Kindergarten
During the month of February we will be studying about our great country. We will learn about Washington and Lincoln, and will learn to identify different U.S. symbols. On Friday, February 11, we will exchange Valentines with our classmates. Kindergarten children will not address their cards to specific children, but will write their name on each card to let the recipient know from whom the card came. This method of Valentine card exchange greatly speeds up the process of card delivery and allows for more fun activities during the class Valentine party. Each child makes a Valentine card holder in class to hold all of the cards from their classmates.
In math, we continue to work on addition and subtraction. Your child should be able to identify and form each number from zero to 10, in and out of sequence.
At the end of the month, we will begin our animal unit, studying reptiles, amphibians, wild animals, insects, and more. This is an area of study that is especially fun for the students.
We have such great fun in kindergarten, and welcome you to join us anytime!
- The Kindergarten Team
First Grade
Busy, Busy, Busy!!! You would think that life in first grade would slow down after December, but we are busier than ever! In January, we learned about winter, penguins, the water cycle, Australia, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and Ruby Bridges. February studies will include map skills, Chinese New Year, Lincoln and Washington, and American symbols.
Friday, February 11th will be our Valentine’s Day party. The kids really look forward to these holiday parties and love seeing the parent volunteers who help with these events. Thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers who run our parties and teach “Meet the Masters.”
Please remember to read with your child daily for at least 15 minutes, practice spelling words, and drill the math facts flashcards. We appreciate all you do to make your child’s first grade year successful.
- The First Grade Team
Second Grade
January was a busy month!
Second graders have been learning 2-digit subtraction with regrouping. Parents, please watch for worksheets that come home and go over any problems that they missed. Having math facts memorized will help students with this math, so continue to study math facts every night.
We celebrated Martin Luther King Day by learning more about Dr. King’s life and by thinking of our own dreams for making the world a better place. We thought of great things that each one of us can do to make a difference. How inspiring!
We also researched penguins and learned to write reports about what we gathered from many different books. The students are getting good at finding facts and putting them into their own words as they write their reports. Along the way, we found out lots of interesting things about penguins!
The Book Bag Reports were wonderful! The boys and girls did a great job on their presentations. We are proud of their hard work!
- Karli Hedin
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Third Grade
Our third graders must have rested up during their winter break, for January 2011 has been a fabulous month! They have really worked hard to learn their multiplication facts, and now they are conquering division. It really is exciting for them. They are perfecting their cursive letters, and soon they will be writing all of their assignments in cursive. In science, we’ve been tackling the topic of nutrition, so don’t be surprised if they start making healthier choices at home. Finally this month, the third grade student council representatives sponsored a science activity for the whole school. Way to go third graders! As for the third grade faculty, we are very proud to announce that Mrs. Colleen Cook is a new member of our teaching team. She is well known to all because she has been Canyon View’s beloved librarian for many years. She has four wonderful children and one awesome grand baby boy. Before coming to Canyon View, Mrs. Cook taught third grade in North Carolina and Japan. She is really looking forward to finishing out this year with an amazing class of Canyon View third graders.
- The Third Grade Team
Fourth Grade
Fourth graders are learning so much, and having fun while doing so! The fourth grade classrooms celebrated Utah’s birthday on January 4. During the celebration, students learned how Utah became a state, what our state symbols are, and played a concentration game about Utah. The celebration ended by slicing into a Utah-shaped birthday cake. The cake looked a lot like the salt dough maps we made in the fall. In math, the kids have now worked on long multiplication. It’s so amazing how math skills come together to help students learn new concepts. We are excited to move on to long division this month. In science, we are teaching the kids about weather, fossils, Utah plants and animals, rocks, and minerals. The most exciting thing fourth graders are working on is autobiographies. It is a lot of work but is always worth it. This project takes us a couple of months to complete. Chapter one is due Feb. 2nd, chapter two is due Feb. 16th, and chapter three is due March 16th. The Fourth Grade Team
Fifth Grade
DARE Graduation was held on January 11, 2011. Congratulations to all the graduates and special thanks to Officer Galieti for a great year! Congratulations also are in order for all the participants in the School Geography Bee!
We enjoyed learning about this month’s artist, Georgia O’Keeffe, and had a great time with the art project.
