December Calendar & Newsletter

December is a festive yet busy month with a lot going on! There is a lot to look forward to. Please pay special attention to blog updates and ClassDojo as additional information about events pop up throughout the month.

Willow Park School Christmas Concert at Daystar Church

• Wednesday, December 14th: Dress Rehearsal
• Thursday, December 15th:

Daystar Church Address:

3610 Gaetz Road

Leduc, AB

(Corner of Rollyview Rd & Gaetz Rd (RR250))

Christmas Concert Times:

12:45 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

• Mrs. Gray has requested that all students dress in ‘concert wear’ with some sort of hat that will be supplied by the school. Mrs. Gray has requested that students bring the following specific props
• Stockings- Meika, Shaina, John-Sidney, Drew
• Dolls- Grace G., Payton, Emma, Kaylee, Haley, Mae
• Balls- Sam,
• Bexon, Cohen, Nik, Ryder, Isabella TBA

Social/Science: Preparing for Christmas

We will be learning about traditions in Social Studies by preparing a traditional Christmas party and making a Family Traditions Christmas Recipe book. More information will follow in the coming weeks, but in the coming weeks we will be requesting a family favourite/traditional recipe to be sent in! (Just the written or typed recipe, NOT the actual food!)

Class Christmas Party

Friday, December 23rd

If you’d like to send in a snack such as veggie or fruit tray, cheese and crackers, or christmas baking, please let me know so I can give you amounts and any allergy information. There will be more information about our traditional Christmas party to follow!

Sledding

Grade One’s toboggan hill day is Monday. Students may come with toboggans or sleds on Mondays or leave them here! Please make sure that they are well labeled. Students without signed forms will not be permitted to toboggan.

Lost and Found

While we try very hard to make sure all students are taking responsibility for organizing their belongings, with all of these mittens, toques, scarves, and other winter accessories floating around, it is quite the adventure! Please make sure that your child’s winter-wear is well labelled. Lost and Found items are sent to the boot room closest to the gym at the end of the day. If you have a missing item, take some time to check the lost and found at the beginning or end of the day.

No School Days

• Friday, Dec. 2nd
• Last Day of School is Friday, Dec. 23rd
• Classes Resume Monday, January 9th

I am looking forward to all of the excitement that this holiday season brings! As always, do not hesitate to call, email, or check in on ClassDojo if you have any questions or require additional information.

Please continue to check the blog weekly for various information updates!

A Peek at the Week: Nov. 28. - Dec. 2

Report Cards went home on Friday, along with most of the students' term 1 work (except for the work that stays in their workbooks and scribblers). Thank you for returning your child's signed report card envelopes! If you haven't returned your child's envelope with your signature, please do so.

Christmas Book Orders will be placed today after school.

New word sorts will be sent home today. There will be a pre-test on Thursday, Dec. 1 and a final test Friday, Dec. 9th

This Wednesday is TWIN DAY! Younger students do need more parent involvement to pull this day off! Please prompt your child to choose a friend and pick what you're going to wear, or contact the parent of your child's friend to arrange an outfit. Triplets, quadruplets, etc. are also welcome. 

Family Night is this Tuesday evening. Bring your favourite board game and enjoy playing together with your family!

Sight Words That Stick: Your child should have received the green list sight words last Wednesday. Every Wednesday I will sit down with each student and go through the word list with them. If they are able to read all 10 words, they receive a piece of bubble gum. I will also be reviewing previous word lists with them, just as you should be at home. 

Students are enjoying preparing for Boo the Monkey's Party while we continue to learn about equal and unequal amounts in math! Every day Boo the Monkey is hiding in a different place in our classroom and has a new party task for us to prepare with very specific instructions about amounts. 

There is no school Friday, Dec. 2nd this week

Retro Bill Family Presentation TONIGHT

We were lucky to have a special guest at Assembly this morning. Retro Bill, www.retrobill.com, visited Willow Park to give a special, RCMP sponsored presentation on staying positive, being a respectful citizen, and treating one another with kindness. If you'd like to experience his very entertaining and motivational anti-bullying message, West Haven School is hosting Retro Bill for a free Family Presentation tonight @ 7:00. 

Information Wednesday: Nov. 23rd

Sight Words That Stick
Today was bubblegum day! That means students were tested individually on their pink list. If they were able to read all 10, they received a piece of bubblegum. If they were not able to, we will try again tomorrow (meaning they will need to practice tonight). All students received their green list. Please do not stop practicing pink words. Simply add the green words to your bubblegum word flashcard pile. Students will be tested again next Wednesday. 

Frozen Treat Friday
I will be sending our class order in first thing tomorrow morning

Family Game Night
Next Tuesday, Nov. 29th, 6:00-7:30
Bring your favourite game and your family and enjoy a night of board game fun!

Report Cards will go home on Friday, Nov. 25th 

Boston Pizza Hot Lunch orders are due Friday, Nov. 25th

Hot Dog Day orders due Thursday, Dec. 1 (forms went home today)

Toboggan Hill
Please see the information form sent home today, read in detail, and return signed. Students with no form will NOT be permitted to go on the toboggan hill. 

