Friday is RAINBOW DAY!

Well, tomorrow is the last day of school.  It is also RAINBOW day.  The school is asking your student to wear the following colour:

Grade 1 - YELLOW

Grade 2 - PINK (or something close to it)

Thank you!

Brampton Library Summer Guide

Here is a link to the Brampton Library summer guide:

http://www.bramlib.on.ca/images/pdf/Home/july_august_for%20web%20home%20page.pdf

TD Summer Reading Club

Last summer I learned about the TD Summer Reading Club from my local library.  This is something my sons have participated in last year, and will be continuing to participate it this year.

After doing a quick search, the same TD Summer Reading Club is occurring at your local library in Brampton.  Here is a link on how to participate in this fun and rewarding FREE program.

http://www.bramlib.on.ca/index.php/children-main/programs-events/td-summer-reading-club

The last few days...

Wow! It's hard to believe that there are only 3 more days of school.  I have been extremely busy packing up the items in our classroom in order to move to a new room in the school for the next school year. 

This week, students participated in play day, which was a great success!! They had so much fun, and were treated to jumbo freezies by the awesome staff that ran it. 

On Wednesday, students will get to watch the school talent show, as well as a goodbye assembly for the staff members that will be leaving our school.

Thursday will be another fun-filled day, as we will be having a school dance party with a great company of dancers hired by the school.

Finally, Friday - the last day of school.  It will be a Rainbow- dressed, spectacular fun day in our classroom as we have our own freezie party, with a few other surprises "up my sleeve".

Throughout all of this, we will be writing about our experiences this week, completing our all-about- Grade 1 or 2 scrapbooks, creating thank-you cards to the amazing staff that has been a part of our year, and playing math games in order to prepare the students for their upcoming grade.  Our learning hasn't ended this week...it has just had an element of "summer fun" added to it!

Snorkelling in Grade 1 / 2

Using pencils, paint, markers, glue, scissors, and construction paper, students put together these beautiful works of art after learning about snorkelling.  They even wrote about snorkelling, and what they would hope to see if they had the opportunity to snorkel!

The staff and students that pass through our hallway always remark how wonderful the students' art is!  I am so proud of all of their hard work this year!

Research and Media, oh my!

Prodigy Game - Over the Summer

Here is a note from Prodigy:

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Over the school year we have used an engaging math game called Prodigy to help your child practice math both in school and at home.

Since most students lose about 2 months of grade level equivalency in math over the summer, we wanted to reach out and encourage you to continue using Prodigy with your child at home. This way, your child can hit the ground running when school begins in the fall!

We would encourage you to sign up for a free PARENT account so that you can track what your child is learning.  To do so, please take a few minutes to:

1.  Visit www.ProdigyGame.com, and click the orange 'Get Your Free Account' button

2.  Select 'PARENT' and enter your information to create a free account

3.  Add your child's account by selecting "Add Existing Students" when prompted

4.  Encourage your child to play and view their progress on the 'Reports' page.

You can obtain your child's login information from your child, or from the inside of your child's agenda.

Visit ProdigyGame.com/Play to log into the game!

Happy Learning!

Only 6 more days...

There are only 6 more days of school.  The next 6 days will be busy.  We will continue working on our writing, oral language, and reading each day.  We will also be working on some more Number Sense and Numeration in preparation for the next grade (grade 2 or 3). 

Finally, we will also start to bring home our belongings.  I will be sending home student work, workbooks, and indoor shoes on (or before) Wednesday June 24th. Please help with this by bringing in a few plastic (or reusable) shopping bags for your child to carry their belongings home in.

I appreciate your help!  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me in your child's agenda, or by contacting the school and leaving a message for me on my voicemail.

Thank you. 

Mrs. O

Reminder for GRADE 1 Students...

Please return any books you have borrowed for the R.E.D. (Read Every Day) Folder program.  This program has been a success, and I am so proud of all of you who have participated in it. 

Well done!!

Important Dates for the Last 2 Weeks!

Friday June 19th: The last pizza day of the year!

Monday June 22nd: Play Day - wear your running shoes!

Thursday June 25 - Dance party for students!

Friday June 26 - Spirit RAINBOW DAY & Last day of school

IMPORTANT - BBQ CANCELLED

Due to the severe weather that may occur today, our school has CANCELLED the Community Barbecue.  Those of you who ordered food will be reimbursed. 

Sorry for any inconvenience. 

Reading Assessments - PM Benchmarks

Parents,

I am completing your child's final reading assessment of the school year.  They should be completed soon.  I will be sending home an updated level as soon as they are ALL completed.

