Week One - Welcome Back

Welcome back to a new year at St. Bernard Catholic School.

I am very excited to be your child's teacher for Grade One and Grade Two.

We have a combined class of eight Grade One and 12 Grade Two pupils.

 

 

Here is a glance at our classroom located out in the portapack, one of five classes in the building.  The portapack is a fun place to learn.  Along with the five classes, we have a small office and two large bathrooms for the boys and girls.

 

 

The carpet area is where we will conduct some of our lessons, in particular read-alouds.

If you click on the picture, it will enlarge and you will be able to read the nice poem on the wall which deals with the reading of books.  To return to the default setting simply click outside the image.

 

 

Here is our prayer table.  Its contents will evolve as we travel through the liturgical seasons.

We have some interesting pieces of furniture the children can use at carpet.

 

 Indeed, we will be rock and rolling in the new school year!
 

 

We have 20 students (10 girls and 10 boys) in the class.  That's a perfect balance in my books!

 

 

Currently, the students are organized into five islands of four.  This provides the opportunity for group work lessons and the sharing of resources.  Speaking of resources, none are necessary for you to purchase as pencils, erasers, rulers, crayons and pencil crayons are all provided.  If you wish to provide your son or daughter with a set of fine markers, I am aware that Michaels stores sell a "50 pack" for a very reasonable price.  I believe you can even go online at times to print off a coupon that offers discounts as well...your call.  (I have to thank my wife, Mrs. Hamer, for going around to a couple of different stores to find the blue tennis balls for the chair legs!  Our evening custodian will be very thankful.)

Important note. 

Please send in a pair of indoor shoes that can remain in the class throughout the school year.  Our custodians like it when all the children remove their outdoor shoes in the hallway and put on their indoor shoes in the classroom.  Please label each article of outdoor clothing your child brings to school.  It's amazing the amount of items that end up in the lost and found with no name attached.

 

 

This is the school prayer that is read over the intercom each morning by a junior student.  The children were each given a copy today for their Religion folder.  They coloured the three images and the title.  After a couple of weeks, the students will have it memorized as they always seem to do each year!

 

 

Today we read the story, The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn as a "read aloud" at carpet.

 

 

Chester is a young raccoon who is a little bit nervous about going to school on the first day.

 

 

Mrs. Raccoon offered Chester a little advice that came in real handy.  Feel free to ask your son/daughter about Mother's words of wisdom and follow up with the question, "What was your favourite part of the story?"  You may get a lengthy synopsis!

Should you wish to enjoy the story with your child, you will find a five minute Youtube version at the link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXT1ANWka4A

 
Here's our homework for this week, due next Monday.  Grade One parents/guardians brainstorm what the family did over the summer and the adult prints double-spaced for their child  directly on the sheet.  Then, have your child copy over the printing of the first sentence...and more if the child wishes.  For grade two families, brainstorm with your child and print double spaced on a scrap of paper.  Then have your child re-copy double spaced on the sheet.  For both grades, any variation of the process is okay by Mr. Hamer...be sure to make it fun for your family team throughout the week!

 

 

 Finally, as a parent/guardian/child team colour the page over a few days using a variety of markers, wax crayons, pencil crayons...in any manner you wish.  (Feel free to click on the picture to read what Mr. Hamer did over his summer vacation.)
 

 

 As always, please sign your child's agenda each evening.  Week One's pages are p.12 and 13.

 

 

September's "Faith in Action" theme is hospitality.  It would be great if you could take a few minutes sometime this week to read over p.8 of the agenda with your child and discuss what hospitality means.  We will hold a discussion in class as well.

 

Also, please find time early in the school year to review the many helpful tips found on pages 2-8.

 

This is my 38th year of teaching and I must say that I continue to enjoy coming into school as much as I did on my very first day so many years ago.  I guess its the students that keep you young!  Yes, I will have a guitar in class at all times and we will learn many songs pertinent to all subject areas.  We will visit the Kindergarten classes every so often to lend our voices to their day.

