Mr. McCallum

2024-2025 Napan Elementary School 2/3

Posted: September 20, 2024

Fri Sept 20

Daily Update:
We kicked off the day by reviewing yesterday's work and diving into new tasks. Everyone is putting more care into their work, and the improvements are really showing—our scores saw a big boost today! Our spelling word was FABULOUS, and we practiced our "Show, Not Tell" sentence: "Mom was angry!" We finished up our Heggerty drills and doodled our shark one last time, now at double speed! A quick windmill stretch, followed by switching out the books in our book boxes, got us energized for buddy reading. Before recess, we brainstormed ideas as a group and finally grabbed our paintbrushes to add the final layer to our sunset paintings.

Math:
The Grade 3s continued practicing skip counting both forwards and backwards by 2s and 4s using connecting block manipulatives. Meanwhile, the Grade 1s and 2s focused on the number of the day (20), representing it in different forms like ten frames, tally marks, place value, and on a 100s chart. We also took a closer look at Base 10 Blocks. Everyone rotated through the four centers with more independence today. Color by number (or by answer) turned out to be a favorite activity!

After Lunch:
We read more from The One and Only Ivan, where Ivan impressively drew a beetle. After that, we enjoyed a second story called "Wyatt and the Case of the Missing Shoe"—a fun one because the students helped write it! We wrapped up with some additional videos and discussions about Terry Fox.

In PE:
We headed outside to continue sharpening our soccer skills—dribbling through cones, practicing passes, and taking shots on goal. To finish off, we played a fast-paced game.  There may have been one incredible goal, but I can't remember who scored it?

Day End:
For today's Book of Gratitude, we reflected on the prompt, “I am thankful for the chance to try...," before filling out our home-to-school books. Don’t forget, MONDAY IS SCHOOL PICTURE DAY!

Picture of the Day:
Our final sunset picture featuring birds backlit by the colorful sky. Our painting skills are improving!

Posted: September 19, 2024

Thurs Sept 19

Daily Update:

I love how everyone comes into the classroom, puts their lunch cans away, and gets right to work! We began the day by evaluating yesterday’s work before diving into today's tasks—working on getting a little better each day. Our spelling word was CATERPILLAR, and our "Show, Not Tell" sentence was “She was sleepy.” We completed our Heggerty drills and finished doodling our shark. We also checked in on Ann Bonnie—she hasn’t pinged in over a week, so she could be anywhere now! After that, we did a 15-minute Read-to-Self session and a quick 10-minute writing exercise before recess.

Math:
The Grade 3s continued working on skip counting forward and backward by 2s and 4s using connecting block manipulatives. The Grade 1s and 2s focused on showing the number of the day (19) in different ways—ten frames, tally marks, place value, and on a 100s chart. We rotated through our 4 centers today and worked more independently.

After Lunch:
We read more of The One and Only Ivan and learned how Julia gave Bob his name. Afterward, we talked about the color spectrum (R-O-Y-G-B-I-V) and used the first three colors to create a background for our artwork. Once it dries tonight, we’ll add the foreground tomorrow!

In PE:
We went outside to work on our soccer skills—dribbling around cones, taking passes, and practicing shots. We finished up with a quick game.

Day End:
Since our paintings were still drying, we didn’t apply the foreground yet. We did our Book of Gratitude with the writing prompt, “An adult I appreciated today was…” and filled out our home-to-school books. A reminder: Friday is Pizza Day, so on Thursdays, I’ll try to include the current milk and pizza tally in the book.

Picture of the Day:
Some very serious work was being done as we applied the upper third of our sunset paintings today!

Posted: September 18, 2024

Wed Sept 18 Daily Update:Our spelling word today was “ENVELOPE,” and we worked on three "Show, Not Tell" sentences describing “He was bad on the mat.” After that, we completed our phonemic awareness exercises and doodled a shark at 1.5 speed. We did some Read-to-Self time before reviewing our 7 steps to building a small story. We wrapped up the morning with a free write session, and many students started their own books!

Math: The Grade 3s worked on skip counting forward and backward from different starting points by 5s, 10s, and even 25s. The Grade 1s and 2s focused on the number of the day, representing it in different ways—using ten frames, place value, base 10 blocks, a hundreds chart, tally marks, and word form. We'll be practicing this in our centers for the next little while.

