June News
June is finally here and it has been another incredible year here at TVA! It has been a pleasure having your child in my class and being able to watch them grow in so many ways. I am so proud of each and every one of them.
Please be sure to read the school newsletter that was sent home this month for important information.
Our last book in Language Arts is Feel the Power. Students will listen to, read and talk about selections related to wind and water, including the concepts of the power of wind to help or destruct, and where water comes from and how it must be conserved. In writing, students are currently writing their own fairy tale to entertain their classmates. We also continue to complete Daily Five Activities such as guided reading, word work, read to someone, independent reading and writing. Coming up this month I am looking forward to my students teaching us something new in their “Teach the Teacher Lesson”.
In Math we have been learning about Mass and Capacity. In this unit, students are learning more about measurement. Students will develop an understanding of capacity, how much a container can hold, and mass, which relates to the heaviness of an object.
In Science we are continuing to learn about Air and Water in Our Environment. Students will conduct water experiments and learn about the water cycle in this unit.
LOOKING FORWARD TO…
Our end of the year field trip to Greenview Aviaries on June 15th. Thank you to all the parents who have offered to come along and enjoy the day with us!
Have a super month and a Happy Father’s Day!
Mrs. Lisa Bohdal
May News
Hopefully we can say good-bye to showers very soon and hello to Mr. Sunshine! The last few months of school will be filled with many exciting events happening in our classroom and our school. Please be sure to read the school newsletter that was sent home this month for important information.
Our next book in Language Arts is Let the Feast Begin. For the next few weeks students will listen to read, and talk about selections related to family and heritage traditions, including celebrations, food, clothing and games. In writing, students have been working on their how-to writing (procedural). We also continue to complete Daily Five Activities such as guided reading, word work, read to someone, independent reading and writing. In class students have been sharing their ‘’Newscaster of the Day’’ reports with their classmates. They are all doing an amazing job!
Our next unit in Mathematics is Multiplication, Division, and Fractions. In this unit students will build on number patterns to develop the concepts of multiplication, division and fractions working with concrete materials.
In Science we are learning about Air and Water in Our Environment. Students will conduct water experiments, make a wind sock and learn about the water cycle in this unit.
A VERY BIG THANK YOU!!!
I want to thank parents for continuing to sign agendas, return math games, and filling out reading logs! Your continued support means so much!
Have a super month and a Happy Mother’s Day!
Mrs. Lisa Bohdal
April News
Spring is finally here! Let’s hope we can say good-bye to snow showers and hello to sunbeams and rain showers!
In Literacy, for the next few week students will continue to use reading strategies and make meaningful connections to what we are reading in order to improve comprehension. Our next book in Language Arts is Tales Near and Far. Students will listen to, read, and talk about stories, poems, plays, and newspaper articles related to the topic of tales. In class we have also been reading “fractured” fairy tales and comparing and discussing the elements of each story. Next students will have the opportunity to act out a fractured fairy tale in a small group. In writing, we have learned the five parts of a letter and will continue to write friendly letters.
In Mathematics, our next unit will be 2-D Geometry. In this unit your child will be learning more about 2-D geometric figures and symmetry. Students will describe, sort and compare 2-d figures according to the number of sides and vertices. They will also recognize figures that have symmetry and use positional language to describe movement and location such as slide, flip or turn. Students will also be working with a partner to solve problems using pictures, numbers and works. Students will be encouraged to explain their thinking using mathematical terms.
In Social Studies we will continue to learn about the parts of maps and students will work with a partner to create their own map of “Our World”. Next we will identify ways that the lives of children in other countries may be different from Canadian children.
Wishing you and your family a very Happy Easter! Have a super month!
Sincerely,
Mrs.Bohdal
March News
Spring is just around the corner and hopefully the warmer weather will soon be here!
We would like to offer a warm welcome to our new principal here at Tecumseh Vista Academy Mr. Wuerch. We hope you have enjoyed your first few weeks at our school and we are very happy to have you here!
In Literacy, for the next few week students will continue to use reading strategies and make meaningful connections to what we are reading in order to improve comprehension. Our next book in Language Arts is All Join In. Students will listen to, read, and talk about selections related to activities children do with friends, families and community members. In writing, we have been learning the five parts of a friendly letter and students will have the opportunity to write to a friend.
