Ms. Heshka's Grade 1 H Class Blog

We visited Mexico today...well, sort of!

2012-01-26T10:00:00.002-07:00

Mrs. Haberman is in Mexico for holidays and we have been missing her! We were so lucky for the opportunity to talk to her (and see her on SKYPE!!!)
The kids asked her sooo many questions and we learnt a lot of things like, there are lots of mountains where she is, it is hot and you need a lot of sunscreen, and hump back whales live in the ocean and they are as big as a school bus!!!
We had a great time visiting with her (and meeting her mom!!!)
See you soon Mrs. Haberman!

IXL math

2012-01-17T06:25:00.002-07:00

Just a reminder to check out the IXL website. (The link is on our school's homepage).
It really is a GREAT place to practise what we have been working on in class as well as to go back and refresh on past lessons.
I can look at how your child is doing and see their strengths and weaknesses, I can then plan according to what your child needs (as well as the needs of others). This might mean re-teaching a lesson to the entire class, taking out a small group, or one one on support.

I see a few of you have been on it. What do you think? I'd love to hear your comments!

I hope you enjoy the BLOG! :)

Book orders and PTI

2011-11-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

The second I feel like I am ahead of ‘the game’…I find out I am not!! 
I sent home scholastic book orders to be returned December 1st. Yesterday, I received the Nov. book orders and they sent ANOTHER order! So, today you will receive a book order called, Holiday Gift Books. I will delay my book order until FRIDAY DEC. 2nd. I know this only gives you a couple days to get it in and I apologize for that but I want to ensure arrival before the holidays. **Please remember to add a note in the agenda if you want them as a gift and we can arrange a pick up.
And just a reminder that parent-teacher interviews are tonight and tomorrow night. I am happy to reschedule if the time scheduled does not work for you. Please call or email if you need to reschedule. 786-5510 or rheshka@mail.gssd.ca
See you soon 
Ms. Heshka

Needed...

2011-11-14T15:53:00.002-07:00

I am asking each child to bring a clean 1-quart mason jar (or any glass jar of that size) with NO lables.
You can send the jar any time...we will not be starting the project till mid December.
The project is TOP SECRET so don't even ask!!! :)

Thanks in advance!!!!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T18:24:00.002-06:00

WHAT a FUN, FUN day!! I loved watching the kids faces as the day unfolded! I hope everyone has as good of a Hallowen as we did! Enjoy the pics!!!

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Halloween is MONDAY!

2011-10-29T09:39:00.002-06:00

Just a few reminders:
*No blood or weapons on any costumes*

-We are having a party in the afternoon (starting with the parade at 1:15)
Please do not send your child to school in the morning dressed in his/her costume. We will be having regular classes that morning.
-I am on supervision that day at lunch so I ask that you try and find arrangements to get your child dressed/ready. I do however understand that this is sometimes a challenge and I of course will be able to help them out !!

-At the party we will play games, read stories, Make witches Brew and have some treats. You may send snacks for that day and we will eat them right after afternoon recess.

See you Monday...............BOO!!!

SURPRISE!

2011-10-28T15:16:00.001-06:00

I hd a surprise planned for the kids today...carving pumpkins to make Jack-o-Lanterns! Check out how much fun we had!

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The week of Oct. 17th...

2011-10-16T21:32:00.002-06:00

Here are a few reminders for the week...

It is Education Week!!! The kids and I will be talking about where we will be in 14 years??? I am looking forward to hearing their answers!

Wed. Oct.19th- Columbia School Open House from 7-8:30pm. Come check out your child's room amd see some of the fun stuff we have been doing!!!

Fri. Oct.21st- I will be away at a conference today. Mrs. Irving will be in for me and is looking forward to having a lot of fun with the kids!!!

***The week after***Picture retakes are on Oct.25th. If you want your child to have retakes, write a note in their agenda and I will make sure they get them tsken.

Thanksgiving Feast

2011-10-11T10:52:00.000-06:00

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REMINDER....

2011-10-06T11:12:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow is our THANKSGIVING FEAST! Remember to bring your fruit (cut and washed if possible)! The kids are sooooo excited!....and so am I :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Sept. 28th!

2011-09-28T13:32:00.003-06:00

Mazula Theatre came today and did a workshop on using your imagination! It was SOOO FUN!!! Check out our slideshow to see the fun we had!

*Reminder*-Tomorrow is Terry Fox day at Columbia. For a donation of $2.00 your child can wear a HAT all day!! We will be walking at 3pm so please make sure they are dressed for the weather and have good walking shoes on!

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13 days of school!!!

2011-09-20T14:08:00.001-06:00

Here is a collage of our first 13 days of school! Enjoy!

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New word alert!

2011-09-12T13:11:00.002-06:00

Today we learned about the word CAN!
I explain to the kids that the letters /a/ and /n/ are buddies...they like to hang out:) We talked about who their "buddies" are. Then we learnt that /an/ says an.
We added a c and we got CAN!
Our new Reading Rainbow page is called, "Can I See Green?"
ENJOY!

Getting Excited!

