Dear Families,

Monster creations!  Roarrrrrr!!

Winter is officially here!  With the colder temperatures, I am pleased to see that all my students are dressed cozily and warmly with winter attire (E.g., touque, gloves/mitts, coat, snow pants, neck warmer, etc…).  I am encouraging families to please have your child put in their backpacks an extra pair of socks and mitts/gloves just in case because I have had a few students come in from a fitness breaks feeling wet and damp from playing in the snow.  Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Bus Cancellations:

We have already had our first official ‘snow day’!  Wow, and it’s only Nov.!  I have had a few parents ask me this so I would like to clarify on here, too.  Please know that if we experience bus cancellations on a particular field trip day that the field trip will also be cancelled.  I will always do my best to reschedule the trip for another day if I am able to.  Thank you.

Library Trip #3:

On Thursday, we had our third visit to the local library.  I am always overjoyed with the excitement and enthusiasm that my students have on these adventures!  I am sure your child has already shared his/her Monster craft with you J  It is magnetic so perhaps you have it on your fridge?!  I am very appreciative with the organization, planning, and delivering of the weekly reading/craft that Ms. Glenda and Ms. Janice prepare for us.  We will certainly be making a ‘Thank You’ card for them.  Please note: Thurs. Nov. 27^th is our final visit, have your child please return their book which they had the opportunity to sign out this week.  Thank you.  I will do my best to schedule another 4 visits in the spring (May-June) as this has certainly been one of the many highlights of our year thus far!  “The library is the place to be!”  Here are a few pictures I took from our visit:

Ms. Glenda reading and sharing 1 of 3 monster books :)

Alexander actively participating - way to go!

The Local Library - truly a charming, cozy space.

Alexander & Cassius sharing Ms. Glenda's monster models

Away they go ... monster creating!

Emma's creation :)

Roarrrrrrrrrrrr!

Ms. Doka's Jake and Joel with my Jacob!

Read Alouds - ask your child which one was his/her favourite and why?

Kaden, Brody, and Cassius ready to sign out their books with their new library cards!

I LOVE THIS!  This makes my heart soooo happy - Daniel, Kurtis, Miika engaged readers!

Writing a letter to Santa!  We'll be writing our own letters and then mailing them into this mailbox next Thurs.!

Carissa & Emily - reading buddies!

 Spirit Assembly:

Also on Thursday, we had our second Spirit Assembly.  The theme focused on ‘Movember’ so we did a whole school dance called ‘Do the Stache’ which the Leadership team members (which is comprised of Gr. 7/8 students) made up the lyrics and dance moves to - quite impressive!  I think our students are enjoying these assemblies as we’re building a sense of belonging and community.  When we have a Spirit day, I am encouraging all my students to please wear their house colours.  Students were going to write this into their agendas on Wed. but we had a snow day so they didn’t get a chance to do this.  Next time, I’ll ensure that I give them further notice.  While I’ve got you, I’ll let you know that …….. our next Spirit Assembly is on Fri. Dec. 19^th (last day before the winter holidays), please have your child dress in house colours.  If you do not know their house colour and your child forgets as well, please write me a note in the agenda and I’d gladly let you know and make sure I write it down for you.  Thank you for participating in our ‘spirit building’ initiative!

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,

Happy Camo Day Everyone!

Winter has officially arrived everyone!  I bet your child is excited about this as they get to run, jump, build and have fun in the snow!  My drive to school this morning was a bit tough, I really need to get organized and get my winter tires on.  Be safe on the roads everyone, the first snow fall tends to create a slippy drive.  Havea fabulous weekend with your loved ones. 

Remembrance Day Assembly:

On Tuesday, all staff and students participated in a Remembrance Day assembly to express our love, honour and gratitude to all those who have, are and will serve our country.  We truly are blessed to live in such a safe, caring and beautiful Canada.  As you know, each day as a whole school we sing O'Canada, as a teacher, during this time, I ensure that my students and I demonstrate our utmost respect and take time in our own way to say 'thank you' for being part of a wonderful community, country, and world.  I am so proud of my students for their efforts in singing “The Little Red Poppy” song with such love and compassion.  Parents who were able to attend, thank you for joining us and sharing your energy and time.  To all the staff members involved in organizing this Remembrance Day honouring, thank you for all your hard work!!!  At the end of our assembly, I had the students come back to our learning community and we brainstormed and wrote about “How We Can Bring Peace to Our Classroom.”  I was very impressed with some of their responses.  We always strive to maintain peace in our learning and cooperative play.  Here are a few pictures I captured from this assembly and of student work:

Primary Division singing; "The Little Red Poppy" song.  Thank you Mrs. Cznery for organizing this special event!