After Lunch: We had a special guest, Mr. Terry Whalen and his guitar! He shared how music feels like medicine because it always makes him feel better. We explored some Boomwhacker Notes and even sang along to Ring of Fire. Mr. Whalen has a deep voice just like Johnny Cash! He’ll be back next week, and we’ll get to work on making our own song!

In PE: The class played some floor hockey and basketball. It must have been an intense session because everyone came back sweating and red-faced!

Day End: We had a surprise visit from Mrs. Mackenzie, who led us through some fun exercises. We then finished our Book of Gratitude, reflecting on challenges we overcame today. We wrapped up by signing our home-to-school books. Reminders: Read for 10 minutes, Home and School forms, and don’t forget to send in your hot lunch orders!

Picture of the Day: Mr. Whalen was our special guest today, and we always love when he brings his guitar!

Posted: September 17, 2024

Tues Sept 20 Daily Update: Daily Update: Our spelling word today was “PARTNERSHIP,” and we worked on three "Show, Not Tell" sentences describing “He was a good student.” After that, we completed our phonemic awareness exercises and doodled a shark. We then reviewed what good behavior on the mat looks like and mapped out stories we'll write this week using our 7 steps. Do you know all 7? (Character, problem, …)

Math: Grade 3 students extended skip counting sequences and predicted multiples in a sequence. Grade 1 and 2 continued rotating through their centers, focusing on making numbers, matching numbers with words and diagrams, and skip counting backward from 20. We also started evaluating how we performed at each center to make the process smoother.

After Lunch: We had Guidance with Mrs. Robichaud, who introduced Zoe and Molly Online, discussing how to recognize appropriate and inappropriate information online. Even though Zoe and Molly felt embarrassed, did they do the right thing in the end?

In PE: I impressed everyone with a magic hula hoop when Mr. Ross walked the K-1s upstairs. The class then worked on throwing and catching, and played some Newcomb ball.

Day End: We wrapped up the day by filling out our Book of Gratitude, reflecting on “Today I saw ____ being nice to ____ when he/she/they ____,” and signed our Home to School books. They should have reminders for: reading 10 minutes and the Home & School Meeting tonight at 6:30.

Picture of the Day: I spotted these 3 future geologists mining for ore at lunch!

Posted: September 16, 2024

Monday Sept 16 Daily Update: Everyone came in rested and ready after a beautiful weekend! Our spelling word today was “STRAWBERRY,” and we worked on three "Show, Not Tell" sentences describing “It was windy.” We learned about bus safety, practiced what to do in an emergency, and even got to evacuate out the back door of the bus! After that, we completed our phonemic awareness exercises and doodled a shark. A surprise fire drill followed, and we all got out safely in record time. We then reviewed what good behavior on the mat looks like, shared stories about our weekend, and wrote quick stories about it before recess.

Math: Grade 3 students worked on skip counting by 5’s, 10’s, 4’s, and 3’s. Grade 1 and 2 continued rotating through their centers, focusing on making numbers, matching numbers with words and diagrams, and skip counting backward from 20. The centers are flowing much more smoothly than last week!

After Lunch: We continued reading The One and Only Ivan, where we learned that Bob the dog was a stray who was much luckier than his siblings as a puppy. Since we doodled a shark today, we went online to see if any sharks were tagged near Miramichi on Ocearch. We saw that some big Great White Sharks and leatherback turtles are not far from us! We also looked at our Terry Fox Pledge Sheet and the book order—The One and Only Ivan is in the book order!

In PE: We played quick games using light equipment, like tag, races, and some skills/tricks with different equipment. A new game called “Tail Snatch” had everyone coming back with red faces from all the running and excitement!

Day End: We ended the day by filling out our Book of Gratitude, reflecting on “Someone who filled my bucket today was…,” and signed our Home to School books. They should have reminders for: reading 10 minutes, the Pledge Sheet, and the book order. Even if it’s just part of a bedtime routine, reading for 10 minutes every night is a great habit to build!  We worked on our Responsible Choices.  Whats the difference between "Responsible Choice" and "Free Choice"?

Picture of the Day: While I was working in the classroom during PE, I heard lots of laughter outside my window. Here’s a picture I snapped of some classic hula-hooping attempts!

