Report Cards went home!  Please read over your report card with your child and discuss their successes and growth so far this year.

Please return the white envelope next week.  

Kindness Group B begins swimming on Monday.  Please make sure students have a snack they can easily open and put in their swim bag as we will likely have our snacks on the go!  

Kindness B (Kyla Low/Kate Shephard, Natalie Cox)
February 4-8
Depart School 8:35
In Pool 9:10 – 9:50
Depart Pool 10:15

Thanks so much to all of the volunteers that we have coming to help out with swimming!

Our 2nd Peace Assembly is coming up on February 22nd.  The time is yet to be determined.  Hope you can attend!

January 30, 2019

Today Mountain View and Wild Rose Students took home a permission form for their upcoming trip to the Calgary Reads House and the new Central Library.  Whispering Willows and Snowy Owl will get theirs tomorrow. 

Here is the sign up for the trips:

 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E084BADAC2DABFF2-calgary

There is no school this Friday

Report Cards go home tomorrow

Winter Sports Day will be held on February 7th.  If it is too cold we will be bringing the activities indoors.  If you'd like to volunteer for the afternoon, here is the sign up. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080D44AFAB28ABF94-global

The students are working on the math strategy, counting forward and backward, as well as adding 10 and subtracting 10.  We have been using a hundred chart to help build their understanding.  Ask your child what is 12+10   36 + 10   47 - 10 .  A good online 100 chart to help is https://www.primarygames.co.uk/pg2/splat/splatsq100.html

Kindness Group B (Cox/Low/Shephard) will start swimming on Monday.  Please remember to bring your swim suite, towel, and an extra snack.  Students are encouraged to wear their bathing suits to school and pack underwear so we will save time in the change room.

Thank you to all of the volunteers who have signed up already!  Here is the sign up again:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e084badac2dabff2-swimming1

January 25, 2019

This morning the students practiced their song for their upcoming Peace Assembly.  The students sounded absolutely wonderful!

Today was the first Wonder Time of the school year.  Here were some of the students' reflections from their time.  I apologize that we ran out of time to get a response from every child.  If they would like to add theirs this weekend, they could comment on this blog post!

Wonder Time Reflections:
Outside we put hoops on the ground and in the gym we played basketball.
I did the bouldering wall and they got the hoops out and I went through them and under and over them.
I went to the kindergarten room with all the building and they had a lot of magnets.
Me and James went to the art room and it was calm in there.
Me and Kieran did the crazy forts and did two tall towers.
Me and Steven went to the reading room and built a city of lego
I went to the Kindergarten room and we did Kapla blocks, a giant tower and a kingdom
I went in the gym and I did some tricks on the mat.  I did a somersault.
We found some interesting tracks outside.
I was here with Mrs. Cox and I made a Dinosaur Land.
Me and Beighley made a movie.

Thanks so much to the lovely parents who volunteered today during Wonder Time.

Way to go Kindness Swimming group A!  You worked hard during your lessons and made so much growth in your swimming abilities.  Thank you so much to the parents who volunteered for swimming during the week.

Here is the link to the sign up for Open Minds.  If you're not sure where you child is going and what the dates are, please contact your child's homeroom teacher.  A notice went home last week.  Thanks to all the parents who have already signed up.

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/30e084badac2dabff2-open/21349826


Information about the new curriculum:
https://education.alberta.ca/media/3795497/shifts_curriculum_october2018.pdf

January 22, 2019

Valentine's Cards Message:

The Kindness Pod teachers had a discussion today about Valentine's Day and cards going home.  Because we work as a pod we thought it would be very difficult and too time consuming to ask students to create 100 cards to give to everyone in the pod, we decided that perhaps it would be best if students created one "Super Kindness Card" to make at home to give to one other person in our pod, kind of like our Christmas ornament.  Students can choose to make it at school during Ignite or at home, or a bit of both if they'd like.  Because there is no school on Valentines Day, we will exchange "Super Kindness Cards" on the 12th or 13th.  They will then pick a name of a student from the pod that they will give their card to.  That week we will also be doing some other "Random Acts from Kindness" around the school such as making and giving bracelets to people they see who are being kind.

