Good afternoon parents,
I have a few friendly reminders for this week.
The Christmas concert for our class is taking place this Thursday, Dec 15th at 6:30pm. The doors open at 6:00pm. Unfortunately due to a medical appointment in Calgary I am not able to attend the evening concert. Ms. Kruse along with Nurse McLeod will be wrangling up class 2A and getting them lined up and ready for the concert. The dress for this years performance is a sweater, scarf, and tuque. Any kind of pants as good.
This Friday we will be watching The Polar Express in the morning and then taking in the other class' performance of the Christmas Concert in the afternoon. We will still have our spelling test as well. New words are up on the spelling words page.
Finally, please remember to return the envelopes with the payment for the field trip next week as soon as possible.
Monday 12 December 2016
Monday 28 November 2016
November 28th
Hello all. It's hard to believe we are down to 4 weeks until Christmas. Don't forget that there is no school this Friday, December 2nd, as we have a PD day. Also, there are no new spelling words this week since it is a review week.
We have been moving along great in our studies in 2A. The students are engaged in their activities and we are working hard to meet our goals. The students are even now practicing for their Christmas Concert performance. Our Christmas concert will be taking place on Thursday, December 15th.
Math:
We are progressing along very well in Math. Since the beginning of our patterns unit, we have discussed numerous terms. Our main topic so far is repeating patterns. A repeating pattern is a pattern that has a section that repeats. The section of the pattern that repeats is called the core. We are also discussing attributes. An attribute is what is changing in a pattern. Examples of attributes are colour, shape, direction, or size. An example of a repeating pattern is up, up, down, up, up, down. The pattern core is up, up, down, and the pattern attribute that changes is direction. The students have been doing many activities that involve creating, extending, and recreating repeating patterns and recording their patterns in their math journals.
Science:
In science we are well into our hot and cold temperatures unit. The main thing that the students need to take out of the first few weeks of the unit, is reading a thermometer. If at any point your child has an opportunity to read a thermometer, please allow them to do so. Please reiterate with them that any temperature below zero needs to have a minus in front of it. Some other things that we have been talking about are how changing the temperature of things (melting, freezing, burning, and cooking) changes them. The students got to brainstorm how different things are affected through these changes in temperature. Also this week, we are looking at different heat sources (things that produce heat), and how to protect ourselves when handing things that are hot and cold.
Social Studies:
In social, we are looking at the early days of our three communities. For our study of the early days of Iqaluit, the students got to build their very own marshmallow igloo. The Inuit people lived in Igluit during the winter when they were following the caribou. This week and next we will be looking at the early days of Meteghan and Saskatoon.
I hope everyone has a great week ahead and beginning of December.
Mr. Aasen
We have been moving along great in our studies in 2A. The students are engaged in their activities and we are working hard to meet our goals. The students are even now practicing for their Christmas Concert performance. Our Christmas concert will be taking place on Thursday, December 15th.
Math:
We are progressing along very well in Math. Since the beginning of our patterns unit, we have discussed numerous terms. Our main topic so far is repeating patterns. A repeating pattern is a pattern that has a section that repeats. The section of the pattern that repeats is called the core. We are also discussing attributes. An attribute is what is changing in a pattern. Examples of attributes are colour, shape, direction, or size. An example of a repeating pattern is up, up, down, up, up, down. The pattern core is up, up, down, and the pattern attribute that changes is direction. The students have been doing many activities that involve creating, extending, and recreating repeating patterns and recording their patterns in their math journals.
Science:
In science we are well into our hot and cold temperatures unit. The main thing that the students need to take out of the first few weeks of the unit, is reading a thermometer. If at any point your child has an opportunity to read a thermometer, please allow them to do so. Please reiterate with them that any temperature below zero needs to have a minus in front of it. Some other things that we have been talking about are how changing the temperature of things (melting, freezing, burning, and cooking) changes them. The students got to brainstorm how different things are affected through these changes in temperature. Also this week, we are looking at different heat sources (things that produce heat), and how to protect ourselves when handing things that are hot and cold.
Social Studies:
In social, we are looking at the early days of our three communities. For our study of the early days of Iqaluit, the students got to build their very own marshmallow igloo. The Inuit people lived in Igluit during the winter when they were following the caribou. This week and next we will be looking at the early days of Meteghan and Saskatoon.
I hope everyone has a great week ahead and beginning of December.
Mr. Aasen
Monday 7 November 2016
Week of Remembrance Day
I can't believe the weather we are having for these first weeks of November. Upper double digit temperatures, heavy rains, and lots of sun. It sounds more like late spring.There are a few reminders for this week.
There is no school this Thursday or Friday, the latter being Remembrance Day, November 11th. Wednesday is a busy day. We will be having our weekly library class as we do not have school on Thursday. Book orders are due Wednesday for anyone that wants anything from the Scholastic catalogue. We will also be having our Remembrance Day ceremony at 10:30 in the gym on Wednesday. Any family is welcome to attend.
We have no new spelling words this week as it is only a 3 day week.
Language Arts
Writing:
This unit in writing we have continued to look at aspects of narrative and expository/informative writing. We continue to talk more and more a pout sentences needing to have a subject and a predicate. We have looked at sorting details into main idea's, useful for expository writing. We have talked about opinions versus facts. Opinions reflect what a person believes and thinks, where as facts represent truthful things that cannot be changed. This week and next we will be discussing and practicing writing elaborate details in our writing, comparing general details to specific details.
Phonics:
In phonics we have finished working on short vowel sounds and are now working on all the long vowel sounds. The students are doing well to grasp the concepts we are talking about. It is important for those that have difficulty sounding out new words to remember rules like; When there is an "e" at the end of a word, it makes the middle vowel say its name, (Lake, the "e" is silent and makes the "a" say its name). When two vowels "go walking" (a vowel digraph is two vowels together), the first one does the talking. (boat says "bōt". The "a" is silent).
Math
In math we are continuing to work on different aspects of number sense. Much of the practice over the previous weeks has been using different strategies to add and subtract. We have used counting on, a number line, a hundreds chart as well as our fingers. We have also introduced the concept of adding and subtracting 10. We will be finishing up these concepts this week and beginning our patterns unit next week.
