An incredible opportunity...please read

Ryan O'Reilly is a grade 7 student in our school.  He has attended Clairlea for over 8 years. 
Ryan has been given an incredible opportunity. 
On May 7th, 2012 Ryan OReilly 12 years old, will be leaving on a 32 day trip to Nepal via India. Along with another boy from his hockey team, he will be trekking up Mount Everest to base camp Nepal for 13 days. This is a grueling trip, one that has been accomplished before by many and has been said to be hardest thing they have ever done. The weather can be hot, cold, -10 at night and raining. Altitude sickness is a big concern. The preparation for this climb has included enrolling Ryan in a gym where he is doing 24 sessions at an hour each with a personal trainer to be ready strength wise. Ryan has been told that food may taste like dog food for awhile and he should not expect any of the luxuries we take for granted in Canada such as a toilet, hot water etc. This brings me to the real point of his trip.

The Helambu region is located northeast of Kathmandu in the Sindupalchowk district of Nepal.The region itself is recognized as a sacred Buddhist place. However, access to education is extremely limited in the region, and most families are supported through subsistence farming, working in India and abroad,or selling their daughters to human traffickers. Freedom On Ice Nepal which was founded by Laura Levtov, Director of The Power Skating Academy, aims to improve living conditions and fight poverty in the region by supporting and improving education standards. Freedom On Ice Nepal will share the skills and experiences of its volunteers.


After the Trek, Ryan will be volunteering in a school teaching gym to grade 1 to grade 5 kids and staying in a village in the foothills of the Himalayans. Through Freedom On Ice Nepal's partner, the Helambu Education and Livelihood Project (HELP), Ryan will be leading the children in recreational and physical activities to improve their health. We are very excited for Ryan as it is the trip of a lifetime for anyone let alone a 12 year old. It will "change his life" as Laura says.

Each volunteer is responsible for their flight, transportation, visa, insurance,accommodations, meals, porters, and other items. They are also responsible for a $300.00 donation to the Helambu Education and Livelihood project for arranging their placement. THIS IS WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! We want to raise the bar and have Ryan bring as much money as he can to donate. DONATION WILL BE APPLIED TO AREA CHOSEN BY RYAN to help sustain HELP programs (e.g. teachers salaries, textbooks, school supplies and equipment, scholarships, etc.)

PLEASE HELP US. HELP RYAN TO GO ABOVE THE BAR AND DONATE AS MUCH AS HE CAN IN THE NEXT WEEK. As said before, he is leaving May 7th and time is of the essence!! PLEASE DONATE ANY AMOUNT YOU CAN AND HELP SUPPORT RYAN FOR THIS GREAT CAUSE!! ANY AMOUNT WILL HELP!!

Coming home and Updates

First of all, I would like to extend a HUGE congratulations to the grade 2's and 3's.  They have proven themselves once again!!
The 2's and 3's times table testing were done very well.  Score sheets have come home today. Next week, I will be testing them on the 4x's on Wednesday, and 5x's on Thursday.  Keep up the good work everyone!!

Today we had our Jump Rope for Heart Assembly.  We learned many things during the assembly including the fact that this is Clairlea's 20th year of participation. In the 19 years, we have raised almost $95,000!!

Families and the students in our class can can be Heart Hero's! Every dollar that is raised goes towards things like safe and successful heart transplants, improving heart and stroke research and provides families  with health information and tools that help children who have been diagnosed with congenital heart disease.  

A pledge form is coming home today and can either be filled out directly in the book OR you can go to www.jumpropeforheart.ca and have all the pledges made online.  Which ever your choice may be, every dollar counts.  Of course there are some prizes involved for individual fundraisers, greatest class participants and teachers too!!  So, the more people participate in our class, the greater chance we'll have of winning.  Now that's persuasion.

Grade 2 Walking trip to SATEC

The Grade 2's have been invited to watch a rehearsal at SATEC that the students of Region Heights will be putting on next Wednesday, May 2.  This will take place after eating lunch. The grade 2's will be joining Mme.Trott's class and will have the grade 7's to accompany them to SATEC's auditorium. A permission form for the walking excursion is coming home today and needs to be returned by Tuesday, May.1st.