2011-08-30T09:29:00.002-06:00

I am sitting at the school getting ready for the new school year.
Yesterday we attended a meeting on intervention in the classroom and today we are meeting with our staff, our grade partners as well as our division partners and are busy making new plans to make our year more successful!
I can not wait to get started on some wonderful learning!

See you Thursday!

Talent Show success!

2011-06-27T15:10:00.002-06:00

The kids did AWESOME!!!! I am sooooo proud! I am looking for someone who taped it on a camera so we can easily transfer it to this blog. Comment on this post or email if you can help me out! Here are a few pics Miss. Boychuk took for us!

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Last field trip to the SPLASH PARK!

2011-06-27T15:01:00.002-06:00

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to Mother Nature for being so nice and giving us AWESOME weather on Friday! The kids had a BLAST and so did the adults watching them!

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Jeff!

2011-06-23T19:57:00.003-06:00

When I get home from working all day, this is what Jeff is doing! MUST BE NICE!! lol

PLAY DAY!

2011-06-23T19:49:00.003-06:00

Day 4 of the busiest week of my life...lol!!
Enjoy!!!

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Good Spirit Lake!!!

2011-06-22T17:54:00.001-06:00

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National Aboriginal Day!

2011-06-22T08:32:00.002-06:00

WOW...What a day! We had soooo much fun and learned sooo much about First Nations culture(s). We also had a chance to see some Ukrainian and Philippines culture!
Have a look at our slide show to see everything we did. What a BLAST!
P.S.
It was also the first day of summer! YAY!

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Tomorrow!

2011-06-20T14:07:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY! (and the 1st day of summer!!) YAHOO!!

We will be leaving here at about 9:15am...rain or shine, so send an umbrella (with your child's name on it) along with a healthy snack, a water bottle and a towel.

You do not have to send bug spray and sunscreen but I would ask that you put it on before they leave the house in the morning.

Remember that they DO NOT need a lunch as one will be provided!!

Keep your fingers crossed that the weather cooperates!!!

**A note will be sent home today to remind everyone of the weeks activities...it'll be a busy one!!!

VERY Interesting!!!

2011-06-20T14:04:00.001-06:00

I was reading an online article and found this:

MATH: On average, students lose approximately 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months. Studies reveal that the greatest areas of summer loss for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status, are in factual or procedural knowledge (Cooper, 1996).
So, if your child is leaving grade 1 at a 2.0 (grade 2) level, without daily home reading and math they will start grade 2 behind (at approximately 1.7. That is where they were in about March of Grade 1).
If you need some help with resources for the summer please contact me and I will be happy to help. Walmart has some excellent activity books that are well priced.

READING: ...Children are ready to shrug off the mantle of "student" for the two-month break, along with the backpacks, the math homework, and the quizzes and tests. But just because school is out, it doesn't mean that reading and learning should stop. Teachers know that many children can't afford to take such a long break. Young readers who don't continue to read over the summer — especially those who are reluctant or at-risk — are likely to lose crucial ground. One summer off can sometimes mean a whole school year of struggling academic performance.On average a typical child will lose 2 reading levels over the summer if there is no consistant support from parents or family.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor/summer_reading.htm

It is important to read as well as work on basic addition and math facts daily. Giving them problems and having them figure them out will also keep their minds sharp and enhance skills that will be needed in grade 2.

There are many articles on this topic on the internet...education journals are the best place to find accurate facts on this topic.

2011-06-15T14:48:00.002-06:00

We survived our first field trip! YAY! It was sooooo FUN! Special thanks to all the helpers who came to give us a hand.

Also, a special thanks to HALLE!!! Halle made this blog! She downloaded pictures, added text...everything!!! Way to go girl!!!

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They emerged...on the weekend :P

2011-06-13T14:31:00.002-06:00

So, 2 years in a row the caterpillars decided to emerge over the weekend :(
I have been like the crazy lady with my camera trying to "catch the moment". Oh well, I'll try again next year!

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Caterpillars to Butterflies....ALMOST!

2011-06-06T11:33:00.002-06:00

In the Science unit 'Daily and Seasonal Changes' we have been discussing the changes that occur with Spring and Summer. We have been learning about the changes a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly...aka...Metamorphisis!!!
The following video is of our classroom caterpillars that have already formed their chrysalis. The chrysalis was shaking like crazy today and we were on our way to computers so to make sure we didn't miss anything I set up my camera to capture the 'magic'!!! As you can see in the video, the caterpillar was working really hard to change but never broke free. I hope to be able to capture the release!!!
ENJOY!

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Just a couple things!

2011-05-22T08:59:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone,
I hope you are enjoying your long weekend. I know I am! Played some tennis, planted potatoes, garlic, and onion (good Ukrainian staples) and doing some fishing...I love this time of year!

Just want to remind you that there will NOT be a spelling test this Friday. I will hand out the words for the following week this Friday.

I do need your field trip forms back as soon as possible. We are looking for parent volunteers for our trips. If you can help out please let me know. (and ignore the spelling mistake on the form...lol....noticed it after I photocopied them!) :)

For now, that's all! I'm heading out to enjoy the day and hope you are too!
Happy Long Weekend!

Ms. Heshka

Don't forget...

