1C HEART Project!

Dear Families,

As the grand opening of Kenneth Taylor school fast approaches, the students in 1C will be participating in creating a display for all attendees to view and appreciate.

We often talk about the Kenneth Taylor School community, "having heart!"

"H.E.A.R.T" Stands for:

In 1C, we have decided to create a "collage" of pictures with the students using their hands to create a heart.  

I would like to open it up to you to take these pictures of your child.  This is completely voluntary.  If you chose to participate, please e-mail the image to me at cobakkan@cbe.ab.ca before the end of this weekend.  On Monday, February 5th I will be starting to take pictures of the students making "hearts" with their hands.  These pictures will be printed out in a maximum size of 5x7.

The pictures should include a clear image of your child making a heart with their hands. Please make sure the picture is close up and that there is contrast between the heart and the background, so the heart is highly visible.  If you chose not to take a picture and/or I do not receive an electronic image by Monday, I will take the picture. Again, this is completely voluntary.

Here are some ideas and examples.  The images will likely be printed in black and white.

More ideas can be found by searching, "making a heart with hands photography."

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you and your child at Student-Led conferences this Thursday evening and Friday.  Please remember that there is no school for students on Friday.

Thank you!
Ms. Bakkan and 1C Students

Last Days of January!

Dear Families,

Please see below for this weeks important dates.

New Power Words for this week:

1.) about

2.) other

3.) out

4.) then

5.) many

Please check your child's blue folders for their personalized Power Word lists and instructions. Thank you!

Student-Led Conferences: Please bring your child to the conference as they will be leading it.

This round of conferences will be student led.  This means that your child will take you to stations within the room and demonstrate their learning by completing tasks for you.  I will be available in the classroom to have a quick chat and assist in the stations.  There will be multiple families in the room at once, so there will not be the opportunity for lengthy or private discussions about your child's progress.  If I need to discuss your child's progress in depth, or you have something you would like to speak to me about in private, please contact me to book a meeting outside of interview time.

Book fair this week!

Wednesday, February 1st
 Book Fair viewing/ purchasing for students in 1C
Thursday, February 2nd
 Book Fair open to families at conferences 3:30 – 7:30 Student–Led Conferences

Friday, February 3rd
 Book Fair open to families at conferences
 No School for students
 8:00 – 1:00 Student–Led Conferences


UPCOMING DATES TO NOTE:

• Feb 10th Grand Opening Ceremony – 1:00 pm
• Feb 16th & 17th Teachers Convention - No School for Students!
• Feb 20th Family Day – No School!
• Feb 22nd Fun Lunch
Thank you,
Ms. Bakkan

Fire Safety

Dear Families,

The students had many questions this morning about the fire at Symons Valley Ranch.  We had a "kid-friendly" discussion about the fire.  

I took come time to answer students questions and concerns.  The students understand that no one was hurt. Students that frequent the ranch were particularly concerned and we discussed that the ranch would likely be re-built and that we would just have to be patient, like when we were waiting for our school to open.  This seemed to ease a lot of the students concerns.

The students asked if we could make the owners and people who work at the ranch a card.  I think it is important to follow through on this request and we will be sending a card next week. We talked a lot about empathy and I was very proud of the students in 1C.  

The fire opened up a discussion of fire safety... 

When one students shared their home fire safety plan with the class, many of the students did not know what this was.  Please take time to review your family's fire evacuation plan or create one with your child. I assured the students that they are safe in their homes and that homes have smoke detectors to keep us safe.  We talked about the fact that fire drills at school and evacuation practice at home are the same thing, practice to keep us safe.  Students were not anxious but excited to create at plan for home!

Thank you,

Ms. Bakkan

Today you would have received a "Big Box of Cards" as part of Ken Taylor Parent Council Fundraising.  If you haven't had a chance, please take a moment to open the box and take a peek of the sample sent home to you.

If you choose to keep these cards, please send $33 by cash or cheque with your child's name attached. (Cheques made payable to Kenneth D Taylor Fundraising Association) You may also offer these cards to family and friends who may be interested.  After orders and cash are received, boxes will be sent home.  If you choose NOT to keep these cards, just send them back at your convenience.

Orders will be accepted until Feb. 13 and there are prizes to be won for both classes and students. (See purple paper in the card box).

