September 30th – October 4th

Time is just flying by in grades one and two.  This week we will be into the first of October and our fourth week of school.  As we get on into the year I just want to encourage you to continue to read with your child.  Reading homework is sent home each night for students to practice reading and phonics skills we have been learning in class. It is also beneficial if parents read with and to their children for as little as 15 minutes each night.

Please remember to sign your child’s homework agenda and spelling homework each night.  I check agendas each morning to ensure that student are doing their homework.

Last week we heard from a team that had traveled to El Salvador in our Wednesday chapel.  It was great to see so many young people who are serving and seeing God work in their lives.  This week, there will be no Wednesday Chapel.  Instead, our chapel will be on Friday at 9:00 am.  Kingley Smith, a missionary we support from Jamaica will be speaking to students that morning.

Two days this week it was raining and students had indoor recess.  I got to see how creative these students are.  The girls enjoyed creating with play dough while the boys were building with Lego.  Here are a few snapshots of things they created.

Two students in grade two have been chose by Mrs. Laird to go to the cross country races this week. Congratulations to Kyler and Ceciley who will travel on Wednesday to compete in the races.  We will be cheering for you that day!

I will continue to send home a test review in your child’s agenda each week.  This will include all the dates for tests that week as well as a review of what will be on the test.  This week’s tests:

Grade one:

• Tuesday October 1^st — Penmanship test #1
• Wednesday October 2^nd — Math test #2
• Thursday October 3rd– Phonics test #2

Grade Two:

• Tuesday October 1^st — Penmanship test #1
• Thursday October 3^rd — Phonics test #3
• Friday October 4th  — Math test #2
• Friday October 4th — Spelling test list #2

Dates to Remember

• October 4th — Milk Money due for the week of October 7th – 11th
• October 7th – 11th  — World Vision Coin drive.
• October 16th — Honda test drive.  We are privileged to be able to partner with Honda this year for the Honda test drive.  Honda will donate $20 to Grace Christian School for each car that is taken for a test drive.  Each family is encouraged to come out and support our school. More information will follow.

As we look to this week I just want to say that I am very pleased with my grade one and two class. The students are a pleasure to teach and are doing so well.  We are having fun learning together, and I am sure I am learning much more from them, than they learn from me.  I continue to pray that we lean on and be strong in the Lord as we go through this year.

 

 

Family Tree Assignment

Hello Parents,

Today your child was sent home with instructions to complete a family tree by Friday.  I want to take this time to explain a bit more about the assignment. In class today we talked about our families and who is in our family.  Students were asked to draw a picture of their family.  We then talked about how everyone has a family tree.  We explained that they were the first of their family tree, parents were next and then Grandparents.  Students were asked to home a sheet and fill in their family tree with the help of their parents.

For this assignment students are only required to go back as far as their grandparents.  Please take some time to talk to you child about the family tree so they can come back on Friday and explain what they learned.  Students will share their family tree at this week’s show. If you wish, you may send a photograph with your child that will help them explain their family tree (eg. photo of parents or grandparents).  Thank you for your help in this project.

 

 

A look at what’s to come September 23-27th

Happy Birthday to Julian who is celebrated his Birthday today!! Also, Happy Birthday to Owen who will celebrate his birthday on Monday. Hope you both have a special day.

A scholastic book order was sent home in your child’s agenda today. Please take some time to look through it. If you wish to order any books, the orders will be due on Friday September 27th. Please send your orders along with your money in your child’s agenda by this date. Please make cheques payable to Scholastic Canada.

This coming week grade two will start their spelling homework. Students will have 10 words which will be introduced to them on Monday. Three nights throughout the week your child will have different activities to help him or her study the words in unique and exciting ways. However, for this to work, we need your help! In your child’s homework folder (Grey folder for grade 1 and Yellow folder for Grade 2) on Monday will be the spelling word list and a tic-tac-toe board containing different activities that your child can do to practice his or her spelling words. Three of these need to be completed each week and have your initials on the corresponding square. Please send the folder back to school every day. Three activities must be completed by Friday. The activities are not difficult, but some require parental help. For instance, one activity requires you to scramble the words for your child so they can unscramble them. Each Friday we will have our spelling test. Grade one will have similar spelling activities when they start their spelling homework the week of October 7th.

Upcoming Tests:

Tuesday September 24th– Grade one Math Test
Wednesday September 25th — Grade one Phonics test
Thursday September 26th– Grade Two Phonics test and Math test
Friday September 26th — Grade two spelling test List #1

Dates to remember:

Wednesday September 25th — Special speaker in Chapel— Jenny Baker and her team that traveled to El Salvador.
Wednesday September 25th at 2:00 students will take part in the Terry fox Run
Friday September 27th — Milk Money due for the week of Sept. 30th – Oct.
Friday September 27th — Scholastic book orders due.

I hope that you all have a great weekend.  Please know that I am praying for each of your children and your family.  Looking forward to the week ahead. 

Coming up this week September 16th -20th

 

We are about to begin our second full week of school.  Grade one and two have been busy learning about math, phonics and learning about God’s word.  Last week we talked about our school theme “Be Strong in the Lord.”  We talked about putting on the armour of God and how God is always with us.  Students were able to take part in an art project where they traced each other’s bodies then each student drew the armour of God on their own drawing.  

On Friday students were engaged in math and literacy learning centers.  In each center students were able to practice some of the skills we had been learning through out the week.  Here are a few snap shots of the students taking part in the centers.

