Understanding our Literacy Program

At SJA we use the Daily 5 Language Program across the primary grades.

The Daily 5 is more than a management system or a curriculum framework, it is a structure that helps students develop the daily habits of reading, writing and working independently which will lead to a lifetime of literacy independence. 

 During the Daily Five, the JKs will practice Five Essential Skills for becoming great independent readers and writers.
1. The students will learn to sit quietly and Read to Self. JKs  will learn from day one, that there are 3 ways to read a book: read the pictures, read the words and retell the story.  

2. The students will also learn to Read to Someone.  During this time, they will take turns listening and summarizing and reading out loud.  

3. The students will Listen to Reading. JKs will listen to books on the cd player or use an ipad, which they can follow along in the book or listen.  The JKs will also read along with stories on the computer at sites like starfall.com speakaboos and storyonline. 

4. The students will do Letter or Word Work. JKs can only begin to read the words when they know the letters and corresponding sounds and know a handful of sight words. We will start by introducing letter sounds, blends, beginning and ending sounds and simple sight words.

5. The students will Work on Writing. This time allows the students to add more details to their pictures or stories in their journal, write/draw a letter/picture to a friend or work on correct letter formation in their Writing Without tears workbook.  

Most of the time our daily five activities will be incorporated in our UOI.


Please, contact me if you have any questions! :)

Understanding our Math Curriculum

At SJA we use the Math Makes Sense curriculum. During our Math time students will participate in a variety of hands on activities, these are the Math units JKs will be exposed throughout the year:

Unit 1: Number Sense - sort, classify and count the number of objects in a set, sort sets on the basis of number, match objects by 1:1 correspondence, estimate and count to identify sets with more, fewer or the same number of objects, explore a variety of physical representations of numbers and recognize numerals to 20.

 

Unit 2: Data Management - sort and classify objects according to specific characteristics, sort using a single attribute, compare information using two categories, compare information using 1:1 correspondence, use of appropriate language (more, less, the same) and make a graph (e.g. people, concrete, picture).

Unit 3: Patterning - recognize and copy simple patterns, including those that involve position, color, size and shape. Describe a simple pattern. Copy simple patterns using concrete materials. Create, copy and extend simple patterns using a variety of materials and actions. Represent the same pattern in different ways.

 

Unit 4: Spatial Sense and Geometry - 3-D  and 2-D objects have attributes that can be used to sort, classify and name them.

 

Unit 5: Measurement - compare and order the side, height and length of objects. Use simple measurement terms correctly (e.g., tall/short, big/small). Order two or more objects according to size and use non-standard measuring devices appropriately.

Unit 6: Numbers and Applications - match objects by 1:1 correspondence. Recognize and write numerals 1 to 20, count orally to 50. Explore a variety of physical representations of numbers and demonstrate an awareness of addition and subtraction situations. Classify and count the number of objects in a given set, estimate and count to identify sets with fewer, more or the same number of objects and identify basic coins and their values.

Please, contact me if you have any questions!

JK - Year Plan

Please take a look at what JKs learn throughout the year at SJA.
Some dates might change, but the content is the same. We try to incorporate Math, Language and Science with our UOI. Students will develop and learn through a variety of hands on activities daily! I'm very excited for this school year!
Don't hesitate to ask me any questions regarding our curriculum.

 

Important Information

·         Parent – Teacher Orientation Night is on Aug. 29^th at 6pm. It is very important that at least one of the parents participate, so you can collect your key fob to enter the school. It is required a $40 deposit.
·         If you wish to purchase hot lunch for your child, please submit form and payment no later than Friday, Sept. 9^th (no exceptions). We are also offering pizza lunch from Sep. 7-9^th for $2.00/slice. Please send in your child’s money to purchase the pizza in the agenda.
·         On September 15^th, from 4-7pm, SJA will be holding a Welcome BBQ for all families to attend.
·         Just a reminder, students are to come to school on Wednesday, September 7^th in their gym uniform. Required gym uniform days are Monday and Wednesday. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, students are to come to school in their full school uniform.
·         Please, to avoid any discomfort in case of washroom accidents, send in your child’s backpack an extra change of clothes in a plastic bag. The bag will remain in your child’s backpack and it will be used only when needed. If your child is not able to change independently we will be calling you to come to school and change him/her. Please understand, that is part of our policy.
·         Please be advised that St. Jude's is a nut free facility. When purchasing items for your child's lunch, please read the packages carefully. If the label says, "may contain nuts", please refrain from sending that item. Look for products with the nut-free label.
·         Remember that your child will need to bring 2 pairs of indoor shoes: 1 pair of black dress shoes and 1 pair of indoor running shoes. These shoes will remain at school. If your child cannot tie laces on his/her own, please send in slip-on or velcro shoes. Please label your child's shoes. Children often have the same or very similar shoes.
·         For hygiene purposes your child’s bottle of water will be sent home everyday to be washed and returned.
·         Please read and sign your child’s agenda every day. Students need to bring their agendas back and forth to school each day. This is another way of communicating with me.  Your child will receive the agenda on his/her first day of school.
·         Each day a different child will be the Special Helper of the day. The Special Helper will be the line leader, will help lead the calendar routine and is in charge of any special errands for the teacher.
·         Starting second week of school (Sept. 16th), every Friday 5-6 students will be asked to bring in an object that begins with the letter of the week (i.e .if the letter of the week is “Cc”, then the child might bring in a car). Your child will be assessed each time they present.
·         In regards to class field trips, if you are interested in participating, please let me know as we rotate parents throughout the school year.
·         Your child is free to bring in a small toy to school, so she or he can play during recess. Please refrain from sending expensive and breakable toys.

Daily Schedule

 

 



Welcome to our class blog!

Dear Parents,
I hope you are having a terrific summer!
At SJA we believe that communication between teacher/school and parents is a important tool for your child's success. This blog is one of the several ways to communicate and be aware of what goes on in your child's school life. I usually post what we did during the day, pictures and videos. Make sure to check it everyday, you don't want to miss out!
Here are a few helpful websites to practice reading with your child:
http://www.starfall.com/index.htm
http://www.familylearning.org.uk/phonics_games.html

Enjoy!