Science
We have now completed our magnetism unit with our unit test last Friday. They will be marked and sent home by Wednesday. We will begin our new unit "Hot and Cold Temperatures" this week and look to finish it up by Christmas break. This unit will look at different aspects of hot and cold temperatures, such as reading thermometers, heat/cooling sources, melting/freezing, and states of matter.
Social
In Social we are looking at the geography (land and water formations) of our three communities we are studying, as well as weather that occurs during the year and comparing them to our own community of Leduc. The students were truly amazed at the annual average snowfall amount of Iqaluit (236cm). They also learned that Saskatoon is one of the sunniest cities in all of Canada.
I hope everyone has a very enjoyable week and a great long weekend ahead.
Mr. Aasen
Monday 17 October 2016
Middle of October
Good afternoon parents. Here we are in the middle of October. Halloween is fast approaching already and the weather is cooling off significantly. We have had some rather sketchy conditions making for not very nice commutes for some. There may be a light at the end of the tunnel by the end of the week, with some more seasonable temperatures.
A few reminders for this week are as follows. There will be lice checks at East Elementary today or tomorrow, depending when our class gets theirs done. Also, if you have not signed up for a time to do your parent teacher conference, please do so with the following link. www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F0C44A4A629A6FD0-parent2
Language Arts
Writing:
As with every week, we are continuing with our weekly journal entries. This week the students had the option to write about an event they had with an animal as told a story about a "run-in" with a skunk when I was a child. They also had the option to write about their favorite part about last Friday, as I was away at a medical appointment. Their third option was to again tell me some details about their weekend.
Our writing program has continued with looking at sentences and sentence structure. The students already know that a sentences needs a beginning capital letter and ending punctuation. I introduced to them that every sentence needs a subject (who/what), and a predicate (doing/describing). We looked at some example sentences and understood that words like I, me, we, it, his, and proper names are all examples of a subject in a sentence. The subject of a sentence usually comes at the beginning of the sentence. "Fido ate my homework". Fido in this sentence is the subject, and ate my homework is the predicate. I will begin to look for subject and predicate in the students journal writing.
Math:
The latest concept in number sense we looked at was the concept of equal and not equal. The students are familiar with the equals sign, = however we also looked at the not equal sign, ≠ . The students got to compare numbers using the equal and not equal signs. We are going to continue with number sense, looking at adding and subtracting in different ways, such as using number lines, counting on, finger counting. It is very important that the students are adept at solving basic math facts as this will enhance their ability to solve 2 digit equations later on in the school year. Social:
Social we have now finished the mapping unit. Their mapping unit tests are completed and marked and will be sent home tomorrow. It was important that the students understood where the cardinal directions go on a compass (North, South, East and West). We began our first unit in learning about Canada's dynamic communities. We are going to be looking at 3 different communities and comparing them to our own community of Leduc. The 3 communities we are looking at are Iqaluit, Meteghan, and Saskatoon. Iqaluit is an Inuit community in Nunavut, Meteghan is an Acadian community in Nova Scotia, and Saskatoon has lots of Ukrainian influence, in Saskatchewan. We began by talking about culture and heritage, and looked at the flags that represent each community, the Nunavut flag for Iqaluit, the Acadian flag for Meteghan, and the Ukrainian flag for Saskatoon. The students also got to make their own flag for their "home" and "individual" community that represented what they like and maybe some of their background. We will next be looking at geographical aspects of each community and how they affect the functioning of the communities.
Science:
We have been continuing to work through our magnetism unit in science. The latest activity the students took part in was testing whether the magnetic field could travel through certain materials. The students tested things like cloth, glass, cardboard, wax paper, tin foil, a jar lid, paper, plastic, and wood. The students found, that if strong enough, the magnetic field would pass through any material, having the magnets remain attracted even though the material was put between them. We will be finishing up the magnetism unit over the next week and a half. The last "I can" the students have to complete in this unit is to "Design and produce a device that uses a magnet." I will be sending home instructions later this week for the students to work on this at home with their parents and guardians.
I hope everyone has a great week ahead.
Mr. Aasen
Language Arts
Writing:
As with every week, we are continuing with our weekly journal entries. This week the students had the option to write about an event they had with an animal as told a story about a "run-in" with a skunk when I was a child. They also had the option to write about their favorite part about last Friday, as I was away at a medical appointment. Their third option was to again tell me some details about their weekend.
Our writing program has continued with looking at sentences and sentence structure. The students already know that a sentences needs a beginning capital letter and ending punctuation. I introduced to them that every sentence needs a subject (who/what), and a predicate (doing/describing). We looked at some example sentences and understood that words like I, me, we, it, his, and proper names are all examples of a subject in a sentence. The subject of a sentence usually comes at the beginning of the sentence. "Fido ate my homework". Fido in this sentence is the subject, and ate my homework is the predicate. I will begin to look for subject and predicate in the students journal writing.
Math:
The latest concept in number sense we looked at was the concept of equal and not equal. The students are familiar with the equals sign, = however we also looked at the not equal sign, ≠ . The students got to compare numbers using the equal and not equal signs. We are going to continue with number sense, looking at adding and subtracting in different ways, such as using number lines, counting on, finger counting. It is very important that the students are adept at solving basic math facts as this will enhance their ability to solve 2 digit equations later on in the school year. Social:
Social we have now finished the mapping unit. Their mapping unit tests are completed and marked and will be sent home tomorrow. It was important that the students understood where the cardinal directions go on a compass (North, South, East and West). We began our first unit in learning about Canada's dynamic communities. We are going to be looking at 3 different communities and comparing them to our own community of Leduc. The 3 communities we are looking at are Iqaluit, Meteghan, and Saskatoon. Iqaluit is an Inuit community in Nunavut, Meteghan is an Acadian community in Nova Scotia, and Saskatoon has lots of Ukrainian influence, in Saskatchewan. We began by talking about culture and heritage, and looked at the flags that represent each community, the Nunavut flag for Iqaluit, the Acadian flag for Meteghan, and the Ukrainian flag for Saskatoon. The students also got to make their own flag for their "home" and "individual" community that represented what they like and maybe some of their background. We will next be looking at geographical aspects of each community and how they affect the functioning of the communities.
