January 27 - 30, 2025

Family Literacy Day at St. Gabriel- Monday, January 27th:

Family Literacy Day takes place every January 27^th to raise awareness about the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy activities with family. (See Link here) At school, we will have a St. Gabriel Literacy Day on Monday, January 27th. Students in our class are invited to bring a stuffy and bring their favourite book to school (or borrow one from school). The whole school will "snuggle up" with their books and celebrate this important day by participating in follow-up literacy activities.

Lunar New Year 2025

The Lunar New Year is celebrated by many East Asian communities around the world, including Vietnamese, Chinese, Koreans, Indonesians, and people from the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, among others. This year it is observed on January 29. It is a 15-day festival that begins with the new moon that occurs between January 21 and February 20 according to Western calendars. Festivities last until the full moon. The term Lunar New Year originated because the dates of celebration follow the phases of the moon. The Spring Festival was originally a day to pray to the gods for a good planting and harvest. People also pray to their ancestors. During the celebrations, people honour their ancestors and hold traditional ceremonies. People get together and welcome the new year with customs that will bring good fortune, happiness, wealth, and prosperity. In class, we will learn about some of the history and traditions of Lunar New Year. Wishing all of our families who celebrate the Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year a very happy new year!

Our Learning

Math

In Grade 2, we will continue to explore how to sort and classify 2-D shapes using their geometric properties (e.g., sides, corners/vertices, angles).

Grade 2 Parent letter Explaining How to Sort and Classify 2-D Shapes

In Grade 3, we will continue our exploration of how we can describe, sort, and compare 3-D solids, including their properties (e.g., faces, edges, vertices, angles, congruence). 

Grade 3 Parent Letter explaining how to describe 3-D objects here

Grade 3 Parent letter explaining how to sort 3-D objects here

Language

Our reading comprehension focus continues to be an exploration of several features of non-fiction texts (e.g., table of contents, and we will learn more about headings, special font, photographs, diagrams, labels, captions, text boxes, maps, cut-outs/closeups, glossary, and index). This week, the students will look at examples of some of these features in texts and learn how they can be used to help us find information.

Spelling and Phonics: This week, the students will bring home UFLI homework to reinforce the learning from last week's phonics lesson about the _ce ending (for example in words such as rice, trace, twice, space).

In phonics this week we will learn that the letter G can also say /j/ when it is followed by a silent E, like in the words page, age, and huge and also words such as cage, stage, and strange. The E at the end of the word does not make a sound so we say it is "silent" ("silent E" or "bossy E"). 

This week's new heart word: use

Please have your child practise the heart words we have learned so far in class: the, I, a, said, to, do, of, see, he, be, me, from, you, what, have, look, book, are, was, your, want, go, no, so, goes, says, they, their, were, talk, walk, could, should, would, or, for, who, by, my, one, once, *use.

Important Dates:

Jan. 27 - St. Gabriel celebrates Family Literacy Day (See Link here)

Jan. 31 - P.D. Day: No school for students

  January 20 - 24, 2025

United in Black Day Monday, January 20, 2025

On Monday, January 20th, the schools in the OCSB are participating in United in Black Day (formerly Black Shirt Day). Students and staff are invited to wear black and use the opportunity to raise awareness about anti-Black racism (and racism in all its forms), raise the profile of the systemic barriers that Black people have faced and continue to face within our school communities, and to speak up against racism wherever it shows itself. Your child is encouraged to wear black on Monday. 

Our Learning This Week

Math:

The focus of our new Math unit in Grade 2 will be on 2-D shapes (polygons). We will explore how to describe 2-D shapes using their geometric properties (e.g., sides, corners/vertices, angles). 

Link to Parent Letter Explaining How to Describe 2-D Shapes

In Grade 3, the focus is on 3-D solids. We will be exploring how we can describe 3-D solids, including their properties (e.g., faces, edges, vertices, angles). We will also examine the meaning of the term congruent (congruence).