2011-05-09T14:46:00.001-06:00

Early Dismissal this Thursday (May 12th).

www.spellingcity.com is an awesome way to study spelling at home. Check it out!

Spelling List 21

2011-05-09T14:45:00.001-06:00

little

where

thank

right

most

away

Halle and Joshua B.

pajamas

paleontology

parachute

Pakistan

Mother's Day Tea!

2011-05-06T14:52:00.003-06:00

Ok, so I had this whole speech thing to tell you guys at the beginning of the tea and because I am an emotional wreck I had to cut it short.
I do want to say that you all are amazing! You have the toughest job in the world but the most rewarding!! I have spend 152 days with your child and have become very attached to each and every one of them. When I seen their faces when you arrived it made my heart melt. They worked SO hard to make this day perfect and I think they did a FANTASTIC job!
I'm sorry I didn't take more pictures. Time flew by and before I knew it it was time to go.
Thanks again for coming and especially for raising such awesome kids!

Ms. Heshka

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Mother's Day Tea

2011-05-02T10:25:00.002-06:00

Reminder that the Mother's Day Tea is on Friday May 6th from 1:00-2:00pm.If you can not make it please send another special lady in your child's life.

Please RSVP in your child's agenda or on the blog!
We look forward to seeing you!!

2011-04-14T16:00:00.003-06:00

WOW...WHAT A DAY!! The kids made their own Egg Salad Sandwiches...ALL BY THEMSELVES!
They cut the celery, peel and cut the egg, got some mayo, mixed it and spread it on the bread!! It was AWESOME!
I am very proud of them for trying their sandwich. If they didn't like it they didn't have to eat it but they all tried it! YAY for them!!

Enjoy the show!

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Scrambled Eggs!

2011-04-13T13:29:00.003-06:00

OH MY was this morning ever fun! It was all about eggs! We learned the different parts of the egg and had a huge giant egg we labelled! Then ONTO THE COOKING! Mrs. L was in to help us and we were glad she was there! We learned how to make scrambled eggs in the microwave!! YUMMY!!!
The kids had soooo much fun! I LOVE watching them doing things like this...amazing learning goes on without them even knowing!
Tomorrow we will journal about what we did today and then onto Part B...the boiled eggs! We again will learn about what happens to a hard boiled egg in the cooking process and then make something out of them!
Stay tuned for another slideshow!
And thanks for sending the eggs!!!

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don't forget...

2011-04-12T09:09:00.001-06:00

I am just getting settled in to my Math Mentor workshop and wanted to quickly post a reminder to bring your eggs tomorrow. 2 hard boiled....2 raw.
Please pack them up safely in paper towel so there are no breaks! :)

words for Friday

2011-04-11T08:58:00.001-06:00

again

here

thing

say

come

after

Josh B. and Halle
magnificent

medieval

Mexico

muscles

Food for the Soup Haven

2011-04-07T09:32:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we were talking about healthy eating in our health unit. We got on the discussion of how people might not have a lot of healthy foods to eat. One of the boys in the room came up with the idea that we should collect food for them. So, thats just what we did!! Class 1H was very generous and brought LOTS of food for the Soup Haven. I am so proud of the class.

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Spelling Test for Fri. April 8th

2011-04-01T15:19:00.001-06:00

man

woman

call

long

over

because

Halle and Joshua B.

language

lasagna (YUMMY!!)

laundry

leopard

Today we tried some fruits and vegetables

2011-03-30T09:48:00.002-06:00

We tried coleslaw, mangos, kiwi, and sugar snap peas! Some of the kids LOVED the coleslaw (others...not so much...lol)!!!
I was proud of them for trying!

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Making Quesadillas

2011-03-24T14:07:00.002-06:00

In Health, we have started our unit on Healthy Bodies. We are starting the unit with Nutrition (learning about the 4 food groups and how foods give us nutrients). We will learn each food group in detail and try at least one food in that group. This week we made Quesadillas. (Grains and dairy). It was SOOO MUCH FUN!!! Stay tuned for more pictures on other food groups!

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Building castles!

2011-03-14T15:58:00.002-06:00

We had a BLAST building castles! I am SO impressed with their creativity! Check out our pics to see our creations!!!!!

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next week...

2011-03-11T13:19:00.003-07:00

Parent Teacher Interviews are next week (Tuesday and Wednesday). Please send back the confermation form as soon as possible.

It is GREEN day on Thursday March 17th. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Our spelling test will be on this day. The new words are:
first
people
now
look
who
way

Halle and Joshua B's words are the same plus:
independent
invisible
Ireland
identity

Have a great weekend!!!

There is NO SCHOOL on Friday the 18th!

This is how WE study for spelling!

2011-03-03T15:43:00.001-07:00

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back into the swing of things!

2011-03-01T09:07:00.003-07:00

Welcome Back!!!
I hope everyone had a great winter break and got to spend some quality time with your family!

This weeks spelling words are:

these

so

has

would

other

into

I will be starting to mark words with caPiTals in the middle wrong so practice printing using lowercase letters!

I am also going to start giving bonus sentences sometimes. This is to see where they are with using capitals at the beginning as well as proper punctuation. Keep practicing writing at home.