This coming week we will start reading groups.  This means that each night student will have specific things to read for homework.  The reading assignments will be written in your child’s agenda.  Please sign  the agenda each night after your child has completed his or her homework.  Also, starting on Monday your child will bring home a homework folder.  This folder will contain a behaviour chart and their spelling words each week.  Last week I sent home the behaviour clip it chart that we are using in class to monitor individual behaviour.  That chart is for your reference.  At  the end of each day your child will colour in the circle on the sheet found in their homework folder. The colour will indicate the level on the clip chart that your child achieved that day.  This is one way that I hope to keep you updated on how your child is doing each day.   If you have any questions about this please let me know.

Spelling homework will start for grade two next week (Sept. 23 – 27th).  Grade one spelling homework  will not start until the week of Oct. 7th.  Please use this time where no spelling homework is assigned to review the red pages in the Handbook for reading.

This coming week also marks the beginning of written and oral assessments.  Grade two will have their first Phonics test on Thursday September 19th.   Grade one’s assessments will beginning next week with their first Math test Tuesday Sept. 24th and first Phonics test Wednesday Sept. 25th.  On Wednesday Sept 25th Grade two will have their first math test.

Dates to remember this week:

Wednesday Sept. 18th Chapel
Thursday Sept. 19th: Grade two Phonics test.

Friday Sept 20th:  Milk money due for the week of Sept. 23rd -27th.
Friday Sept. 20th: Show and Tell – Students may bring in any one thing they wish to share with their class.

 

If at anytime you have any questions or concerns please let me know. I can be reached through email at jbarton@gracechristianschool.ca. Looking forward to a good week ahead!!

September 9th – 13th

The first two days of school went really well. The students really enjoyed our trip to Orwell Corner on Friday.  Students took part in making their own candles, seeing how rope was made and a horse and wagon ride.  It was definitely a successful field trip!

Monday starts the first full week of school. This week grade one and two will be starting our regular class instruction as well, all specialty classes.  The following is the schedule for specialty classes:

• Mondays and Fridays is Gym with Mrs. Laird. Please make sure your child has a pair of sneakers for gym class.
• Tuesdays  and Thursdays is Music with Miss. Robbins.
• Wednesday is Library with Mrs. Sue Huizing
• Wednesday is Art with Mrs. McGonnell
• Thursday is French with Mrs. Laird
• Tuesday and Thursday students will have Mrs. MacNeill for Health/Science, while I teach students in grade 3-6 music.

During our computer time on Monday and Friday we will be working on the Mathletics program.  This is a great program for kids to practice their math skills through games and interactive activities.

Every week grade one and two will have show and tell.  This week we will have it on Friday.  Another way to get to know your child is to find out what he or she is interested in reading. To do this I would like each student to bring to school their favorite book.  It could be one that they like to read or one they like to have read to them.  Each student will have a chance to share  why they like the book and their favorite part of the book.

Finally, the milk program will continue this year.  The first week for milk will be September 16th.  If you wish for your child to have milk for the week please bring your money to the school by this Friday, September 13th. The cost for white milk is .45 cents and chocolate is .70 cents.

Looking forward to see what God has in store for this week!

 

 

A Very sucessful first day!

I have to say it was a joy to meet each student today.  We had a very successful day. We started off the day as we will each day.  Students were welcomed into the classroom, shown to their desks where a colouring sheet was ready for them while other students got settled. Once everyone was in we sang O’Canada and prayed.  Then is was right into a get to know you activity.  The children went around the classroom to “Find someone who” .  They thoroughly enjoyed this activity. It was a fun way to get to know their fellow classmates.   Mrs. Perry even came into the room and joined in on the fun for a few minutes, students were quick to ask her questions. 

 After recess it was time for them to tell me more about themselves by completing a writing activity “All about Me”.  I have enjoyed reading their work and learning  more about each student.  The students worked so hard!  After that it was time to get up and moving again.  We played “Granny Says.” This is a game like Simon says that not only got the kids up and moving but it is a great way to work on listening skills.

After lunch we had our Bible time where students were introduced to two new actions songs: “Be Happy” and “Lovely Jubbly” by Doug Horley.  Again it got the students up and dancing.  The students especially liked the  “Lovely Jubbly”  video because it describes “All of God’s creation” and had pictures of all sort of animals in the video as they were singing.  This song will be our theme song for Bible time while we are learning to “Enjoy God’s Gift of creation.”

We read a little devotion where we learned about the aardvark.  We learned that God made the aardvark with everything it needs to be a great ant hunter.  We are also made by God each with our own talents and abilities.  I have included a form in your child’s agendas.  It is a way for me to get to know your child even more.  It was great to get to know them a bit today, but ultimately you know your child best.  I would appreciate your input on who your child is. I am looking forward to getting those sheets back so I can get to know your child’s gifts and abilities even more.

It was a great day!! I am excited for the rest of the year.

Students were sent home with their agendas.  In it is a permission slip for the field trip tomorrow.  The cost is $6.00.  Please sign the permission slip and return it with the money tomorrow. 

Also just a reminder that if you have not filled in the Office information sheet and Parent Covenant forms please do so as soon as possible.  You may drop them off with me, or leave them in the office with Judy.

Looking forward to the field trip tomorrow.

Back to School Field Trip Friday.

We are all geared up and ready for students to come back tomorrow! It’s hard to believe that it is finally here. I am excited for all this year will bring.

Just a reminder that the Elementary classes will be going on their back to school trip on Friday. We will be travelling by bus to Orwell Corner Historic Village. We will be leaving the school at 9:30 and returning before 3. The cost for the trip is $6.00. Permission slips will be handed to each student tomorrow. Please hand in the permission slip and the money to me by Friday morning. Also a reminder that your child should be sent with a lunch that does not need to heated up as we will be eating at the Village.

I am excited to meet each one of you tomorrow!