This week had some exciting things going on … from the snow outside,  to a Missions Chapel, and meeting Izzy (one of the High Schoolers going on the trip), to figuring out the details for running a Taco Truck. Students have all been busy busy. This week we also began to talk about some of the miracles of Jesus; we read about Jesus healing the sick and calming the storm. We have also began working on a persuasive writing unit … this week we read the story “I Wanna Iguana” and we started to work on developing sound reasons  to persuade someone. I was away on Wednesday, but the students had a great day with Mrs. Garnier. This nasty cold that has been going around caught up with me. I was glad for a day of rest, to recuperate, and then to be able to finish out the rest of the week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

February Dates:

Tuesday, February 7th – Assembly – Anti-bullying

Friday, February 10th – Knight Day

Tuesday, February 14th – Valentine’s Day – Pay to Wear red, white and pink (Mission’s Fundraiser)

Friday, February 17th – Pro-D day

Monday, February 20th – Family Day, no school

Wednesday, February 22nd – Pink Shirt Day

Friday, February 24th – Knight Day

Spelling List:

List will be introduced on Monday, February 6th and tested on Friday, February 10th. While this list may seem easy, they are all homophones, and students must be able to use the correct spelling in the correct context. Listening to the sentence will be key!

1. see
2. sea
3. to
4. two
5. knew
6. new
7. whole
8. hole
9. roll
10. role

Bible Memory:

1 John 4:7-14

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so love us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: he has give us his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be Saviour of the world.”

Reminders and Other Information:

• February 14th – is a PAY TO WEAR RED, WHITE AND PINK Day … students are asked to bring a toonie (or more) to support our High School team that will be going to Guatemala over Spring Break.
• Reminder to DRESS FOR THE WEATHER! Students need to come dressed to be outside … even when it is cold and snowy! Please make sure they have what they need for these days!
• Home Reading – make sure you are reading and returning your book as regularly as possible!
• Scholastic: periodically you will receive a scholastic book order. If you wish to order you can do so online with our class code: RC155750
• Contact Information for me: trast@highroadacademy.com

Valentine’s Day is coming up! Writing Valentine’s cards is optional, however, if you choose to do them, I ask that you include the whole class. Thanks so much! Here is a class list: Bernardo, Micah, Robyn, Lincoln, Andrew, Chase, Lacey, Aiydah, Jax, Lydia, Georgia, Elliot, Drew, Lisa, Molly, Jack, Findlay, Sophia, Aubrey, and Hayden

 

Lots happening this week! We wrapped up our water cycle unit for Science and starting talking about landforms – and what impact weathering and erosion have on them. We have been reading different Jan Brett stories, for our author study, and have finished that up this week as well. For our art this afternoon, we did a directed drawing of a snowman huddle – so cute how they turned out! For Writing this week, we read a story called ‘How to Be’ … so students each chose an animal and wrote ‘how to be’ that animal … and then followed up with a writing about ‘how to be ME!’ It’s fun to see them think about what makes them them, and how they are special. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Dates to Remember/February Dates:

Tuesday, January 31st – Mission’s Chapel

Friday, February 3rd – Knight Day

Tuesday, February 7th – Assembly – Anti-bullying

Friday, February 10th – Knight Day

Tuesday, February 14th – Valentine’s Day – Pay to Wear red, white and pink (Mission’s Fundraiser)

Friday, February 17th – Pro-D day

Monday, February 20th – Family Day, no school

Wednesday, February 22nd – Pink Shirt Day

Friday, February 24th – Knight Day

Spelling List:

List will be introduced on Monday and tested on Friday.

1. February
2. landforms
3. weather
4. erosion
5. because
6. miracle
7. thought
8. bought
9. caught
10. trouble

Bible Memory:

We are going to be learning 1 John 4:7-14 over the next several weeks.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so love us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: he has give us his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be Saviour of the world.”

