Library Post

Dear Families,

Most students at Highroad Academy visit the HRA Library weekly. I am honored (thrilled) to serve our students as the school Librarian and am always excited to help our students become critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and responsible assistants.

As our library and school community continues to grow, the library is always looking for new ways to acquire new books. Here are a few ways you could help:

  • Donate quality, gently used books from your home
  • Purchase a book from the list below
  • Donate a book in honor of your child’s teacher
  • Make a financial donation
  • Support upcoming Library Fundraising Events (details to follow)

As a thank you for your donations, donated books (ones that are brand new) will be labeled on the inside cover with your family name and picture!

Current books we are looking to acquire:

National Geographic Kids – Cost $5 – $25 (Scholastics/Amazon)

Sport Illustrated for Kids – Cost $15 – $35 (Scholastics/Amazon)

Rocks and Minerals for Kids – Cost $5 – $25 (Scholastics/Amazon)

Mighty Machines, Planes, Trains, Automobiles – Cost $10 – $35 (Scholastics/Amazon/Bookman/Nuggets)

I Survived by Lauren Tarshis – Any title – Cost $5 – $15 (Scholastics/Amazon/Bookman/Nuggets)

Other books:

The Gift of the Inuksuk   $27.01 Hardcover (Amazon)

Mr. Hiroshi’s Garden   $23.67 Hardcover (Amazon)

Carson Crosses Canada   $22.86 Hardcover (Amazon)

These Are My Words   $17.84 Hardcover (Chapters)

Refugee on the Run   $11.54 Hardcover (Focus on the Family )

The Blackguaard Chronicles Book 5 Knight’s Scheme   $11.54 Hardcover  (Focus on the Family)

Dairen’s Rise, Arin’s Judgement, Annison’s Risk and Glennall’s Betrayal, Draven’s Defiance, Fedar’s Legacy   $20.99 Softcover 2 Book Set (Focus on the Family)

Your support of our school library is greatly appreciated! Please email questions to – sbritz@highroadacademy.com.

Sincerely,

Ms. Shirley Britz 

Weekly Update

This week has been a lot of fun! From making ice cream, to our pumpkin themed day, to our field trip to the Apple Barn, it was so fantastic. Check our FreshGrade for lots of fun pictures from our field trip! We also had a fire alarm go off, right at the end of the day on Tuesday, which was unexpected. As the kids were in the process of packing up bags and heading to the playground to play for the last 10 minutes of school, I was pleased to see how quickly they responded and listened, following instructions even though we weren’t sure what had caused the alarm to go off.

Dates to Remember:

Tuesday, October 26th – Picture Retakes

Friday, October 29th – Knight day

Spelling:

List will be introduced on Monday, October 25th, and tested on Friday, October 29th.

  1. just
  2. about
  3. much
  4. fall
  5. year
  6. house
  7. way
  8. some
  9. pumpkin
  10. october
  11. hay
  12. corn
  13. soft
  14. five
  15. add

Bible Memory:

Revelation 21:4

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.

Reminders and Other Information:

  • Home Reading program – read and return your books
  • Reminder to send your child with water bottles – we don’t have a fountain in class
  • Dress for the weather! Please remember to send your child with everything they will need if it is an outside day … some of these last few days have been VERY cold, but we still go outside. We also are outside if it is raining a little. So please, send jackets, rain boots, and anything they need to stay warm.

Crim Checks – if you plan/hope to come on any field trips this year, or if you hope to volunteer in the classroom at some point, please get your Crim Check started right away, so that we have it on file when the time comes. Check in with the office about getting the appropriate paperwork.

Scholastic Orders: If you are placing a scholastic order,  you can do so online, and this is the class code that you will need: RC155750

IMPORTANT Field Trip Update

The Taves Family Farm just informed us that we actually have to include parents in our numbers, and thus we have to pay as a school one lump sum for everyone.

If you would like to attend the field trip, please email me by Tuesday, October 19th at 9am. We will be sending our numbers to Taves Family Farm then. You will not be allowed to attend if you do not let us know by Tuesday.

