Friday, 19 December 2014

What an exciting day!! Today was the last day of school before the winter break - Students return to school January 5, 2015! Today we wore our pajamas and had free pizza lunch! 


Book Bags for Kids
The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) is pleased to collaborate with a group of corporate and community partners to give children the gift of reading. Book Bags for Kids is an initiative that puts books in the hands of children who may have limited access to reading materials in their homes. Close to 2700 children in 44 CBE schools benefited from the program last year -including all students from Vista Heights School! FOr more information, click the following link: http://cbe.ab.ca/get-involved/partners/Pages/Book-Bags-for-Kids.aspx



Along side these books, grade one and two students were given another story from TD Bank Group. Doors in the Air is the story of a boy who is fascinated by doors. He marvels at how stepping through a doorway can take him from one world to another. He is especially enthralled by the doors of his imagination, which he refers to as “doors in the air.” He delights in discovering that when he passes through these doors, he leaves behind all feelings of boredom, fear and unpleasantness. Thank you to TD Bank Group for these beautiful books! 



A great big thank you to the Calgary Flames and Calgary Hitmen for the teddy bear donations. Each year the Flames and Hitmen collect donations of teddy bears at their Teddy Bear Toss games and this year our students were the lucky ones to receive these teddy bears! Click the following link to watch the video of the teddy bears being thrown and how they distribute the bears! 




If you are looking for things to do over the break, here are some suggestions.

1. Write and Draw - much of what we do in the classroom is documented through writing and pictures. Students can write journals highlighting key events that took place over the break. We are still working on adding details to both writing and drawing, so please encourage that!
2. Read - Raz Kids is a great tool for this, or reading books, magazines, even the paper will do the trick. Encourage your child to read road signs as you drive (and signs with numbers too!) The Calgary Public Library is open during the holidays - it is a great place to visit and explore new types of text (and movies too!)
3. Cook - encourage students to read recipes for you and be involved in the cooking process. Encourage students to use their math skills to measure out exactly what you need for your meals!
4. Learning Links - to the right you will find a list of educational websites which students can visit at your discretion. 



See you on January 5, 2014!

Mr. Beattie, Mrs. Queen and Ms. Toor

Thursday, 18 December 2014

Tonight is the night! Doors open at 6:15. All students are to report to their classrooms immediately and parents can find their seats in the gym - don't forget your tickets! We are all so lucky that we're performing twice! We will be accepting donations for the food bank as well. Thanks! :)

The Shortest Day
Today we talked about the shortest day of the year - December 21st - the first day of winter! This day is celebrated all over the world as it signifies that days will begin to become longer!
Here is a quick video you can watch with your child http://safeshare.tv/w/UozwHFTRHH 


Wednesday, 17 December 2014

Sound Kreations
We are so excited to share our dances with you tomorrow! RJ has recommended that students wear dark coloured pants and brightly coloured shirts for both performances. The afternoon performance will begin at 1:30 and the evening show will begin at 6:30 - Doors will open at 6:15. Please remember to bring your tickets! 

BUSY WEEK!
- Remember to send in your request for tickets for our 6:30 dance presentation on Thursday, December 18th - doors open at 6:10 pm 
- FREE pizza lunch on Friday, December 19th - all students can stay for lunch!
- Pajama Day on Friday, December 19th – students can bring a stuffie/teddy bear as well – If it can fit in your backpack you can bring it to school!
- Remember we are still going outside for recess so have outerwear (snow pants, coats etc)

Tuesday, 16 December 2014

Tickets for the SoundKreations performance went home today. Please check your child's backpack to make sure that you received them. Guests will need their tickets to get into the gym.

Monday, 15 December 2014


SoundKreations

Our Students are practicing for their performances on Thursday, December 18th. Please make sure that the notice, requesting tickets, is returned to school as soon as possible to ensure that you have enough tickets to watch the performances. there will one performance during at 1:30 and another in the evening at 6:30. We hope to see you on this date.






Thursday, December 18th

1:30 & 6:30

We need students to be present at both performances

Friday, 12 December 2014

We are so excited to learn more of our dance from our instructor RJ! Here is a sneak peak of Ms. Toor's class doing a warm up and practicing their dance - we can't wait to show it to you next week! Please ensure the orange/peach forms are returned to school as soon as possible to ensure you have enough tickets to watch our performance! There will be one during school on Thursday the 18th at 1:30 and another in the evening at 6:30. Hope to see you all there!


Thursday, 11 December 2014

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We continue to work with SoundKreations artists on dance!
-please read the notice that went home yesterday.
-indicate which performance you will attend by circling either 1:30 or 6:30
-return the notice with your child asap no later than December 16th
-only 2 tickets available for each family for 6:30 performance (we will have waitlist tickets)

*remember students need to attend both 1:30 performance & 6:30 performance!