Reminders and Other Information:

• Home Reading – make sure you are reading and returning your book as regularly as possible!
• Scholastic: periodically you will receive a scholastic book order. If you wish to order you can do so online with our class code: RC155750
• Contact Information for me: trast@highroadacademy.com

Just a couple UNIFORM reminders:

• shoes need to be white, black, brown, grey or a combo of these colours
•  knight day hoodies need to be saved for Fridays and are not permitted Mondays-Thursdays

Lots has been happening this week. PJ Day on Wednesday was definitely a highlight! We also had a great time making pizza in the kitchen on Thursday. This was tied to our ‘Instruction Writing’ unit for Language Arts. We’ve spent lots of time thinking about how to be specific and detailed when we are explaining ‘how to’ do something. This week we also wrapped up our Socials Unit about Canada. In Science we have been learning about the water cycle. This week in particular. we looked at snow as part of the water cycle … we did some science experiments, about snow and how it is formed. Keeping with the theme of snow, we read a story and then did a writing activity about what we would do if we lived in a snow globe, which for art we then also made. Lots of fun and learning happening this week! I hope you all have a relaxing weekend.

Dates to Remember:

Tuesday, January 24th – Chapel

Friday, January 27th – Knight Day

Tuesday, January 31st – Missions Chapel

Spelling:

No spelling list this week.

Bible Memory:

We are going to be learning 1 John 4:7-14 over the next several weeks.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so love us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: he has give us his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be Saviour of the world.”

Reminders and Other Information:

• Home Reading – make sure you are reading and returning your book as regularly as possible!
• Scholastic: periodically you will receive a scholastic book order. If you wish to order you can do so online with our class code: RC155750
• Contact Information for me: trast@highroadacademy.com

This is a video right after they all put on their new slippers … it looks and sounds a little chaotic, but it was fun to see their excitement!

IMG_0074

It has been a great week in Grade 2. The second half of our week was quite wet, so please remember to send them dressed for the weather. We only have inside days when it is raining quite hard. In Socials, we have continued our trip across Canada, visiting each of the provinces. In Science we have been learning about the water cycle, and all of its elements. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Dates to Remember:

Wednesday, January 18th – PJ Day

Friday, January 20th – Knight Day

Friday, January 27th – Knight Day

Spelling:

1. Sunday
2. Monday
3. Tuesday
4. Wednesday
5. Thursday
6. Friday
7. Saturday
8. weekend
9. birthday
10. celebrate

Bible Memory:

We are going to be learning 1 John 4:7-14 over the next several weeks.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so love us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: he has give us his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be Saviour of the world.”

Reminders and Other Information:

• Home Reading – make sure you are reading and returning your book as regularly as possible!
• Scholastic: periodically you will receive a scholastic book order. If you wish to order you can do so online with our class code: RC155750
• Contact Information for me: trast@highroadacademy.com

You are invited to the Guatemala 2023 Info Dessert Night Jan 24 at 7 pm.  Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in your “My HRA” space.  Even if you can’t come, you could give to the “Build a classroom in a village” project.  Money can be given through the school office or at City Life church.  Please designate for the HRA 2023 Mission project.

It sounded like everyone had a wonderful Christmas break, and I’m happy to have you all back. We have had a great first week back. We have been working on settling back into the routines and rules at school. It always is a little tiring getting back into routine, and I think the students are all ready for the weekend. I hope that you are able to enjoy some rest this weekend.

January Dates:

Friday, January 13th – Knight Day

Wednesday, January 18th – PJ Day

Friday, January 20th – Knight Day

Friday, January 27th – Knight Day

Spelling:

List will be introduced on January 9th and tested on Friday, January 13th.

1. winter
2. January
3. question
4. snow
5. British Columbia
6. blessed
7. sister
8. school
9. learn
10. friends

Bible Memory:

We are going to be learning 1 John 4:7-14 over the next several weeks.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so love us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: he has give us his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be Saviour of the world.”

Reminders and Other Information:

• Home Reading – make sure you are reading and returning your book as regularly as possible!
• Scholastic: periodically you will receive a scholastic book order. If you wish to order you can do so online with our class code: RC155750
• Contact Information for me: trast@highroadacademy.com

 

Christmas holidays have arrived! I want to say a HUGE thank you for the kind words, cards and gifts that so many of you blessed me with. I am looking forward to a restful break and hope that you all are as well!