In Mathematics, our next unit will be Measurement, Area and Perimeter. In this unit your child will be learning about measurement. Your child will be estimating, measuring and comparing lengths, perimeters and areas using non-standard units, centimeters and meters. Students will also be working with a partner to solve “open” questions in which there are many ways to approach the question, and often there is more than one solution.
In Social Studies, we will continue to learn about the parts of maps and we will also label continents and significant bodies of water on a map. Next we will identify ways that the lives of children in other countries may be different from Canadian children.
Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for returning the math games each Thursday! I really hope you have enjoyed playing them as a family. The student’s comments have all been positive and they enjoy playing them at home with you! Please feel free to let me know what you think!
Have a wonderful March Break!
Mrs.Bohdal
February News
Winter seems to be coming and going this year! Thankfully the groundhog told us the news that we wanted to hear…we will have an early spring! The children are hard at work learning all sorts of new things in Grade Two, no matter what the weather.
In Language Arts, for the next few weeks, we will be reading about Amazing Animals. We will listen to, read and talk about selections related to animal growth, habitats, characteristics, food and habits. We will also consider how animals become endangered or extinct.
In Math, we are exploring addition and subtraction. Students are developing strategies for adding and subtracting two-digit numbers. Next, we
will be learning about 3D objects, such as cubes, spheres, cylinders, prisms and pyramids. Students will describe, compare and sort 3D solids according to their attributes, such as whether they roll or stack. They will use language such as pyramid, prism, face and edge to describe solids.
In Science, we are learning about simple machines that help you do work. They make work easier. Less push or pull is needed. There are six simple machines we will learn about inclined plane, lever, wedge, screw, pulley, wheel and axle.
In Social Studies, we will be discussing ways they lives of children in other countries may be different from Canadian children. We will also be developing mapping skills by identifying cardinal directions on a map (N,S,E,W). Students will also label continents and significant bodies of water on a globe and a map.
Valentine’s Day
We will celebrate Valentine’s Day at school on February 14th. The students will have an opportunity to exchange valentines that day if they wish. We have 19 students in our class and I will be sending home a class list. If you are thinking of sending in a treat please remember our class has peanut allergies.
Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for returning the math games each Thursday! I really hope you have enjoyed playing them as a family. The student’s comments have all been positive and they enjoy playing them at home with you! Please feel free to let me know what you think!
Important Information
To offer our students the best possible educational programs we frequently find it important to have specific information on how individual students learn and how they are achieving. We gather information about student performance in a number of ways: through day to day observation of student work, by assessing and evaluating student performance on curriculum expectations and through standardized achievement tests or tests of cognitive ability on February 22nd students will be completing an insight test.
Have a great month and thank you for your continued support.
Mrs. Lisa Bohdal
January News
Happy New Year and welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful winter break spending time with family and friends. We are ready to begin a new year with lots of exciting things happening in our school and classroom!
Please remember to continue to help your child read every night. Reading every night strengthens word vocabulary and fluency. Poetry books will continue to come home on Fridays. Encourage your child to read not only the new poems, but review poems from the past. Thank you for signing reading logs and making sure the “Reader of the Day” books are returned each day and completed.
Brrr! Winter is here! It is getting very cold outside and students spend 20 minutes outside twice each day. Please be sure to send students dressed ready for the weather. With the snow, there is often a lot of wet socks and gloves. Please send in an extra pair of gloves and socks to kept in your child’s locker.
What are we learning?
In Language Arts, we will be reading stories from Keep in Touch. We will be
listening to, reading and talking about selections related to different ways we communicate.
In Math, our next unit is called Exploring Addition and Subtraction. Students will be developing strategies for adding and subtracting two-digit numbers.
In Science, our next unit is Solids and Liquids. In this unit students will learn about the properties of solids and liquids and investigate how they interact in experiments.
Have a great month and thank you for your continued support.
Mrs. Lisa Bohdal
December News
That special holiday time of the year is already upon us! We have many fun learning activities coming up in the month of December...
