Good afternoon!

We had a great end-of-month celebration to start the school day today!  We sang Happy Birthday to the January birthday students, we found who won the Learner Profile awards of the month, and the students had a lot of fun competing in the end of month house game!  Ask your child tonight which house is currently in first place for the house cup!

When we returned to class the students had their weekly spelling test.  All students will be bringing home a marked spelling test with them tonight.  I ask that all incorrectly spelled words be re-written ten times each.  Students also worked on prefixes and suffixes during language today.

During our Unit of Inquiry time today the students continued on with our exploration of pioneers.  In today's class the students had a lot of fun learning about the inside of pioneer homes.  We heard about their furniture, bedrooms, fireplaces, and other interesting details about the homes of a pioneer.  Students had a lot of fun working on a reinforcement activity based on their learning.  They also added another page to their A-Z Dictionary. 

During mathematics today the students continued with their measurement unit.  In today's class the students continued their work counting money.  Students explored how they are able to record money in various ways ($2 and $2.00 is the same amount) and also find various ways to make up amounts (5 dimes is the same as 2 quarters).  Students practiced these concepts in their textbooks and workbooks.

The students also had a lot of fun with their Reading Buddies in Ms. Chang's class today!  In celebration of Chinese New Year the students watched a video about the celebration, and then created their own Chinese dragon hats!  See some pictures of the students working on their hats below!

Students also went to PE and French classes.

Homework: Read for 2o minutes and record in the reading log, re-write incorrect spelling words ten times each, and math pages 122 - 123.

Important information:  Student Council will be selling Candy Grams for Valentine's Day starting Monday, February 3rd.  The cost is $0.25 per gram.  Students will get to send a note and a Hershey kiss.   Candy Grams will be delivered to the students on February 13th in their classes 

On Tuesday February 4^th, Miss DaCosta’s grade two’s will be having a second sale to sell Rainbow Loom rings and bracelets for World Vision. Their goal is to raise money to provide school supplies and books for students who need them. Rings are 50¢ and bracelets range from $1.00-$2.00 (depending on the type of bracelet). 

Oral presentations will be taking place on February 27th at 9am here at SJA!  Students will be competing in the gym to win 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for their poem recitation (JK - Grade 3) and their speech presentation (Grade 4 - 9).  All students in our class have brought home their poems with them tonight to begin the hard work of memorizing their poems.  Students will be judged on their voice, poise, actions and memorization of their poem.  Our class will choose 3 students on the 20th of February.  These 3 students will represent our class in the final competition.  The in-class speech presentation will also be used as part of their oral language mark for this term.  Please have a look tonight to see which poem your child has been assigned! 

Every student brought home a field trip form with them last week.  Our class is going to be taking a trip to Black Creek Pioneer Village on February 11th!  This trip will correspond with our new unit which focuses on the life of pioneers.  The cost of the trip is $26 and is due back with the permission form by Monday, February 3rd.  The SJA bus will be leaving the school at 9:15am and will return in time for regular afternoon dismissal.  Students are asked to come to school wearing their gym clothes, and appropriate outdoor gear to be able to spend the majority of the field trip day outside.  

St. Jude's Academy's Annual Gala Dinner is approaching and it is sure to be an evening of fun and entertainment for friends and families alike!  Mark your calenders for this event which takes place on February 22nd at 6:00pm at the Sagan Banquet Hall.  The theme for this year's Gala is 'Legends of the World' which will be reflected in the buffet diner, and the short musical performance by St. Jude's students.  A silent action, raffle tickets and a 50/50 draw will also help add to the excitement of the night. Tickets for the event are $75 for adults and $10 for children. 

For more information about the Gala Dinner please contact Presy Malan at pmalan@stjudesacademy.com.  To donate items for the silent auction please contact Charmaine Tavares at lomaine@sympatico.ca  or Sudan Cashin at cashins@cashingroup.com.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Nelson

Congrats to all of our Caring students for the month of January!

Happy Thursday!

In today's class the students started off the day working on language. The students were asked to complete a comprehension activity where they explored a graph for meaning.  The students were asked to pull out various types of information from the graph, and reflect on how graphs can be used as an excellent learning tool in multiple subjects.  All students will be bringing home their marked comprehension exercise with them tonight.  During language the students also explored prefixes and suffixes in their Cursive books, and identified the differences between 'froze' and 'frozen' and 'fell' and 'fallen' in their Language books.

During our Unit of Inquiry time today the students continued on with our exploration of pioneers.  In our last session we left our discussion after having finished talking about the methods pioneers used to clear the land they were deeded upon their arrival in North America.  In today's class we discussed what pioneers did with their newly cleared land- they planted crops and built homes!  As a class we explored the various types of homes that pioneers had (log houses, sod homes, plank houses and stone houses).  The students were very excited and interested in the methods the pioneers used to construct their homes.  The students also had another chance to add to their A-Z Dictionaries today.  Ask your child tonight what they wrote about!

