Below you will find our class newsletters in electronic form. The most recent newsletter will be posted to the top of the screen, all previous newsletters remain below for your reference.
All further teacher correspondence - newsletters and updates - will be done via email and/or hardcopy by Ms. Danielle Ling. There will no longer be any updates to the newsletter section of this website.
Thank you so much for volunteering to help drive and supervise students on our fieldtrips to the ACT and Apple Barn, as well as clean pumpkins upon our return. Without you, the students would not have been able to have participated in these field trips.
PARENT VOLUNTEERS – MORNING HOME READING
Tomorrow will be the first day of Parent Morning Reading. Parents or family members who would like to volunteer to read with students are welcome to come every morning from 8:30 to about 8:50. Every child will have a chance to read with a volunteer. If you volunteer, I ask that you read with other kids besides your own, as this is an important part of learning to read (Reading to a different audience). This is also part of my literacy program as this offers students an extra time for them to practice their skills and to read one on one with someone else besides their own parent and myself. There is no need to sign up; just show up. In the past, I usually get 3 to 4 parents on any given day. No worries, if you can’t come because of work or other commitments; I will make sure they read with someone. If you are bringing siblings, please be aware that other classes are learning and working at this time so please be aware that siblings should be very quiet so students can concentrate on reading (maybe bring them something to eat or do that is very independent and most importantly won’t distract the Grade 1 students). If students are reading books above Letter “K”; they will read the entire book at home however these books are quite long so they will only read half to the school volunteer.
Thank you so much for volunteering, this is such a great opportunity for students.
EVERY MONDAY GLITCH “PARENT VOLUNTEER MORNING READING” However, there is always a glitch in any plan. We have been scheduled to have gym every Monday from 8:30-9:00. So on Mondays only, I would like to ask any volunteers to stay and just switch students home reading books and help sort Sharing Journals, Sight Word Duo-Tangs and Word Study Duo-Tangs while we are in the gym. *When switching home reading books, please refer to their log sheet and select a book they have not read yet.
Working With Other Teachers/Classes: Shared Gym (our class and Mrs. O’Halloran’s class) on Mondays Buddies with Mrs. Vos (grade 6) on Mondays Computers with Mrs. Thirkell on Wednesdays Reading with Mr. Raible on Wednesdays Gym with Mrs. Thirkell on Thursdays Library Exchange with Miss Nagy on Fridays Music with Mrs. Godfrey on Fridays
Important Dates: *Please keep special presentations we have listed here a surprise from your child. Please let us tell them about any exciting presentations we have listed below.
* We have done our best to include as many school events as possible in this list. However, it may not be inclusive. It is essential you read Mr. Raible’s weekly newsletters for the most up to date information regarding school wide events.
Mon, Oct 7 Family/Home Reading Program Begins Thurs, Oct. 10 PAC Hot Lunch Sushi Friday Oct. 11 Mobile Dairy presentation Mon, Oct 14 No School – Thanksgiving Tues, Oct. 17 Rocks and Rings (gym class) presentation Thurs, Oct. 17 Controlled EMERGENCY student release drill 1:30 dismissal Thurs, Oct. 24 Photo retakes PAC Hot Lunch Little Caesars Fri, Oct 25 No School – Non-Instructional Day Tues, Oct 31 Halloween Celebrations at School (no masks please) Stations in AM, Costume Parade Parent Volunteers will be needed. More info to follow. Tues, Nov. 5 Empathy workshop Thurs, Nov. 7 PAC Hot Lunch Subway We will also sing a song at our school Remembrance Day Assembly. Parents are welcome to watch (info. to follow) Fri, Nov 8 No School – Non-Instructional Day Mon, Nov 11 No School – Remembrance Day Observance Thurs, Nov 14 Popcorn Day Thurs, Nov 21 OWLS presentation Fri, Nov. 22 PAC Hot Lunch Boston Pizza Celebration of the 50thDay of School, study of numbers to 50. Dress-up like they did in the 1950’s. (Mrs. Perry and Mrs. O’Halloran classes only.) More info to follow. Thurs, Nov 28 Early Dismissal - Student Inclusive Conferences. More info to follow Fri, Nov. 29 No School unless attending Student Inclusive Conferences. More info to follow. Wed, Dec 4 PAC Treat Day Hot Cocoa and Donuts Thurs, Dec 5 Popcorn Day Miss Flanagan’s Afterschool Christmas Choir Concert 7:00pm ~ For Choir members Fri, Dec 6 Last Day before Winter Break Mon, Jan 6 School Reopens for Term 2
Some of the Themes we will be covering in Term 1 Please note, this is not everything we will cover, these are the major themes. In most cases major themes will overlap into the next month/continue for the entire term, a concept may need to be covered longer or shorter. This is simply a rough idea of themes your children will learn about each month. Please read your child’s planner daily, we commonly write information regarding specific lessons they have learned about.
