Happy New Year

Pajama Day-last day before the break

After a very busy morning with our big buddies, show and tell, and library, everyone was ready for a snack and holiday shows.
 
Everyone felt right at home on the carpet! It was suggested by more than one student that we have pj day everyday!


 
Back to school for January 2015


We were all happy to get back to school and share about our adventures during the winter break .  It was nice to get back to our normal school day routines.

We started our new IB Unit theme "How the World Works".

This unit is an inquiry into the natural world; both physical and biological.

Our central idea is: "Properties of materials determine their use".

We started our provocation by looking at and discussing various types of materials (cloth, wood, metal, plastic, and paper).  Then students went into groups and decided how they could build a structure, using only one type of material.

This exploration helped students to begin thinking about why we use various materials for specific purposes.  We also began exploring the characteristics of a material by looking at their properties (texture, colour, flexibility, hardness, lustre, absorbency).

Parents can continue the conversation by asking their child to look around their environment and describe a material by its properties; texture, colour, flexibility, hardness, lustre and  absorbency.


The letter M

This week we had a lot of fun sharing things that start with the letter M.

The whole idea caught on!

Before lunch their was a moustache appearing on many of my students, I guess the idea of modelling is apparent in my class!

Winter

We are learning about the Winter season and discovering many changes.  We will continue looking at changes to the environment, our seasonal activities and differences in our clothing and how we dress ourselves. 


We will be taking a "Winter Walk" around our neighbourhood on January 22nd, rain or shine, so please make sure all children are prepared with winter wear.



Thanks to all,

Have a great weekend!

Thank you

I , myself and Mrs. Leonard would like to say a great big thank you to all of my students and their families for the very generous Christmas gifts.  Also I would like to thank everyone for a great term, I am grateful for all your support and wish everyone a very safe and restful holiday season.  I look forward to seeing everyone in the new year!

Best wishes,

Sincerely,

Wendy Rogers

Last few weeks of 2014

A big thank you to all of the parents I met with this week.  It was a pleasure meeting with you and spending time discussing your child and strategies to support them with learning at home!

 December 15-18th, the letter of the week is....L

It is going to be a very fun filled busy week!  Our student sing-along is on Thursday, so if students want to wear Christmas hats and decorative sweaters please do! 

On Friday December 19^th our class will be having a Christmas Party.  I have a sign-up sheet outside of the classroom if you would like to contribute to the festivities.  The vote to wear pajamas to school on Friday was unanimous!  Please provide an extra change of clothes just in case students would like to change throughout the day.  Please let me know if your child will not be here for Friday, as the students have made gifts to go home. 

Happy Holidays to all of you!

Sincerely,

Wendy Rogers

December stuff

Hello Parents;

thank you to all of the parents that brought treats for our December staff meeting, it was much appreciated!

DreamBox Learning

DreamBox is an on-line math program available to all of our students from our PAC, funded by you, the parents!

I am sending all of the log-in information home today in your childs' folder.

To access this:

Internet Address
https://play.dreambox.com/login/y6hx/capilanoes

or

Please log in to the Dreambox website from our school website under STUDENTS>weblinks for Students>links for math and numeracy

School Name: Capilano Elementary School
School Code: y6xh/capilanoes

IB Unit

Our current IB Unit Who We Are is coming to an end, although we will be continuing on with the concepts of friendship throughout the year!  I would appreciate any feedback written on the report letter sent home at the beginning of the unit.  Please let me know if there was any evidence of ACTIONS witnessed throughout the unit.  I noticed many examples within the classroom.  Sharing, including others and communicating using kind words.

Students are starting to understand the importance of tolerance, open-mindedness and  seem to be more empathetic towards their peers. 

Christmas is coming!

Students are becoming very excited about our upcoming holiday!

We are counting down to the big day and would encourage you do the same at home.  By using a calendar, (some are using advent calendars, good but not necessary) simply cross off the days before any big event and you are encouraging your child to use math! 

Christmas Party

Our class has decided that on the 19th we will have a party!  Please send your child to school on Friday December 19th in winter pajamas. You may want to include a change of clothes as well.

Next week I will have a list of items posted outside of our classroom that we would like to include for our party, just sign up for an item and bring enough for 18 students.

Thanks again for all of your support at home,

Have an excellent weekend,

Wendy Rogers

IB Letter home

Hi parents,

today students will be coming home with a new letter format for our new IB unit-Who We Are.

Our central idea is "Behaviours affect relationships".  I have been introducing the learner profile language throughout the week and will continue with this language throughout the unit.  I would appreciate it if parents could discuss and reinforce this vocabulary at home.  Throughout our unit we will be discussing the teacher questions with a focus on friends, and friendships.

Please try to fill out the inquiry questions with your child and it would be very helpful if you could jot down an example of how students make connections to our unit outside of school.  An example of an action would be if your child uses kind words when interacting with friends, how they treat their friend, ect.

Please return this letter at the beginning of December.

Thanks so much for supporting your IB learner!

sincerely,
Wendy Rogers

We are beginning our new IB Unit "Who We are"

We have just started to explore our new IB Unit "Who We Are".

With unit we inquire into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; focusing on human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures.

I starting our provocation by discussing "healthy relationships".  We discussed what it means to be healthy, what is a relationship and beginning our inquiry focusing on friends and friendship.  What is  a healthy friendship?

I read the class a story called " The Recess Queen" by Alexis O'Neill and Laura Huliska-Beith.  We discussed the characters and how very different  personalities create different  types of relationships amongst their peers.  We discussed how relationships change and the outcomes of positive friendship.  We also explored how we express emotions, use facial expressions and body language to  communicate. 

You can continue the discussion at home asking your child "what makes a positive friendship?"

Gym times

Hi parents,

Division 18 has gym on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 1:30-2pm

-Students indoor shoes should be something they can wear in the gym
-Students do not change into separate gym clothes so they should be prepared to do gym wearing comfy clothes that are easy to move in, and layers always work great because if they get warm they can take one off. 

Thanks,
Wendy Rogers