In January, we also started our science rotations, which include Electricity with Mrs. Roberts, Magnetism with Mrs. Freestone, Matter with Mrs. Kernodle, and Changing Earth Surfaces with Miss Fricker.
On February 15, the 5th grade students will head to Abravanel Hall to attend a performance by the Utah Symphony. Please make sure your child dresses appropriately for this special occasion.
The 5th graders take the Direct Writing Assessment in March. To prepare for this persuasive essay, the students are working hard in class and on Utah Write.
- The Fifth Grade Team
Sixth Grade
The month of December was fast and furious, but January was quite serene for the sixth graders. The kids worked hard to prepare for our Science Fair, which was held in our classrooms on January28. The kids always look forward to sharing their projects with the school and their parents.
Our school Geography Bee was held this month. As usual, the questions even had the teachers scratching their heads, but our 5th and 6th graders amazed us with their knowledge of our world. Congratulations to the winners: 1st Place – Autumn Tyrell, 2nd Place – Oscar Tayler, and 3rd Place – Sara Diggins.
Mrs. Sunderland’s class will have a student teacher until April 1st. Her name is Ms. Porter and she comes to us from BYU-Idaho. She has fabulous classroom management skills and will be a huge asset to our school.
Some February events that parents may want to be aware of are our Valentine Tea, which will be held on February 11, and our incentive party at Classic Fun Center on February 25. More information about both of these activities will be sent home at a later date.
- The Sixth Grade Team
News from the library...
When we all came back to school after our wonderful holiday, our students were welcomed by a new media assistant, Kathy Donahue. Kathy is known by many in our school and we are so glad she has joined Cathy Collins in the library. Mrs. Cook has moved just across the hall to teach third grade. She will be missed by all, but the two K/Cathys will continue with our many library contests.
Please remember to bring back your overdue books, pay for the lost ones, and keep reading!
- Kathy D. & Cathy C.
Our third graders must have rested up during their winter break, for January 2011 has been a fabulous month! They have really worked hard to learn their multiplication facts, and now they are conquering division. It really is exciting for them. They are perfecting their cursive letters, and soon they will be writing all of their assignments in cursive. In science, we’ve been tackling the topic of nutrition, so don’t be surprised if they start making healthier choices at home. Finally this month, the third grade student council representatives sponsored a science activity for the whole school. Way to go third graders! As for the third grade faculty, we are very proud to announce that Mrs. Colleen Cook is a new member of our teaching team. She is well known to all because she has been Canyon View’s beloved librarian for many years. She has four wonderful children and one awesome grand baby boy. Before coming to Canyon View, Mrs. Cook taught third grade in North Carolina and Japan. She is really looking forward to finishing out this year with an amazing class of Canyon View third graders.
- The Third Grade Team
Fourth Grade
Fourth graders are learning so much, and having fun while doing so! The fourth grade classrooms celebrated Utah’s birthday on January 4. During the celebration, students learned how Utah became a state, what our state symbols are, and played a concentration game about Utah. The celebration ended by slicing into a Utah-shaped birthday cake. The cake looked a lot like the salt dough maps we made in the fall. In math, the kids have now worked on long multiplication. It’s so amazing how math skills come together to help students learn new concepts. We are excited to move on to long division this month. In science, we are teaching the kids about weather, fossils, Utah plants and animals, rocks, and minerals. The most exciting thing fourth graders are working on is autobiographies. It is a lot of work but is always worth it. This project takes us a couple of months to complete. Chapter one is due Feb. 2nd, chapter two is due Feb. 16th, and chapter three is due March 16th. The Fourth Grade Team
Fifth Grade
DARE Graduation was held on January 11, 2011. Congratulations to all the graduates and special thanks to Officer Galieti for a great year! Congratulations also are in order for all the participants in the School Geography Bee!
We enjoyed learning about this month’s artist, Georgia O’Keeffe, and had a great time with the art project.
In January, we also started our science rotations, which include Electricity with Mrs. Roberts, Magnetism with Mrs. Freestone, Matter with Mrs. Kernodle, and Changing Earth Surfaces with Miss Fricker.
On February 15, the 5th grade students will head to Abravanel Hall to attend a performance by the Utah Symphony. Please make sure your child dresses appropriately for this special occasion.
The 5th graders take the Direct Writing Assessment in March. To prepare for this persuasive essay, the students are working hard in class and on Utah Write.
- The Fifth Grade Team
Sixth Grade
The month of December was fast and furious, but January was quite serene for the sixth graders. The kids worked hard to prepare for our Science Fair, which was held in our classrooms on January28. The kids always look forward to sharing their projects with the school and their parents.
Our school Geography Bee was held this month. As usual, the questions even had the teachers scratching their heads, but our 5th and 6th graders amazed us with their knowledge of our world. Congratulations to the winners: 1st Place – Autumn Tyrell, 2nd Place – Oscar Tayler, and 3rd Place – Sara Diggins.
Mrs. Sunderland’s class will have a student teacher until April 1st. Her name is Ms. Porter and she comes to us from BYU-Idaho. She has fabulous classroom management skills and will be a huge asset to our school.
Some February events that parents may want to be aware of are our Valentine Tea, which will be held on February 11, and our incentive party at Classic Fun Center on February 25. More information about both of these activities will be sent home at a later date.
- The Sixth Grade Team
News from the library...
When we all came back to school after our wonderful holiday, our students were welcomed by a new media assistant, Kathy Donahue. Kathy is known by many in our school and we are so glad she has joined Cathy Collins in the library. Mrs. Cook has moved just across the hall to teach third grade. She will be missed by all, but the two K/Cathys will continue with our many library contests.
Please remember to bring back your overdue books, pay for the lost ones, and keep reading!
- Kathy D. & Cathy C.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Inspiring Boys to Love Reading
I recently visited the Whitmore Library to attend a lecture given by Ann Cannon, a local author who also works at The King’s English Bookstore in Sugarhouse. Her lecture was titled “Books and Boys, a Match Not Made in Heaven.” A few years ago, Ann won a contest and was about to have her first book published. The book was about boys and targeted a male audience, but the publisher had sent an illustration for the cover that seemed to appeal more to girls. When Ann questioned the cover, the publisher told her that 80% of the book market was female and they couldn’t afford to lose that market. As a mother of boys, Ann set out to find out why boys aren’t avid readers and to affect a change. The big question is how to get young boys to not just read, but to love reading. Ann’s lecture presented some helpful hints to facilitate just that.
So, how do we foster a love of books? We start by making sure we don’t squash our child’s enthusiasm. Create a friendly reading environment. Have a comfortable reading space for the child. A fun chair or beanbag, or a little reading nook or cubby can help make it inviting and kid-centric. It also helps to have lots of different types of books around the house. Not sure what your kids might like to read? Get to know your librarian. They can make suggestions based on your child’s interests and age.
One of the most important and easiest things we need to do is loosen our definitions of “reading” and “appropriate” material. Some people are so narrow in their definition that, for them, only fiction novels counts as “reading.” Ann expressed how appalled she was when, at a past book fair, she saw a boy around the age of seven bouncing with excitement over a book he’d found and couldn’t wait to read. Instead of encouraging this excitement, the mother removed the book from the boy’s hands - using two fingers like it was a dirty sock - set it down and said, “We’re not buying that.” Talk about squishing enthusiasm!
Let your kids decide what they want to read. Include magazines and newspapers in your definition of reading material, not just books. The non-fiction and fantasy genres are huge with boys, as are almanacs such as Ripley’s Believe It or Not and the DK Eye Witness books. Follow-along audio books can also be great tools in your “get kids to read more” arsenal. Let children read comic books (or ‘graphic novels’ as they are called now). Bear in mind, these books are called graphic novels because they contain graphics/pictures, not because the material is graphic in nature. Two currently popular series in that genre are Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Bone. Boys also love short, silly, rhyming books like those written by Shel Silverston. Franchise books such as Star Wars and Sponge Bob can be big hits with boys, too, since they contain characters and settings that the boys are familiar with and enjoy. In general, boys tend to like action books, preferring to read about external conflicts rather than internal conflicts.
Another important thing for children is modeling. Read to your children and let them see you reading and enjoying it. It is especially important for boys to see their dad modeling this behavior. A colleague of Ann’s once pointed out that moms are typically the ones to read the bed time stories, and the teachers who help kids learn to read are often female. Boys end up viewing reading as a ‘girl thing’ that they don’t identify with. It’s a good idea to read what your kids are reading so you can discuss it with them. For boys, that means talking about what happened in the book, not how it made them feel.