Science:
We have been continuing to work through our magnetism unit in science. The latest activity the students took part in was testing whether the magnetic field could travel through certain materials. The students tested things like cloth, glass, cardboard, wax paper, tin foil, a jar lid, paper, plastic, and wood. The students found, that if strong enough, the magnetic field would pass through any material, having the magnets remain attracted even though the material was put between them. We will be finishing up the magnetism unit over the next week and a half. The last "I can" the students have to complete in this unit is to "Design and produce a device that uses a magnet." I will be sending home instructions later this week for the students to work on this at home with their parents and guardians.
I hope everyone has a great week ahead.
Mr. Aasen
Monday 26 September 2016
Sept 26 - Sept 30
Good afternoon everyone. I hope you all had a great and relaxing weekend. There are a few very important things to run by you. First, I am not at school tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept 27th, and there will be a sub for the day. Second, picture day is this Wednesday, Sept 28th. A note is going home tomorrow regarding sibling pictures as well. If you would like your child dressed up for pictures, they are taking place in the morning on Wednesday. Friday we also have the Strathcona Ceremonial Mounted Troops performing. The performance will be happening regardless of weather and there is rain in the forecast. Please dress your child accordingly.
Language Arts
Phonics:
This week in phonics we will begin unit 2. Unit 2 is a number of exercises that focus on short vowels. As the phonics works with the spelling words, we are covering the short "o" and short "u" wprds in spelling this week.
Writing:
We recently began our writing program called empowering writers. It is a program where each month has a different theme and will focus on specific areas to develop writing skills. The theme of the first month is "back to school". The main focus of our writing this month is identifying the two main forms of writing, Informative/Expository writing and Narrative writing. The purpose of informative/expository writing (generally called non fiction) is to inform the reader. To give them information. The purpose of narrative writing (generally called fiction) is to tell a story and entertain. The students have been learning differences between the two forms of writing and what to look for to identify them. We will also continue with our weekly journals. If you ever want to see your child's journal you can send me a quick message in their agenda and I can send it home with them.
Math
We are working very diligently in our number sense unit to start the year. We have done lots of work on representing numbers and also looked at number words to twenty. We also started creating word problems using the number words that we were recently studying. This week we will be discussing ordinal words (1st - first, 2nd-second, 3rd-third, 10th-tenth, etc), as well as counting and numbers to 100.
Science
As you may already know in science we have discussed that magnets have two poles, north and south. The students should be using the words attract and repel when describing what same poles (N and N or S and S) will do when they come together and what opposite poles (N and S) will do when they come together. We have also been discussing types of magnets. There are electromagnets (magnets created using electricity), permanent magnets (magnets that will never lose their magnetic field), and temporary magnets (magnets that will lose their magnetic field). We will be experimenting with creating a temporary magnet this week using a magnet and scissors. The students are going to have a great time.
Social
We continue our mapping review unit and will be wrapping it up shortly. We have continued to explore different maps, such as street maps, floor plans, and outside maps. The students are using a saying that works best for them to remember the directions of the compass rose (Never Eat Soggy Waffles) with north pointing up. We have looked at map keys/legends as well as signs and symbols. The students are becoming experts and reading and labeling maps. We will be writing our mapping unit test at the end of this week or early next week.
I hope everyone has a lovely week ahead. Enjoy the sunny warm weather while you can as it looks like some cooler wet weather is in the forecast.
Mr. Aasen
Language Arts
Phonics:
This week in phonics we will begin unit 2. Unit 2 is a number of exercises that focus on short vowels. As the phonics works with the spelling words, we are covering the short "o" and short "u" wprds in spelling this week.
Writing:
We recently began our writing program called empowering writers. It is a program where each month has a different theme and will focus on specific areas to develop writing skills. The theme of the first month is "back to school". The main focus of our writing this month is identifying the two main forms of writing, Informative/Expository writing and Narrative writing. The purpose of informative/expository writing (generally called non fiction) is to inform the reader. To give them information. The purpose of narrative writing (generally called fiction) is to tell a story and entertain. The students have been learning differences between the two forms of writing and what to look for to identify them. We will also continue with our weekly journals. If you ever want to see your child's journal you can send me a quick message in their agenda and I can send it home with them.
Math
We are working very diligently in our number sense unit to start the year. We have done lots of work on representing numbers and also looked at number words to twenty. We also started creating word problems using the number words that we were recently studying. This week we will be discussing ordinal words (1st - first, 2nd-second, 3rd-third, 10th-tenth, etc), as well as counting and numbers to 100.
Science
As you may already know in science we have discussed that magnets have two poles, north and south. The students should be using the words attract and repel when describing what same poles (N and N or S and S) will do when they come together and what opposite poles (N and S) will do when they come together. We have also been discussing types of magnets. There are electromagnets (magnets created using electricity), permanent magnets (magnets that will never lose their magnetic field), and temporary magnets (magnets that will lose their magnetic field). We will be experimenting with creating a temporary magnet this week using a magnet and scissors. The students are going to have a great time.
Social
We continue our mapping review unit and will be wrapping it up shortly. We have continued to explore different maps, such as street maps, floor plans, and outside maps. The students are using a saying that works best for them to remember the directions of the compass rose (Never Eat Soggy Waffles) with north pointing up. We have looked at map keys/legends as well as signs and symbols. The students are becoming experts and reading and labeling maps. We will be writing our mapping unit test at the end of this week or early next week.
I hope everyone has a lovely week ahead. Enjoy the sunny warm weather while you can as it looks like some cooler wet weather is in the forecast.
Mr. Aasen
Monday 12 September 2016
Sept 12 - 15
Good afternoon everyone. I hope you have had a great start to the school year. We have had a wonderful start this year in 2A. We currently have 22 students and they are all settling in nicely.
This week we have a couple of important times. We have our first library class this Thursday. Students are allowed to take two books each week out of the library. One must be a reading book, and one may be a look book or another reading book. Also on Thursday, we are having the annual Terry Fox Run. The run/walk will begin at 1pm and will consist of approximately a 1km excursion for the grade 2's. It is going to be a great time in support of cancer research.
Language Arts
Spelling:
The weekly spelling words will always be posted in the spelling tab at the top of the blog.
Phonics:
Our first area of focus in phonics is in beginning and ending consonant sounds. A consonant is any letter in the alphabet that is not a vowel.
