February 2-4

Wow. What a short and quick week. Despite that we did accomplish a few big things in this time. 

Here are some important dates to note:

Monday - Spelling test

Tuesday - Book orders are due

Friday- Jump Rope for Heart (kids are asked to bring a $2 if possible for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. 

February 18th is dress like a rainbow day.

February 20th - Fruit orders due.

February 25th - Wear pink against bullying!

March 4th - Family dance

March 19th - Spellathon

Language Arts - This week we reviewed our 5 senses and how we can use them to become great poets. Students began by brainstorming about their own experiences with winter and what it looks, tastes, feels, smells and sounds like. After looking at other winter poems, the class started to create their own poems about winter using the ideas they brainstormed as a guide. We will finish these next week. 

Math - This week we continued to subtract 2 digit numbers up to 100. 

Science - We have been learning about how animals adapt to hot and cold temperatures. Students created Google presentations on an animal of their choice giving facts on how their animal adapts. 

We also tested out our insulators by putting an ice cube in each and monitoring them throughout the day. We learned that tin foil made the poorest insulator and styrofoam kept the ice cubes cold for the longest. There are pictures below.

Class Dojo - After a week of using Classdojo, the class seems to really be enjoying it. As a parent, you are able to download the app onto your phone or tablet using the instructions on the note sent home. I was asked a good question about how points are given throughout the day. Honestly, it is just done throughout the day at times I feel are good depending on what we are doing. I give points in 2 ways but most of time to recognize the positive behaviours. For instance, in the morning, the class is expected to be in their desks with their calendar books open before the bell. Most days, I will award points to all the students who did this. Other days, I may choose to take points away from students who are repeatedly not preparing themselves on time. 

It's a bit funny to me to be doing this because I've never been a big advocate of rewarding behaviour that is expected such as being respectful or ready to learn. However, I think that this might be the kick start they need to establish some good habits and to help them self-monitor their behaviour as they prepare for the 3rd grade. The average amount of points kids earned at the end of this week was about 10-12. Please let me know if you have any questions about this.

Here are some pictures from our science experiment today. The kids were so excited to test out their insulators!