Monday, May 27, 2013

RESERVE FRIDAY, MAY 31st!!

HOLY REDEEMER SCHOOL BBQ is this FRIDAY!!

Please come to our annual community gathering!  It is a lot of fun and a great opportunity to meet fellow parents and your children's friends.      Come join in 5 to 7 PM.





Monday, May 20, 2013

FARM FIELD TRIP info.

Dear Parents & field trip VOLUNTEERS,

The plan for THURSDAY, May 23rd:
- Students depart from the school around 8:40
- parent / volunteers should meet the bus in the parking lot off of Prince of Wales Dr. at 9 am 
- we prefer that ALL students take the bus for attendance & organizational purposes, as well as to enjoy the full field trip experience
- each volunteer is paired-up with their own child as well as (possibly) one other
- two museum tour-guides will gather & lead the classes through the barns to view the animals
- we reload the bus by 10:30 am & return to school by 10:55

** Please note there are NO backpacks & NO snacks required during this event. PLEASE LEAVE BAGS AT HOME.**

Afternoon JK's who are joining us will REQUIRE transportation before & after the field trip = They are welcome to travel on the bus for the actual field trip but not to & from the school. Sorry for any inconvenience.

We hope to be able to accommodate as many parents as possible who wish to travel ON the bus but please come to the school prepared to drive if space is UNAVAILABLE. Thank you for your understanding in this regard.

Reminder: If a volunteer (eg. mom / dad / grandparent) will be accompanying the child then we require a $1.oo entrance fee  for this ADULT only. (Please pay in advance.) All students will have their entrance fee paid by the school activity fee that was collected back in September.

Mrs. Zulpo and I, THANK YOU (in advance) for supervising students on this fun field trip.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Farm Visit

The students have been asking a lot of "I wonder...." questions in preparation for our farm visit. We have created a list of things we would like to learn before we visit the experimental farm. This week, the students have watched short video clips of work done around farms in North America. The students have learned about milking and the various other products we get from farm animals. At home, you can point out items in your house that have come from a farm...your child might be amazed at how much we depend on farms!

We also have had our first butterfly appear! There was great excitement (our morning circle turned into butterfly watching and talking about every movement!). Many of the students are observing the chrysalis as the butterflies emerge and are learning how to prepare the food to care for the butterflies.

Reading with your child!

Reading is an important part of our day in Kindergarten. We read poems, chants, rhymes, tongue twisters, riddles, and stories throughout the day. As summer approaches, I am often asked by parents about the activities they can do with their children. The short answer: reading! Many of you already snuggle with your little ones and read a book before bed. It's a great opportunity to teach your child about oral language, the direction of print, reading comprehension, and new vocabulary. Here are some activities and questions that I use while I read with your children. I encourage you to try them.

The best questions are open-ended questions. I do not use questions where students may answer "no" or "yes". Open-ended questions allow children to practice their oral language skills (a foundation for future reading success) and use high-order thinking skills.

Looking at the Front Cover
-What do you think the book will be about? Why do you think that? (Predicting- a reading comprehension strategy)
-What do you wonder? (This allows children to ask their own questions. For instance, if the front cover has a picture of a monkey crying, the child may state: "I wonder why the monkey is crying."

While reading the story
-Have your child track the print with their finger while you read. (Learning about direction of print)
-What do you think will happen next? Why do you think that? (Predictions)
-How do you think the problem will be solved?
-How does the character feel? Can you think of a time that you felt like that? Explain. (Making connections-Reading comprehension strategy)
-Does this remind you of another story we have read? Why? (Making connections- Reading Comprehension Strategy)

After the Story
-Revisit their original predictions. Discuss if their predictions matched the outcome of the story.
-Have them identify the setting, characters, problem, and solution. 
-What was your favorite part of the story? Why?

Learning New Vocabulary
After reading a story a few times, identify one or two new words for your child. Explain and give a definition and then use it in a sentence Then, have them explain the meaning of the new word, say it, and use it in a sentence. Children need to build up their vocabulary!



Monday, May 13, 2013

MORNING FIELD TRIP to the FARM

Dear Parents and volunteers,

We are still awaiting numerous field trip "permission slips", so please send in the slip as soon as possible!  Your child can not legally attend without written permission.

If a volunteer (eg. mom / dad / grandparent) will be accompanying the child then we require a $1.oo entrance fee. (Please tape a loonie to the permission slip.)

The plan for May 23rd:
- at 9 am parent / volunteers should meet the bus  in the parking lot off of Prince of Wales Dr.
- we prefer that ALL students take the bus for attendance & organizational purposes, as well as to enjoy the full field trip experience
- each volunteer is paired-up with their own child plus (possibly) one other
- two museum tour-guides will gather & lead the classes through the barns to view the animals
- we reload the bus by 10:30 am & return to school by 10:55

** Please note there are NO backpacks & NO snacks required during this event.

Mrs. Zulpo and I, THANK YOU (in advance) for supervising our students on this field trip.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Prayer Table

This week, many of the students have been leading our group prayer and prayer intentions.I think it's very important that prayer is student-led opposed to always teacher-led. We are also learning the Christian song, "Lord I lift Your name on High."   The students greatly enjoy prayer intentions and many children are beginning to recognize this as an opportunity to think of others. 

The prayer table is an important part of a Catholic classroom.  I would like the students to take a greater role in decorating the prayer table. I am asking children to bring photos or drawings of their family that will be placed on the prayer table. Please label the photo so that I may return the photo at the end of the year. On Thursday and Friday, the students will be drawing their prayer intentions which will also be placed on the prayer table. 

Yours in Catholic education,
Mrs. Zulpo

MAY NEWSLETTERS

Click here for the JUNIOR Kindergarten NEWSLETTER.
Click here for the SENIOR Kindergarten NEWSLETTER.

ATTENTION:
The morning JUNIOR Kindergarten students are going to the Experimental FARM (also known as the Museum of Agriculture) on THURSDAY, MAY 23.  We will be leaving at 8:30 am and returning by 10:55 am.   We hope that JK students, who attend school in the afternoon, join us for this morning adventure!

Afternoon JK students are welcomed to ride the school bus or meet us at the Farm.  (*Please note, students can still attend regular classes in the afternoon.)

A  permission slip and VOLUNTEER sign-up form will be sent home tomorrow.

All JK parents are invited. Should you choose to join us, please send in a $1 for the adult entrance fee.
[We may have some room on the bus for a few adults but most parents will need to meet us there.]