JK PRINTING BOOKLETS

The practice printing booklets, referred to in the December Newsletter, were sent home on Wed. Dec. 19th.
We have also included a laminated sheet that wipes off easily.  (Afternoon RED Group Junior Kindergarten students have not received their laminated printing sheet yet. - SORRY.)

These tools are only for HOME USE.  We do not need these items returned to school.  Please keep the booklets and laminated sheet accessible so they may be used over the holidays to keep those little fingers nimble while furthering the development of their fine motor skills.  After the holidays, please encourage any and all printing at every opportunity. Remember children don't always have to use a pencil or marker to practice shapes of letters. You can make printing practice more fun by using a cookie sheet of chocolate pudding, or a layer of sugar, salt or sand, or simply cutting out or rolling playdough into the shapes.

Thank you for your support.

Once more, we wish you a blessed Christmas holiday and a Happy New Year! Enjoy family time together.

Sincerely,
The Kindergarten Teachers

CHRISTMAS CRAFT DAY!

This is just a quick reminder for any parent volunteers who will be coming to our Christmas Craft Day this THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13. 

JK - morning parent volunteers 8:30 - 10:30    
JK or SK - afternoon parent volunteers  12:30 - 2:30

You will be making icing and assisting children building either their Christmas tree or gingerbread house, so please do not bring younger siblings to this event.   Thank you. 

[Any allergy concerns should be discussed with the teacher before Thursday.]

Looking forward to seeing you at this special event!  

Or if you are unable to come then we wish you a "MERRY CHRISTMAS  and a wonderful holiday!"

Holy Redeemer Parish Christmas Party

Holy Redeemer Parish invites you to their

Annual Children's Christmas Party

Date: Saturday, December 8th, 2012

Time: 12-3pm

Where: Church Hall

Lunch is provided.

What a great way to get into the Christmas spirit! There is no need to reserve a spot. Nothing is required. Just arrive and be prepared to have fun! There is sure to be much excitement and activity. It even includes lunch!

ARE YOU COMING DEC.13?

We have sent home an RSVP note to parents asking if you are able to volunteer with our Christmas Craft on Thursday, December 13th?  Please look for this yellow note in your child's mailbag in order to fill it out and return it to school as soon as possible.   We are also seeking a few electric mixers, which are required to make the icing for our crafts.

*ALLERGY ALERT!!   Although we tell the children that this craft is only a DECORATION, the candy and icing are extremely tempting for little ones to resist. Please notify the teacher and send in your own icing and treats if this presents a concern for your child.

*All SK students require a small 250 ml milk carton in order to participate in the craft, so if you have not sent yours in yet, please do so before the event!

Water Bottles

Holy Redeemer Water Bottles

This year, Holy Redeemer is aiming for Silver Eco Certification. One initiative we would like to begin in January is the elimination of disposable water bottles here at the school. To support this initiative the Earth Care Club is selling reusable water bottles for $12.00 each.

These 24 oz, stainless steel water bottles are available to order in either blue or red. A great feature of these bottles is the flip-up sipper spout on the black screw-on cover. It prevents splashes when on-the-go and also makes use that much more convenient for students. The "Go Rockets" logo will also be imprinted on the bottle.

Order forms have been sent home this week and are due by December 7, 2012. If you're looking for Christmas ideas, this could make a great stocking stuffer!

DECEMBER NEWS!

Please click here for the JK DECEMBER NEWSLETTER.
Please click here for the SK DECEMBER NEWSLETTER.

SPIRIT WEEK BEGINS!!

MONDAY - PYJAMA DAY
TUESDAY - DRESS FUNNY DAY
WEDNESDAY - CRAZY HAIR DAY                                                                   
THURSDAY - RED and/or BLUE DAY
FRIDAY - CRAZY HAT DAY                          It will be a fun week!

COLDER WEATHER

The cold weather looks like it is here to stay!  Please make sure that you are sending your child to school everyday dressed for the weather.  We do like to play outside, so hats and mittens are a must!  We want to make sure that everyone is dressed to have some outdoor fun!!

A friendly reminder to ensure your child is ALWAYS DRESSED for the weather conditions. We try to play outdoors for 10-20 minutes every day. Please send mittens (instead of gloves) as they are easier for your child to put on.  The goal in Kindergarten is to achieve dressing INDEPENDENTLY so please practice and reinforce this habit at home. Also remember the sequence we practice: "pants, boots, coat, hat, and LAST comes MITTS".  We would appreciate if you could do the same at home.

Thank you for your support.

SEEKING missing TOYS!

Dear Parents,
Please search your homes and toy boxes for small characters that are missing from Mme.Blahout's classroom.  Specifically, "Dora" and "Diego" (approx. 2" or 5cm in length). There are also some "littlest ponies" and "fairies" missing but Dora is in demand! Thank you for your assistance in this regard.