 

Our Weekly Spelling List - Week One (Quiz will be the Following Monday each week)

 

                            Grade One  (short a)                                Grade Two  (short a)

 

                                 1.   cap                                                       1.   gas

                                 2.   mat                                                       2.   mad

                                 3.   pan                                                       3.   bag

                                 4.   sat                                                        4.    rag

                                 5.   bat                                                        5.   pat

                                 6.   jam                                                       6.   had

                                 7.  van                                                        7.   wag
 

 Day One

 

 
 

I would like to introduce you to our Grade One students!

 

 

Let's get to know our Grade Two students.

 

 

The first day of school was awesome!  The students learned to "sign" the first line of our National Anthem using "sign language".  Following the anthem and morning prayer, I sang them a song my class wrote a few years ago which is sung to the tune, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".  The theme of the song is about safety traveling to and from school.  Each verse is repeated twice before we sing the next one.  Between verses, the students sing "A wimba way...a wimba way..."

 

 

Tonight you will have received the school calendar along with your child's agenda.  I included my weekly newsletter, along with other forms and the weekly homework package all in the Ziploc bag.

 

We did so much in school today.  Ask your child about the counting caterpillar in math, "The Kissing Hand" in Language and our morning prayer in Religion.  While the children ate lunch, we learned about alligators from the Wild Kratt brothers.  I believe the boys and girls worked on the cover of their French folder avec Mme Pepe.  See you tomorrow!  Mr. Hamer.

 

Oh, yes!  Lilly was so excited to see me when I got home from school that she went through her normal routine.  Moms and dads, ask your child what that routine might look like!

Day Two
 

 

On Day Two of the school year we read a fun story, Welcome Back to Pokeweed Public School.  Lots of interesting and strange things happened on the first day of school for the principal.  Ask your son/daughter what their favourite part of the story was.  Be sure to ask them about the bus ride, the new computer lab, the fire drill and the walk in the neighbourhood.  What treat did the students receive when they stopped into a specialty shop?

 

 

We have a handsome young lad leading the class with the "Message of the Day" which is a note from Lilly, the tennis ball loving puppy.

 

 

Great looking smile there, laddy!

 

 

Indeed, welcome back!  Don't forget to try to have a fruit or two in your child's lunchbox for a snack.

 

There are still a few children who have yet to bring in their "indoor shoes". 

 

 

Hopefully by next week we'll all be equipped for the indoor classroom.

 

 

Indeed, we are flying "Up, Up and Away" as we soar into Grade One and Grade Two.

At carpet, the students selected the colours for this hot air balloon and I modelled the colouring technique for them to emulate...using the broader side of the chisel marker tip to cover a greater area over short strokes.

 

 

Two superstars holding this example.

 

 

Two all-stars holding another example.

Tomorrow we will complete our hot air balloons, cut them out and stuff them with stuffing to be hung on the wall of the classroom.

 

 

We reviewed our spelling lists together.

 

 

The pupils know their short-a sound, for sure!

 

 

If a child has completed their work, one activity option available to them is reading from our classroom library.

 

 

The "fab four" enjoying our "flex-seating" options.

 

 

Rocking and rolling and reading!

 

 

This morning, we learned how to make an "upper case" A and a "lower case" a.

We also reviewed our counting from one to 15.  We learned the terms "single digit" and "double digit" number.  Hmmm... I see a child tried to "sound out" the spelling of St. Bernard to the bottom right...they came pretty close!

 

 

I model a lot of the work for the children.  Here's a question for the parents/guardians.  Do you know the origin of the terms "upper case" and "lower case" letters?  Well, in the early days of the printing press, a worker had to place each individual letter on the press, one at a time...a very tedious job.  The letters were attached to blocks of wood.  They were placed in a large case resembling a tall shelf.  The more frequently used letters were placed lower down in the case for ease of reach leaving the lesser used letters to be placed higher up in the case...on a higher shelf.  Smaller letters are used much more often that capital letters...thus the smaller letters were in the "lower case" of the shelf.  The lesser used capital letters were relegated to the higher shelves or the "upper case" of the shelf.  Thus small letters are "lower case" letters and capital letters are "upper case" letters.  Lots of fun!

 

 

Nice to see this young lad trying his best!

 

 

Great work boys!  I know...your hand must be sore!

 

 

Mr. Hamer's roving classroom guitar.

 

 

Maybe he's an Elvis wannabe!  Or perhaps...a Mr. Hamer wannabe!  Hehehe.

 

Of course, we did a lot more than this today in class and we sure had a great day all around!

Have a lovely evening everyone!  Mr. Hamer

 
Day Three
 

 

Today we learned how to add up single digit numbers.

 

 

We used our coloured blocks to assist us.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking...let's see...four blocks plus the other five blocks...adds up to..."

"Nine blocks.  Hey, I know how to add!"
 

 

"I've got two blocks that I want to add to..."

 

 

Did you know that the answer to an addition is called the "sum"?

 

 

"I'm proud of my adding!"

 

"After I finished adding with the blocks, I made a mini bar graph!"

 

 

"Me too!".  Note the fun worksheet on this handsome guy's desk.  The children used the blocks to assist with their addition.  If the sum was a certain number, they had to colour the insect on the tree a specific colour. Lots of fun! (Click on the image to make it larger to view the worksheet more easily.)

 

 

In the early afternoon, we had a thunderstorm pass through the area.

 

 

Along with the thunder came this "lightning bolt"!

 

 

With the rains falling, we enjoyed an impromptu lesson on solids, liquids and gases.  Ask your child how the molecules behave in each state of matter.

 

 

Inclement weather meant "indoor recess" time!

 

 

Time to work as a team to construct a free-standing structure.

 

 

Other "building toys" were fun to play with as well.

 

 

Concentration.

 

 

Pure enjoyment!

 

 

Then the recess bell rang, so we had to get back to work!  Even though the structure is unfinished...it remained standing.  (I wonder if it would withstand Irma's wrath?)

 

 

Fifteen minutes of synergy created this tall structure.

 

 

...as well as this small structure.

 

 

Some of our hot-air balloons are taking shape.  The boys and girls used magic markers and even some cool coloured highlighters to achieve this result thus far.  There's still plenty of work to be done to get them off the ground!  Check in tomorrow!  Have a great evening.  Mr. Hamer OCT

 

Day Four

 

 

The first week of school was so much fun in Grade One and Two.

 

 

It's nice when Mr. Hamer reads to us at carpet.

 

 

I like when Mr. Hamer's dog, Lilly, gives us a message to read on the SMART board.

It is fun having so many friends in my class.
 

 

When I finish my work, I like taking a fun rocking chair and reading a book with a friend.

 

 

I like finishing my work early so I can get to play.  But you have to remember to do your work neatly too.

 

 

I'm glad to have Mr. Hamer as my teacher because my older sister had him for her teacher too.

 

 

I like when Mr. Hamer plays his guitar and we get to sing a song.

 

 

I like building things when I have free time.

 

 

I like making crafts.

 

 

Today I helped another classmate with her work.  It felt nice to help out.

 

 

I like when we get to say special prayers for other people.

This morning we offered a prayer for the people who live near where Hurricane Irma is.

 

 

I like smiling because Mr. Hamer is funny!

 

 

I like when I get to escort someone to the big school.

 

 

I liked when Mr. Hamer taught us about solids, liquids and gases.

 

 

Hi moms and dads, grandparents and guardians.  We have completed our fourth day of school.

This is one of the many songs we are learning at the moment.  Each day we add a phrase to this lyric sung to the tune "The Twelve Days of Christmas".

 

 

It was fun trying to fit some of our grade two spelling words in the little boxes.  They certainly gave us a clue as to the type of letter that would fit.

 

 

Each day we add a marble to our marble jar. 

 

 

Our Bible table continues to evolve thanks to a special friend.

 

 

The children learned that when the principal comes on the intercom and says, "Boy and girls and teachers...we will have to go on the inclement schedule for recess!" that it will be indoor recess.

 

 

That means that we can build more cool-looking creations.

 

 

I promised the boys and girls I would share these few creations with you.

 

 

Colourful indeed.

 

 

Our hot air balloons sure look cool!

 

 

This weekend, one of Mr. Hamer's bands is playing a concert for the wheelchair association where people in their wheelchairs dance on the dance floor with able-bodied friends.  It will be lots of fun.  That's Mr. Hamer on the left playing at a local venue in town.  I would like to wish all families a wonderful weekend as well!  Mr. Hamer OCT