Welcome to Grade 1/2 in Room 6

Weekly Update for May 19th  We had fun creating problems based on humorous solutions! We have had full and busy days here in Room 6!  We have been busy discovering and learning all about life. Twenty five little caterpillars arrived on my desk at the beginning of last week.  We have been enjoying reading to them, watching them eat, cleaning up after them and observing the changes they go through as thee develop into butterflies.  Most of them will be in their Chrysalis state for approximately 10 days before the morph into butterflies. We will spend our next week learning and writing about them. In math we will incorporate our addition and subtraction skills into problem solving activities.  We will continue to work on memorizing our basic addition, subtraction and multiplication facts. The forest fires have added a bit of complexity into our days.  We are taking this opportunity to talk about our community and learn about the geographical features of Alberta.  We have begun to study this as a current event and are following what is happening to towns, cities and forests.  We are learning how communities as well as the government have stepped in and are helping those who are affected by the fires. Wow!!! Look a it! It's crawling! -R The children have taken their seeds home.  They had the opportunity to grow pumpkin, pea or sunflowers.  The sun and heat in the staffroom gave them a good strong base.  With this warm weather, the plants should be able to be transplanted easily outside.  However, should it frost it is recommended to cover the plant to keep them healthy. It's Moving!!!! - H We have really enjoyed out Building Thing and Boats and Buoyancy Unit.  You should be very proud of your children as they were focused and worked very hard to create boats that floated, carried blocks and even propelled.  I love building houses and crafting! - V Things to Note:  Welcome to Kindergarten is June 1st . Please call the office to register if you have a little one wanting to attend the program next year. No School May 22nd for Victoria Day No School May 29th and June 9th as they are Non-Instructional Days Healthy Hungry Lunch is on Tuesday, June 20th. Please register and order online at: www.healthyhungry.ca if your child would like to participate in the Subway Lunch. Hope you have a lovely long weekend! Feel to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Weekly Update for May 1st

These are all the thoughts in our heads we would like to write about! We have so many great ideas, thoughts and dreams! 

Good Day! 

It has been a fun couple of weeks in Room 6. Our classroom has been full for questions, laughter and enjoying all the sunshine we can!

 In Language Arts we have been reading a few stories as we are learning about the differences between our physical traits and our inner character/personality traits.  We read a book called Tacky the Penguin by H. Lester and learned how being ‘tacky’ can make us interesting as well as a brave friends. We are learning how to add more descriptive words into our writing and striving to edit so our writing becomes more polished (i.e. staying in our lines, spelling words correctly, using capitals, creating complete sentences, etc). 

In Math, we have nearly mastered our skills in basic addition and subtraction facts.  We have been working on adding and subtracting double digits (without regrouping) and will be learning to regroup in the next weeks.

Everyday we take a mini class trip to the staffroom to check on the seeds we have planted.  Most of our seeds have popped up and we are enjoying watering them and taking a peek at the changes that happen every day.

Over the next month we will be combining a few units in science and social: Boats and Buoyancy, Building Things as we learn about a seaside community on the east coast called Metaghan.  My hope is that we will build a boat that floats. In class yesterday we began testing materials to find out which floated and which sank to the bottom.  To our surprise we determined that all our plastic and wooden materials floated (unless filled with water).

Things to Note: 

·      Tomorrow, Wednesday May 3^rd we have the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre visiting our Grade 1/2 classrooms. They are bringing a LIVE OWL and sharing about animal habitats, habits and needs. We are asking each child to bring in $4 to cover the cost.

·      No School May 5^th and May 29^th as they are Non-Instructional Days

·      On Tuesday, May 9^th We are excited to be take a school field trip to the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park Museum.  This is a free trip for the students. Please return the forms if you have not already done so or your child will not be able to get on the bus.  Thank you to our VOLUNTEERS! We so appreciate you taking the time to come so we can participate in these trips.

·      Healthy Hungry Lunch is on Tuesday, May 16^th. Please register and order online at: www.healthyhungry.ca if your child would like to participate in the Subway Lunch.

 As always, free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

 ;)

Kirsten Friesen

Weekly Update for April 19th

Hello! 

It is nice to be back in the classroom. Thank you for all the warm welcomes! The children have been filling me in on everything I have missed. We are thankful that Mrs. M was able to keep everything running smoothly.

We have had a busy week already and it is only Wednesday.  In class we have been trying to mix fun activities with the challenging ones.  You should feel very proud of your children for working so diligently this week.  

In Language Arts we are learning how to begin sentences with different words to create complete and interesting sentences.  We will continue our story writing unit for the next couple weeks as we focus on character development, setting and problems and solutions.