During mathematics today the students continued with their measurement unit.  In today's class the students began work counting money.  As a class we reviewed the types of Canadian currency, and the amount of each type of currency.  In today's class the students were asked to explore how we can substitute one currency for another (example- 8 quarters make up 2 twoonies, five 20 dollar bills make up one 1 hundred dollar bill ).  The students were then asked to work in their textbooks and workbooks to explore how we can interchange the type of currency used.  The students also worked in their Abeka math books.

Students also went to PE, Art and French classes.

Homework: Read for 2o minutes and record in the reading log, practice weekly spelling words, Abeka pages 57 - 58 and math pages 120 - 121.

Important information:  Student Council will be selling Candy Grams for Valentine's Day starting Monday, February 3rd.  The cost is $0.25 per gram.  Students will get to send a note and a Hershey kiss.   Candy Grams will be delivered to the students on February 13th in their classes 

On Tuesday February 4^th, Miss DaCosta’s grade two’s will be having a second sale to sell Rainbow Loom rings and bracelets for World Vision. Their goal is to raise money to provide school supplies and books for students who need them. Rings are 50¢ and bracelets range from $1.00-$2.00 (depending on the type of bracelet). 

Oral presentations will be taking place on February 27th at 9am here at SJA!  Students will be competing in the gym to win 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for their poem recitation (JK - Grade 3) and their speech presentation (Grade 4 - 9).  All students in our class have brought home their poems with them tonight to begin the hard work of memorizing their poems.  Students will be judged on their voice, poise, actions and memorization of their poem.  Our class will choose 3 students on the 20th of February.  These 3 students will represent our class in the final competition.  The in-class speech presentation will also be used as part of their oral language mark for this term.  Please have a look tonight to see which poem your child has been assigned! 

Every student brought home a field trip form with them last week.  Our class is going to be taking a trip to Black Creek Pioneer Village on February 11th!  This trip will correspond with our new unit which focuses on the life of pioneers.  The cost of the trip is $26 and is due back with the permission form by Monday, February 3rd.  The SJA bus will be leaving the school at 9:15am and will return in time for regular afternoon dismissal.  Students are asked to come to school wearing their gym clothes, and appropriate outdoor gear to be able to spend the majority of the field trip day outside.  

St. Jude's Academy's Annual Gala Dinner is approaching and it is sure to be an evening of fun and entertainment for friends and families alike!  Mark your calenders for this event which takes place on February 22nd at 6:00pm at the Sagan Banquet Hall.  The theme for this year's Gala is 'Legends of the World' which will be reflected in the buffet diner, and the short musical performance by St. Jude's students.  A silent action, raffle tickets and a 50/50 draw will also help add to the excitement of the night. Tickets for the event are $75 for adults and $10 for children. 

For more information about the Gala Dinner please contact Presy Malan at pmalan@stjudesacademy.com.  To donate items for the silent auction please contact Charmaine Tavares at lomaine@sympatico.ca  or Sudan Cashin at cashins@cashingroup.com.

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Good afternoon!

In today's class the students started off the day working on language. The students were asked to write fictional stories about the time the weather went wild! The students had a lot of fun writing on this topic!  Each student had a chance to share their story with the class, as a method of practising public speaking.  This practice will definitely help the students prepare for the oral presentations next month!  During language the students reviewed the difference between 'knew' and 'known' and 'rang' and 'rung'. We also read another chapter of 'Little House in the Big Woods'.  In today's chapter we had a great time hearing about Christmas at the Ingall's house.  Afterwards the students were asked to complete a comprehension activity where they compared the description of the Ingall's pioneer Christmas against their own holiday celebrations.  Ask your child tonight what they heard!

During the Unit of Inquiry time today the students had a lot of fun continuing to explore pioneers.  In last class we finished up with the pioneers making their voyage from France, Spain and England over to North America.  In today's class we read and discussed what life was like for the pioneers once they arrived.  We spoke about the need to clear the land they were deeded, how they cleared the land, and what people/tools/equipment were needed to complete the task.  Students also began their first project of the unit- their A-Z Pioneer Dictionary.  In this book the students will be asked to design a dictionary full of terms and words learned in their pioneer unit. Ask your child tonight what letter of the alphabet they decided to start with today!

During mathematics today the students continued with their measurement unit.  In today's class the students continued working on using thermometers to help them read temperatures.  As a class we discussed benchmark temperatures to help guide them (30 degree is a hot summer day, 15 degrees is a fall day, today is -20 with windchill, etc).  Students were then asked to explore and sort temperatures in their math textbooks and workbooks.  Help your children put this concept into action at home by discussing everyday temperatures you see around the house.

Students also went to PE and French classes.

