The Sid Shuffle

Today our class, along with our Learning Buddies in Mr. K.'s Grade 3/4 class helped to teach the rest of our school a new dance at our school's Pep Rally. The dance is called the Sid Shuffle. We practised with Mr. K.'s classroom for two days before the big event today. Here is the dance:




I hope to post a video of one of our practices later this week! - Miss Matsumoto

Holiday cards and concert practice

We are singing a Frosty the Snowman and a rap about Frosty. - Stella

We are singing Frosty the Snowman. - M.

We are doing a card exchange.  We also get to make a second card.  - Enya

We are practising for the Christmas Concert.  We are singing 7 songs. - Isaiah

We made Christmas cards.  First we cut green paper out.  And then we cut white paper out and glued it on.  The cards look like snow globes. - Hannah

We are making snow globes.  We decorated them. - Carter

Our class, as well as the other grade one classes at Bernie Wolfe are participating in a holiday card exchange.  Our class prepared 30 snow globe cards to send away to other classrooms across North America.  We are excitedly receiving cards from other classrooms already! - Miss Matsumoto

The Monster Project: Student-Led Conferences Comments

This is a picture of the completed monster that our class worked on for the Monster Project.  Our class decided that our monster's name was Scaredy Cat.  Each student was part of a group that worked on the different parts of the monster.  Please have your child tell you something about one of the parts that they worked on. - Miss Matsumoto

I worked on the feet. They are green. There was two of them. I had fun working in a group of three with Lara A. and Mia.

-Carter

I made the eyes and legs.

-Lara

I worked on the toes -they are pink. 

Isabella

I worked on the arms, we had to put a unicorn tattoo on the arms. We used a big ruler to know how long the arms are. 

- Lexie

The monster was fun building.  I was working on the eyes and now I am working on the legs.  The monster project made me excited!

-Isaiah 

I made the neck first, and then I colored lines white and red, and then I painted them the same color.  I did the head and ummm I painted it red with yellow stitches all over it.  It was fun!

-Hannah

My monster part was the body and mouth. And the body was painted green and it had bugs all over it and that's it.

- Stella

I worked on the toes for the Monster project, the things that I used were Fabric, glue, yarn and pencil crayons. It was VERY fun!

-Tanaye

I did the neck and head. We added scars in our group.  It looked good!

-Enya

I worked on the lips and the body.  We made it with scissors and tape.
- Kale

I worked on the arms
-Skylar

Building the monster was fun! We used egg cartons for the bones for the arms, and we painted the bones tie-die!
- Ella

I worked on the feet and it's the color green!
- Lara A.

I worked on the eyes. One on the chin and on the forehead. The leg was bloody armor made out of fabric. it was fun.
-Aiden

Hello! This is my first blog post.  I have started my teaching block! So far we have had Hat Day and pizza day, we also have a new student in our class! -Miss Hrynyk

Our new student is learning our names. -Aiden

So far I am having a good time in school. I wore my hat on hat day and pizza day. -Carter

I am home sick. -Lara

I like our new student. -Isabella

We wore our hats on pizza day.  Skylar

We have a new student in our class. -Tanaye

On pizza day we got to use the play structure, even though it was not our day. Friday we have student-led conferences.  -Stella

We have a holiday on Friday. -M.

We have been listening to Christmas songs in our classroom. -Ethan

I am happy Christmas is coming. -Lexie

I love Christmas and I like our new student. -Frdos

I went to the Santa Clause parade. -Enya

We have fun at school. -Aiden

Smartie Math!!

In Smartie math, at the end if we are done we can eat our Smarites. - Stella

We coloured the Smartie math and we counted. - Prince

We used Smarties. - M.

First for Smartie math we wrote our name on the back.  Second we got our Smarties.  And then we coloured the Smarties in on the paper.  Then we opened our box of Smarties.  And then we filled in the blank spaces on the paper.  Then we coloured the boxes of the Smartie colours. - Carter

At the end, we got to eat the Smarties.  They were yummy! - Tanaye

We got papers and we coloured them in.  Then we counted the Smarties in the paper. - F.