A FAMILY NAME is IMPORTANT too!

This is just a reminder that all children should know their BASIC personal information.  BASIC INFO. includes first and LAST NAME, along with a phone number, street address, and birthday. Try going over this information for a minute or two whenever you are walking, driving, eating, or shopping with your child.

SPIRIT WEEK - Nov. 26 to 30

Please assist your child in participating in our school-wide SPIRIT WEEK. On Tuesday, just have them wear anything that doesn't match or clashing colours. The other days are self-explanatory.

MONDAY:  Pyjama Day
TUESDAY: Tacky Tourist Day
WEDNESDAY: Crazy Hair Day
THURSDAY: Rocket Spirit Day (red & blue colours)
FRIDAY: Crazy Hat Day

We look forward to a fun week!

ABOUT INTERVIEWS

All teachers will be conducting interviews in the gymnasium this year. Please note that each meeting is only 10 minutes long and so your assigned time is all that is available. If we run out of time and still have items to discuss - don't worry - we will follow-up with a phone call home. We must stick closely to the interview schedule in order to talk to all parents.  Thank you for your understanding in this regard.

Mme.Blahout has now filled all available time slots on Thursday, Nov. 8th.  Any parent who has not received a note indicating an interview time will be contacted in the next few days by either note or phone call.
Thank you for your patience.

NOVEMBER NEWSLETTERS

Click here for the SENIOR kindergarten NOVEMBER newsletter.

Click here for the JUNIOR kindergarten NOVEMBER newsletter.

SENIOR KINDERGARTEN PARENTS ONLY: Please note that small (250 ml) milk cartons are no longer available at McDonald's as suggested in the newsletter (Sorry - my error). Small cartons are available at any grocery or corner convenience store. Thank you to those who have already sent these items in!

HALLOWE'EN COSTUME PARADE!

TOMORROW is Halloween and we have requested that Kindergarten students wear a costume for our annual COSTUME PARADE!  Please dress your child in their costume at home so that we can march around the school immediately upon arrival. After our little parade, students can remove all or part of their costume and place the pieces in their backpack.  Please note that NO WEAPON of any sort is allowed at school. If your child does not wish to wear a costume, please have them wear the Halloween colours of orange and/or black - the same as Grades 1 to 6 wear on October 31st.

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

PS.  My illness has hung on and unfortunately I have not been cleared to return to work yet. I am very sad to  be missing our COSTUME PARADE as it is one of my favourite events of the year.  :(  
                                                           I hope to be back soon!

OCTOBER 26 REMINDERS!!

This is just a reminder that tomorrow - FRIDAY is PHOTO RETAKE DAY.  If you would like your child's school photo retaken then you MUST send a note REQUESTING it.

Also - FRIDAY NIGHT is the annual HALLOWEEN FAMILY FUN DANCE!  Everyone is welcome to come and join in the fun - dress in costume and dance the night away! This event is organized by school council. Further details can be found on our school website.

PS. I just wanted to update all Kindergarten parents on my health. I did return to school on Monday and Tuesday this week but unfortunately my body was not up for the demands of Kindergarten and I have experienced a relapse. I hope to be back next week after my doctor gives me the go ahead on Monday. Thank you for all your well wishes. I am rarely ill so this has been a frustrating few weeks.

Grade 6 Fundraiser - Lollipops!

Are you ready for a real treat? Gourmet Lollipops are on their way!

The Grade 6 class will be selling Gourmet Lollipops on Friday, October 26th as one of their

fundraisers for the St. Brigid's trip in June.  The lollipops are nut-free, gluten free, and delicious!

Students may purchase a gourmet lollipop for $1.00. Money will be collected all week in homeroom. 

Thank you very much for your support!

 

 

 

If you would like to buy a lollipop, you can send the money in at any time this week and we will keep it for the kids until Friday when they will be able to purchase the lollipop!

Mme.Blahout's ABSENCE

Just wanted to inform you that I am away from school because I am fighting pneumonia. My doctor has ordered me on total bed rest until my lungs recover enough to return to work. The doctor has predicted Monday, Oct. 22 as my return date. Please let your children know I miss them very much!

E-WASTE Recycling

E-Waste Recycling Day!!!
What: A day when the public can drop off old computers, monitors, televisions, stereos, cell phones and a host of other electronic devices to be properly recycled!!!

Where: Lester B Pearson Catholic High School, 2072 Jasmine Crescent off Ogilvie Rd

When: Saturday, October 27th, 2012 from 9am-3pm

Why: It's a fundraiser !!! All proceeds (based on weight of the e-waste we collect!) will go to our sister school, Santa Maria, in the village of Cambita in the Dominican Republic!

Who: The Global Outreach Club of Lester B Pearson in collaboration with Ontario Electronics Stewardship Program.