Homework: Read for 2o minutes and record in the reading log, practice weekly spelling words, Language pages 102 - 103 and math pages 118 - 119.

Important information:  Student Council will be selling Candy Grams for Valentine's Day starting Monday, February 3rd.  The cost is $0.25 per gram.  Students will get to send a note and a Hershey kiss.   Candy Grams will be delivered to the students on February 13th in their classes 

Oral presentations will be taking place on February 27th at 9am here at SJA!  Students will be competing in the gym to win 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for their poem recitation (JK - Grade 3) and their speech presentation (Grade 4 - 9).  All students in our class have brought home their poems with them tonight to begin the hard work of memorizing their poems.  Students will be judged on their voice, poise, actions and memorization of their poem.  Our class will choose 3 students on the 20th of February.  These 3 students will represent our class in the final competition.  The in-class speech presentation will also be used as part of their oral language mark for this term.  Please have a look tonight to see which poem your child has been assigned! 

Every student brought home a field trip form with them last week.  Our class is going to be taking a trip to Black Creek Pioneer Village on February 11th!  This trip will correspond with our new unit which focuses on the life of pioneers.  The cost of the trip is $26 and is due back with the permission form by Monday, February 3rd.  The SJA bus will be leaving the school at 9:15am and will return in time for regular afternoon dismissal.  Students are asked to come to school wearing their gym clothes, and appropriate outdoor gear to be able to spend the majority of the field trip day outside.  

St. Jude's Academy's Annual Gala Dinner is approaching and it is sure to be an evening of fun and entertainment for friends and families alike!  Mark your calenders for this event which takes place on February 22nd at 6:00pm at the Sagan Banquet Hall.  The theme for this year's Gala is 'Legends of the World' which will be reflected in the buffet diner, and the short musical performance by St. Jude's students.  A silent action, raffle tickets and a 50/50 draw will also help add to the excitement of the night. Tickets for the event are $65 for adults and $10 for children.  Ticket prices for adults go up to $75 on January 14th so buy your tickets soon!

For more information about the Gala Dinner please contact Presy Malan at pmalan@stjudesacademy.com.  To donate items for the silent auction please contact Charmaine Tavares at lomaine@sympatico.ca  or Sudan Cashin at cashins@cashingroup.com.

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Happy Tuesday!

In today's class the students started off the day working on language.  In today's class the students explored and wrote their own alphabet poems!  As a class we read examples of different alphabet poems, and then the students had a chance to write their own.  The instructions were that the poems had to rhyme, and the order of the poem had to follow alphabetical order.  During language today the students also worked on dictionary work in their Language books.

During the Unit of Inquiry time today we continued discussing pioneers.  As a class we discussed the reasons that early settlers decided to come to North America.  The students were very fascinated while listening to stories of early settlers making their way from France, Spain and England across the Atlantic to North America.  The students also had a chance to create new title pages for their new UOI binders for the pioneers unit.  The students had a lot of fun turning the learning they have done so far into illustrations for their cover pages!

During mathematics today the students continued with their measurement unit.  In today's class the students continued working on telling time.  Students practised calculating elapsed time.  Students were given two sets of times and were asked to find how much time passed in between.  For example- when looking at the time 1:35 and 1:50, the students had to calculate that 15 minutes have passed in between those two times.  Students also practised their multiplication and Roman numerals in their Abeka math books.

Students also went to PE, Art  and French classes.

Homework: Read for 2o minutes and record in the reading log, practice weekly spelling words, Language pages 99 - 100 and Abeka page 55.

Important information:  Tomorrow is the next casual day at SJA.

On Wednesday January 29^th, Miss DaCosta’s grade two’s will be selling Rainbow Loom rings and bracelets for World Vision. Their goal is to raise money to provide school supplies and books for students in other who need them. Rings are 50¢ and bracelets range from $1.00-$2.00 (depending on the type of bracelet). Thank you in advance for your support in helping them raise money for charity!

Oral presentations will be taking place on February 27th at 9am here at SJA!  Students will be competing in the gym to win 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for their poem recitation (JK - Grade 3) and their speech presentation (Grade 4 - 9).  All students in our class have brought home their poems with them tonight to begin the hard work of memorizing their poems.  Students will be judged on their voice, poise, actions and memorization of their poem.  Our class will choose 3 students on the 20th of February.  These 3 students will represent our class in the final competition.  The in-class speech presentation will also be used as part of their oral language mark for this term.  Please have a look tonight to see which poem your child has been assigned! 

Every student brought home a field trip form with them last week.  Our class is going to be taking a trip to Black Creek Pioneer Village on February 11th!  This trip will correspond with our new unit which focuses on the life of pioneers.  The cost of the trip is $26 and is due back with the permission form by Monday, February 3rd.  The SJA bus will be leaving the school at 9:15am and will return in time for regular afternoon dismissal.  Students are asked to come to school wearing their gym clothes, and appropriate outdoor gear to be able to spend the majority of the field trip day outside.  

