Swimming reminder for next week! Please remember to wear your swim suit under your clothes to save time at the pool. Sometimes clothes get wet. Please bring an extra pair of underwear in your bag.

Things to pack and bring:
1. swim suit             
2. towel                   
3. plastic bag to pack the wet clothes
4. underwear (if you wear your swim suit to school)
5. swimming cap & goggles (optional)

*it is a good idea to label items with your child’s name

CrAzY hAiR DaY!!!!

Today we had the wonderful opportunity to do our hair all CraZy!!! Students demonstrated this months virtue of Creativity, but coming to school with their crazy hair! Here are some pictures of our very creative students!

We also read the story, Crazy Hair Day! In this story, Stanley has the craziest hair  but there is a problem...crazy Hair day isn't until the following week! But guess what - Today IS PICTURE DAY!!! 

Please ask your child, what are some creative ways to solve Stanley's problem? 

Please ask your child: what was the solution to Stanley's problem!?

Click here to enjoy the story together https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckm1c5N9EoM

Today our classes began the growing process of our plants. We watched the following video from little green thumbs, about how to start seeds: http://vimeo.com/73417356

Here are our materials:

peat pellets/pucks

tray

seeds

humidity dome

Please ask your child: what did we do first? Hint: water and peat pucks

What did they observe using each of their senses?

What did you see? What happened to the colour, shape and size?

What does the word expand mean?

Why did the pucks stay in this shape?

What did you smell? 

Compare them to a smell that you've smelled before!

What did you feel? 

Did the pucks feel different before you put them in the water? 

What descriptive words can you use to explain your observations?

Questions to ponder....

Did the peat pucks float or sink?

 

This week we read the book Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltberg. The story is about a boy who turned his hair into "a work of art". Unfortunately it was on the wrong day! Don't by confused like Stanley. Remember that tomorrow is CRAZY HAIR DAY at Vista Heights. You may decorate your hair or wear a crazy hat, you choose.

Sight Words

Reading is the most important skill a child will ever learn. Children are expected to be able to read simple sentences and stories by the end of first grade. By third grade, they are expected to be able to read almost any kind of text. As well as being able to "sound out" (phonetically decode) regularly spelled words, children must also master reading basic, common sight words.

The Dolch Word List is also called Sight Words or The Dolch 220. It includes the most frequently used words in the English language. Sight words make up 50 to 70 percent of any general text. Therefore, teaching The Dolch Word List is a crucial goal of education in grades kindergarten through 3.

Many of the 220 Dolch words cannot be "sounded out" and have to be learned by "sight," that is memorized. 

Students in Grade 1/2 have been working on, and will continue to work on recognizing these sight words. You can see the Dolch word lists here for extra support at home

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Today we had the opportunity to watch a presentation from Kananaskis in the Classroom. 

Through the Recycling Glass

Wasting forever, recycling…never! When a wasteful young girl refuses to recycle, the forest recycles her! Meet a decomposing fungus, a rapping bear and the all-knowing “Orbacle”! Will Alice realize the importance of recycling?

We learned about all the ways we can reduce, reuse and recycle. Please ask your child, some of the things they can do 

Click below to watch a Brain pop video for more ideas:

 log in: vistaheights, password: brainpop

https://jr.brainpop.com/science/conservation/reducereuserecycle/

Raz Kids

Thank you to those who continue to read on Raz-Kids each day. Raz-Kids is a very effective home reading program that allows students access to a variety of fiction and non-fiction books that are appropriate to their reading levels. Students are expected to listen to a story, read the story, and complete the corresponding quiz, every day as part of their home reading program. We are noticing that some students are on Raz-Kids each week, and some haven't been on in quite some time. This daily home reading practice is imperative to your child's learning and growth. Raz-Kids is available all day - every day. If you or your child require some assistance with the program, please feel free to email Ms. Toor at sktoor@cbe.ab.ca

To visit Raz-Kids please click on the following link -> www.raz-kids.com

Grade 1 students use teacher username: vvhs1

Grade 2 students use teacher username: vvhs2

Find your child's name - password is their CBE ID number

Swimming Update!

We're so excited to go swimming next week. We still have not received payment for a few students. If you have not done so already, please arrange for payment ($15) as soon as possible. 

Mr.Beattie's class will leave for swimming each day at 9:35, arriving back at school approximately at 11:05. 

Mrs. Queen and Ms. Toor's classes will leave at 10:35 each day, arriving back at 12:10. **Due to students arriving into the lunch hour, those who go to daycare or home for lunch are asked to bring a lunch for the week of swimming and will stay at school to eat each day. **

Please remember to bring your:

 - swimsuit (can be worn to school under your clothes)

 - towel

 - extra socks and underwear...just in case

 - extra plastic bag to put all of your wet stuff in

Crazy Hair Day - is this Friday! Show how creative you can be!