Posted: September 13, 2024

Fri Sept 13 Daily Update: The quality of our work has taken a big leap as we’ve been brave and started grading each other’s work every day! Our spelling word was “MEMORIZED,” and we practiced three "Show, Not Tell" sentences describing “The cat was scared.” We completed our phonemic awareness exercises and doodled our puppy—this time at 2.0 speed! Afterward, we had a 12-minute Read-to-Self session and some guided reading. We finished up early to do some painting for DOT Day, trying out spray paints. Everyone did a great job—no polar bears in snowstorms painted in this class!

Math: We skipped math today because Mr. Coakley from the ice center brought his drone! We filmed our “Napan Elementary DOT” with the whole school. Stay tuned next week to see the footage and the final product—drones are so cool!  Almost as cool as a pizza lunch!

After Lunch: We continued reading The One and Only Ivan. Stella used to perform in the big circus, doing tricks with her trunk. She can pick up peanuts or tickle a mouse’s back with it, but what can’t she do that she really wants to? Afterward, we finished our DOT Day paintings. I’m excited to share pictures when they dry!

In PE: We practiced soccer drills again today—kicking, dribbling, and throw-ins—and even had a scrimmage. It was such a sunny and hot day! After-school soccer for the Grade 3s starts next week, so stay tuned for more details.

Day End: We wrapped up the day by filling out our Book of Gratitude, reflecting on “My favorite part of DOT Day was…” and signed our Home to School books. I also brought out my favorite board game, Operation. We might have some future surgeons in the class—none of the pieces came out when I tried! I think they’ve made the game much smaller now.

Picture of the Day: After we took our Napan DOT picture, we sat on the school steps for a quick photo. Unfortunately, we were all looking directly into the sun—can you tell?

Posted: September 12, 2024

Thurs Sept 12 Daily Update: We spent a bit more time today self-assessing our work at the start of the day, and it’s paying off! Our spelling word was “LEADERSHIP,” and we worked on three "Show, Not Tell" sentences describing “he was sad.” We completed our phonemic awareness exercises and doodled our puppy—this time at 1.75 speed! We also had a quick lockdown drill, and everyone took it seriously, staying quiet and focused. After that, we had an 11-minute Read-to-Self session and did some guided reading. In our writer’s workshop, we practiced using the formula Character-Problem-Try-Fail-Try-Fail-Solve. What was your child’s story about?

Math: The Grade 3s worked on skip counting and representing numbers up to 1,000! The Grade 1s and 2s rotated through centers with new partners. The Grade 2s focused on skip counting forward and backward by 2s and representing numbers with hundreds blocks. The Grade 1s worked on representing and finding numbers from 1 to 10.

After Lunch: We continued reading The One and Only Ivan. Can your child remember what the pink clouds are that humans like to eat? We also discussed upcoming classroom jobs, like charging iPads and handling milk orders, and talked about the difference between “being friends” and “being friendly.”

In PE: We practiced soccer drills today—kicking, dribbling, throw-ins—and even played a scrimmage. After PE, we stayed outside with the whole school to practice making a NAPAN DOT for tomorrow’s DOT Day! A drone will be coming to take our picture! We ended the day by heading back inside to finish our Book of Gratitude, writing “One cool part of my day was…” and signed our Home to School books.

Picture of the Day: During writer’s workshop, the students all found their own space and worked hard on their first drafts of stories. Here’s the proof!

Posted: September 11, 2024

Wed Sept 11 Daily Update: Our routines are really improving! Today, some students didn’t even need reminders about where to put their things or how to get started when they came in, which inspired our spelling word—“FANTASTIC!” We practiced writing three sentences for "Show, Not Tell" by describing a messy bedroom—some of those bedrooms sound pretty chaotic! We also completed our phonemic awareness exercises. Can your child remember any of them? This week’s doodle is still a puppy, and we’re getting faster and better at drawing it each day! Our transitions between activities went much more smoothly today. After a quick Read-to-Self session and some guided reading, we did a few exercises and checked the calendar. Meet the Teacher is today, and DOT Day is coming up on Friday!

