September 30. 2008

Word of the day: ancient

Regarding last week's brainbuster: the unusual thing about the list of words (voodoo, banana, assess, dresser, potato, and uneven) is that if you take the first letter of the word and attach it to the end of the word, then spell the word backward, you'll end up with the original word. Neat, isn't it?

Reminder

Your child needs to bring a plastic grocery bag of leaves for a special art project tomorrow afternoon.

September 29, 2008

(Review) Word of the Day: vital

Congratulations to George, Alex, Emmanuel, Bianca, Jillian, and Britney for achieving Immunity on this week's spelling test. What a great result - this is a record breaking accomplishment! I've never before had a class with 6 immunity winners - well done!

Please remember that tomorrow is a library book exchange day.

Anyone who has not brought their salt and glass jar should bring them as soon as possible.

The second book order forms went home today. If anyone would like to order books, please return the forms and the payment by this Friday. Thanks!

September 25, 2008

(Review) Word of the Day: detest

Reminders:
1. Tomorrow is Terry Fox Day at our school. We'll be running at 11:00 - right after morning recess. Please remember to return your pledge form and $ (if you collected pledges) tomorrow morning. (The pledge form needs to be returned even if you didn't collect any money. Thanks.)
2. Study for tomorrow's spelling test.
3. Miss Montgomerie would like everyone to bring a glass jar and a half cup of salt for Monday morning.


Our class field trip to Jasper Rock and Jade went very well. Thanks to Jessie's mom and aunt for coming along with us. Tom had lots of interesting things to show us and information to tell us. A HUGE thank you should be extended to him for taking the time from his busy schedule to talk with us - and for the fudge and the Red Jasper rocks he gave us.

September 23, 2008

(Review) Word of the Day: cogitate

We have a new Brainbuster that should be a challenge even for the adults out there. What is unusual about all the following words? voodoo banana assess grammar

We have a Spotlight Assembly tomorrow morning. Stand by Giela, Jillian, George, and Jessie; you've got a date scheduled for the spotlight!!

September 22, 2008

(Review) Word of the day: subterranean

Congratulations to Liam and Bianca for winning Immunity from the spelling test and assignments this week.

Thanks to the people who've returned the Terry Fox forms. Remember that they're due back Friday at the latest.


I thought those of you who couldn't make it in to see the scarecrows might like a "blog's eye" view of them. Enjoy!

September 19, 2008

(Review) Word of the Day: loquacious

Great work on today's spelling test! Great work, too, on the scarecrow constructions. They're proudly hung on an upstairs bulletin board - just outside the library. Come on by for a peek! We also wrote "Scarecrow Bios", then read them aloud, to go with the project. These were very well done. George even got a standing ovation for his amazing writing. Hot stuff!

Thanks to everyone who began canvassing for next week's Terry Fox Run. I'm getting lots of reports about amazing fund raising already - what a wonderful response.

Enjoy the weekend!

September 18, 2008

(Review) Word of the Day: intrepid

Thanks to everyone who sent money to contribute to our scarecrow clothing/accessories purchases today. We made some interesting choices...the scarecrows will be constructed tomorrow and should be ready for viewing then. We'd like to extend a big thank you to the United Church who generously donated the money we gave them to our school's foster child program.

Your child is bringing home a Terry Fox pledge sheet today. Next Friday morning, right after recess, students and staff from our school will participate in a Terry Fox Run. (Our class will run around the block - a 1 km distance.) Your child is invited (but not required) to collect pledges for the run. Please return the pledge sheet to the school by next Friday (September 26) whether your child collects money or not. Thanks in advance for your support of this initiative to raise money for cancer research - and for helping honour a great Canadian hero. I've included below some Terry Fox videos. Just click on the play arrows to watch them.

September 17, 2008

Word of the day: facetious

Reminders:
1. Tomorrow morning at 10:00 we are walking over to the United Church Thrift Shop to make purchases for our scarecrow construction project. Thanks to the parents who've already sent 25 cents to contribute to the purchases. Students still have tomorrow morning to remember their quarters for this shopping adventure.
2. Speaking of quarters, the first school cookie sale of the year will be held tomorrow. Cookies, as usual, will be 25 cents each.
3. Spelling homework is due tomorrow.


I'm still looking for a volunteer to help out with an art project. Anyone willing and able?

The students tried out another brainbuster today. The challenge went like this: A man is standing on one side of a river. His dog is on the other side. He calls his dog to him. The dog arrives without a single drop of water on him. How is this possible?

September 16, 2008

Word of the day: initial (If this word looks familiar, it should. At the end of every ten words we go back and review the words we've had.)

Congratulations to the whole class for their wonderful work collecting "hellos" in different languages!!! Well done!

This Thursday our class is going to the Thrift Shop in the basement of the United Church to purchase scarecrow-making supplies. We will walk over to the church at 10:00 and should return by recess. Please send a quarter with your child, if possible, to help pay for the clothing. If there's anyone who would like to help build the scarecrows, we'll be making them right after recess and we'd certainly appreciate an extra hand or two. If you are willing and able to assist, please jot a note in your child's agenda and I'll give you a call. Thanks. We'll let everyone know when the scarecrows are ready for public viewing...stay tuned.

Please ask your child to tell you about the brainbuster of the day...your challenge is to figure out how to move a fox, a duck and a bag of grain in a boat across a river one at a time so that the fox doesn't eat the duck and the duck doesn't eat the grain.... and congratulations to Giela for figuring this one out!

September 15, 2008

Word of the day: vital

Reminders:
1. Tomorrow is library book exchange day. Remember to throw those library books into the backpacks.
2. Miss Montgomerie (our Social Studies and Science teacher) has asked the students to find out how to say "Hello," in as many different languages as they can. (Ancay ouyay aysay ellohay inay igpay atinlay?!)
3. Miss Montgomerie has also asked that the students find out which direction Jasper Elementary School faces; in other words, if the students were to walk out the front door of the school, which way would they be facing?

Congratulations to Emmanuel who earned immunity on this week's spelling test. As an immunity winner, Emmanuel is exempt from this week's spelling homework and Friday's test. Well done!

I am looking for a kind hearted person to help out with an art project for our class. If you are able and willing to give us a hand, please let me know by jotting a note in your child's homework agenda. Thanks.

September 11, 2008

Word of the day: detest

Reminder: Tonight is Meet the Teacher Night. We'll all convene in the gym for introductions, then proceed to the classrooms for a short "meet and greet". Things should be wrapped up before 8 o'clock. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and meeting the creators of my wonderful clientelle this year!

September 10, 2008

Word of the day: liberty

Our school's Meet the Teacher night is tomorrow at 7:00 pm. We'll start the meeting in the gym - hope to see you there!

Reminders
1. Please update and return your child's information sheet asap. Thanks.
2. Thanks also to those who signed and returned yesterday's math tests. Again, try to return these asap.

September 9, 2008

Word of the day: cogitate

We had our first library book exchange today. Tuesday afternoon will be our regular book exchange time. Please ensure that your child has returned any school library books for our Tuesday exchanges. (We'll try to put library day reminders in agendas.)


We also had our first math quiz this morning. The topic for the test was Number Families. Your child is bringing his or her test home for your perusal. Please sign and send the test back to school with your child tomorrow.

The school newsletter is coming home today. Only Family Heads (the youngest family member attending school) will be bringing home newsletters, as in past years.

Also, class pictures from last year are coming home today.

Finally, the tin can toucans are coming home today - along with my apologies for the racket they may create....

September 8, 2008

Word of the day: subterranean

Our class had its first "Immunity Challenge" today for spelling. Immunity Challenges in Grade Three work this way: all the students are given a pre-test on the week's spelling words on Monday morning. Any student who gets 100% on the Monday morning test is excused from the spelling homework, assignments and Friday test for the week. (They also get "Immunity Necklaces" to hang on the back of their chair if they get 100%. Whooeee!) Unfortunately, no one earned a perfect score on today's test, so everyone has spelling homework - due this Thursday. We'll look forward to seeing who our first spelling immunity winner of the year is...

Thanks to everyone who completed the student information sheet and returned it to the school. It would be nice to have them all in by the end of the week, if possible.

September 5, 2008

Word of the day: loquacious

Your child is bringing home a school phone list with the school's calendar of important dates on the back. You'll also receive a student information sheet with your child's name, birthdate, address,etc. on it. Please check to ensure that the information on the sheet is correct, then sign and return the sheet as soon as possible. If there are any errors or ommissions on the sheet, please make the necessary changes before returning it to the school.

It's been lovely getting to know the students in Room 4 - I'm looking forward to a great year!

Enjoy the weekend!

September 4, 2008

Word of the day: intrepid

Ask your child to tell you about the Paper Challenge, where 2 people must stand with at least part of their feet on the same sheet of paper but not physically be able to touch each other.

Reminders:

1. Tomorrow is the last day for book orders.
2. Anyone who didn't bring in a tin can for our art project should bring one by tomorrow.
3. Several more students brought in paint shirts today. If you want your child's clothing to be protected during our art projects, it's a good idea to send a paint shirt!

September 3, 2008

Welcome back to school - and to our class blog! This space will be used for reminders, homework listings, announcements, video postings, "bouquets", word of the day listings (today's word is "facetious" and yesterday's word was "initial"), links to educational sites, etc. Blogs are fairly new to most parents (and to me!), so if you have any feedback regarding blogging, I'd love to hear from you. I'll try to post something by 4:30 p.m. every day.

I'm thrilled that our teacher aide this year is the lovely and talented Mrs. Dolny.
Our class will also be taught by Miss Montgomery for the last hour of every afternoon. Miss Montgomery is the new Grade 3 FRIM teacher. She will be teaching our class Social Studies and Science.

My contact information at the school is 852-4447, extension 204 or by email at lindmorg@gyrd.ab.ca.

Reminders for this week:
1. Book orders are due this Friday. If you decide to order books, please return the order form and payment by then. Thanks.
2. If you haven't already sent a paint shirt, please send one as soon as possible. We have lots of messy art projects planned and it would be nice to protect your child's clothing.
3. Please send a clean, empty tin can to school with your child for an art project tomorrow. Any size can will do.
4. Your child should have shown you his or her homework book (agenda). Mrs. Dolny or I will try to initial it daily at school. Please sign or initial it daily at home as well.

Bouquet Time!

Thanks so much to Gail (George's mom) and Wendy (Nik's mom) for volunteering to represent our class on the school council. Thanks also to Suzie (Caira's and Cassidy's mom) for agreeing to be a key communicator for our class. If anyone else is interested in volunteering for either of these jobs (many hands will make light work!) or in any other capacity for our classroom, please let me know.