Spelling List for July

Week 5
Spelling test: 22/7/08

left right yelled never thirsty

Spelling test: 25/7/08

always corner ground sobbed shouted

Week 6
Spelling test: 29/7/08

frog pond grass share drank

Spelling test: 1/8/08

sang agreed shaking evening wonderful

Zoological Gardens - Parent Volunteer Wanted

Hello Parents!

As our kids are soon heading off to the zoo for their Math Trail, I'm in need of a parent volunteer to assist in the management of the children during the trail. Each class has to have at least one as a matter of school policy. I've made a few calls, and understandably, Wednesdays are hard to make available with our busy schedule.

If any of you are available on that day and would like to assist in your child's first field trip, please drop me an email at danker_kristen_therese@moe.edu.sg or give me a call on my cellphone by Monday night. Many thanks!

Regards,
Miss Kristen

Spelling for Term 3, Week 1

As of next week, spelling tests will be on a 5 word basis - first 5 words on Tuesday, and 5 words on Friday. Each spelling test will include one unseen dictation sentence also. This I hope will facilitate our children's ease of learning.

However, for this week, spelling will still be, as per usual, tested on Friday.

Spelling test: 27th June, 2008, Friday.

jigaree

riding

flying

hiding

skating

walking

dancing

jumping

climbing

swimming

Start of Term 3

Hello parents,

Just a gentle reminder that school begins on the 23rd of June. The time table will be the same so kindly ensure that your child has all the required books for Monday. Also, do be reminded that Anthonians need to bring their pencil cases, colour pencils and diaries on all days.

Looking forward to seeing them all again! I rather missed them during the holidays - as strange as it may seem.

A Note of Thanks

Hello Parents,

It was a pleasure to meet you yesterday. It was very encouraging to know that something I do for the children at least is not in vain. Sometimes teachers get despondent, too. I was also highly encouraged to know that this blog is regularly checked. I will put in more effort to keep this blog informative from now on. Apologies for the lack of updates, as things are so hectic at this point of time.

As I mentioned to many of you, if there is any feedback, please do drop me a line. I will do my best the kids.

Thank you once again!

Sincerely,
Miss Kristen

Spelling Unit 11

Spelling test: 14 April 2008

ants
bug
pie
zebra
hippo
lizard
baboon
anteater
numbers
newspaper

Examination Preparation Update and Tips

The exams are less than a month away, and all of us wish to see our Anthonians do well - me included. P1 teachers are not allowed to see the P1 papers, so having my pupils take the exam not only stresses them out, but me as well. It's harrowing to say the least...

By now, all Anthonians have been issued with an examination spelling list (12 out of 30 words will be tested), the list of topics covered for the SA1s and also the examination schedule. If your child has misplaced the paper, please do drop me an email or a note in their diary requesting for a new one.

Also, in an effort to keep you abreast on what your child has accomplished, I've taken the following steps:

• Math: Topical Tests and mock examination papers will be administered and promptly marked and graded for you to determine your child's areas for improvement. Math textbooks will also be returned to the child at the end of the day. While this may make your child's bag a little heavier, it will help to reinforce your child's studies at home.
• English: 'Revision' words have been added to the end of every spelling test. These words are simply two chosen words from previous spelling tests in Term 1. This is to ensure children don't forget their old spelling words. Also, there has been a greater emphasis on writing in prose in class. Exercises that encourage children to write in prose have been made more frequent, with emphasis on tenses, punctuation, sentence structure and vocabulary. These will be given to the children for your perusal within the next two weeks.
• Examination Procedures: Exam procedures and etiquette is being taught to them during Math tests so that when the exam comes, this familiarity with the process will hopefully make it a less daunting experience.
  

Perhaps one of the key areas that parents can help their children is to encourage them to practice reading, whether it be for mathematics or English. When practicing exercises, encourage your child to always read the instructions and understand them before each exercise. This is a good habit to develop that will help them for years to come. If your child has difficulty in answering a question, tell them to leave it blank and remember come back to it later.

Try not to be too quick with giving aid to the child. I have personally seen demonstrations of fortitude in our children when they complete a question correctly that they had previously said that they could not do or understand. If they have tried and did not get the answer correct, encourage them on their spectacular effort and then help them. But I'm sure I needn't tell you this, I've noticed that the parents of my Anthonians are very supportive and encouraging. :)

All in all, while we both want the Anthonian to succeed and demonstrate his full potential, it is important to instill in our children that in examinations, just like the Olympics, striving for personal excellence is far more important than getting the best marks in class. Marks do not make the person, though our children do feel immense pressure to be the best in our competitive school system and thus feel upset when they are not 'the best' or when they 'fail'. Each child is different, with their own set of unique strengths and capabilities. It is impotant at this early age that we show them that they are still an accomplished individual whatever they score.