The cost for parents is $10. When you email me, the school office will receive a list of parents, and you will receive an invoice from the school, which can be paid at the office. Please note, this cost is non-refundable if you are unable to make it on the day of.

Parents will be required to wear masks for the whole field trip.

Thanks for your flexibility and understanding as we get it all figured out!

Weekly Update

Thanks for a great week Grade 2’s! We have done some fun science experiments, talked about connections we are making with stories, and worked hard to make sure we understand place value in Math. It has been full and busy!

Dates to Remember:

Thursday, October 21st – Apple Barn field trip (make sure I have your permission slip please!)

Friday, October 22nd – Pro-d – No school

Spelling:

No spelling list due to the short week.

Bible Memory:

2 Corinthians 5:17

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has fone, the new has come.”

Reminders and Other Information:

  • Home Reading program has started – please check the planner for information on this – it is so important to be reading with your child every night at home
  • Field Trip permission slips – please sign and return as soon as possible
  • Reminder to send your child with water bottles – we don’t have a fountain in class
  • Dress for the weather! Please remember to send your child with everything they will need if it is an outside day … some of these last few days have been VERY cold, but we still go outside. We also are outside if it is raining a little. So please, send jackets, rain boots, and anything they need to stay warm.

Scholastic Orders: If you are placing a scholastic order,  you can do so online, and this is the class code that you will need: RC155750

Friday Update

It’s been a great week in Grade 2. We had our Healthy Relationships assembly this week, learning all about how to be a bucket filler instead of a bucket dipper. We brainstormed kind things we can say and do for others, and how when we do those things for others, it also fills our own bucket! We are doing our best to always be bucket fillers! We have also spent a lot of time this week talking about Thanksgiving. We have so much to be grateful for, and it is good to stop and remind ourselves of all the blessings that we have been given. I hope that you all have a wonderful long weekend, and that you can stop and count your blessings too! Happy Thanksgiving!

Dates to Remember:

Monday, October 11th – Thanksgiving, no school

Wednesday, October 13th – Fall Colours Day

Friday, October 15th – Knight Day

Spelling:

No spelling this week due to the short week.

Bible Memory:

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has fone, the new has come.

Reminders and Other Information:

  • Home Reading program has started – please check the planner for information on this – it is so important to be reading with your child every night at home
  • Field Trip permission slips – please sign and return as soon as possible
  • Reminder to send your child with water bottles – we don’t have a fountain in class

Scholastic Orders: If you are placing a scholastic order,  you can do so online, and this is the class code that you will need: RC155750

Weekly Update

A short and sweet week! It was very exciting this week that we were able to have our first Pizza day … this was a big highlight for many! We also had Orange Shirt day today. In Math, we have moved on from some review and we have started talking about place value. Number sense, and understanding numbers, is very significant and important for moving forward in math. I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend!

Dates to Remember:

Tuesday, October 5th – Healthy Relationships Assembly

Friday, October 8th – Knight Day

Spelling:

List will be introduced on Monday, October 4th and tested on Friday, October 8th. This is our last week of No-Excuse words.

Spelling City is a good option as far as ways for your child to practice spelling words at home. Just follow the link at the top and it will take you there!

  1. can
  2. is
  3. the
  4. with
  5. for
  6. in
  7. they
  8. you
  9. was
  10. from
  11. a
  12. and
  13. he
  14. on
  15. we

Reminders and Other Information:

  • Reminder to send your child with water bottles – we don’t have a fountain in class
  • pizza Tuesday – please make sure that if you are wanting pizza for lunch on Tuesdays, you are going online to place your order – it is not done in the classroom anymore

Comfort Kits: these will be taken out of the classroom at the end of next week, please return them before Friday, October 8th

Scholastic Orders: If you are placing a scholastic order,  you can do so online, and this is the class code that you will need: RC155750

Friday Update

We have had a great week in Grade 2! We eno]oyed our first chapel with Mrs. Lindhout, had our Terry Fox run and finished up lots of our review activities, such as printing practice. Thanks to everyone who brought in a toonie for Terry. It’s hard to believe that we are starting to think about October already!