REMINDER that the trip to Brickworks takes place on Tuesday, May 1st.  The grade 2's will be going on the trip with Mme. Trotts grade 2's - parent supervisors have been organized.  Students need to remember to come prepared in the appropriate clothing, boots being the most important.  Rain boots are highly encouraged as the kids may come across water and may be digging around in muddy areas.  Winter boots are the alternative but please remember to send along 1-2 extra socks, regardless.

Remember to check out CP24 or the weathernetwork.com to ensure you are sending your child to school with the appropriate clothing.  Healthy, litterless lunches are required, which means all garbage goes home with the students.  Reusable containers are encouraged.  Reusable water bottles are also suggested as the children will be outside for the day.

If you have any questions, please send them my way.

Ms. Lowen
jessica.lowen@tdsb.on.ca
416-396-6165

New Spelling List for Grade 2's Only

The grade 3's have come to the end of their spelling program.  For the month of May, we will be focusing on EQAO.  Come June, they will get back into the spelling program but with grade 4 words. 
The grade 2's are about to complete their last spelling list in the program.  We will be starting grade 3 words next Friday. 

Homework:  choose 2 activities from the list.

Grade 2
foot
feet
tooth
teeth
mouse
mice
man
men
woman
women
goose
geese

Grade 3 Homework

The grade 3's are bringing home one question to work on tonight.  It will be expected back at school tomorrow! 

Homework Club

Starting next week, and for the month of May, I will be holding a homework club. Homework club is intended to be an opportunity for students to get extra help with their homework. This is of course for those who truly feel it is necessary, and that it will help them with their work (spelling, book review, math homework, EQAO, etc). Or for those who are simply seeking a quiet place to get their work done before it is due.

I will be holding the club on Monday’s and Wednesday’s in our classroom.
The club will be held until 4:30 each day. If you would like your child to attend homework club, please ensure you have made arrangements for him/her to be picked up promptly at 4:30 in front of the office.
It would also be beneficial if an extra snack was provided for the end of the day.

Now for the harsh part. The 75 minutes at Homework club is to be used wisely. This is not an opportunity to be social and silly. In fact, there should be no talking at all unless it is to the teacher or unless some students are working together on a group task.
Off task behaviour will not be tolerated and those students who choose to do so will be asked not to return to the club for the sake of the others.

Your son/daughter is highly encouraged to join the club if getting to weekly homework and meeting due dates is a struggle in your home.

This letter will be coming home to you on Wednesday with an opportunity to send back a completed portion indicating your interest in the club. 

Persuasion is EVERYWHERE!!

Our class has been discussing the power of persuasion.  We have discovered that we are being persuaded everyday!  Here are some places where we find persuasion:

• flyer's
• magazines
• Internet
• blimps
• malls
• grocery stores
• mannequins
• trucks
• billboards
• radio
• pictures
• posters
• commercials
• newspapers
• news
• t.v.

Tonights homework is coming home on a half sheet of paper.  Students are required to find a persuasive example and answer a few short questions to go with it.  This will be due back to school tomorrow for disucssion. 

Multiplication facts

On Thursday and Friday of this week, we will be having multiplication drills.  I will be drilling the students on their 2's and 3's times table. 
0x2 up to 12x2
and
0x3 up to 12x3.

The Grade 2's and 3's are learning about or being refreshed on the concept of multiplication.
Today we are focusing on our 1's, 2's and 3's, but they are welcome to work on the 4's.  The grid on the front of the package can be attempted/completed, but I plan on working on the remaining bit tomorrow. 
A completed package is not necessary for tomorrow, but is encouraged if time is available tonight. Please ensure this green package comes back to school tomorrow!

New Spelling Lists and Homework

Grade 2 Homework - choose 2 spelling activities, different from the previous week.
Grade 3 Homework - I am not assigning spelling homework for the grade 3's as EQAO will take precedence.  Studying throughout the week for the spelling test on Friday is expected.