Our class did some Smartie math last week in school.  Using Smarties, our class counted and graphed the Smarties by colour.  After finishing, everyone was able to enjoy the Smarties! 

- Miss Matsumoto



Remembrance Day Assembly

We made poppies out of tissue paper and we had to cut out the poppy part. Peace is to remember the dead. - Tanaye

We got poppies on our shirts.  We wear them on our hearts. - Enya

We wear them on our left sides.  We made poppies.  It was fun.  We had to cut out poppy paper. - Hannah

We were supposed make poppies. - M.

First we get a pinch of tissue paper.  And we put it on our pencils.  Then we put the tissue paper on the back of the pencil, it's flat and put it in the glue and put it on the poppy picture. - Lara

We cut out the poppies and Miss Matsumoto put our names on the black paper.  Then we put tissue paper on a pencil, then we had to put glue on it. - Skylar

Peace is playing outside.  And we want peace, not war. - Carter

War is fighting.  And war is sometimes people dying.  Peace is nature. - Stella

We got poppies before we did our blog. - Isabella

Peace is helping other people and peace is sharing with people.  War is when people fight.  We want peace, not war. - Lexie

We like peace and we don't like war.  War is the baddest thing you could do.  So don't do the bad. - F.

We used glue for our pencils and we had to use tissue paper. - Ethan

Never ever pick war.  Peace is great. - Aiden

This week our class was talking about peace and war.  We learned that we wear a poppy on Remembrance Day to remember.

October 31st

 

 

 

Yesterday, we carved pumpkins.  It was fun. - Carter

 

When it was Halloween we carved pumpkins. - Isabella

 

I liked Halloween.  We carved pumpkins and I really liked my costume.  I danced with Spongebob on that day. - Lara

 

I never had Halloween, but I still had fun at my house.  It was great! - F.

 

I like Halloween.  I like carving pumpkins.  I like  having Halloween gym.  It's so fun. - Skylar

 

On Halloween in our class, we carved pumpkins.  After we carved them we counted the seeds.  I had fun. - Tanaye

 

Because I just like Halloween. - M.

 

In the morning yesterday, our class carved four pumpkins in our table groups.  Each table group had one pumpkin to carve.  They decided as a group what their pumpkin would look like.  When we finished carving the pumpkins, each table group counted the seeds.  We used special paper to help us count the seeds by 10.  The pumpkin with the most seeds had 544 seeds!!  In the afternoon it was our school's costume parade.  We walked through every classroom and were able to see everyone's costume.  After that, we had had a classroom party with lots of treats.  It was a great day!!

-Miss Matsumoto



Halloween Gym!!

 

Here are some photos of our class during Halloween gym today.  Each class has the chance to experience it in the days leading up to Halloween.  Today we had our chance near the end of the day.

-Miss Matsumoto

Continued from yesterday...

Tomorrow we are carving pumpkins and we are having a costume parade. - Carter

When it is Halloween, some of our moms and dads can volunteer.  Halloween is going to be so much fun. - Stella

In Halloween gym, we have fun.  It was scary. - Skylar

I am excited for trick or treating. - M.

We are excited for Halloween so I can go trick-or-treating. - Lara

We were scared in Halloween gym.  The maze and the changerooms were scary because I can get scared easily sometimes. - Aiden

I like Halloween gym.  I like swinging on the ropes.  - Lara

I am excited for Halloween.  Hallowen is so much fun. - Isabella

At Halloween gym, we had to put our hands in some food and they felt like body parts.  I had fun. - Tanaye

We had fun. - Ethan

Wednesday

This is the last day that we can bring plastic bags and it's almost Halloween! - Carter

It's going to be lots of fun at Halloween day at school. - Stella

We really, really want to win the plastic bags.  We will win a Sundae Party! We are excited. - Hannah

At school on Halloween we are going to carve pumpkins.  It will be lots of fun. - Ella

When it is Halloween at school, we will go to our classroom and then we will have a parade.  - Tanaye

I wish there was no school today. - M.