In Math, we are learning to add and subtract numbers without regrouping (i.e. no carrying).  We are working on understanding which numbers are in the ones, tens and hundreds column and lining them carefully on top of each other to ensure we get the correct answers.  The second day of practice was much more fun and successful than our first day.

In Science we have planted pumpkin, sunflower or pea seeds. We will be watching them develop and practice writing about them in our science journals.  The children were excited to pick their seeds and put them in the staffroom window to be warmed by the sun.

Things to Note:

·      Healthy Hungry Lunch is on Tuesday, April 25^th.  Cut off for purchasing is soon.  Please register and order online at: www.healthyhungry.ca if your child would like to participate in the Boston Pizza hot lunch.

·      May 3^rd we have the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre visiting our Grade 1/2 classrooms. They will be bringing in a LIVE OWL or HAWK into our classrooms and sharing about animal habitats, needs and how the centre assists in the rescue of injured wildlife. We will be asking each child to bring in $3 to cover the cost and support the WRC. This money will be used by the society to further assist with their mission. More information will follow earlier next week.

·      No School May 5^th as it is a Non-Instructional Day

·      Student Council has organized ‘Bring anything but a Backpack to School’ day on April 28^th. Children will be asked to bring something funny to replace their backpacks i.e. a pail, a cardboard box, etc.

o   For safety purposes we are asking that we don’t bring large items that would block our hallway

As always, free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Hope you are having a good week and our warmer weather comes back soon!

Learning new skills is fun, but hard work!
We are sweating! -Z

Weekly Update for Dec 5th

Thank you to all those who took the time to meet with me for parent teacher interviews. It was so nice to share about your child and how they have been growing and learning. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to book an interview and weren’t able to the past week.

We are happy to say that almost all of our class was able to be at school today.  We missed the couple students that were absent, but are so happy that the majority of the class is feeling better. 

Our focus in Language Arts has been to continue learning reading strategies as well as learning how to create and extend the sentences we write.

In Math, we are learning our numbers to 100 (for grade one) and 1000 (for grade two). The children are enjoying the challenge of ordering numbers, adding numbers and finding number patterns.

In Science we will be wrapping up our study of Seasonal Changes/Hot and Cold, by incorporating a bit of the program from the needs of Small Crawling animals.

**Each student is asked to bring a sour cream sized container with a re-sealable lid to keep a small ‘pet’ in for the next few weeks.  It is a surprise as the students do not know what we are learning about yet. Please dig through your recycling and find a container for them to bring.  I have their pets in my house and hope to hand them out on Wednesday or Thursday.

Things to Note:

• December 13^th is our McDonald’s Healthy Hungry Lunch. Cut off for purchasing is a few days before.  Please register and/or order online at: www.healthyhungry.ca if your child would like to participate in hot lunch.
• We have confirmed our Little Red Reading House for December 16^th.  We are in need of volunteers for our Field Trip for that morning. Please let me know if you can come with our class. J
• Last day of classes before the break is Thursday, December 22^nd.  We are on Winter break from Friday, Dec 23^rd- Sunday Jan 15^th.  Our first day back will be on Monday, January 16^th.
• Please have your son/daughter bring a disposable sour cream like sized container with a resealable lid for our new pets. Small/medium sizes are better, but the larger ones will be fine also.
• There will be some fun dress up days and activities the last school week before break.  More information to follow.

As always, free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. 

Kirsten Friesen

Our wreath bearers and speakers did such a great job
recognizing those who served and are serving our country.

Weekly Update Nov 21st 

We are looking forward to meeting with you to celebrate your child’s learning during our parent/teacher interviews on Thursday evening or on Friday morning.  Our conferences have now switched to being online as we are trying to keep our exposure to illnesses at a limit.  There should have been a link emailed to you on Friday. 

If you have not registered for a meeting, please log in to your power school account and book an interview.  If you are having difficulties making an appointment please reach out to me or contact the office for assistance.

;)
Kirsten Friesen

We can use all the parts of a pumpkin so there is no waste. -L Weekly News for Nov 9th, 2022 Hello, We have enjoyed learning and writing about fall these last few weeks by sampling apples/creating smartie graphs as we comparing data, carving pumpkins, roasting seeds and making applesauce as we are learning how to create instructions. It has been a fun, full and busy week.    We used the Smarties that were given to us by Zayn's Mom! A special Thank-you to her for thinking of us! :) Things to Note:  Our Remembrance Day ceremony is tomorrow and will begin just after 10:15am. **Please have your child wear red, black or white.We would love if you are able to join us.   Healthy Hungry Lunch is on Tuesday.  Cut off for purchasing is within a few days.  Please register and order online at: www.healthyhungry.ca if your child would like to participate in hot lunch.  Parent/Teacher Conferences are on Nov 24th and 25th.  I am excited to meet with you to share what your child has learned and how they have grown. Please book online when the link is sent out.   No School Nov 11th and Nov 25th.  We are just finalizing our field trip for December. We are planning on visiting the Little Red Reading House on Dec 16th.  Please pencil in that date if you have your volunteer clearance and would like to join us.  We will be needing volunteers to come with us on that day. As always, free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or come across difficulties signing up for conference.  Kirsten Friesen I'll help you pull out all the seeds. -J