SEPTEMBER THEME: Getting to know you
Me
Family
Hobbies
Colours
How to draw
How to colour
What does it look like
Social/Emotional:
What is a friend
Social Responsibility
WITS (walk away, ignore it, talk about it, seek help)
Reporting Core Competencies:
I can help others, I can include others, I can persevere when something is hard to do, I can work with others, I can recognize my feelings, I can be responsible for my learning and behaviour, I can use WITS to solve problems, I am kind to others, I can participate in classroom and group activities, I get ideas when I play, I can explore things that I am interested in, I can ask and answer questions, I can share what is important to me, I am an active listener, I can explore materials, I can get new ideas from others, I can explore things I am interested in, I can show my learning, I can say what I am good at and what I need to work on.
LITERACY:
Printing formation lowercase
Introduce concept of initial and final sounds.
Introduce placement on interlined paper
Introduce simple sight vocabulary (Word Wall)
Word Families
Poem and Song Books
Shared and silent reading
Home Reading, sight words, word study and sharing journal
MATH:
Unit - Numbers to 20 (different ways numbers are represented)
Intro Basic Addition
Numbers 0-20 recognition and formation.
Calendar (months of the year and days of the week)
Counting with songs to 20, by 2’s, by 5’s and by 10’s
OCTOBER THEME: LIGHT
Day and night sky
Fall – seasonal changes, pumpkins, apples
Social/Emotional:
What is a friend
Social Responsibility
WITS (walk away, ignore it, talk about it, seek help)
Reporting Core Competencies:
I can help others, I can include others, I can persevere when something is hard to do, I can work with others, I can recognize my feelings, I can be responsible for my learning and behaviour, I can use WITS to solve problems, I am kind to others, I can participate in classroom and group activities, I get ideas when I play, I can explore things that I am interested in, I can ask and answer questions, I can share what is important to me, I am an active listener, I can explore materials, I can get new ideas from others, I can explore things I am interested in, I can show my learning, I can say what I am good at and what I need to work on.
LITERACY
Introduce concept of initial and final sounds.
Introduce simple sight vocabulary (Word Wall)
Continue lower case letter formation
Introduce short vowel sounds (medial)
Shared and silent reading
Home Reading, sight words, word study and sharing journal
Letter placement on interlined paper.
Word Families
Poem and Song Books
MATH:
Unit - Numbers to 20 (con’t)
Unit-Addition & subtraction to 12
Numbers 0-20 recognition and formation
Calendar (months of the year and days of the week)
Counting with songs to 20, by 2’s, by 5’s and by 10’s
NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER THEME:
50thDay of School
Sound
Winter – seasonal changes, features/behaviours that help animals survive (owls)
Social/Emotional:
What is a friend
Social Responsibility
WITS (walk away, ignore it, talk about it, seek help)
Reporting Core Competencies:
I can help others, I can include others, I can persevere when something is hard to do, I can work with others, I can recognize my feelings, I can be responsible for my learning and behaviour, I can use WITS to solve problems, I am kind to others, I can participate in classroom and group activities, I get ideas when I play, I can explore things that I am interested in, I can ask and answer questions, I can share what is important to me, I am an active listener, I can explore materials, I can get new ideas from others, I can explore things I am interested in, I can show my learning, I can say what I am good at and what I need to work on.
LITERACY:
Introduce concept of initial and final sounds.
Introduce simple sight vocabulary (Word Wall)
Continue lower case letter formation
Introduce short vowel sounds (medial)
Shared and silent reading
Home Reading, sight words, word study and sharing journal
Letter placement on interlined paper.
Word Families
Poem and Song Books
MATH:
Unit-Addition & subtraction to 12
Numbers 0-20 recognition and formation.
Calendar (months of the year and days of the week)
Counting with songs to 20, by 2’s, by 5’s and by 10’s
Welcome to Grade 1 Newsletter
Welcome to Grade 1
Well, here we are, FINALLY in our new classrooms! HOORAY! I hope that you and your families shared some special time together over the summer break. Now we are ready to begin a year full of learning adventures.
A little about myself: In my time off I enjoy spending time with my husband and 6-year-old son (also in grade 1!). My passion is working with children and helping them build not only their academic knowledge but also their self-esteem, self-regulation, interests, friendships, responsibilities and learning to challenge themselves. Fun Facts:previous to teaching I was a competitive swim coach for 6 years and a police officer with the City of New Westminster for 9 years. My passion to work with children was the reason I changed professions and became a teacher. I look forward to meeting all of you and working with your children.
IMPORTANT CLASSROOM INFORMATION
FIRST DAY OF GRADE 1 - Meet the teacher/come see our classroom: Please feel free to come into our classroom September 10th at drop off, the first full day as a grade 1 class. Come meet me, take a look around the room, help your child find their coat hook and say goodbye for the day (5 minutes).
INFORMATION SESSION ~ mark your calendar: Thursday, September 19th *Please have at least one family member attend. 8:00-8:30 ~ School wide "Meet Us Morning" - Please come to your child’s classroom to formally meet me, let your child show you around our classroom, see some of the work they have done so far, look around the school and if applicable go to your other children's classrooms.
8:30-9:00 ~ Grade 1 Program Information Session in our classroom - Myself and Mrs. O'Halloran welcome parents from both of our classrooms. Mrs. O'Halloran and I are colleagues, we often bring our classes together for shared lessons and our programming is aligned in many ways. We will explain class routines, class website, Home Reading Program, other program components and answer any questions you might have. Students from both classes will be supervised by Mr. Raible in Mrs. O'Halloran's classroom.
Fostering Independence: This year, I will be fostering independence. I do not run morning family reading (this will occur in the afternoons instead beginning in late September - more information to follow). You will have the opportunity to say goodbye to your child outside the classroom. With the exception of the first day in grade 1, I respectfully request parents not enter the classroom at the start of the day beginning Wednesday, September 11th (parent questions/concerns can be done at the end of the day or a scheduled appointment). Students will be learning to independently put away their backpacks, planners, shoes and will begin their learning immediately after their morning transition. For the first few days we will be spending time getting to know each other and establishing classroom routines. Please keep in mind that the transition from Kindergarten to Grade One can be a very difficult one for some students. There is less play time and students spend much more time participating in activities that will demand a lot of focus and concentration such as reading and writing. Therefore, if your child seems more irritable or tired than usual, it is normal as they build their stamina. A good bedtime routine is imperative to their success. Most grade one children need 10-13 hours of sleep a night. You will know if they’ve had enough sleep if they wake up on their own on school mornings without having to be woken up.
Arriving to School: Please arrive at school on time and pick-up on time. Our day of learning starts promptly at 8:30am (the warning bell is at 8:27am) and ends at 2:20. Being on time will allow your child to not miss critical learning that will begin a short time after the bell. I encourage you to arrive at school 10-15minutes early, this provides the opportunity for your child to play and socialize with their friends/classmates before the bell. Kanaka Bell Schedule: 8:27 Warning Bell 8:30 Classes Begin 10:20 Recess Starts 10:35 Recess Ends 11:50 Lunch (playing outside) 12:10 Lunch (eating inside) 12:27 Lunch Clean-up Bell 12:30 Classes Begin 2:20 Dismissal Parent Communication/Planner: Please be aware that any school notices will be sent home in the front pouch of your your child’s planner. Within the planner there is a student side (left) and teacher/parent communication side (right). Students will print a daily message about their day to encourage discussion and communication at home, as well as practicing their printing. I will place notes on the right side when I need to inform you of something. This is also your spot to place any notes, for example "Grandpa is picking up today." It is crucial that you check your child's planner daily as I might have something important to let you know like “Your child bumped their head today on the playground.” Please place your initials on the right side so I know you have seen my message and your child’s message. I will include a weekly schedule (sometime by mid September). This will help you remember what items are due on which days (planners, sharing, home reading, sight words, word study, library, mystery reading books, etc).
Two pairs of Velcro or coiled elastic laced running shoes: All children will need to have clean, dry VELCRO or coiled elastic laced running shoes for inside days and gym. These will be kept at school. Students inside shoes must be running shoes (for gym) and we encourage them to come to school in outside VELCRO or coiled elastic laced running shoes as students will be participating in outside physical activity daily. The rationale on Velcro or coiled elastic laces is speed and independence. Students independently take their shoes on and off 7-8 times in a day, it is important the transition times are short, as to not affect their learning time. PLEASE LABEL ALL SHOES WITH YOUR CHILD’S NAME.
Change of Clothes: All children need to have a change of clothes on their hooks, the same as they did in Kindergarten, I recommend using the same bag as Kindergarten. The students will go outside every day, even if it is raining. Muddy mishaps are sometimes unavoidable. Having extra clothes at school for your child to use will help us to keep your child safe and comfortable without the need to phone home. For the fall/winter please include: underwear, socks, pants, long sleeve shirt. In the Spring/Summer please change the clothing to: underwear, socks, shorts or light pants and short sleeve shirt. *Please label everything with your child's name.
