STAND UP for Bullying Prevention!

Stand UP make some NOISE!  We are building, promoting, and celebrating our HAPPY, STRONG HEARTS!

Dear Families,

First off, I know I've posted my blog entry for this week a day earlier, it is just that I was so excited to share our powerful learning from Wednesday that I couldn't wait until tomorrow evening :-)

As you may already know, Wednesday Feb. 25^th was dedicated to promoting and acknowledging Bullying Prevention!  This is an issue that is near and dear to my heart and as your child's teacher, I am reinforcing the importance of creating, building upon, and maintaining happy hearts in and out of our classroom.  Our Community of Learners Agreements help guide us every day - Attentive Listening, Mutual Respect, NO PUT DOWNS, Right to Participate, Right to Pass.  We regularly refer to this agreements as a reminder for us all to treat our peers, friends, and family with kindness, dignity, and respect.  I feel this will help in creating a happy, safe, and caring world.  I believe in all my students and their abilities to reach out to do their part in making a positive difference for our today and tomorrows ... together we can help put an END TO BULLYING!!!

WE HONOUR YOU, Mrs. Roth!!  Thank you for our pink bandanas! We will always show LOVE in our thoughts, words, and actions!

Activity:  Happy to Scarred Hearts:

In our class, we did an activity to create an Awareness to how deeply affected one can be when they are put down and bullied.  First, I drew a large heart on a piece of paper.  Next, I had them observe the 'Heart.'  Then, I crumpled the paper and threw it across the room.  Finally, a student opened up the heart to see what it looked like.  Following this observation, we had a powerful discussion of how once you hurt someone's heart (feelings) you create "crumples or scars that remain with that person that are difficult to heal and bring back to its original happy state."  We also discussed the term "Bystander" and what it means.  A bystander(s) is a person or group of people who see bullying happening yet don't do anything to help.  In other words, they witness the bullying and walk away which ultimately continues and promotes this unkind cycle of hatred.  

We are BUCKET FILLERS, not dippers :)

As a class we signed "The Pledge to End Bullying" to help do our part!  My class is part of a beautiful, loving community of learners and it is our hope we will continue to be so and encourage other students in our school the importance of no put downs!

We took The Pledge to End Bullying as a class family

In addition, I had the students create their own paper heart and write down a message using the following sentence starter:  “I will end bullying by …”

Below I have written each student’s Bullying Statement.  They truly are “powerful thoughts in tiny packages!”  Thank you Mrs. Roth for this meaningful lesson and for providing our students with PINK bandanas so we could wear them to our Pink Day Assembly to represent Anti-Bullying for the entire school day.

Anti-Bullying Statements:

“I will end bullying by NOT calling anybody names.” –Layla

“I will end bullying by being a happy bucket filler.” –Ava

“I will end bullying by not putting people down.” –Alexander

“I will end bullying by being nice to people.” –Nolan

“I will end bullying by being a bucket filler.” –Kurtis

“I will end bullying by caring and wearing pink clothes.” –Carissa

“I will end bullying by standing up to bullies and using my words.” –Conrad

“I will end bullying by showing the character traits.” –Karrington

“I will end bullying.” –Daniel

“I will end bullying by sticking up for people who are bullied.” –Kaden

“I will end bullying by showing caring!” –Brody

“I will end bullying by helping others who are hurt.” –Jacob

“I will end bullying by stopping bullies and by using my words.” –Conrad

“I will end bullying by caring.” –Miika

*absent: Cassius, Ashlee
 

Please enjoy a few pictures from our lessons for Bullying Awareness!  Each student participated with an open heart and mind ... thank you!!!

Nolan, WALT is proud of you, too!  Thank you for opening your heart to all of US.

Carissa proud of her achievement and ready to shine her light upon her school family!

Emma, thank you for setting a positive example with your message.  Your peers look up to your words and actions!

Kurtis' happy heart!

Ava is calm, cool, and confident in her statement to END BULLYING NOW!

Karina & Miika - thinking lovingly about their message to help make a difference!

Alexander & Layla - taking pride in their Anti-Bullying Statements

Kurtis, thank you for this heart-warming message to Mrs. Roth and me!!

A Heart-Warming Bucket Filling Moment:
The day after our Pink Day Celebration (Thursday), I was deeply moved by Alexander's thoughtful ways.  As you know, YOU (families) and I have been consistently reinforcing our school's character traits to help instill these values in our learners' thoughts, words, and actions.  Well, I am PROUD to share that our efforts are graciously paying off!  You see, Alexander noticed that his peer and friend Emma wasn't feeling well after a fitness break.  He empathetically came up to me and said the following: "Miss Gill, I know now is not an appropriate time because we are doing math, but after, I want to make Emma a Get Well Soon card because I see that she's feeling sick and I want to help her feel better.  So would that be alright?"  Upon hearing his words, I immediately said, "Yes, of course!  You're being a bucket-filler."  Alexander has demonstrated not only EMPATHY - thinking about the feelings of his friend, but also ALL the other traits we've focused upon thus far this school year such as Caring, Courage, Honesty, and Inclusiveness.  Alexander, THANK YOU for being a kind, caring, compassionate friend - you have modelled extraordinary character all on your own.  You are the "Change we wish to see in OUR world!!"  Thank you for BEING YOU!      