Math: We started math with some coloring before heading downstairs to the gym for a virtual presentation about Terry Fox. We joined many other schools to watch online and even saw Terry Fox’s prosthetic limb. Did your child remember anything special about it?

After Lunch: We read more of The One and Only Ivan today, meeting a new character, Julie, who gave Ivan a present. Ivan also shared a memory from when he was very young. Can your child remember what the gift was or what Ivan’s memory was about? We also discussed what it means to make a "Responsible Choice" in the classroom, tying it into the messages of Terry Fox and DOT Day about “leaving your mark.”

In PE: We worked on soccer drills today—dribbling, throw-ins, and even played a scrimmage. It sounds like Mr. Ross is gearing up for some school vs. school soccer games for Grades 3, 4, and 5!

We finished the day with our Book of Gratitude, where students shared two sentences: “One thing I am good at is… and I can…” It was a nice way to reflect on how we can each make our mark. I also handed out more Marvel Cards (thanks to Ms. Brown!) to those who completed their work. Grade 3's should check for two memo's.  One about ASDN Soccer, and one about ASDN Cross Country. 

Picture of the Day: The hottest trend in Grade 2/3 right now seems to be Marvel cards and rubber band bracelets! Students were showing them off before the 8:00 bell even rang!

Posted: September 10, 2024

Tues Sept 10 Daily Update:

We kicked off the day by setting up our pages, and I even did an amazing cartwheel to introduce our spelling word—"gymnastics!" Everyone seemed pretty impressed! We practiced "Show, Not Tell" by describing a new car using details about how it looks, sounds, smells, and feels, instead of just saying “The car was new.” We also did our phonemic awareness exercises with some new hand signals I’m learning. Can your child remember any of them? This week’s doodle is a puppy, but I’ll make it a bit trickier each day! Our transitions between activities still need some work, but we’re aiming for progress, not perfection. After a quick Read-to-Self session, we did some exercises and checked the calendar—don’t forget, Meet the Teacher is on Wednesday, and Friday is DOT Day!

Math: The Grade 3s practiced skip counting by 5’s, 10’s, and 100’s, both forward and backward. The Grade 1s and 2s worked through our four math centers again, and things ran more smoothly now that we’re using a rotation wheel. The 2s focused on skip counting by 10’s, while the 1s worked on numbers up to 10.

After Lunch: We had guidance with Mrs. Robichaud, where we talked about strategies to stay safe with adults. There may be a letter going home about our new program soon, so stay tuned! We also had a good discussion about friendships and the challenges we might face this year. In PE: There was a big soccer game today! It sounded intense from everything I heard—seems like you really had to be there to get the full experience! We wrapped up the day with our Book of Gratitude, sharing “Today I was thankful for…”.  One boy made 5 shots in a row today at lunch (I caught a picture of the 5th one going in).  I wonder if he wrote anything about it at the end of the day?  As a group, we got all our end of day work done and earned a record 13 minutes of free choice time!  Great job!

Posted: September 9, 2024

Fri Sept 6 Daily Update: Our routines are getting a little better every day as we continue working on smooth "transitions" between tasks. We started the day by setting up our pages. Our spelling word was “captivate,” and we practiced "Show, Not Tell" by describing what it looks like to be cold instead of simply saying “She was cold.” How did your child show that someone was cold? We did our phonemic awareness exercises (https://shop.heggerty.org/qr/p1/ ) and chose a puppy to doodle for this week. After a brief Read-to-Self session, we had a small writer’s workshop where students wrote about their weekend. Math: The Grade 1s and 2s worked through our four math centers today. The 2s focused on skip counting and numbers up to 20, while the 1s worked on numbers up to 10. Our rotations still need a bit of practice, but for our first day, I thought it went really well! After Lunch: We did a read-aloud of The One and Only Ivan. Can your child remember what kind of animal Ivan is and where he lives? We also looked at The Dot by Peter Reynolds, as Friday is Dot Day at Napan Elementary. I think we’ll revisit this book before Friday to prepare for the celebration. In PE: We played soccer today, and there will be some soccer announcements coming soon—stay tuned! We wrapped up the day with our Book of Gratitude, reflecting on “The best part of my day was…”. I know one student was especially excited to find a card he needed! We filled out our agendas (new hot lunch forms are included) and finished the day with a few minutes of free time on the iPads.

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