Remembrance Day art work

Peace DOVES :-)

Listening attentively and ready to perform

Lest We Forget

Mrs. Bell's thoughtful words of remembrance

Grade 4 students laying their wreath

Grade 3 students laying their class wreath

Respectful remembering participants

A tribute to each of the World Wars

Layla's mom, thank you for attending!

Grade 6 students reading "Flanders Field"

Hannah's peace wreath

Ashlee's ideas for how she will bring "Peace" to our learning community

Carissa & Conrad peaceful students

Ashlee & Nolan working together to get their job done :)

Layla & Kaden ready to honour their peace ideas

Lovely Layla!

Brilliant Brody!

Brody's Peace ideas, great work!

Student-Led Conferences:
It was a true pleasure meeting with all my students' families this week.  Thank you for taking the time to attend and help celebrate and enjoy all your child's achievements thus far in the school year.  I am extremely proud of each learner as they diligently led the interview beautifully by sharing their self-assessment through their "Star" and "Arrow" pieces of work.  It was their chance to shine and they certainly lit up our hearts and minds!  Throughout the Conferences, I experienced many heart-warming moments with parents and I deeply appreciate and value all your positive and constructive feedback.  I will use it to continue to provide my best as an educator for your child's academic, social, and behavioural needs.  Meeting the needs of my students is of utmost importance to me and I will always work hard to ensure they receive a compassionate, caring, and safe environment to learn in.  Again, thank you for your support, cooperation, and understanding.  If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the school.

The 4 Parts to a Recount:

In Language, we have been going deeper into our thinking when we write a personal Recount (retelling a special event).

Our Learning Goal for a Recount is:  We will learn, write, and remember the 4 parts of a recount. (Thank you Grace for helping our class develop this learning goal).

Success Criteria:

_ I will include a title for my recount.

_ I will explain the orientation (when, who, where, why?).

_ I will have a logical sequence of events (what happened? First, then, next, finally).

_ I will evaluate and provide a personal comment (how do the events make the writer feel?).

Using this Learning Goal and Success Criteria, students will complete a Recount and they will share their writing with a peer and provide each other feedback.  I am looking forward to reading and celebrating their growing writing skills!

Websites to visit:
www.spellingcity.com is a program that will assist in our “Word Study Program,” it's both interactive and FUN!  Please give it a try with next week's words :)

www.math1.nelson.com & www.ixl.com

Both of these math websites offer games, questions to help build upon math skills that we're currently working on and it follows the Nelson math resource I'm using in class.

Camo Day:

On Wednesday we celebrated Camouflage day!  It was fabulous to see a lot of students and staff members in their camo!  I’m not a hunter, but wearing the clothing was quite fun!  Check us out J   

"Let there be Peace on Earth and Let it Begin with me!"

Library Visit #2:

We are using our 5 Magic Rules for Listening to Ms. Glenda :) as she reads an Owl story

On Thursday, we went to the local library again and this time each student received his/her very own library card, they were very excited about this process!  They even got to sign out a book, please ensure that it is returned by Thursday so your son/daughter may get another book!  Did you check out their Owl craft?  They thoroughly enjoyed creating these, I thought they turned out beautifully, sooo cute!  Trip #3 here we comeeeee ;) 

Quote:

"Everyone you meet is fighting a battle which you may know nothing about.  Be kind.  Always."

Namaste,

Miss Gill

Dear Families,

Is it November already?!  WOWIE, on my drive to school this morning, I came across lots of snowy patches on the roads and the temperatures are sure feeling like winter!  I don't know about you, but I adore the warmer climate, but do appreciate the snow for all the winter fun like snow-shoeing in the woods with my dearest friends and Ma.  I will spend some time this weekend 'winterizing' and ensuring my home is ready for the cooler weather which seems to be upon us :-)  I hope you have a delightful weekend with your loved ones! 

Cooperation Recipients:
At our Character Recognition Assembly on Monday, we congratulated Emma and Conrad for consistently demonstrating Cooperation in their thoughts, words and actions!  You two are excellent models for 'Working Together to Get the Job Done!'  Thank you for setting a positive example in and out of the classroom!  Here is a picture of our cooperative recipients.