Volunteer Request

Dear Parents,

I am looking for volunteers to complete the follow:

1.) February Scholastic Orders (organize, staple and date) (can be done at home or in project centre- 30min)

2.) Grade 1 Bulletin Boards- removal of art work/ student work on 4 bulletin board and covering one bulletin board with paper. (in grade one hall- 1 hour)

3.) Mount student art on card stock for 1C. Someone with an "eye" or talent for "straight gluing. (In project centre- 1-1.5 hours)

4.) Classroom Book Repair/ Taping- (project centre- approx 30min-1hr)

5.) Duo-tangs: 
-Put together 25 Poem Books for the students (hole punch and fill) (Project centre- 30min-1hr)
-Put current student work in duo-tangs (hole punch and fill) (Project centre- 30min-1hr)

If you are available or interested in helping with the above, please e-mail Angela at:

bakkangrade1@gmail.com

Thank you,
Ms. Bakkan

This Week & Reminders

Hi Parents!

I am so happy to be back with the students.  This has been a tough flu season!  Please remember to keep students home if they have a fever, a new cold, stomach upset, croup-type cough or sore throats.  Student who come to school ill often struggle throughout the day and request to go home.  Thank you for keeping our learning environment safe and healthy for all!

We will continue to remind students to cough and sneeze into their elbows and to keep those little fingers out of their mouths and noses!  We will continue to wash hands before snack and before lunch.

Raz Kids Reading Online:

I have just reviewed the report for our class and it appears that many students have not been logging on lately.  I will resend their log on information home tomorrow in their library bags. I understand that many accounts were locked at a certain level.  This glitch has been resolved and students should be able to advance as appropriate now!  Thank you for your patience.

On their log in card, there will be a number which indicates the number of days/hours/minutes that your child has practiced reading on Raz Kids.  The average time spent reading on Raz Kids by 1C students is 11 hours (since we started).

IXL Math:

Kenneth Taylor School has acquired IXL Math accounts for all of the students.  We are very lucky to have this resource!  Your child's IXL Math account information was sent home today in their blue folders.  Please take some time to explore the site with your child.  Students are very excited to get started.  You will find many links under grade one.  Right now, we are focusing on addition and adding strategies.  Place value is alway beneficial as well!

Power Words:

This weeks words are:

will
their
do
how
if

Last weeks words were:

there
use
an
each
which

Please keep an eye out for your child's individual word list (for practice).  It will be coming home by Friday.  These are the words that your child is working on.  10 minutes of practice at home is invaluable!!

Library Tomorrow:

Tomorrow is library.  It looks like most of the students have returned their books.  Please look out for a yellow paper in your child's library bag.  This paper contains comprehension questions that will help to further develop your child's comprehension and oral language skills.  Please have your child answer the questions you ask in a full sentence (verbally).

Thank you again for all of your hard work with the students in 1C!

Ms. Bakkan

Reminder: Early Dismissal tomorrow (Friday)! Please only send a snack with your child. All students will be out at 11:30 :)

Storytelling and Photos

Dear Parents,

This morning we had the privilege of participating in an Aboriginal storytelling experience in the gym. Denise Miller from Swansong Storytelling presented a few traditional stories. Below is a clip of what we heard and saw:  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2Ca6q8nR-k-M3haMVBKSnNvUzg/view?usp=sharing

We will continue looking at legends and myths as an introduction to story telling and writing.

We have been working towards creating "4-Season" artwork. You will see the final product at Student-Led conferences:

We read to ourselves and to a buddy in the morning.

We are reading and editing with highlighters and love it!!!! Here we are looking for Power Words and the "Short A" sound.

We started sharing today.  Students will have the opportunity to share on the week that they are a classroom helper.  An orange notice will come home that week. This is a great opportunity for the students to learn more about each other and to practice their oral language skills.

Today we had some time outside to get some fresh air! It was great.

Have a great evening.

Ms. Bakkan

Power Words

Dear Parents,

Please continue to practice the Power Words with your students. Sight words are key to learning to read.

Please support your child with learning these words. They should be able to look at them and read them without sounding out the letters. They should also be able to use them in a sentence. Learning these words will help them with reading and writing!

Here is a complete list of the 100 words students need to know by the end of grade 1. Included in this package is flash cards that you may use. 
http://pratt.mpls.k12.mn.us/uploads/fryfirst100set.pdf

Thank you!
Ms. Bakkan

Tuesday

Dear Families,

I hope everyone is staying warm in this chilly weather!!

Thank you for sending your students all warm and bundled up.  We will continue to have indoor mornings, indoor recess and indoor lunch recess when the weather is more than -20c with the wind chill.  We have a weather station installed on the school roof to make sure we have the most accurate and up to date weather to keep the students safe and happy.

