So much has changed since I last updated this blog in March 2020. First of all...COVID! Second of all...a NEW school year!
Please check out my new website at:
mrspackardsones.weebly.com
Thursday 24 September 2020
Tuesday 17 March 2020
UPDATE
Dear families,
I know that this is such a stressful time for everyone. We are moving forward step by step, day by day as we receive new information about this very serious situation. We appreciate your patience as we are working to figure out exactly what this is going to look like for our students, our own families, and our Probe community. For families who have picked up your child's belongings already, you will have received a letter from our Grade One Team. I have posted the letter below. We have been working on a common website with some interactive learning websites and ideas. We will be continually updating or adding new ideas so please check it weekly.
The website is :https://grade-one.jimdosite.com/
I recommend as a teacher and as a parent that you use this time to connect with your child. Read, play games, build things, get outside, and just love them and let them be kids.
I have set the students up with accounts on 2 really great learning websites:
1. Prodigy Math- You will find a letter when you pick up their belonging with instructions for a wonderful math website called PRODIGY MATH. I have registered each student with their own account and they can access it on a tablet or computer. Each student has their own individual log-in and password. It is in the letter. Please let me know if you don't have this information.
2. Epic Books- I have also signed our students up for an account on EPIC BOOKS. This is a wonderful online library with books that the students are familiar with and will enjoy. If you go to the website https://www.getepic.com/ and click on the students tab. They will have to enter the class code which is : xhh8626 and then find their name.
Please don't hesitate to contact me through the Class Dojo APP or through email. I would like to stay as connected as possible. I will keep in communication with any updates I receive. Please give your kids a hug from me and tell them that I miss their smiles. I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and I have appreciated all of your support.
Crystal
crystal.packard@lethsd.ab.ca
I know that this is such a stressful time for everyone. We are moving forward step by step, day by day as we receive new information about this very serious situation. We appreciate your patience as we are working to figure out exactly what this is going to look like for our students, our own families, and our Probe community. For families who have picked up your child's belongings already, you will have received a letter from our Grade One Team. I have posted the letter below. We have been working on a common website with some interactive learning websites and ideas. We will be continually updating or adding new ideas so please check it weekly.
The website is :https://grade-one.jimdosite.com/
I recommend as a teacher and as a parent that you use this time to connect with your child. Read, play games, build things, get outside, and just love them and let them be kids.
I have set the students up with accounts on 2 really great learning websites:
1. Prodigy Math- You will find a letter when you pick up their belonging with instructions for a wonderful math website called PRODIGY MATH. I have registered each student with their own account and they can access it on a tablet or computer. Each student has their own individual log-in and password. It is in the letter. Please let me know if you don't have this information.
2. Epic Books- I have also signed our students up for an account on EPIC BOOKS. This is a wonderful online library with books that the students are familiar with and will enjoy. If you go to the website https://www.getepic.com/ and click on the students tab. They will have to enter the class code which is : xhh8626 and then find their name.
Please don't hesitate to contact me through the Class Dojo APP or through email. I would like to stay as connected as possible. I will keep in communication with any updates I receive. Please give your kids a hug from me and tell them that I miss their smiles. I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and I have appreciated all of your support.
Crystal
crystal.packard@lethsd.ab.ca
Friday 13 March 2020
March 16-20
Well, we expected that this week would be an interesting one with the time change, full moon and Friday the 13th. But...we didn't quite expect this. Inside our little classroom, we actually had a wonderful week. The students had a blast with all of our building projects and they are so excited to continue with our reading of The Wild Robot. We finished up our gymnastics unit in Phys. Ed. and we are working through subtraction strategies and problem solving in Math. We are still working away and having fun in grade one!
Report cards are now available on PowerSchool as of this morning. Please let me know if you are having any issues navigating through it. The report period comments are under the subject "Homeroom 1".
We have also had to cancel many of our other school wide events: Book fair, assemblies, bingo night, and choir performances. If you are looking for more information, please visit the Lethbridge School Division website for updates from Alberta Health Services.
Lethbridge School Division Website
Across the school we have talked to the students about the importance of hand washing and covering our mouths when we sneeze and cough. We have booked a hand washing presentation to come into our Grade One classrooms on March 25 to reinforce the proper way to wash our hands and to teach the students all about germs. The safety of students is our number one priority and we are making changes to avoid the spread of germs as much as possible. Parents, please send your child to school with a water bottle tomorrow. We will not be using the water fountains as a proactive approach to avoiding germs.
