The Kindergarten Connection: SVS Team!

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!

Link to our school calendar: Simons Valley School Calendar

Friday Class Schedule

Library Day is Tuesday, May 12, 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...

Tuesday, May 12 - Library Book Return

Friday, May 15 - Non-Instruction Day (No Classes for students)

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 1, 2026

April 27-May 1, 2026

This is a favourite time of year in Kindergarten as we grow curious about sounds, letters, and symbols, and begin the important work of learning to be writers.

We read Sarabella’s Thinking Cap and discussed creativity and ideas. Inspired by Sarabella—who drew her daydreams and said, “If you want to share it, you’ve just got to wear it”—we brainstormed writing topics and created our own “thinking caps” featuring favourite things like family, dinosaurs, flowers, and rainbows. We will use these ideas in our future writing.

Using Mrs. Sutherland’s “magic Kindie wand,” we became authors and illustrators this week. In The Squiggly Story, a young boy discovers he can create an amazing story using his imagination, pictures, and simple marks on a page. We were excited to create our own stories—with or without words!

A key part of our Kindergarten experience is celebrating our uniqueness. We began a conversation about the “Power of Yet”—transforming “I can’t do it” into “I can’t do it…YET!”—to help build a positive growth mindset.

I can’t draw numbers 1-10…yet!

I can’t walk home by myself…yet!

I can’t dribble a ball…yet!

I can’t do the monkey bars…yet!

I can’t read a book…yet!

I can’t ride a bike without my training wheels…yet!

I can’t swim in the deep pool…yet!

We have continued some special learning about Bees this week with some artifacts from "Grandpa Ray" the beekeeper. A student in our afternoon class shared her Grandparents this week and we enjoyed a lovely presentation about beekeeping, complete with artifacts from his bee box and tools and science specimens from his work. A special shout out to Grandma Deb who helped present interesting information and even offered us some hands on learning experiences to share with the morning class friends. Thank you Grandpa Ray, Grandma Deb (and family) for sharing about your lives as beekeepers!

Here's a sneak peek of our students creating a beautiful piece of artwork...

We continue to learn new “Lively Letters” sounds. You can view our lesson videos on Google Classroom. Please check your child’s account, click on “Classwork,” and practice together at home. We already know 20 sounds and are working on using the “Tap and Sweep” method to blend them together!