Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Monday, October 21, 2013

OPEN HOUSE!!!

DON'T FORGET....Open house at Columbia School is tomorrow from 6:30-7:30pm. After you have stopped at your child's classroom don't forget to "hit up" the book fair!!! Happy Education Week!!!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

HOME READING STARTS TODAY!!!

Ms. Heshka’s Home Reading Program In the next few days you will start to see our home reading program come alive! Each day your child will be bringing home a book or two in their agenda bag. This bag, the log book and the reading book MUST be returned daily so I can exchange the books. Books will NOT be sent home on Fridays, please read personal books over the weekend. You do not have to log the books you read on your own but please make sure to log the books I send. At times, the level of books sent home may seem above or below the reading level of your child. This is ok! The books are sometimes sent home according to the parts of speech or language we are studying in class and it is important for there to be a home school connection. At other times, children will be encouraged to choose their own books. This will help them begin to self-level and choose books that are challenging but at the same time they will still be able to read them primarily independent. It is also ok to re-read a book! I do encourage approximately 20 minutes of reading per day. I know this is not always easy but it is important. Please do not force your child to read. Allow them to read at their own pace while kindly encouraging and helping when needed. The point of this program is not only to teach your child to read but to develop and nourish a love for reading! *READING TIPS* -Encourage daily reading by modeling your love of reading for your child. Let them see you enjoying a book! -Encourage your child to track each word with their finger reinforcing left to right, top-bottom patters. Make this fun by using pointers, Halloween witch fingers or anything else that may be fun! -Work on accuracy in sounding out phonetic words. (Ex.) h-a-m -Work on recognizing sight words (Ex.) The (can’t be sounded out but will soon be memorized) -Encourage your child to use the pictures to decode tough words. -Ask questions during the book (Ex.) Why do you think the bear is wearing a jacket? Where do you think the man is going? Do you think the rabbit and the turtle have met before? Etc. Doing this builds language and problem solving skills. It also helps us make connections within our reading as well as our lives. It is also fun to listen to why they think things are going to happen in the story. It takes A LOT of effort on the part of the students, parents, and teachers to develop confident, proficient readers….THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR PART! Happy Reading  Ms. Heshka

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Thanksgiving Feast

Tomorrow is our Thanksgiving Feast. Please remember to send some fruit with your child. We will meet up with 1E (who is bringing vegetables) and share our blessings. This is such a fun and valuable way for "little people" to learn the importance of being thankful and sharing. The singing, books, and gathering makes it all the more special!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Pete the Cat!

INTRODUCING.....PETE the CAT!!! http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/harperchildrensImages/isbn/large/0/9780061906220.jpg Pete the Cat-I Love my White Shoes is one of my FAVOURITE books (and so are the other Pete the Cat books). Pete makes it fun to do all sorts of learning. Today we read ONE book and from that book we: sang, read, retold, journalled, discussed, and much much more!!! Make sure you ask your child to teach you "Pete's song"!! (I love my white shoes)!!