On Fri. March 4th- The Saracho family will be providing lunch and morning snack to help celebrate Tisha's birthday! If your child does not like pizza or does not wish to take part just send them a lunch that day.

**Report cards will be out soon. I will be sending a form home to choose which time/day you'd prefer. Please send the form back as soon as possible to allow time to get the whole school scheduled.

*Don't forget that we are collecting material to build a castle for our fairy tale unit. Cereal boxes, toilet paper rolls, styrofoam, anything we can use that will stick together with white glue or tape! I am looking forward to this unit...it is usually a lot of fun!!

**New blog link. Raz-Kids!! (in the language arts section) The kids LOVED this site. It really is fabulous! The best part is, is the books on Raz-Kids are books we read in guided reading so the familiarity helps them build confidence! I entered them all in under their own reading level. They read books, listen to them and answer questions and are moved up to new levels accordingly. While they are doing all of this "work" they are collecting points to build a "rocket room". They earn points and can buy things to decorate their room. Have them log on at home and enjoy a 'new way to read'!

The monthly calendar will be sent home today.

I think I got it all??? I hope I got it all! :)

Have a great week!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T13:44:00.001-07:00

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OH did we LAUGH today!

2011-02-09T14:33:00.002-07:00

Today we had a wonderful performance by Wide Open Productions out of Saskatoon. Their production was called A Prairie Life. It is based on the bestselling books by Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet, illustrated by Yvette Moore (A Prairie Year, Heartland, a Prairie sampler and A Prairie Alphabet).
We enjoyed a one hour show featuring 30 outstanding Muppet-style hand puppets, a live narrator, comedy, and music that brought these wonderful depictions of a prairie life- off of the page and to the stage- in a very unique way!
Ask your child about the afternoon! I am sure a smaile will be on their face while re-telling the events!!
Check out their website!

And DON'T FORGET....tomorrow is EARLY DISMISSAL!!!

WHAT a DAY! FUN, FUN, FUN!

2011-02-04T14:02:00.001-07:00

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MATH GAMES in MATH CLASS!

2011-02-03T13:37:00.001-07:00

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2011-01-26T14:22:00.001-07:00

TOMORROW IS Wacky Hair Day!!! Show your Columbia School spirit and be CRAZY!

Snow Day

2011-01-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

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New words..

2011-01-21T14:37:00.002-07:00

Our next spelling test will be On Thursday Jan. 27th due to early dismissal!
The words are:

there

said

which

an

if

my

And Halle and Joshua B your "extra words" are:

collected

company

crocodile

custodian

Have a great weekend!

And don't forget that Fri. Jan 28th there is NO SCHOOL for kids!!

CHANGE of PLANS!

2011-01-20T15:05:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow is NOT wacky Hair day!! It has been cancelled.

We will have our spelling test.

Monday and Tuesday this week I was at a "Teaching Treaties in the Classroom" workshop becoming a catalyst teacher in that field. It was awesome and I can not wait to start implementing some of the thing I learnt.
On Wed. I attended a family funeral, and so today was spent trying to catch up and listen to the stories from all the students. After that long apart we all had many questions and stories to share.

We started a new unit on Animals which the kids are LOVING! I added a link to National Geographic on the blog (under other subjects). We looked at a few videos today and the kids couldn't wait to share their new finds with you. **Fainting goats was definitely a class favourite** :)

We are still working on adding and subtracting. Ask your students to teach you about the terms we have been learning. (Part-part-whole, fact family, 10 frame, ect)
And keep working on + and - at home using "real" objects.
ex)Hey 'Julia',
Mom has 8 cans of soup in the cupboard. How many would I need to buy to make 10?

These are fun, easy ways to make math fun but also to make it real. These are problems they will need to know how to solve for the future. You always hear, "When will I EVER use this???" and here is a perfect example of when....GROCERY SHOPPING!!

Anyways, I hope you find this helpful and enjoy the new website.

Happy Friday! (tomorrow)

Ms. Heshka

Jan. 13th, 2011

2011-01-12T14:30:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is EARLY DISMISSAL! Don't forget to make arrangements.
It is also the day BOOK ORDERS are DUE! Please make sure to put your name on it because I have received a few without names and I have no idea who it belongs to.

Thanks!

3 days left....

2010-12-20T09:06:00.003-07:00

These next 3 days should be fun and BUSY!!
-We have our concert tonight at 7pm (and practice at 2:30ish).
-Tomorrow we have carolling in the gym with the whole school.
-Wednesday is the last day before holidays and by far the most FUN! It is PJ day so dress in your most snuggly pajamas because we will be watching a school wide movie. We will have a 2:00pm dismissal on this day as well.
Of course there will be no spelling words this week. We will continue with spelling on the week after we return.

Thank you for all of the cards and gifts I have received it is very thoughtful and appreciated. Have a very merry christmas and safe travels to you and your families.

See you in 2011!

