Friday, March 20, 2026

on

 March 16-March 20


Phonics

This week in phonics, students worked on the long E sound spelled "ee", "ea", and "ey" (e.g. tree, leaf, money) . We will continue practicing these spelling patterns after Spring Break, and the spelling test will be on Thursday, April 2, 2026.

We did not have a spelling test this week, as this sound has many different spelling patterns and I wanted students to have extra time to practice. Even reviewing a few words from the Roll and Read sheet each day can make a big difference!

Ask your child the following questions:
  • Can you think of a word that uses ee, ea, or ey to make the long E sound?
  • Where in a word do you usually see ee, ea, or ey?
  • Can you read a few words from your Roll and Read sheet and explain what they mean?

Literacy

We have begun learning about paragraphs and the different parts that make a strong piece of writing. A good topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about. We are using a fun sundae analogy to help students understand structure: the topic sentence is the cherry on top, the supporting details are the ice cream and fudge in the middle, and the closing sentence is the cup or cone that holds it all together.

Students practiced this by writing a paragraph about parrots, starting with a strong topic sentence to introduce their main idea, and then adding supporting details to give more information. For example, one supporting detail might describe a parrot’s colourful feathers or the sounds it can make. We will continue building on this learning by practicing how to add more supporting details and write strong closing sentences.

Ask your child the following questions:
  • What is a topic sentence, and why is it important in a paragraph?
  • Can you tell me one supporting detail from your paragraph about parrots?
  • How do you finish a paragraph with a strong closing sentence?

We also read a story called "The Smart Cookie" that students really enjoyed. After this, students coloured in their own cookie and wrote three reasons they are a “smart cookie.”




Math

We have started reviewing addition and are practicing basic addition facts to strengthen students’ understanding and confidence. Our focus is on making sure students can add numbers accurately and quickly, and see the relationships between numbers.

We will continue practicing addition throughout the week, and as students become more comfortable, we will introduce different strategies to make solving problems easier and more efficient. Even practicing a few addition problems at home each day can help students build fluency and confidence.

Ask your child the following questions:
  • What are some different ways or strategies you can use to solve addition problems?
  • If you know 7 + 5 = 12, how can you use that to figure out 7 + 6?
  • Can you find two different ways to add 8 + 9 on paper?
Parent/Teacher Conferences

It was wonderful to connect with parents during the interviews. Feel free to email me anytime with questions or concerns.

Pancake Breakfast
On Monday March 30, MTS will be hosting a Pancake Breakfast for all students and staff. To make this a successful event, we are requesting some Parent Volunteers for the morning. If you are able to assist, please click on the link below.

Food Support

Did you know that the Breakfast Club of Canada has shared research demonstrating that 40% of Alberta’s children experience food insecurity? This means that 4 out of 10 children do not have access to food when they are hungry.

If your family is experiencing challenges with providing food for your children you can find help at Brown Bagging Calgary.

Complete this form for support and they can deliver lunches to McKenzie Towne School for your children. https://go.bb4ck.org/l/858913/2024-01-15/38fdbw You can also find out more information on their website https://bb4ck.org/


Year Book Pictures
If you have any pictures from any school events (ie, first day of school, Terry Fox Run, Halloween) that you would like to share with the Yearbook Committee, please click on the link below. Once you log in, please enter this code. ADD-PICTURES-TO-YEARBOOK-26 YEARBOOK PICTURES
More information will be shared on purchasing at a later date.

Upcoming Dates
March 23-27 Spring Break - NO SCHOOL March 30 Pancake Breakfast

April 3                                       Good Friday - NO SCHOOL


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