Dear Parents,
Welcome to grade two 2013/2014. Our names are Mrs. Lisa Kam
and Mrs. Laura Faganello and we will be your child’s teachers this year.
The following is a general overview on the subjects that
will be covered this year.
Physical Education: We will be teaching PE in the gym Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays the students will
have fitness inside or outside depending on the weather. Students need to be
wearing appropriate shoes (runners) and comfortable clothing is encouraged. The
following components will be incorporated into this year’s Physical Education
Program:
-movement education
-fitness
-using small equipment
-gymnastics
-creative dance/movement -team games
Library: The students’ library day is Tuesday. The usual
routine will be to go to the library, have a story with Mrs. Voth (the teacher
librarian) and exchange their books. Parents will notice that there will be no
date due card in the books, so reminders for children to take their books to
school will be helpful.
Music: Students will be receiving music instruction from
Mrs. Dunkley on Monday and Thursday.
Computer:
Students will be exposed to a variety of programs and begin “All the
Right Type” to learn keyboarding skills.
Students will also be using the ipads again this year.
Reading: There are many opportunities for the students to
develop their reading skills at school and at home. We will be starting guided
reading on September 16. This is an opportunity for small group instruction
with students of a similar reading level. There are also opportunities for
shared reading (reading to a buddy) and whole class reading. Guided Reading
starts first thing in the morning, 4 days a week. In addition, the students
will participate in a program entitled Reading Power. It is a method of
teaching comprehension that focuses the reader’s attention on their thing as
they read.
At home, we will be asking you to support the home reading
program by helping with the home reading homework.
Writing: students will participate in a number of writing
activities throughout the year, including printing and journal. They will be
introduced to different genres in Language Arts and will take part in various
activities in Science and/or Social Studies.
Spelling: We will be using the Nelson spelling program,
which incorporates a number of activities that look at spelling strategies and
rules. Later in the year when routines are established we will begin to do a
challenge list for students who are able to spell the words, use them in
context and understand their meaning.
Math: We will be using the Math Makes Sense program. This
program encourages the use of manipulative materials to introduce and develop
concepts. Following is a list of the topics that will be introduced and or
emphasized throughout the year.
-Numbers
-Patterns and Relations
-Shape and Space
-Statistics
Theme Work: Social Studies, Science and Language Arts are
incorporated into themework. Our first themes for September are Governance
(understanding the importance of roles and responsibilities at home and at
school.)
Health and Career: Students will look at such topics as
nutrition, goal setting, and personal safety.
Choosing: On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (for
30 min.) the children will be participating in choosing time with the other
classes in the area. At this time they are able to choose from one of the
following activities:
-painting -sand
-puzzles
-blocks
-listening post
-water
-science
-computers -games -writing
-make –it -drawing
-math
-reading
These activities incorporate our Language Arts, Science and
Socials Studies themes. Some of the many skills developed through choosing are:
working cooperatively, sharing turn taking, experimenting, creating, problem
solving, exploring cause and effect, developing curiosity, developing hand-eye
coordination and building self esteem.
Homework Bags: students will be bringing home a homework bag
daily. There will always be reading homework. Students may have a book or a
Readwell sheet to read. It is very important for the students to read nightly
for 15 minutes. In addition there will be a spelling notebook for students to
work on their words throughout the week.
We will also be posting some classroom information on our
class website
Go to www.brooksbank.ca
Click on Mrs. Kam/Mrs. Faganello (under classroom blogs)
As soon as your child is ready, please encourage him/her to
enter and leave on his/her own to foster independence and responsibility. We
hope you have found this overview helpful. If you have any concerns about the
curriculum or your child’s progress during the year please do not hesitate to
come in and see us.
We are looking forward to working with you and your child
and hope that together we can make this school year a very successful and
exciting one.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Lisa Kam
Laura Faganello
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