A Message from the Teacher
We have had a successful first month of school! This month we will continue to practise the routines and expectations that have been established in September. Building children's love of reading is already under way. Students have been reading up a storm! We have been reading a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts and started our first novel study of the year: Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner. Through our mentor text, the foundational skills of envisionment and prediction will allow readers to walk in the shoes of a character, anticipate and co-construct the story line.
Reading
We are learning about the importance of comprehension and how it contributes to the meaning of the story. Young readers are often so focused on reading the words accurately that they forget to take the time to think about what they're reading and don't realize they've lost comprehension until the end of the story. To help your child with this strategy at home, have your child stop periodically when reading and have him/her tell you what the story was about and what happened in it. Ask questions about the important ideas in the story. Remind your child that nay time they can't remember what's happening in the story, they can back up and reread. Students will learn ways to check their comprehension and use fix-up strategies when they've lost the thread of the story.
Writing
We have been learning about different strategies for generating ideas to write about. Students have been making lists and brainstorming webs in their Writer's Notebook. Later this month, students will choose one of their ideas to craft a true story in our personal narrative unit.
Math
We are wrapping up our unit on the place value system. A study package will come home some time next week. Keep an eye out for it!Social Studies
We will continue our unit on Communities in Canada 1780-1850. Students will learn about the challenges that different groups and communities faced in Canada during that time period and we will compare ways of life among specific groups in Canada around the beginning of the nineteenth century.
Science
In science, students have been learning about strong and stable structures. Some of the big ideas that will be explored in this unit are:
- a structure has both form and function
- structures are affected by forces acting on them
- structures need to be strong and stable to be useful
Reminders
- Please pay for the Arts Package on School Cash Online
- October 8th is Thanksgiving - No school
- Please donate a non-perishable food item for our school Food Drive
