Last Day of Kindergarten

Dear Parents, 

I can't believe summer is here already!  June has been a very busy and exciting time in the classroom and I am truly sad to see the school year come to an end.  I have enjoyed working with all of the children.  It has been a joy and honor to share this Kindergarten year with your child. The amount of growth in knowledge and confidence in each child has been unbelievable and it has been very rewarding to be part of it. 

Thank you so much for all of your kindness and support this school year.  Have a safe and relaxing summer and all the best to you and your family in the coming years. 

Warm regards,
Mrs. Lai

Classroom Updates for June

The AM kinders really loved the swimming and water safety program.  It was a full body work out, and an important life skill for all of our learners.  A big thank you to all of our parents, who were able to volunteer their time to help us on our swimming field trip.   Without your support, we would not be able to go on field trips with our learners.  Thank you so much for your wonderful help at the pool .

Last week while the AM class were swimming, the PM class enjoyed some time in the Makerspace.  The learners were very excited to meet  Dash & Dot (two programmable robots) and have an introduction to coding.  

All of the learners have been working really hard to learn our "popcorn words".  These are words that Cadence will encounter a lot when reading.  Many of them are not pronounced or spelled in regular ways.  So these are just words they have to recognize very quickly to help them read easily.  Some of the learners have mastered all of the words, and can start working on the grade one sight word list.  It your child is working on learning the popcorn words, it is really important to spend some extra time at home each day to practice them.  They really do make a big difference and gives them more confidence when reading.  Here is a list of our popcorn words:  a, and, he, she, I, in, is, it, of that, the, to & was.  

In math, we have been focusing on developing our understanding of number sense.   A critical part of number sense is the ability to compose and decompose numbers, which means they can break apart numbers.  For example, 5 can be represented as 1 and 4.  The number 5 can also be represented as 2 and 3.  The learners have been practicing composing and decomposing numbers up to 10.  The learners have been modeling and explaining strategies to add and subtract numbers to 10.  The learners are using concrete objects and pictures to act out joining and separating.  The students can also name one more, or one less than a given number and compare and order numbers.  Many of the students are now beginning to use number sentences ( 2 + 3 = 5) as well.  

In Social studies, we have been focusing on identity and developing the learners understanding of citizenship.  We have been working on the unit "Belonging" and learning about the different groups we all belong to in our community.  The students all identified with belonging to their families, and K.T. School, and many learners also identified with belonging to other groups in the community, such as a soccer team.  

Some important dates for the next few weeks:  

• Friday June 14 - AM Kindergarten attends
• Friday June 21 National Indigenous Peoples Day
• Friday June 21 - PM Kindergarten attends
• Wednesday June 26 - Last Day of Classes
• Wednesday June 26 - AM Kindergarten Attends

Warm regards, 

Mrs. Lai

Makerspace

Dear Parents, 

We are in the process of organizing and adding to our Makerspace in our Learning Commons. Our Makerspace is a place where students can gather to create with a focus on building, robotics, technology, coding, or a combination of these skills.  It allows students to invent, tinker, and discover using a variety of tools and materials while promoting critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and creativity.   

In order to continue to enjoy this space, we would like to collect a few items that we are low on.  If you have any items that you can donate to the school, please send your child with them in a sealed Ziploc bag. We will be collecting from June 10 - 14.   Please note that all students at Kenneth D. Taylor School will use these materials and they will not be returned.

• corks
• marbles
• shells
• packaging such as bubble wrap
• egg cartons
• toilet paper rolls/paper towel rolls
• water bottle lids
• buttons
• empty thread spools
• tinfoil
• wax paper
• paper plates of all sizes
• scrapbooking scissors
• paper/plastic cups
• toothpicks
• wooden skewers

Thank you in advance for your help and support with this with this!

