Fabulous Fall!

Since school began, we have been exploring the seasonal changes in Fall! It hasn't been easy, as we've had every kind of weather, from snow, to rain, to almost 30 degree weather!

Yoo hoo . . . Fall . . . where are you?

Here are the statements that guided our learning:

Today we worked in pairs to brainstorm all we have learned about Fall. 

Then as a class, we put our key Fall words into tagxedo, a "fancy" word cloud generator. Together we had to select an appropriate shape for our Fall-themed word cloud (we voted on a leaf, a tree, a squirrel, an apple, and a pumpkin) as well as a fitting colour scheme. 

Look at what we learned about seasonal changes in Fall!

Let's not start our unit on Winter yet, agreed?

Happy Fall!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Last Friday it was gray. It was rainy. It was gloomy. It was even ... INDOOR RECESS. Think that sounds like a recipe for a crummy day? Not in our Grade 1 class! 

About mid-morning, after we had zoomed around the gym, we had a Mystery Reader! Here were the clues we read carefully and puzzled over:

Did you guess? The kids did, with one student's help, because it was her mom! Our reader shared one of her childhood favourites with the class. 

If you or another family member would like to be our next Mystery Reader, send a note or email. It is an excellent way to get the students excited about reading!

Back to our gray, rainy, windy day indoors ... 

Wiggle Breaks. Necessary in any primary classroom. ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL on a day like last Friday! Our class has been really enjoying a website called GoNoodle for quick, engaging movement breaks throughout the day. There are lots to try, including rockin' zumba dances (Mrs. Beliveau's favourite!), streching/breathing, and even Olympic track events! 

Our GoNoodle certificate
that we earned!

We had chosen a GoNoodle character a few weeks ago, and after every 10 brain breaks (aka. wiggle breaks), our character grew! Well, this past week, he grew so big we needed to choose a new character!

Needless to say, we took several wiggle breaks last Friday to get our new character growing and growing! As you can imagine, most pictures were pretty blurry because the kids were moving so fast! (not at all because of Mrs. Beliveau's photography skills).

Ask your child to "run like the kitty"!

All those wiggle breaks ensured we could focus and work. Rain didn't dampen the fun or the learning in our room last week!

Brain Warmers

One of the best parts of the day is opening the doors to let in the boys and girls each morning! There are hugs, lots of smiles, and loads of stories and visiting. It is a really terrific way to start a day and it is so, so energizing! 

As the students bounce in and get their Kanga Pouches unpacked, focusing their energy is key. Each morning we tackle an action-packed Brain Warmer! They are quick, lasting no more than 5 or so minutes, and we sure do have loads of fun!

The theme for the Brain Warmer changes each day to keep the students engaged. Children are always encouraged to work with and talk to their peers. These activities are a great transition into the day, allowing the students to "get their stories out" with each other, and they warm up important skills. 

Magazine Monday

Students choose from a variety magazines, such as Owl, Chirp, and ChickaDEE. These magazines are geared towards the primary reader and offer a different format for reading. 

Tune Up Tuesday

Students "tune up" a skill chosen by the very wise Mrs. Beliveau. This past week we were doing a picture/word search! We sure do love a challenge!

What Is It? Wednesdays

What is that? 

Projected onto the SMARTboard are a few "zoomed in" pictures for the children to examine and discuss. Then they are to write (or draw) their guesses on their whiteboards. 

Here are last week's fall-themed puzzlers:

Most had the first picture pegged as a pumpkin, but the second picture could have been a blanket, mitts, a toque, or a sweater! 

Here are the full pictures:

Think Outside the Box Thursday

On Thursdays, the students get a shape. They are to turn that shape into something creative and new by "thinking outside the box"! Last week it was a crescent shape. 

What did the boys and girls come up with?

(1) a moon (2) puppy in a bed (3) pirate ship

Fidget Friday

Students warm up their fine-motor skills on Fridays! We have enjoyed play-dough, links, lego, cubes, and a few other incredibly fun building items.

Thank you, papa, for the donation of play dough to our class!

The boys and girls are really enjoying our morning Brain Warmers! They have an opportunity to tackle a new challenge each day, all while connecting with each other in a unique way. The children can hardly wait to come into class!

Never Give Up

Today was an incredible day! This afternoon we were blessed to have Fred Fox, Terry Fox's older brother, visit our school. For many, it was a moment that would be remembered. 

As a gym full of students, parents and teachers listened intently, Fred shared several family memories and pictures. We heard about Terry's 18th birthday. We heard about the moment Fred and Terry shared together the day before Terry's leg was amputated. And most importantly, we heard Terry's inspiring message: finish what you start and never, never, never give up!

With laces tied and water bottles filled, we headed outdoors for our annual Terry Fox Run! The boys and girls ran, skipped, walked, and danced around and around our ball diamond for over an hour! 

Here are some of our favourite memories from today's special event:

"I don't feel that this is unfair. That's the thing about cancer. I'm not the only one, it happens all the time to people. I'm not special. This just intensifies what I did. It gives more meaning. It'll inspire more people. I just wish people would realize that anything's possible if you try; dreams are made possible if you try."   