Cooperation Rules!!  Thanks Emma and Conrad :) 

Letters/Notes to Parents:
There are times, I send home  notes/letters for parents regarding the various New Learnings for different subject areas.  Please do take the time to sit with your child and discuss the new Learning Goals & Success Criteria for these subjects as this provides you both with key information that is being discussed at school.  Thank you in advance for those families who do this, it makes a remarkable difference in your child's learning.  Next week, you will see a Social Studies “Timeline Project,” I think you and your child will enjoy working on this Inquiry together.

Local Library Visit:

On Thursday, we went on our first trip to the local library!  Our walk was wet, grey, and cozy.  We kept dry with a few umbrellas and our rain gear J  The librarians who greeted us were very warm and friendly.  The students were so excited to listen and learn in this new environment.  We listened to 3 stories which had the theme of a Box.  Ask your child about these read alouds – they were very humourous, fun and engaging!  As a follow up activity, your child used colourful wooden shapes to make a creative craft.  For example, some students used these shapes to make a rocket ship, animals, vehicles, etc.  I hope you enjoyed seeing this art work yesterday when it came home.  Our next visit is Thursday at 9:15a.m.  Thank you to parents who have already sent in the library membership application to school, I will give it to librarians and your child will then get his/her very own library card and will have the opportunity to sign out a book J  Exciting!  Those families who already have a card for your child, disregard the application form, but please have your child bring his/her card with them on Thursday so they may get a book!  Thank you!

Here are a few pictures from our local field trip:

We welcomed Ms. Doka's Grade Ones to join in our library fun!

Getting a library tour

"The Library is the Place to Be!"

1 of 3 read alouds.  Look at all the attentive listeners :)

Creative hearts and minds hard at work!

Investigating, exploring and buddy reading with various texts!

Cassius, Jake, Conrad, and Hannah - reading is thinking!

Engaged students all around!

Trip #1 complete, can't wait for next week!

Home Reading:

This week your child started our “Home Reading Program.”  I hope you’re enjoying hearing your child read aloud to you and asking him/her comprehension questions using the Retell Hand.   The students are becoming very independent by selecting a “Just Right” book from our book bins and putting them into their navy folder.  Please note, over the weekends, your child will be leaving their reading folder at school because I want them to have a break from reading books from school, but I do encourage you to continue reading over the weekend, however using your home library J  This program will resume Monday-Thursday evenings.  Thank you so much for taking the time to read with your child every day!  It truly is making a difference J Please ensure you or your child write down the name of the book and have a parent initial daily.        

Home Reading Program - Learning Goal & Success Criteria

Literacy is Power!

Halloween Graphing Homework:

Thank you so much parents for supporting your child in completing the bar graphing task using Halloween candy.  Many students had the opportunity to share and discuss their data (information) with the whole class.  We have been making it a focus of our learning to be able to orally explain and begin to write about “What our graphs tell us.”  Interpreting data is an important expectation for Grade Ones.  To help reinforce this concept, I have been showing the Math Monsters (math video), ask your child about these videos.  The students love these videos because the characters in them are very funny and intelligent.  Here are some pictures from our math lesson on Tuesday.    

Thank you parents for sending in Halloween candy wrappers!

Nolan excited to share his tally chart and accompanying bar graph!

Brody & Layla writing our 'labels' for our concrete pictopgraph

Our Class' Halloween Wrappers Pictograph ... We did it! 

Skittles PictoGraph - can you share what this graph tells us?

Remembrance Day Assembly:

On Tuesday November 11^th, the Primary Division will be performing the song “The Little Red Poppy” during our school Remembrance Day assembly.  For this special event, we ask that the children wear black bottoms and a white or black top.  If possible, please select a top that does not have writing or graphics on it.  The assembly will begin at 10:40am.  Families are welcome to attend.  As always, thank you for your support.

Spirit Day:

On Wednesday, we will be having a dress up Spirit Day.  The theme will be “CAMO!”  So please have your child get their camo gear on.  The student council will be coming around at the end of the day to collect house points.  If your child is dressed in camo, he/she will be contributing points for their house team J  I’m part of the yellow house so will be partaking as well.  However, as of right now, I don’t seem to have any camo, I’ll be sure to pop into the new Winners store in Collingwood to see what they have!

Quote:
"Enjoy the little things - for one day you will look back and discover they were the big things."  Thank you to Mrs. Roth's sister Heidi for sharing this beautiful quote.

Namaste,

Miss Gill