Leprechaun Traps
To go along with our building unit and to have a little St. Patrick's Day fun, the students have a homework project to build a leprechaun trap! This has been a tradition in grade one to try and catch a sneaky little leprechaun on St. Patrick's day. Keep it simple and let your child use their imagination! We brainstormed a few ideas that might help to lure that sneaky leprechaun like making the trap green, putting some gold in the trap, adding shamrocks or 4 leaf clovers on the trap and making a rainbow. I am excited to see what they come up with! Please send the traps to school on Monday, March 16. We will set them up over night to see if we can catch that leprechaun. Have fun!What's happening this week?
Monday
-New sight words this week.
-No Jr. Choir today.
-Leprechaun traps can be brought to school today!
-No Jr. Choir today.
-Leprechaun traps can be brought to school today!
-Happy St. Patrick's Day! Wear GREEN today!
Wednesday
Thursday
-Library day. No school for students in the afternoon. Dismissal is at 11:47.
-Parent/teacher interviews in the afternoon for those who have requested.
-Parent/teacher interviews in the afternoon for those who have requested.
Friday
-No School. Professional learning day.
-Probe school clothing order deadline is today.
-No School. Professional learning day.
-Probe school clothing order deadline is today.
Coming up:
Every Monday: Jr. Choir (cancelled temporarily)
Every Thursday: LibraryMarch 20- School clothing orders are due today if interested. Probe Clothing
March 23- Rock Your Socks for Down Syndrome awareness.
March 25- Probe clothing spirit day.
March 25- Hand-washing presentation.
Sunday 8 March 2020
March 9-13
Dr. Seuss week was SO MUCH FUN! We celebrated all things Seuss, all week long. It was such a great opportunity to learn about rhyming words and word families, as well as see some of their creativity come out in their writing! Thank you for sending some of your child's favourite Dr. Seuss books to school. They enjoyed reading them with their book buddies!
We had some exciting news from Mrs. Foster during our library period on Thursday. She announced to us that the Grade 1 students won the "I Read Canadian" challenge! We read the most Canadian books in the school! She is working on putting together a Canadian Celebration day for us at the end of March. I will let you more details once plans are finalized!
Building
The students are really enjoying our building unit! Last week we built towers, musical instruments, and boats. We had a tower building challenge, we made little band with our instruments, and we tested our boats to see how heavy of a load they could carry before they sank. This week we are building bridges, doors and hinges, houses, and furniture. Each of these building projects goes along with a fairytale that we will read before our building challenge. I would like the students to bring a small figurine or small stuffed animal to school for Wednesday as we will need them for our house building project. Watch the blog for lots of pictures!
Leprechaun Traps
To go along with our building unit and to have a little St. Patrick's Day fun, the students have a homework project to build a leprechaun trap! This has been a tradition in grade one to try and catch a sneaky little leprechaun on St. Patrick's day. Keep it simple and let your child use their imagination! We brainstormed a few ideas that might help to lure that sneaky leprechaun like making the trap green, putting some gold in the trap, adding shamrocks or 4 leaf clovers on the trap and making a rainbow. I am excited to see what they come up with! Please send the traps to school on Monday, March 16. We will set them up over night to see if we can catch that leprechaun. Have fun!
The Wild Robot
Your child may have come home this week talking about the story "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown. If you have older children in this school, you will remember this book from our One School One Book project a few years ago. This year, our school is taking a break from OSOB and so we decided as a Grade One team to do One Grade One Book and read The Wild Robot to our students! It is such a wonderful book and the students are so excited and invested in this story. It is also a great opportunity to learn about important story elements such as characters, setting, and conflict. It really is amazing to see my little students listening so intently as I read this chapter book to them. They are asking such great questions and making predictions as to what they think will come next in the story. Our discussions are so valuable. We can't wait to find out what will happen this week in the story!
Gymnastics.
This will be our final week of gymnastics. The students have been working on developing strength, balance, and flexibility. It has been neat to watch them grow!
Report Cards
Report cards will be available for you to view online in PowerSchools on Friday, March 13. If you are not able to log in to PowerSchools, please talk to our admin assistants in the office. Formal parents/teacher interviews will be by request only and will take place on Thursday, March 19 in the afternoon. Students will be dismissed by 11:47 on that day. If you would like to request an interview, please email me. I will also have an interview sign-up at the Celebration of Learning.
We will be hosting a "pop-in" style Celebration of Learning on Monday, March 16 from 5:30-7:00. We would love to see all students with their families as they will have an opportunity to show off their work and showcase their learning.
What's happening this week?
We had some exciting news from Mrs. Foster during our library period on Thursday. She announced to us that the Grade 1 students won the "I Read Canadian" challenge! We read the most Canadian books in the school! She is working on putting together a Canadian Celebration day for us at the end of March. I will let you more details once plans are finalized!
Building
The students are really enjoying our building unit! Last week we built towers, musical instruments, and boats. We had a tower building challenge, we made little band with our instruments, and we tested our boats to see how heavy of a load they could carry before they sank. This week we are building bridges, doors and hinges, houses, and furniture. Each of these building projects goes along with a fairytale that we will read before our building challenge. I would like the students to bring a small figurine or small stuffed animal to school for Wednesday as we will need them for our house building project. Watch the blog for lots of pictures!
Leprechaun Traps
To go along with our building unit and to have a little St. Patrick's Day fun, the students have a homework project to build a leprechaun trap! This has been a tradition in grade one to try and catch a sneaky little leprechaun on St. Patrick's day. Keep it simple and let your child use their imagination! We brainstormed a few ideas that might help to lure that sneaky leprechaun like making the trap green, putting some gold in the trap, adding shamrocks or 4 leaf clovers on the trap and making a rainbow. I am excited to see what they come up with! Please send the traps to school on Monday, March 16. We will set them up over night to see if we can catch that leprechaun. Have fun!The Wild Robot
Your child may have come home this week talking about the story "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown. If you have older children in this school, you will remember this book from our One School One Book project a few years ago. This year, our school is taking a break from OSOB and so we decided as a Grade One team to do One Grade One Book and read The Wild Robot to our students! It is such a wonderful book and the students are so excited and invested in this story. It is also a great opportunity to learn about important story elements such as characters, setting, and conflict. It really is amazing to see my little students listening so intently as I read this chapter book to them. They are asking such great questions and making predictions as to what they think will come next in the story. Our discussions are so valuable. We can't wait to find out what will happen this week in the story!Gymnastics.
This will be our final week of gymnastics. The students have been working on developing strength, balance, and flexibility. It has been neat to watch them grow!
Report Cards
Report cards will be available for you to view online in PowerSchools on Friday, March 13. If you are not able to log in to PowerSchools, please talk to our admin assistants in the office. Formal parents/teacher interviews will be by request only and will take place on Thursday, March 19 in the afternoon. Students will be dismissed by 11:47 on that day. If you would like to request an interview, please email me. I will also have an interview sign-up at the Celebration of Learning.
We will be hosting a "pop-in" style Celebration of Learning on Monday, March 16 from 5:30-7:00. We would love to see all students with their families as they will have an opportunity to show off their work and showcase their learning.
What's happening this week?
Monday
-New sight words this week.
-Jr. Choir @ 10:30.
-Jr. Choir @ 10:30.
Wednesday
-Red registration forms due back to school.-Students need to bring a small stuffy to school for their house building project.
Thursday
-Library day.
Friday
-Popcorn Friday for those who ordered.
-Popcorn Friday for those who ordered.
-Exploratory!
-Report cards are available to view in PowerSchool.
-Report cards are available to view in PowerSchool.
Coming up:
Every Monday: Jr. Choir
Every Thursday: LibraryMarch 16- Scholastic book fair begins in the library.
March 16- K-2 Celebration of Learning from 5:30-7:00.
March 16- Leprechaun Trap project due back at school. (Information will be coming home this week!)
March 17- Happy St. Patrick's Day! Students can wear green today!
March 18- Jr. and Sr. Choir will perform at Sing for the Soup Kitchen at 7:00 at Southminster Church.
March 19- No School in the afternoon. Students will be dismissed at 11:47. Parent/teacher interviews by request in the afternoon.
March 20- No School.
March 20- School clothing orders are due today if interested. Probe Clothing
March 23- Rock Your Socks for Down Syndrome awareness.
March 25- Probe clothing spirit day.
March 26- Grade 4 BINGO night! All families welcome to attend.
Sunday 1 March 2020
March 2-6
Thank you to all of the families who came to watch our special assembly. The students were adorable and did a fantastic job! We hope that the message of anti-bullying and kindness is something we continue to live and promote every single day. Dr. Seuss
This week in Grade One, we are celebrating Dr. Seuss! Each day, we will be reading and doing activities based on Dr. Seuss stories. If your child has a favourite Dr. Seuss book at home, they can bring it to school (labelled with their name please). We will return the books at the end of the week.
Building
We have started our Building Unit in Science and the students are so excited! We spent a few days last week sorting out our building supplies and learning about fasteners. This week, we will be building towers, musical instruments, boats, and bridges. Please keep sending your recyclable materials for us!
Thanks!
Gymnastics.
Our gymnastic equipment is here and all set up! The students are very excited for this unit. In order to ensure student safety while using the equipment, we ask that students come to school dressed in comfortable, active clothing.
Report Cards
Report cards will be available for you to view online in PowerSchools on Friday, March 13. If you are not able to log in to PowerSchools, please talk to our admin assistants in the office. Formal parents/teacher interviews will be by request only and will take place on Thursday, March 19 in the afternoon. Students will be dismissed by 11:47 on that day. If you would like to request an interview, please email me. I will also have an interview sign-up at the Celebration of Learning.
We will be hosting a "pop-in" style Celebration of Learning on Monday, March 16 from 5:30-7:00. We would love to see all students with their families as they will have an opportunity to show off their work and showcase their learning.
What's happening this week?
Monday
-New sight words this week.
-Jr. Choir @ 10:30.
Cat in the Hat day
-Jr. Choir @ 10:30.
Cat in the Hat day
Wednesday
-McDonald's hot lunch.
Wacky Wednesday
-McDonald's hot lunch.
Wacky Wednesday
Thursday
-Library day.
Oh, the Places You'll Go day
Oh, the Places You'll Go day
Friday
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back day
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back day
-Exploratory!
Coming up:
Every Monday: Jr. Choir
Every Thursday: LibraryMarch 13- Popcorn Friday- available for purchase through School Cash online.
March 13- Report Cards go live on PowerSchools.
March 16- Scholastic book fair begins in the library.
March 16- K-2 Celebration of Learning from 5:30-7:00.
March 16- Leprechaun Trap project due back at school. (Information will be coming home this week!)
March 17- Happy St. Patrick's Day! Students can wear green today!
March 19- No School in the afternoon. Students will be dismissed at 11:47. Parent/teacher interviews by request in the afternoon.
March 20- No School.
March 25- Probe clothing spirit day.
March 26- Grade 4 BINGO night! All families welcome to attend.
Saturday 22 February 2020
February 24-28
I hope everyone had a wonderful, relaxing family week! I am looking forward to hearing about all of the student's adventures over their holiday. It was great to spend time with my family as well as take in some valuable professional learning at teacher's convention. I am feeling recharged and ready for a busy few weeks.
Our Grade One students will be leading a special assembly on Wednesday, February 26. We will be reading a poem and singing a song about love and kindness. This is also PINK shirt day. If possible, we would love all of the students to wear pink shirts today to show our support against bullying. We have been focussing on acts of kindness throughout the month of February and we believe that this is such an important concept to teach our students at a young age. For more information about Pink Shirt Day, visit the webpage below.
Pink Shirt Day
We are also excited to begin our building unit in Science! This engaging unit allows students to explore their creativity through project-based learning. We need as much recyclable stuff as possible to complete these projects. Students can bring building supplies all throughout the week. Your junk is our treasure! Here is the building letter that I sent home before the break.
Building Unit
Our gymnastic equipment arrives this week and we will begin our gymnastics unit in Phys. Ed as soon as it's set up and ready to go. In order to ensure student safety while using the eqipment, we ask that students come to school dressed in comfortable, active clothing.
What's happening this week?
Our Grade One students will be leading a special assembly on Wednesday, February 26. We will be reading a poem and singing a song about love and kindness. This is also PINK shirt day. If possible, we would love all of the students to wear pink shirts today to show our support against bullying. We have been focussing on acts of kindness throughout the month of February and we believe that this is such an important concept to teach our students at a young age. For more information about Pink Shirt Day, visit the webpage below.
Pink Shirt Day
We are also excited to begin our building unit in Science! This engaging unit allows students to explore their creativity through project-based learning. We need as much recyclable stuff as possible to complete these projects. Students can bring building supplies all throughout the week. Your junk is our treasure! Here is the building letter that I sent home before the break.
Building Unit
Our gymnastic equipment arrives this week and we will begin our gymnastics unit in Phys. Ed as soon as it's set up and ready to go. In order to ensure student safety while using the eqipment, we ask that students come to school dressed in comfortable, active clothing.
What's happening this week?
Monday
-New sight words this week.
-Jr. Choir @ 10:30.
-Gymnastics unit begins in Phys. Ed.
-Jr. Choir @ 10:30.
-Gymnastics unit begins in Phys. Ed.
Wednesday
-Pink shirt day! Grade 1 assembly at 8:45. Families are invited to attend.
-Pink shirt day! Grade 1 assembly at 8:45. Families are invited to attend.
Thursday
-Mrs. Foster will be away today so we will change library to another day this week. Please watch for a message in your child's agenda.
Friday
-Exploratory round 4 begins!
-March calendar will come home today.
-March calendar will come home today.
Coming up:
Every Monday: Jr. Choir
Every Thursday: LibraryMarch 3-6- Dr. Seuss week in Grade One. If your chid has a favourite Dr. Seuss book, they can bring it to school this week.
March 4- McDonald's hot lunch.
March 13- Popcorn Friday- available for purchase through School Cash online.
March 16- Scholastic book fair begins in the library.
March 16- K-2 Celebration of Learning from 5:30-7:00.
March 16- Leprechaun Trap project due back at school. (Information will be coming home this week!)
March 17- Happy St. Patrick's Day! Students can wear green today!
March 19- No School in the afternoon. Students will be dismissed at 11:47.
March 20- No School.
March 25- Probe Graphic t-shirt spirit day.
March 26- Grade 4 BINGO night! All families welcome to attend.
Sunday 9 February 2020
February 10-14
Our 100th day celebration was a huge success. The students were so well behaved and had a blast! Their costumes were absolutely adorable as well. Thank you for helping them dress up, it made the day even more fun. A huge thank you to the parents who help out with this special day. We could not have done this without your help, so...THANK YOU! Make sure you check out the pictures under the pictures tab!
We are off to a great start with our Great Canadian Maple Leaf challenge! As a class, we have read over 30 Canadian books since Wednesday. Remember, if your child reads a Canadian book at home, please write it in their home reading and draw a simple maple leaf beside the title of the book. We will track our books at school. Thanks for your help with this!
After the February break, we will be starting our next Science unit on Building Things. This is a very hands-on, engaging unit that allows the students to use their creativity and imagination. We are looking for a wide variety of materials to build our projects with such as cardboard boxes, toilet paper tubes, fabric, straws, paper plates and cups, etc. Tomorrow your child will be bringing a note home with more details. We would love as many supplies as possible to be brought to school the week of February 24. Your junk is our treasure! Let the building begin!
On Friday, we will be celebrating Valentine's day with some Valentine centers, snacks and card exchange. We will be making out Valentine bags on Wednesday to hold all of the cards we get on Friday. Simple, hand made cards are just fine.
Thank you to the families who have signed up to bring snacks for Friday.
Fruit Plate- Colin’s family
Vegetables and Dip- Alice’s family
Juice Boxes and Napkins- Karter’s family
Cookies- Finn’s family
Muffins- Owen’s family
Cheese and Crackers- Olivia H.’s family
Meat and Pickles- Meika’s family
Here is a link to the note as well as our February calendar.
February Calendar
Valentine List
What's happening this week?
We are off to a great start with our Great Canadian Maple Leaf challenge! As a class, we have read over 30 Canadian books since Wednesday. Remember, if your child reads a Canadian book at home, please write it in their home reading and draw a simple maple leaf beside the title of the book. We will track our books at school. Thanks for your help with this!
After the February break, we will be starting our next Science unit on Building Things. This is a very hands-on, engaging unit that allows the students to use their creativity and imagination. We are looking for a wide variety of materials to build our projects with such as cardboard boxes, toilet paper tubes, fabric, straws, paper plates and cups, etc. Tomorrow your child will be bringing a note home with more details. We would love as many supplies as possible to be brought to school the week of February 24. Your junk is our treasure! Let the building begin!
On Friday, we will be celebrating Valentine's day with some Valentine centers, snacks and card exchange. We will be making out Valentine bags on Wednesday to hold all of the cards we get on Friday. Simple, hand made cards are just fine.
Thank you to the families who have signed up to bring snacks for Friday.
Fruit Plate- Colin’s family
Vegetables and Dip- Alice’s family
Juice Boxes and Napkins- Karter’s family
Cookies- Finn’s family
Muffins- Owen’s family
Cheese and Crackers- Olivia H.’s family
Meat and Pickles- Meika’s family
Here is a link to the note as well as our February calendar.
February Calendar
Valentine List
What's happening this week?
Monday
-New sight words this week.
-Jr. Choir @ 10:30.
-Jr. Choir @ 10:30.
Wednesday
-Hot lunch.
-Div 1 teachers vs. Grade 5 basketball team @2:10.
-Hot lunch.
-Div 1 teachers vs. Grade 5 basketball team @2:10.
Thursday
-Library Day. Please check for any library books that your child may have at home.
Friday
-Valentine party and card exchange.
Have a Happy Family day and reading week. School resumes on February 24!
Have a Happy Family day and reading week. School resumes on February 24!
Coming up:
Every Monday: Jr. Choir
Every Thursday: LibraryFebruary 17-21- NO SCHOOL
February 24- Our gymnastics unit begins in Phys. Ed.
February 26- Pink shirt day and Grade One Kindness assembly@ 8:40.
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