Alexander filling Emma's (invisible) bucket because she wasn't feeling well in class

Alexander's loving words to help cheer up his "best friend."

Front cover

Character Recognition Assembly:
On Monday at 9:15a.m., we will be having a school-wide Character Recognition assembly celebrating February's trait which is Inclusiveness - "We always include others in our play, we never send people away."  I have selected two students who this award, but could have easily picked numerous others as the children in my classroom have been working hard at being inclusive, most have schema (background knowledge) for not being included, so everyone is doing their personal best to ensure others feel welcome!  Well done, boys and girls!!

Quote:

"Your thoughts become your words.  Your words become your actions.  Your actions become your destiny."

With All My Heart & Namaste,
Miss Gill  

Dear Families,

The deep, chilly freeze continued this past week, brrr!  I hope that you’re finding ways to keep warm and cozy.  We are fortunate to have Mrs. McQuay (our custodian) who regularly comes in the early morning to check upon the temperature in our classroom and ensures that students and staff are comfortable and warm.  Thank you Mrs. McQuay for your consistent kindness and thoughtful ways, we appreciate you!

Report Cards:

This evening you will have received your child’s Term 1 report card.  I have reinforced the importance of focusing upon their STARS (strengths) and ARROWS (next steps, how to improve) as opposed to solely the letter grade.  As a teacher, it is my responsibility to assign a mark, however, I am encouraging my families to please read my comments as each student has demonstrated wonderful strengths (stars) and yes there are areas for further improvement (arrows) for everybody.  I know for me as an educator, I have many areas to improve upon so I can be the best I can be in and out of the classroom.  The growth of my students has been tremendous and as we enter Term 2, I have every confidence we will continue to blossom so that we’re well prepared for the next level (Grade 2). 

In the report card envelope, you will also notice that I have put in a notebook.  This is your child’s Writer’s Workshop notebook where they have written numerous Recounts (a journal of sorts).  Please take some time over the weekend to listen to him/her share the writing pieces.  I love conferencing with each child and hearing about all the exciting things they’re doing with YOU!  There are components in this Recount writing I’m looking for, ask your child about these (E.g., Title, Orientation – when, who, where, Sequence of Events – first, then, next, after that, finally, Personal Comment – how did the events make you feel?) 

You will also notice there are two sticky notes on their latest piece of writing (see learning goal picture below).  Your child has written a star (something they think they’ve done well in their writing which they should continue) and an arrow sticky (something they think they need to do next time).  The purpose of these are that I am now having the students give themselves “FEEDBACK” to help improve their writing skills.  Since September, I have been doing this with them orally, but now I want your child to be able to closely analyze their work to help them achieve their personal best!!  If we can get our students to see, hear, and feel their areas of strength and needs, I believe they will achieve their best.

Magic of Children’s Art Show:

First off, please check your child’s agenda for a note from Mrs. Czerny and I regarding this art show.

In Art, Mrs. Czerny has had the students create a magical painting which is inspired by artist Ted Harrison.  First, your child first sketched a winter scene in a sketch book.  Then, they painted the scene using primary and secondary colours.  After that, to ensure their painting ‘popped out,’ Mrs. Czerny also had them use a fine black tip marker to outline their lines of horizon.  Finally, during Language today, I had the students do an Artist’s Statement to accompany their painting.  I modeled the following sentence starters to help guide them:  

1. I really like ...  

2.  My painting reminds me of ...  

3.  It makes me feel ...  

The completion of this art project and artist statements ARE extraordinary!!  I have taken some photographs for you to marvel at as well.  

They will be on display in Collingwood at the library during March 3rd - April 28th.  If you are in the Collingwood area, please drop in to see your child's artwork.  The library is located at 55 Saint Marie Street, in Collingwood.  Work will be returned to New Lowell at the conclusion of the show.  We will have our own New Lowell showcase in May. 

 Math Journals:

As part of building upon our mathematical thinking processes, I introduced the use of math journals to my students.  Math is often mistaken solely for computation (figuring out the right answer), however, it is much more than that.  In fact, the steps on how we arrive at our answer is very essential too.  Displaying your work is important.  In math journals, I will be asking the students open-ended questions which don't necessarily have a correct or incorrect answer, instead, I am looking for their thinking.  For example, two of our entries focused on the following questions:  1.  What is your favourite number and why.  Use pictures, numbers, and words to explain your thinking.  2.  Think of a time of day (morning, afternoon, evening, night) and tell me in pictures, numbers, and words what you are doing.  By asking open-ended questions, I am setting up ALL my students for success because everyone can answer these questions.  Students who require more of a challenge, my expectation is for them to go deeper in their thinking by extending their ideas.  

I have taken a few pictures of some entries.  Please take a look, and perhaps as we get further into this journaling, I will send it home so you can see your child's growth.

Our New Learning for Math will focus on telling time to the hour & half hour

     

Quote:

“A smile and a kind word is all it takes to spread joy because happiness is contagious!”

Namaste,

Miss Gill