I am so proud and impressed by the growth I have seen in this classroom.  Please remember: In order for students to become stronger readers, it is VERY important that they practice reading daily.

Mrs. O

June - Important Dates this Week!

Wednesday June 10
Community Barbecue at 5:30PM

Thursday June 11
Character Assembly for Honesty at 9:30AM

Friday June 12
Pizza Day
&
Spirit Day - Jersey Day!

Raz-Kids - Most books read!!!

Congratulations to the following 5 Grade 1 students for the most books read!!!

1.  Agsiny 266
2.  Preet 153
3.  Ranveer 130
4.  Rudra 105
5.  Parishay 92

Congratulations to the Grade 2 students in our class for the most books read!!!

1.  Amraj - 79
2.  Sejal - 77
3.  Uday - 59
4.  Bavleen - 56
5.  Harshini - 47
6.  Neel - 22

Prodigy

Congratulations to the TOP 7 Players (Skills Mastered!)

Sejal
Harshini
Ranveer
Parishay & Neel (TIED)
Jamel & Jishna (TIED)

June 10 - Our Community BBQ

Just a reminder that June 10th is our Community BBQ.  Students brought home an order form for the food combos that will be available that evening.  It is going to be a fun-filled evening, and I hope many (if not all) of you will attend!

The money for food is due by Wednesday June 3rd. 

Thank you and I hope to see you on June 10th!

June Calendar

Grade 2s at Ripley's Aquarium

A Great Field Trip to the Humber Arboretum - Grade 1

May/June - Important Dates

May 20 - Field Trips for both Grade 1s and Grade 2s

May 22 - Jump Rope For Heart - Please return all envelopes on this day

June 8 - No School

June 9-12 - Scholastic Book Fair in the Library

June 10 - Community BBQ

June 12 - Spirit Day (Jersey Day!)

June 26 - Spirit Day (Rainbow Day!)

June 26 - Last Day of School

I will add dates as I find out more information.

Thanks!

Grade 2 - Ripley's Aquarium Zero Waste Challenge

On May 20th, the Grade 2s will be going to Ripley's Aquarium.  Here is a Zero Waste Challenge provided to us from Ripley's....let's see if our class can accept this challenge!

- Pack lunches in reusable lunch boxes or bags

- Use reusable food containers made from steel, fabric, or plastic instead

- Bring your own cloth napkins

- Use reusable forks and spoons

- Bring drinks in refillable/reusable bottles

- Make sure that while you're at the Aquarium, you properly dispose of any waste in one of their clearly marked receptacles

Field Trips - May 20 - Please Read

Tomorrow is an exciting day for both the Grade 1s and the Grade 2s.  The Grade 1s are going to the Humber Arboretum, and the Grade 2s will be going to Ripley's Aquarium.

Here are a few things you need to know:

FOR BOTH GRADES:
NO CAMERAS/DEVICES/IPADS/TABLETS/CELLULAR PHONES

Grade 1
1.  Dress for the outdoors.  We will be outside for the majority of our field trip.  The Weather Network is predicting a sunny day with a temperature of 13 degrees Celsius (feeling like 11 degrees Celsius).  I suggest students wear: Pants, sweatshirt and jacket, and comfortable outdoor running shoes.  Please wear sunscreen and a sunhat/baseball cap.

2.  You will bring your backpack with your lunch/snack/water bottle in it.  Nothing else needs to be in your backpack!

Grade 2
1.  Dress appropriately for the weather.  Even though we will be inside for the majority of the trip, we will be outside at some point.  Again, the Weather Network is predicting a temperature of 13 degrees Celsius (feeling like 11 degrees Celsius).  I would suggest comfortable shoes as well.

2.  You will bring a backpack with your lunch/snack/water bottle in it.  You will also need paper and a pencil in your backpack.

Prodigy!

Congratulations to the following students who are actively playing the math-game website, ProdigyGame.  This website is a wonderful site to learn math skills we are learning, and have learned, in the Ontario curriculum!

Harshini
Sejal
Jamel
Ranveer
Neel
Jishna

Well done! 

Online Games - Fractions

Here are a few websites for our current math unit on Fractions.
http://www.turtlediary.com/grade-1-games/math-games/learn-fraction.html

http://www.primarygames.com/fractions/start.htm

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_104_g_1_t_1.html -This is a simple activity where you are shown a shape with part of it shaded. Type the number of shaded pieces in the top box and the total number of pieces in the bottom box to name the fraction, then click the check button to see if you are right

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/fractions/index.htm -  There are five levels to work through. In level 1 you simply type in the number of children to share the pizza and the pizza will be cut into fractions for you. At Level 2 you drag fractions to complete a fraction wall. In Level 3 you have to count the number of shaded squares and the total number of squares then type in the fraction (use a slash e.g. 1/4).