Writing:
Currently in writing, there is an emphasis on beginning capital letters and ending periods. We will be doing weekly journals as well as writing activities during work on writing sessions in Daily 5. We also have a writing program called Empowering Writers that we will be following throughout the year that focuses on different writing skills.
Math
We have begun our math unit focusing on some review and number sense. We have looked at recognizing numbers as well as comparing numbers using words like more, less, and fewer. This week we will look at number words (zero, one, two, three, etc.) and some addition review.
Science
Our first science unit is magnetism. We have done some exploring with magnets and learned of first definition. Attract- "to draw by force". We use the word attract when we talk about the magnet being attracted to something else. We are trying to not use the word "stick". The force of the magnet attracts it to things made of metal. We have learned that only metals containing the metal "iron" will be attracted to magnets. Metals containing nickel and cobalt also are attracted however we have not discussed these as they are not part of metals around the classroom typically. We will continue to learn more about magnets over the coming two month concluding with our magnets unit at the end of October.
Social Studies
In social we have began our mapping review unit. We have talked about the compass rose on a map and its purpose. We have also come up with a saying to remember the directions on it. (Never Eat Soggy Waffles) Clockwise from the top the directions are North, East, South, and West. We have also talked about a legend and what are some symbols we might fight on a map, such as an H for a hospital, or a tent, for a campground. We will continue with this unit for a few more weeks.
I hope everyone has a great week and a reminder that we have no school on Friday as it is a PD day.
Mr. Aasen
This week we have a couple of important times. We have our first library class this Thursday. Students are allowed to take two books each week out of the library. One must be a reading book, and one may be a look book or another reading book. Also on Thursday, we are having the annual Terry Fox Run. The run/walk will begin at 1pm and will consist of approximately a 1km excursion for the grade 2's. It is going to be a great time in support of cancer research.
Language Arts
Spelling:
The weekly spelling words will always be posted in the spelling tab at the top of the blog.
Phonics:
Our first area of focus in phonics is in beginning and ending consonant sounds. A consonant is any letter in the alphabet that is not a vowel.
Writing:
Currently in writing, there is an emphasis on beginning capital letters and ending periods. We will be doing weekly journals as well as writing activities during work on writing sessions in Daily 5. We also have a writing program called Empowering Writers that we will be following throughout the year that focuses on different writing skills.
Math
We have begun our math unit focusing on some review and number sense. We have looked at recognizing numbers as well as comparing numbers using words like more, less, and fewer. This week we will look at number words (zero, one, two, three, etc.) and some addition review.
Science
Our first science unit is magnetism. We have done some exploring with magnets and learned of first definition. Attract- "to draw by force". We use the word attract when we talk about the magnet being attracted to something else. We are trying to not use the word "stick". The force of the magnet attracts it to things made of metal. We have learned that only metals containing the metal "iron" will be attracted to magnets. Metals containing nickel and cobalt also are attracted however we have not discussed these as they are not part of metals around the classroom typically. We will continue to learn more about magnets over the coming two month concluding with our magnets unit at the end of October.
Social Studies
In social we have began our mapping review unit. We have talked about the compass rose on a map and its purpose. We have also come up with a saying to remember the directions on it. (Never Eat Soggy Waffles) Clockwise from the top the directions are North, East, South, and West. We have also talked about a legend and what are some symbols we might fight on a map, such as an H for a hospital, or a tent, for a campground. We will continue with this unit for a few more weeks.
I hope everyone has a great week and a reminder that we have no school on Friday as it is a PD day.
Mr. Aasen
Wednesday 7 September 2016
Meet the Teacher Night
Just a heads up that tomorrow, Thursday September 8th, is meet the teacher night at East Elementary from 6pm-7pm. Come and meet your child's teacher and other staff at East.
Tuesday 31 May 2016
Week of May 30 - June 3
Good morning parents.
I hope everyone is enjoying this rain. There are a few important announcements for this week. First of all we had a wonderful trip to Fort Edmonton yesterday. Even though we had some rain the students had a great time. We got to make some truffles and do some crafts that kids would have made if living in Edmonton in 1905.
We continue our swimming lessons tomorrow, Wednesday June 1st. Tomorrow is also early dismissal. Students are out at 2:15pm. This Friday, June 3rd, is WESTERN DRESS UP DAY. Feel free to dress up in your best cowboy/cowgirl clothes (Cowboy hats/boots, plaid shirts, jeans).
I hope everyone is enjoying this rain. There are a few important announcements for this week. First of all we had a wonderful trip to Fort Edmonton yesterday. Even though we had some rain the students had a great time. We got to make some truffles and do some crafts that kids would have made if living in Edmonton in 1905.
We continue our swimming lessons tomorrow, Wednesday June 1st. Tomorrow is also early dismissal. Students are out at 2:15pm. This Friday, June 3rd, is WESTERN DRESS UP DAY. Feel free to dress up in your best cowboy/cowgirl clothes (Cowboy hats/boots, plaid shirts, jeans).
Monday 16 May 2016
May 16 - 19
Good morning parents.
This week is a short but busy week. Tomorrow we have our East Elementary track day starting at 12:30 pm. The students are going to compete in 4 events. The 50 meter running relay, the 100 meter running relay, the ball throw, and the long jump. They will be competing for a spot at the district track meet at the beginning of June. Please send your child with sunscreen, a water bottle, and a hat. Feel free to come out and watch and cheer. Thursday is the annual East Elementary talent show. It will begin at 12:45 pm and run until about 2:00 pm. We are continuing our swimming lessons on Wednesday. Please remember a bathing suit.
There is no school this Friday (School PD), or the following Monday (Victoria Day).
This week is a short but busy week. Tomorrow we have our East Elementary track day starting at 12:30 pm. The students are going to compete in 4 events. The 50 meter running relay, the 100 meter running relay, the ball throw, and the long jump. They will be competing for a spot at the district track meet at the beginning of June. Please send your child with sunscreen, a water bottle, and a hat. Feel free to come out and watch and cheer. Thursday is the annual East Elementary talent show. It will begin at 12:45 pm and run until about 2:00 pm. We are continuing our swimming lessons on Wednesday. Please remember a bathing suit.
There is no school this Friday (School PD), or the following Monday (Victoria Day).