Our next book in Literacy is People! Places! Students will listen to, read and talk about selections related to people living and doing things together in communities both near and far. Students are also enjoying literacy centres where they practise different word study, listening and writing activities. While students are at centres it gives me time to work with a small reading group. In our "guided reading" groups students are grouped together who are reading at the same level or working toward the same goal.
In Math, students have been busy learning about probability and graphing.
In groups students surveyed their classmates about their favourite sports, colours, books, candy and animals. Each groups is graphing their results to share with the class. Our next unit will be "Exploring Addition and Subtraction". In this unit students will be developing strategies for adding and subtracting two-digit numbers.
In Social Studies, we are continuing to learn about "Celebrations and Traditions" this month. I am looking forward to students sharing their "Celebration Bags" with the class. In January our next Science Unit will be "Solids and Liquids".
Thank You!!!
Thank you for checking and signing your child's agenda nightly. I would also like to thank you for encouraging your child to read nightly and filling out those reading logs! Remember if your child is "Reader of the day" they can write that book in their log as well as if they complete a story on Raz-Kids!
I hope that everyone has a restful and relaxing holiday season filled with fun and family times. I look forward to an exciting New Year at Tecumseh Vista Academy.
Thank you for sharing with me your most precious gift of all...your child!
See you all in 2017!
Mrs. Bohdal
November News
November is already here and over the past month we have been busy with lots of new learning opportunities. Our field trip to Safety Village was so much fun for students. Students learned about when to call 911, how police officers keep us safe and of course the most exciting part was driving the jeeps through the village.
A great big thank you to all of the parents and grandparents who volunteered to come on our field trip to Safety Village! I hope you had lots of fun and a wonderful day spending time with us! A big shout out to Mr.Krause …thank you so much for being our photographer for the day!
Please note that progress reports will go home Monday, November 14th and Parent/Teacher interviews will take place the evening of Thursday, November 17th. If you would like to set up an interview please follow the instructions that were set home to book your interview time. I look forward to meeting with you!
Thank you to all of the parents who have registered for our School Cash Online. If you have not done so please register soon!
Raz-Kids is here!!! Thanks to TVA, I’m happy to inform you that your child will have access to hundreds of leveled eBooks. Children can read and listen to books on Raz-Kids website and even record themselves reading. Afterwards they can take a quiz to check for comprehension. Please encourage your child to read nightly and fill out their reading logs. Happy Reading!!!
Reader of the Day Students will also have the opportunity to read a book they have practised at home to the class. They will choose a “Just Right” book at school before it is their turn to read and take it home to practice the night before. Please make sure they have their book to read for the next day and their reading response sheet is completed!
Our next book in Literacy is People! Places! Students will listen to, read and talk about selections related to people living and doing things together in communities both near and far. We will also be starting our Literacy Centres (word work, listening, independent reading, writing activities and work with the teacher). Guided Reading groups will be small groups of students with a similar need working with the teacher in reading.
In Mathematics we have been learning about Time, Temperature and Money. Students estimated and measured the passage of time in hours and minutes. Using their own clocks they can tell time to the quarter hour. They also used a thermometer to tell if temperature is rising or falling and estimate, count and create sets of coins equivalent to $1.00.
In Science we have been learning about Liquids and Solids. Students have been experimenting and investigating the properties and of and interactions among solids and liquids.
Website of the month: http://www.bam.gov/
These fun-to-do math activities will reinforce math skills taught at school!
· Have your child keep track of the number of minutes he/she watches television for one week.
· Let your child use a catalogue or flyer and a calculator. Let your child choose three things to buy and add up the cost on paper. Then he/she can check the numbers with the calculator.
· Give your child the itemized receipt from the grocery store and a calculator. Let your child add up the amount that you spent on one category of food (dairy products, fruits and vegetable, meats).
· Make sure that your child knows how to tell time on a non- digital clock.
· Use nickels, dimes and quarters to teach your child about counting money. Teach your child the names of the coins and what they are worth, Make different combinations of coins to equal the same amount of money.
Helping your child at home shows that you place a high value on learning.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Bohdal
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Welcome to our class website!
I hope that you enjoy our class website! On it I can keep you updated with what your child is learning in the classroom. Please check out class photos as well as the useful links.
