Happy Summer!

We had a wonderful party on Tuesday. Thank you SO much to those of you who attended and brought some yummy treats for our Sundae party! I wish I had taken photos of our yummy spread, many full bowls, and even fuller bellies!

Today, we celebrated the summer birthdays with the blue group. Happy Birthday to the following classmates:

Lylah......July 10

Jordyn.....July15

Rowan.....July17

Ryan.....August 6

Caleb......August 15

We wish each of them a very special day, and hope all their wishes come true! We celebrated in true birthday fashion with hats, decorations and rice crispie squares. 

Finally, Sarah, Cassie and I wish all our students and families a very happy, fun-filled and safe summer! We will look forward to seeing all their happy faces in the fall!😄

Fishy Friend for the Summer

We have a single fish who needs to be cared for during the summer months.  If there is anyone who wishes to look after a new pet for 2 months, please let me know.  You can take him home in his tank, and we have all the food.

Construction zone!

Today was our final field trip! What a great experience! We travelled to the West Carleton Secondary School shop class and built birdhouses. Mr Wilson skillfully led us through step by step instructions, as we assembled the pre cut and pre drilled pieces. 

We hammered in all the nails ourselves and sanded all the sides and edges. Eventually, after each step, our 6 pieces of wood began to resemble a birdhouse!

What an amazing experience! We were soooo excited! A huge shout out to the staff at West Carleton who did a lot of work behind the scenes to make this possible. Thanks to Mr. Nesbitt, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Patterson, Mr. Fields, Mrs. Fulford, Mr. Murray, and students Farren, Nolan and Brad. This will be a great memory for our students! Take a look in next week's West Carleton Review, maybe  you'll even see us!

Step Gently Out

Today, we read a book titled "Step Gently Out".

It is a beautiful book that includes photographs and encourages it's readers to be careful when we are outside as our wonderful world is also shared with some tiny but amazing creatures! It makes us look at things we might normally take advantage of, in a different light. After sharing the book, we went outside, armed with pencil, paper, a clipboard and a "frame". It was their job to locate an interesting spot, put their frame down, and draw everything that they could see inside the frame. This exercise brings the students' focus down so that they are only attending to a very small part of their world. The results were interesting. 

Finding the perfect spot!

A very ingenious idea, he hooked the frame on the bark of the tree, and drew what he could see inside!

Some students even labelled what they spotted!

A few more sight words...

Here are a few more sight words that we practice everyday. The students are making use of these words regularly in their writing. 

A chant for "the".

The word "can".

How we always know the word "it".

Please be sure to ask your child to show you these words.

Summer Reading

Many of our students are doing an amazing job with their emergent reading skills.  Some parents have asked for some advice to maintain and continue this progress of skills throughout the summer.  I have found a few online resources which may be helpful.  Please feel free to forward me some of your ideas if you have found something beneficial.  starfall.com is an excellent resource/game that enhances early reading skills including letter sounds and word families.  Sometimes books that have simple, repetitive text that include some high frequency sight words are difficult to find. I have been able to find a few internet sites that offer books, similar to those read at school, as free printable books.  If you might be interested, go to hubbardscupboard.org, click on the literacy link, then on "printable books", then on " sight word booklets" and then click on the desired sight word you wish your child to practice.  I also found themeasuredmom.com helpful.  Once there, click on "reading", then "sight word books", scroll down to view the entire set, click on the desired reader and near the bottom of the page, click on "Get your FREE books here"!

Happy Reading!

Summer Send Off Bake Sale

Dear Parents & Guardians,

CALLING ALL KINDERGARTEN-GRADE 8 PARENT BAKERS! To support the Stonecrest Summer Send-Off taking place on June 16 from 5:30pm -7:30pm, we are accepting any baked goods (homemade and store-bought), that will be sold at the Bake Sale Table that evening.  You are welcome to send in your donated baked goods whole (for example a banana loaf), or in single or small servings (two cookies in a baggie).  Wondering what to bake?  Here are some suggestions:  cookies, bars, cake, loaf, cupcakes, muffins or donuts.

Please send your baked goods, on Tuesday, June 16th, to your child's homeroom teacher.

Thanks for your contributions, and we hope to see you on June 16th from 5:30pm -7:30pm!

More ducklings

Well, 4 more fuzzy friends have arrived. Some of today's students got to observe as one emerged right before their eyes. One is a different breed, and is larger and is darker brown/black. There is still one more picking his way out! Having ducklings in the classroom has provided a wonderful creative incentive to draw, diagram, label and write. 

After being cramped up in an eggshell for 28 days, the new little ducklings often like to lie down and stretch out their legs. The students kept coming up to us saying, "look, the ducklings are doing Yoga!

Dental Screening!

Dear Parents:

Lucy Charbonneau, a registered dental hygienist from Ottawa Public Health will provide a visual dental screening using a tongue depressor on June 11 and12, 2015, for grades JK, SK, 2, and other children as necessary.

If your child’s grade is not selected, but you wish for the dental hygienist to see him/her, please advise the school. Only children identified as having dental needs will bring home a form. Follow-up school visits by the dental hygienist for individual children may be done.

Following the examination, only those children identified as having dental needs will bring a notification home.  Follow up school visits by the dental hygienist for individual children may be done. 

This does not replace a dental examination by a dentist.  All children should visit their dentist for regular dental check-ups.  * Some date(s) may be subject to change

This dental screening is offered in accordance with the Ontario Public Health Standards from Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Personal Health Information is collected in compliance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Personal Health Information Protection Act and will be used for the purpose of dental assessment, treatment and oral hygiene instruction, and for statistical purposes. 

Questions concerning the collection and use of this information should be directed to the Supervisor of Dental Health Promotion, Ottawa Public Health, 400-1580 Merivale Rd., Ottawa, Ontario, tel: 613-580-6744 ext 26376.

New Fuzzy Friends

Well, our ducklings have begun arriving-the excitement is high in Room 101! We could see the "pip" marks yesterday afternoon, and this morning when I arrived, one had hatched out. Another one soon followed suit (but unfortunately, not in time fo our students to see).

There are still 5 more who are attempting to make their way out!

The students think one should be named "Picker", as he seems to like "picking" at his new little friend.

 Stay tuned...more news soon.

Listening Walk

Today, we read a book titled "The Listening Walk".

 This us a story about a young girl who takes a walk in her urban neighbourhood and notices all the different sounds around her. We figured that we could do the same, but we brainstormed for how the sounds in our forest setting might be different. Armed with a clipboard with a list of potential sounds we set out on a nature walk.

We heard a variety of birds, crickets, a jet, children, wind, us stepping on leaves, and rushing through the grass, a chipmunk scurrying away, cars, trucks and buses.

Farm Fun

Monday was a wonderful trip to the central experimental farm. Once there, we were taken on a tour, meeting all the different animals. The students were given the opportunity to learn about how each animal helps us and to pet most of the different animals. We had our lunch, had some time on the play structure or to explore, then we participated in the seeds and growing program. We planted a bean seed necklace (which you have likely admired already), learned of the importance of worms, what seeds and plants need to grow, and then we each planted our own pumpkin seeds in the Museum's garden. 

Meeting the baby calves.

Checking out the worms!

A successful day all round. A HUGE thank you to all the parent volunteers who joined us for the day...we couldn't have done it without you!