It's getting really busy here at Treehouse with the approaching graduation performance. The kids are all very excited to perform for their family and friends and the show is coming along very nicely.
This week we worked on our yearbooks and end of the year performance. We are rapidly approaching the end of the semester and we have been reviewing our books.
In math class we have been working on word problems and learning to use our reasoning to solve simple math equations. This has proven to be good practice for both math and English.

Esther continues to participate in class and she seems more focused these days. She is having fun in rehearsals and is learning her lines.

Sunny is having fun helping her classmates learn their lines. She is a leader and she enjoys being in charge of tasks.

Lily is continuing to excel in classroom activities. She enjoys making jokes and having fun but she remains focused and finishes her work.

We have all missed Lauren this week and we wish her a speedy recovery! Get well soon Lauren, we can't wait to see you at Treehouse!

Frank is an extremely creative boy. He loves to find new ways to accomplish tasks. He is an independent thinker and he marches to the beat of his own drum.

Jerry is very talkative and loves to discuss things with the class. He sometimes becomes distracted but he is very quick witted and catches on to classroom activities very quickly.

Trisha continues to be a pleasure to have in class. She always makes me smile and she is a very focused student.

Eliza is quiet and focused. Her class work is constantly improving. Keep it up Eliza!!

Carson is very pleasant and always applies himself during class. His grammar continues to improve.

Henry gets along very well with his classmates. He works very well during group activities. Keep up the good work Henry!!

In the weeks to come we will be rehearsing for the big show. I ask that you encourage your children to practice their lines and learn their songs at home. On Monday we will try to run through the play without looking at the scripts. I am very proud of all my students as they get ready for graduation. Congratulations class of 2009!!

Well, it's a week closer to graduation and the graduating class has been working very hard on their play. We've been rehearsing every morning with Teacher Scot's class and the hard work is paying off. The kids have all been very hard-working and dedicated.
This week we took a trip to the IKEA furniture store and the kids all had a great time going through the store and practicing the words for different kinds of furniture.
During our special science lesson last Saturday, we learned about acoustic resonance, or "sound movement." During our unit on sound we determined that in order for their to be sound there must be a movement or vibration. On Saturday we explored whether or not sound could move things. In order to demonstrate "acoustic resonance" we watched a short film on the Tacoma Bridge Disaster of 1940. We then created a chart of different sounds and talked about frequency and vibrations. At the end of the lesson the kids had fun strumming my guitar and watching the strings vibrate.
In math class we reviewed double-digit adding and we learned how to carry numbers. The kids caught on quickly and enjoyed the "math races" we had on the white board.

Frank is a very creative kid. His fine motor skills are very developed. He enjoys arts and crafts and I am delighted to see him explore his creeative side. Good job Frank!

Lily is an exceptionally smart girl. She follows direction and is very perceptive. She was in very good spirits this week.

Sunny is a very enthusiastic student. She is enjoying rehearsing for the show and she makes an incredible zebra! She is a natural performer.

Esther loves to read and discuss books that she has read. This week she brought in a book about "Chanticlear" the singing rooster. She enjoyed sharing this book with the class.

Lauren is a joy to have in class. During our science lesson on Saturday Lauren volunteered to sing "way back into love" while I played the guitar. Good job Lauren, you have a lovely voice!

Jerry is very charming and witty. He likes to make jokes and always has a smile on his face. He is also very curious and loves to learn new words and use them in conversation.

Tricia is very funny. She enjoys adding humour to the classroom lessons and I think this helps her remember what she has learned. During our phonics lesson this week I was emphasising the different consonant blends and she was enthusiastically repeating them back to me. we all had a good laugh while we learned something.

Eliza seems to be opening up more in class. She enjoyed strumming the guitar on Saturday and she was laughing and smiling which was nice to see from such a serious girl. Keep up the good work!

Henry has a very active mind and loves to keep busy. He is very creative during classroom discussions and always adds a unique point of view to the lesson.

Carson is always very friendly and has a very calm disposition. He is not loud during class time and always has a smile on his face and a pleasant greeting for his teachers and classmates. He brightens up the afternoon and he's a joy to have in class.

Well, hopefully the rain clears up enough this eekend to see a little bit of sunshine. I hope everone has a happy and restful weekend! See you Monday!

Back to School After a Long Weekend

It looks like we managed to avoid the rain over the long weekend, and after 4 days of perfectly sunny weather, we were past-due for some well-needed showers.

This week the graduating class received their scripts for the big show! Everyone is very excited to begin rehearsals, and we ask that you run through the lines with your children if possible. We will begin official rehearsals next week, so please ensure that your child brings his/her script to school every day.

For reading class this week we did “story puzzles” together. The children worked in groups arranging the lines of a story in the correct order. They really enjoyed this activity, and loved reading the final product out loud.

In science class we discussed different sounds and made charts categorizing loud and soft sounds. For this week’s Saturday make-up class we will talk about sound waves and discuss the basic physics of sound.

In math we finished up the algebra unit and we have now started double-digit addition problems. We have also been working on word problems and practicing our mathematical reasoning.

We had a special visit from the doctor on Wednesday to make sure all the kids were healthy.

Lauren is a bright girl who sometimes becomes discouraged in class. She sometimes becomes involved in arguments with classmates and this can be a distraction from her learning. Lauren does very well on all of her assignments.

Esther is an avid reader. During our Tuesday classes she enjoys reading to me and answering comprehensive questions about the story. Keep up the good work Esther.

Although Sunny is a natural leader, she sometimes finds it difficult to take direction. I am sure her listening will continue to improve.

Lily has a tendency to become silly during class. She has a great sense of humour and she is very bright.

Jerry likes to ask questions and is always curious about things, a sign of an inquisitive mind. He continues to improve in class.

Frank lacks confidence sometimes. He can become frustrated when he doesn’t understand something right away. He is very hard working in class. Keep up the good work!!

At times Carson finds it difficult to focus. He is often chatting to his neighbour while I am explaining something, so I find myself explaining the material again. He’s a very bright and funny boy and I am sure his focus will improve if he applies himself.

Henry doesn’t always pay attention in class. He often talks when he should be listening. Overall he is a good student with a lot to say!

Tricia continues to excel in her studies. She enjoys helping her classmates and always participates during class. Keep up the good work Tricia.

Eliza is very bright but she lacks confidence. She often gives up on a task before she fully applies herself. She needs to have faith in her abilities and I am sure she will continue to improve.

We will all be here this Saturday bright and early and ready for a great day at Treehouse! Hope to see all my students for our special Science class on sound waves!