Week of September. 30th

Thank you to all who participated and donated to our Orange Shirt Day.  Your donations were much appreciated. We had a sea of orange in our classroom today! 

This morning was very chilly outside and some children were wishing they had warmer clothes.  Because we are outside every morning until 9:30, we are asking that the children dress in layers.  This weather is so hard to dress for so layers are always the way to go!

Last Friday, the children were very interested in learning about Terry Fox.  We watched a few child friendly videos and listened to a song sung by children about Terry's life.  They were all very excited and proud to walk around the school yard after learning about Terry. 

Today we explored letters, talked about the Fall and observed some wonky looking carrots that Mrs. Costello brought in for us.  The jk students are learning how to hold the pencil properly and how to spell and write their name using proper letter formation.  The sk students are working on using their knowledge of letter sounds to sound out simple words.  It is very important to build their confidence and make it a fun activity instead of a dreaded task.  Mrs. T and I always sit with the students and model how to sound out words.  We encourage them to try their best and praise them for their efforts.  As the year progresses, the students become more confident and will attempt to write and sound out words independently.  It's beautiful to see!  If your child is asking you to help with sounding out words, allow them to make mistakes.  If they are constantly being corrected, they lose confidence and are more hesitant to write.  We will be starting our weekly letter and word exploration after Thanksgiving. 

Here are some pictures from today as well as the Terry Fox Walk:

Orange Shirt Day Tomorrow - Monday, September 30th

We are asking all staff and students to wear an orange shirt tomorrow.

To commemorate Orange Shirt Day, the OCSB is assisting in collecting money for the Wabano Center.  The Spirit Box initiative was started by Bryan Delaney of Delaney Law Firm in Ottawa. It is his goal for this initiative to go nationwide and help other Indigenous Communities in Canada. On September 30th, we are encouraging a donation of a quarter (25 cents) from each student and staff member in our school communities.  

Here's some information regarding Orange Shirt Day:

Today in our Catholic Schools, we are invited to wear an orange shirt to honour the children who survived Residential Schools and remember those that didn’t. Every Child Matters is the important message of today. 

Orange Shirt Day grew out of Phyllis Webstad’s story of having her shiny new orange shirt taken away from her on her very first day of Residential School. This date was chosen because it is the time of year in which children were taken from their home to residential schools. Moving forward, it is an opportunity to reflect and act on the importance of showing kindness to others as we begin a new school year.

Week of September 23rd

This week is looking like a busy week ahead!  Here are some important dates:

Wednesday, September 25th - Picture Day
Friday, September 27th - Terry Fox Walk
Monday, September 30th - Orange Shirt Day

This is the first week for our milk and pizza program.  The kids who ordered milk were very excited to get their milk from the bucket! Tomorrow will be the first pizza day for those who pre-ordered. Pizza day will be every Tuesday. Just a reminder to please send in cutlery with your child if their lunch requires it.  We do not have spoons or forks in the classroom.

Today we had 3 children all with the exact same pair of boots.  Please label their boots in order to avoid mix ups.  Due to the cooler temperatures in the morning, many students are coming with hoodies and coats.  During our late morning outdoor learning, many students take off their coats/sweaters and forget about them.  Many are not labeled and the children do not always claim them.  Please put a label on everything!

We read a book today about being an individual and unique.  The children made special rock "fish" to represent how vibrant and fantastic they are.  Once they put the finishing touches on them, we will bring our creations outside and place them in special places for others to find and keep.  Our hopes are to make others feel happy when they find our beautiful and unique fish.

We also talked about the season of Fall and discussed all the changes we see in this season.  The children made Fall pictures and books.  We also observed gourds and pumpkins using our 5 senses and pretended that we were scientists.  The children really enjoyed discussing the similarities and differences between the mini pumpkins and squash.



Here are some pictures from today:

Week of September 16th

Week 3 has started off great!  We had a busy day observing sunflowers, exploring numbers and using our imagination and creativity to make mini books after hearing a story about numbers.  The students have settled into the classroom nicely and are learning the rules and routines.  For the month of September, Mrs. T and I will be focusing on these rules and routines with the students. 

The students continue to explore the classroom and get to know each other.  It is so nice to see the new friendships being made.  Our sk students have been eager to take on a leadership role and have been amazing with the new jk students in the classroom.

Many thanks to all the parents who came to Program Night last week.  It was so nice to meet and reconnect with you.  If you were unable to attend, a package of information was sent home with your child last Friday.  

Book orders were sent home today in your child's mailbag.  If you wish to place an order, please do so by September 23rd.  You can place your order online (under teacher's name: Andrea Rocco) or send in a cheque made out to Scholastic Canada Ltd.  

On Friday, September 27th, we will be participating in the Terry Fox Walk.  The Kindergarten students will remain on school property and walk in the backyard.  We will be sending home more information this week with regards to donating for this worthy cause.

School lunch programs will be starting up during the week of September 23rd.  These include milk and pizza and were all pre-ordered online.  

We will also begin to visit the learning commons in the upcoming week.  The students will listen to a story read by Mrs, Baker each week and will have a chance to look at books in the learning commons.  These books will not be taken out. We are hoping to check out books in January once we have become comfortable and familiar with the library rules and routines.

