We're Collecting...

Hello Families!

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend enjoying the September snow... :)

To help with some upcoming work, we are collecting a few things in Room 11:

1. Milk Jugs
- I am still collecting clean 4L milk jugs for an art project - we need about 5 more so if you can continue sending them this week that would be wonderful!

2. Home Reading Book Bags
- This year I am hoping to transition to book bags for home reading books as they are more durable than the envelopes we have used in the past. I am working towards having home reading packages ready to send home early next week (October 7th-ish) to support your daily reading practice! If you have any extra drawstring bags around the house that you would be willing to donate to our classroom to be used as home reading bags that would be greatly appreciated! I am seeking bags that serve a similar function to this one with the strings that allow for the bag to be pulled closed:

Thanks so much for your ongoing support!

Don't forget, tomorrow is Orange Shirt Day! :)

Ms. Brown

Important Events

Hello Families, 

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend, here are some important dates to keep in mind:

- Orange Shirt Day: Monday, September 30th.
- Picture Day: Tuesday, October 1st.
- PD Day: Friday, October 11th.
- Thanksgiving (No School): Monday, October 14th.

• Monday, September 30th is Orange Shirt Day. Within our school community, we come together to learn about our collective history through conversations on the history and impact of Residential Schools in Canada. Our classrooms discussions will be focused on belonging, and what happens when you are made to feel like you don't belong, connecting to our ongoing Circle of Courage. We will also be exploring the story of Phyllis Webstad. We encourage children to wear orange on Monday to acknowledge the day of education and remembrance.

Take care, 

Lindsay Brown

September 25, 2019

Hello Families,

Today we introduced a new way of reading in our Daily 5 reading practice. We learned how to "read to someone". We talked about the rules that would help us with this work and decided that to effectively read to someone, we needed to be knee to knee and elbow to elbow so we can look at the words together and help one another. We also discussed how even if we are learning to read, we can look at the pictures, and read the words we recognize! If you want to use these same strategies when reading at home feel free!

This week, we added new criteria to our drawing rubric. We talked about adding detail to our work. To guide this work, we looked at exemplars and discussed how the details in pictures give us more information about what is happening. Today we completed a guided drawing of a road, and students were given freedom over which details they wanted to add. We had lots of creative ideas including golf courses, cityscapes, desert roads, and secret gardens. Here is the criteria students will be assessing themselves based on:

We have also started to add some elements of self reflection into our math tasks this week. This week students were tasked at choosing a number to work with that was "just right" for them. They used a stoplight rubric to determine if they were working in the "just right" zone.  Just right work feels like we are challenged, and may need help from a friend or teacher, but can mostly work independently. We talk a lot about just right choices, which promotes students actively seeking these choices during responsible work choice times. 

Last week we discussed the value of belonging and its connection to the Circle of Courage. This week, we are using books and personal experiences to talk about mastery. We have read The Dot and Ada Twist, Scientist which have taught us lessons of perseverance and how mastery takes consistent and considerable time and effort!

Here are some photos from this week:

I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow at Open House!!

September 23, 2019

Hello Families,

We had an unanticipated trip to the Lake Bonavista School learning commons (library) today! The substitute librarian, Ms. Herman, was kind enough to allow students to take out another book today, even if they did not return their book from last week. This is because we were not expecting to have library today, in future students will only be bringing home one book each week. If you have two books at home, please ensure both are returned later in the week or next week.

Moving forward our library day will be on Monday's, thus, please ensure library books are returned on each Monday for new book selection! If our library day changes, I'll be sure to post that information in the blog!

Please remember that our Terry Fox Run, Open House, and BBQ events are all set to take place this Thursday, September 26. The Terry Fox Run will begin at 2:00PM if you'd like to join us for the event, and if not we will see you at the Open House beginning at 4:00PM! Please note that the Terry Fox Run will still be taking place if there is rain, so please ensure appropriate clothing is worn on Thursday.

Our Animated Literacy letters this week are K (today), F (Tuesday), B (Wednesday),  G (Thursday) and C (Friday). I will post more about our weekly learning soon once I have some pictures to add to the text!

Also, September Scholastic orders are due on Thursday, September 26.

