November 3rd-5th
Hi Families!
Halloween is always an exciting time in grade one! There were several highlights throughout the week including Art in the Dark with our learning buddies on Wednesday. On Thursday, we had a blast at Hallway Stations with mixed up classes. On Friday, we participated in a costume parade throughout the school. In the afternoon, we mixed up with our grade one friends again and watched a Halloween movie. All in all, it was a wonderful week with lots of fun and excitement! I added a few photos from our Art in the Dark
This week will be a short one, as there is no school on Thursday and Friday. I will be starting to assess students on the learning goals I have taught so far. This is in preparation for the first set of report cards and Parent Teacher Interviews. I am looking forward to meeting with you at the end of the month to discuss your child’s progress so far in grade one! Check our our Montly Learning Goals for November at the tab at the top of this site.
Please Note: We've been working on teen numbers and this has been tricky for some of us. At times, we might omit a number when counting or mix up number order. This causes issues when counting a set of objects!
I'll be assessing students on teen numbers for our first reporting period. If you could practice counting forwards to 20 and backwards from 20-0, that would be helpful!
What can you do?
When counting orally, practice starting at various numbers (ie - start at 12 and count to 20, start at 16 and count backwards to 8)
Count sets of objects
Practice recognizing teen numbers and naming them
Practice writing teen numbers in proper place value order (ie - write fourteen as 14, not 41)
Cool Kids Fundraiser for Make A Wish Foundation - Wednesday, November 4th: Our Cool Kids Club is a group of Grade 2 students who hold several fundraisers throughout the school year for various community groups. For November, they have chosen to support the Make a Wish Foundation with a hat day. Please see more details about our first fundraiser in this video: Cool Kids Club - Crazy Hat Day Video.mp4
Save the dates - Christmas Concerts: Our Christmas Concerts are just around the corner; we wanted everyone to be aware of the schedule so these dates can be saved. More information about tickets will be shared at a later date.
*Tuesday December 8th - Kindergarten performances - 1:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
*Wednesday December 9th - Grade 1 performances - 11:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
*Wednesday December 9th - Grade 2 performances - 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Here's what's happening in 1B this week:
Playground: Front
Monday: Day 2 - Music
Tuesday: Day 3 - Phys. Ed (twice!)
Wednesday: Day 4 - Library and Music
Thursday: NO SCHOOL
Friday: NO SCHOOL
Words of the week - do, all **We will practice reading and writing these words**
Highlights for this week:
We will start talking about the importance of Remembrance Day.
Fundations: We started Unit 4 in Fundations. This unit focuses on "Bonus Letters"
The bonus letter spelling rule: If a one-syllable word ends in f, l, s, and sometimes z, and there is a short vowel before the f/l/s, we double that consonant. Your child will learn to read and spell words with bonus letters. Examples: puff, hill, miss, buzz
Glued sound all. The sound of ‘a’ changes to the short vowel sound /o/. Your child will learn to segment and blend words with all to read and spell. Examples: ball, tall, fall
Reading Homework: Your child will have 2 practice books that they can read throughout this short week. Please return these books on Wednesday.
Dates to Remember
November 4 - Cool Kids Fundraiser for Make A Wish Foundation - HAT DAY
November 5/6 - PEITF/CUPE Annual Convention (no classes)
November 9-13 - Scholastic Book Fair
November 12 - Scholastic Book Fair Shopping Party (6pm-6:45pm)
November 13- Picture Retakes
November 11 - Remembrance Day (no classes)
November 16 - Report Card Day (no classes)
November 26 - Parent Teacher Interviews (4-7pm)
November 27 - Parent Teacher Interviews (no classes)
October 26th - October 30th
Hi Families!
Last week we had a STEAM challenge with our Learning Buddies. We had baskets of Legos and we had to work with our buddy to build a forest animal and build them a habitat. Their habitat had water, shelter and food. They could also work with their buddy to tell a story about their animal. They worked SO hard and we had a "Gallery Walk" to see everyone's hard work. I added photos here and your child can tell you all about their animal/habitat.
We have a big week ahead! This week, we will be having some Halloween celebrations. On Friday, October 30th we will celebrate Halloween at Glen Stewart. Students can feel free to dress up in costume! We do ask that you please avoid costumes that are very scary! Also, masks and weapons are not permitted.