A Peek at the Week: Nov. 21-25

Can't Stop This Feeling Music Video

Students are enjoying our dance unit- this week we are learning a new line dance to the song "Can't Stop This Feeling" from the movie, trolls. I've included the music video as well as the line dance if your child wants to practice at home (or teach you their new moves!)

Can't Stop This Feeling Line Dance

Just a reminder that students will be tested on their pink level bubblegum sight words tomorrow. If they get all of their bubblegum words correct, they receive a piece of bubblegum along with the next level of sight words. Once they receive their next level, which is green, please continue to review both the pink and green words with your child.

Our spelling test for ap and ag word families is this Friday. 

It is also Frozen Treat Friday this week. If you'd like to purchase a revel for your child, please send $1.00 by Thursday morning. Late orders will not be accepted. 

Have a great week!

Information Wednesday

It is that time of year again!

I will be sending home a Scholastic Book Club Christmas order package today. There are many selections that are Christmas themed or could even be possible Christmas presents. If you would like to purchase something and would like it to be a surprise for your child, please indicate this on the order form and I will make sure NOT to send it home with your child, but arrange for you to pick it up from the school instead. 

In order to ensure that orders arrive in time for Christmas break, they must be returned by Monday, November 28th. I will place the order after school on Monday, November 28th. Late orders will not be accepted.

Milk Orders

The milk program is back, orders can be placed online at willowpark.milkprogram.com

Santa's Helpers

We will be collecting donations from now until Dec. 16th. 

Frozen Treat Friday

Send $1.00 to school for Frozen Treat Friday on Nov. 25th. Orders are due by Thursday, Nov. 24th @ 9:00 am. No late orders will be accepted.

Sight Words that Stick: Bubblegum Sight Word Program

I sent home information regarding our Bubblegum Sight Word program today as well. Sight words that Stick! is intended to provide your child with lots of practice reading those words that stick around. We see them everywhere in our reading and writing.Words are sent home on Wednesdays and students are tested on Wednesday or Thursday. Please see the newsletter that was sent home today for additional information. As always, if you have further questions or require additional information, do not hesitate to contact me!

50 Playful Ways to Practice Sight Words: 

http://childhood101.com/2013/09/sight-words-activity-ideas/

A note about 'homework'

Bubble Gum Sight words and Words Their Way word sort programs are two separate programs that we will work on at the same time. Please continue to spend some time each night working on these words. 10-15 minutes of word work (Spelling City or other activities), along with 10-15 minutes of reading (books or RAZ Kids) each evening is just right in terms of homework, unless I have sent other 'extra practice' work specific to your child's areas of growth. During Term 1, we have focused mostly on reviewing letter sounds and identifying beginning, middle, and ending sounds when reading and writing individual words. In Term 2, our focus shifts to reading multiples sentences and simple stories. While our official home reading program will begin at the end of Term 1 (after Nov. 25), students are still encouraged to read every night.

A Peek at the Week: Nov. 14-17

I hope that you had a great long weekend! 

• Picture Re-take Orders are due on Nov. 24th
• Hot Lunch from Domino's is this Friday, Nov. 18th
• ATB Junior Bank Banking Day is always Tuesday (tomorrow)

Language Arts
Words Their Way
Students will receive a new sort today, along with new activities on Spelling City. Their pre-test will be this Friday, and their final test will be on Friday, Nov. 25th. Please focus on sorting the words according to word family, spelling the words, and reading the words. 

Math
We are completing our numbers to 20 unit this week and will begin focusing on the concepts of equal and unequal next week.

Science
We are continuing our creating colours unit by exploring transparent and opaque objects this week

Social
We continue to learn more about the valuable members of our classroom community by interviewing the student of the week, writing about the student of the week, and listening to the student of the week as they share their identity boxes with us.

Health
We continue to explore the MindUp program where we learn about our brain and how it works. 

If you are interested in learning more about the MindUp program, there is an information session TONIGHT at the Leduc Public Library, from 6:00-7:30.

A Peek at the Week: Nov. 7-11

We have a short but busy week this week! 



Remembrance Day Assembly

• This Tuesday, Nov. 8th at 11:00
• Students who are members of a group such as: Brownies, Guides, Cubs, Scouts, Sparks, Cadets,  etc. are encouraged to wear their uniforms.
• Tuesday is a formal dress day. If your child does not have a uniform, they are encouraged to dress in formal wear. 

Words Their Way
-an/-ad word family spelling test will be this Wednesday morning. Students will receive a new sort next Monday. Please practice sorting the words according to the word family they belong to, as well as spelling and reading the words. 

Hot Lunch

The next hot lunch will be Dominoes Pizza on Friday, November.18  2016!!!

All orders must be paid at the time of placing the order and are due by 

November.11@ 3:00pm!  

ORDERS NOT PAID BY November.11@ 3:00pm WILL BE CANCELLED!!

NO LATE ORDERS OR PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED!

Mid-term Break

There is no school on Thursday, Nov. 10th and Friday Nov. 11th.