Ms. Renette's Blog for June 15-19

 Learning Intentions

• I can hold a golf club safely and correctly.
• I can be aware of my surroundings before I swing.
• I can use a balanced stance when holding a golf club.
• I can keep my eyes on the ball when I swing.
• I can aim my golf ball toward a target.
• I can use different amounts of force to move the ball different distances.
• I can improve my golf skills with practice.

This week, students were able to learn the basics of golf from Mr. Mike, one of our wonderful volunteers. The golf “course” was set up in our field, where students worked with a partner to practice both driving and putting on the TRS “range”. Luckily, Mrs. Bisson’s sons were there to help too. Thanks to the whole golf team for making this fun learning opportunity happen!

Learning Intentions:

• I can learn about different countries around the world.
• I can identify Canada, the United States and Mexico on map.
• I can identify flags from different countries.
• I can explain that the FIFA World Cup is an international soccer tournament.
• I can recognize that people can come together through sports.
• I can show respect for people from different countries and cultures.

On July 11, the 2026 FIFA World cup began in North America. In Canada, stadiums in Vancouver and Toronto are hosting World Cup matches. Our class learned about the three mascots named Maple the Moose (Canada), Zayu the Jaguar (Mexico), and Clutch the Bald Eagle (USA). Student activities for learning about the World Cup included: making flags for different nations, body and brain breaks, as well as stories and videos. This was a unique opportunity to discuss this popular global event which is watched by millions of people around the world and is being held on our continent.

At Home Learning:

Literacy:
Your child was learning about prepositions this week. Ask them to write step-by-step instructions for finding something in a room in your house. (For example, where is a favourite book or toy.)

Math:
Continue to help your child develop their number sense with money. Have them count coins (group coins into dollars) and learn how to make sure they get the right change back when they pay for things like ice cream this summer.

Photos of the Week:

 

 Learning Intentions:

• I can use suffixes to help me read and understand words.
• I can use pronouns to replace nouns in sentences.
• I can identify and create compound words.
• I can use clues from a story to understand new words and ideas.

Students continued their “Charlotte’s Web” novel study while exploring some new word building skills. They learned about suffixes (-s/-es, -ed, -ing), practiced using pronouns to replace character names in sentences, and practiced creating compound words using picture clues and words from the story.

Learning Intentions:

• I can describe what slide, turn, and flip mean in geometry.
• I can identify Canadian coins and their values.
• I can count money using skip counting strategies.
• I can use Math skills to solve money problems.

Students wrapped up the geometry unit by exploring translations (slides), rotations (turns), and reflections (flips). They began the financial literacy unit by learning about Canadian coins, identifying their values, and practicing counting coin collections. The students practiced and strengthened their skip counting skills by 2s, 5s, 10s, and 25s while finding the totals of groups of coins.

Learning Intentions:

• I can identify the characteristics of living things.
• I can describe habitats and the plants and animals that live there.
• I can explain what plants need to grow.
• I can identify ways to care for living things and the environment.

Students completed their triarama and should have brought it home to share with you. They also began our final Science unit, Living Systems, this week. The students explored what makes something living. They learned that living things need air, water, food and space to grow and change. They discussed some Alberta habitats, the plants and animals that live there, how plants make their own food, and ways we can care for the land. To finish the week, the grade 1s and 2s visited the community garden to explore nature, search for microhabitats, plant seeds and enjoy learning outdoors.

At Home Learning:
Literacy:
Choose a book and look for words ending in -s, -ed, or -ing. Discuss what the root word is and how the meaning changes when a suffix is added (e.g. called – root word = call; adding -ed changes it to past tense). Challenge your child to find two small words that can be combined to make a compound word (e.g. sun + flower = sunflower)

Math:
Invite your child to help sort and count coins at home. Ask them to identify the coins and practice counting by 5s, 10s, and 25s to find the total amount.

Science:
Go for a walk and look for living things. Encourage your child to explain what makes them live and discuss what they need to survive and grow.

Pictures of the Week:

 Learning Intentions:

• I can explore different environments in my community
• I can explore different animals in their environment
• I can explore different plants in various environments
• I can see what living things need to survive (plants and animals)
• I can see tell you about animals that migrate and hibernate
• I can tell you about different life cycles of different animals and plants 

This week the Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 students went to the Calgary Zoo! We had a wonderful time exploring different animals and plants. Throughout our adventures we focused our learning on what living things need to survive. This trip will help support our last Science unit on Living Things for both grades. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this trip possible!

Learning Intentions:

• I can tell you about different landmarks in Alberta
• I can tell you about the earth
• I can tell you how sun, land and water work together to help animals
• I can explain why we have day and night
• I can describe how Earth moves around the sun
• I can explain what makes a year and a day
• I can explain how scientists are looking for life on other planets
• I can describe why we are the only known planet that has life

This week the students continued exploring our Earth Systems. They focused on the Earth and understanding how it tells us concepts about time. It was a good review from our learning previously in Math about time! We used some new scientific concepts (rotation and revolution) to help us understand how the Earth moves and its movement around the sun. We looked at some additional planets and how they are different from our planet Earth! The students ended the week with a check-in and also created a triorama to show their understanding of Earth systems and how they work together. They will finish these creations next week. Stay tuned to see their creative pieces!

Supporting Your Child At Home:

• Literacy: Please continue to read and write with your child at home. This continuous practice helps build their confidence. This week, the students also learned how contractions are made such as I am becomes I'm. Give them two words and ask them to combine the words to make a contraction!
• Math: Next week in Math, we will be starting our Money unit. When out and about with your child, try and use cash and help them understand the value of different coins and bills!