Monday 9 May 2016
May 9-13
Good afternoon everyone. I hope you had a great weekend. This week we have a few reminders to go out. First, we continue our swimming lessons on Wednesday. Please remember to send swimming suits with your child. Second, tomorrow, Tuesday May 10th, we have a purchase pizza day. It is a grade 3 fundraiser, and for $2/slice, your child can have pizza for lunch. All you need is to bring the money to me in the morning. Finally, today I sent home the permission form for For Edmonton Park. The field trip takes place on Monday May 30th, and will be $18. If you could have the permission forms back by Thursday, May 16, that would be greatly appreciated.
Language Arts
Spelling:
There are no new spellings words this week. We have a review week.
Phonics:
This week in phonics we will be looking at word endings. Specifically "ing" and "ed". Some of the rules we have discussed with regards to our spelling words are as follows.
When a short vowel word ends with a single consonant, you usually double the consonant before adding the ending. (skip + ing = skipping). You do not double the ending consonant if the word ends with more than one consonant. (jump + ing = jumping).
When a long vowel word ends with a "magic e", drop the "e" before adding the ending. (take + ing = taking).
Math
This week in math we are finishing up out measurement unit and moving onto addition and subtraction to 100. We will be looking at strategies for adding and subtracting 2 digit numbers.
Social Studies
Currently in Social we are looking at the natural resources found in our 3 communities, Iqaluit, Methegan, and Saskatoon. We have been discussing how the geography plays a big part in what resources are available in each community. This week we will explore different goods that are produces using these resources, as well as how we can take care of our environment and conserve the renewable natural resources. There have already been some good discussions regarding the Fort McMurray wildfire.
Science
We will continue with our buoyancy and boats unit over the next couple of weeks, finishing it up hopefully by the May long weekend so we can start exploring our small crawling and flying animals unit. We have a surprise in store for the grade 2's after the long weekend regarding this unit but it is being kept a surprise.
I hope everyone has a great week ahead.
Mr. Aasen
Language Arts
Spelling:
There are no new spellings words this week. We have a review week.
Phonics:
This week in phonics we will be looking at word endings. Specifically "ing" and "ed". Some of the rules we have discussed with regards to our spelling words are as follows.
When a short vowel word ends with a single consonant, you usually double the consonant before adding the ending. (skip + ing = skipping). You do not double the ending consonant if the word ends with more than one consonant. (jump + ing = jumping).
When a long vowel word ends with a "magic e", drop the "e" before adding the ending. (take + ing = taking).
Math
This week in math we are finishing up out measurement unit and moving onto addition and subtraction to 100. We will be looking at strategies for adding and subtracting 2 digit numbers.
Social Studies
Currently in Social we are looking at the natural resources found in our 3 communities, Iqaluit, Methegan, and Saskatoon. We have been discussing how the geography plays a big part in what resources are available in each community. This week we will explore different goods that are produces using these resources, as well as how we can take care of our environment and conserve the renewable natural resources. There have already been some good discussions regarding the Fort McMurray wildfire.
Science
We will continue with our buoyancy and boats unit over the next couple of weeks, finishing it up hopefully by the May long weekend so we can start exploring our small crawling and flying animals unit. We have a surprise in store for the grade 2's after the long weekend regarding this unit but it is being kept a surprise.
I hope everyone has a great week ahead.
Mr. Aasen
Monday 25 April 2016
Apr 25 - 29
Good evening everyone. I hope you all had a great weekend. It was nice to finally see some much needed rain (snow), even though it could be warmer. It's hard to believe this is already the last week of April. Nothing too big to note this week other than a reminder that we are swimming again on Wednesday from 11:00 - 11:30am.
Language Arts
Spelling:
I just wanted to give a little refresher on adding endings to words that end with a silent "e" or a "y". When a word ends in a silent "e", drop the e to add endings that begin with a vowel, such as ing, es, or ed. have + ing = having, bake + ed = baked.
When a word ends in a "y" after a consonant, change the "y" to an "i" before adding the endings ed, es, er, and est.
Phonics:
This week in phonics we are continuing to look at contractions. A contraction is when two words combine to make a single word, with an apostrophe taking the place of one or more letters.
they + are = they're. The apostrophe takes the place of the "a" in are.
you + have = you've. The apostrophe takes the place of the "ha" in have.
Math
This week we are continuing our measurement unit. We will discuss and collaborate ways to measure round/curved lengths, how to measure lengths using one copy of a unit (instead of multiples of a unit end to end), as well as measuring mass (and what does mass measure).
Science
We are continuing our boats and buoyancy unit. Students will have the opportunity to build a boat this week using a material that they may not suspect would work to build a boat. It is a material that will typically sink in water. We will be working on how shape can affect buoyancy.
Social Studies
We just began our unit "Looking at Work". We will be learning about natural resources in the 3 communities and how people work to gather these resources, as well as how the cultures and communities use the natural resources in their daily lives. By now your child would be able to tell you what a natural resource is.
I hope everyone has a great week ahead. Enjoy the final week of April.
Mr. Aasen
Tuesday 19 April 2016
Apr 18-21
There are a couple of very important reminders for this week.
1. Wednesday morning we have our class pictures.
2. Wednesday morning after class pictures, we have our first swimming lesson.
3. Thursday morning is library.
4. Thursday afternoon is our Earth Day clean up. Please have permission forms returned by Wednesday, Apr 20th.
1. Wednesday morning we have our class pictures.
2. Wednesday morning after class pictures, we have our first swimming lesson.
3. Thursday morning is library.
4. Thursday afternoon is our Earth Day clean up. Please have permission forms returned by Wednesday, Apr 20th.
Monday 11 April 2016
Week of Apr 11 - 15
Good evening everyone. I hope everyone is doing great. 2A is rolling along as usual. Just a couple of things for this week to let you know about. A reminder if you would like to make an order from Scholastic, the order forms must be in by Thursday, Apr 14th. Wednesday morning, Apr 13th, there will be a sub in for me. Friday Apr 15th is the final day to bring in any Lego creations for the Lego contest.
During the month of April and May, we have a HUGE math push happening in our class. We are doing math practice (basic facts) multiple times a week. The students are practicing on a few new math sites: XtraMath and 10monkeys.com. Each of the students has their own logins and passwords so I can track their progress. These sites will be used in addition to Mathletics.
If you would like to know your child's login/password so they can access these sites at home, please let me know! (Note: 10monkeys.com is only accessible from 7am-2pm as it is a challenge among multiple Canadian schools.)
Language Arts
Writing:
In writing, we have a continued focus on our sentence structure. We are continuing with our weekly journals, writing about the past weekend. We are now putting an emphasis on self checking our sentences (beginning capital letters, ending punctuation, who/what, and doing/describing) and correcting our mistakes. We are also doing story writing that includes an intensive planning page to help assist in writing detailed stories that make sense.
Math
In math we are currently in our measurement unit. We have looked at days of the week as well as months of the year so far. We are currently using non-standard units of measurement to measure objects as well as compare different objects using words such as longer/shorter, heavier/lighter, less/more.
Science
We are beginning our unit on Buoyancy and Boats. We will be looking at characteristics of boats and what is required to make them float. Are there better materials to make a boat float? Does shape matter? What about the load in the boat? These are some of the questions we will be answering.
Social Studies
In social, we are finishing up our Looking at People unit. We are currently talking about traditions and festivals that the different cultures celebrate in the 3 communities of Iqaluit, Meteghan, and Saskatoon. Are are comparing and contrasting the 3 cultures and finding that there are many similarities to the things different people in our country celebrate and how they celebrate.
I hope everyone has a great week. Looks like great weather ahead. I spend the evening in the yard fertilizing, raking, and watering. I hope spring is here to stay.
Mr. Aasen
During the month of April and May, we have a HUGE math push happening in our class. We are doing math practice (basic facts) multiple times a week. The students are practicing on a few new math sites: XtraMath and 10monkeys.com. Each of the students has their own logins and passwords so I can track their progress. These sites will be used in addition to Mathletics.
If you would like to know your child's login/password so they can access these sites at home, please let me know! (Note: 10monkeys.com is only accessible from 7am-2pm as it is a challenge among multiple Canadian schools.)
Language Arts
Writing:
In writing, we have a continued focus on our sentence structure. We are continuing with our weekly journals, writing about the past weekend. We are now putting an emphasis on self checking our sentences (beginning capital letters, ending punctuation, who/what, and doing/describing) and correcting our mistakes. We are also doing story writing that includes an intensive planning page to help assist in writing detailed stories that make sense.
Math
In math we are currently in our measurement unit. We have looked at days of the week as well as months of the year so far. We are currently using non-standard units of measurement to measure objects as well as compare different objects using words such as longer/shorter, heavier/lighter, less/more.
Science
We are beginning our unit on Buoyancy and Boats. We will be looking at characteristics of boats and what is required to make them float. Are there better materials to make a boat float? Does shape matter? What about the load in the boat? These are some of the questions we will be answering.
Social Studies
In social, we are finishing up our Looking at People unit. We are currently talking about traditions and festivals that the different cultures celebrate in the 3 communities of Iqaluit, Meteghan, and Saskatoon. Are are comparing and contrasting the 3 cultures and finding that there are many similarities to the things different people in our country celebrate and how they celebrate.
I hope everyone has a great week. Looks like great weather ahead. I spend the evening in the yard fertilizing, raking, and watering. I hope spring is here to stay.
Mr. Aasen
Tuesday 15 March 2016
Mar 14-18
It's hard to believe that this is officially the last week of winter. There are many thing coming up this week.
There are no new spelling words this week as it is a review week. We will not have new spelling words until after spring break.
Your child will be receiving permission forms for swimming lessons. This program is part of our Physical Education curriculum. Part of the costs are covered by EEPA, leaving a total of $33.25/student for lessons.
This Thursday, March 17, is St. Patrick's Day. Traditionally people wear green to celebrate this day. That will be the extent of our St. Patrick's Day celebration on Thursday.
This Friday morning, March 18, we will be having an assembly regarding autism and autism awareness. We are going to be wearing "rainbow" colored socks for autism awareness. If you do not have rainbow colored socks, wearing two different socks will do the trick just fine. It is also "Jersey Day". Wear your favorite sports team jersey to school.
Math
We are going to finish up our unit on Addition and Subtraction to 18 this week and begin our unit on Measurement. We will be looking at the measurement of time this week, talking about days of the week and months of the year.
Science
We have a couple experiments left in our Exploring Liquids unit. We will be testing what different materials will hold water without leaking. We also need to talk about recognizing human responsibilities for maintaining clean supplies of water, and identify actions that are taken to ensure that water supplies are safe. We will conclude Exploring Liquids by spring break.
There are no new spelling words this week as it is a review week. We will not have new spelling words until after spring break.
Your child will be receiving permission forms for swimming lessons. This program is part of our Physical Education curriculum. Part of the costs are covered by EEPA, leaving a total of $33.25/student for lessons.
This Thursday, March 17, is St. Patrick's Day. Traditionally people wear green to celebrate this day. That will be the extent of our St. Patrick's Day celebration on Thursday.
This Friday morning, March 18, we will be having an assembly regarding autism and autism awareness. We are going to be wearing "rainbow" colored socks for autism awareness. If you do not have rainbow colored socks, wearing two different socks will do the trick just fine. It is also "Jersey Day". Wear your favorite sports team jersey to school.
Math
We are going to finish up our unit on Addition and Subtraction to 18 this week and begin our unit on Measurement. We will be looking at the measurement of time this week, talking about days of the week and months of the year.
Science
We have a couple experiments left in our Exploring Liquids unit. We will be testing what different materials will hold water without leaking. We also need to talk about recognizing human responsibilities for maintaining clean supplies of water, and identify actions that are taken to ensure that water supplies are safe. We will conclude Exploring Liquids by spring break.
Monday 29 February 2016
Feb 29 - Mar 3
Good afternoon everyone.
This week is a short week as there is no school on Friday. It is a teacher Professional Development day. Therefor we will be having our spelling test on Thursday this week.
Library this week will be happening on Wednesday as Mrs. Hicks is away on Thursday. Wednesday is also early dismissal at 2:15pm.
This week is a short week as there is no school on Friday. It is a teacher Professional Development day. Therefor we will be having our spelling test on Thursday this week.
Library this week will be happening on Wednesday as Mrs. Hicks is away on Thursday. Wednesday is also early dismissal at 2:15pm.
Monday 22 February 2016
Feb 22 - Feb 26
Good evening everybody,
A reminder of a couple important dates this week. On Wednesday, Feb 24th, it is wear a pink shirt day for anti-bullying. East Elementary is an anti-bullying school, and to support it we ask that your child wear a pink shirt. Friday's hot lunch is Subway for those of you that ordered.
Language Arts
Writing:
In writing this week we are going to focus on a couple of things. We are going to be looking at how to write interesting beginnings and endings to stories. An example of a beginning and an ending we typically see in writing are (Beginning: "My name is Kate and this is a story about a..." This type of opening sentence gives us information we usually already know based on the title. We are talking about how to make the beginning capture the reader, using; a thought, dialogue, an action, or a sound. For example, "Hey, get over here!" yelled Mike. This would be an example of dialogue that may get the reader interested.)
(Endings; "...and they lived happily ever after". This ending is typical and doesn't really wrap up the story in an exciting way. Story endings should sum up how the main character has grown and changed. Extended endings often include; a memory, a feeling, a decision, a wish/hope, a defining action. We will get into more detail on this in a couple of lessons.
Phonics:
There will be a focus on consonant blends and digraphs this week, as well as some words ending in "y". A consonant blend is two consonants together that make 2 sounds, such as "st" and "tr". A consonant digraph is two consonants together that make one sound, such as "ch" "th" and "wh".
Math
With our addition and subtraction to 18 unit, we have been focusing on addition and subtraction families. We are now working on when an equation has a missing number and how we can solve it. For example 8+ ( ) = 12, or 14 - ( ) = 3.
We have also talked about order or numbers in addition and subtraction. In addition order does not matter. For 5 + 7 and 7 + 5 we get the same answer of 12. We talked about putting the larger addend first (the 7) for ease, especially when it comes to 2 digit addition. For subtraction order does matter because 5 - 7 and 7 - 5 are not the same. We talked about if you had 5 dollars and wanted to buy something for 7, could you do it? No because you don't have enough money. If you had 7 dollars and wanted to buy something for 5, could you? Yes because you would have enough and get some back. We will continue with this concept of order in addition and subtraction this week, then get into some mental math strategies such as making tens and doubles (doubles + 1, doubles -1).
Science
We are now well into our exploring liquids unit. We have done a couple fun experiments that emphasize some important knowledge regarding liquids. We have learned some terms such as viscosity (the thickness of a liquid), solution (when 2 or more parts look like 1, such as salt water or soy sauce), dissolve (when a solid disappears in a liquid upon stirring to make a solution), surface tension (water molecules on the surface binding together to make the surface strong), as well as freezing, melting, evaporating, condensing (changing states of matter). We began our experiment today where we are attempting to make crystals. We dissolved salt into water and put it into a jar with a pipe cleaner hanging in the water. As the water evaporates it will leave behind the salt crystals stuck to the pipe cleaner. They are really excited to see some crystals start forming.
It is going to be a learning filled week, and the last week of February no less. I hope everyone is enjoying the unseasonably warm temperatures brought to us by El Nino. I know I am, and so is Gizmo, my in-laws dog that my wife and I are dog sitting for this week. Enjoy the warmth and have a great week.
Mr. Aasen
A reminder of a couple important dates this week. On Wednesday, Feb 24th, it is wear a pink shirt day for anti-bullying. East Elementary is an anti-bullying school, and to support it we ask that your child wear a pink shirt. Friday's hot lunch is Subway for those of you that ordered.
Language Arts
Writing:
In writing this week we are going to focus on a couple of things. We are going to be looking at how to write interesting beginnings and endings to stories. An example of a beginning and an ending we typically see in writing are (Beginning: "My name is Kate and this is a story about a..." This type of opening sentence gives us information we usually already know based on the title. We are talking about how to make the beginning capture the reader, using; a thought, dialogue, an action, or a sound. For example, "Hey, get over here!" yelled Mike. This would be an example of dialogue that may get the reader interested.)
(Endings; "...and they lived happily ever after". This ending is typical and doesn't really wrap up the story in an exciting way. Story endings should sum up how the main character has grown and changed. Extended endings often include; a memory, a feeling, a decision, a wish/hope, a defining action. We will get into more detail on this in a couple of lessons.
Phonics:
There will be a focus on consonant blends and digraphs this week, as well as some words ending in "y". A consonant blend is two consonants together that make 2 sounds, such as "st" and "tr". A consonant digraph is two consonants together that make one sound, such as "ch" "th" and "wh".
Math
With our addition and subtraction to 18 unit, we have been focusing on addition and subtraction families. We are now working on when an equation has a missing number and how we can solve it. For example 8+ ( ) = 12, or 14 - ( ) = 3.
We have also talked about order or numbers in addition and subtraction. In addition order does not matter. For 5 + 7 and 7 + 5 we get the same answer of 12. We talked about putting the larger addend first (the 7) for ease, especially when it comes to 2 digit addition. For subtraction order does matter because 5 - 7 and 7 - 5 are not the same. We talked about if you had 5 dollars and wanted to buy something for 7, could you do it? No because you don't have enough money. If you had 7 dollars and wanted to buy something for 5, could you? Yes because you would have enough and get some back. We will continue with this concept of order in addition and subtraction this week, then get into some mental math strategies such as making tens and doubles (doubles + 1, doubles -1).
Science
We are now well into our exploring liquids unit. We have done a couple fun experiments that emphasize some important knowledge regarding liquids. We have learned some terms such as viscosity (the thickness of a liquid), solution (when 2 or more parts look like 1, such as salt water or soy sauce), dissolve (when a solid disappears in a liquid upon stirring to make a solution), surface tension (water molecules on the surface binding together to make the surface strong), as well as freezing, melting, evaporating, condensing (changing states of matter). We began our experiment today where we are attempting to make crystals. We dissolved salt into water and put it into a jar with a pipe cleaner hanging in the water. As the water evaporates it will leave behind the salt crystals stuck to the pipe cleaner. They are really excited to see some crystals start forming.
It is going to be a learning filled week, and the last week of February no less. I hope everyone is enjoying the unseasonably warm temperatures brought to us by El Nino. I know I am, and so is Gizmo, my in-laws dog that my wife and I are dog sitting for this week. Enjoy the warmth and have a great week.
