Norris, S - Grade 4/5

Lochside is a busy place in December.  Please read carefully and take note of important dates and reminders.

Upcoming Dates / Reminders:

Last week I sent an email on behalf of the class reps. They are putting together an email list for them to use to communicate with all of the families in the class. There hasn't been much of a response. Please take a minute and email either of the ladies this week.On Friday last week the students brought home an envelope and letter from the PAC.  There is a gingerbread man for the kids to colour and cut out and bring to the front office where volunteers will attach them to the gingerbread house for decorations.  If your family is able to donate food items for the food drive, you can bring them directly to the gingerbread house by the office. The food drive will be going on for the next 2 weeks.  Gifts cards to Walmart or Uptown along with monetary donations are accepted in the cardboard train in the foyer.  If your family would like to fulfill a wish, you can check out the holiday gift wish items for families in need in our community. These are on the gingerbread men on the tree which you can remove, purchase the item, and return both in the cardboard train.Report cards will be going home on Friday. You can keep the report card and return the envelope signed on the back, with a comment if you so choose, the following week. Book Exchange is on Thursday morning. Please return your library books by Wednesday along with the poem books from November.Read Around the Room this week on Friday, 8:40-9:00am. Parents and grandparents welcome!Kindergarten classes will be performing some songs they have been learning with Mrs. Chater on Tuesday, December 15th at 1:30pm in the school gym.  Mark your calendar and plan to be there for the Primary Concert.Information about Eye See ... Eye Learn went home earlier this year. Remember that it is a good idea to have your child's vision checked at least once while they are in kindergarten. Here is some important information for you:Eye See . . . Eye Learn - Program from the BC Doctors of Optometry

• -Supported by Ministry of Education

  -Available to all Kindergarten students free of charge

  -Children receive full eye examination by a qualified optometrist

  -Program available all year round

  -Prescription eye glasses covered free of charge

  -Why? 80% of learning is visual – vision is key to learning

  -1 in 4 children has a vision issue

  -60% of children with a Learning Disability have vision issues

  -Kindergarten screening does not pick up all of the vision problems that students have

  
  

Classroom News:

Theme Studies:  This week we will try to answer one of our wonderings.  Last week we read about the appearance of owls and I told the students about a time when I saw 4 owls by my house.  2 owls were teaching 2 fledglings how to hunt. The students wondered who catches the food for babies. We will use books and videos to try and help us answer that this week.  As we get into December, we will be doing some Christmas-themed activities.  We have started a countdown to Christmas with 24 loops. Each day we'll take off a loop and notice how many we have left when we take one away.

Social Responsibility:  We continue to practice taking care of ourselves at Lochside, take care of each other, and take care of our community.  Last week we read a book called 'How are you Peeling?' We are learning to look at our friend's faces and body language to know how to help, play, and be a good friend to.

Science: Today we got into the courtyard to observe closely. We used clipboards, pencils, magnifying glasses, and a tool to choose an area to look at closely. We found some neat things in the courtyard, including ice!  We liked dropping it and breaking it down into smaller pieces.  Some of us tried to lick it but we remembered that it's important to only put things in our mouth that are clean and/or an adult has said it was okay.

Gym: In Gym we are working on rolling and fielding skills with a ball.