last school day of the year

First, thank you so much for the generous gifts.  I am always overwhelmed by my students families generosity.  You are very kind.

Second, I wish you all a wonderful two weeks filled with fun family time.  For those of you celebrating Christmas, I wish you a Happy Christmas.

Looking for a project while your children are at home.  Try this:

Mixed-Up Menagerie

What you will need: pipe cleaners in lots of colours and thicknesses, pencil, index card, markers

With pipe cleaners, make animals you are familiar with.  Then make and name the mystery animals.  Do a little mixing and matching, and create an animal with a giraffe's neck, a tigers body, and a monkey tail - or what-ever you can come up with!  Round shapes can be made by twisting the pipe cleaners around pencils and compressing the spirals.  When the menagerie is complete, make name cards for each animal with index cards and markers.  Invite visitors to admire your experimental zoo!

Have a wonderful holiday!  I can't wait to see you all in the New Year.

:)
Miss Mynes

a little about today

Today, we will go to the gym to sing Christmas carols with the whole school.  We have health with Miss McGregor and will get new library books with Ms. Dykstra.  We will act out Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, match magnet upper and lower case letters and make letters with play dough.  I will read with seniors and we will all do writing folders.  In the afternoon, the juniors will begin math folders and we will talk about the numbers the kids have found in their home.  At least that is the plan - there may not be enough hours in the day.

Have a great day,
Miss Mynes

a crazy week

This week before the holidays is always a week of interruptions.  Although I try hard to continue teaching and maintaining routine.  Today, with the concert dress rehearsal and then performance, I'm not sure what teaching and learning will happen.

On Friday, we will have a party to celebrate the upcoming holiday.  It will be in the afternoon.  feel free to send in a treat for your child to share with their peers.

:)
Miss Mynes

this weeks theme

This week, our anchor text is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.  The focus will be the alphabet.  In Math, we are working on writing numbers, today we will be walking around the school looking for numbers and talking about what the numbers are used for.

In the morning the whole school will gather in the gymnasium for Christmas carols.

:)
Miss Mynes

germs, germs, germs

There is a terrible stomach virus going through our class, and also the rest of the school.  After suffering with it yesterday, I know how terrible it is.  If your child is complaining of an upset stomach or is throwing up, please keep them at home so we can stop this virus in it's tracks.

Washing your hands is the best defense,
Miss Mynes

indoor shoes

As it gets colder, some children are wearing boots to school.  If your child wears boots to school, please send a pair of running shoes for them to wear inside the school.  Your child will be more comfortable in the classroom and will be safer participating in physical education.  Your child can bring their indoor shoes home each day or leave them at school until boot season is over.

:)
Miss Mynes

The Milk Program is up and running and many children are enjoying their daily carton of milk.  If you would like your child to recieve a carton of milk - white or chocolate - each day please contact the office (416-396-6365) and see if you can join in mid-month.  I believe it works out to 50 cents a day.

:)
Miss Mynes

rain, rain go away

A rainy day is a perfect day for an after school activity.  Try this one:

Tees, Please

Gather a cotton t-shirt in any colour, pictures cut out from printed fabric of cars, aircraft, horses, stuffed animals, flowers, etc, scissors, dual sided fusible interfacing, fabric paint in tubes, wide pieces of cardboard

Wash and dry the tshirt first, don't use fabric softener.  Cut out the pictures and other shapes from the fabric.  Plan your original design.  Then cut out interfacing to match the fabric pieces.  Iron the interfacing onto the fabric pieces onto the tshirt.  Slip cardboard form into the tshirt to make the fabric taut before painting.  Using fabric paint in tube, outline all edges of the pictures.  Let the paint dry, and then outline the edges again.  Let dry for 24 hours.  Avoid using fabric softener in the wash later because it could loosen the fabric pictures.

Happy Crafting,
Miss Mynes

PS In class today we will be decorating paper caps and practicing to print the number 4 amongst other things.

next week

Next week, our anchor text is Caps for Sale by Slobodkina.  It is a classic tale of a peddler who has to deal with some frustrating monkeys.  On Friday the 14th, we will have Hat Day.  The children can wear their favourite hat on this day.  If you have any old baseball caps laying around the house, it would be great if you could donate them to the class.

Have a great weekend.
:)
Miss Mynes

P.S.  Lola, the Leopard gecko, is back.

Math Folders

The senior kindergarten students have begun math folders.  This is a way for students to learn and practice their math skills.  Most math is taught with hands on, play based activity but representing mathematical ideas in a traditional, pencil and paper way is an important skill to develop.  Right now, they are working on printing numbers and identifying numbers.  Junior kindergarten students will begin math folders in the new year.

:)
Miss Mynes

Lola Returns

Tomorrow, assuming all goes according to plan, I will be bringing Lola the leopard gecko back to the school.  Lola will live with us until Christmas.

Ask your child about Lola tomorrow.
:)
Miss Mynes

Albert Campbell Library

Just a reminder that we will visit the Albert Campbell Library on Wednesday morning.  Also, Friday is a Professional Development Day where all teachers in Toronto attend a conference.  There is no school for the children on Friday.

Have a good day,
Miss Mynes