Today the students received a lunch kit which was generously donated by MEALS ON WHEELS. Please enjoy these treats at home and continue to send a healthy snack to school with your child.

Wednesday, 10 December 2014

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**  Important Notice Today **

We started working with SoundKreations artists today on dance!
-please read the notice that went home today.
-indicate which performance you will attend by circling either 1:30 or 6:30
-return the notice with your child asap no later than December 16th
-only 2 tickets available for each family for 6:30 performance (we will have waitlist tickets)

*remember students need to attend both 1:30 performance & 6:30 performance!


Tuesday, 9 December 2014


                                                                                                                                                              Today, our school watched a 50-minute high-energy, educational, and fun musical theatre presentation called 'The Weather of Oz'. Students heard original music, watched exciting characters, learned from curriculum-driven scripts, and played a role in audience participation.


"Oh no! Dorothy has a feeling she’s not in Kananaskis anymore, and only the Wizard can help her! Take a flight on “Rising Air” and skip along the Yellow Larch Road with Dorothy and her furry companions. Will she be able to find the Wizard and get home, or will the Wicked Wind of the West get her first?" 


In this play, students learned about weather and seasonal changes. 

Ask me why the rabbit is white during the winter...

...because she can tolerate the cold weather!

Ask me what the marmot does during the winter...

...she hibernates!

Do they breathe? (Two times)


Ask me about the clouds. 

Ask me these questions from the presentation!

Can birds detect bad weather and fly around the storm?

No! 

Does a red sunset mean nice weather the next day?


Yes!

Which comes first, lightning or thunder?


Lightning. 

Can lightning strike the same place more than once?


Yes, the Empire State Building was struck 15 times in 15 minutes!

We read the book...


Ask me about the rhyming words...
 ...light and bright, snug and hug, still and chill, cozy and dozy. 



Where is the fox coming out from...  his den.                  Ask me which animal is the prey?

                                                                                      Ask me which animal is the predator. 

Ask me another name for his home (cave and lair). 



New from your community!


**************************************

CROSSROADS FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT!!


ENJOY THIS FREE FAMILY EVENT!
ALTHOUGH HE’S A LIAR AND A BIT OF A SHREW, A LITTLE COMEDIC AND REALLY DUMB TOO.
HE’S A MEAN ONE, AS CUDDLY AS A CACTUS AND AS CHARMING AS AN EEL
COME WATCH A FAMILY CHRISTMAS MOVIE THIS FRIDAY NIGHT
DOORS OPEN AT 6:30

FEEL FREE TO BRING AN ITEM FOR THE MAYORS FOODBANK CHALLENGE!
************************************************




Monday, 8 December 2014





Thank you so much to the parents and students who attended our conferences.  We really enjoyed sharing your learning celebrations!  We look forward to moving forward in our Learning Journey together.  




Tomorrow morning, our school will have a 50
-minute high-energy, educational, and fun musical theatre presentation called 'The Weather of Oz'. Students will hear original music, watch exciting characters, learn from curriculum-driven scripts, and play a role in audience participation.

"Oh no! Dorothy has a feeling she’s not in Kananaskis anymore, and only the Wizard can help her! Take a flight on “Rising Air” and skip along the Yellow Larch Road with Dorothy and her furry companions. Will she be able to find the Wizard and get home, or will the Wicked Wind of the West get her first?" 


In this play, our students will be learning about weather and seasonal changes. 

At home, students may review seasonal change and weather 
through the web site Brain pop Jr.

       Please seach  brainpop jr      username:   vistaheights       Password:  brainpop




Hot Soup Tomorrow



I-Pad Club 

Meets at Noon 



NEWS FROM YOUR COMMUNITY

**************************************
CROSSROADS FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT!!

ENJOY THIS FREE FAMILY EVENT!

ALTHOUGH HE’S A LIAR AND A BIT OF A SHREW, A LITTLE COMEDIC AND REALLY DUMB TOO.
HE’S A MEAN ONE, AS CUDDLY AS A CACTUS AND AS CHARMING AS AN EEL

COME WATCH A FAMILY CHRISTMAS MOVIE THIS 
FRIDAY NIGHT

DOORS OPEN AT 6:30

FEEL FREE TO BRING AN ITEM FOR THE MAYORS FOODBANK CHALLENGE!

************************************************

Thursday, 4 December 2014

Parent teacher conferences are tonight! We are looking forward to meet with parents tonight and tomorrow during the day. If you have not booked an appointment, please visit the Vista Heights School main page and click on conference manager http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b239/

Please note: Mrs. Traquair will be offering two information sessions tonight regarding the new report cards. You do not need to make an appointment for this. She will be doing the presentation at 5:30-6:00 pm and repeated at 7:00-7:30 pm.

Wednesday, 3 December 2014


See you at interviews on Thursday or Friday!
If you have not yet booked an interview please do so before:THURSDAY, DEC. 4  at 12:00pm

New Report Card Information

 Mrs. Traquair will hold two 30 minute sessions 
to share information on our new report card
Thursday Evening
5:30 - 6:00
at again at
7:00 - 7:30

This week the students began their dance unit in gym. We are looking forward to working with our Arts in Residence from SoundKreation beginning on December 10. On the evening of December 18th  the students will be putting on a performance for family and friends . We will be posting more information about this performance shortly.

Monday, 1 December 2014





Please click on the above Parent-Teacher Conferences icon

 You will find the conference manager icon on the Vista Heights web page

Open and set-up an appointment

REGISTRATION IS OPEN
CLOSES:  THURSDAY, DEC. 4  at 12:00pm



New Report Card Information

 Mrs. Traquair will hold two 30 minute sessions 
to share information on our new report card
Thursday Evening
5:30 - 6:00 p.m.
7:00 - 7:30 p.m

Due to interviews this Friday, students will not attend school on this date.




Click on the icon to view the December Newsletter and calendar.










Thursday, 27 November 2014

Newsletter/Calendar
Coming home today is the December Newsletter. Please review Mrs. Traquair's message on the main page as she has included some very important information regarding changes to the report cards. Mrs. Traquair will also be holding an information session during interviews (December 4 and 5) to answer any questions you may have. If you have any questions regarding the new reporting system, please email your child's teacher or Mrs. Traquair (sjtraquair@cbe.ab.ca)

Please note the important dates for December
December 4 (430-8) and December 5 (8-1230) - Parent Teacher Interviews 
December 18 - Evening Performance with our Artists in Residence (SoundKreations)
December 19 - Free Pizza Lunch and last day of school before winter break
December 22 to January 4 - Winter Break




Conferences
Please log onto the Vista Heights website http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b239/ and click on Parent Teacher Conference Link to set up an appointment to meet with your child's teacher.   Please read the notice if you need to go through the registration process.

REGISTRATION OPENS:    SATURDAY, NOV 29  at 8:00am 
CLOSES:    THURSDAY, DEC. 4  at 12:00pm


Mrs. Traquair will be holding two 30 minute sessions in the Learning Commons to share our new report card with interested parents/guardians. The sessions will be held at 5:30pm-6:00pm and 7:00pm-7:30pm.

Great Opportunity for Family Fun! 3rd Annual CBE Night with the Hitmen 




Thank you to those who brought in their own riddles from yesterday! We had a blast creating our own in class today. Here are some riddles you can figure out with your family at home! Bring your answers to school tomorrow!



A notice to book time for the Parent Teacher conferences is being sent home. The conferences are scheduled on Thursday, Dec. 4  from 4:15pm-8:00pm and Friday, Dec. 5 from 8:00am-12:30pm. This conference is organized so the teacher can meet with each parent/guardian for a scheduled 15 minutes. 

To book a conference please log into Vista Heights website http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b239/
                                      and click on Parent Teacher Conference Link.   Please read the notice if you 
                                      need to go through the registration process. 

                   REGISTRATION OPENS:    SATURDAY, NOV 29  at 8:00am 
                                               CLOSES:    THURSDAY, DEC. 4  at 12:00pm


Mrs. Traquair will be holding two 30 minute sessions in the Learning Commons to share our new report card with interested parents/guardians. The sessions will be held at 5:30pm-6:00pm and 7:00pm-7:30pm.







Wednesday, 26 November 2014

What am I?
I have hands
I have a face
I'm non-living
and I have numbers
What am I?

I have four legs
I am smooth to touch
I am non-living
What am I?

Students have been using sensory words to help them create and solve the 'what am I' riddles like the ones above. Please work with your child to solve the riddles above and bring your answers to school tomorrow. If you would like, students can create their own 'what am I' riddles to share with the class tomorrow.

Turtle Diary
Vista Heights has created an account for www.turtlediary.com. Students can log in learn about a variety of language arts, math, and science topics. To log into turtle diary, please visit
www.turtlediary.com
username: vistaheights
password: vistaheights

Reminders
- Hot soup tomorrow





Tuesday, 25 November 2014

Today the students learned more about their sense of sight. We learned that our sense of sight is very important to us because:

  • Our sense of sight is the most used of the five senses.
  • The sense of sight protects us! We can see to move around without being hurt. 
  • Without light there is no sight! 

We also learned how optical illusions can use light and patterns to create images that can confuse our brains. Ask me about some of the images I saw.

To further explore optical illusions with your child visit  http://www.optics4kids.org/home/content/illusions/

The students in room 1 also explored the art of zentangles. Tomorrow we will be creating our own optical illusions using zentangles.


Tickets for Calgary Hitmen Fundraiser

All CBE students and their families are invited to come and cheer on the 
Calgary Hitmen hockey team.

Friday, January 30, 2015
7:00 p.m.