Take care,

Lindsay Brown

Terry Fox Run 2019

Terry Fox Run 2019

We will be having our Annual Terry Fox Run on Thursday, September 26, 2019, at 2:00pm. Teachers will be discussing with students the life of Terry Fox and the contributions he has made to cancer research. We would like to extend the invitation to all parents and families to join us for the Terry Fox Run! Also, a reminder that our school Open House and BBQ are the same day, so you’re welcome to join all of the events!

Students can dedicate their run to someone who they know that has been affected by cancer. Please speak to your child prior to our run and if they choose to, they can write who they are running for on a sticker that they will wear during the run. These will be available in the classroom on Thursday.

Should you wish to make a donation online, please use the following link to donate through the Terry Fox website: 

http://www.terryfox.ca/LakeBonavista 

or

Feel free to send in cash donations with your child which will be collected by the teachers (Donations will be accepted until next Thursday, September 26th).

Let’s keep Terry’s dream to find a cure for cancer alive.

Thank you!

September 16, 2019

Hello Families, 

Thanks to all who have returned and/or purchased their ADmazing savings books! Additionally, thank you to everyone who has sent back their completed Lake Bonavista School paperwork including medical information, etc. 

Save the Date:
On Thursday September 26, 2019 there will be an Open House and Welcome (back) to School BBQ! Please mark this date in your calendar so you don't miss out on the festivities. There will be more information to follow. 

Additionally, at LBS we have a monthly sharing assemblies where different classes have the opportunity to share their learning with the whole school. Parents and family members are welcome to attend their child's assembly. Our class assembly (along with Rooms 8 and 9) will take place during the month of October. This will likely be at the end of October, I will post the date as soon as we have it approved to ensure you enough notice to attend if you'd like. 

Our animated literacy letters for this week are S (today), R (Tuesday), H (Wednesday), and J (Thursday). Today, we had a bonus challenge during our letter work for students who were seeking a spicy challenge. Using the Montessori moveable alphabet, students were challenged to spell words using only the letters we have learned thus far. They are up on a wall in the classroom for reference. Here are some pictures of the finished words they created. The moveable alphabet is a great tool for creating letter awareness and reminding students to look carefully at the letters to ensure the match the exemplars as they can be easily turned around, used backwards, etc. 

We continue to build upon our repetoir of Montessori responsible work choices. Today, we had an exploratory math learning time were students worked on different skills or had lessons on various Montessori materials. This week, we will be following Jo Boalers Week of Inspirational Math with a task about developing mathematical reasoning starting tomorrow. Here is the link to her fantastic website if you're interested in this kind of work at home: https://www.youcubed.org

Tens Board with the Golden Beads to practice skip counting by 10's 

Bead Houses to practice counting backwards from 10-1 and developing understanding of number flexibility :)

Last week we also celebrated International Dot Day with a collaborative art project between all grade 1/2 classes in the whole school! This work will be on display at the Open House and BBQ! As we continue to work on various art, today we added a self-assessment component to our work. Here is one portion of the Bullseye Rubric we created as a class.  To create this rubric we looked at exemplars for drawing and coloring. Ask your child to describe the criteria for best effort coloring and how we can use the Bullseye to help us do our best work.  As the weeks go on, we will continue to add criteria to our Bullseye. 

I hope everyone is adjusting well to the first few weeks of school. I know at this time of the year we start to see some kiddos who are getting sick or tired from the change in routine, it's all normal and totally expected September behaviour. Please feel free to let me know of any ongoing concerns, illnesses, absences, etc. :) Thanks! 

Take care, 

Lindsay Brown

ADmazing Savings Books

ADmazing Savings Coupon Books

Admazing Savings Fundraiser has begun! The proceeds from this fundraising activity will be used directly in your child’s classroom. 

Books are still available for $25.00 each, of which Lake Bonavista will use $10.50 for the benefit of our students.

If you wish to take advantage of these discounts, please complete the order form printed on the back on the ADmazing envelope, and enclose the correct amount of money - $25.00 per book ordered. - directly to your child’s classroom teacher by October 10 or earlier.

