In language, we've been working hard on finishing up our letters to our family friend or relative. We used our letter to Santa (who wrote back, by the way) to create a list of criteria for writing a successful letter. We needed to include 5 things: the date, the name of the recipient, some nice words to start off, a question or information about our life and then a nice goodbye. The letters and envelopes are now complete and ready to go. I'm sending the envelopes home unsealed just in case you want to see what your child wrote. Please help your child seal the envelope and put it in a post box. I also included a little explanatory note for the recipient. Hopefully we'll receive some letters back! *A few students are still in need of an address!
In math, we tied up our unit on 2-D shapes with a short experiment about symmetry. Students remembered from SK that if you can fold something in half and it matches, it's symmetrical. In grade 1, we moved up a level and used Miras (like magic mirrors) to test if shapes were symmetrical and to complete shapes that were only half done. Check it out!
I've now had a chance to tell yet another musical story - The Nutcracker! Many students were familiar with the story, or had even seen the ballet. I highly recommend going if you can - the National Ballet has it on right now, and it's great for kids. It would be especially good for our class now that we have read the book, listened to the music and worked on making up our own dances to tell the story.
There were 6 dances in particular that were featured in our book: first, the fight between the toys that come alive (in the show it's mice) and the Nutcracker; second, the waltz of the snowflakes; third, the dance of the sugar plum fairy (la fée dragée); fourth, the chocolate dance (Spanish dance); fifth, the duet between the grand-duchess and the shepherdess (Pas de deux); and finally, the waltz of the flowers.
In our dance workshop with Jessica, we are not only learning lots of locomotor movements and doing some leading and following, but also, we are working in groups to create our own Nutcracker dances! We have a group of dancing toys, two groups of dancing snowflakes and a group of dancing flowers. Ask your dancer which group they're in and to show you their movement. Each dancer is teaching the rest of their group their creative movement and we will put the dance together that way.
Dancing Toys
Dancing Snowflakes
Dancing Flowers
Reminders:
It's pyjama day tomorrow. I'll be bringing my super-stylish adult onesie for the afternoon. In the morning we are walking over to the YMCA for our dance workshop, and I'd rather be wearing clothes. But, hey, as long as we can move freely (and the PJs include pants), I suppose it doesn't much matter whether the kids are in PJs.
PLEASE BE ON TIME FOR SCHOOL!!!!!! We will be leaving ASAP after attendance. If you are later then than 9:10 getting to school, you may end up having to walk your student over the Y after signing in!
I will be reminding students to take all their belongings home, including indoor shoes if they need them. I will also remind them to take as many books as you say they should so that you can keep reading in French over the break. This is SO important! Please relax and rest and don't work too hard - but - please treat your daily reading routine with the same importance as brushing your teeth. Thanks!