Purple Room Wins Trophy: Best Recycling Class!

Since September Mrs. Kimberley and I have been really trying to get our class to pay attention to how to recycle. It has really paid off and we won the best recycling class of the month!!!!!

Ms. Tikk has been a great addition as recycling is dear to her also.

Let's celebrate and keep up the great work!

Crocodile Races

Step 1: Discuss Crocodile Racing
Step 2: Draw your Croc
Step 3: Colour your Croc
Step 4: Cut out your Croc
Step 5: Tape your Croc onto one of our toy cars
Step 6: Predict
Step 7: Race them!

What a fun activity!

A few of out Hot Wheels didn't make it out alive. If you have any "dinky" cars that you would like to donate to my car bin, please send them in as we will gladly take them! Please let me know if they are keepers for the class or just something to borrow.

Have a great night and be careful if the weather isn't great tomorrow.

I will be away for an appointment but Mrs. T and Ms. Tikk will be in.

Mrs. P

Gym Time on (most) Monday Mornings!

Today we reviewed gym safety rules and whistle blasts. We then played two tag games, a number run and pylon knock out! Please ask your child what they liked best about their gym time fun today!

Mrs. Porto and Ms. Tikk

Toonie Fundraiser Tomorrow

Dear Parents,

Toonie Fundraiser!

Can you spare a Toonie or two? This Monday is our annual “Give a Little, Help a Lot” Toonie event in support of the Halton Learning Foundation’s (HLF) Eliminating Barriers Fund. 
HLF -- the charitable organization that supports Halton District School Board students and programs – raises funds to help individual students and families facing financial challenges. 

There are many children in our schools who come to school hungry or cold every morning, and adolescents who are tired and unfocused because they work part-time to help support their families. HLF’s vision is to ensure all kids have equal opportunities for success in school.

All funds raised from the Toonie event go straight back to HDSB students who need basic necessities such as clothing and shoes, food or hygiene items, or who require financial assistance to participate in pizza day, a school sports team or a field trip. 

This year, your support will go even further. All school donations to “Give a Little, Help a Lot” will be matched up to $10,000 by York-Trafalgar Homes!

Please consider supporting “Give a Little, Help a Lot” tomorrow!

Thank you!
Dr. C Best

See you tomorrow everyone!
S. Porto :)

The letter Qq on Wednesday

Dear Families,
On Wednesday of next week, we will be learning the letter Qq! It is our new letter of the week. Please search the house for something that your child can bring in that starts with that letter. It may be tricky, if so, check the web or print out a picture.

The more children who participate, the better our lesson will be.

Thank you,
Mrs. Porto :)

PS-Have a lovely weekend!

Goo making

Making goo happened a few days back! This is a great sensory activity and a great science lesson. It's also good for turn taking and making predictions.

Take a peek...

Mrs. Porto

Shaving cream fun on a Friday!

We make use of anything and everything in our FDK classroom.

Today we put out shaving cream, food colouring, paper, popsicle sticks and plastic bins. Look at what a small group of children did. Our paper is drying and we will figure out what to do with the finished products soon.

If you have any items that you think we could use for something creative, please send them in!

Mrs. Porto and Ms. Tikk

Snake Skin

Thank you to Elisha's Family for letting us borrow and explore a real snake skin. The children described it as "soft, smooth, sandy, delicate, slippery, scaly and dry". The children enjoyed touching it, smelling it and thinking about where the snake could have been living when it was alive.

Again if you have anything relating to crocodiles and reptiles please feel free to bring it in! We are really enjoying this new inquiry!

As well our building skills are getting better every day. If you have any boxes, paper towel rolls, kleenex boxes etc. laying around your house- send them in! Our creative imaginations are always going and we are sure we could find a use for them!!!

Ms. T and Mrs. P

Yesterday's Explorations

Please take a look at the collages and ask your child what we are up to in the pictures! We did a lot of different things and wanted to share them all!!!

Our inquiry and twin day information...

Hi Families,
Our crocodiles and reptiles inquiry is going strong. Today we created, wrote about, drew and measured crocodiles. We also used greater than and less than croacodile signs for our Math problem of the week!

Please take a look at the pictures and ask your child what they were doing or what others were doing in them.

Home reading is going well and we love that your children are bringing them back twice a week.

Please remember that it is Twin Day on Thursday. We have decided that as a class we would like to wear blue jeans and a black top. We will then make our own twin sashes and hats. If your child would rather dress up with a twin buddy, please do so.

Thank you,
Mrs. P and Ms. T

Crocodile and reptile inquiry

Hi Families!
Our class has taken an interest in Crocodiles over the past few days. We will infuse alligators and turtles into this area of interest over the next few weeks or as long as it goes. Maybe it will become a Reptile inquiry!

If you have anything that you think would be beneficial to our investigations (book, video, picture). Please bring them in over the week. Remember to put your name on each item.

Thank you and have a great weekend!

Mrs. Porto (and Ms Tikk)

JK observation: Rescheduling if you are in need.