This year there is a free app included in each coupon book. Please ensure if you are returning the book that you have not scratched off the code area for the app, as the book will not be returnable if the code is visable.  If you do not wish to purchase the ADmazing book, simply return the book with your child.

Additional books for Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer or Southern Alberta may be ordered at $25.00 each for family, friends and relatives.  If you wish to order additional books, please send your order as soon as possible to your child’s teacher so that the order can be filled.  As a school, we discourage door-to-door solicitation.

Volunteer Google Doc!

Hello Families,

I have created a Google Doc for classroom volunteers this year. Please note that you must have a valid police clearance, and the office must have a copy on file. If you'd like to obtain your clearance for volunteer purposes please come into the school office and they will assist you.

There is information on the top of the google doc about how classroom volunteering works, if you'd like to sign up for the posted dates (there's only one so far) please email librown@cbe.ab.ca and I will update the document.

Here's the link for you to view the document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iVn40gFQRRU_BdpVTp8nAcOl6pOIe_-HLccNJAI3H-0/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks so much!

Lindsay Brown

September 9, 2019

Hello Families,

Today was our first Monday ever as a whole class, very exciting! I can already see students becomming more settled and familiar with routines. Last week, we learned the letters and sounds for P, U, and O. This week we are learning/reviewing letters M (today), X (Tuesday), A (Wednesday), D (Thursday), and T (Friday). Each day we read a story about our letter of the day and sing a song with actions. Feel free to ask your child to retell the story or share words that begin with the letter sounds daily.

We also read one of my favorite books, Rosie Revere, Engineer and connected its message to our STEAM challenge of the day. The message in this book is that even though sometimes we may fail, the only real failure happens when we give up. STEAM is an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. We looked at images of the Peace Bridge and discussed how this bridge is a real life exmple of STEAM at work in our city.  Todays tricky STEAM challenge was to build something that can lift a pompom off of the desk using only 20 peices of spaghetti, string, and tape. It was a great lesson in perserverance and problem solving.

I am collecting clean 4L milk jugs for a collaborative art project! I will need about 15 jugs for our project. If you have any can you please rinse them and send them in with your child? :)

Additionally, please continue to send back the student information packages as the office has been processing all of the paperwork to ensure we have the most up to date information. 

Thanks, 

Lindsay Brown

September 4, 2019

Hello Families,

We had another fun day today! We are reviewing our letters in the alphabet using a program called Animated Literacy. Today we started with letter P and the story and song about Polly Panda.  If you'd like you can ask your child tonight to retell the story of Polly Panda to you for extra review!

We also talked about kindness and what it looks like when we intentionally choose to be kind to others. We watched the short clip called Mr. Indifferent and students identified things that Mr. Indifferent could have done differently to choose kindness. We also played a game called "duotang heads" where we relied on each others kindness to continue playing the game. As a bonus, this game taught how to move around in a Montessori classroom.  Some students mentioned they wanted to watch the video again so here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLGNj-xrgvY

Please fill out and return the Guess Who Cards about your child so we can start our guessing game. Additionally, the LBS student information packages were sent home and will need to be returned once completed.

Thanks and take care,

Lindsay Brown

Welcome to Room 11

Hello Families,

It was a fantastic first day of school in Room 11! We read stories, played games, attended an assembly, and learned a lot about routines and procedures in our school and classroom. I loved meeting all the new friends that will be joining us for this school year, and seeing the familiar faces from last year! I know most kiddos were feeling pretty tired out by the end of the day, it will be an adjustment to get back into school routines. I hope everyone is able to get some rest tonight and share their experiences after day one.

Today I sent home some information in each students' yellow communication folder. The information is yours to keep. I will post the information in this blog post as well for future reference.

I look forward to reconnecting and getting to know of the families over the course of the year. I will keep my blog updated regularly (I usually post once per week) about our current learning. I will also use my blog to communicate when our library book exchanges will be once the schedule has been made.

On Friday, September 6th we are showing our Lake Bonavista School spirit by wearing blue or white (or both)!

Please do not hesitate to contact me via email with any questions or concerns. I look forward to an awesome year together!

