Dear Parents
I would like to thank all the parents who followed this kindergarten blog to keep informed about their child's school activities. Research reveals that children are more successful at school when their parents demonstrate a keen interest and involvement in their education. Naturally, a strong home-school partnership makes the job easier.
The last day of school was the 'closing of one door and the opening of another' for me. I will not be teaching Kindergarten this year, although I will continue to teach French at Holy Redeemer School. I will see you around, however, this blog will no longer be posting news.
The 2017-2018 Kindergarten Teams are: (*Please note that staff changes can occur in September.)
PURPLE GROUP - Rm. 101
50% of the day > English teacher: Mrs. Casey Bradley with
50% of the day > French teacher: Mme. Megan Legg and
100% of the day > Early Childhood Educator: Mrs. Lisa Gordon
GREEN GROUP - Rm. 104
50% of the day > English teacher: Mrs. Casey Bradley with
50% of the day > French teacher: Mme. Megan Legg and
100% of the day > Early Childhood Educator: Mrs. Carrie Price
RED GROUP - Rm. 102
50% of the day > English teacher: Mrs. Natasha Belaire with
50% of the day > French teacher: Mme. Briana Gibney and
100% of the day > Early Childhood Educator: Mrs. Kathryn Unger
BLUE GROUP - Rm. 103
50% of the day > English teacher: Mrs. Natasha Belaire with
50% of the day > French teacher: Mme. Briana Gibney and
100% of the day > Early Childhood Educator: Mrs. Tara MacTavish
Sunday, July 30, 2017
Friday, June 2, 2017
JUNE NEWS
The weather is warming up and our inquiries will move increasingly outside. So please ensure your child wears a hat and sunscreen every day.
Senior Kindergarten students will start joining the older grades for afternoon recess (1:30 to 1:45) in preparation for this Grade One routine. [*Teachers/ECE's will be on duty in the main yard with the SK's to assist them with this transition.]
Junior Kinders will remain inside at this time to enjoy small group activities.
June naturally invites discussions of summer/ l’été, with
a focus on insects, water safety, and summer activities.
We hope to help children develop a sense of awe and
respect for some of God's smallest creatures, an
awareness about water safety, and an overall appreciation
for the beauty and relaxation of our summer season.
Monthly French vocabulary includes:
Insect / insecte caterpillar / chenille bee / abeille fly / mouche
ladybug / coccinelle spider / araignée play outside / jouer dehors
It is hot. / Il fait chaud. This is summer. / C'est l'été. June / juin July / juillet
It is beautiful. / Il fait beau. swim / nager vacation / vacances
water / eau beach / plage fish / poisson cottage / chalet
sun / soleil cloud / nuage sand / sable travel / voyager
PHRASES: Je veux ; Je voyage ; Je vais ; J'aime / Je n'aime pas
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We are looking forward to the field trip to the Saunders Farm next week!
http://saundersfarm.com
We are looking forward to the field trip to the Saunders Farm next week!
http://saundersfarm.com
Thank you again to all volunteers who will help make this farm adventure a great success!
REPORT CARDS
Final report cards will be sent home the last week of school. Information regarding
next year's entry will be included in the report card envelope.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We will be celebrating summer birthdays this month along with those on
the corresponding dates in June. Please send any summer birthday invitations
prior to the last week of school. (It is a busy time & invitations often go missing.)
the corresponding dates in June. Please send any summer birthday invitations
prior to the last week of school. (It is a busy time & invitations often go missing.)
We would like to extend our appreciation to all parents for their generous support throughout the year. Have a wonderful summer!
Sincerely,
The Kindergarten Teams
Thursday, May 18, 2017
SHOE SAFETY!
SCHOOL SHOES need to be appropriate for athletic purposes, like running, jumping, climbing.
Running shoes are preferred and certainly the safest.
[Crocs can be a bit slippery on the climber and sometimes fall off. Please check them yourself.]
For safety reasons, children should
NOT WEAR beach flip-flops at all due to numerous injuries we have witnessed with these sandals.
If children wear summer sandals, please ensure that they have a back-strap to keep them secure while running or climbing.
Running shoes are preferred and certainly the safest.
[Crocs can be a bit slippery on the climber and sometimes fall off. Please check them yourself.]
For safety reasons, children should
NOT WEAR beach flip-flops at all due to numerous injuries we have witnessed with these sandals.
If children wear summer sandals, please ensure that they have a back-strap to keep them secure while running or climbing.
Saturday, May 13, 2017
DISCIPLINE TIPS - based on an article in ADDitude.com
Be Firm, Be loving & Be consistent!
Do you sometimes feel that discipline is becoming a daily struggle? Learn how to help your child find better behaviour skills with these tips! Remember:
1) authentic praise, 2) consistency using consequences, and 3) telling instead of asking your child to do things.
1) authentic praise, 2) consistency using consequences, and 3) telling instead of asking your child to do things.