Warm regards,

Mrs. Lai

Ultimate Summer Challenge 2019

We had a very special guest speaker at school today.  Ms. Jennifer was here from the Calgary Public Library.  We learned there will be over 500 free things to do at the Public Library this summer.  Here is the list of the top 10 things to do at the Calgary Public Library this summer:

10. A princess reads you a story 
9. Paint 
8. Learn to dance 
7.Dissect an owl pellet 
6. Come to the library & read to a puppy
5. Paint with bubbles 
4.Meet a paleontologist
3. Learn to tie knots like a pirate 
2. Make slime 
1. and of course, read books !

This summer the Calgary Public Library is inviting all students to join them for the Ultimate Summer Challenge, to read books, and a chance to earn awesome prizes.  

For homework, parents please take your children to the Calgary Public Library and register your child to participate in the Ultimate Summer Challenge :) 

Registration for the Ultimate Summer Challenge runs from May 15 to August 31.

Warm regards,
Mrs. Lai

Thanks A Lot AM Assembly

WOW! 

We are proud of our AM kindergarten classes who shared their learning at the assembly. 

Here is the video of a song we have been learning - demonstrating our understanding of gratitude and the land.  

Reminders

NO School Friday, May 17 PD Day 

NO school Monday, May 20 Victoria Day Long Weekend 

Swimming & Water Safety Program

The PM kinders really loved the swimming and water safety program.  It was a full body work out, and an important life skill for all of our learners.  A big thank you to all of our PM parents, who were able to volunteer their time to help us on our swimming field trip.   Without your support, we would not be able to go on field trips with our learners.  Thank you so much for your wonderful help at the pool .

The AM Kinders will be going swimming on June 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10.   Permission forms for the field trip will come home later this month.  If you have a valid security clearance, we would love you to keep these dates open.  We will be looking for parent volunteers to help us out in the change rooms.  We would also be very grateful to have a couple of dads who are able to help us out in the boys's change room.  Please keep these dates open if you are free to help us out.  Thank you in advance for your help and support.

Have a great weekend!

Warm regards,

Mrs. Lai

Playground Project

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Thank you to all that participated in the Purdy’s Chocolates Fundraiser!  We are very thankful for your continued support and for helping us get that much closer to building a playground.  All proceeds from fundraisers this year will go directly to the Playground Project.

·         Join us for an entertaining evening of fun at our upcoming Parent Night on May 1^st   at Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club.  Deadline to order tickets is Wednesday, April 24^th

·         We have 2 photo fundraisers for our playground coming up at the end of April!  Both events happen on Monday, April 29^th:

o    Event #1:  LifeTouch will be holding a second photo day for our students.  In addition to capturing new students, this opportunity will give us a chance to raise over $1000 for our playground!  For every student that has their picture taken, LifeTouch will give a $2 donation to the playground.  There is no obligation for parents to buy these photos.

o    Event #2:  LifeTouch will be hosting a Family Photo opportunity from 5:00 – 8:30 pm on Monday, April 29^th.  Quick synopsis of the evening:

§  $30 sitting fee, $20 back to school and families receive a complimentary 8x10.

§  15 minute appointment times starting at 5:00 pm.

§  Families arrive 5 minutes early to sign in before their photos.

§  All proofs mailed direct to families and they place their orders either online or by paper/phone

·         You can sign up now for your preferred time on Monday, April 29^th at:  https://local.prestigeportraits.ca/ab/calgary/3628-burnsland-rd-se.html  then click on Book Your Appointment

·         Yearbooks will be available to order April 15th to 25th. Use the link ybpay.lifetouch.ca with ID code 13178619 to make your order

·         Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 8^th at 6:30pm.  We have the Vice Chair and Secretary position vacant for the upcoming school year.  Please email councils.kennethdtaylor@gmail.com if you are interested

·         Paint Nite will be held May 13^th at Harvest Hills Brewhouse at 6:30pm.  Stay tuned for a link to buy tickets.

If you have any questions regarding this communication or any other council related topic please email councils.kennethdtaylor@gmail.com