PICTURE RETAKES

For anyone interested in having their child have retake pictures done (or those who did not order the first time)...Picture retakes will take place on Friday, October 26.

WASTE-FREE SNACKS = CARING for our PLANET

In an effort to engage students in small environmental initiatives that can have a big impact, our school is participating in the week-long Waste-Free Lunch Challenge (WFLC) beginning on Monday, October 15. 

The Waste-Free Challenge is a province-wide initiative sponsored by the Recycling Council of Ontario.  School lunches are a major source of waste in Ontario – the average student’s lunch generates a total of 30 kilograms of waste per school year!

Please pack waste-free snacks to help us with this event.  

The goal of the week is to:

- Celebrate and learn about Waste Reduction Week by reducing the amount of waste we create.

-  Reduce the cost of waste disposal so the school’s resources can be put to better use. 

-  Encourage healthy and nutritious snacks (as many pre-packaged snack items contain significant  

   amounts of sodium, preservatives and fat)

-  Create a general awareness about recycling and encourage & promote recycling of containers at school.

-  Help parents reduce the cost of snacks (ie. A waste-free lunch can cost as little as $2.50 per day, whereas a regular lunch containing pre-packaged items can cost $4.50 or more per day)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE in this regard.

SEEKING PHOTOS of VETERANS for REMEMBRANCE DAY

We are asking all families to consider sending in a photo of a family member  (Uncle, Parent, Grandparent, Cousin: past or present) who has served in the military.  

We ask that with the photo you include the name of the student as well as the name and rank or position(ie: nurse) of the family member.

You can either:

-  email a digital or scanned photo to redslideshow@gmail.com 

                       OR 

-  send in an actual photo to school where it will be scanned and returned. 

Photos will be displayed in a slideshow in our foyer the week leading up to Remembrance Day.

Deadline for entry is Friday, October 26th. 

Reminder: Photo Orders Due Tomorrow!

Just wanted to give everyone a friendly reminder that if you wish to order pictures for your child, the order form is due tomorrow, Thursday!

Thanks!!

Reminder: THANKSGIVING FEAST

Dear Parents*,

For our Thanksgiving celebration at school, please send in a small container of FRUIT already cut into 'bite-size' pieces.

We will be mixing everybody's contribution together in a large bowl.  At snack time we will give "THANKS" for all our blessings before enjoying this delicious feast! [Remember, children with allergies should bring in their own small fruit salad treat, in order to avoid any potential cross-contamination of allergens.]

(*This is only for RED, ORANGE, and GREEN groups. - BLUE group will be doing something else.)

The Kindergarten TEAM wish all Holy Redeemer families a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration.

PS Remember Friday, Oct. 5 is a PD day for all Catholic schools and Monday, Oct 8 is the holiday.

Have a great holiday!

LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT INFO.

ATTENTION ALL JK PARENTS!!   IMPORTANT!  - ONLY available for children under 5 yrs.   
"FIRST WORDS" -  FREE Speech & Language SCREENING CLINICS - are offered by the City of Ottawa  and funded by the Ministry of Health Ontario.  It is highly recommended that any child who may have issues with receptive or expressive language, and/or articulation be identified by a Speech & Language Pathologist at these screening clinics. Please take a look at the schedule to find a walk-in clinic that works for you. This screening often confirms that language difficulties are age-appropriate but sometimes they identify issues that need to be addressed in order to be corrected through proactive, simple games before those issues become a habit. Please observe your child closely and consider having an expert check them out!

OCTOBER NEWS

Click here for the JUNIOR Kindergarten NEWSLETTER.

Click here for the SENIOR Kindergarten NEWSLETTER.

I was just informed of a very useful website that I believe may benefit you at home as parents.  It is http://www.commonsensemedia.org/.  It is very user friendly! You can learn about the recommended viewing, ratings, reviews and appropriate nature of books, movies, or games.

            REMINDER!!           REMINDER!!          REMINDER!!  

      ***    FRIDAY (Sept. 21) is School PICTURE DAY!    ***

Please REMEMBER to send in the order sheet with the background of your choice checked off.

(Junior Kindergarten students who have not received the form will have get it in their mailbags on Tues. Sept. 18.)

Click here to view the SEPTEMBER JUNIOR K NEWSLETTERS.

For Senior Kindergarten events and news, please go to:     holyredeemerskmm.blogspot.com

Click here to view the SEPTEMBER  SENIOR  K  NEWSLETTERS

Welcome

BIENVENUE!

Here is the link to the Holy Redeemer School website

The Junior Kindergarten teachers are:
English - Casey Bradley
French -  Chris Blahout

The Senior Kindergarten teachers are:
English - Maureen Maxwell
French - Chris Blahout    

It is our pleasure to be teaching your children this year!