Grade 2
bees
skates
twins
boxes
foxes
dishes
wishes
lunches
branches
places
sandwiches
tomatoes

Grade 3 - I missed one word on the board this morning and one word was also spelled incorrectly.  Please see highlighted words.
dry
dried
drying
hurry
hurried
hurrying
carry
carried
carrying
worry
worries
worrying
study
studied
studying
replied
replying

EQAO + Grade 3's

I'm attaching a link for the grade 3's.  This link will take them direction to the EQAO site where test booklets from previous years can be viewed or printed. 
http://www.eqao.com/Parents/Elementary/036/036.aspx?Lang=E&gr=036
Once you click on the link, scroll down the page until you find a blue heading that says Student Assessment Booklets and Scoring Guides (test questions and examples of student answers).  Below this heading you will see test dates that range from 2004-2011.  Click on anyone of the dates.  On the next page there will be 3 boxes under the Primary Division - one for language and math, another one for the scoring guides to those questions, and the last box is where you find the answers to the multiple choice questions. At this point in the year, I am encouraging all grade 3's to spend time each night reviewing some of the tests.  Instead of printing the tests (which are lengthy) you can simply read the questions direction from the computer and transfer your answers onto a recycled piece of paper.  You can also do the same thing when checking your answers.  Simply find the questions you are looking to correct on the website and correct directly from there. There is still one month before the writing of EQAO and there are a number of concepts that are still to be covered in Math.  Please do not fret. If you come across a question you do not know, skip it, remind yourself that you will be learning it soon!

Math Homework - Due Tomorrow

Tonight's homework focuses on Symmetry.
Lines of symmetry can be drawn horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
There are 10 shapes coming home tonight that require students to find how many lines of symmetry there are for each.  Some have one, some have more.  The shapes need to come back with the activity sheet tomorrow. 

Items Due...

Due tomorrow:

• Pizza Lunch Orders
• Scholastic Orders
• Book and Book Review
• Spelling Activites x2
• Math Symmetry Homework

Missing Item...please help!

One of our students brought in a handheld electronic (Gameboy) today.  This person is certain it was placed back in their school bag after morning recess and not retrieved again for the rest of the day. Once dismissed from class, the realization set in that it had gone missing.
There are some possibilities as to what happened to the device and one may be that it feel out of the side pocket and into someone else's bag below, as at times all bags are not properly placed on hooks.  The other is that it was taken from the bag for ones own special keeping.  Either way, parents we need your help.  Please check your child's coat pockets and bags to ensure they have not accidently ended up with the device.  Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated. 
This is also a lesson to be learned. There is a reason the rules are set in place.  No electronic devices or special toys are to come to school. 

Math ---- Looking for Angles

Today we discovered another property of 2D shapes.  ANGLES!   By looking for and identifying the angles within shapes we can now use it as another way to sort shapes.
The 3 main angles are:

Right angles - the 2 lines join to make a perfect L or squared vertex. They form a 90 degree angle.

Obtuse Angles - the two lines join to make an angle that is greater than a right angle (or greater than 90 degrees).

                      Acute Angles  - two lines join to make an angle that is less

                                                             than a right angle (or less than 90 degrees)

 Tonights homework requires students to identify and label the angles as being acute, right or obtuse. 

 This is due tomorrow. 

New Spelling Lists

Homework for both grades:  choose two activities from the activity list below:

1. sentences for each word
2. definitions for each word
3. short story using as many words as you can
4. 3 rhyming words for each
5. ABC order or ZYX order (cannot do both orders in one week!)

Grade 2
what
when
where
who
whale
wheel
whole
while
white
whose
whisper
whistle

Grade 3
dance
danced
dancing
hope
hoped
hoping
move
moved
moving
use
used
using
waste
wasted
wasting
scrambled
giggling

Something New

I've sent home a pink package today that contains the next three calendar months of school.
I know that there are many students who adhere to a strict homework regime and are consistently submitting their work on time, and sometimes sooner. This is to be applauded.  I understand that there are many things going on outside of school and sometimes this hinders the student's ability to attend to their homework in a timely fashion. Often, it piles up come Thursday evening and this can be very over-whelming. So, I've put together these "organizers" for everyone, and have given instructions on how to use it.  The use of the organizer is 'optional' for some, and these students know who they are.  There are others however who will be required to use it for the rest of the school year in preparation for their next challenging year ahead.
If there are any questions on how to use the organizer please feel free to send them my way.  Otherwise, it should be kept in the school bag and be brought back and forth to school each day.  It would be very beneficial for the children if parents sit down with their son/daughter to assist them when filling it out to ensure that the schedule suits the whole family. 
Looking forward to more homework coming in on time!!
Thanks for your support.   

For Tomorrow...

