Game Donations

Hello Families,

Lake Bonavista School is looking for donations of board games, card games, puzzles and coloring books. If you have any gently used games that your family has outgrown, would you consider donating them to the school?

We are particularly interested in ‘classic’ games, as well as any additional games or puzzles that are appropriate for approximately ages 5-12, multi-player, and support turn taking and collaboration.

Please only send games complete with all pieces, and that do not require batteries, plugging in, or access to computers/tablets or other technology.

Our wish-list includes, but is not limited to:

Puzzles under 100 pieces

Battleship

Checkers

Connect 4

Jenga

Variations of Memory

Chutes and Ladders

Guess Who?

Eye Found It! Games

Quirkle

Sorry

Spot It

Blokus

Santorini

Animal Upon Animal

Outfoxed

With gratitude,

Lake Bonavista School   

AARCS Fundraiser

Thank you so much to everyone who helped support our AARCS fundraiser! We tried to make extra treats last year since the treats were such a hit! We’ve even heard from quite a few families that the recipes we used this year were very well received by the cats and dogs enjoying them! 

Our goal was to raise $500 this year and we currently have raised $374. We have sold out of dog treats but still have several cat treats available. We will continue to sell the cat treats on Monday in the office for $3 if you are interested, and will also be taking donations if you would like to contribute.

Thanks again for all of your support!

Ms. Midgley, Mrs. Ireland, Ms. Burnham & Mr. Pereira

Celebrations and Traditions

Hi Families,

As part of learning about celebrations and traditions, we have been exploring celebrations in addition to Christmas, that take place in December.

This week, we started with exploring the celebration of Hanukkah, and concluded today by learning the Dreidel Game. Students will be bringing home chocolate coins tomorrow (in lieu of traditional Hanukkah gelt) to tell you about the game.

If you care to play at home, there is a Dreidel app!

Instructions for playing are:

Today, we started exploring Kwanzaa, and I was amazed at the connections students were making between Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, Christmas and Kwanzaa, and the different traditions, celebrations and symbols.

Please look for two poems coming home this week connecting to these celebrations.

Ms. Thomas

Retell vs Summarize

Hi Families,

As a class we have been working on different components of stories, and communicating our understanding of different stories.

On Seesaw, you will notice recent recordings connected to our My Father's Dragon read aloud. Students have been asked to identify the animal, problem and solution for chapters 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. They are provided with a picture to help support their communication and recall, and are encouraged to revisit other pictures in the book if they are having difficulty remembering details.

Elmer ran into a lion.
The problem was: the lion's mane was a mess, and his mother was coming to visit.
The solution was: Elmer gave him a comb, brush and seven hair ribbons,
and taught him how to braid his mane. 

We have also been working on the difference between retelling and summarizing a story.

Retelling: Tell the story again, adding as many details as possible. 
Summarizing: Tell only the most important parts of the story. 

The framework we have been using to support our summarizing is:

And we have worked to summarize the following titles:

Which of the stories can your child summarize for you?

Have a good evening everyone!

Ms. Thomas

AARCS Fundraiser

Rooms 12, 16, 13 and 4 are doing another fundraiser this year to raise money for the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS). During the daytime and evening winter concert shows on Thursday, December 12th, we will be selling homemade Crunchy Tuna Cat Treats and Wowbutter Banana Dog Bites. Each bag will cost $3 and all proceeds will go towards AARCS to help ensure the animals in their care have their basic necessities this holiday season. Please bring cash if you are interested in purchasing treats for your own pets or as a holiday gift! Thank you for your support!

If you have any questions please email Ms. Midgley (lemidgley@cbe.ab.ca) or Mrs. Ireland (hlireland@cbe.ab.ca)

Winter Concert - Ticketing Information

Hi Families, 

Winter Concert tickets are expected to come home with oldest or only children tomorrow (Monday). 

Please note that each family is given 2 tickets to the Winter Concert. If you are wanting more tickets, you may add your name to the wait list by contacting the office: 403-777-6871.

Due to the size of our gym, we need to be careful to stay under the maximum capacity for safety regulations. Babies/toddlers that sit in laps/strollers/arms all count as bodies towards capacity - they require a ticket. 