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October News
Wow! It's hard to believe it is already October! September went by very quickly as the students worked on adjusting to new routines and meeting new friends. Thank you to all of the students and their families for helping to make the transition to a new year a success. We enjoyed getting to know each other better through the wonderful presentations of our “All About Me” bags. Thank you also to all the parents for signing your child’s agenda and reading log each night.
Students work with different teachers throughout the day for different subjects. Mrs. Paulin takes students to the library, Mr. Lawler takes the students to the gym. Mrs. Williams teaches Music and Art and Mrs.Hadjassarris teaches Drama and Dance.
Our gym periods will be on Days 1, 4 and 7. Please make sure your child has appropriate footwear on those days. Library is every Day 9. Please remind students to return books their books, so they can take out another book from our wonderful library!
Important Information
Please note that progress reports will go home Monday, November 14th and Parent/Teacher interviews will take place the evening of Thursday, November 17th. I look forward to meeting with you!
Raz-Kids is here!!! Thanks to TVA, I’m happy to inform you that your child will have access to hundreds of leveled eBooks. Children can read and listen to books on Raz-Kids website and even record themselves reading. Afterwards they can take a quiz to check for comprehension. Please encourage your child to read nightly and fill out their reading logs. Happy Reading!!!
What are we learning?
In Language Arts our first book was In My World. Students listened to, read and talk about selections related to the topics of self, family, friends, pets and people in their immediate community. Our next book in Literacy is People! Places! Students will listen to, read and talk about selections related to people living and doing things together in communities both near and far. We will also be starting our Literacy Centres (word work, listening, independent reading, writing activities and work with the teacher). Guided Reading groups will be small groups of students with a similar need working with the teacher in reading.
Our first unit in Mathematics was, Sorting and Patterning, students learned how to sort objects according to attributes, such as size colour and shape. Students have also learned how to describe, extend, and draw patterns and talk about pattern rules. In our second unit, Number Relationships, students are developing a deeper understanding of number relationships, counting and place value. In our third unit we will be learning about Time, Temperature and Money. Students will estimate and measure the passage of time in hours and minutes. Using their own clocks they will tell time to the quarter hour. They will also use a thermometer to tell if temperature is rising or falling and estimate, count and create sets of coins equivalent to $1.00.
In our Science Growth and Changes in Animals students have been learning about the similarities and differences among various types of animals and investigating their processes of growth. Students will also learn about the conditions needed to support healthy development in an animal.
In Social Studies we will be learning about Traditions & Celebrations. Students will learn that Canada is a country of many cultures. Student will develop an understanding that family and cultural traditions are passed down through generations and also play a role in developing one’s identity.
Words of the Week
In our classroom there is a word wall. A word wall is a vital part of a balance literacy program. Each week new words are added to the wall. The word wall consists of words used frequently in Grades 2. The children will learn to read and spell the words through chants, word play activities and daily practice. Each week the words will be recorded weekly in your child’s agenda. Encourage your child to read and spell these words at home to help improve their vocabulary and word recognition skills. All students benefit from extra reading experiences.
Poetry Books
Reading is a very important part of the Grade 2 program. The most important gift you can give your child will be to spend time each night reading. At this age, children like to read and to be read to. Modeling the joy of reading encourages children to read for life. Each Friday students will be bringing a poetry book home to share. Please return the poetry book each Monday so a new poem may be added.
Reader of the Day Students will also have the opportunity to read a book they have practised at home to the class. They will choose a “Just Right” book at school before it is their turn to read and take it home to practice the night before. Please make sure they have their book to read for the next day and their reading response sheet is completed!
All students benefit from extra reading experiences. Share the joy of reading with your child through these activities.
1.When you read aloud to your child Stop part of the way through the story and ask your child to predict what will happen next.
2.Ask what happened at the beginning, middle and end of the story.
3.Ask your child how the story made him/her feel.
4.reading the story, ask your child a different way the story could have ended.
5.In the car, read highway signs aloud with your child.
6.Let your child help you read and prepare a recipe.
7.Take books along in the car when traveling on errands or vacations.
Reading together is fun!
Help your child start reading more today.
Thank you for your continued support.
Please feel free to contact me anytime at the school.
Mrs. Lisa Bohdal