Weekly News January 18th
It was a bit of an odd start to the new year - having to make up for the missed days before the break. We started the day with a walk to the woods - Ms. Mousseau's class came too. We had our PJ day on Monday and decorated our ice-cream cone Christmas trees. It was a fun project and much easier with Kindergarten students than gingerbread houses.
On Tuesday we practiced getting on and off the stage and we also practiced our songs with Ms. Wood. She was very impressed with how well we remembered everything! We had some math explorations time and students investigated some of the new math resources, puzzles, and games that were put out. We also started work on a reflection and goal setting page for the new year. In library Miss Julie read us a Jan Brett book about a hedgehog who tried hard to stay awake to see all the seasonal changes in winter. We started talking about the difference between hibernation and migration - which tied in really well with the new Mystery Doug question about where bugs go in the winter time. We got some quality time in the sandbox where there were some castles constructed and some deep holes dug!
Wednesday we had the dress rehearsal in the afternoon so the morning was spent at centres. We made sure to get some time outside before snack and really enjoyed the morning of play. The dress rehearsal went very well and everyone felt very prepared for the real thing on Thursday!
We did our BFF's in the morning on Thursday so that we would be fully ready for the show in the afternoon. I send home a few notices and the Scholastic book orders which will be due next Tuesday January 15th. I brought out a few new centres, including a rock and crystal exploration station and some Plus Plus, which is a unique building toy that the children are enthralled with. They enjoyed the morning and gave an excellent performance in both the afternoon and the evening show!
Friday we escaped to the woods for a nice long play. We paused at the opening of the woods and talked about our plans for the time in the woods. Some people were intent on working on the construction of a dam that they had started earlier in the week, and others were content to look for interesting things. We did take a photo of some orange dots on a dead branch that we intend to investigate to find out what it is... please look at the photos below - maybe you can help us! We are still routinely finding oyster shells in the woods and we are always speculating and wondering about how they may have come to be so far from the water. We got back into some regular routines such as rest, relax and read after lunch. It felt good to return to some sense of normalcy! Next week we plan to do a science experiment that involves growing our own crystals.
Lego club is the first and 3rd Thursday's of the month in the basement of the Crofton Community Centre on Musgrave Street from 3:30-4:30. Please mark your calendars! Parents will be required to be in attendance - this is not a drop-off program.
We will continue to walk in all weather - please make sure your child has appropriate footwear and clothing.
PLEASE NOTE: Over the next few weeks, students in other classes who are still working on a traditional reporting method will bring home a summary of their learning (report card). As I am using alternative means of sharing your child's learning, you will not be receiving one at this time. My goal is to have at least three more samples of your child's learning loaded onto FreshGrade by the second week of February. The FreshGrade portfolios, combined with this blog, the BFF's, face to face conversations, and direct messages and phone calls are all intended to keep you informed of your child's progress at school. If at any time you feel that you need more information, please feel free to contact me. You will receive a formal learning summary (report card) at the end of the school year. Ideally, the learning summary in June will not tell you anything new, as you should already be aware of all progress and any areas of concern through the other communication methods.
There are still a few parents who are not accessing the FreshGrade portfolios regularly (I can tell who you are!!!). The students will begin to add their voice to the posts over the next couple of months and if you need support to access them again please feel free to contact me. You are always welcome to add any comments or questions to any of the posts.
NEXT WEEK - January 14th - 18th
Monday - Walk day - possibly a big walk - if the weather holds
- there will be a guest teacher for the afternoon as I have a meeting
Tuesday - VIHA Kindergarten Vision and Hearing screening day
- Library Day
- Parent-Child Mother Goose - preschool program in the library from 9am - 10am
- Scholastic Book Orders are due!
Wednesday -
Thursday -
Friday - Non-Instructional Day - no school for students