This is also why we have two separate shows! If you have additional family members that would like to come to the concert, the daytime shows are another option. 

Students performing in the 6:00pm evening show, also perform in the 9:30am daytime show. 
Students performing in the 7:30pm evening show, also perform in the 12:45pm daytime show. 

On the evening of the concert, please have your child remove their outdoor footwear and place them on their regular boot racks. They can wear their indoor shoes, or have another pair of shoes brought with them to wear for the concert. Jackets can be hung at their coat-hooks or brought to the classroom. Families are also welcome to leave their jackets at coat-hooks or classrooms, as the gym does get quite warm. 

Students performing in the 6:00pm show are asked to arrive at 5:40pm. 
Students performing in the 7:30pm show are asked to arrive at 7:10pm. 

After the concert is over, please pick your child up in our classroom and leave by either the East Garden door, or West Parking Lot door. South doors will be closed for entry/exit. 

Looking forward to the performance!
Ms. Thomas

PJ and Buddy Baking Day

Hi Families, 

Next Friday, December 13th, our classroom will be having a PJ and Buddy Baking Day!

Students are welcome to wear their pyjamas and slippers, as well as bring either a stuffy or a blanket. Please help your child chose one of these items that is the size of their backpack or smaller. 

In addition, with our buddies in Ms. Bouchard's class, we will be making bannock, after being inspired by the book Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock. We will also try our hand at making butter, connecting to our recent explorations into life in the past. If your child would also like to bring additional condiments for their bannock, they are more than welcome too. Bannock is a simple bread, so any kind of spread can be enjoyed with it. Please remember we have a nut allergy in our classroom, and are a nut-aware school. 

Have a wonderful weekend!
Ms. Thomas

Mayor's Food Drive

Our school is participating in the 31^st Annual Mayor’s Food Drive. We will be accepting non-perishable food items for donation to the Calgary Food Bank at all of the performances and throughout December until December 19.

Thank you for your generous donations.

Connecting Memories to Artifacts

Hi Families, 

Using one of the artifacts from our Kitchen Museokit, as well as a repeated viewing of the Early Life in Canada video, and personal experiences with baking, we created a "5 Finger" framework to begin developing a memory using the five senses. We are doing this activity as a shared writing experience (everyone contributing ideas) with the intention of students creating their own "5 Senses Memory" for their Memory Museum item.

Ms. Thomas

School Donations

Hi Families,

Lake Bonavista School is looking for donations of two items leading up to the Winter Concert.

If you have any scrapbook paper or wrapping paper that you are willing to part with, would you mind sending them in for use within different classrooms?

Thank you!

Kitchen Artifacts

Hi Families,

Today we explored a collection of artifacts from the Glenbow Museum Kitchen Museokit.

We discovered that some of the artifacts were connected in the job they performed as a part of daily life. 

Ask you child what the connection is between these artifacts:

You can watch this short animated video together, and see if they can spot a few of the tools in use:

Life in Early Canada: National Film Board of Canada

Have a good evening!
Ms. Thomas

Winter Concert Information

Hello Families!

Our Winter Concert is just over a week away!

Students performing in the 6:00 show (rooms 3,5,6,10,11,12 and 16) need to arrive at school at 5:40 pm on Thursday Dec. 12. 

Students performing in the 7:30 show (rooms 2.4.7.8.9.13.17) need to arrive at school at 7:10 pm on Thursday Dec. 12.

Students in Grades 1-4 can wear what they like to the concert.  No hats/novelty headbands please so we can see everyone’s smiling faces when they are on the stage! 

Thank you for your support, the students are excited.

Julie Kawchuk

Jrhayneskawc@cbe.ab.ca

Drawing on Backs

How does it make you feel when someone draws on your back?

Practicing letters, numbers and shapes on each other's backs. 

Student responses: content, relaxed, calm, peaceful, connected. 

Dice Game: Pig

Hi Families,

In your child's mail folder today, please find instructions for the dice game, PIG.

Please add this game to your child's green Math Games Folder. 