Ms. Heshka

Letters from Santa!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-12-16T13:33:00.001-07:00

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spelling words for Dec. 10th

2010-12-06T09:55:00.001-07:00

with

his

they

at

be

her

Live from Yorkton

2010-12-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

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so much happening--so little time ;)

2010-11-29T13:23:00.001-07:00

New reading books!
Ok, so we have moved on from our reading rainbow! We will still be using it to send our spelling test practice worksheets back and forth as well as for the odd reading rainbow page.
I will be sending home books that follow what we are doing in class. We started using a program called Starfall (www.starfall.com). During ELA we read a book, then we go online and play the games that go with the book and finally we watch a 2 min video of the topic (ex. Zac the Rat). To follow up we work on the corresponding section in our Starfall work book.
I will be sending home a Starfall book nightly (sometimes it will be another brand) but either way it will be a book . I’d like you to read over these books and send them back the next day. I will NOT send a new book until the other book has been returned. I do this because most of the books I send home have been purchased with my own money and I’d like to keep them as long as possible 
-Reminder our field trip is Dec. 1st! ALL students in grade 1 MUST stay for lunch that day.
-Dec. 3rd CTV is coming to film us singing The First Noel. Please make sure to dress nice for the cameras!
-If you did not make it to interviews PLEASE call me to reschedule. I will be contacting everyone (that didn’t make it) soon to set up a new date/time. 786-5510 (school phone number)
Thanks,
Ms. Heshka

canteen reminder

2010-11-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that our grade 1 class can ONLY buy hot food from the canteen on Mondays. Milk can be bought everyday.

Thanks!!

Centre fun slide show!

2010-11-24T16:34:00.001-07:00

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reminders...

2010-11-19T09:23:00.002-07:00

The new spelling list is:

it

in

of

for

is

that

Our test will be on Thursday Nov. 25th as there is no school Friday.

The students spelling test is glued in their agenda! They did GREAT!!! It was awesome to see how well they did. THANK YOU for taking the time to study with your child!!

Don't forget Parent Teacher Interviews will be held Wed and Thurs night. You scheduled times will be sent home today in your child's report cards.

Have a great weekend!!!

Spelling fun!!

2010-11-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

STARTING NEXT WEEK….
On Monday morning we will be starting our spelling program!!! Here is the rundown of how it will happen.
Every Friday we will write our new spelling words in our agenda (that way you have them for the weekend). I will also put them on the blog.
On Mondays, we will do a worksheet specifically on the new words. They will be kept in a duotang in the room.
The rest of the week we will be doing one or two reading rainbow pages that are a bit different format then we’re used to. Some of the words will be hard but that’s where you can help them out. The reading rainbow will continue to come back and forth each day. Some days you will not get a reading rainbow page but you will get a small book. The book will go with that day’s word. Whichever one I send home (the sheet or the book) is your reading homework for the night.
We will play games, read stories, and use technology to help us prepare for Friday morning tests! I want this to be fun so making study time at home fun is important! I am sending some practice ideas home as well to help you with some ideas on how to make spelling fun!!
If you have any questions feel free to pop in the room, call, email, or leave a comment on the blog!
Have a great long weekend!!
Ms. Heshka

Our first list is:
the

and

to

I

you

and

Fun song!

2010-10-21T13:26:00.001-06:00

Here is a song we listened to in the classroom that the students just LOVED!

http://www.sesamestreet.org/video_player/-/pgpv/videoplayer/0/2c0cd479-be84-4d08-bf9b-1405def9ea92

Till the end of the month

2010-10-18T17:02:00.002-06:00

Wed. Oct. 20th-OPEN HOUSE 7-8:30pm
Thurs. Oct. 21st-Book Orders DUE
Tues. Oct. 26th-Retakes
Fri. Oct. 29th-Halloween Parade (Students can ONLY dress in their costumes in the afternoon. They must beable to dress themselves. If they can't you can meet them here to help them.)

Thanksgiving Feast Slide show!

2010-10-12T13:54:00.000-06:00

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reminder!!

2010-10-07T10:19:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow is our Thanksgiving Feast!! Please send 1 fruit to school with your child in the morning!

Picture money is also DUE tomorrow!

22 days...

2010-09-30T16:46:00.002-06:00

Yep, thats right...we have made it through 22 days of grade 1!!
We are working on our letter formation and sounds of hard and soft letters. Tomorrow is the letter O o. We are also reviewing our numbers and learning about sets and proper formation.
Of course, there are a million other things we have on the go (Autumn books, colours, My special Me books....ask your child to share what they are doing in class)
I am SOOOO PROUD of them and how far they have come since the first day! They are picking out words they know in books and beginning to put together sentences. It is AWESOME!!!

Pictures were sent home today! They all turned out fantastic!!!

Please remember your child needs INDOOR and OUTDOOR shoes! They will not beable to participate in Phys. Ed without the proper footwear.

Also a reminder...NO Junk Food for snack!!! There is a complete difference in them if they eat a chocolate bar or oreos at snack as compared to when they eat an apple or banana.

I have enjoyed the first 22 days!
Ms. Heshka

Cheeessssseeee

2010-09-17T17:37:00.001-06:00

Don't forget that picture day is on Tuesday Sept 21st. Every child will have their picture taken! Dress 'perty'!