Logistically, it would be best to ensure that our children come with a ruler, eraser, several sharpened 2B pencils, a self-contained sharpener and sharpened colour pencils for every exam. It would be best to ensure that these 2B pencils are relatively new and all pencils are sharpened the night before. This is to ensure that they do not have to waste valuable exam time sharpening pencils, walking to the class sharpener, walking to the dustbin to sharpen their pencils or waiting to borrow stationery from the teacher.

Fish Adoption

Natalie Yeh has adopted the rainbowfish and Ryan Kok has claimed the gourami! I'll be passing the children the fish on Monday. This weekend would be a good time to get some fish flakes, a tank and a small filter ($8) to keep the water clean and smell-free.

The angelfish is still available. I've explained to the children that Angelfish are very prone to illness and death if water conditions are not right. I've also explained that the angel is not compatible with goldfish as, being the faster swimmer, it might out-swim the goldfish for food. As such, an established tropical tank would be best.

Yes, I know I'm an aquarium geek/enthusiast. It's a better drain on my finances than clothes or shoes, but that's just me. Is it just me or are there more men than women interested in this pastime?

Spelling Unit 12

In view of the clash with Chinese spelling, I have announced to the class on Tuesday that spelling will be postponed to Monday, 24th March, 2008.

Spelling test: 20th March, 2008

stuck
lunch
party
dinner
purple
evening
afternoon
ice cream
breakfast
doorway

Fish for Adoption

As I'll be converting one of my home tanks to a marine tank, the occupants now need new loving homes!

One Black and White Angelfish
Gender: Unknown (notoriously hard to sex unless it's spawning)
Size: 2.5 inches tall (tip of dorsal to anal fin)
Note: Generally peaceful, though it does tend to get bullied by larger angelfish. Copes well on its own.

Six Neon Dwarf Rainbowfish
Gender: 2 males, 4 females
Size: each approximately 1 inch long
Note: These little guys have been together for a while, and they are showing spawning behaviour; as such, I'd like to send this group off as a set. :)

One Red Dwarf Honey Gourami
Gender: unknown
Size: 2 inches long
Note: This particular fish is known to be territorial and thus aggressive towards tank mates who get too close to it's hideaway.

It would be best if you already have an established tropical fish tank before you adopt these babies (especially the angelfish). If not, any filtered tank six gallons (1 foot square) or more, should accommodate them. Please email me or post a comment here if you're interested and I'll pass the fish to your child to bring home the following day.

Term 1 Summary

Term 1 is over, and so many things have yet to be done. Still, we should remember that there has been loads that we have accomplished as a class! It has been wonderful seeing the progress of my pupils, from those hesitant readers who have gained confidence, to those who have really begun to settle down and shown their talents.

The following post will detail our class's accomplishments and academic progress for term 1.


Accomplishments

Classroom Cleanliness Award, Term 1
We have the cleanest in the whole P1 level! Those Recess Duties really paid off!

MRL Bookmark Design Competition
Natalie Yeh is one of the winners of the bookmark design competition - well done!

Best Behaved Bunch
The winner, with 88 stars, is Horsea Group consisting of Valerie Yap, Then Chin Kiat, Daniel Tan, Hettys Huda, Chan Zhou Han and Naveen! Second place goes to Bellossom with 85 stars (Joshua Oh, Anna Lee, Luigi Obias, Ryan Kok and Shino Teo).

We have also begun to make our class our own, with new Corners added to allow the pupils to develop in a holistic way. Here are some photos of our class.


Academic Progress

English
Pupils have completed 7 units and are in the process of completing their 8th. Files will be returned on the first week of term 2 for your signature and perusal.

Math
Pupils have completed Numbers 1 to 10, Number Bonds, Addition of Numbers from 1 to 10, Subtraction of Numbers 1 to 10, Shapes, Patterns and Ordinal Numbers. Pupils have also finished Review 3 in their workbooks (holiday homework). Books will be marked and also returned on the second week of term 2 for your signature and perusal.


That's all for now. All in all, it's been a good first term, even if the last week was a little stressful. I love the kids in this class and I hope they'll remember me, years down the road (probably as the teacher with the mad thing for fish tanks and the one who keeps telling 'When Miss Kristen Was A Little Girl' stories). Hopefully, we'll have many more good times for Term 2!

