Tuesday, April 23, 2013

It's About the Money, Money, Money

 

It’s About the Money, Money, Money

Penny, penny
Easily spent,
Copper brown
and worth one cent.

Nickel, nickel,
Thick and fat.
You’re worth five cents,
I know that.

Dime, dime,
Little and thin,
I remember,
You’re worth ten.

Quarter, Quarter,
Big and bold,
You’re worth twenty-five
So I’m told.
 

Words of the Week
Grade 1&2
old
bold
cold
fold
sold
*told
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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Our Itinerant music programs are on the chopping block....


We've just found out that the Toronto District School Board is slashing the Itinerant Music Program ( Band, Strings, Orff, Vocal, Recorder, Steel Pan Drums) before the Trustees are informed or able to vote on this drastic change of policy.

To save a tiny portion of their budget, they are planning to drastically reduce the quality of music education for students by laying off the expert music educators. It's outrageous and shortsighted.



Earl Beatty uses these programs each year, and we will miss them terribly if they are taken away.

It only takes a minute to sign the petition below, and your support will make a difference.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/841/524/940/stop-the-itinerant-music-program-cuts-in-the-toronto-district-school-board/


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Sunday, April 14, 2013

Organizing the Disorganized Child

Organizing the Disorganized Child: Simple Strategies to Succeed in School

Parents often ask me how to help their child become more organized (and responsible).

Some children are organized. Some are not. How do some become so disorganized?   How do we fix it? If your child is organized, read this book -- It will help you understand why your child is unorganized. And really, he (she) isn't doing it on purpose. He is not being lazy -- he just cannot figure out the steps to complete the tasks.


Organizational skills come from the frontal lobes of our brains. Our frontal lobes help us reduce distractions, and allow us to have have foresight, hindsight, to plan ahead, and alter our plans. We expect children to have much "higher level" executive function before their brains are fully developed. They know what they need to do -- but they cannot do it.

If you have a disorganized child, your child likely already knows that something is "wrong". There might be arguments over doing homework, returning homework to school,  returning library books (Thursday folders). If possible, you, the parent, needs to stay positive, calm and listen to your child. Remind the child that you are a team (and, when it comes to school work,  the teacher is part of that team!)

This book will help you to determine the organizational style of your child, then set up an environment and develop strategies and a routine to help support your child.


Organizational skills are key to a successful educational experience. If you read this book -- and need me to do anything to help support your child at school (to provide consistence between school and home), please let me know.


This book is available Chapters/ Indigo and the online price is about $12. It is also available at the Toronto Public Library, which is my favourite source of books, next to Earl Beatty's own library!


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Saturday, April 13, 2013

The Little Duck

 From now until the end of the school year, I will try to record 2 students a week reading stories and books that they have written and illustrated themselves. (I will try to showcase every student).You will hear the voice of the student and see the writing, but don't worry -- no faces or names are revealed.

This one is by a grade 1 student!





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Tuesday, April 9, 2013

April Rain Song



April Rain Song
Langston Hughes
Let the rain kiss you.
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.
Let the rain sing you a lullaby.
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk.
The rain makes running pools in the gutter.
The rain plays a little sleep-song on our roof at night.
And I love the rain.



Words of the Week
Grade 1
gain
main
pain
rain
vain
*brain

Grade 2
brain
chain
plain
stain
train
*strain

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This week we will talk about all of the reason why we (should) love the rain. Hopefully our current weather forecast doesn't dull our enthusiasm too much!

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Dinner: A Love Story

 This week's  book for parents: Dinner: A Love Story -- it all begins at the family table....


 Jenny Rosenstrach, and her husband, Andy, cook dinner for their family every night. They both work full time - long days. But they do it. Jenny helps to teach us how to spend more quality time with our family - how to make the most of dinnertime.
This book is full of recipes -- many of which I have already put into rotation in my home. It is also a good read -- full of funny anecdotes that we all can relate to, as parents of small (or once small) children.

see also the Dinner: A Love Story blog! 



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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Mr. Sun

  

Mr. Sun
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun,
Please shine down on me.

Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun,
Hiding behind a tree.

These little children are asking you
To please come out so we can play with you.

Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun,
Please shine down on,
Please shine down on,
Please shine down on me.





 Words of the Week
Grade 1 and 2 - ow
bow
cow
how
now
wow
*down
also **Ms. Brown for an extra star!
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