Link to Geometry Vocabulary To Know for Grade 3 here

Link to MathUP Parent Letter Explaining How To Describe 3-D Objects

Language:

Our reading comprehension focus continues to be an exploration of several features of non-fiction texts (e.g., table of contents, and we will learn more about headings, special font, photographs, diagrams, labels, captions, text boxes, maps, cut-outs/closeups, glossary, and index.

Reading/Spelling: Last week during our last UFLI Phonics lesson, we started to learn about the long u vowel sound as in the word use. The long vowel sound is the same as the vowel's name, u. 

The vowel u says its own name, u, when there is a silent E at the end of a word, like in the words cube, mute, and cute and also words such as flute, rule, tube, duke, and tune. The E at the end of the word does not make a sound so we say it is "silent" ("silent E" or "bossy E"). 

We will then focus our phonics learning on the _ce ending. We will learn that _ce says /s/ such as in the words rice, trace, twice, space.

This week's new heart words are: one, once

Please have your child practise the heart words we have learned so far in class: the, I, a, said, to, do, of, see, he, be, me, from, you, what, have, look, book, are, was, your, want, go, no, so, goes, says, they, their, were, talk, walk, could, should, would, or, for, who, by, my, *one, *once.

Spelling Check-In Friday, Jan. 24th:

On Friday, Jan. 24th, we will have another heart word spelling check-in. Your child is expected to know how to spell the heart words learned in class so far. In addition, the assessment will include words that follow the long vowel patterns we've been learning. At home, please continue to help your child by practising reading and writing the heart words. Remember, the heart words are high-frequency words so it is essential that your child learns to read and write them 'by heart".

Science:

The Grade 2s have been exploring ways in which humans can protect the quality of our air and water as we finish up in our Air and Water in the Environment unit. Ask your child about their ideas! The Grade 3s have been learning about about the importance of decomposers in soil and why composting is important in our Soils in the Environment unit. Ask your Grade 3 child why worms are so important to our soil and why we need to protect our soil! Both grades will soon have a Science assessment before starting our next units: (Grade 2: Movement and Grade 3: Structures).

Important Dates:

Wed., Jan. 22 - Bell Let's Talk Day

Jan. 27 - St. Gabriel celebrates Family Literacy Day (See Link here)

Jan. 31 - P.D. Day: No school for students

 January 13 to 17, 2025

Our Learning 

Language:

To help with our reading comprehension skills, we will begin to look at the similarities and differences between fiction and non-fiction texts and identify the important features of non-fiction texts (e.g., provides information about a topic; often includes a table of contents, photographs, captions, diagrams, labels, maps, cut-outs/closeups, glossary, index, bold font, headings, etc.). 

Our next UFLI phonics lesson will consist of a review of the long vowel sounds we have learned so far (long a, long i, long o) as well as the long e vowel sound as in the word eve. The long vowel sound is the same as the vowel's name, e. 

The vowel e says its own name, e, when there is a silent E at the end of a word, like in the words theme, eve, and Pete. The E at the end of the word does not make a sound so we say it is "silent" ("silent E" or "bossy E").

There are no new Heart Words this week. Please have your child practise the heart words we have learned so far in class: the, I, a, said, to, do, of, see, he, be, me, from, you, what, have, look, book, are, was, your, want, go, no, so, goes, says, they, their, were, talk, walk, could, should, would, or, for, who, by, my.

*Please note that you should receive a message regarding Heart Words in your email on Monday. 

Math:

In Grade 2, we are reviewing what we have learned about adding and subtracting numbers to 20, as well as how to solve word problems.

In Grade 3, we will review the strategies for adding and subtracting 2-digit and 3-digit numbers, including using the standard algorithms with and without regrouping.

Link to Grade 3 Adding Larger Numbers Parent Summary letter here

Link to Grade 3 Subtracting Larger Numbers Parent Summary letter here

In both grades, we have also been practising using problem-solving steps and strategies to help us understand and solve addition and subtraction word problems.

