This week we watched the Elf Movie to create an interest in letter writing.  Then we got the tree and created ornaments for it (thanks for the donation of ornaments, they loved them).  I think it's our best tree yet!  We made those every popular chains (numbered of course).  You can do that at home too and count down the days until Christmas holidays, a special event, etc.

In addition to the monthly goals we are focusing on letter formation.  The writing centre is going up this week and we are just putting together a number of items that we think your children will enjoy.  Matteo brought in some Christmas cards, we have some envelopes, some Christmas paper, pencil grips, some stickers, pom poms (some children need to grasp these with their two small fingers in order to hold the pen properly), We have letter charts, word lists, and examples of letters.  If you want to create your own writing centre at home and find items that enhance your child's writing experience please let us know and we will try to get those for our centre.  If you have envelopes or special pens that create interest in writing and can donate them to our class we would also appreciate that.

Keep the donations for the basket coming; thanks Molly, and Mrs. Stroyan for our latest gifts. 

Update on class goals

Goals 

Social: 
- demonstrate the ability to take turns in activities and discussions (engage in play activities with others, listen to peers and adults)    e.g.,
- in the dramatic centre children negotiate roles
- games that involve turn taking
- participate in small and large group settings    

- Thanks to our brilliant Mrs. Stroyan our hoop talk is going very well.  When students are having difficulty communicating or sharing and item they place the item on the outside of the hoop, sit facing one another, and communicate.  We are right there but only interject if we feel they are getting too frustrated.  Children have learned to stop yelling, take turns talking, and come up with a solution. They must give their partner permission to leave the hoop so 1) they want to come up with a solution, 2) no one stomps off, and 3) they learn self control and cooperation --- we are so happy with this technique, ask your child about it.
2.1
- demonstrate self-reliance and a sense of responsibility (e.g., make choices and decisions on their own, take care of personal belongings, know when to seek assistance, know how to get materials they need)    e.g.,
- job board (students are placed into 'teams' to clean different areas of the room) 
- students are responsible for routines in the classroom (placing their items in the appropriate areas: cubbies, bins, drying rack, lunch trolley, moving their 'faces' on the snack board)    - We have graphs for each child that show their progress in being independent with their belongings at the beginning of each day.
- Job boards indicate areas of responsibility for each child and are referred to three times a day.
Math
NS1.1
- investigate (e.g., using a number line, a hundreds carpet, a board game with numbered squares) the idea that quantity is greater when counting forward and less when counting backwards    e.g.,
- using manipulatives when moving forward and backwards along a numbers line, and using their bodies on a hundreds carpet
- games: snakes and ladders, trouble, number BINGO
- counting games     

- Bingo games are very popular with this group.  
- We have 100 charts with bingo dabbers and are skip counting (for SKs and some JKs).
- Chains that count down until the holidays.  Students are encouraged to make their own.

G3.3
- compose pictures, and build designs, shapes, and patterns, using two-dimensional shapes, and decompose two-dimensional shapes into smaller shapes, using various tools or strategies (e.g., sand and the sand table, stickers, geoboards, pattern blocks, a computer program    e.g., 
- identifying: circle, square, rectangle, oval, star, kite/diamond, triangle
- this picture of a cow is 2D because it is flat, the plastic stand up cow is 3D because it is fat
- we are making a zoo, farm, ocean --- we will be drawing plans for barns, we will be tracing shapes that make those buildings that include triangles (roof), squares (side) and rectangles (doors) children will reconstruct the buildings by placing the shapes together    

- We are making decorations in the house using a variety of shapes.
- The Zoo was popular on Friday and Monday --- then came Christmas so those painted boxes for the barns and oceans and the cages for the Zoo --- recycled.
- It seems to be all about the holidays so we are going to be looking at 2 and 3D shapes in the room.
Language
1.2
- listen and respond to others for a variety of purposes (e.g., to exchange ideas, express feelings, offer opinions) and in a variety of contexts (e.g., after read-alouds and shared reading or writing activities; while solving a class math problem; in imaginary or exploratory play; at the learning centres; while engaged in games and outdoor play/ while making scientific observations of creatures outdoors)    

- we have a new Writing Centre stocked with:  gel pens and paper, special theme paper, writing tools for sketching and documenting any observations if they choose
- we will offer challenges to their thinking (e.g., "What makes you think the animals will need cages?", "I see you changed your mind about the shape of the barn.  Why?")  

- We have begun letters to Santa (asking for the Elf on the Shelf to come back).  

- Children are making Christmas cards and tags and lists and notes to each other

It has been so wonderful to read their notes to each other.  You have done a really nice job of giving us kids that are kind, inclusive, fun, and eager to learn.  Thank you for making our jobs so enjoyable.