Stokes Notes

Monday – We will have a very brief and low key Valentine’s celebration in the afternoon

Tuesday – The kids have all been introduced to our new on-line spelling program and are practicing at home! These words are high frequency words that grade one and two kids should know how to spell by the end of the year. Note: the kids will often get 100% on their spelling tests but not spell the words correctly in their journals – this is very common.

Thursday – a real Olympic torch is coming to our school!

Friday – I will be at ‘teacher school’, as I tell the kids, learning new things about technology. This is a district wide Pro D day.

Social Studies focus: we are studying the Olympics

Science focus: we are studying the properties of water and performing ‘real’ experiments, much to the kids delight

Math: we are just about ready to move to subtraction of whole numbers. For some reason, this can be difficult for a lot of kids. This year I am using the number line and lots of math manipulatives to bring deep understanding of the concepts

We have studied phonics and reading strategies since September. I have included a list so that you can reinforce them at home during your home reading sessions.

PHONICS: (new for grade ones, review for grade twos)

‘at’ family: As in ‘cat’, ‘fat’, ‘sat’, ‘rat’, etc.

‘an’ family: As in ‘can’, ‘fan’, ‘man’, ‘ran’, etc.

‘ad’ family: As in ‘bad’, ‘dad’, had’, ‘lad’, ‘mad’, etc.

READING STRATEGIES: (new for the grade ones and twos – some review)

• sound it out
• chunk it up (break bigger words in to smaller, more manageable bits)
• say it slowly
• look for the small word inside the big one
• ask yourself, “does that look right?”
• ask yourself, “does that sound right?”
• ask yourself, “does that make sense?”
• skip the word and read ahead
• come back and try again

SKATING DATES:

I know everyone is anxious to know when we are going skating. We will walk to the rink (if the weather is decent) on Friday, Feb. 5th and then again on Friday, Mar.19th. We will be going skating with our big buddies in Ms. Simpson’s room (Div. 2). Parents are welcome to join us to drive skates over, lace skates and join the kids on the ice.

Hello again!

I don’t know about you but this feels like a ‘hair straight back’ kind of year so far!

I really enjoyed our Meet the Creature (Creature = Teacher) interviews and loved hearing about your children.

Here are some up-coming events for you to be aware of:

• Oct. 14 -Moo Day – milk available for those with cards or a looney
• Oct. 15 – Picture day! – individual, not group. Please send back the background choice form, or the photographer will use a standard background
• Oct. 16 – Moo Day, Staff vs student soccer game at noon

Also on the 16th – we are going to make stuffed pigs to honour my promise to the kids. Each child will make a pig according to the story, TheWonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs by Phoebe Gillman. Our Pig Party will begin around 10:45. I have 5 volunteers signed up to help with the stuffing, sewing and clothing of the pigs. Please feel free to join us any time between 10:45 and noon, if you’re free.

Enjoy the first taste of cold weather! B_R_R_R_R_

Cheers, Sheila S.

First of all, I want to send out a big ‘THANK YOU” to all of you for being so very patient at the beginning of this year. Hopefully, the dust is settling and the kids are getting used to the idea of being in school!

Please watch this site for important current and upcoming events. I also hope to publish a running commentary on the reading and writing strategies I have taught so that you will be informed of the methods I am using and the skills we have focussed on.

I hope to update this site more frequently. Last year, I was a first time user. I would love to hear back from you. Comments about the site, the postings, or any questions you have will be responded to by me ASAP. Your comments come to me individually and are held in confidence. So that’s all for now. Cheers. Sheila

sstokes@sd73.bc.ca