Dates to Remember/October Dates:

Tuesday, September 28th – Pizza Tuesdays start up (must order ONLINE ahead of time)

Wednesday, September 29th – Orange Shirt Day

Thursday, September 30th – Truth and Reconciliation Day – No school

Friday, October 1st – Pro-d – No School

Tuesday, October 5th – Healthy Relationships assembly

Friday, October 8th – Knight Day

Monday, October 11th – Thanksgiving, No School

Wednesday, October 13th – Fall Colours Day

Friday, October 15th – Knight Day

Thursday, October 21st –

Friday, October 22nd – Pro-D

Friday, October 29th – Knight Day

Spelling:

No spelling next week, due to the short week.

Reminders and Other Information:

  • if you have not yet sent gym shoes, headphones, kleenex boxes or paint shirts, please do so as soon as possible – these items all remain at school
  • reminder to send your child with water bottles – we don’t have a fountain in class
  • pizza Tuesday – please make sure that if you are wanting pizza for lunch on Tuesdays, you are going online to place your order – it is not done in the classroom anymore
  • Orange Shirt day – we will be talking about why we do Orange shirt day, and we will be talking about how the school experience was different for children then what they are experiencing today – it will be age appropriate conversation around these difficult topics

Comfort Kits: a newsletter, as well as your old comfort kits, have gone home. Please update them and return them to school ASAP. They will be taken out of the classroom and stored away soon, (I will have no access) so please make sure you get this done.

Scholastic Orders: If you are placing a scholastic order,  you can do so online, and this is the class code that you will need: RC155750

Friday Update

Well! We made it through our first full week of school, way to go! It has been a busy week, as we continue to learn the rules and routines of the classroom. Everyone has worked hard this week, and I’m so pleased that we are starting the year off so well. I have also been working on reading assessments, and then we will get our home reading program going after that.

Dates to Remember:

Wednesday, September 22nd – Toonies for Terry (more details below)

Friday, September 24th – Knight Day

Spelling List:

Words will be introduced on Monday, September 20th and tested on Friday, September 24th. This is our second list of ‘No Excuse’ words – these are words that are common in our everyday writing, and students will be expected to be spelling these correctly throughout the year (this is why, while they may seem easy, we are starting the year off with them).

  1. are
  2. her
  3. one
  4. were
  5. as
  6. his
  7. or
  8. what
  9. at
  10. she
  11. where
  12. be
  13. it
  14. that
  15. when

Reminders and Other Information:

  • We have no microwave in our classroom – please send lunches accordingly
  • if you have not yet sent gym shoes, headphones, kleenex boxes or paint shirts, please do so as soon as possible – these items all remain at school
  • reminder to send your child with water bottles – we don’t have a fountain in class
  • With rain in the forecast, please send your student to school with a raincoat and boots if they like puddles! We will be getting outside as much as possible for recess and lunch (even if it’s raining a little), so please send your children dressed for the weather!
  • Forks and spoons … please do your best to remember to put these in your children’s lunches – many have been forgetting this past week
  • Food with Nuts: while we are not specifically a nut free classroom, students are being strongly encouraged NOT to have nuts in their lunches at school. We have some students with severe allergies in the school, and so if a lunch does have nuts, they will have to remain seated at their desks and wash their hands after (they will not be allowed outside to eat their snacks, which could cut into their playtime)

Comfort Kits: a newsletter, as well as your old comfort kits, have gone home. Please update them and return them to school ASAP. They will be taken out of the classroom and stored away soon, (I will have no access) so please make sure you get this done.

Scholastic Orders: If you are placing a scholastic order,  you can do so online, and this is the class code that you will need: RC155750

Toonies for Terry: Each year, we celebrate the amazing achievements and life of Terry Fox and collect money to raise awareness for cancer research. We will be participating in our Terry Fox Run on September 22nd and we would ask that each student bring in a toonie to help with this cause. Thanks for partnering with us in this! The toonie can be brought in any day this week.

