Jan 24 - Jan 28


We have been exploring some new information this week and puting our understanding to work in creative and interesting ways.  Here are some of our highlights:

In Science, we learned more about hot and cold and how people and animals keep warm in winter.  We discovered that things can be kept hot or cold by using different materials to keep heat from entering or escaping.  We learned that metal conducts heat quickly, but things like plastic and wood are slow to conduct heat so they make good insulators.  We also learned that creating air space between layers provide insulation.  That is why wool, fur, and even snow can make good insulation.  We took this information and used our building materials to create a container to see if we could insulate an ice cube and slow down the melting time. I recorded the students talking about their insulators and will try to post these videos to each child’s Iris this weekend.  If you would like to see them explain their work, you can search “Iris CBE” and you will get to the sign in page.  The user name is your child’s CBE number which is on their report card in powerschool.  The password is the same one they use to access google classroom.

In Science, we have also begun to talk about the water cycle. Stuents watched a video, started a classroom experiement and created a moving manipulative to help them develop their understanding of the vocabulary used throughout the cycle.


We also experimented with warm and cold water to see how our skin senses cold and then we used shortening to make a glove to simulate the layer of fat or blubber that arctic animals have to help their bodies to stay warm.  If you want to re-create this experiment at home, here is a video that shows you how. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DQGAcqhkGs

Our mitten story writing has been going very well.  Students have written about the animals that found the mittern and then came up with creative endings so that the animals got out of the mitten and the main character finds it again.  As students finish their writing, they are going to be moving on to learn some simple revising and editing techniques.

In reading, grade one students are working on changing one letter in a word to make new words.  Grade two students are learning how to use this same knowledge to help them spell more of these words correctly when they write.  Grade two students are working on answering questions about the information or stories that they read.  Things like, “Why did that character do that?”  “What do you think he/she is feeling?”  “Why did the author add that information?” are important questions for the students to answer.  Look in the front of your child’s Home Reading Log for more ideas of good questions to ask when you read with your child.

We spent some more time this week investigating the interesting artifacts of traditional Inuit life that we  borrowed from another school.  Students have been examining these objects, learning about the materials used to make them and how they were used in everyday life.  Students have sketched, discussed, talked about their ideas, and learned what the objects and tools are.  This has given them some insight into what life was like in the north in times past.

We wrapped up our dance unit in Phys. Ed this week.  It has been so much fun learning all about a variety of Hip Hop styles and about the culture and history of this type of dance.  Today we recorded our class demonstrating all the moves that we learned.  A school wide video will be shared with all of our families soon.

Next week is the beginning of a new and busy month.  Students are very excited about the upcoming holidays including Valentine’s Day.  Many students love making and exchanging Valentines, but this is an optional activity for your child.  In order to follow Covid protocols, I am asking that anyone who wishes to bring in valentines for their friends bring them in on or before February 11th.  We will distribute them on that Friday and then quarantine the valentine bags so that they are safe to go home on Monday the 14th.  If your child wants to bring in valentines, please ensure that they have one for each child in their class.  They all wrote the names of their classmates in their show and share books today.  Just a reminder that candy or food items are not allowed.  If you child wants to bring in something special, pencils, tattoos, stickers, etc. are great.

Upcoming Events


Monday Jan 31 - PD Day - No School for students

Tuesday Feb 1 - Home Reading exchange

Wednesday Feb 2 - Groundhog day and Library exchange

Thursday Feb 3 - Home Reading exchange

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