Snack/Lunches: Please send small filling healthy recess snacks and lunchcomponents in easy to open containers. Consider sending recess snacks in a separate container to assist with a food choice you know will fill your child up until lunchtime. At Kanaka students play first then eat. They have approximately 20 minutes to play and 20 minutes to eat. When possible, I will give students 10 minutes longer to finish eating. However please speak to your child about the importance of focusing on eating at lunch time and the items you would like them to eat first (sandwich vs. cookie). Please consider sending lunch items your child can open, eat and clean up independently. During Lunch time, students are supervised by intermediate student class monitors, as well as noon hour supervisors who check in on the classroom.
Water ONLY: Please send your child with a leak-proof/spill proofwater bottle clearly labelled with their name. Please refrain from sending milk, yogurt drinks or juice boxes. There is a tendency for students to get an empty fill from drinking these over the contents of their lunch, not to drink all of it in their short lunch break, and it is also very messy if it spills on the carpet or in their backpacks. Consider saving these fun drinks as an after school treat.
Labelling Items: Please ensure ALL of your child’s items are clearly labeled.
Pickup/Drop Off: If you will not be picking up your own child after school please send a planner note identifying the person responsible.
Family Volunteers for Home Reading Program: Beginning in late September early October parents are invited to come at 1:45pm to listen to children read their home reading books and help them exchange the books when done. This is a major part of our literacy program and we count on having 4-6 adults per day. I will create a signup schedule for home reading. *On certain days when there is extra time after all the students have completed their home reading, the volunteers are welcome to stay and help students with fix and finish activities, as well as help keep the student scrapbooks up to date.
Mrs. Perry’s email: [email protected] Although I do have an email address, I do not tend to check messages during the day when I am teaching. If you have any time sensitive questions or concerns please write a note in the planner or see me in person at the end of the day.
School Fees: The Grade 1 classroom materials fee is now due. It is $45.00 for supplies and $5.00 for planner. For a total of $50.00.Your payment options are: credit card on the portal, send the EXACT cash amount, or send a cheque (Written out to Kanaka Creek Elementary) to school as soon as possible.
Walking Consent Forms: Please complete the walking form on the parent portal before September 10th. This must be completed for your child to be able to participate in the school wide Terry Fox Run/Walk in September, as well as any class nature walks throughout the year.
Allergies/Medical Issues: Please make sure that the school and myself are aware of any allergies or medical issues that could affect your child’s safety or ability to learn.
Birthday Celebrations: If you wish to send something with your child on their birthday to share with the class, I ask that it be a small treat without any cleanup necessary. Please also inquire about any in-class allergies so that all students can be included with a treat you send. Some ideas: Mini cupcakes, individual snack sized packages of fruit gummies, granola bars or cookies. Birthday Invitations – Please give to me directly or place in the front pouch of your child’s planner with a note to me. I will discretely place the invitations into the planners of the children being invited, as I understand it is likely only a select number of students will be invited. If it is a child from another class, please identify that child’s last name and/or teacher on the invitation.
Scholastic Book Orders: Monthly I will be sending Scholastic book club order forms for you to consider. Having lots of age appropriate books and print materials available for your child to look at/read encourages an interest in language and a lifelong love of reading. Books that are offered through Scholastic are generally of good quality and are reasonably priced. Please give these Scholastic fliers consideration. All orders and payment (by cheque or online) must be returned by the date specified on the flier.
Class Website: All future newsletters, routines, spelling lists, show and share lists, educational websites, important literacy program components, conference signup, reporting information and other important grade 1 information will be listed here.
When a newsletter is added or anything new or important arises, I will email you a link to remind you to check the website. *It is essential your current email addresses have been provided to the office, as I email from the MYED program. I encourage you to add both parents email addresses and any relative that will be picking up/dropping off your child regularly.
You can view the website on any mobile device but for the easiest viewing, a computer is best. **If you do not have a means of technology to view the website, please see me in person and I will make modified communication arrangements for you.
WEBSITE ACCESS: 1) Go to the Kanaka Creek website located at http://elementary.sd42.ca/kanakacreek/ 2) Click on the STAFF tab 3) Find Mrs. Perry, click on it and it should take you to the website link 4) Bookmark this page so you have easy access back to the class website.
I am looking forward to spending the year helping your children discover many new things. If you have any questions or concerns about your child or the program don’t hesitate to contact me.
Please stay tuned for the upcoming Term 1 Newsletter.