The Grade 2s and 3s will both have an assessment task to end our units about addition and subtraction this week. We will then begin our geometry units in both Grade 2 and 3. The focus of our unit in Grade 2 will be on 2-D shapes (polygons). We will explore how to describe 2-D shapes using their geometric properties (e.g., sides, corners/vertices, angles). In Grade 3, the focus is on 3-D solids. We will be exploring how we can describe 3-D solids, including their properties (e.g., faces, edges, vertices, angles). We will also examine the meaning of the term congruent (congruence).

Important Dates:

Jan. 20 - United in Black Day: Wear black

Jan. 31 - P.D. Day: No school

   January 6 - 10, 2025

Wishing you and your family a blessed, healthy, and happy 2025! I hope you had a restful break with your loved ones. I am looking forward to being back in class with my little friends and continuing our learning together.

Our Learning

Religion:

January 6th is the Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord. That will be the topic of our Religion lessons this week. We will learn about the three Magi who followed the star of Bethlehem to baby Jesus, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. What gifts can we give to Jesus? 

Language:

In Writing, we will review the criteria for recount texts while writing a recount of something we did during the holidays. We will also continue our learning about descriptive writing, and set some goals for using descriptive vocabulary and details to improve our writing.

To help with our reading comprehension skills, in the next few weeks we will begin an exploration of several features of non-fiction texts (information texts) and how they help the reader identify important ideas and information. We will learn about table of contents, headings, special font, photographs, diagrams, labels, captions, text boxes, maps, cut-outs/closeups, glossary, and index.

Our next UFLI phonics lesson will focus on the long o vowel sound as in the word open. The long vowel sound is the same as the vowel's name, o. 

The vowel o says its own name, o, when there is a silent E at the end of a word, like in the words home, bone, code, rope, and note. The E does not make a sound so we say it is "silent" ("silent E" or "bossy E"). 

Please have your child practise the heart words we have learned so far in class: the, I, a, and, as, is, said, to, do, of, see, he, be, me, from, you, what, have, look, book, are, was, your, want, go, no, so, goes, says, they, their, were, talk, walk, could, should, would, or, for, who, by, my.

Math:

We will continue to work on our unit about addition and subtraction. In Grade 2, we are practising our recall of and understanding of addition facts for numbers up to 20, and their related subtraction facts. We have practised using the doubles, doubles plus one, doubles minus one, make ten, and rearranging numbers or using friendly numbers to add. This week, we will review how to subtract by using addition, and then we will learn about adding and subtracting numbers to 20 by exploring and practising fact families.

Grade 2 Parent Letter About Using Addition to Subtract here

Grade 2 Parent Letter About Using Related Subtraction and Addition Facts

In Grade 3, we continue to explore strategies for adding and subtracting numbers less than 100 (e.g., using a number line, hundred chart, manipulatives such as counters or ten-frames, drawing objects, and using mental strategies). This week, we will review how addition and subtraction are related. 

Grade 3 Parent Letter Relating Addition and Subtraction here

In both Grades 2 and 3, we will also begin to work on solving word problems that involve addition and subtraction. We will focus on how to communicate and show our thinking (How did we determine our answer?; What strategy did we use? How can we explain our strategy?). We will also learn the steps to solving a problem, including writing the final answer in a complete sentence when solving a word problem. Please have your child practise adding and subtracting at home, with an important focus on encouraging your child to explain his/her thinking, as this is a challenging skill for many. 

Grade 2 and Grade 3 Math Homework:

Memorize doubles addition facts to the sum of 20 (e.g., 4+4, 5+5, 6+6, 7+7, 8+8, 9+9, 10+10), as well as the related doubles subtraction sentences (e.g., 8-4=4, 10-5=5, 16-8=8, etc.). 

Important Dates:

Monday, Jan. 6 - First day of school after Christmas break

Friday, January 31 - P.D. Day: No school for students