Quotes: My cheeks feel chilly -R     I wear a hoodie -Z     The leaves change colour -E

Good Day,

Welcome Back after a lovely fall break!  The children have settled well. We have welcomed 2 new pets and a couple of plants into our classroom.  We are learning how to take care of them and about their needs. 

This week are we working on learning about the season fall and exploring using all of our senses. We have taken a fun walk outside.  Please check out our website to see some fun fall pictures. In language we are working on recognizing some new sight words and writing sentences with periods. In math we are working on growing patterns and skip counting.  We have been learning some fun songs and playing games while finding patterns.

Things to note for this week:

·      This week we are participating in Secret Path Week as well as remembering and learning about Downie Wenjack

·      We have our Downie Wenjack Walk this Friday Morning. Please dress for the weather.  Rain or Shine.  We are asking the children to dress in purple or orange

·      Photo retakes are October 24^th! Bring your best smile and please catch me or send me a note/email so I make sure and send your child for the retakes.

·      We will be having an OPTIONAL hot lunch program once a week.  The first day we offer hot lunch is Subway on November 15^th.  More information to follow in the school newsletter.  Please go to www.healthyhunger.ca  to register.

·      Dental visit on Nov 8^th.  Please watch for more information & paperwork.  It’s a free program so please take advantage. You can always get the check and make a note to skip the fluoride treatment if you recently had it done.

·      No School for students October 28^th and November 11^th

** Due to the change in lunchtimes we no longer have an afternoon snack. If the children are hungry they are welcome to have one of their snacks. However, I no longer feel it is necessary to have a structured snack in the afternoon.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or if you child has any concerns.

Kirsten Friesen 

Fall leaf piles are so much fun! - E

September 28th 

We had a great time at the Calgary Zoo!  Thank you to ALL our volunteers who made this experience possible.  We are so thankful to the Vermillion Backpack Fund for giving us the great opportunity! 

Kirsten Friesen

Seeing the Penguins! 

Learning about Camels and that some live in cooler climates like ours! 

Zoo Trip! 

Just REMINDER: There is a Non-Instructional day so there is NO SCHOOL for students tomorrow, September 23rd. 

EXCITING NEWS! We are going on a field trip to the zoo next Wednesday! Our forms are coming home today. PLEASE fill them out and send them back on Monday. We MUST have completed forms for your child to attend. 

THANK YOU for your attention and help in getting these forms back completed quickly. We are so excited to go!! 

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. 

Mrs. Friesen

Meet our New Friend Chaos! Thank you to Harlow for bringing in your beautiful cat!  Chaos is so nice - W      Why do his ears move? -R     What makes him run fast? - S September 13th - 23rd We have had a lovely opportunity to welcome 3 new students into our classroom this past week.  You should be so proud of your children.  They have invited our new friends to play, been excellent role models, showed them where to find supplies and helped them learn new routines.  The new students have fit right in and become a lovely part of our group! Things to note for this week: Terry Fox Run is Friday Morning. Please dress for the weather.  Rain or Shine. Please bring Toonies for our Terry Fox Run.  We are collecting them in the office for Cancer Research We have a cat show and tell Wednesday, Sept 14th at 8:00am.  As our theme this week has been cats and we are excited to meet Chaos.  Harlow is bringing in her cat to share and will help us answer questions.  If you have any concerns please email me. The cat will only be here for a short visit due to allergies in the building.  We will have a guest teacher in on Thursday and Friday this week. The ZOO field trip is confirmed for September 28th. More information to follow as we get closer to our dates.  Orange Shirt Day is October 29th. No School for students September 23rd and September 30th.  As always, please let me know if you have any questions or if you child has any concerns.  Kirsten Friesen

V is arranging, sorting and discovering patterns

Weekly News for September 6th - September 16th

Hope you were able to enjoy this nice weather over our long weekend.  It has been such a lovely way to start the school year.

We have been having a lot of fun in Room 6 these past few weeks.  We have enjoyed sharing our interests and playing games with our friends.  Room 6 is looking forward to welcoming a new student(s) into our classroom. 