Please make sure that the costume allows for movement as students will still have recess and gym. On Friday, students will be doing “Spooktacular” activities during their physical education class. In the morning, we will be doing a costume parade where we walk through other classrooms to show our costumes. Other classes will come walk through our classroom to show their costumes too! We are also going to be doing some fun hallway stations in the grade one hallway. The students will get to participate in fun Halloween activities in each of the grade one classrooms! It should be a very fun day!
Here's what's happening in 1B this week:
Phys. Ed - Monday (twice), Wednesday & Friday
Music - Tuesday & Thursday
Library - Tuesday & Thursday
Playground - Back playground
Words of the week - you, your, there, where **We will practice reading and writing these words**
Highlights for this week:
We will be finishing Unit 3 of Fundations this week and doing our unit check in. In class, we have been working on consonant digraphs. A consonant digraph is two consonants together that make one sound such as “s” and “h” together make the sound of /sh/. We will be working on learning the following consonant digraphs:
wh - whistle - /w/ ch - chin - /ch/ sh - ship - /sh/
th - thumb - /th/ ck - sock - /ck/
Reading Homework: Your child will have 4 practice books that they can read throughout the week.
Dates to Remember
Friday, October 30th - Halloween celebration
Thursday, November 5th and Friday, November 6th - PEITF Convention (No School) Wednesday, November 11th - Remembrance Day (No School)
November 9th-13th - Scholastic Book Fair (more info to come)
November 12th - Scholastic Book Fair Shopping Party (6pm-6:45pm)
Friday, November 13th - Picture Retake Day
November 16th - Report Card Day (no classes)
November 26th - Parent Teacher Interviews (4-7pm)
November 27th - Parent Teacher Interviews (no classes)
October 19th - 23rd
Hi Families!
We had such a fun day at Orwell Corner last week! The weather wasn’t fantastic but we didn’t hear a single complaint from the students! We had tons of fun meeting the animals, exploring the historic village, playing outside and building scarecrows! Click here to see some pictures of our fun day! To review our October Learning Goals, click here.
Reminder: The deadline to order school photos with free shipping will be October 22nd.
Here's what's happening in 1B this week:
Playground: Front
Monday: Day 4 Library (book exchange day), Music
Tuesday: Day 5 Phys. Ed, Learning Buddies
Wednesday: Day 6 Music, Library
Thursday: Day 1 Phys. Ed
Friday: Day 2 Music
Words of the week - or/for, down, want, out **We will practice reading and writing these words**
Highlights for this week:
We are about halfway through Unit 3 of Fundations. In class, we are working on consonant digraphs. A consonant digraph is two consonants together that make one sound such as “s” and “h” together make the sound of /sh/. We will be working on learning the following consonant digraphs:
wh - whistle - /w/ ch - chin - /ch/ sh - ship - /sh/
th - thumb - /th/ ck - sock - /ck/
Reading Homework: Your child will have 4 practice books that they can read throughout the week. Please return these books on Friday.
Dates to Remember
Friday, October 30th - Halloween celebration (more details to come)
Thursday, November 5th and Friday, November 6th - PEITF Convention (No School) Wednesday, November 11th - Remembrance Day (No School)
November 9th-13th - Scholastic Book Fair (more info to come)
November 12th - Scholastic Book Fair Shopping Party (6pm-6:45pm)
Friday, November 13th - Picture Retake Day
November 16th - Report Card Day (no classes)
November 26th - Parent Teacher Interviews (4-7pm)
November 27th - Parent Teacher Interviews (no classes)
Have a great week, everyone!
October 13th - October 16th
Hi Families!
We had another wonderful week in grade one! Thank you to everyone who took part in the International Walk To School Day. We started literacy centres this week and we spent time talking about gratitude and sharing the things we feel thankful for.
The students had their photos taken on Thursday. I sent home cards from the photographer (Everest Solutions). You can scan the QR code or enter the online code to view your child’s photos. The deadline to order photos with free shipping will be Thursday October 22st.
We will be going on our field trip to Orwell Corner on Thursday, October 15th. We'll be leaving the school around 8:45am and returning at 2:00pm. We won't have access to the school Hot Lunches so please send a packed lunch on Thursday.
I added some photos from last week. Click here to see them 🙂
Have a wonderful long Thanksgiving weekend!