Only the standard instructions have been taught. You may wish to explore the variations at home as a family, depending on your child's readiness level.

A basic game board is included, although only a plain piece of paper or whiteboard in required.

Thank you!
Ms. Thomas

Thursday, November 28th, 2019

Hi Families, 

My apologies for the lack of learning updates lately. We've been doing a lot of whole-group learning, so there haven't been as many artifacts on Seesaw. 

Here's what's been happening in the classroom, in pictures!

Building our understanding of different memories,
using the book "Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge" as a springboard.

Brainstorming how our memories are kept.
Representing our memories through artifacts in our Memory Museum.

Different artifacts for different people for different memories. 

Building common knowledge of kitchens to make predictions:
1. What didn't exist 100 years ago?
2. What existed, but has changed in 100 years?

Kerry, from ArtFelt Studios, leading a lesson on wet felting.
Ask your child the 4 things needed for wet felting.

Our creations hanging to dry. Colourful and unique!

Exploring feelings through monster masks.
The cover illustration is our inspiration for a Picasso-esque art project.  

Sorting, documenting and connecting opposing feelings.
Laying foundational knowledge for designing our feeling masks. 

With November coming to an end this week, we are working diligently to make the most of our last three weeks before break. Because so much of our foundational knowledge is currently happening through group conversation and activities, please understand that when you child misses classroom time, this opportunity for learning is difficult to replicate.

Your child will be bringing home a fun poem this week called "What If...". Watch for their own versions coming home next week!

Hope everyone is staying warm! 

Ms. Thomas

Volunteers Needed: Lake Bonavista School Improvement Society Casino Fundraiser

Volunteers Needed:

Lake Bonavista School Improvement Society Casino Fundraiser

We are less than a week away from our fundraising Casino at Deerfoot Casino (December 1-2, 2019) and have had some positions open up.  If you can help out, it would be greatly appreciated. This is a huge source of funding for the School Council in order to provide all the enhanced learning opportunities for our children at school. Each shift worked earns approximately $1,800 towards our school.

The open shifts include:

Sunday, December 1               Count Room Staff  -  1 Position from 11:00pm - 3:30am

Monday, December 2             AM Cashier  -  1 Position from 11:00am - 7:00pm

PM Chip Runner  -  1 Position from 6:30pm - 3:30am

Click on the link below for more details and to sign up to volunteer.

Lake Bonavista School Casino Sign up

Thank you!

Memory Museum

Dear Families,

Your child is on the hunt for an item that will support writing about memories, and develop a classroom “Memory Museum”, as part of ongoing classroom inquiry. Will you help your child select an object that is:

-       - personally meaningful to your child

-       - have a story behind it (perhaps how your child got it and why it is special)

-       - of little monetary value (in case it gets lost or broken)

-       - easy to carry

The object could be a refrigerator magnet from a special vacation, a rock from a family camping spot, a ticket stub from a favourite movie or sporting event, a picture of someone or something important or a card or letter from a special person. We’re going to be writing stories about why these objects are special. 

Please send in your child's object on Monday, Nov. 25th.

The object will be returned to you at the end of the activity.

Thank you for your help. I look forward to sharing your child’s writing with you once it is complete.

Sincerely,

Ms. K. Thomas

Conferences

Hi Families,

Just a reminder that Parent-Teacher conferences are this upcoming week on Thursday evening, and during the day on Friday. If you haven't already done so, please book a time to visit with me, and discuss your child's progress and learning within the classroom. Times can be booked through your MyCBE/PowerSchool Parent Account.

Thank you.
Ms. Thomas

ArtFelt Studios

Hi Families, 

An email through School Messenger about our upcoming ArtFelt Studios in-class activity was sent out on Wednesday. As a school we are trying to reduce paper use, so please anticipate that future field-trip and in-class notices will be sent this way. If you happened to not receive this email, please let me know, and consider touching base with the office to register for School Messenger.

We are also still in need of 3 volunteers to join us for the afternoon of November 27th. If you are able to support us with the activity, and have a current police clearance, please contact me. 

Thank you!
Ms. Thomas
krthomas@cbe.ab.ca