Friday, 31 October 2014

C'est l'Halloween!

Happy Halloween!
We had a very full and busy week but we had tons of fun.
We've been working hard on our writing, continued to work on patterns, and started to talk about addition. We also made sure we were all ready for the farm and built what we thought it was going to look like in the block centre.
Although it was a little chilly, the kids loved the farm! We got to ride the wagon, go through the spooky forest, see the animals, learn all about pumpkins, and play in various mazes and playgrounds throughout the farm! Thank you once again to Henry's and Lennox's dads, Asiana's aunt, and Xavier's and Vivienne's moms - you did a fantastic job looking out for the students and we couldn't have done it without you!
We also had lots of fun today showing off our costumes, carving our pumpkins from the farm, singing Halloween songs and watching a movie! Thank you for all of the lovely treats! The children really enjoyed them :)
Here's a look at the fun we had this week:

In the classroom...








 At the farm...































 











Friday, 24 October 2014

Les animaux a la ferme!

We've had an EGG-citing week in room K3! We have the wonderful opportunity to hatch some chickens and our eggs and incubator arrived on Wednesday! The students are very excited, watching them closely, and taking good care of them. They are also practising patience as the chicks won't be hatching for about three weeks :) On top of the egg-citement, we've been practising counting to 10 in different ways, mixing colours to make new colours,making patterns, and doing graphs. The children have been busy! We are also getting very excited about our trip to the farm and we have been talking about it lots. We're discussing which animals we like best, learning their names in French, and remembering which sound each one makes. The children are having lots of fun singing 'Le vieux Macdonald' (Old MacDonald Had a Farm)! Here are the lyrics if you'd like to sing along:
Le vieux Macdonald à une ferme

Le vieux Macdonald à une ferme
I, A, I, A O
Et dans sa ferme il à un cochon
I, A, I, A, O
Avec un oink oink ici, et un oink oink là-bas
Oink oink ici et un oink oink partout
Le vieux Macdonald à une ferme
I, A, I, A,O

(Change bolded animal and sound for any desired animal)

Here's a list of some of some farm words to practise:
La ferme                              The farm

La grange                             The barn
Les animaux                       Animals
Le dindon                            Turkey
La vache                               Cow
Le coq                                   Rooster
La poule                               Chicken
Le cheval                             Horse
Le cochon                            Pig
L’oie                                      Goose
Le canard                             Duck
Le mouton                          Sheep
La chèvre                             Goat

Here's a look at what we've been up to:
Making 10 in the Playdough centre:


 Working on Journals:
 Digging for bones in the Rice Centre:



 Mixing colours in the Art Centre:


Making 'Spooky Caterpillars' (patterning):


 Voila des oeufs!




 Counting to 10 in different ways:




 Dramatic play:

 Building a farm:
 Our favourite farm animals:


DON'T FORGET!
-Halloween Howl is next Thursday! (October 30th 5:30-8:30 p.m.) See you there!
-We're going to Whittamore's Farm on Thursday rain or shine! Please dress your child appropriately (light layers are always good! - and make sure they are wearing rain boots), ensure they eat a good breakfast, send a litterless lunch and snack, and send a grocery bag for them to bring home there pumpkin :) We're looking forward to it! Thank you to all of you who have volunteered to come with us! Unfortunately we can't bring you all but you will definitely have more opportunities throughout the year. If you have any questions or are unsure of whether or not you are coming (I sent notes home last week) please don't hesitate to call or email!

Finally, on Friday October 31st, our class will be celebrating the end of our Fall unit with a simple party. Those students who celebrate Halloween may wear their costume to school. Students who do not celebrate this tradition may dress up, borrow something from our house centre or come to school in their usual attire. Please do not allow your child to bring toy weapons, anything denoting violence or items that could frighten other students.
What will we do?
-Sing Halloween songs
-Show off our costumes in a costume parade
-Play games
-Watch a child-friendly Halloween movie
-Have some treats 
If you would like your child to bring in a treat for the class please ensure they are nut free and chick-pea free and there is enough for everyone to share (we have 30 students).
Please let me know if you have any questions and/or concerns.