14 Days!

2010-09-17T07:09:00.002-06:00

So, today is our 14th day of school! Hooray!
We have been talking lots about behaviour in our class and school. There has been many issues within our classroom such as inappropriate use of the washroom, hitting, being verbally mean, etc. Starting next week I will beging to take these behaviours more seriously (I felt like they may need time to adjust to gd. 1 but 3 weeks is enough adjusting).
My disipline plan is 1 warning. Everyones name is on the board right now, the 2nd time gets your name underlined. The 3rd time gets it crossed out and you stay in for a recess. For any other incidences your child will see one of the admin team and lose more things (like recess).
I also have an "I Had a Good Day Chart". Everyday the children have a good day they get a sticker by their name. 5 stickers in a row gets them a prize or treat from the "treasure box"!
I will be writing in your child's agenda if he or she had any issues during the day.
Please support our classroom rules by talking with your child about the inportance of proper behaviour while at school.
Thanks!
Have a great weekend!!

FRIDAY!

2010-09-03T19:51:00.002-06:00

We made it through the first week of school! YAY! I had a great week getting to know the kids!
I sent home a yellow printing book with most of the kids. We have completed up to and including D. Please make sure your child is caught up and that their printing book is returned on Tuesday!
Please remind your child that we always start our letters from the top and go down. Here are a couple sites to go to for reference.
http://www.hwtears.com/files/Print%20Capital%20Formation%20Chart.pdf
http://www.hwtears.com/files/Print%20Lowercase%20Formation%20Chart.pdf

Have a super LONG weekend!!

EXCITED!

2010-08-29T22:11:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow marks the beginning of another school year! 2010-2011!!! WOW! I am soooo excited to be able to meet the kids and get started on some FUN learing!

See you tomorrow :)

Back to Work

2010-08-18T13:26:00.003-06:00

Our holidays are coming to an end. I am at the school taking part in a Summer Math Institute (learning new ways to teach math making it fun and exciting for me and the students!!)
I hope you have been playing the games I have added to the blog!! These games will refresh skills learned in grade 1 and will help your child start grade 2 WITH A BANG!!
For my new grade 1's...there are many games on the blog to help get you ready for the beginning of the year. We will be starting with letter/number recognition and printing as well as colours and shapes. Having some recent "refreshers" for your child to pull from will make the transition to grade 1 easier for your child. So, play games on-line or hands on (like Uno, go fish, etc) and your child will thank you!!
See you SOON!

Monday

2010-06-26T09:07:00.002-06:00

I can't believe that the last day of school is Monday! I am going to really miss the kids.
Our awards ceremony is on Monday morning at 9:15am.
We will be having our talent show in the afternoon at 1:15pm. You are invited to either or both. We will be dancing the "Alley Cat" for the talent show.
I sent home most of their stuff on Friday but will be sending home a few last minute things on Monday. The kids have Tuesday off and then come Wednesday morning to pick up report cards...then SUMMER HOLIDAYS OFFICIALLY BEGIN!!!

Thanks for a great year!

WHAT A DAY!

2010-06-18T15:44:00.002-06:00

Was it a great day or what grade ones????
THANK YOU sooooooooooo very much to all the dads who were able to attend our "special man" party! The children did not stop smiling all afternoon! You made their day!!!

Reminder that our field trip is on Monday. ALL students were sent home with a letter in their agenda.

Have a GREAT FATHER'S DAY weekend!

Very Interesting!

2010-06-17T11:28:00.002-06:00

I was reading an online article and found this:

MATH: On average, students lose approximately 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months. Studies reveal that the greatest areas of summer loss for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status, are in factual or procedural knowledge (Cooper, 1996).
So, if your child is leaving grade 1 at a 2.0 (grade 2) level, without daily home reading and math they will start grade 2 behind (at approximately 1.7. That is where they were in about March of Grade 1).
If you need some help with resources for the summer please contact me and I will be happy to help. Walmart has some excellent activity books that are well priced.

READING: ...Children are ready to shrug off the mantle of "student" for the two-month break, along with the backpacks, the math homework, and the quizzes and tests. But just because school is out, it doesn't mean that reading and learning should stop. Teachers know that many children can't afford to take such a long break. Young readers who don't continue to read over the summer — especially those who are reluctant or at-risk — are likely to lose crucial ground. One summer off can sometimes mean a whole school year of struggling academic performance.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor/summer_reading.htm

It is important to read as well as work on basic addition and math facts daily. Giving them problems and having them figure them out will also keep their minds sharp and enhance skills that will be needed in grade 2.

There are many articles on this topic on the internet...education journals are the best place to find accurate facts on this topic.

TALENT SHOW

2010-06-17T11:11:00.002-06:00

1H together with 1E will be presenting a dance called "The Alley Cat" during the talent show. Please have them dress in black that day.
You are invited to come and watch the performance which will be on JUNE 28th at 1:15pm.

Also a reminder that tomorrow is the Family BBQ!!
If you have ordered lunch please be at the school at 11:55am.
Our Father's Day Party will be the same day from 1:00-2:00pm.

Home reading is done for the year! Thank you to everyone for reading nightly with your child. You made an impact on your child's education with 15 minutes a night!!
If you have any books at home please return them as soon as possible.

That's all for now....I think...

sad,sad,sad

2010-06-10T10:26:00.001-06:00

Well it looks like our first field trip will be cancelled due to rain :(
But instead we will be having a POPCORN PARTY! I told the students they may bring their stuffies and a pillow, etc.

Spelling Test for THURS. June 10th

2010-06-04T13:06:00.002-06:00

This will be our last spelling test of the year!!

rabbit

sheep

bird

pig

fish

goat

Spelling Words for June 4th

2010-05-31T10:59:00.001-06:00

cat

cow

horse

duck

dog

frog

FOR FRIDAY...

2010-05-26T15:20:00.002-06:00

I would like the students to bring a toy to school on Friday for a writing assignment. I have asked them to refrain from bringing toys that are too big or too expensive.

Spelling Words for the 28th...

2010-05-26T09:26:00.000-06:00

They are:

school

garden

flower

house

farm

grass

Trying to Plan!

2010-05-19T13:53:00.003-06:00

I have added a list of things I know are coming up to our classroom calendar (bottom of blog page). I know this time of year is busy for everyone so I wanted to give you as much notice as possible on our planned events. I have not talked to the students about our field trips yet but will closer to the dates. If you have any questions post a comment, call, pop by the room or email!!

**Don't forget to send a boiled egg to school tomorrow!!

Spelling words for May 21st

2010-05-17T09:10:00.001-06:00

mother

father

sister

brother

boy

girl

And a reminder that Friday May 21st is ROCK STAR day! Dress like a rock star!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

2010-05-07T15:30:00.003-06:00

Our Mother's Day tea was a huge success!! The students were thrilled to share the afternoon with you! Thank you for coming!

Our Spelling Words for Friday May 14th are:

hot
cold
wet
dry
warm
cool

We are still talking about opposites so the test will be a bit of a reinforcement to in-class work.

Have a GREAT weekend!

Spelling words for May 7th...

2010-04-30T09:57:00.000-06:00

birthday

does

short

far

left

give

Mother's Day Tea

2010-04-30T06:44:00.002-06:00

Our Mother's Day Tea will be on Friday May 7th from 1:00-2:00pm. If you are unable to make it, please send a 'special lady' in your child's life (an aunt, grandma, neighbour, etc).
Please RSVP if you can make it.

Happy Friday!

Reminders!

2010-04-22T10:23:00.003-06:00

Next weeks spelling words are:

put

tall

why

never

children

much

There will be no more number words at this time.

**I will NOT be here tomorrow as I will be attending a reading conference in Regina. Mrs. Graham will be in for me completing our usual activites.

**Friday April 24th is HAT DAY and school colour day! In order for you to wear a hat you need to bring a minimum of $1.00 which will be donated to charity!

Words for Friday April 23rd:

2010-04-20T11:07:00.002-06:00

little

where

thank

right

most

away

Spelling Test

2010-04-01T09:50:00.002-06:00

I will be sending home the spelling words for our next test which will be on
APRIL 16th! This will give you plenty of time to study.
The words are:

best

know

think

must

very

just

twenty

Please remember to read nightly over the holidays!

Happy Easter!

Spelling Test!

2010-03-29T11:32:00.003-06:00

Our spelling test is on Thursday April 1st!
The words are:

going (go + the "ing" brothers)

back

part (ar like arnie ardvark)

done

stop

walk

nineteen

**Remember in the blue spelling duo tang are many different ways to make studying for spelling fun...be sure to check them out!!

If you have...

2010-03-28T14:45:00.001-06:00

Please don't forget to send your (white) egg shells to school on Monday! We're going to try an Easter Art Project using them.

New things....

2010-03-24T18:43:00.002-06:00

I added a couple new things to our blog.
If you scroll all the way to the bottom of the page you'll see a calendar. I will post all the important dates on the calendar.
To the left is a cluster map...this map will show us where people who look at our blog are from. We will check this often to learn about the different cities, towns, countries, etc. our 'visitors' are from.
There are also some new games. I will continue to add to the games section according to units we are working on as well as to strengths and weaknesses I see in the classroom)
My next goal is to get some photos on here!! If you haven't signed a blog form yet please let me know so I know who pictures to not put up. (FYI: Everyone signed a form saying it was ok except my newer students. I will send one home in your child's agenda.)
I hope you are enjoying the blog.

P.S.
I LOVE to recieve messages from the kids :)

Spelling words for March 26th

2010-03-22T09:48:00.002-06:00

The words for the week are:
again
thing
here
say
come
after
eighteen

STUDY HARD!

A new way to study is using www.spellingcity.com, Its fun and the kids LOVE IT!

Don't Forget.

2010-03-08T16:58:00.001-07:00

Early dismissal this Thursday! The bell will ring at 11:55am!

Next Fridays Spelling words

2010-03-04T13:04:00.002-07:00

The words for the March 12th spelling test are:

made (vowel rule...magic E)

water (er sound...like Whirling Irving)

only (the Y is a vowel here...saying e and making the o long)

get (consonant-vowel-consonant word)

day (2 vowels together, 1st one does talking the 2nd one does the walking)

may (2 vowels together, 1st one does talking the 2nd one does the walking)

It's Friday!