I'm going to be an owl for Halloween. - Enya

I am excited for the Halloween parade and we're going to make the Monster Project. - Frdos

I am excited for our Halloween party.  - Miss Hrynyk

Our class is really excited for Halloween!  We have lots of great things planned for that day at school.  I am busy making my own Halloween costume.  It will be a big surprise on Halloween!  - Miss Matsumoto

Counting Collections

We had gym. - M.

We counted some things under the numbers. - Skylar

We picked the kind of thing that we wanted to put under the numbers, popsicle sticks, bottle caps, frogs and some fish. - Tanaye

It was very fun.  Me and Enya did it together.  It was hard work, but it was fun. - Lexie

We like doing Math.  We counted numbers and we put what was in baskets that we counted and put under the numbers. - Aiden

My partner was Skylar.  It was fun.  - Lara

My partner was Stella.  - Carter

We each got to have a partner in Math.  - Stella

Yesterday during Math, our class was counting collections. - Miss Matsumoto



Monsters and what we did today....

We had our Free Gym Showdown today. It was so much fun.  We won the Free Gym Showdown because we had the most points for September. - Stella

We worked on some parts of the monster.  It was fun.  I made eyes! - Lara

I really, really, really like school and I like coming to school.  - Carter

This afternoon (Thursday, October 11) we started our Monster Project.  It is a really big project for our class.  I know that we will have to work very hard to complete our monster.  The monster has close to 40 different parts.  Right now we are working in groups and are working on some of the main parts.   - Miss Matsumoto

We had fun and we like making the monster.  I am working on the toes.  - Isabella

I like making the monster.  My group is working on the arms.  - Ella

Monster Madness

Our Terry Fox run was very fun. - Stella

It is October, 2012!

I am so happy. - Skylar

We like school. - Aiden

We have fun at recess. - Tanaye

We played the Pirate Game in Gym. - Carter

We had a Guest Teacher in the morning. - Ella

Our families are ordering school pictures. - Lara

We like reading with our Learning Buddies! - Kale

We raise our hands to be polite. - Lexie

This is a picture of our class that we took for our upcoming Monster project where we will be building a monster with other classrooms around the world.  We were responsible for designing the wristwatch! - Miss Matsumoto

Terry Fox and more...

We have fun at recess. - Stella

We have Learning Buddies and they don't just help us read, they can help us do anything! - Hannah

Today we wrote in our journals. - Ella

We share things at school. - Isabella

We read poems. - Lara

It's fun at school. - Isaiah

Last week we did the Terry Fox run. - Lexie

We love school! - Kale

We had fun at Terry Fox. - Enya

Today we had a guest teacher at gym. - Tanaye

We walked slowly and fast for Terry Fox. - Skylar

Last week our school participated in the Terry Fox run/walk.  We had talked about Terry Fox as a class and how he has helped to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.  In the morning, our entire school attended an assembly to listen to a speaker from Terry's team.  She was a former teacher from Saskatchewan who has survived cancer and now comes to schools to talk about her experiences.  After the assembly, our school did our own Terry Fox run/walk outside.

This is Miss Hrynyk.  She is learning to be a teacher. - Lexie

I like Miss Hrynyk. - Lara

Miss Hrynyk is great! - M.

She helps us with our work. - Kale

Miss Hrynyk helped us do Art today. - Stella

She comes to our school on Wednesdays only right now.  Soon she will be here more. - Skylar

She helps us. - Aiden

She is a fun teacher. - Ella

Miss Hrynyk is a student teacher. - Stella

She read Flat Stanley to us. - Tanaye

She read a story to me. - Ethan

She is a very lovely teacher that we know and is very, very, very helpful. - F.

