Happy Wednesday!

It was nice to see all the students in their casual clothing today.  Our class looked very different than usual!  In today's class the students started off the day by working on on a Halloween comprehension activity.  The students read a story on this history of Halloween and answered comprehension questions.  They also read a poem about Halloween and were asked to answer questions on the poem.  The students learned a great deal about Halloween today and were very interested in the holiday's history.  Ask your child tonight what they learned!  In language the students also worked on a review of the punctuation rules we have learned to date- capitals, periods, commas, and quotation marks.

In our Unit of Inquiry today we used the poem from the language lesson and began looking at poetry as a genre of writing.  We discussed poetry and the difference between poetry and other types of writing.  The students were then asked to write their own Halloween themed poems.  Each student will be bringing home their Halloween poems and it's assessment with them tonight.  We also read another story from the fairy tale genre- The Pied Piper of Hamelin- and we discussed how certain genres of writing we can have morals or lessons in the stories. As a class we discussed the lesson learned from the Pied Piper of Hamelin.  Ask your child tonight to share their reflections of the lesson with you!

During math today the students worked on a review package on subtraction and addition.  As a class we reviewed the different methods for adding and subtracting numbers (connecting columns, standard method, estimating, etc.) and then the students were asked to demonstrate their knowledge in their review package.  This review will be very helpful for the numeration unit test that is coming up on Monday, November 4th!  All students have a review taken from the textbook that was sent home with them on Monday.  This review can be completed at home and reviews the concepts that will be tested on Monday.  By completing this take-home review, and participating in the in-class review sessions, I know every student will be successful on their unit test.

The students also went to PE,  Art  and French classes today.

Homework: Read for 2o minutes and record in the reading log, practice weekly spelling words and Language pages 44 - 45.

Important information: Fall Festival is taking place tonight! Tickets may be bought at the door of the event for $4 each.  The event takes place at 7pm here at SJA. This will be a night of fun for the students, where they come in costume and play games with their peers. Dress warm as the events will take place outside (rain permitting). Parents are asked to join if their children are attending. Please contact Ms. Elliott at melliott@stjudesacademy.com if you have any other questions about the event.

Halloween/Harvest dress-up day is taking place tomorrow! Students are encouraged to come to school dressed in a Halloween costume or harvest colours. The school will be having a costume contest in the morning to find the best dressed students! We will be having a small Halloween party in our classroom. Students are welcome to bring in candies and treats to share with their friends during the party. Please don't forget that all snacks and treats must be nut-free to enter the building! 

We will be having our next math unit test on Monday, November  4th on the numeration unit we have been working on in class.  Keep your eye out for the review package that every student brought home with them on Monday.  This review package is for the students to use at home to study.  It does not have to come back to school with them.  We will be completing a second review package in class together.

Please be aware of the temporary change to pick-up and drop-off beginning on November 4th.  The parking lot will be under construction and will not be able to be used at any point during the day.  Families are asked to pull up 'kiss-and-ride' style to the front of the building during morning drop-off or find parking somewhere on Campobello Road.  During the afternoon pick-up, parking will have to be found on Campobello Road.  We are very sorry for the inconvenience we know this will cause for families.  Please let us know if you have any questions.

SJA is holding a candy-drive at the school from October 28th to November 4th.  Families are welcome to send candy with their children to be dropped off in the collection bin.  The candy collected will be donated to the Eden Food Bank for families in need.  If you end up with extra candy in your house during the week of Halloween, please consider sending it in to be donated.  Students who bring candy to donate will receive house points during the morning assembly. 

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson