| Blue Willow Grade One Newsletter �Holiday Magic� is happening already in the grade one rooms. The excitement is certainly building! Curriculum weaves itself well into our activities. Over the month we will read many stories with a seasonal theme. We will apply our reading strategies and look closely at the authors� intended meaning as we retell, relate, and reflect about the content. We will write lists, stories, and even short letters. We will talk about our diverse family traditions. We will sing and read many holiday songs and use the computers to make cards and pictures. Holiday Concert On December 17 at 7:00 pm, the grade one classes will be performing in the Blue Willow Holiday Concert. The children should arrive in their classroom at 6:45 pm, as we will be the first performance. The concert will be approximately one hour. We ask that you plan to stay in the gym for the other performances and pick up your children at the end of the concert. They will be watching a video in the classroom. Homes Project We will have a Homework Project for the month of December instead of our regular Homework Calendar. The children are very excited about the activities! We ask that all projects are completed and returned to school on December 15th. Should you have any questions, please give us a call or write a note in your agenda. Home Reading Reminder Each day your child should spend 20 minutes engaged in reading. We will continue to track the children�s reading on the December Monthly Reading Calendar in our Agenda. Please record the title of the book and initial each date on the calendar. Your child can read books with you or you can read stories out loud. Levelled Books Thank you for spending so much time involved in the home reading program. The little miracles of learning to read are very precious and are encouraged by frequent reading experiences. The levelled books can be returned to school every other day. We are encouraging the children to read the levelled books 2-3 times. This helps your child to become more fluent and expressive readers. Picture books can be kept for one week and will be exchanged during our scheduled library visit. Important Canadian: Ernie Coombs This month we will be learning about Ernie Coombs, also known as Mr. Dress-up. Chris McKool Holiday Performance Chris McKool will be visiting Blue Willow to perform a variety of holiday songs on December 3 at 1:30pm. Please send $2.00 to school to cover the cost of the performance. Food Drive At Blue Willow, we have a December tradition of collecting canned goods and other non-perishable food items to share. Any contributions would be most welcome and we will ensure that these items make the holiday season special for other families and children. The caring tradition can reach out into the community. Indoor Shoes Just a reminder that we do participate in gym or quality daily fitness everyday and running shoes with functional closure are important for safety and comfort. Thanks also for helping your child to have clean indoor shoes. This footwear really does help reduce the outdoor dirt in the school and classroom. Structures and Mechanisms � Everyday Structures We begin the month with a look at various types of structures (tables, houses, bridges etc.). In this unit, students will be experimenting with, designing and constructing a variety of structures. We need hands-on materials (see list below) that the children can use when creating their structures. If you have any of the materials below please send them in any time until the end of the unit. We will apply our knowledge and look for various types of structures in our community. -Blocks (any size) and boxes (small) - White, clean Styrofoam meat trays - Empty tin cans (completely washed and no sharp edges) - Paper towel rolls and toilet paper rolls - Small, clean cartons (such as milk cartons) - Yogurt or margarine containers (any size) - Paper cups - Wooden or plastic spools - Corks and straws - Small wood scraps (sanded please) Holiday Break The last day of school for the holiday will be on Friday, December 19, 2003. School will resume on Monday, January 5, 2004. If you are planning to take an extended holiday please inform both the classroom teacher and the office in writing. Thank you to all who attended the parent-teacher conferences. If you continue to have questions, please don�t hesitate to contact us at any time during the year (905) 851-0043 Sincerely, The Grade One Teachers |
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