Reminders:

Twitter - If you are interested in signing up for Twitter, please send Mrs. T your twitter handle so she can add you to our classroom group.  Mrs. T posts pictures of the students and their work daily.

Blog: Our classroom blog is usually updated every Monday evening/ Tuesday morning. You can sign up on the home screen to get notifications when a new post is made.  (roccokinder.blogspot.com)

Spare Clothing- Please ensure that your child has a spare set of clothing.  Accidents happen often in Kindergarten!  A spare set of clothing should include pants, a shirt, socks and underwear.  If your child has had an accident, we will ask them to change and put their soiled clothing in a bag.  The soiled clothing will be sent home that day.

Please send in a family photo so we can hang it up in our "Safe Space" .  This children love to look at their photo when they are missing their family.  We promise to return the photo at the end of the year.

Week of September 10th

What a wonderful start we have had in Room 138! Mrs. T and I are so amazed at how well the students are settling in and learning the routines of the classroom.   Our Sk students are being so helpful to our Jk students.  It is so nice to see the collaboration and kindness they are showing towards the younger students.

We have seen tears in the morning from some of our Jk students as they say goodbye to their parents.  Once they are busy in the classroom, these tears quickly turn to smiles and inquiring minds.  As a parent, it's hard not to worry about our little ones but please don't worry!  They are in good hands! We promise to love and nurture all of them as if they were our own

Over the next few weeks, we will be exploring letters and numbers in the classroom as well as outside on the school yard.  Because the weather is chilly in the morning and warm in the afternoon, please dress your child appropriately.  Layers are always a good idea for this kind of weather.  The children stay outside until 9:30 am for outdoor learning and also have outdoor recesses.

Reminders:

Please ensure your child has a spare set of clothes in case of accidents or spills.  If you could send in extra pants, socks, a shirt and underwear, it would be much appreciated.  If you child comes home with soiled clothing, please send spare clothing the following day.

The children have done a great job self regulating at snack time.   When they hear their tummy rumbling, they have done a fabulous job eating a healthy snack in the morning.   No one has eaten their sandwich at snack time...yet!!!  Please ensure that all food coming to school is free of nuts, sesame, mustard and white fish.  We have life threatening allergies in the classroom.

If you have not filled out the form for our classroom Twitter account and you would like to, please send the form back indicating your Twitter handle as well as who your child is.  This way we can ensure that only the parents from Room 138 see our photos.


Here are pictures from last week and today:

Welcome to Kindergarten 2019-2020

Welcome to Kindergarten at St. Gabriel Catholic School! We are eager to begin an exciting year full of many wonderful learning opportunities. As your child’s teachers, we aim to create an environment that is both supportive and challenging in order to facilitate learning and ignite the imagination.

1. Communication Book: Your child has been given a mailbag with their name on it. We will use this bag to send home any notes/communication. Please write notes for us in this book provided. For your child’s safety, always send written instructions about changes in your child’s routine (e.g. a different caregiver, or if you will be picking up your child etc.) in the Communication Book. Please check the Mailbag daily for information from school. If you leave a note, have the Communication Book open to that page so that it doesn’t get missed. 

2. Quiet time: Please send a small blanket/beach towel that can be left at school for quiet time. We ask that no stuffed animals or pillows be sent in.  Blankets/towels will be sent home to be washed on a regular basis.

3. Shoes and Clothing: A pair of no-slip, non-marking easy to get on sneakers (velcro or elastic closure) are requested to wear in the classroom and gym.  These shoes will remain at school as their“indoor shoes”.  It is also important that your child comes to school in clothes in which he or she can play.  Our classroom will be a busy one where paint, markers, sand, water and outdoor play is encouraged.  Please ensure that all articles of clothing and shoes are labeled.

4. Snacks: Your child will have two snack times as well as a lunch break.  Please send in 2 nutritious snacks as well as a lunchtime meal in labelled reusable containers. Our classroom is free of the following foods: nuts, sesame, white fish and mustard.   We have severe, life threatening allergies to those products so please check the labels on your child's snacks before packing them. If you send a snack with WOW butter, ensure that it is labeled with a note so we don't mistake it for peanut butter. 

5. Oops! Accidents!: Please send a change of clothes (including socks and underwear) to be kept on hand in case of spills or accidents. Label and place them in a plastic bag for storage. If an accident does occur, we will send home the soiled clothes in a plastic bag. Please send back more clothing the next day.

6. Birthdays: We recognize birthdays in our classroom and celebrate each child’s special day. We ask that no treats are brought in. This is to avoid interaction with students that may have allergies. We have a tradition that has started where your child can bring in a birthday book to share with the class that day, which can be added to our classroom library. 

7. Family Photos: Our classroom has a family tree that students can look at to remind them of home. If possible, please send a family photo with your child. Write your child's name on the back of the photo. These will be returned to you at the end of the school year.

8. Donations: We are always in need of markers, Kleenex and ziplock bags (large size) in the classroom. If you would like to donate any of these items, we would greatly appreciate it. 

9. The Blog: Please remember to check in often to get classroom updates and news. Sign up for notifications on the home page. ( roccokinder.blogspot.ca)

We look forward to speaking with you over the next few weeks. We know that the year ahead will be an exciting one with plenty of learning, laughter and growth. 

 

Sincerely,

Mrs. Rocco and Mrs. Talebi