Here's what's happening in 1B this week:
Playground: Back
Monday: No School (Happy Thanksgiving)
Tuesday: Day 6 Library, Music
Wednesday: Day 1 PE
Thursday: Field Trip to Orwell Corner
Friday: Day 3 PE twice
Words of the week - as/has, we/he/she/be/me **We will practice reading and writing these words**
Highlights for this week:
We completed Unit 2 of Fundations. We will began Unit 3 of Fundations this week. In class, I am working on consonant digraphs. A consonant digraph is two consonants together that make one new sound such as “s” and “h” together make the sound /sh/. We will be working on learning the following consonant digraphs:
wh - whistle - /w/ ch - chin - /ch/ sh - ship - /sh/
th - thumb - /th/ ck - sock - /ck/
In class we will be working on tapping and blending to read and write words containing these consonant digraphs. We will also be working on “qu” which is referred to as the “buddy letter” because “q” always has it’s buddy “u” right beside it in words in the English language.
Reading Homework: Your child will have 3 practice books that they can read throughout the week. Please return these books on Friday.
Dates to Remember
Monday, October 12 - Thanksgiving (no classes)
Thursday, October 15 - 1A and 1B Orwell Corner Field Trip
Friday, October 16 - 1C, 1D, and 1E Orwell Corner Field Trip
Friday, November 13 - Picture Retake Day
Have a great week, everyone!
October 5th to 9th - 2026
Hi Families!
We had so much fun during our field trip last Friday to Cotton Park. The weather cooperated nicely and the children had so much fun playing and exploring! I added some photos from last week. Click here to see them.
We will be kicking off our homework reading routine this week. Your child will come home with 3 books on Monday. These books may be a variety of levels. The kids have been practicing reading these books at school, so they should be relatively easy! Your child will also have a Fundations review sheet that you can use to reinforce the skills that are being taught in class. Our goal in Grade 1 is for homework to be a calm and easy activity each evening. Please see the chart below for some fun reading activities!
Next week, we will be going on our field trip to Orwell Corner! Our class will be going on Thursday, October 15th. This is always a highlight of the year and lots of memories will be made! Please make sure that you do not order hot lunches for our field trip day. Please keep an eye out for the permission slip coming home this week!
Here's what's happening in 1B this week:
Playground: Front
Monday: Day 1 PE
Tuesday: Day 2 Music
Wednesday: Day 3 PE (twice)
Thursday: Day 4 Library & Music
Friday: Day 5 PE & Learning buddies
Words of the week - see, little, play, was **We will practice reading and writing these words**
Highlights for this week:
International Walk to School Day: International Walk to School Day is an annual event supported by the Town of Stratford. It is a mass celebration of active transportation and its related issues. To celebrate this day, Glen Stewart will be hosting a walk to school day on Wednesday, October 7th. Families who would like to participate in this event are to meet at the Stratford Town Hall by 7:35 a.m. with departure at 7:45 a.m. sharp. We are asking that a family member accompany their child on the walk to school. Families will gather on the trail adjacent to Shakespeare Dr. across from the Stratford Town Hall prior to the walk. There will be volunteers that will be helping students to cross both Shakespeare Dr. and Glen Stewart Dr. Snacks will be provided to all participants in the gym after the walk.
Dates to Remember
Thursday, October 8th - Picture day for Grade 1 English
Thursday October 15th - 1A, 1B to Orwell Corner
Monday, October 13 - Thanksgiving (no classes)
Have a great week, everyone!
September 28th-October 2nd:
Hi Families!
We had another great week in grade one! We are settling into our routines and finished our first unit of Fundations, which was a review of consonant sounds, vowel sounds, and letter formation. I will be sending home a permission form on Monday, September 28th for our class to go to Cotton Park on Friday, October 2nd. The grade one English classes will walk to Robert Cotton Park to participate in some fun and educational activities. We will be leaving the school at 8:45AM. We will be returning to the school by lunchtime (12:00PM).
The trip date will be weather dependent. If the weather isn’t cooperative, we will plan an alternate day to go. I will touch base later this week to confirm the date. Part of our science curriculum is seasonal changes, at Cotton Park, we will engage in a variety of educational activities that will integrate literacy, math, and science curriculum. We will have a picnic snack, use binoculars on the trail to look for signs of fall, complete a fall scavenger hunt, create nature patterns, play games and use our imaginations in the Wild Child play area!
Here's what's happening in 1B this week:
Playground: Back
Monday: Day 3 Phys. Ed (twice)
Tuesday: Day 4 Music & Library (book exchange day)
Wednesday: No School
Thursday: Day 5 Phys. Ed & Learning Buddies
Friday: Day 6 Library & Music ** Cotton Park if the weather is nice!