Today the Kindness Group A had their second day of swimming.  Looks like the kids had a great time!

The students got into their Open Minds groups today to keep working on their compass point journal page.  N is for need to know, S is for a suggestion they have for others, E is for what they are excited for, and W is for what their worries are.

Today some students read the story "Equal Shmequal", and continued their work on equalities making sure things are balanced.

January 21, 2019

We are happy to welcome Mrs. Kate Shephard to our Pod while Mrs. Blenkhorne is on a medical leave.

The first group of Kindness Kids (Disher/Le) started swimming today.  The second group (Cox/Low) will start on Feb. 4.

Here are some reflections from Whispering Willows and Snowy Owl:

I liked that we got to go into groups
We got to put our head under water
We got to practice floating
We got to play a splashing game
I was happy we got to wear a life jacket

Whispering Willow and Snowy Owl played a math addition game with dice and a partner.

Mountain View and Wild Rose learned all about equal.  We discovered that all the things that can be equal such as length, weight, amounts, heights.  Is this equal?  3 + 4 + 5 = 2 + 5 + 5

Tomorrow we will send notices home to let you know where and when your child will be going to Open Minds.  We will also send the link to the volunteer sign up.

January 18, 2019

Congratulations to the AM Kindergarten kids on the success of their Peace Assembly.  Thank you for teaching us about our community helpers and teaching us your peace songs.

The students have been working on their Compass Point journal page for their Open Minds Experiences.  N (Need to know before I go) E (What I am Excited about) S - (suggestions to others before we go.  W (Worries I have)

Today we started learning some songs that we will sing for our upcoming Peace Assembly on February22nd (tentatively).  The theme of our assembly is, "Building Peace Through Play".  The students have begun to explore all the ways that they play and how it builds peace, communication and relationships.  

Next week is long overdue library book week. It means I will be sending e-mails to parents of every student who has not returned a book that they borrowed prior to the holiday break.  Could you please ask parents on your blogs to encourage their children to exchange or renew their library books if they have not done so for a long time.  Also, if you have student library books in bins or on shelves in your classroom please have someone bring them down and put them in the book return as soon as possible.  Thanks for your support!

Thank you for returning swimming forms.  Kindness A (Disher/Le) will be swimming next week (Jan. 21-25).  Please make sure students come with a swim bag with their name on it.  They will be eating lunch once they return back to school.  

January 17, 2019

We are sorry to announce, Mrs. Blenkhorne will be on a medical leave.  Please read the message from Mrs. Kinsman:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F8EYzfolWB0svG9UcWCe4xghokMkjMts/view?usp=sharing

How does play build peace?

The Kindess students are exploring all the ways we can build peace through various types of play.

How do you play at home?

How does it build peace?

January 16, 2016

Last year, a number of teachers applied to take their students to Open Minds locations around Calgary for the 2018-19 school year.  They were thrilled to receive 8 spots which is perfect as there are 8 gr. 1/2 classes!  The teachers have already attended 3 or 4 workshops to prepare students for their experiences and we are excited to get the students going on their work toward those experiences!

Today the Kindness students found out where they will be going for their week long field trip, through Campus Calgary, Open Minds https://cbe.ab.ca/ccom/Pages/Home.aspx

The dates of the trips and request for volunteers will go home shortly.  All experiences are in the spring.

The Kindness Pod students have been divided among the three locations:
Vivo - Healthy Living School
Calgary Zoo - Zoo School
Glenbow Museum - Museum School (there will be two separate groups going here)

The teachers did their best to survey students to discover what their interests are and which program would be a best fit for them.  We did not take into account friendships as it is very important that they go to where their passion and interest is, as they will all have friends no matter where they go.  We have conferenced with the students and will not be moving students around any further as we have already begun our inquiry work to support the work we will do while we are there.