Students have been enjoying the GoNoodle 10-15 minute "Indoor Recess" body breaks and free time to explore the classroom building and art materials.  At lunch recess, students are provided the same opportunities. Due to the length of the lunch break, students will also occasionally be watching short stories on the SmartBoard.  Students can not wait to get outside and play in all that snow!!!!

Social Studies:

Please watch for notices coming home about building family trees as well as creating a timeline of major life events in your child's life (learning to walk, etc..).

Social Studies/ Math:

Please watch for a notice about counting to 10 in another language. We are looking at how to count to ten in Cree this week.

Science/LA/Art:

We continue to look at seasons and senses and have been using our senses to write about snow!  Our pumpkin also no longer resembles a pumpkin... it will definitely be all dirt soon! Our plants are doing well... thank you to all the families that cared for them over the break.  We are working on a 4-Seasons painting and are excited to share it with you at conferences! 

Math:

We are working on operators/operations meanings: What does a plus (+) symbol mean?  What does a minus (-) symbol mean? What does a an (=) symbol mean?  We are working on stratgegies for adding and subtracting: Counting on and back on a number line to add or subtract; "Catching" a number and counting on or back to add; Using place value to add and subtract; etc...

Language Arts:

-This week we are learning more about the long A vowel sound (a_e). 
-We are reviewing some of the trickier Power Words.
-Students are beginning to edit their writing using an editing checklist.
-We just started reading the novel, "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White.  Students are learning new vocabulary, learning about the setting and characters in a story and are amazed that a book can have "no pictures!"

Please continue to read the e-mails sent out by the school as they contain important information about school-wide activities/ events and important school-wide organizational information.

Have a great night and see you tomorrow!

Ms. Bakkan

Popcorn Days

First Day Back

Dear Families,

We had a productive day today!

Power Words:

This week we will review our "biggest" Power Words:

1.) from
2.) said
3.) have
4.) this
5.) they
6.) when
7.) with
8.) were
9.) what
10.) that

Next week we will start practicing new Power Words.  We will be increasing our weekly words from 5 to 8!!!

Vowels:

Each week we will also be practicing vowel sounds. 
This week we will be reviewing "short A."  (cat, map, man, etc...)

Next week we will be practicing "long A/ a_e." (cake, made, etc...)

Following, we will look at other letter combinations that make the "long A" sound. (ai, ay).

Math:

We are continuing to make 10 by adding.  For example, today we played, "toss the dots" and used 10 red/white sided foam chips.  We tossed them and added the ones that landed red side up plus the ones that landed white side up.




Science:

We are continuing to look at the season of Winter as well as explore our 5 Senses.  Today we read the book, "Kitten's Winter" by Eugeine Fernandes.  We talked about how all of the different animals in the book adapted for the Winter.  We also picked out the words,"struggles, scurries, burrows, zips and heaps" from the book to learn their meanings. Ask me what these mean.

We will be learning how our senses keep us safe!

Social Studies:

We will be looking more at our families over the next month.

Health:

We will be learning about what it means to be an ambassador and how we can be ambassadors every day.

We will be discussing nutrition and ways to stay healthy.

We will continue to practice self-regulation and ways to develop positive relationships with peers.

Art:

Will continue to be tied in with all areas of curriculum.

Reminders:

Indoor Shoes:
Please check with your child to see if they have indoor shoes at school and whether they still fit. 

Library:
We had library today and will continue to have library every Tuesday.  I am able to send students other days with a "learning commons pass," so please return their books tomorrow if they did not bring them today. :)

Toys/Personal Items/Sharing:
Students often want to share personal items they bring to school.  Beginning next week, we will have classroom helpers. Students will come home with a classroom helper note and that week, students may bring an item in to share with the class. Please remind your child to leave personal items at home unless it is their week/day to share. Please do not send electronics/valuables.

See you tomorrow!
Ms. Bakkan

Back to School Tuesday, January 3rd!

Hi Families,

We are back to school on Tuesday, January 3rd!

Here are some important dates for January:

• January 9th Kindergarten Registration starts 7:30am
• January 20th Early Dismissal
  
• January 25th Fun Lunch
  
• Jan. 30th – Feb. 3rd Book Fair
  
• February 2nd & 3rd – Student-Led Conferences
  
• February 10th – Grand Opening Ceremony (1:00 p.m.)

I look forward to a great new year with the students in 1C!

Ms. Bakkan