Spelling Unit 8

Spelling Test: 7 March 2008

fly
ski
run
fall
thumb
swing
trumpet
swimming pool
jungle vine
racing car

Class Postal Service

Primary 1-3 now has a postal service! A post box has been hung in class, along with paper for pupils to write letters to me or to their friends. Pupils are enthusiastic about writing letters and posting them in our post box, and many letters have already been sent.

When a pupil posts a letter, I will collect them at the end of the day. As I open the letters to determine the recipient, I will usually read them. This is not to invade the pupil's privacy, they are aware that I will read the letters they write. Taking the chance to read the letters not only lets me gauge the pupil's writing ability, but also gives me the chance to remove any letters that I feel might be hurtful to the recipient and if need be, act on it. I will then deliver the letters to the pupils the next day.

The rationale behind the post box is to encourage pupils to practice writing. As they write to their friends, pupils not only gain competency forming letters and sentences, but they also build relationships - even if the letters are as simple as "I love you". When pupils write letters to me, I will reply, giving them little notes of encouragement. By reading my replies, I am able to model good writing practices for the pupils on a very personal level. Hopefully, this informal writing will show our children that writing isn't always graded, nor does it need to be stressful.

Spelling Unit 7

Spelling Test: 29 February

blue
silver
colour
green
yellow
orange
bulldozer
fire-engine
vintage car
motorbike

Getting Your Child to Read

Does your child fight you tooth and nail when it comes to reading? Does he complain and would rather watch television instead? Parents with reluctant readers tend to get increasingly frustrated at their child and themselves, wondering why their child is so reluctant to pick up a book and read. Don't worry if your child seems to resist when it comes to books, it is a hurdle that can be overcome. Children will repeat actions that give them pleasure, so we need to find a way to show them that reading is enjoyable.

There are many ways to build up your child's love of reading, but before that we need to identify the reason why he or she is reluctant to read. There may be hurdles for your child when it comes to books. A few of the most common I have encountered are:

My child has difficulty reading words...

If your child has difficulty identifying the words, reading aloud to your child as you drag your finger along the sentence, following the words that you read, will build your child's ability to connect sounds and words on the page. The pleasure of spending time with you and listening to you read instead of struggling alone will help build your child's enthusiasm for reading.

Eventually, asking your child to read aloud to you interesting tidbits in the newspaper, a joke from a joke book, a comic strip or any short text will build your child's confidence and realize that reading doesn't mean you have to get every word right, and that it is okay to make mistakes. After your child has read the passage, praise him or her and model a few of the words that your child might have mis-pronounced. Your child should mimic you in saying the word. As your child's confidence grows, longer texts can be introduced to be read to you.

My child does not have many books at home...

It would certainly encourage your child to read if books and other printed materials are readily available. Regular trips to the library, creating a small 'reading corner' for your child at home and colourful magazines readily available in conspicuous places will encourage your child to read.

Select books that relate to your child's interest (see below). Try to avoid rejecting books that your child selects, even if it is too difficult. Reading difficult books of interest to your child is one of the fastest ways to build your child's proficiency in reading and love of books. Even if your child can only look at pictures on his or her own, your child's intrinsic interest will eventually encourage him or her to read those difficult words.

My child has no interest in reading...

This is one of the more common reasons why children do not read. It is not a lack of an interest in reading, but a lack of interest in the subject of the book. Different children like different things, and reading is a two-way esperience. Children will ultimately apply their prior knowledge to the book's content, which in turn colours their esperience of the book. If they have some knowledge of the subject of the book, they will be able to understand the book better, which helps them to enjoy it more. There are several ways to stimulate a children to read.

Reading books based on movies or television shows, scouting for books based on their hobbies or their interests, visiting interesting new places like the zoo or the bird park are some of the ways that children select books on topics that they are interested in.

Talking about reading and your experience reading is also important. In informal situations, talk to your child about a book that you may have read. Bring your child into the conversation to share with you his or her favourite books. This may provide clues to your child's interests for book selection and also show your child that reading is a bonding esperience between you and him or her.

Children who see their parents reading for pleasure also begin to mimic their parent's actions.

There are many resources on the web that provide more tips and tricks that could further help your child to read. One website is Reading Is Fundemental, among others. All in all, though it may seem difficult, don't be discouraged and don't give up on getting your child to read.

Spelling Unit 6

Spelling Test: 22 February

cat
red
bird
rose
water
knock
pencil
garden
caterpillar
chocolate

Spelling Unit 5

Apologies for the late post, throat infections and the subsequent flurry of activity upon return to work has made this entry totally slip my mind.