Here are some of the students' responses and questions:

I am going to Vivo for Healthy Living School and I am excited because there is a big pool.
Will we sleep there? - no, we will bus to and from each day during school hours.
I am going to the Calgary Zoo and I am excited to see all of the animals.  I'm most excited to see the Pandas.
Can we go to all different places?  No, you will go to the same location for all 5 days.
I am going to Vivo and I am really excited to maybe go in the Lazy River.
I am going to Vivo and I am happy with going there.  We get to do sports and activities.
I am going to the Glenbow Museum and I am very excited because it have very old things and some of them are Eric Harvie's things.  He started the Glenbow Museum.
I am going to the Zoo and I am so excited to see the Pandas there.  I'm going to bring my map.
I can't wait to go to the museum.  I like to learn about old things like arrow heads and old weapons for hunting and find out what happened to them.

This week is baby visit week.  The Kindness kids will or have already had their baby visit for the month.

The Red literacy group started a novel study, Jacob Two Two, and the purple group has started writing books.

The first group of students who were working with making movies this week on their iPads will get to present their films tomorrow.  If your child is exploring movie making techniques or trying out apps at home, please send the movie to a teacher from the pod to share!

Some of the students were working on triangle number problems https://mathforlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Magic-Triangles-Worksheet-1.pdf
and some students were working learning the mental math strategy, "Making Ten" through the game, Go Fish.  You can practice at home with a deck of cards today.  Partner cards are cards that you add together to equal 10.

Today during Ignite, students are starting to work in partners to explore various ways to take films to practice for our Film Festival in June.

The Kindness Pod has been learning the steps involved in solving mathematic word problems.  One of the problems the students have been working through is, "There were 15 birds in a tree.  Some were black and some were yellow.  There were more black birds than yellow birds.  How many of each colour might there have been".  The students explored a variety of ways to solve this problem and discovered that there are multiple correct solutions.  One of the most important steps is to find the important information.


Swimming forms for Kindness Group B went home today.  If your child did not bring a form home today, please contact your homeroom teacher.

Swimming Schedule:

Kindness A (Julie Disher, Sarah Le)
January 21-25
Depart School 9:45
In Pool 10:30 – 11:10
Depart Pool 11:30

Kindness B (Kyla Low/Coreen Blenkhorne, Natalie Cox)
February 4-8
Depart School 8:35
In Pool 9:10 – 9:50
Depart Pool 10:15

Thank you for signing and returning the swimming forms and if you have not yet please do so as soon as possible? (Le/Disher only)

If you are able to volunteer for swimming for Le/Disher, please email those teachers directly.

There are still quite a few students who have not brought their indoor shoes back after the break.  Please make sure your child has their indoor shoes.

Today the students watched a video of adventure/risky play.  They then created a chart in their journals where they wrote which activities they saw were exciting and which were concerning to them. 

In math, the students continued working through various levels of Willy the Wiggle Worm.  Each level increased in difficulty level.

This afternoon, the Kindness Pod began learning about "Playing for Change" and are learning about how playing music with other people can bring peace.

In PE, the students worked together on a team challenge to create huts out of hula hoops. 

Happy New Year Kindness Families,
We will be sending home forms for swimming in the near future but we wanted to provide you with the dates and also ask that you consider volunteering for a day or two during your child's swimming week (we are always a bit short on dad's in the change room).  We will send home a sign up in the near future for volunteers.

Swimming Schedule:

Kindness A (Julie Disher, Sarah Le)
January 21-25
Depart School 9:45
In Pool 10:30 – 11:10
Depart Pool 11:30

Kindness B (Kyla Low/Coreen Blenkhorne, Natalie Cox)
February 4-8
Depart School 8:35
In Pool 9:10 – 9:50
Depart Pool 10:15

If your child did not bring their indoor shoes today please send them tomorrow:)

Highlights:
The students were so excited to see all of their friends and share their stories from the break.
During Ignite, the teachers were impressed by the safety, creativity and cooperation in the Studio
Today the students wrote a writing goal that they would like to work toward this year.
In math, some of the students worked on a number problem "Willy Wiggle Worm" while others did a tower building logic problem that involved data management and recording.
In the afternoon, the students studied a series of photographs, drew conclusions about the photos and decided which row of photos they liked the best.