Praise good behaviour immediately and often. While it’s easy to notice and react immediately to negative behaviour, parents should remember to respond just as quickly to good behaviour. Positive reinforcement is the best behavioural tool!
Be Clear - and use respectful Firmness
Don’t ask, tell. Don’t start your requests with “Would you like to...?”, or finish them with “Okay?” Instead, give clear and succinct instructions like: “Please pick up your coat from the floor.” Only state exactly what you want them to do. If your child doesn’t respond to your first request, try saying it one more time in another way. Kids respond differently to requests so saying things in different ways may lead to a better response from your child but don't continue repeating the request again and again... take action.
Use direct eye contact. When you look at each other eye-to-eye your child can’t ignore you and will listen more attentively to what you’re saying. Ask your child to look at you when you explain why a certain behaviour is unacceptable or when you are requesting a change in behaviour. Use simple, precise language to be more effective.
Strengthen your relationship. Spend one-on-one unstructured time together, even 15 minutes a day with your child lays the groundwork for a strong bond with your child. The closer you are, the easier positive reinforcement of good behaviours will be in the future.
Remember you are the responsible adult ("the boss"). Explain how it is your job is to guide them into becoming healthy, responsible adults. Also, help them understand that playing video games and watching TV are privileges you’ve given, not a right. Child psychologist Douglas Riley says, “Kids need to know that access to the phone, TV, and computer have to be earned by showing positive behaviour and a good attitude.”
Use Consequences
Have a clear plan of action before an incident occurs. Explain consequences for misbehaviour ahead of time. Clearly defined boundaries and rules will help guide you when the bad behaviour happens and won’t surprise your child. In fact, consider the consequence as the "child's choice" since he or she already knew about the planned consequences.
These consequences should involve taking away privileges and really bad behaviour like hitting should result in an extended time-out (generally use the rule > a minute per year based on age & up to 30 minutes for children over 8, or an hour for adolescents). A "time-out" means removal from both the current situation and any other pleasurable situation (such as use of electronics - like tv, ipad, laptop - OR playing with friends or toys). The goal of a time-out is for the child to be bored enough that the time-out becomes unpleasant and therefore, acts as a deterrent from bad choices.
Follow through is key! Stick to the consequences, no matter what! First, discuss the behaviour and make sure your child understands why the behaviour was wrong. Remember to keep the discussion succinct, concrete, and concise! Do NOT talk too much or the child will simply tune out.
A parent has to be 100 percent consistent in addressing poor behaviour. Otherwise, the bad behaviour is unintentionally reinforced, persists and often gets worse!
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Our baby chicks are gone to the farm.
It was a wonderful opportunity to observe new life in the classroom for everyone at Holy Redeemer. These babies were ready to move onto farm life. Good-bye chicks! Aurevoir les poussins!
Monday, May 1, 2017
Sunday, April 30, 2017
MAY NEWS
Finally --- Spring has sprung!! We will continue our discussions on this wonderful season, chicks, worms and additionally focus on Pets, Farm & Exotic Animals.
Class inquiries should include: caring for pets, animal needs, extinction, habitats and respecting God’s creatures. Animals will be classified into groups according to physical and environmental characteristics. In math, we will sort them into groups according to various characteristics (e.g. with / without wings, two vs. four legs etc.) as well as discuss the concept of symmetry; particularly in nature (e.g. butterfly wings).
Thematic Farm vocabulary includes:
animals/ animaux farm/ ferme farmer/ fermier- ière cow/ vache
dog/ chien cat/ chat hen/ poule chick / poussin pig/ cochon
horse/ cheval sheep/mouton duck/ canard goat/ chèvre
Thematic Wild Animal vocabulary includes:
giraffe/ girafe monkey/ singe lion / lion tiger / tigre
zebra / zèbre elephant / éléphant gorilla / gorille snake / serpent
fox / renard porcupine / porc-épic wolf/ loup bear/ ours
On Thursday, June 8th all the Kindergarten classes will be
visiting the Saunders Farm. We will depart from school at 8:45 am and return around 2:00 pm. The cost for this excursion, including admission and busing fees, will be provided by the Activity Fee fund.
Please note that our excursion will occur regardless of the weather conditions. Please have your child dressed
appropriately for the conditions.
MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW.
READING: All “popcorn” / high-frequency words should now be practiced regularly by SKs and they should be making frequent attempts to read as many words as possible in their environment. Continue to encourage them to read pattern books or read along with you whenever possible.
“Popcorn” Words to review:
I, is, in, it, a, am, an, and, at, my, me, we, see, he, she, the, you, yes, can, to, do, so, go, no, look, like, love, mom, dad, bus, was, went, said, come, that, up
WRITING: At this point in Senior Kindergarten we are expecting all students to phonetically write simple sentences to the best of their ability and to make attempts to include “popcorn” words wherever possible. Sentences should begin with an upper case letter, end with a period and include spaces between words. Please encourage labels on their pictures and help them to write lists, emails or cards.