This last week was busy and full of Christmas festivities … Monday was Gingerbread day – we made Gingerbread cookies in the kitchen and decorated them. We also built a Gingerbread house for math – the students had to decide what to put on their house and had to figure out the cost. Tuesday was Grinch Day. The students were all writing about how they would make the Grinch grin, and we watched the old version of the Grinch. Wednesday was Christmas Carol day … we spent quite a bit of the day in the gym practicing for the concert, and they made a Christmas caroler art project. And then Thursday was Reindeer day …

and there were some Rowdy Reindeer in class … we played some reindeer games, completed a directed drawing of a cartoon reindeer, and read some reindeer stories!

Thanks to all who came out to the concert today. The students all worked so hard on it, and I’m proud of all the time and effort! They did such a great job!

Have a wonderful Christmas holiday, see you in the New Year!

And just like that we are entering our last week before Christmas holidays … It has been a fun and exciting week as we have continued our countdown. On Monday we had Cookie Day, which included making salt dough ornaments (we will paint them this next week). On Tuesday we had Santa Claus Day, where we learned that in Australia, they believe Santa arrives on a surfboard. We watched a video clip of this, and the student’s thought it was just hilarious. Learning about Christmas in Australia is part of our ‘Holidays Around the World’ unit for Social Studies. This week we also visited England, the Netherlands and Brazil. Wednesday was Kindness Day. Thursday was Polar Express Day, where the students completed an escape room. They had to answer questions, solving the clues so that they could earn their ticket on to the Polar Express Train. And Friday was Stocking Day. Today the student made their own stockings and we hung them all from the whiteboard. We finished the week off with a movie afternoon with Mrs. VanLeeuwen’s class. It was a great week, lots of fun celebrating with Christmas activities!

Christmas Crackers – a tradition in England – wearing our paper crowns … after laughing at all the jokes inside!

Dates to Remember:

Wednesday, December 14th – Christmas Sweater/Colour Day

Thursday, December 15th – Christmas Sweater/Colours again

Friday, December 16th – Primary Christmas Concert @ 10:30 am and early dismissal – 11:30 am (come dressed for the concert!)

December 17th – January 3rd – Christmas Holidays

Spelling:

No spelling list this week.

Bible Memory:

Luke 2:8-14

(8) And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. (9)An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. (10) But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. (11) Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (12) This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (13) Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God, and saying, (14) “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”

Reminders and Other Information:

• Information about our Christmas concert went out in the last post, please refer to it and if you have any questions send Mrs. Shinness and email. 
• Christmas Accessories: Students  may wear festive hats, scarves, gloves, and/or socks/leggings with their uniform.  All items must be Christmas themed.  Baseball caps and bucket hats do not count unless they are particularly Christmassy in some way.
• Salvation Army Food Drive – The food drive will start December 1^st, note that cash donations are preferred as they can buy things at a discount price thus making the donation go farther.
• Home Reading – make sure you are reading and returning your book as regularly as possible!
• Scholastic: periodically you will receive a scholastic book order. If you wish to order you can do so online with our class code: RC155750
• Contact Information for me: trast@highroadacademy.com

 

This year the K-3 students will be performing a Christmas musical called “Starlight”.

1. While some students in Ms. Rast’s and Mrs. VanLeeuwen’s classes will be wearing specific character costumes, all other students Gr. 1, 2 and 3 will form a choir of stars in the dark night sky. They are asked to wear:

      a. Bottoms: navy blue or black pants or skirt and tights. HRA uniform pants are acceptable.

      b. Tops: navy blue or black long-sleeved tops. HRA uniform sweatshirts are acceptable.

      c. Avoid: any other colour of clothing, including white and grey.

2. Kindergarten students will be provided angel costumes and halos that the school already owns.

3. Mrs. Shinness will contact the families of specific characters in grades 2/3 and 3 directly for costume suggestions to match their characters.

Students need to arrive at school on the morning of the concert (Friday December 16) wearing their navy blue/black full attire. Costumed characters may also arrive in their costumes, as help getting changed will not be available. Kindergarten teachers will assist their students putting angel costumes over the clothes that they come to school in. Uniform is not required on the day of the concert for K-3 students.

If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Shinness at ashinness@highroadacademy.com.

Students had to work as part of a team to complete these two different STEM challenges:

Build a Gumdrop Christmas Tree:

Team 1:

.         

Team 2:

.         

Team 3:

.            

Team 4:

 

Build a Cup Tower Tree – no touching the red cups with your hands!

Team 1:

.           

Team 2:

Team 3:

.              

Team 4:

.