Week of October 8th

We hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving with family and friends.  We have been spoiled by the summer-like weather over the past 2 days.  The kids have had a blast digging in the sand and building castles!  Let's hope it stays a little while longer!

Today, we read a book about friendship and decided to paint portraits of our classmates.  They turned out absolutely adorable!  We have been talking about the different zones of regulation and our feelings.  This is very useful when the students are faced with conflicts between peers.  We are talking about using our words instead of hands and sharing our feelings when someone does something that makes us feel sad or angry etc.

This afternoon, we were invited to a presentation by Earth Rangers where the children got to learn about different animals.  They brought live animals such as an owl, skunk and turtle for the kids to see.  The students had a blast!

We have been looking at numbers and letters in our learning environments and continue to practise letter sounds through songs and games.  Please continue to review letters and numbers at home, Keep it simple and fun!  We will be starting our letter and word of the week over the next few weeks so be sure to check the blog each week.

A big thank you to all the volunteers who signed up for our Playdoh Club.  A schedule and recipe was sent home today in your child's mailbag.  A separate blog post will be added with the schedule and recipe for easy access.

Here are some pictures from today:

Playdoh Club Schedule and Recipe

Easy Playdoh Recipe

2 cups of white flour

½ cup of salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp cream of tartar

Up to 1 ½ cups of boiling water

Add slowly and check the consistency.  When it is the way you like it, let it cool and knead it until it’s smooth!

If you would like to make it coloured, add the food colouring to the water after it’s boiled.

Playdoh Club Schedule

October 22 – Claudia C. (Leo)	March 4 - Ashleigh W.
October 29 - Adrian M. (Domenic)	March 18 - Jana M.
November 5 - Stacey B. (Decklan)	March 25 - Joyce L.
November 12- Angie W. (Allison)	April 1 - Ivy Y.
November 19 - Nelly G. (Sofia)	April 8 - Sara B.
November 26 - Eric S. (Elizabeth)	April 15 - Claudia C.
December 3 - Ashleigh W. (Evan)	April 22 – Adrian M.
December 10 - Jana M. (Quinn)	April 29 - Stacey B.
December 17 - Joyce L. (Amelia)	May 6 - Angie W.
January 7 - Ivy Y. (Alex)	May 13 - Nelly G.
January 14 - Sara B. (Micah)	May 21 - Eric S.
January 21 - Claudia L.	May 27 - Ashleigh W.
January 28 – Adrian M.	June 3 - Jana M.
February 4 - Stacey B.	June 10 - Joyce L.
February 11 - Angie W.	June 17 – Ivy Y. and Sara B.
February 19 - Nelly G.
February 25 - Eric S.

Thank you for participating in Playdoh Club!  It will be put to good use!!!

Week of October 1st

Can you believe that it is already October??!!!  The month of September few right by!  The children are settled into our routines and have had fun exploring our classroom.

Today, we talked about Thanksgiving and what it means to give thanks.  The children made their own "giving thanks" booklets as well as made love notes for family and friends.  Since September, Mrs T and I have noticed a big interest in writing and drawing.  We are THRILLED!!!

We have been talking about the Fall and all the things that change during this season. Everyone is waiting patiently for the leaves to change colour and fall from the trees.  We will be going into Griffin's Grove to collect leaves once this change happens.  The children explored a different medium today and created leaves using plasticine.  They did an amazing job!

The students also played with nuts, bolts and other loose parts to make letters and various creations.  They were eager to find a letter in their name and trace over it with the loose parts.  Incorporating letters and numbers in a fun way is a great way to teach literacy/numeracy without the children realizing it!

We also started our "Giving Thanks" tree which will be located in the main foyer.  If you are in the school, be sure to check it out.

On Thursday, the children will be coming home with a Thanksgiving craft that will be a perfect centerpiece for your Thanksgiving dinner.  We hope you enjoy it!

Reminders:

Wednesday, October 3 - Terry Fox Walk

The kinders will be taking part in the Terry Fox Walk in the morning.  Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the outdoors.  We will be staying on school property for our walk.  If you would like to make a donation, please see the post from last week on the ways to contribute.  Thank you for your support.

Thursday, October 4 - Family Pizza and Movie Night - 5:30 pm

Friday, October 5 - PD Day.  No school for the children


Here are some pictures from today:

Pictures from the week

Reminder:

On Monday, October 1st, our school will be participating in the Orange Shirt Day.  Each student is encouraged to wear an orange shirt.

What is Orange Shirt Day? Orange Shirt Day is an influential movement sweeping across Canada that is helping to educate our students and communities on the history and legacy of the Residential School system. For more information, see Official website:  http://www.orangeshirtday.org/

Here are some pictures from the week:

Week of September 24th

Our thoughts and prayers are with any families affected by the devastating tornadoes that hit Ottawa last Friday.  If you were affected and in need of anything, please send us a note and we will help out in any way we can. We look forward to welcoming back our students on Tuesday morning. 

 Many thanks to the families that were able to join us for our Program Night last week. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet you and go over some of our priorities this year.  For those that couldn't make it, a package of information was sent home with your child on Friday.  Please review it!

This week will be busy with the Terry Fox walk on Wednesday morning and picture day on Friday.  In order to show our support for cancer research, we are requesting that each student make a donation of $1.00 or $2.00 to the Terry Fox Foundation.  You can make a donation in a number of ways:

1)  You can donate through "School Cash Online":  https://ocsb.schoolcashonline.com/
2)  You can have your child give his/her teacher a cash donation.
3)  You can also donate online to our school fundraiser at:

• Fundraising Page Link:  https://secure.terryfox.ca/registrant/TeamFundraisingPage.aspx?TeamID=817685#&panel1-2
• Username:  2018ON5838
• Password:  CUREON6333
• Login characters are case sensitive

The Kinders will be walking at 9:15 around our schoolyard, so be sure to send them dressed appropriately for the weather.  As they will stay on school premises, we do not need any volunteers for this activity.

On Friday, September 28th, it is picture day and our class will be invited to the gym for a class photo as well as individual photos. You will be able to purchase a package of these photos at a later date. The photographer has asked the children to NOT dress in green.

Just a reminder that the Scholastic Book Orders are due on October 1st.  You can place your order online (under teacher's name: Andrea Rocco) or send in a cheque made out to Scholastic Canada.

Also, we are filling our family tree with photos of our littles with their families.  Please be sure to send in one of your family so we can add it.

Second Week News

It has been an amazing second week!  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.  We are lucky to have such a small group of children!!!

This week, the students were busy exploring the classroom and getting 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.

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.

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.

We hope to see you all next Wednesday for our Program Night!

Here are some pictures from the week:

Welcome to Room 138!

Welcome to Kindergarten!

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 nut-free (peanuts and tree nuts) and sesame seed free due to severe allergies so please do not send any nut products in your child's lunch. 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 dirty clothes in a ziplock. 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 Kleenex and markers 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