We also encourage children to wear sunscreen and hats for safe outdoor play now that the warm sun has finally arrived. If you are putting a bottle of sunscreen in their backpack, please package it in a ziploc bag to avoid messy spills. Thank you.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Paper towel rolls PLEASE!
Mme. Blahout continues to collect paper towel rolls for a craft celebrating Canada's 150 birthday.
Please send paper towel rolls ASAP as we are in the midst of creating "totem poles" in celebration of Canadian Art. (We don't have enough rolls for everyone to make their own.)
Thank you to Mrs.Unger and to those parents who already sent in one or two rolls and one special parent who has sent in 6+ by lobbying her friends and neighbours. 🌝
Thank you in advance to those who are able to help me out this week. It is very much appreciated.
Please send paper towel rolls ASAP as we are in the midst of creating "totem poles" in celebration of Canadian Art. (We don't have enough rolls for everyone to make their own.)
Thank you to Mrs.Unger and to those parents who already sent in one or two rolls and one special parent who has sent in 6+ by lobbying her friends and neighbours. 🌝
Thank you in advance to those who are able to help me out this week. It is very much appreciated.
Monday, April 24, 2017
What is an incubator?
We have an incubator full of eggs and are very excited to be hatching chicks! Over the next few weeks, we will be learning about eggs and the development of chickens through guided inquiry. The children will be participating in a number of egg and chick related activities including:
- The Life cycle of the Egg and Chicken
- Egg Candling
- Parts of the Egg and Chicken
- Egg Experiments
- Fiction and Non-fiction Reading
- Developing their research and inquiry skills
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
PAPER TOWEL ROLLS please!
Mme. Blahout is hoping to collect at least 32 empty paper towel rolls for an upcoming craft.
Please send in whatever you can by next week.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Please send in whatever you can by next week.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
APRIL NEWS - WELCOME SPRING TIME!
Dear Parents,
April brings forth discussions about Spring / Le Printemps, the symbol of new life and renewal. We will focus our attention on seasonal changes, Easter and plants.
Easter is the ultimate celebration for the Christian community and extends beyond the day or weekend celebration (April 14-17). As Spring unfolds, life overcomes death, as reflected in all plant and animal life. Spring is so inviting for children to observe, explore and celebrate the signs of new life that are all around. In Science, we will examine life cycles (e.g. plant, butterfly, frog) and investigate how to distinguish between living and non-living things. We will also be experimenting with the concept of buoyancy at the water centre.
FRENCH vocabulary includes:
Spring/ printemps April/avril sun/ soleil rain/ pluie
umbrella/ parapluie flower/ fleur egg/ oeuf bird/ oiseau nest/nid
butterfly/ papillon rabbit/ lapin chick/ poussin new life/ nouvelle vie
Easter/ Pâques God/ Dieu ladybug/ coccinelle butterfly/ papillon
Please check the school "Lost & Found" for any of your missing items. Also please continue to reinforce school rules about personal toys staying at home. Thanks for your help in this regard.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
A GREAT PARENTING RESOURCE!
ADDitude Magazine is an extremely useful resource for anyone dealing with children.
Although not every child has ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), the articles in this wonderful online magazine presents numerous great parenting strategies that are good practice for all parents and children whether a child has ADD or not.
I highly recommend this resource to parents and teachers! I find it very informative and a valuable resource that helps me with the many challenges I face as a classroom teacher.
Check it out through the link below.
LINK to ADDitude MAGAZINE ARTICLES
(This is an example of the most recent articles posted on March 10, 2017)
ADDitudeMag.com
[
FYI: I subscribe, so you may have to do so. (?)]
TO SUBSCRIBE link
Although not every child has ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), the articles in this wonderful online magazine presents numerous great parenting strategies that are good practice for all parents and children whether a child has ADD or not.
I highly recommend this resource to parents and teachers! I find it very informative and a valuable resource that helps me with the many challenges I face as a classroom teacher.
Check it out through the link below.
LINK to ADDitude MAGAZINE ARTICLES
(This is an example of the most recent articles posted on March 10, 2017)
ADDitudeMag.com
[
FYI: I subscribe, so you may have to do so. (?)]
TO SUBSCRIBE link
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
MARCH NEWS
Our French vocabulary focus will include both
Community Helpers and Transportation / Les Moyens de Transport
We will be exploring such concepts as movement and travel with a
particular focus on classification (land, water, and air travel).
The children will be using classroom manipulatives to sort and compare vehicles
according to, for example, shape and/or function.
Language activities for JK's will continue to focus on letter sound /symbol association
and making personal connections to stories.
SK's will focus on high-frequency sight words / popcorn words and
reading comprehension and questioning.
Thank you for your ongoing support and reinforcement at home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)