to make sure none of the items belong to you.  We will be donating any items left over after December 16th. Spirit Days We will be having 2 Spirit Days next week Thursday Dec 15th Red and Green Day Friday Dec 16th Pajama Day Last Day of Classes Dec 16th is our last day of classes before Winter Break.  Please note this is an EARLY DISMISSAL FRIDAY which means students will be done school at 11:30 and there will be NO PM Kindergarten that day.  Report Cards will be sent home on this day as well.   The Staff at Ken Taylor would like to wish your family a relaxing Winter Break.   Thank you, Barb Rocca Administrative Assistant, Kenneth D. Taylor School Calgary Board of Education | cbe.ab.ca t | 403-817-3504

No School Tomorrow... and Photos!!!

Dear Families,

Student do not have school tomorrow. Teachers will be at school engaged in Professional Development.

15 days until Winter break begins on December 16th (after school ;).  We will be having a lot of fun over the next couple of weeks as we prepare for Christmas and welcome in the Winter season.

"Our Tree" is looking very different from the end of the Summer!

We wrote Santa and his elves letters.  Fingers crossed that we get letters back!

We have continued to watch our plants grow and care for them as an ongoing part of our, "Needs of Plants and Animals" unit in Science.  We also have been using our senses to observe our plants.

We will continue to watch our pumpkin "compost" and hopefully turn into dirt by the end of the school year!  

We have a temporary vistor in our classroom, aptly named, "Snow."  He is a Robo-Hamster and we will be discussing his needs as an animal.  Students were very excited to meet him today.  Many chose to write about him in their journals.  Students will not be handling, "Snow."

 Calgary Board of Education Policy on Animals in the Classroom:
http://www.cbe.ab.ca/GovernancePolicies/AR6004.pdf

Students are becoming aware of their learning styles and some are asking for an alternative place to work on independent activities.  Here some students are taking advantage of the project room which is located directly across the hall from our class.  Some students wish to work in the hall. Some student wish to remain in the classroom.  They are still given the choice of working at the standing table, on the floor, or at the tables.  All students are supervised at all times.

On that note, we have some students that use "noise cancelling headphones" during independent work times.  Many students are requesting that they be able to use them as well, which is not possible for hygienic reasons.  If your child is expressing an interest in having these type of headphones at school, please feel free to send them in and we can keep them in a large Ziploc bag for use only by your child.  

Students are becoming independent in choosing appropriate levelled books to read.  We will take time each day to read levelled books and participate in guided reading.

We read another book, "I Stink" by Kate McMullan and discussed three more words to increase the students' vocabulary.  Ask you child what the following words mean to them:

1.) Compacted (Squished)
2.) Reverse (Backwards)
3.) Eject (Push out fast)

Student definitions

Scholastic Book Orders have been submitted to, and received by Scholastic. Orders should be here within 1 week and I will send all orders home in brown-paper bags, sealed with the students name on the outside. Students will not see the orders.  If you prefer to pick your order up directly from me or from the office, please contact me at cobakkan@cbe.ab.ca

Have a great weekend and I am looking forward to two full weeks of festive fun!

Ms. Bakkan