1. Spelling homework
2. Book Review and Book
3. Wear something PINK

Clairlea's Day of PINK

This Friday, April 13th is Clairlea's Annual Day of Pink.


Our TDSB website has a link: http://www.dayofpink.org - check it out.
The message below has been discussed in our class this week and to support the cause, we will all try to wear something PINK this Friday.
The change starts with us.

What is the Day of Pink?
April 11th marks the International Day of Pink. It is a day where communities across the country, and across the world, can unite in celebrating diversity and raising awareness to stop homophobic, transphobic & all forms of bullying.


The International Day of Pink was started in Nova Scotia when 2 straight high school students saw a gay student wearing a pink shirt being bullied. The 2 students intervened, but wanted to do more to prevent homophobic & transphobic bulling. They decided to purchase pink shirts, and a few days later got everyone at school to arrive wearing pink, standing in solidarity. The result was that an entire school stopped homophobic & transphobic bullying.


The message was clear: anyone can bully, any can be victimized by bullying, but together we can stop it.


Each year on the second Wednesday of April, millions of people wear pink to remember that positive actions make a difference. And that the change starts with each one of us.

Grade 3 - Plant Descriptions

The grade 3's are required to search out a short description of their plant.  My suggestion is to head to http://www.google.ca/ and ask for a description for their type of plant.  Various options come up and some are very descriptive and longer than necessary. If you and/or your child are having difficulty deciding what to include in the description, simply print up the page and I will sit with individuals and highlight the important info with them.  If you do not have access to a printer, write down the website where you found the description and we will look for it together at school.  Remember descriptions only need to be 3-4 sentences.

Coming home tonight...

Grade 2's - permission form for an upcoming trip to Brickworks - signed form and fee are due this week!

Both Grades - Not returning in September?  let the school know by filling in the half yellow sheet - send it back ASAP to help the office prepare for the new school year.

Homework - 3D figures - both yellow and white sheets - to be worked on over the week and will be due back on Thursday.  Remember to visit the two sites below and try exploring the various shapes and their attributes.

(this site includes 2D and 3D shapes)
http://www.bgfl.org/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/3d/index.htm

(be sure to click on the 3D shapes tab at the top - scroll down and click on explore prisms)
http://www.learner.org/interactives/geometry/3d.html

New Spelling Lists and Homework

Grade 2's and 3's are to choose 2 activities from the activity list.
These activities are to be done in the little spelling booklet and are due next Friday, Apr. 13.

Grade 2
upon
into
inside
outside
without
everyone
anyone
anyway
sometimes
always
summertime
wintertime

Grade 3
begin
began
beginning
grin
grinned
grinning
swim
swam
swimming
step
stepped
stepping
trip
tripped
tripping
baby-sitting
window-shopping

Tonights Homework - due tomorrow

Tonight a one-sided, single question page is coming home and focuses on sorting 3D shapes.  The question requires the children to explain their thinking.  They need to use as much detail as they can to support their thinking.  Simply telling which group the 5th shape belongs in is not sufficient. 
Comparing the two groups is an option when supporting their answer and why they chose one over the other.
Other homework that is due tomorrow: 
- Spelling (grade 3 - 2 activities: sentences and converting the contractions to full words, and Grade 2 -sentences)
- Book Review

Math

The grade 2's and 3's are wrapping up Fractions and diving into 2D and 3D shapes.
These 2 links below will take you to very cool sites where students can explore the various attributes of the shapes they will be learning in class. The sites are interactive and offer a lot of useful images and helpful information.  Be sure to explore the sites throughout the next couple weeks with your child to ensure there is a clear understanding taking place. I will be walking them through both sites on Wednesday to avoid any confusion.

(this site includes 2D and 3D shapes)
http://www.bgfl.org/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/3d/index.htm

(be sure to click on the 3D shapes tab at the top - scroll down and click on explore prisms)
http://www.learner.org/interactives/geometry/3d.html

Homework

These last couple days we have been studying bees and pollination and today we learned how these awesome little creatures produce honey from the nectar in the flowers.  Tonight's homework is on a yellow sheet and will be due tomorrow.  There are 2 activities related to the honey making process.

Spring Photo Day

Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 3rd is Spring Photo Day.  If your son or daughter is taking a photo, ensure you send them to school dressed and primped and accompanied by their prefered pose sheet. Remember that sibling photos are available.