She is a lovely teacher. - Hannah

Miss Hrynyk is our student teacher this year.  She will be teaching in our classroom the entire year!  Soon she will be coming to our classroom every day!!  We are very lucky to have her in our classroom. - Miss Matsumoto

I am very excited to be teaching in this class! - Miss Hrynyk

Kandinsky Inspired Artwork




Room 163's Kandinsky inspired concentric circle artwork

We had fun painting Kandinsky art. - Stella

We did our best! - Skylar

We looked at Kandinsky's artwork. - Enya

The circles were very colourful. - Ella

It is fun at school! - Isaiah

We went outside for gym. - Ethan

We painted second for our Kandinsky art. - Lara

We read for 13 minutes for Read to Self!! - Lexie

We had fun at school. - Aiden

We like making friends. - Kale

We like the pillows that Miss Matsumoto's mum Joyce sewed for our classroom. - Hannah

We went on the computer. - M.

Last week and the week before, our class was studying the abstract artwork of the famous Russian artist, Wassily Kandinsky.  We were inspired to create some of our abstract art.  In the first picture you can see our first attempt using pencil crayons and crayons.  We each were responsible for completing two squares.  Last week, we each painted four squares inspired by Kandinsky's artwork.  We think that they look very much like Kandinsky's art and are quite proud of them! - Miss Matsumoto



It is Friday - Our Second Blog!!

This is our second blog post as a class.

We like playing Hide and Seek outside. - Skylar

We eat our lunches at school, but today I went home for lunch.  - Hannah

We went to Gym today. - Aiden

We are going outside. - Ethan

We read for 9 minutes during Daily 5, Read to Self. - Stella

We have fun! - Tanaye

This week was our first full week of Grade 1.  It was a busy and productive week and we have continued to work hard.  We are building our stamina for reading during Read to Self in the Daily 5.  This week our class has also been following Ms. Nairn's Grade 2 class at Harold Hatcher and their class blog, Tales from Grade 2.  We were inspired by their Read to Self practice.  We also had our school guidance counselor, Mrs. Alexander visit our room.  She taught our class what to do if someone at school is bothering you using the Debug System.  I am looking forward to next week!

Our First Blog!!

This is our very first blog post in Grade 1.

We use Agenda books in Grade 1. - L.

We are having a good time in Grade 1. - A.

I really, really, really like Gym!! - C.

I like warm-ups at Gym. - S.

We have recess outside. - I.

I like playing games at Gym. - E.

We have fun at recess. - E.

We love school! - L.

In our gym, we have new lights and a new floor. It looks great! - I.

We like making friends. - K.

We like to make cars. - S.

We like making new friends outside. - H.

We like reading books. - E.

We like doing Science and playing with each other. - F.

I think this year is going to be very exciting! - Miss Hrynyk

I am very happy to be working in this classroom. - Mrs. Diachun

We practiced Read to Self for 7 minutes this morning!! - Miss Matsumoto

The last days of summer...

Oh my goodness! Summer is nearly over and school begins next week. Last week I sent all of my Grade 1 students a postcard in the mail. Who doesn't like getting mail? Hopefully some will have the chance to visit our class blog before school starts to answer my question!! P.S. Thanks to Ms. Nairn for the question suggestion!

Summer Bloggin'

My good friend and former colleague Miss Nairn, and I were working on our classroom blogs today.  We used to be neighbours at Harold Hatcher School and I know I will miss her this upcoming school year!  Good thing we have lots of exciting projects planned together...stay tuned for more about those later!!

You should definitely visit Miss Nairn's classroom blog, Tales from Grade 2 here!

Folk Fest

I am very excited to enter the world of classroom blogging with my new grade 1 class at Bernie Wolfe School!

Here is a little bit of what I have been up to so far this summer:

Here are some photographs from the Winnipeg Folk Festival at Bird's Hill Provincial Park at the beginning of July.  Great music, wonderful times spent with old and new friends, and gigantic board games made for an awesome festival...