2010-02-26T15:10:00.003-07:00

We had a very busy day today. For the past week we had Mrs. Muir in our room helping us learn about measurement, capacity, mass, and "er" words (longER, shortER, smallER, etc). Ask your child to teach you what they learned in Math this week.

We did not get a chance to add our new words into our duotangs. (Sorry)
Our new words are:

under

down

did

use

find

fifteen

We also started out healthy body unit and are focusing on Nutrition right now. We also found out that we have lice in the classroom. A note was sent home with each student. The cycle is 7 days (at least) so please continue to check your child's hair nightly. If one person misses it, the lice will continue to circulate around the classroom. If you need any help with checking or getting rid of, please contact the public health nurse.

Book orders went home and are due back on Monday March 1st.

Have a super weekend!!

Spelling Words for Feb. 26th TEST

2010-02-22T13:44:00.002-07:00

The words for the week are:

first

people

now

way

who

look

fourteen

Holidays!

2010-02-13T07:31:00.002-07:00

It is Saturday morning and I have just started getting some housework done so I can enjoy the rest of my week off.
I will be heading in to the school to get planned for our next few units. We will be starting the Space and Shape Strand in Math and the Healthy Body Unit in Health. (as well as many other new and exciting things)
I would ask that you keep working on adding and subtracting (in this case, practice will make perfect). You can add in workbooks from Staples or Walmart, online, or using day to day objects like cereal or macaroni. It is so important they have a solid understanding of adding and subtracting for the next few units we will do as well as for the rest of their schooling years. A small amount of time will make a HUGE difference for them.
I also ask that you continue reading. The time spent together sharing a good piece of literature can be priceless and what your child will get out of that time spent together can never be measured. I can not stress the importance of this.
One last thing...I'd like to thank you all for the wonderful Valentines treats and gifts. They were very much appreciated. I have been truly blessed with a wonderful school family!
I hope you all enjoy your holidays and I cannot wait to see you next Monday!!

Week of Jan. 8th....

2010-02-08T06:12:00.003-07:00

Spelling words for this Friday (the 12th) are:

could (just like "would" from last week)

more (use the "magic e"...where the e bumps the vowel o on the head to make it say
its own name)
time (use the "magic e"...where the e bumps the vowel o on the head to make it say
its own name)
see (squealy e's)
been (squealy e's)
then (th, like in the and then a short e and a n)

Don't forget that JAN. 11th is early dimissal.
and JAN. 12th from 1-3pm is the SCHOOL CARNIVAL! Please join your child and enjoy this great event!!

Have a great week!

PARTY!

2010-02-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

Friday February 5th, 2010 is our 100th DAY OF SCHOOL!!
We will be having a party in the afternoon. I will ask that you send 100 ‘snacks’ for the kids to share. (100 cheerios, 100 chocolate chips, 100 shreddies, 100 goldfish crackers, 100 raisons, 100 dried cranberries-or 100 of any small dried fruit, pretzels, 100 small ritz crackers, 100 mini marshmallows etc.) We will be mixing them up and making trail mix. Please do not send peanuts or any other nuts. Be creative and send something not on the list if you wish!
We will be doing many fun “100” activities! I am looking forward to the celebration.

Thursday Jan. 28th Spelling words

2010-01-25T13:07:00.002-07:00

The Spelling Test WILL BE on THURSDAY Jan. 28th NOT on Friday since there is no school for students Friday. Study Hard!
Out
Then
Many
Some
Their
Eleven

A few things...

2010-01-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

Spelling words for Friday Jan. 22nd are: make
were
about
good
do
him
ten
WED. JAN. 20th is WACKY HAIR DAY!

I will NOT be here on the 21st and/or the 22nd. I am away for an inservice. Mrs. Graham will be in for me.

There is NO SCHOOL for the kids on the 29th. It is a curriculum day for the teachers. Enjoy the long weekend!

The home reading program we started is going VERY well! Thank you soooo much for doing the nightly reading. I can not believe how much their reading has improved since September. Way to go grade ones!!!

"Work with your children to help them become strong readers"
Contributed by: Judy McDaniel, communications consultant

Reading well is at the heart of all learning. Children who can read well,
learn well. You can help make a difference for your children.

Reading with children spells success for early literacy. A few simple strategies
will make a significant difference in helping your children develop into
good readers and writers. By reading aloud, providing print materials, and promoting positive attitudes
about reading and writing, you can have a powerful impact on your
children’s literacy and learning.
Reading tips:
-Invite your children to read with you every day.
-When reading a book where the print is large, point word by word as you read.
-This will help your children learn that reading goes from left to right and understand that the word they say is the word they see.
-Read your children’s favorite books over and over.
-Read stories with rhyming words and lines that repeat. Invite your children to join
in on these parts. Point, word by word, as they read along with you.
-Talk about new words. For example, “This big house is called a palace. Who do
you think lives in a palace?”
-Stop and ask about the pictures and about what is happening in the story.
-Read a variety of children’s books, including fairy tales, song books, poems, and
information books.

We are skating every MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, and FRIDAY. If your child has skates PLEASE send them to school, that way they are guaranteed to skate; otherwise, it is first come first served.