French

This week in French, our focus is the sound il which makes the long e sound as in seed. We also see ill, ille.

We made a connection with previously studied sounds that include il noticing that that an l after an i often (but not always) makes a y sound as in yoyo.

feuille

chandail

bataille

abeille

Your child will bring home a sheet with the sound and words. Here are the vocabulary words that match the pictures on the page:

Math

We are adding 2-digit numbers. Some strategies we use are:

• using tens and ones
  • 36 + 16 = 30 + 10 + 40 and 6 + 6 + 12, so 40 + 12 = 52
• using a 100 chart
  • 36 + 16 = 36 + 10 = 46, plus 4 = 50 plus 2 more is 52 (for example)
• using an open number line we can also begin at 36 and add

We are playing a new Tic Tac Toe game to practice 2-digit plus 2-digit questions.

Reminder

Please return permission forms for gymnastics. Merci!

I hope you all had a great March Break. Welcome back into the swing of things!

A reminder to send your child back to school with:

• indoor shoes
• water bottle
• agenda
• extra Spring clothes/socks for the locker
• hat & applied sunscreen for hot days
• rain gear on wet days

TODAY your child will bring home:

1. April calendar
2. Permission form for our visits to the KGTC for gymnastics- fees on Kevcash on-line
3. Numbers to 100 in French!

Please have your child review how to say numbers in French at home. Not knowing how to say numbers is adding an extra challenge to learning math in French. A chart with how to say all the numbers is coming home today. Some ways your child can practice at home over the next few weeks is:

• read the numbers in order on the chart to you
• read a row of numbers on the chart to you (focus on 70-100)
• sing number songs on our blog
• an adult or sibling can choose a number on the chart randomly, and your child reads it

You may keep the chart posted on a wall at home, in the home reading folder, or in the car. Choose something that works for your family for some frequent but short review!

We are working on being more comfortable using open number lines in Math.

We use open number lines

• to show our thinking
• to become more efficient, rather than adding or subtracting one number at a time
• as a tool to add and subtract to 100
• because students will continue to use open number lines in future grades
• because the district includes open number lines in its Numeracy assessments

Today, when students added and subtracted on our windows, they also included using an open number line to show their solution. Here are some photos of examples:

4 + ? = 12
Jump to a friendly number, 10. Then jump to 12. Add your jumps together: 6+2=8, so 4+8=12.

10-4=?
We are looking for the difference, so we can solve 4+?=10.
We have learned to make 10 this year, so 4+6=10!

We will be subtracting lots of big numbers in the Spring.

We can use a number line to subtract big numbers:

92-38=?

On a number line, start at 38 and jump (but not one at a time) until 92!

Saying numbers in French is still difficult for many students. We are singing along with Alain le Lait songs (check out the “songs” tab on the blog, or looks for Alain le Lait number songs on Youtube). In April, I will send home a number chart, the numbers 1-100 written in words IN FRENCH home so you can support your child. Because we learn Math in French, students who cannot say their numbers get very confused when we are working with other concepts.

Some things to watch for: mixing up 6 and 9, mixing up 14 and 41, and with 80 being “quatre-vingts” (4 20s) in French, this can be confused with 24. Students will be working with numbers to 1000 in grade 3, so your support with numbers in grade 2 will be invaluable!

Pink Shirt day will be recognized on WEDNESDAY this week.

We will continue to explore fairy tales that challenge stereotypes and promote empathy. We will watch and discuss the following video this week as well. Thanks to our guest stuffies who very responsible and participated in reading and math activities on Friday! They are welcome to come back for another visit again this year:)

We have a few special things coming up at school:

1. Bannock Feb.29
2. Pancake Pyjama Day Feb.23
3. Presenting plays in class

Please let me know if you child CANNOT have bannock. These are the ingredients:

• 69+12= 70+11= 81
• 69+12… 69+10=79+2= 81 (this is a way to use a 100 chart more efficiently if your child needs a chart for support at this time)

Happy Wednesday! It’s wet and muddy on our field- send rainpants or snow pants please!

Mme Harmatuk

We have been learning so much at school!

This winter, students reflected on their superpowers, and made buttons with a special guest!

Math

We learned to measure with our hands, feet, fingers, bodies, strings and paperclips! We are now measuring with centimeters and meters. For extra practice, you can measure with your child at home using a ruler or tape measure.

We are also adding to 100, and you will see some work come home today. We are adding 2-digit plus 2-digit numbers.

Science

We have been learning about states of matter, in particular: solid, liquid and gas. A cheerios activity representing molecules is being sent home. Next, we will investigate water in its different states, as well as physical and chemical changes of matter.

French

We have been reading traditional and modern fairy tales. Today, we planned our own fairy tale as a class. Tomorrow it the big day, when planning and then writing children’s own fairy tales will begins. Authors and illustrators will be at work this month!

ADST

The children have learned to use chromebooks. They can log in, find google classroom, and work on coding activities.

Social Studies

We have begun learning about communities across Canada! Today, we will hear the Indigenous legend of how Niagara Falls was created, connecting Indigenous perspectives to a community that was shared during Show and Tell. We have also learned as a class about Ontario and about the Quebec festival Carnaval. There are some videos on the blog if you would like to watch at home! We will have a field trip Friday to enjoy Carnaval in Kamloops!

Honesty

We have been setting goals around the grandfather teaching of the swan, and have learned that honesty includes being a good example, following rules, making good choices and calming down in order to make good decisions. Students have been recording success with these goals in their reflection journals which will be sent home prior to the second term report card so that you can review their learning. Journals will then be sent back to school please for more learning during the third term.

February/March Show & Tell:

A Canadian Community

Our next focus will be on the many diverse communities in Canada! Each student will choose a community in Canada to research at home. The information will be shared with the class so that we can build our communal knowledge of Canada and appreciate its diversity. Show and Tell is also an opportunity to develop French speaking skills.

Step 1:

Choose a community outside of B.C. but in Canada. Locate it on a map of Canada. Say the name of the community and its province or territory in French. (We have learned them).

Step 2:

Find out some interesting facts about the community. (Culture, landscape, activities).

Share a few sentences with us.

Step 3:

Bring in an image that represents the community. For example:

-a photo

-a postcard

-a drawing

Write the name of the community on or beside the image.

If a student wishes to also bring in an object or souvenir, visual aids are welcome!

We would love to borrow the image so that we can create a bulletin board with images across Canada. Keep your image postcard-sized or smaller if possible please so that we can fit 19 of them on our wall! Thanks.

It is nice to have a variety of communities: capital cities, small towns, Indigenous communities, tourist destinations and faraway communities where your relatives may live!

Please share your first and second choice with Madame so that we can avoid repetition AND learn about communities in all of our provinces and territories

Our learning this January is underway!

French

We have read many fairy tales to learn about the genre and how stories are structured. We have also read some fables, stories and fairy tales during guided reading in small groups with the teacher.

Our sounds this week and last were en and an(like “aw” with your nose pinched!)

We are writing winter words and learned to be a word artist. Some students are trying cursive handwriting for fun!

Math

We are building our skills in order to add and subtract to 100. Our current focus is adding 10, 20 or 30 to a number, and subtracting 10, 20 and 30 from a number.

We will begin a measurement unit soon.

We continue to read and make bar graphs.

Social Studies

We have been learning about Manitoba and the Metis.

Gym

We began a badminton unit.

Unplug and play

Many activities will be happening next week to promote literacy:

• Monday- the school will drop everything and read!
• Wednesday- wear a shirt with words! (avoid a brand; a positive word or message is encouraged)
• Thursday- dress as a favourite book character
• Friday- colour your own bookmark

Reminders

Please hand in your skating permission form.

PAC lunch this Friday, booster juice next Friday.

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a nice break from the routine with their families. Now we are back at it! Please help your child get organized with the following items for January:

• INDOOR SHOES-  a few children need to bring indoor shoes back to school. Label them please!
• An over-the-door hook for the locker to hang wet snow pants and outerwear.
• Listening headphones to be left at school until June. They need an audio jack for chromebooks and ipads & a built-in microphone. LABEL the headphones and send them in a LABELLED bag or case.
• A labelled bag of extra items for the locker- gloves, socks, pants/leggings.

Cold weather and snow are in the forecast. Please ensure your child is prepared and comes to school with warm outerwear, a tuque and mittens this week. Extra items can be left in the locker in case an items is forgotten or lost one day.

Our January calendar and skating permission forms will be sent home. A reminder of routine items needed at school:

• Water bottle.
• Agenda.
• Library- Wednesdays
• Reading Folder- Thursdays

Help your child get a great sleep tonight. Our first week back at school might be tiring for everyone,

Mme Harmatuk

We will have many special days next week!

Monday- Tropical Day

Children may wear sunglasses, flower necklaces, tropical shirts… It’s important to still dress appropriately for outdoor winter weather.

Tuesday- Fancy Day

Our students are also encouraged to wear “nice” clothes for our afternoon and evening concerts. NO tall headwear please! NO Santa hats, NO antlers and NO large bows as these obstruct the view of faces behind students in the concert. Indoor shoes for the evening concert please. No snow boots on stage.

Wednesday- Pajama Day

Children can wear pajamas to school. It will also be our winter fun day, where older students will organize activities for us all morning. Be on time for school as we will divide into groups first thing in the morning and go to different rooms throughout the school for our activities.  NO stuffies please. We have had a lot of lice recently at school, so stuffies can stay home please. I told the students that later this school year, we can organize a day to bring stuffies to school.

Thursday- Matching Day

Children can wear something to match friends- matching socks, bow, colours… I will wear some RED if any students want to match me! We will also  have a board game afternoon in our class. Children may bring board games or card games appropriate for grade 2 to school to play with friends. No electronics please. Also, if a game is precious, it’s best to leave at home. Label items also.

Friday- Winter Sweater Day

Children can wear festive or winter themed sweaters. We will have a sing-along in the gym that morning. It’s a booster juice day too! Lockers will be cleaned out before the break. Please send an extra bag if you think your child needs one to bring extra clothes, tuques, mitts etc home for the break. You can check sizes at home, and restock lockers in January.

Amaryllis

We are growing and measuring an amaryllis flower in our class! If you would like to babysit it over the holidays, email me!