Cotton Park Field Trip: Please sign and return the permission form that is going home in your child's homework bag on Monday, September 28th.
Words of the week - come, here, his, of **We will practice reading and writing these words**
Learning Goals: Each month I will outline the curriculum outcomes and learning we will be exploring. Click here, or visit the "monthly learning goals" tab at the top of this website.
Fundations: We are working through Unit 2. In this unit we teach/review how to tap and blend three-sound short vowel words (consonant-vowel-consonant AKA CVC). We will teach how to read and spell CVC words.
Homework: We will begin homework routines later this month, stay tuned for more information!
Dates to Remember:
Tuesday, September 29th - Orange Shirt Day at school
Wednesday, September 30th - No classes (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation)
Friday, October 2nd- Grade 1 Field Trip to Cotton Park in the AM
Thursday, October 8th- Picture Day
September 21st-25th
Hi Families!
We had a fabulous week in grade 1! We've continued to bulid friendships, practice routines, and establish expectations. We started independent reading and are building our staming for reading time. I added some photos of our first full week together in 1B!
Here's what's happening in 1B this week:
Playground: Front
Monday: Day 4 Music, Library
Tuesday: Day 5 Phys. Ed, Learning Buddies
Wednesday: Day 6 Music, Library
Thursday: Day 1 Phys. Ed
Friday: Day 2 Music
Words of the week - my, is, look, and **We will practice reading and writing these words**
Learning Goals: Each month I will outline the curriculum outcomes and learning we will be exploring. Click here to view.
Terry Fox Donations: You can make a cash donation by sending money in with your child in their homework bag. Please label that it is for Terry Fox. Or, you can make a donation online using the following link: https://schools.terryfox.ca/GlenStewartPrimarySchool
Dates to Remember:
Friday, September 25th - Terry Fox Run
Tuesday, September 29th - Orange Shirt Day at school
Wednesday, September 30th - No classes (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation)
September 14th-18th
Hi Families!
We had a great first four days of grade one! We are learning lots of new routines, gaining independence, building friendships and getting to know each other. Each week, we alternate playing on the front playground and back playground during our recess times. 1B is VERY excited to play on the back playground next week!
Here's what's happening in 1B:
Monday: Day 5 Phys. Ed
Tuesday: Day 6 Library & Music
Wednesday: Day 1 Phys. Ed
Thursday: Day 2 Music
Friday: Day 3 Phys. Ed (Twice! Once in the morning and once in the afternoon.)
Words of the week - go, to, went, can **We will practice reading and writing these words**
Learning Goals: Each month I will outline the curriculum outcomes and learning we will be exploring. Click here, or visit the "monthly learning goals" tab at the top of this website.
Forms: Thanks to those who filled out the forms that were sent home on the first day of school. If you haven’t done so already, please send them back as soon as possible.
Photos: I’ll be taking photos of the students engaging and the various activities we do in 1B. Once I collect all the permission forms for sharing photos on this Google Site, I'll add the photos under the "Our Classroom" tab at the top of this page.
Meet the Teacher: You're invited to come into our classroom on Wednesday, September 16th from 6:20-6:35pm. This is a great chance to see our classroom and meet other parents. I'll have a quick slideshow to go over some information about Grade 1!
Hot Lunches: Our Hot Lunch program will begin Monday, September 14th. To place these orders, you will need to create a new account (even if you had one last year) and place your orders for next week by 9pm on Sundays.
Here is the website to register and order: https://glenstewartprimary.hotlunches.net/admin/?action=register-form
Monday: Cheese Pizza (Domino’s)
Friday: Cheese Pizza (Stratford Pizza Corner)
Microwave: We have a microwave in our classroom to warm up food for lunch! Due to class size and limited time for lunch, each child is limited to 30 seconds for the microwave. Please don't send KD cups or frozen dinners as they take a long time to heat up and then cool down to eat!
Homework: We will begin homework routines later this month, stay tuned for more information!
Breakfast Program: Our breakfast program begins this week and is open for all students! Toast with butter and toast with jam are always available. Additionally there can be various options such as apples, bananas, cheese or yogurt. Breakfast is available to all students between 8:00 and 8:25 daily.
Footwear: Please ensure your child is able to put on their indoor and outdoor footwear independently (ie - tie laces, or pull up zippers). If they have laces, it's expected they can tie their shoes themselves.
Upcoming Dates to Remember:
Wednesday, September 16th - Meet the Teacher (6:20-6:35pm)
Wednesday, September 30th - No classes (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation)