Week 9 Term 3

This week, the children have been putting the finishing touches to their collaborative pages for the class non-fiction eBooks. Working in small groups, the children have started recording the voice overs for their pages on Book Creator and the depth of understanding is wonderful to see. The vast majority of information relayed in the eBooks is related to how animals have adapted in order to survive and each page includes a photo, illustration or annotated diagram alongside other non-fiction book features. The MISO research technique has really helped the children to organise their thinking and ideas to make their information clearer to the reader. 

After lots of badgering, we finally got around to making our puppets this week. The children tried to follow their designs as closely as possible but were somewhat limited by colour choices. Also, some children decided to adapt their animals as they went...linking beautifully with our unit!

Next week, we will spend some time looking back through our Portfolios and celebrating our achievements across the year. All being well, these will be sent home with the children next Wednesday and will provide a fantastic record of their learning in K2BeM. Look after them!

To celebrate the end of this final unit AND the end of a wonderful year of inquiry in K2, we are planning an “Animal Dress-Up Day” next Tuesday 17th June. The children are invited to come to school dressed as a favourite animal, wearing an animal t-shirt, animal patterns or anything associated with animals. Of course, this is not compulsory and the children can wear their regular uniform if they wish to. We are planning a last session with our G3 buddies on the same day and were wondering about animal face painting as a fun activity to enjoy together at the end of the year. We thought we could design and paint animal patterns on each other. Of course, we will source child-friendly face paints BUT if you would rather your child did not have their face painted for whatever reason, please let me know asap.

In Reading Workshop, we have spent time reflecting on and celebrating our journey as readers over our the last year. We have certainly come a long way in terms of reading strategies and skills but, hopefully, we have also developed a passion for reading that extends far beyond the classrooms and will continue to grow for many years to come. Having said that, there will be no more reading books coming home next week! This is to allow us the time to take stock of our books and organise everything for next year. Please return any school books as soon as possible. In addition, if you have one of our 'Whisper Phones' at home, please also return that next week.

In Writing Workshop, the children have been fixing and fancying up their writing, making final revisions on their selected pieces ready for publication next week. These published pieces will be the final entries in the Portfolios and, hopefully, comparing and contrasting these with the children’s very first writing sample from August 2013 will highlight just how far they have come as writers. 

In Mathematics, the children have been exploring real-life problems (involving raccoons and piranhas!) and generating the most efficient ways to solve them using addition and subtraction strategies. In each instance, they have been encouraged to illustrate their thinking either on paper or on a white board. They were invited to include illustrations, words and/or numbers in their explanations and, then, to talk a friend or an adult through their thinking process. It is very heartening to hear how comfortable, confident and articulate they have become at sharing their mathematical reasoning. As you observed during our Mathematics Workshare, this is something they have learnt to embrace in Number Talks and watching them transfer these skills to problem solving is fantastic to see.

Lastly, Happy Dad's Day for Sunday...we hope you enjoy your special messages!

Requests and Reminders

*No more reading books coming home-please return all school books asap

*K2 Animal Dress-Up Day-Tuesday 17th June

*Swap Day-Wednesday 18th June-the K2 children will spend some time with their G1 teacher and classmates

*Reports and Portfolios-these will be sent home on Wednesday 18th June
*Crazy Hair Day-Thursday 19th June

*End of Term-Friday 20th June-School finishes at 11.00am for Infants

Have a great weekend.