Spelling Test: 15th February

tea
lion
mane
tiger
snake
fierce
jungle
monkey
elephant
crocodile

CNY Spelling Postponed

Spelling with be postponed to next week, 11th February, in view of Chinese New Year. There will still be the spelling of unit 5's words on Friday, 15th February. Happy New Year to all!

Teacher's Reflections: Nearly a month in...

It's almost a month now that I've been teaching P1s. I never knew that teaching such a young group of students could be so enjoyable. Previously, my teaching experience had been with P3s, 4s and 5s. There were times when I felt like nothing more than a facilitator, a talking computer dispensing knowledge to pupils who may or may not care. Teaching p1s has reminded me of what it means to be a teacher. You teach from the heart, when you're in p1. They are innocent and perhaps, a little part of me wants to keep them innocent. Even if it takes quite a while to explain to a child what they did was wrong, I feel that P1s do listen and try to make an effort to change. This is a level where I feel I'm making a difference to their lives as well as their grades, as idealistic as that may sound.

I do worry about the pupils who have trouble keeping up with the rest of the class, and sometimes I know the others tend to get a little restless when I am teaching one or two pupils something that everyone else has already finished. Thankfully, the children are good kids who will quieten down when I ask them to, giving me time to teach those who need that little bit more guidance. And it's quite frankly a joy to see their faces light up when I cheer them for finishing a task that I know they have trouble with.

I'm doing my best to teach pupils values in this their fundamental year in Primary School. Values such as integrity, honesty, responsibility perseverance and punctuality are emphasized in my classroom.

Those with roles are learning responsibility, and everyone is taking care of their classroom and their pets, taking turns to help clean the water and feed the fish. Pupils are also beginning to show signs of learning social skills - such as what to do when someone irritates you. They are also learning that 'Mommy never pack my homework' is not an accepted excuse in my classroom, as I tell them that their homework is their responsibility, and that Mommy doesn't know what they have to bring to school. I'm very happy to say that the children are all very honest and willing to admit their wrongdoings and the consequences that follow (usually a temporary ban from the class library/aquarium and a telling off). I do ensure that I explain my reasons for getting angry with their actions, why it was wrong and what they should do the next time they are in the same situation afterwards.

All in all, being in a P1 classroom is a re-awakening of the little idealistic side of me that wanted to become a teacher in the first place. Thank you so much to the parents who have been supportive thus far, your little notes of support and encouragement do wonders for me in this emotionally-tiring job. I'll do my best for these kids so if there's any concern or worry, please feel free to drop me a note any time.

Week 5 Spelling List

Spelling date: 1 February, 2008

seas
trees
train
crane
house
people
bridge
flowers
mountains
aeroplanes

New Friends in Class

Primary 1-3 has some new friends! Joining our class are 8 of the cutest fishes - our new class pets. Having the class pets will teach the Anthonians to respect life and learn responsibility in the caring for the animals. They also get a chance to observe the fish as they swim about their new home. Not only will this instill social-emotional skills in the children, but it will also encourage them to communicate their curiosities as they ask many questions indeed about our new pets.

Here are some snapshots of our new class aquarium and some of the rules the children thought were important.

Rules:

• Do feed the fish at recess
• Do watch the fish peacefully
• Do turn the light off before leaving
• Do not tap or knock the glass
• Do not put anything in the water
• Do not touch or frighten the fish
• Do not play with the light.

We have four small Neon Dwarf Rainbow Fish, two black female Swordtails and two red Flame Dwarf Gouramis.

Prior to adding the fish, the aquarium was populated with a list of items that the students drew up for the project.

The aquarium after set up with the fish inside.

Our new little fish corner.

Spelling List Unit 2

Spelling Test: 25th January, 2008

tub
cow
mud
liked
played
rolled
jumped
animals
paddled
screamed

Some Blog Uncertainties

Hello all,

I'm writing this entry to clear some issues regarding the use of this blog to compliment classroom operations. This is the first time I've started a blog catered to parents, and I really do appreciate your patience in some of the nagging issues that have come up that I'm going to address.

Blog vs Anthonian Diary

Some parents have expressed uncertainty over which source of information to rely upon for homework updates - the blog or the diary. The purpose of putting the homework up on the blog was to help parents keep abreast over homework that was given to the entire class. Sometimes, however, certain pupils may have homework given to them individually which has been entered into their Diaries. The blog will only reflect class-wide homework, not these individual assignments (which usually arise when pupils forget to bring books or are unable to finish the tasks in time). So as a rule of thumb, please check your child's Diary daily and initial or sign at every entry. The diary should be the primary source of homework information for both you and your child.

