The Kindergarten Connection: SVS Team!

Thursday, May 14, 2026

May 11-15, 2026

This week, we continued our work as writers! We learned that we can draw, write, and share our ideas in many ways. We used techniques from Adrienne Gear’s Powerful Writing Structures, including writing about special memories, facts, and using our imaginations. Even if we can’t write all the letter sounds in words yet, we can still use squiggles and symbols to express ourselves!

First, we read When I Am Old With You to learn about our “Memory Pockets: I remember when…” writing. We shared special memories, such as birthday parties, taking a walk with gramma, going on vacation to Jasper. Ask your child about the memory they chose to write about!

Next, we explored facts by looking at non-fiction books. We read What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? and discovered many interesting animal facts. We wrote from our “Fact Pockets: I know…” Here are some cool facts our students shared:

Cheetahs run fast and have spots.
Bees go to hives and make honey.
Bunnies change colour with the seasons. In summer they are brown, and in winter they turn white.
Butterflies drink nectar from flowers.

We also learned about imaginative stories by reading Grumpycorn. We discovered that imaginative stories do not have to be real — they can be fun, silly, and exciting! Here are some creative ideas our students came up with:

I have powers to spray water.
I am standing on rainbow clouds.
I like to jump in the clouds with teddy.
An alien visited my house one day.

On Wednesday morning, we enjoyed a special performance by the Valley Creek Middle School band. We learned about different instruments like drums, flutes, saxophones, trumpets, clarinets, and tubas, and how they can make music that is loud, soft, fast, slow, happy, or calm. Maybe your child will choose to play an instrument one day too!

More Lively Letters! Ask your child about tired "h" and the crashing sound of the letter "x." We spelled out a huge math word today! Then we used it in a sentence. "A hexagon is a shape that has 6 sides."

We also checked on Fletcher’s tree by the playground.
The branches have leaves now! Spring is here!

Link to our school calendar: Simons Valley School Calendar

Friday Class Schedule

Library Day is Tuesday, May 19, 2026!

Thank you for helping your child to remember their library book AND plastic protector BAG each Tuesday!! We will return books but not sign out new ones until after Spring Break.

Important Kindergarten Dates...

Monday, May 18 - Victoria Day- NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, May 19 - Library Book Return

Thursday, May 21 - Kindergarten Orientation for Fall Entry Students 5:30pm

Friday, May 22 - AM Kindergarten Attends (9:02-11:58am)

Our Emails

If you have any questions or need to contact us, our emails are:

Mrs. Oster: rdoster@cbe.ab.ca

Mrs. Sutherland: klsutherland@cbe.ab.ca

Mrs. Wiskar: mjwiskar@cbe.ab.ca

Mrs. Cheng: kjcheng@cbe.ab.ca

Friday, May 8, 2026

May 4-8, 2026

This week, we explored the exciting world of robots and coding! On Monday, a team of special guest engineers from the University of Calgary visited our class. We learned what engineers do and how they plan, build, test, and help others.

We also learned about algorithms. Algorithms are simple instructions or patterns that help computers and robots know what to do. During a fun activity, we practiced giving clear instructions to our “human robot,” Austin, to wash his hands—this was a fun challenge!

We explored different EZ-Robots, including Adventure Bot, Rolly Rover, JD (who looks almost human), and Hexabot (also called “6”). Miss Emily used an iPad to give them instructions and even made them dance! We also enjoyed coding with Ozobots by using color patterns to guide them along a path.

Here are some skills we practiced:

Identifying when actions don’t match instructions.
Matching actions to instructions.
Following two-step sequences.
Understanding how changing the order of steps affects outcomes.

The next day, we used our coding skills in an “unplugged” activity. We designed a barnyard for Rosie the hen and planned a path for her to walk around the farm. This helped us understand that engineers design, build, test, and improve their ideas.

We also read a heartwarming story about Bolts, a little robot who learns how to fix his broken heart through patience, kindness, and gratitude. After the story, we shared our ideas about robots, coding, and engineering, and created a visual journal response.

As Spring is arriving in Calgary, we continue to visit our class tree near the playground, “Fletcher’s Tree”, to see if its leaves are starting to grow. Look for signs of Spring with your child this weekend! Use this Spring Scavenger hunt if you want to make a game of it!