So, where to start? How about establishing a reader’s Bill of Rights, giving your young reader(s) permission to skip pages, not finish a book, re-read a favorite, read anywhere, read out loud, and read at their own pace? Allowing your child to read what they want is important, too. After all, who wants to read if you have to put a bunch of effort into defending your reading tastes?
One mom at the lecture commented that her child refused to read items she suggested, so she got his friends’ email addresses and had them send their reading recommendations to her son. Her boy was a lot more willing to take suggestions from his friends. When it comes down to it, sometimes you just have to be a little sneaky about getting kids to try new things.
Have fun reading!
Michelle Suitor
So, how do we foster a love of books? We start by making sure we don’t squash our child’s enthusiasm. Create a friendly reading environment. Have a comfortable reading space for the child. A fun chair or beanbag, or a little reading nook or cubby can help make it inviting and kid-centric. It also helps to have lots of different types of books around the house. Not sure what your kids might like to read? Get to know your librarian. They can make suggestions based on your child’s interests and age.
One of the most important and easiest things we need to do is loosen our definitions of “reading” and “appropriate” material. Some people are so narrow in their definition that, for them, only fiction novels counts as “reading.” Ann expressed how appalled she was when, at a past book fair, she saw a boy around the age of seven bouncing with excitement over a book he’d found and couldn’t wait to read. Instead of encouraging this excitement, the mother removed the book from the boy’s hands - using two fingers like it was a dirty sock - set it down and said, “We’re not buying that.” Talk about squishing enthusiasm!
Let your kids decide what they want to read. Include magazines and newspapers in your definition of reading material, not just books. The non-fiction and fantasy genres are huge with boys, as are almanacs such as Ripley’s Believe It or Not and the DK Eye Witness books. Follow-along audio books can also be great tools in your “get kids to read more” arsenal. Let children read comic books (or ‘graphic novels’ as they are called now). Bear in mind, these books are called graphic novels because they contain graphics/pictures, not because the material is graphic in nature. Two currently popular series in that genre are Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Bone. Boys also love short, silly, rhyming books like those written by Shel Silverston. Franchise books such as Star Wars and Sponge Bob can be big hits with boys, too, since they contain characters and settings that the boys are familiar with and enjoy. In general, boys tend to like action books, preferring to read about external conflicts rather than internal conflicts.
Another important thing for children is modeling. Read to your children and let them see you reading and enjoying it. It is especially important for boys to see their dad modeling this behavior. A colleague of Ann’s once pointed out that moms are typically the ones to read the bed time stories, and the teachers who help kids learn to read are often female. Boys end up viewing reading as a ‘girl thing’ that they don’t identify with. It’s a good idea to read what your kids are reading so you can discuss it with them. For boys, that means talking about what happened in the book, not how it made them feel.
So, where to start? How about establishing a reader’s Bill of Rights, giving your young reader(s) permission to skip pages, not finish a book, re-read a favorite, read anywhere, read out loud, and read at their own pace? Allowing your child to read what they want is important, too. After all, who wants to read if you have to put a bunch of effort into defending your reading tastes?
One mom at the lecture commented that her child refused to read items she suggested, so she got his friends’ email addresses and had them send their reading recommendations to her son. Her boy was a lot more willing to take suggestions from his friends. When it comes down to it, sometimes you just have to be a little sneaky about getting kids to try new things.
Have fun reading!
Michelle Suitor
Feb events and PTA openings for 2011-2012
Upcoming Events:
Feb 2 2pm PTA Meeting (Please come!)
Feb 8 4th grade NAEP testing
Feb 8 Chorus starts (grades 3-6)
Feb 9 1-3pm 4th grade history museum field trip
Feb 11 Class Valentine’s Day parties
Feb 14 No school (furlough day)
Feb 15 10:30-1:45 5th grade symphony field trip
Feb 17 6pm SCC meeting
Feb 17 6pm-8pm Family Game Night
Feb 21 No school (President’s Day)
Feb 25 9:30am-1pm 6th grade Classic Skating incentive party
Mar 2 2pm PTA Meeting (Please come!)
Get Involved!
The PTA has the following positions open for the 2011/2012 school year:
- President-elect
- Secretary
- Treasurer
We are also looking for a person or people with solid writing and editing skills to take over the newsletter and blog.
