Weekly Update January 31

Homework

1. Daily Reading for 15 to 20 minutes
2. Word Study for the Week of January 28th
        High Frequency Words: five, himself, usually, money, seen
        Spelling Pattern: squ, scr, str, thr, spr spl
3. Oral Sharing: Personal Sharing - a topic of your choice

Reminders

1. Make sure your child is dressed for the weather.

Weekly Learning Update

Math: 

We are continuing to explore strategies for adding and subtracting numbers to 1000. You are encouraged to practice Basic Facts +/- to 18 with your child at home.

Writing: 

On Thursday, we started our writing residency with author Cathy Beveridge. We will be writing Fairy Tales that are set in Peru. Ask your child what they did.

Reading: 

We are continuing to build our comprehension strategies. This week we worked on how to write a summary. A summary is a short retelling of the important parts. A good guide for writing a fiction summary is to use the SWBST strategy:

     Someone (Who is the main character?)

     Wanted (What did the main character want?)

     But (What is the problem?)

     So (How does the character try to solve the problem?)
     Then (What was the solution?)

Read Aloud: Race the Wild: Rain Forest Relay

Ask your child:

Would you like to do a high ropes course?

How did Mari feel about the high ropes course?

What do you know about the green team?
What do you predict is going to happen next?

Art:

Students practiced sketching their rain forest animals and worked on making a plan for their water colour painting project. They are learning to give and accept peer feedback to improve on their drafts.

Social Studies: Peru

As explorers of the world, we are learning about what life is like in Peru so we can appreciate and understand other cultures. Students are rotating through a variety of centres such as Maps, Food Atlas, Traditional Clothing, Peruvian Markets, Artifacts from Peru, and Learn Some Spanish Words. They are documenting their observations, wonders and learning in their Visual Journals using a variety of methods (sketches, labels, charts, webs, lists, writing amazon animal riddles).

Exploring Peruvian artifacts. They are busy sketching the pan flute.

We also finished watching a documentary about how children get to school on Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca, which is nestled high in the Andes Mountains in Peru, is the worlds highest navigable lake. The Uros people make their home on floating islands made from totora reeds. One eleven year old boy rows his boat for two hours just to get to school. He then has to row two hours back home. He does this because he wants to learn (become and engineer) and make a better life for himself and his family.

Gym: Stations

Students explored skipping, scoops and balls, paddles and balls, passing with huge balls and an obstacle course.