I'm trying to streamline this blog to complement the classroom, but the task is time consuming. I will soon be adding a list of circulars given to the pupils on an ad hoc basis to keep you abreast. The issue on circulars has been addressed below.

Blog Update Frequency

As far as possible, I will strive to update the blog on the evening of the day that certain announcements or homework is given to the class. It will be done by 7.30pm. However, if you check the blog after 7.30 and see that there is no update, then no news is good news. :)

Spelling Days

By and large, spelling days for English will be on Fridays. Different mother tongue teachers have their spellings on different days, but for English, it's on Fridays.

I will also be posting a list of that week's spelling words on the blog each Monday morning.

School/Level Circulars

The school does issue circulars or memos to parents, in which case it would be best if each child has a little folder or file in which to store his or her papers. Understandably, being kids, sometimes these important letters are lost or crumpled in the bag or used as scrap paper to be drawn on, so having a file would avoid this problem. As mentioned earlier, in order to help you keep track of these circulars, I will be putting up announcements on the blog page if any are given to the class on the same day.

I hope this has helped to clear up some cloudy uncertainties. If you need any more information or clarification, please feel free to email me at the address given at the start of term. Thank you for your patience and understanding as I try to streamline the workings of this new class.

~Miss Kristen Danker

New Time Table

Hello All!

The new time table has been released to pupils. As of the 14th January, there will be PE on Monday due to the commencement of Badminton Training.

The new time table is as such:

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
1.00-1.30	Mother Tongue	Mother Tongue	Contact Time	Assembly	CME
1.30-2.00	Mother Tongue	Mother Tongue	Mother Tongue	English	Cat. / S.R.
2.00-2.30	Mother Tongue	Mother Tongue	Mother Tongue	English	CME
2.30-3.00	Social Studies	Music	Mother Tongue	English	Mother Tongue
3.00-3.30	Recess	Recess	Recess	Recess	Recess
3.30-4.00	Music	Art and Craft	PE	Mother Tongue	English
4.00-4.30	PE	Art and Craft	English	Mother Tongue	English
4.30-5.00	English	English	English	Mother Tongue	English
5.00-5.30	English	English	English	Health Ed.	English
5.30-6.00	Math	Math	English	Math	Math
6.00-6.30	Math	Math	English	Math	PE

Library Corner

Hello all!

Our class library has been set up at last, and the kids are very excited about it, so much so that I need to buy more foam tiles to accommodate their comfort during reading periods. Here are a few snapshots of the library corner.


As you can see, the collection of books has grown. Thank you to all the parents who have donated. If you have any unwanted story books throughout the year, please feel free to donate them to the library, the children are eager to read and show great enthusiasm for the books.

~Miss Kristen Danker

Book Donation Drive

Dear Parents,

The class will be holding a Book Donation Drive for the Class Library. As of now, our class has no library, and pupils tend to get rather restless after their work. With the library, they can proceed there to sit down and read while waiting for their classmates to finish their tasks. This will not only occupy the children, but build literacy and aesthetic reading, which is reading for enjoyment.

If you have any old story books at home suitable for children of your child's age, please feel free to donate them to the class for their library. At the end of the year, the books will be saved for the next year's class. Collection will be from Monday, 7th January, to Friday, 11th January. Donate a few books at a time, as I am concerned that your child's bag may be too heavy.

Please note that this drive is completely voluntary.I appreciate your help! Thank you in advance!

~Miss Kristen

Welcome to Primary 1-3

Hello and welcome to the class blog of Primary 1-3, St. Anthony's Primary School. My name is Kristen Danker, the form teacher for 1-3 this year. This site is maintained by me in an effort to keep parents updated on class activities, announcements and homework, as well as to showcase outstanding work that the pupils produce. Homework lists for the day will be updated daily at 6.30 to 7pm, and Announcements will be added on an ad hoc basis.

As I have stated in the Form Teacher's Letter given to your pupils, I have attached a brief questionnaire that will help me to get to know your child better as well as make any accommodations for him/her should your child have any special needs or medical conditions. I have also attached a list of items that your child should bring each day to facilitate his/her study.

If you need to contact me, you may do so at the email address and handphone number indicated on the Form Teacher's Letter or by penning your message down in your child's Anthonian Diary and asking him/her to show it to me in class.

I look forward to cooperating with you for your child's development in the upcoming year!

~Miss Kristen Danker