Contrary to popular belief, being involved in the PTA does not have to be terribly time consuming, so even if you only have a little time to give, please consider being an active member and serving on the PTA board.
If interested, contact Sawsha Turpin (801.548.2868/ksntrpn@msn.com), Janet Peery (801.942.0430/janetpeery@gmail.com), or Roberta Smith (801.826.8050/Roberta.smith@canyonsdistrict.org).
Feb 2 2pm PTA Meeting (Please come!)
Feb 8 4th grade NAEP testing
Feb 8 Chorus starts (grades 3-6)
Feb 9 1-3pm 4th grade history museum field trip
Feb 11 Class Valentine’s Day parties
Feb 14 No school (furlough day)
Feb 15 10:30-1:45 5th grade symphony field trip
Feb 17 6pm SCC meeting
Feb 17 6pm-8pm Family Game Night
Feb 21 No school (President’s Day)
Feb 25 9:30am-1pm 6th grade Classic Skating incentive party
Mar 2 2pm PTA Meeting (Please come!)
Get Involved!
The PTA has the following positions open for the 2011/2012 school year:
- President-elect
- Secretary
- Treasurer
We are also looking for a person or people with solid writing and editing skills to take over the newsletter and blog.
Contrary to popular belief, being involved in the PTA does not have to be terribly time consuming, so even if you only have a little time to give, please consider being an active member and serving on the PTA board.
If interested, contact Sawsha Turpin (801.548.2868/ksntrpn@msn.com), Janet Peery (801.942.0430/janetpeery@gmail.com), or Roberta Smith (801.826.8050/Roberta.smith@canyonsdistrict.org).
Thursday, January 6, 2011
calendar of events for 2011
2010-2011 Canyon View PTA at a Glance!
Updated 1/5/11
January 20th, Thurs. – Canyon View SCC Meeting 6pm
Butler Middle School – Town Hall Meeting 6pm
January 28th, Fri. – Classic Skating Night (Thank you Ms. Larsen!)
February 2nd Wed. – PTA Meeting, 2pm
February 11th Fri. – Class Valentine Parties
February 17th Thurs. – Family Fun (Math Night)
March 2nd – Wed. – PTA Meeting, 2pm
March 9th & 10th – Parent/Teacher Conferences
(Dinner for Teachers on Wed.)
April 6th Wed. – PTA Meeting, 2pm
April 12th Tues. – Region PTA Spring Training
April 14th Thurs. – Family Fun (College Night)
April 15th Fri. – Kindergarten Orientation, 2 pm
April 28th Thurs. – Chorus Program & General PTA Meeting
May 9th-13th – Teacher Appreciation Week
May 12th & 13th Thur. & Fri. – Utah PTA Convention
May 20th Fri. – Fun Run
Updated 1/5/11
January 20th, Thurs. – Canyon View SCC Meeting 6pm
Butler Middle School – Town Hall Meeting 6pm
January 28th, Fri. – Classic Skating Night (Thank you Ms. Larsen!)
February 2nd Wed. – PTA Meeting, 2pm
February 11th Fri. – Class Valentine Parties
February 17th Thurs. – Family Fun (Math Night)
March 2nd – Wed. – PTA Meeting, 2pm
March 9th & 10th – Parent/Teacher Conferences
(Dinner for Teachers on Wed.)
April 6th Wed. – PTA Meeting, 2pm
April 12th Tues. – Region PTA Spring Training
April 14th Thurs. – Family Fun (College Night)
April 15th Fri. – Kindergarten Orientation, 2 pm
April 28th Thurs. – Chorus Program & General PTA Meeting
May 9th-13th – Teacher Appreciation Week
May 12th & 13th Thur. & Fri. – Utah PTA Convention
May 20th Fri. – Fun Run
Monday, January 3, 2011
Newsletter Art
We had so many great submissions for the art work from the last newsletter we wanted to share some more of them. These submissions are voted on by the PTA via a blind vote. We don't know the names of the students or their teachers when voting ~ important to mention because as a coincidence, all of these had more than one vote and all were from Ms. Hedin's class. There is a second post below with additional art work as well.
The newsletter winner - Bryce - Ms. Hedin
The newsletter winner - Bryce - Ms. Hedin
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