Online Games/Websites - Science

Here are a few fun online games and interesting websites that fit nicely with the Science units we are covering in both Grades 1 and 2 this month.

http://pbskids.org/eekoworld/index.html - from PBS Kids- Try the EekoCreature and Plant & Animals Sections

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/growing_plants.shtml

http://www.torontozoo.com/ExploretheZoo/Animals.asp - meet the animals at the Toronto Zoo

http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/kids/animal-facts/animals.asp - Looking for information on a particular animal? Here you can find a collection of animal fact sheets classified by species and by province

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/insects/02.html - Let's talk about insects!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/plants_animals_env.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/ourselves.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/health_growth.shtml

http://www.abpischools.org.uk/activescience/module1/home.html

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/

Reminder: No School on Monday May 11th

Just a reminder that there will be NO SCHOOL on Monday May 11th.  It is a Professional Learning Day for teachers.

See you on Tuesday!

Happy Mother's Day!

It's Hot! Tips for the HOT Days Ahead!

Now that the temperature is rising, the students need to be prepared for the hot and sweaty days ahead.

This is a list of items our class came up with that will help them deal with the heat:

Students should:

- wear shorts/skirts
- wear short-sleeved shirts
- wear sunglasses to protect eyes from the sunshine
- wear a hat (baseball cap, sun cap, etc)
- wear sunscreen EVERY DAY! 
***Bring a reusable water bottle to leave on desk.  This can be refilled throughout the day!

Asian Heritage Month Events this Week...

Wednesday May 6th
Asian Food Bazaar - Bring some money to purchase a few yummy snacks from different parts of Asia.

Thursday May 7th
Mehndi - Students can get Mehndi art applied to their hands for $1.00 per hand during second nutrition break. 

Jump Rope for Heart at Castlemore!

Today the students had the presentation for Jump Rope for Heart.  We will be jumping rope for heart on May 22, 2015!

You can log into the following website to register, and automatically receive a $5.00 donation as well as a FREE skipping rope that will be mailed to your home.

http://jumpropeforheart.ca/JumpHomePage.html

1.  Click on REGISTER/LOGIN
2.  Choose ONTARIO
3.  Click on REGISTER
4.  Type in CASTLEMORE, and then choose CASTLEMORE PUBLIC SCHOOL - BRAMPTON
5.  Click JOIN THIS SCHOOL
6.  Read the WAIVER.  Select the box for "I AGREE".
7.  Click NEXT
8.  Select your grade (Grade 1 or 2). Click NEXT.
9.  Type in your PERSONAL INFORMATION, including your MAILING address.  Click NEXT.
10.  Follow the rest of the prompts to complete registration.

Your child will also receive an envelope to use to collect donations for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Any support you can give will be greatly appreciated.

Our entire school's goal is $5000!!

Thank you!

May is Asian Heritage Month

May is Asian Heritage month.  The students will participate in lessons, stories, presentations, and assemblies about the many wonderful traditions from Asia.

Here is our first artwork of the month.  The students learned about some traditions from Japan.  These are Japanese Koinobori (carp streamers) that are used as a decoration for "Children's Day".  Children's Day occurs on May 5th in Japan. 

What We Are Learning in May

Fun with Mass & Capacity

Here are some pictures from our math units on Mass and Capacity.

Thank you for all of your donations for Nepal....

Our class raised $342.00!
Thank you all for your support.

 

Nepal Fundraiser Update...

As I said yesterday, WOW!!!

As of Thursday April 30, 2015, our classroom has raised a total of $290.00!!!

Tomorrow is TOONIE FRIDAY!! Any and all help is appreciated.  Donations of $25.00 or more will receive a tax receipt from Unicef.

Thank you for all of your generous donations!

Thank you for the overwhelming support for Nepal....

Wow!  All that I can say is, "WOW!". 

In one day, we have already raised $168.00 for Nepal.  Thank you so much, and thank you to your families and friends who have helped out as well! 

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Remember, Friday is Toonie Friday!

Note: Donations of over $25.00 will receive a tax receipt from UNICEF CANADA. 

Measurement - Mass

We have just finished our mini-unit on measuring mass.  Here are a few online games students can play at home to practice their new skills:

http://pbskids.org/sid/fablab_panbalance.html

http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/math-games/poddle-weigh-in/

http://www.mathplayground.com/balance_scales.html

http://peepandthebigwideworld.com/en/kids/games/2/bunny-balance/

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/weigh/free.htm

http://www.mathcats.com/explore/balance/balance.html

April is almost done...

Here are some more pictures of what we have done in April...