Brrrrr, was it ever cold this week! We kept warm indoors all week with lots of different learning activities and free choice play.
This week we introduced our December calendar. Music is incorporated into almost every aspect of our day. The students all love combining music with their learning. Here is another example of how we incorporate music into key learning outcomes, such as with our December calendar song https://youtu.be/XGwIXvG1fjQ. Students are learning the functional skill of how to create a calendar by numbering each day of the week, labeling important personal dates, like our two friends who will celebrate their birthday in December, and other important events as a part of our morning shared learning.
We are continuing to build our classroom sound wall, working first with the consonants. This week we introduced the sounds /n/ and /m/. Part of our time working with these sounds is learning what our mouths, lips and tongues are doing. These sounds are highlighted on our classroom mirror, that hangs above our sink. Students are encouraged to practice these sounds while at the sink washing their hands throughout the day. One of the activities that the students enjoy is our interactive sound sorting game. This week they had to sort the sounds onto the different pirate ships. When the correct sound was put onto the correct ship, the pirates fired their cannon! We also continued to learn how to write these sounds using both horizontal and vertical writing surfaces.
This week we viewed another silent animated short High Diving Giraffes, https://youtu.be/nPrWo5pEvyk. Similar to last week, we followed a predictable writing format. After viewing the video together on the first day, we then brainstormed some vocabulary. On the second day we watched the video again, highlighting our vocabulary words while watching. We worked on creating different sentences together. On the next day students used picture symbols, our classroom AAC devices, traditional writing, and typing to create their sentences. The last day after viewing the video, students presented their sentences to the class in our special Authors Chair. During our Author's Chair, our students are also learning how to listen carefully to each other, look at the speaker, and clap appropriately after the author is finished reading their sentence.
Free choice play is an important part of our program. During play, students are supported by our team in many different ways from regulation to cooperative play. Here is an example of how communication is being supported during play. The student is presented with a preferred toy, enclosed in a container with a see-through lid. As the student is trying to get into the container, a visual for the word 'help' is shown. The supporting adult might say "it looks like you need help opening?" while emphasizing and pointing to the visual for help. When the student points or visually focuses on the word help, the supporting adult will open the container and the student can access the preferred toy inside. After some time with the toy, the adult will put the toy back into the container and start again.
Next week we look forward to the weather warming up a bit so we can finally enjoy some outdoor time!
Upcoming Dates
- Dec 5-8 - Scholastic Book Fair
- Dec 5 - Deadline for Gingerbread House Decorating Night
- Dec 10 - Deadline to donate to Christmas Hampers
- Dec 10 - Deadline to order for Dec 15 Healthy Hunger Lunch (Mucho Burrito)
- Dec 15 - Gingerbread House Decorating Night
- Dec 22 - Last day of classes (8:00 am to 2:30 pm)
Book Fair: December 5-8
- Volunteers Needed: The Library is looking for Volunteers to help out during EMJ’s In-School Scholastic Book Fair 8:30-12:00 noon, Monday, December 5 to Thursday, December 8.
- If you are able to volunteer, please contact Ms. Belisle at cdbelisle@cbe.ab.ca .
- Students will be able to shop and purchase items from the In-School book fair December 5-December 8.
- We will share more information in the weeks ahead for the Online Virtual Book Fair.
