We’ve completed a few fun art projects that go well with our Inuit unit:

The first one is a watercolour background with cut out templates of the polar bear parts.

This second one is our vision of the Northern Lights. For this project we used chalk pastels on black paper. It was a fun but messy project!

This week we will be doing one more art project to go with the Inuit unit. Once it’s done I’ll add it here!

The kids had a lot of fun on Thursday morning with Lee & Sandy singing at our assembly! We even got invited up to the front to help sing a song! (Lee & Sandy once had a children’s television show on YTV – you’ll be able to search it on YouTube if you’d like!)

We are continuing to work through this addition and subtraction unit. This week we will be focusing heavily on the specific strategies we can use to add 2 (and 3) digit numbers. Here are the strategies we will be using. We haven’t introduced them all this year yet but your child may remember them from grade 2. Please keep in mind, it’s not a requirement for children to master all the strategies. Some students will only be able to use 1-2 strategies successfully, while others are able to use all of them. The end goal is for each student to be able to add 2 and 3 digit numbers successfully, using a strategy that works for them. 

The easiest way to start is by drawing a picture or using Base Ten blocks:

Drawing the picture (above) is basically the same as adding the ones last (below): You start by adding the hundreds together, then you add the tens together, then the ones together. The final step is adding all three numbers into one number.

Here is another way to add the ones last: This strategy is basically “counting on”, and is the best strategy to use for those students who may struggle with addition & subtraction.

Here is the Friendly Number strategy. It works best when one of your numbers is already almost a Tens number (ends in a zero):

This is the traditional algorithm (adding the ones first). We teach this strategy AFTER the others, and that is because we want students to have a SOLID understanding of place value before using this strategy. Often, students will master this strategy but CANNOT explain their strategy or what they are actually doing. One thing to remember when using this strategy is that each column is a different place value. In the first equation below, 214 + 373, the 1 + 7 column is not 1 +7, it is 10 + 70. Often students do not think of these numbers in their true place value amount, and that’s what leads to confusion when we start to regroup (like the second example).

Please let me know if you have any questions as we go through these strategies in class.

You should have received a note home from me today about an upcoming project your child will be completing. More information (including photo samples of the projects, for ideas) will come! Please let me know if your child did NOT bring home the note 🙂

Also, don’t forget, tomorrow is pajama day! I told the kids they could bring a *small* stuffie and/or slippers if they would like to.

Portfolios were also sent home this week. If you are finished looking through your child’s work samples, please return the binder.

Have a great weekend!

We’ve been practicing our estimating skills while adding 2-digit numbers. Here are the steps we are using. Please check in with your child to make sure they understand these 3 estimating strategies (Front End Estimating, Rounding Both #’s, and Rounding One #).

Thanks for your continued support at home!

Don’t forget to send skates and a helmet tomorrow! I do have a few kids who will be borrowing school skates and helmets.

If you are a parent volunteer, please meet us at the Legends around 1:20. We are skating from 1:30-2:30.

Thanks!

To finish off our Measurement unit last week, we used centimeter grid paper to make our names (which were sent home yesterday) and to make a picture scene. We then counted the perimeter of our objects in our scene. Here are our finished projects!

We have learned a lot about the traditional Inuit ways this month! We’ve learned about their traditional homes, clothing, hunting ways, and so much more! We’ve also learned a bit about how the Inuit live today, which is very different from their traditional ways! Stay tuned for an upcoming project to finish off this unit!

This week we learned about the Inuktitut alphabet and tried to make our names using their symbols. We also decorated the edges of our finished work using dots, zigzags, and double lines, just like the Inuit traditionally decorated their clothing. I’ve included the symbol chart below so you can try and make other names and words at home if you’d like!

Hi Parents,

We have started our new math unit on Addition and subtraction!  In this unit your child will develop strategies for adding and subtracting whole numbers by using addition charts, mental math, estimation, Base Ten Blocks, place value mats and pencil and paper.

In this unit your child will:

• Recall basic addition and subtraction facts
• Identify and apply relationships between addition and subtraction
• Add and subtract 2 digit numbers
• Use mental math to add and subtract
• Estimate sums and differences
• Add and subtract 3 digit numbers

The ability to use a variety of strategies to add and subtract leads to the development of a strong sense of number.

You can help support your child at home by practicing 2 and 3 digit equations,  also by practicing the basic addition and subtraction facts.  You can practice these facts by playing cards games, using dice as a tool add with or playing store and having them add up the items they buy.

Here is a poster showing the basic mental math strategies we use:

Thank you for your continued support,

Tasha Luciuk

Good Morning!

We are skating this Friday at the Legends Centre, and so far we only have 2 helpers to tie skates. If you are able to come help us out for a bit on Friday afternoon, please send me a quick email! I will confirm the times later this week but we will likely be ready to put our skates on by 1:15. You are also more than welcome to skate with us!

Thanks!

Mrs. Luciuk

tasha.luciuk@spiritsd.ca