St. Jude's Academy's Annual Gala Dinner is approaching and it is sure to be an evening of fun and entertainment for friends and families alike!  Mark your calenders for this event which takes place on February 22nd at 6:00pm at the Sagan Banquet Hall.  The theme for this year's Gala is 'Legends of the World' which will be reflected in the buffet diner, and the short musical performance by St. Jude's students.  A silent action, raffle tickets and a 50/50 draw will also help add to the excitement of the night. Tickets for the event are $65 for adults and $10 for children.  Ticket prices for adults go up to $75 on January 14th so buy your tickets soon!

For more information about the Gala Dinner please contact Presy Malan at pmalan@stjudesacademy.com.  To donate items for the silent auction please contact Charmaine Tavares at lomaine@sympatico.ca  or Sudan Cashin at cashins@cashingroup.com.

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Good afternoon!

I hope everyone had a great long weekend!

In today's class the students started off the day with spelling.  The students copied down their new weekly words and worked on reinforcing them in their Spelling Workbooks.  This week's words focus on words where an 'r' is paired next to a vowel.  The students also worked in their journals today and reflected on the events from their long weekends.  I had a chance to read about a nice variety of events from tobogganing, to shopping trips, to ski trips.  It sounds like the students had a lot of fun!  Lastly in language today the students had a chance to finish the comprehension section in their novel studies from the third chapter of "Little House in the Big Woods' which we read last week.

During the Unit of Inquiry time today we began our new unit all about pioneers!  The students were very excited to hear about the next topic we will begin inquiring about.  In today's class the students worked together in a class brainstorm to come up with all the facts we currently know about pioneers, and to make a list of the things we hope to discover within this unit.  It is going to be a lot of fun when we get to see at the end of the unit whether our wishes for the unit came true!  As a class today the students also read a book about the first settlers to North America.  We discussed where they came from, and what made them want to take the voyage to North America.  Ask your child tonight what they learned today!

During mathematics today the students continued with their measurement unit.  In today's class the students focused on telling time.  As a class we explored two different ways of telling time.  The students saw that if the time is 1:45, it is possible to list the time as 45 minutes after 1:00 and/or 15 minutes until 2:00.  This was a concept they practised in their math textbooks and their math workbooks.

Students also went to PE  and French classes.

Homework: Read for 2o minutes and record in the reading log, practice weekly spelling words, Spelling Workbook pages 81 - 84 and Math pages 114 - 115.

Important information:  On Wednesday January 29^th, Miss DaCosta’s grade two’s will be selling Rainbow Loom rings and bracelets for World Vision. Their goal is to raise money to provide school supplies and books for students in other who need them. Rings are 50¢ and bracelets range from $1.00-$2.00 (depending on the type of bracelet). Thank you in advance for your support in helping them raise money for charity!

This Wednesday is the next casual day at SJA.

Every student brought home a field trip form with them last week.  Our class is going to be taking a trip to Black Creek Pioneer Village on February 11th!  This trip will correspond with our new unit which focuses on the life of pioneers.  The cost of the trip is $26 and is due back with the permission form by Monday, February 3rd.  The SJA bus will be leaving the school at 9:15am and will return in time for regular afternoon dismissal.  Students are asked to come to school wearing their gym clothes, and appropriate outdoor gear to be able to spend the majority of the field trip day outside.  

St. Jude's Academy's Annual Gala Dinner is approaching and it is sure to be an evening of fun and entertainment for friends and families alike!  Mark your calenders for this event which takes place on February 22nd at 6:00pm at the Sagan Banquet Hall.  The theme for this year's Gala is 'Legends of the World' which will be reflected in the buffet diner, and the short musical performance by St. Jude's students.  A silent action, raffle tickets and a 50/50 draw will also help add to the excitement of the night. Tickets for the event are $65 for adults and $10 for children.  Ticket prices for adults go up to $75 on January 14th so buy your tickets soon!

For more information about the Gala Dinner please contact Presy Malan at pmalan@stjudesacademy.com.  To donate items for the silent auction please contact Charmaine Tavares at lomaine@sympatico.ca  or Sudan Cashin at cashins@cashingroup.com.

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Happy Monday!

With the start of this new week, the grade 3 class at St. Jude's Academy will be starting our new Unit of Inquiry!  This new UOI falls under the theme "Where We are in Place and Time'.  In this unit we will be inquiring under the central idea 'Early cultures have helped shape our world.'

In this unit we will be exploring three exciting Lines of Inquiry 1. Life as an early settler in the early 1800s.  2.  How indigenous people used and viewed the land and resources. 3. Comparing the life of early-settler communities to our own lives in present day communities.

This unit is sure to be a great deal of fun, with many exciting activities and events to take place!!