Tues Jan 8

We just started our new unit is Social Studies on Canada. Today we talked about how living in Canada means different things to different people. The students started a collage (just on 8x11 paper) about what they think Canada is about. We discussed how there is no right or wrong answer, as long as they can justify why they added a picture to the page. It can be pictures found in a magazine, printed from the internet or drawn and coloured by hand. The words "My Canada" should appear on the page.We got a good head start on them in class and will have time to work on them again tomorrow. These are due on Thursday.

Homework:
1. Sp Unit 14 WP
2. Math worksheet adding

DUE THURSDAY: SS Collage

Welcome Back!

Happy New Year!!! Can you believe that we are now in 2013? I remember first hearing about the Vancouver Olympic bid for the Winter 2010 games WAY back in 2003 and it seemed that it would be FOREVER until that event happened... Well here we are in 2013 talking about the PAST games three years ago!!! I never knew the true meaning of "time flies" until I became a parent and saw time through the accomplishments and milestones of my children. I wish at times that I could freeze these wonderful moments with my kids and just really cherish them and delight in their presence. I really got to do that over the Christmas break and relished in spending time playing with them and enjoying cooking and baking since we were not rushed to go any where. I hope that you all had a relaxing break and made wonderful memories with your own families.

Monday was a bit of a transition again for all of us ( I think I drank about 3 large cups of coffee all day!!!). I caught quite a few kids rubbing their eyes and yawning throughout the day! We are back in full routine with spelling this week, starting with Unit 14. (The list can be found in the links) There is no POW to take home this week, as I am introducing a new problem solving strategy, Guess and Test. Our star student this week is Aline and her sheets are due on Friday. We are easing back into our writing and reading programs and in Math, we pick up again with "carrying over" or regrouping with double and triple digit numbers. We have started some handwriting and I have sent some practice sheets home if your child is interested. If they are doing these sheets, please go through it WITH them to make sure that they are doing proper formation (This is very important! We want to discourage bad habits at this stage.)

***Please note that we now have a student with SEVERE PEANUT AND NUT ALLERGIES in our class and we are NOW A PEANUT AND NUT FREE classroom. Please take some time to check the contents of your child's lunch. Thank you for helping us keep our students safe.***

REMINDERS:
-- Popcorn Wednesday
-- Food Bank Mass on Friday
-- Holy Childhood Association boxes are due
-- Skating forms are due (You can send the cheques with your oldest child, but we need to have a PERMISSION SLIP for each student.)

Here's a great take on New Year's Resolutions from Calvin & Hobbes! I know I have my share of things I want to work on!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I wanted to thank you for the warm wishes and treats for myself and my family. I feel truly blessed to teach such a wonderful group of students and my true gift is being able to spend time with them. I hope you all enjoy the holidays and time with each other. I am looking forward to doing a lot of baking and cooking with my own kids and getting to play!

May the spirit of Christmas be with you all year long and the New Year bring you all joy, love and good health! See you in 2013!!! (I can't believe it is almost 2013!!!!!!)

Love, Mrs. Fonseca

 

For your information... The Sunday after Christmas is the Feast of the Holy Family. Here is a link to some prayers to share with your own family.

Feast of the Holy Family 

Important Information!

This time of the year, we get a lot of treats in the classroom. Please do not wait until the last day of school to send them all. If you would like to send a treat, please email me and we can figure out a day that works for you. 

Tomorrow is the last Food Bank Mass until Christmas, please be generous as this is a hard time for many families.

Next week is already Christmas concert! Now, I may be bias, but these kids sound AWESOME! I have been able to watch them under the direction of Mrs. Mar on the stage and they are so ready for their big performance. MONDAY is DRESS REHEARSAL. Please send them in their Christmas concert clothes or something similar. They are to wear dark bottoms and GREEN tops.

On TUESDAY (the big day!) students are asked to come dressed in their performance clothes. We have a 1:00 performance and a 7pm performance. If you have extended family coming and they are able to come to the matinee, please encourage them to do so, since it is less busy than the evening performance. Entrance for both performances is a donation to the Food Bank.

For the evening performance, students should arrive in our classroom at 6:30 so we can get organized before heading over to the Parish Centre. Your child will be dismissed FROM THE CLASSROOM after the concert, so please do not take them from the stage or in the centre.

WEDNESDAY is the Annual Pajama Day :) we will be watching a movie and students are allowed to bring pillows, blankets and/or stuffed toys to school.

THURSDAY will be our class celebration. Students each drew a name for their "Secret Santa" and are asked to bring in their gift (either homemade or $5 in value) for their secret person. We will do the exchange then.

FRIDAY is our last day of the year for 2012!!! Dismissal is at NOON!!!

Second Week of Advent

This Sunday marks the second week of Advent. The following except is taken from: 

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Advent/secondweek.html


                                



Preparing our Hearts and asking for the Grace

We prepare this week by stepping up the longing.  We move through this week by naming deeper and more specific desires.

Each morning this week, if even for that brief moment at the side of our beds, we want to light a second inner candle.  We want to let it represent “a bit more hope.”  Perhaps we can pause, breathe deeply and say,

“Lord, I place my trust in you.”

Each day this week, as we encounter times that are rushed, even crazy, we can take that deep breath, and make that profound prayer.  Each time we face some darkness, some experience of “parched land” or desert, some place where we feel “defeated” or “trapped,” we hear the words, “Our God will come to save us!”  

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In class, we have been working on a booklet of Christmas Around the World. This week, we worked on Christmas in Canada, Mexico and Italy. The common theme being that we are celebrating the birth of our Saviour, Jesus. This video is a wonderful reminder that even in the commercialism that is modern Christmas, we can still find the central reason of the season.

Christmas Carol Flash Mob