Dear JK Families,

If you are still interested in a 20 minute observation with your child, please book it with us before February 26th. We have had a few cancellations or no shows and I totally understand. However, we need your communication about rescheduling as soon as possible. If we do not hear from you, we will not reschedule or schedule an observation.
These observations must be completed before March 1st.

Thank you,
S. Porto and A. Tikk

Check out our 100th day activities so far! We will continue tomorrow also.

Thanks everyone for bringing in your baggies with 100 items!

You were very creative and we are using the items for our display and for more fun tomorrow!

I will be away at an appointment tomorrow but Ms. Tikk will be here along with our supply.

Have a great evening and I will see you all on Friday!

Mrs. Porto

100th's day items Wednesday PLEASE!

Just a reminder that if you haven't brought in your baggie with 100 items in it, we need it for our 100th's day activities tomorrow.

Thank you to those who brought theirs in today!

Mrs. P and Mrs. T

Drama during free play!

Drama during free play. Please ask your child what they were doing in these pictures. 

Have a wonderful family day everyone!

We can't wait to hear what you all did this weekend as a family!
Enjoy the holiday.
Mrs. Porto and Ms. Tikk

We would like to do this next week! HOMEWORK for Tuesday

Dear Families,
Today is the 100th day of school, but we are saving the celebrations for next week (seeing as today is our Valentine's celebration).

What we need from you on Tuesday...

Please bring in one ziploc bag filled with 100 "things" that are the same item. Please count them out with your child. We hope to get several different items, but it may not be easy. Please use your imagination.
Also, these items will be used for our fine motor bins, math and table activities during the week, so something that you don't mind parting with.

Examples: 100 beads, 100 Cheerios, 100 hair ties, 100 marshmallows, 100 shells, 100 raisins etc.

Thank you so much and have a wonderful Family Day/Valentine's Day Weekend!

Always,
Mrs. Porto :)

Are you Missing a Book??

We have a space book that needs to find its home. One of our friends brought it in for our space unit but no one can remember who!

This book needs to find its home!

Please look closely:

Measurement introduction: Non-standard

Today we used cubes to measure our hands. Please ask your child how many cubes their hand measured.
Have a great evening!
Mrs. Porto

Yesterday we did a little cookie making.

Yesterday was Elle's birthday! Happy birthday Elle!!!!

Volunteers needed to cut items out from home!

Dear Families,
I am looking for a few volunteers who wouldn't mind taking some construction paper home and doing a little cutting for us. I have bins with my own cut outs, however, they are getting depleted quite quickly and I am in need of some help. If you are able to lend a hand, please message here or in the communication bag. I will then pack up a bag with paper and the tracer(s) and scissors if needed. 
Thank you so much!

Sylvia Porto :)

Some of our Monday activities...

Friday's Valentines Day Celebration

Hello Families!!!
Just a reminder with our Valentines Day Celebration happening this Friday, we are asking that any valentines brought in are unlabelled or addressed "To my friend". 
The class includes 25 children and 5 Teachers.
All children will get an opportunity to decorate there own "mail bag" to collect valentines throughout the week, as well as time to create their own to hand out.

Unfortunately we are not allowed to accept any outside goodies but rest easy, the class will be preparing some goodies of their own!

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask! 
Thank you in advance and Happy Valentine's Day!
 Ms Tikk and Mrs. Porto

Sweater Day!

National Sweater Day in the Purple Room

SK Home Reading and JK/SK Printing Books

SK Home Reading Books went home to those children who have returned their packages and I read with each of these children today. Please check for and return the home readers as we didn't have many come back over the past two weeks.

JK/SK Printing Books have started up again. Please check your child's zippy for their homework. Remember, it's not due until next Thursday.

Have a great rest of the week!
Mrs. Porto and Ms. Tikk

Jello making was a hit!

Today we had three groups working at at time to make Jello.

Mrs. Tikk lead the group that used warm water to make their different colours of Jello.
Mrs. Attard lead the group that used the cold water to make their different Jello. 
I lead the group that used boiling hot water to make our coloured Jello. 

We will have pictures up within the next couple of days and we will taste test the Jello on Thursday.

Our key words were: 

Crystals
Disappear
Dissolve
Mix
Pour
Liquid
Solid (Jiggles).

We will freeze some of the Jello and we will refrigerate others. With 16 degree temperatures today, we were not able to leave the Jello outside ;)

Please have a chat with your child about what they did in Science class today.

Take care,
Mrs. Porto :)

Ground hog Day

Happy Ground hog Day!

We did many activities today based around Ground hog Day. Feel free to ask your child what activities they participated in.

Many activities allowed the children to practice their fine motor skills such as printing and cutting as well as their literary skills.

We are looking forward to our Jell-o day tomorrow!!!


Ms Tikk & Mrs Porto

Home work for Tuesday!

We have made a list of things that we would like to earn by filling our next bucket:

1) Waffle Day

2) Star Wars party/movie

3) Hot Chocolate/movie

4) Popcorn Party

5) Hot wheels/Transformers party/movie

6) Dress up day

7) Skylander/Mine craft Day

8) Extra outdoor/gym time

Please help your child pick two from our list, write them down in the communication book for tomorrow's vote!

Thank you,
Mrs. Porto and Ms. Tikk