In Language, we have started to learn new and review our reading strategies during our Pete the Cat study.   To extend our learning, we will be reading, writing and drawing about cats we may have as pets or have seen in our own community. Request: **Please let me know if anyone is interested in bringing their pet cat for a short show and tell.

In Math, we will be working on making patterns, extending patterning with a focus on growing patterns (.    :    .:    ::    .::    :::  , etc.) and then incorporate patterns we can find in numbers up to 100/1000.

In Phys Ed we are going to be strengthening our bodies by running laps around the field to prepare for our Terry Fox Run.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• *New* Breakfast Club Times: Every Monday & Wednesday (please arrive at 7:30am to attend. All are welcome to attend (no fees). We also have breakfast club alternating Fridays.
• The morning of Friday, September 16 we have tentatively scheduled our Terry Fox Run.
• Friday, September 23rd is a Non-Instructional Day.  No School for the Students.
• Wednesday, September 28^th we are going to the Zoo.  Please watch for more information to follow.  If you have your clearance and are interested in volunteering, please let me know.
• September 29^th is Orange Shirt Day.
• No School September 30^th for Truth and Reconciliation Day.

Note: If you have not done so already, please contact me or email me to let me know who will be picking up your child.  I want to make sure they make it home safely!  My email is: kffriesen@cbe.ab.ca .

It is such a pleasure to teach your children and I love seeing their smiling faces.  Please connect with me if you have any questions or concerns. I will be away today and tomorrow (Sept 6/7), but will be back in the class on Thursday if you would like to connect with me then. Ms. Polga will be our guest teacher.

See you Soon,

Kirsten Friesen

E putting a puzzle together with his new friends.

Weekly News August 16th - August 26th

We had a fun and busy first day! It was nice to catch up with old friends and meet many new ones.   

This week we are studying Mo Willems’ book series called The Pigeon. He is such a silly bird and we are enjoying following his adventures. To extend our learning, we will be reading, writing and drawing about various backyard birds we may see in our own communities.

In Math we will be working on adding and subitizing (learning to recognize at a glance) numbers up to 6 or 12 using dice, blocks, base ten manipulatives and more. This is to help us become quicker at answering questions, gain confidence and to assist in the memorization of our basic facts

Please send these items to school with your child: 

• a morning and afternoon snack for our tummy’s as we have longer afternoons this year
• a FULL water bottle everyday so we can stay hydrated
• a hoodie or sweater for our classroom as the air conditioner is cool in the afternoons
• a summer show and tell item for tomorrow: Tuesday, August 16th
• Optional Item: Wipes for our classroom

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Breakfast Club: Arrive at 7:30am on Wed and Thurs (Aug 17^th/19^th) to attend. All are welcome to attend (no fees).
• On Monday, August 22^nd it is Picture Day
• Meet the Teacher, August 25^th at 5:30pm. More information to follow.

***If you have not done so already, please contact me or email me to let me know who will be picking up your child.  I want to make sure they make it home safely!  My email is: kffriesen@cbe.ab.ca .

Thanks for your support as we are just getting settled into our first days. The easiest ways to connect with me over the school year will be to catch me at the door or by sending me an email. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  If I am not able to assist you, I will find someone who can!  :)

Enjoy the warmer weather,

Kirsten Friesen

Welcome back for the 2022/2023 school year! I hope that you’ve had a wonderful summer break.  My name is Kirsten Friesen and I will be your child’s teacher. I am thrilled to be welcoming students into our classroom on Monday, August 15, 2022.  On the first day of school, check the class lists outside the school to confirm your child’s teacher. Teachers will be outside with signs for students to identify them.  Students will then meet their teacher near the playground line up and enter through the doors that face the playground.  Staff will be outside at 7:53 and the bell to line up will ring at 7:58 am, students will enter the school with their teacher at 8:00 am, and are dismissed out the same door at 2:40pm.  Please have students arrive with: Indoor shoes (to leave at school)  Water bottle Lunch and snack (please note that all garbage from lunches goes back home) Backpack for all belongings Headphones (labelled with your child’s name, if your child does not have headphones to bring, they will use the shared ones in the classroom)  All personal belongings labelled with name *Please note that you do not need to send any school supplies with your child, we have everything we need! Thank you! Important notes: Please check teacher pages regularly for updates and important information! Link below: Mrs. Friesen - https://school.cbe.ab.ca/schoo... Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. We are looking forward to seeing your children and getting our school year off to a great start on Monday, August 15th.  I can't wait to see you all!  Have a wonderful weekend, Kirsten Friesen kffriesen@cbe.ab.ca