Kind Regards,
Ms. Lindsay Brown


Here is the document that was sent home today:

Dear Families of Room 11,                                                      September 2019

Welcome to the 2019/2020 school year at Lake Bonavista School. We have a very exciting year ahead of us in grades 1 and 2, and I just can’t wait to get started! Please take the time to read over this letter as it contains important information that will ensure your child has a successful school year. 

Bell Times

·      Outside Supervision Bell 8:00

·      Morning 8:12 AM – 11:40 AM

·      Lunch break 11:40 AM – 12:26 PM

·      Dismissal 2:45 PM

Every Friday is an early dismissal at 12:15pm. 

Communication

There will be many forms coming home with your child in the next few days. Please read through the notices and return the appropriate forms to ensure we have the most up-to-date information on your child.

Your child will be supplied with a Communication Folder (yellow) to ensure important items get delivered safely to/from school. Please be sure to check and return the Communication Folders on a daily basis. 

Our class blog is a great place to understand what your child is doing in school. The blog is regularly updated to inform you of the activities and lessons that your child is participating in, as well as upcoming events that may be of importance. Pleae visit the blog to sign up for email updates: https://mslindsaybrownsblog.blogspot.com

You can access the blog through the Lake Bonavista School website http://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/LakeBonavista/Pages/default.aspx, under Teaching & Learningthen click on Classes & Departments, here you will find a link labeled Blogbeside L. Brown. 

Email is the best way to get ahold of me. My email is listed below for your convenience. In the case of absences or changes in pick up/drop off – including bus routine – please call the office before 12:00pm, or use the Report an Absencelink at the bottom of the Lake Bonavista School homepage. 

Lunch and Snacks

On a regular day, students will have a morning nutrition break (snack) as well as midday lunch. There is outdoor recess in the afternoon, but no scheduled snack. Children are to bring their own healthy snacks and lunch to school as well as a water bottle. 

On Fridays, students will not eat lunch at school. A snack will still be required for our morning nutrition break. 

Allergies

We ask that nuts or food containing nuts are not brought to our school. See the Illness & Medicalsection on the Lake Bonavista School webpage for more allergy information. 

Additional information regarding classroom allergies will be provided in the upcoming weeks through the blog. 

Clothes and Shoes

Please send your child in comfortable clothing that they can sit on the carpet in, play in, and possibly get slightly dirty. Also, please send an extra set of clothing with your child in a labeled bag, to hang on their hook in case of accidents, spills or wet, rainy days. 

For safety reasons, children at Lake Bonavista School are required to wear shoes at all times. Please send a pair of shoes to school with your child (indoor shoes such as sneakers) that they can use for the classroom. Students participate in daily Physical Education activities, and sandals, crocs, etc. are not safe for these activities. If your child is most comfortable in dressier shoes for indoors, please consider also sending a pair of runners to be kept at school for them to change into for running and games. 

Please label all your child’s belongings. Two Lost & Found boxes are located in the main hallway if you find your child is missing an item. 

Book Exchange

Both the library schedule and Home Reading schedule are yet to be determined. Please watch the blog for information on start-up and our exchange dates. 

Technology

Students will have the opportunity to engage in the use of technology throughout the school year. I ask that you provide your child with headphones for minimal classroom disruption. 

Please label the headphones with your child’s name. They will be kept in their cubby for the duration of the school year

Volunteers

All volunteers are required to fill out volunteer registration forms in the office. These forms take time to process, so if you are considering volunteering at all this year, please fill out the forms at your earliest convenience. Information regarding Calgary Board of Education volunteer registration, ethics, and procedures is available on the school homepage.

There are many ways to volunteer – please check the blog and look for emails from our classroom Volunteer Coordinator (with your permission given) explaining opportunities that may be available and that fit a number of different schedules and lifestyles. 

If you are interested in being our classroom Volunteer Coordinator, please email me expressing your interest. 

I’m looking forward to a wonderful year with your child. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. 

Most Sincerely,

Ms. Lindsay Brown

librown@cbe.ab.ca

Complete and return this portion at your earliest convenience. 

Child’s Name: _______________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Name: _____________________________________________

Email: _______________________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Name: _____________________________________________

Email: _______________________________________________________________

☐I give permission for my email to be given to the classroom Volunteer Coordinator.

_____________________________________________________________________

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