FreshGrade – one of the ways I like to share what we are doing in the classroom each week is with pictures, and the way that I share them is through Freshgrade. I have sent out an email request for Freshgrade, which you can accept and then receive emails when I have posted pictures or anything else for your child in particular. Please check it out, and feel free to comment on the pictures when I post them. This can also be a great way to see what we are doing in class, allowing you to then talk with your child about it! Let me know if you didn’t get the email request or it doesn’t seem to be working. Also let me know if there is another email address that you would like added as well. Thanks!

Welcome!

Phew! We made it through the first week, yay!

I hope that you all had a restful and relaxing summer and are ready and excited to get back into the swing of things. I am looking forward to all that God has in store for us this year, and I hope you are as well. This week has been full of information; learning routines and rules in the classroom, as well as just getting to know each other. I know that I haven’t met all of you, or had many face to face conversations, but please know that you can email me and communicate with me, and we will set up appointments as needed. I look forward to getting to know you all more this year.

Lots of information coming your way … I’m sure I will forget things, so please be sure to check back here for the details. I typically post to my blog every Friday about what is going on in the week ahead, as well as all other important information that you will need. Please make sure you refer to the blog for all the details.

Updated School Start time: Thank you for a wonderful start to the school year. We also want to thank you for taking the time to do your health checks with your children! Just a note to our fabulous parents on our school starting time! Our school doors will be opening at our traditional time of 8:55. Classrooms will be closed until that time as teachers work hard to prepare classroom materials, set up their classroom and participate in before school meetings. We encourage parents to try to arrive at the school between 8:45 and 8:55. However, if students arrive earlier, they can head to the playground where we will have supervision. At 8:55, the school bell will ring and students will be welcomed into the school. On days that are extreme rain days, students will be brought into the gym. Students can enter the gym through the side gym door and head to their grade area. On these rainy days, we would again encourage families to try and bring students as close to the start of school as possible as activities will be limited in the gym.
End of day dismissal: the end of the day dismissal has returned to normal, which in Grade 2 means that students will be free to leave the classroom. Please arrange with your child where you would like them to meet you (if you don’t have a meeting spot, they will go to the playground)
 

Food with Nuts: while we are not specifically a nut free classroom, students are being strongly encouraged NOT to have nuts in their lunches at school. We have some students with severe allergies in the school, and so if a lunch does have nuts, they will have to remain seated at their desks and wash their hands after (they will not be allowed outside to eat their snacks, which could cut into their playtime)

Planners have gone home and this will be a very effective way to communicate back and forth – I check it each morning, Please be sure to sign them and send them to school every day

Gym shoes – please send indoor running shoes, which will remain in lockers all year long. Gym days are Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

Library is on Wednesday

If you have not yet brought in Kleenex boxes, paint shirt, and headphones please do so as soon as possible

Water bottles – I would encourage each student to have a water bottle … we don’t have a water fountain in the classroom, so it is important that they have a way to have a drink when hot and thirsty

Tell Me About Your Child information sheets went home this week, and I would appreciate if you would fill it out and send it back to class with your child. It is helpful for me to have some information to get the year started off right, and to know what you want me to know about your child.

Dates to Remember:

Thursday, September 16th – Picture day

Friday, September 17th – Knight day

Friday, September 24th – Knight day

Wednesday, September 29th – Orange Shirt day

Thursday, September 30th – Truth and Reconciliation day – no school

Friday, October 1st – Pro-d – no school

Spelling:

Spelling lists will begin this week. The students will write the words in their planners on Tuesday, so please don’t write them in for them.

The list will be introduced on Monday and tested on Friday. Typically, the lists will be 15 words, for this week only it is 10. We are starting the first couple of weeks with what we call ‘No Excuse’ words, meaning that these should always spelt correctly in our daily writing.

  1. I (must be capitalized)
  2. no
  3. this
  4. all
  5. had
  6. not
  7. to
  8. am
  9. have
  10. of

I know this is a lot of information all at once, and I’m sure there are things that I have forgotten. So bare with me as we get everything started and off the ground, settling into a routine will come over the next few weeks!