June is approaching!

Good afternoon everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, enjoying the great weather. I have a few important announcements regarding the notes that went home today.  One is a permission form for our Fort Edmonton field trip.  This trip will take place on June 15th.  The permission form is due back next Thursday, June 8th, along with $13.25 to cover the cost of bus transportation and the programs/fees for Fort Edmonton. The second of the two forms is just information stating that next year, all permission forms will be online. We will not send paper copies home.


Language Arts

We are just finishing up reading and studying Charlotte's Web.  The students have really taken to the characters in the book, especially Charlotte, the very wonderful spider.  Once we are done our novel study, we will be looking at the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  The students will be ordering events of the story, as well as retelling the story, using their own, made up characters. For example, a student from last year, their story was called Goldilocks and the Three Alligators.  The characters and the critical objects in the story are adapted to related to Alligators.  Each students will make up their own characters.


Math

We have finished our addition and subtraction to 100 unit.  We have begun learning about 2D shapes and 3D objects.  The students need to be able to name different shapes (square, triangle, circle, rectangle) and sort them based on different attributes (number of sides/vertices, straight sides, curved sides). When we get into 3D objects, students must be able to do the same but now with objects such as spheres, prisms, cylinders, and pyramids. They need to know what vertices, faces, sides, and edges are, and what they belong to.  (Shapes have sides and vertices, objects have faces, edges, and vertices).

Science

Our last science unit is Small Crawling and Flying Animals.  Our field trip to Miquelon Lake was a great introduction to learning about different small animals, such as insects and other invertebrates. We have learned that insects have 6 legs and 3 body parts (head, thorax, and abdomen). We will be looking at different characteristics of insects and then choosing an insect to write a research report on, focusing on habitat, diet, and characteristics.  The students typically enjoy researching a bug they are interested in.


I hope everyone has a great week ahead.  Enjoy this beautiful weather.

Mr. Aasen.

Short Week

Here are a few reminders for this week. Thursday we are travelling to Miquelon Lake for the whole day.  We will travel rain or shine.  Please dress accordingly. That also may mean, bring bug spray, sun screen, a hat, a rain coat, rubber boots, etc.  We will of course be walking around and near water, so rubber boots may be a great idea. Also, the students do not need to bring their agendas that day.  Just bring your lunch kits in your backpacks.

(If you have not returned permission forms or payment, please do so ASAP, preferably before Thursday.)

Friday there is no school for PD, as well no school next Monday, for Victoria Day.

We do not have new spelling words this week.

May Flowers

Hi everyone.  It's hard to believe that we are already into May.  This week especially is an Exciting week at East Elementary.

First things first, today a permission from went home regarding our field trip to Miquelon Lake.  The permission form with $12.50 is due back by May 12th, although the sooner the better. Wednesday, May 3rd, is "Hats On for Mental Health" Day.  The students can wear their favorite  or craziest hats to school all day.  It is also early dismissal.  Students are dismissed at 2:15 for staff meeting.  The talent show also takes place from 1:00pm until 2:15pm.  Feel free to come, watch, and enjoy the talent.

Class pictures for grade 2A will take place Wednesday, May 10th.


Language Arts

The grade 2's continue to work hard on their writing.  Some students still need practice and reminders to include beginning capital letters, as well as ending punctuation.  It's never a bad idea to practice writing sentences at home.
As for our structured writing, the students are learning to write introduction and conclusion paragraphs for an informative piece of writing.  This will lead up to writing a full informative piece of writing based on an animal of their choosing in our small crawling and flying animals science unit.


Math

The grade 2's continue to practice addition and subtraction to 100.  For the most part, the students are doing a great job, just a reminder to remember the strategies when doing either addition or subtraction.  In addition, when adding the ones, and there are more than 9, don't forget the carry the bonus 10 to the top of the tens side. When adding the tens, remember to add the one they carried to that side.  When subtracting, and there are not enough ones to subtract, they have to steal a 10 from the tens side to give them enough to subtract the ones. We will be finishing this unit soon and moving on to 2D shapes and 3D objects.


Science

We have been studying the effects of buoyancy on different objects.  How objects float, and different characteristics of boats that allow them to float, and float well.  The students brought home elastic propelled rafts over the weekend. They have had a great time building different boats and experimenting with different objects that float or do not float.  We will be finishing up buoyancy and boats very soon, then moving on to our final unit, small crawling and flying animals.


I hope everyone has a great week ahead.  We are finally getting some great spring weather.  Thank you to you all for doing a great job sending swimming suits and towels every Monday.  I have made the fewest phone calls ever this year so far for students that have forgotten their swimming stuff.  Keep it up awesome parents.

No Spelling this week.

A few reminders for this week.  There are no new spelling words for the students to study.  We will have a new set next week.  Reminders to return any permission forms (swimming and Musical) if your child has not brought them back yet.  Swimming has a $28.20 fee and the musical has a $5 fee.

This Friday is St. Paddy's day.  Come to school dressed in green, Next Tuesday, March 21st, is crazy sock day, for Down Syndrome Awareness.  Come wearing your craziest, mismatched, socks.

I will remind everyone closer to the date, but I just wanted to begin the reminders today in the hopes that everyone will remember.  The first day of swimming lessons is the first day back from spring break, April 3rd.  Since I will not be able to put an agenda message the day before, I'm hoping constant reminders will make sure the students come with their swimming gear (swim suit and towel).


Mr. Aasen

Winter Returns

I would like to welcome back winter to Leduc.  With the temperatures dipping down near -30 degrees, please remember to send snow pants, winter jackets, winter boots, toques. and mittens to school every day.

Today I sent a permission form to see a musical called There and Back Again: A Hobbit Musical.  The cost for the ticket is $5.  Please send back the permission forms as soon as possible.

The swimming forms also need to be returned.  If you are unsure as to what level your child last completed, we recorded what level they should be enrolled in after their grade 1 swimming lessons.  So unless they took more lessons over the summer, we will know what level to enroll them in.

Short Week Again (Feb 27 - March 3rd)

Here are a few reminders.  Swimming forms are due 2 weeks from tomorrow, Wednesday, March 15th. Payment for swimming lessons is $28.20.  Tomorrow is early dismissal.  Students are dismissed at 2:15. This week, there is no school on Friday, March 3rd.  The teachers have a PD day.  Enjoy your long weekend.

Short Week

Hello everyone.  I hope you all had a great "unplugged" Family Day.  There are a few reminders for this week.  Tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb 22nd, is bullying awareness day.  We are dressing up in pink to stand up against bullying.  If your child has pink, ask them to come to school wearing pink.

Friday, Feb 24th, is PJ and pancake day.  We will be cooking a pancake breakfast for all students and staff.  The school doors will be open to students at 8:00am, with pancakes being served shortly there after.  Wear your PJ's to school as well.  I will allow 1 stuffie to be brought to class as well if your child chooses. 

Language Arts

Writing:

I have seen some great journal writing the past few weeks.  The students are really showing off their writing abilities.  The writing attributes we still focus on from day to day are writing complete sentences, including beginning capital letters and ending punctuation.  Week by week, the students sentences are improving. We will be leaning some new writing techniques over the next few weeks to add suspense to our writing as well as how to choose words that add very descriptive detail. They will be building on the story beginning and story ending techniques that we have learned to create captivating stories.

Math

Our measurement unit in math is moving right along. The students are now able to compare two items using terms like longer, taller, lighter, wider, and smaller.  Last week we talked extensively about time, but not telling time with clocks, telling time with a calendar.  We focused on days of the week and months of the year.  The students need to know the days of the week, starting with the first day, Sunday, and their proper order. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  They need to understand that there are 7 days in a week.  They must also be able to recognize the months of the year (12), the correct order, and what comes first/last, etc.  They should be able to answer a question like "What month comes 3 months after July?"  The answer being October.  They should also be able to find days on a calendar.  For example, If I asked, what day of the week is February 27th, 2017, they should be able to answer Monday.  This is assuming a calendar is in front of them. We will continue this week to work on days of the week, months of the year, and reading calendars.  I encourage all of your children to talk about days of the week, when appointments are, how many months until school ends, at home as much as possible.

In Science, we continue to study our unit "Exploring Liquids".  In Social Studies, we continue to study "Looking at People" and different traditions throughout the 3 communities.

I hope everyone has a great last week or so of February.

Mr. Aasen