Pictures of the Week:

 

 

Blog for May 25-29

 Learning Intentions:

• I can name and describe circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles.
• I can count the sides and vertices (corners) of 2D shapes.
• I can find shapes in my classroom, community, and artwork.
• I can find 2D shapes within 3D shapes and build 3D objects.
• I can explain how shapes can help people build shelters and stay warm.

This week in Math, students explored 2D and 3D shapes through conversations, videos, hands on activities, and independent learning. Students practiced identifying and describing shapes while noticing how shapes are used in the world around us. We explored how combining smaller shapes can create larger designs and patterns, and discussed how an object’s shape can support its purpose. Students also examined real-world examples of shapes in buildings, art, everyday objects and structures. These activities helped students see how math connects to creativity, problem solving, and daily life.

Learning Intentions:

• I can use details from a story to create pictures in my mind. 
• I can illustrate and describe scenes from a text using important details.
• I can use a dictionary to learn the meaning of new words.
• I can use new vocabulary words correctly in sentences.
• I can explain cause and effect in a story using evidence from the text.

Students continued our novel study of Charlotte’s Web by reading Chapters 7-10 together. During our reading, students practiced using visualization by creating mental pictures from descriptive text and illustrating four scenes showing early summer on the farm. We also explored new vocabulary words such as loathed, envy, unremitting, and sensible by learning to use a dictionary, looking up their meanings, and practicing using them correctly in sentences. To strengthen comprehension skills, students answered questions about the chapters and learned about cause and effect, using evidence from the text to explain how events in the story are connected. 

At Home Learning:

Literacy:

- While reading at home, pause and ask your child to picture the scene in their mind and describe what they “see.” They could also draw a quick picture of the setting or characters using details from the story.

- Choose unfamiliar words for a book or other text and look them up in a dictionary. Try using the word in a new sentence.

 

Math:

- Go on a 2D and 3D shape hunt around your home or community! Ask your child to find and name shapes they see and describe where they found them.

- Challenge them to build a simple structure or picture using household objects, or make drawings using different shapes.

 

Photos of the Week:

 

We were Earth Heroes - cleaning our school yard

Blog for May 18-22

 Learning Intentions

I can name the seasons
I can see how the land changes when the sun gets warm
I can name animals that sleep all winter
I can explain what migration means and why animals do it
I can explain what hibernation is
I can tell how animals stay warm in the snow

This week in Science, students started their Earth Sciences unit… and Spring was “in the air”. So far in this unit we have learned about Spring and Summer Changes, Hibernation and Winter Survival, and Animal Migration. As we enter the planting season, students considered how the earth “wakes up” after the long winter season. Students were practicing both the months of the year and the four seasons in our math lessons. We also explored First Nations perspectives on the Spring Equinox and learned how they watched animals to know when the seasons changed. 

Learning Intentions

I can skip safely in my own space
I can skip using a step and hop pattern
I can skip at different speeds
I can show coordination and balance while skipping
I can stop and start skipping with control

This week in Gym, students practiced their skipping skills to prepare for our school-wide Heart and Stroke’s “Jump Rope for Heart”. Skipping is a cost-effective way to get cardio exercise, and we talked about how it is important to include cardio exercise in their lives to improve their overall health. Students learned easy healthy habits and helped raise funds to support lifesaving heart and brain research. Thanks to our TRS families who shared their time and resources for this worthwhile cause.

At Home Learning:
Literacy (Vocabulary):

Ask your child to practice naming the months and seasons. You can name a month and ask which month comes before and goes after that month.

Math:

Your child brought home basic facts to practice. Please have them complete the work to build faster recall.

Photos of the Week

 Learning Intentions:

• I can listen to a story read aloud
• I can recall key details about a story
• I can make connections between the story and my life
• I can use my senses to provide more detail about a story
• I can make predictions based on prior knowledge

This week, the students continued their novel study on Charlotte's Web. Through reading chapters 1-4, the students have practiced active listening skills. Through conversations and comprehension questions, the students have worked on retelling key events from the story. The students revisited the three types of connections: text to self, text to text and text to world and how they help the reader relate to the story. Finally, they focused on how to describe Wilbur's world through the senses. They answered what the farm looks like, sounds like, tastes like, smells like and feels like from Wilbur's perspective. They are excited to see what happens next in the story!

Learning Intentions:

• I can describe things based on the time of day (morning, noon, afternoon, evening)
• I can use non-standard units of time to describe how time passes
• I can measure how long it takes to complete a task 
• I can understand the sequence of the days of the week
• I can understand the sequence of the months of the year
• I can use a calendar to help understand when important events take place
• I can use my knowledge of time to solve word problems

This week, the Grade 1 and 2 students focused on the concept of time and how we can measure time in different ways. The Grade 1 students spent a lot of "time" learning about different vocabulary to describe different times in the day such as morning and evening. They also focused on describing time by using the seasons and the days of the week. The Grade 2 students focused on measuring time using non-standard units, the months of the year and calendars. They also using their mathematical knowledge to solve word problems around time. The students will continue to explore these concepts within time next week!

Supporting Your Child at Home:

• Literacy: Please continue to read and write with your child at home. We are seeing an increase of confidence in the students and we want to continue to push them to feel good when they are reading or writing. 
• Math: Please continue to practice addition and subtraction basic facts so students can solve these problems quickly and with accuracy. 

Photos of the Week