Mr. Aasen
Monday 8 February 2016
Feb 8 - 12
This week we have a very busy week coming up. Wednesday is of course again popcorn day. Bring 50 cents for a bag of popcorn for snack time. Thursday we have our field trip to Telus World of Science. Please make sure you are at school on time so you do not miss the bus. Friday we will do our Valentines exchange before lunch recess as stated in the note that went home today. Next Monday, Feb 15th, there is no school as it is Family Day here in Alberta.
Language Arts
New spelling words for this week are on the spelling words list. We are continuing to do Daily 5 as well as phonics. This weeks phonics lesson will have a focus on L and R blends.
Math
This week in math we will continue are unit Addition and Subtraction to 18. The focus of this unit is mastering our basic math facts. We have started out working with number families. What addition and subtraction equations can we make using the same 3 numbers. (3+5=8, 5+3=8, 8-5=3, 8-3=5). These are the 2 addition and 2 subtraction equations using 3, 5, and 8. This week we will be incorporating equal and unequal sets to go with our addition and subtraction equations. (eg. 3+4 = 5+2) (3+4 ≠ 3+3).
Science
This week in Science we are beginning our Exploring Liquids unit. I sent home the unit test for Hot and Cold temperatures and the one thing that really stood out for me is that many students are still having trouble reading a thermometer. Any chance you get with your child to read and show thermometers, take the opportunity to do so.
Our Exploring Liquids unit will consist of many experiments dealing with properties of different liquids, as well as an understanding of states of matter (liquids/solids/gases). We will also be testing properties of different materials and their ability to hold/repel/soak up water. It is going to be a very exciting unit.
I am also looking for glass jars (washed) for one of our experiments. Jars such as pasta sauce jars are the perfect size containers. If you have any that you can send in with your child that would be much appreciated.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead and a great Family Day long weekend.
Mr. Aasen
Language Arts
New spelling words for this week are on the spelling words list. We are continuing to do Daily 5 as well as phonics. This weeks phonics lesson will have a focus on L and R blends.
Math
This week in math we will continue are unit Addition and Subtraction to 18. The focus of this unit is mastering our basic math facts. We have started out working with number families. What addition and subtraction equations can we make using the same 3 numbers. (3+5=8, 5+3=8, 8-5=3, 8-3=5). These are the 2 addition and 2 subtraction equations using 3, 5, and 8. This week we will be incorporating equal and unequal sets to go with our addition and subtraction equations. (eg. 3+4 = 5+2) (3+4 ≠ 3+3).
Science
This week in Science we are beginning our Exploring Liquids unit. I sent home the unit test for Hot and Cold temperatures and the one thing that really stood out for me is that many students are still having trouble reading a thermometer. Any chance you get with your child to read and show thermometers, take the opportunity to do so.
Our Exploring Liquids unit will consist of many experiments dealing with properties of different liquids, as well as an understanding of states of matter (liquids/solids/gases). We will also be testing properties of different materials and their ability to hold/repel/soak up water. It is going to be a very exciting unit.
I am also looking for glass jars (washed) for one of our experiments. Jars such as pasta sauce jars are the perfect size containers. If you have any that you can send in with your child that would be much appreciated.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead and a great Family Day long weekend.
Mr. Aasen
Monday 18 January 2016
The Winter Blues
Well, here we are in the middle of January already. The weather is cold, the wind chill bites, and then we warm up to 0°C, within a matter of days. Then repeat. Freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw. Typical central Alberta winters...
I have a few important reminders for everyone. The permission forms for our trip to Telus World of Science have been handed out. They are due back Tuesday, January 27th, with payment of $20. This money pays for exhibit admission, 2 programs, and transportation by bus. For anyone that ordered from Scholastic this month, thank you for supporting our classroom. The books have been ordered and will hopefully arrive early next week.
This Friday, Jan 23rd, is TROPICAL DAY! Dress up in your best beach wear, Hawaiian shirts, sun hats, lei's, etc. Whatever you can think of that is tropical.
Language Arts
Spelling: Weekly spelling words you can always find in the spelling tab. Next week though, there will be will be no new words as we have a review week, and the following week is only 3 days, so no new words that week either.
Writing: In writing, our focus has been on writing detailed story segments. We are learning to use our 5 senses to help us with adding detail. Sight (What do we see), Smell (What does it smell like), Touch (How does it feel/textures), Hearing (What does it sound like), and Taste (What does it taste like). Using our senses we can add detailed description to really dress up our critical characters, settings, and objects in the story.
We are continuing to build up our reading and writing stamina by way of Daily 5. The kids love it when I tell them we are doing Daily 5 and they have the choice of listening to a book, reading to self, working on writing, word work, or buddy reading.
Math
In math, we are finishing up our number concepts to 100 unit. Over the past couple of weeks we have been studying different ways to represent numbers to 100, looking at equal and unequal sets, and comparing different groups of numbers. This week we will be wrapping up this unit by finishing comparing different groups of numbers and ordering numbers to 100.
Science
In science, we will be finishing our unit on Hot and Cold Temperatures this week. Our latest outcome we looked at was insulation. The students learned what materials are good insulators and the purpose of an insulator. The purpose of an insulator is to help keep the temperature of something the same by keeping warm and cold temperatures separate. Once done this unit we will begin unit 3, Exploring Liquids.
Social Studies
We are also finishing up our second social studies unit this week. We will begin our next unit, Looking at People. We will look at specific details of the people from the 3 communities, Meteghan, Iqaluit, and Saskatoon. We will look at things like, traditions, holidays, languages, and activities that the locals take part in from the 3 communities.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week and I hope you have been staying warm. The temperature could really improve.
Mr. Aasen
Tuesday 5 January 2016
Welcome Back
Welcome to 2016. I hope everyone had a relaxing holiday. We are getting right back into the swing of things but here are a few important things..
Wednesday, Jan. 6th is early dismissal. You are to pick up your children at 2:15. Friday is hot lunch. If you have ordered hot lunch, there were some errors with the hot lunch ordering program and one of the other schools orders. If you could just log on to your hot lunch order page to make sure your orders are correct, that would be much appreciated. Friday we have our weekly spelling test. The words are updated.
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