Terry Fox

We! Are! Readers! HOORAY!

Early last week, the boys and girls were all gathered on the mat, energetic and ready to learn. Here is how the conversation went:

Mrs Beliveau: I have a very important question for all of you today. Who here is a reader?

A few hands hesitantly rose. Most kids looked a little sheepish and kept their hands down. 

Mrs. Beliveau: Hmmmm. Well, I actually think everyone here is a reader. Everyone!

Student: Oh no, Mrs. Beliveau, I can't read yet. I didn't learn how to yet. 

Mrs. Beliveau: Well, what if I told you I have a special book right here in our classroom that I bet you ALL can read. Would you like to see it?

The students were really excited to see what this special book was all about. And for the next 15 or so minutes, our class had loads of fun flipping page by page, shouting out words they knew as we read together! Yet again, learning in Grade One got a little boisterous!

*     *     *

So what is this special book? This is a little book that Mrs. Beliveau adapted that is filled with everyday words children are already familiar with, often called "environmental print". 

Ask your child which word is Mrs. Beliveau's favourite
(hint ... check the letter Tt page!)

Environmental print is familiar to our students and is an excellent entry point for our beginning readers. They recognize this print in everyday life and can "read it" within the context of everyday experience. 

Look at what we can read!

Reading is, quite possibly, the single most exciting and anticipated parts of Grade One. It is also one of the most complex and challenging skills we learn in Grade One. But, because of this little project, the boys and girls are convinced they are readers . . . and they absolutely, most certainly are! 


Project inspired and adapted from Mrs. Lirette's Learning Detectives. 

Don't Let the Pigeon into Grade One!

The boys and girls in our class are incredibly kind-hearted, responsible kids who work really hard to make smart choices each day. They're a fantastic bunch! During the first week, we all promised to "Care, share and be fair" by pledging with our hand prints. Have you seen this sign by our door?

Can your child find his or her hand print?

But, rules are meant to be broken. At least, that's what our new friend, the pigeon, keeps telling us!

This past week we have really enjoyed a series of books by author Mo Willems that feature a persuasive, sassy pigeon who is always pushing the limits!

Such hilarious books! We loved them!

What's that pigeon up to now?

The boys and girls really enjoyed a YouTube clip of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! We think you will love it, too!

Inspired by the picture books, the students set out to create their own set of rules for the pigeon, just in case he ever swings by Holy Redeemer! Would he know how to behave in school?

We followed the directed drawing instructions by Mo Willems himself to draw our own unique pigeons. Then the students each told Mrs. Beliveau what they didn't want the pigeon to do, and she typed it into a speech bubble. Then we did lots of careful cutting and gluing. 

Ta da! Our very own set of pigeon rules!

This project was excellent for reviewing our classroom and school expectations, and the students were so engaged. Who knew drawing a pigeon was so easy? There are now little pigeon doodles everywhere! To see all of our pigeon projects, please check our hall bulletin board.


Follow the pigeon's tweets at @The_Pigeon. 
For loads of fantastic Mo Wilems "pigeon-themed" fun, visit Pigeon Presents.



Project inspired by Art Dish with MJ. 

Pumped up for Patterns!

Today we were loud. Whoops. 

We tried to make it down the halls quietly. We really did. But instead, we had a chittery chattery, skippity hoppity, very boisterous group of Grade 1's exploring the halls of Holy Redeemer!

Why wasn't Mrs. Beliveau angry? Why didn't she "shhhhhhh" them? 

As it turns out, the boys and girls were excited. Really excited! They were excited to explore the school to find patterns! 

We've begun our first Math unit, Patterns, and today the students were out and about identifying patterns throughout the school.

Do you want to see the patterns they found?




Now that we can find patterns, we are going to work at continuing patterns and showing the same pattern in different ways. Stay tuned!

Old Ladies? In Grade 1?

Our first week was loads of fun! We've been blessed with a very joyful and keen group of students in our class, and they've been an easy bunch of kids to fall in love with. 

This morning we tackled a project that got us all giggling! 

We began with a book, which is how so many of our projects start. The children were dazzled and serenaded by Mrs. Beliveau's melodic and oh so sweet voice as she sang the book I Know an Old Lady. 

Then the boys and girls dusted the cobwebs off their fine-motor skills and the creativity started flowing! They got to work creating their own old ladies!

Several scissor snips and glue globs later, we had 15 old ladies who had suddenly joined our class. They're definitely eating some strange things though ...

If I were an old lady, I would swallow a ...
(1) birthday cake, (2) snake, and (3) Christmas tree.

This project gave Mrs. Beliveau an opportunity to get to know the boys and girls better. She got an extra peek at the children's abilities to follow directions, cut, print, and glue, as well as several other work habits, such as perseverance, problem-solving and time management. 

Pop by our hall bulletin board to see what these hungry ol' gals are eating! You won't be disappointed!

Great job, Grade One! You worked very hard today and were extra creative!

NOT the old lady in question ...

Enjoy your weekend! Can't wait to see your beautiful smiles on Monday!


Craftivity inspired by Cara Carroll at the First Grade Parade.