A BIG THANK YOU to our unsung HEROS!

We would like to send out love and gratitude to our wonderful custodians, ERIC GUENTHER - day time - and GETAHUN (Getty) OKE - evening.  

Without these two hard-working, kind gentlemen our school would not be as clean, safe, and cared for as it is every day! 
A hero is:
a man of distinguished ability, admired for his deeds and 
noble qualities.

These great men are heroes who work very hard, not only during their regular daily shifts, but are also working at school over the holidays while we are all off enjoying ourselves! Throughout the year, they not only keep our school clean but also keep our students safe! [If you thank your mailman or newspaper delivery person, think how much MORE IMPORTANT your child's school custodian is to your family.]

We want to take this opportunity to send them a public "Thank you"! These two devoted workers often go above and beyond the call of duty, helping teachers, the daycare program, the Principal, the Office Administrator, Board & Service officials, after-school organizations, as well as parents and children with a wide variety of tasks! (Wow!) 

"Thank you Mr. Eric and Mr.Getty"! 
You are the real heroes of our school!

Francais pour Noel

Mes cadeaux pour Jesus.
(My gifts for Jesus.)

Je peux partager.
(I can share.)

Je peux aider.
(I can help.)

Je peux sourire.
(I can smile.)

Je peux aimer.
(I can love.)

HOUSEKEEPING item for the Holidays

We will be sending home the children's blankets to be washed over the holidays. 

We intend to send blankets home on the last Friday of each month for this purpose. 


Please remember to send it back
with your child on the next school day
so they have something to curl up with during Quiet time.



PS. Numerous children have had toileting accidents or are getting wet by snow, water, or juice, etc. This means we use their spare clothes (that should be in their cubby). However, on numerous occasions there were no spare clothes available and so we used the back-up emergency clothing we keep at school for this purpose. In September this supply of clothing was full, now it is empty! Please wash and return any clothing items your child comes home with that don't belong to you. Thank you.

Email Subscribers only - Apologies for old news!

Dear Blogger Subscribers,
It has come to my attention that the last post (*which looks fine on the blog site) has added old news along with the newer post when emailing the recent message out to you.  I apologize for the inconvenience, it seems to be a technical difficulty with Blogger. Hopefully, it will soon be corrected soon. 

Thank you for understanding.

PS. Please note that on Wednesday, December 17th all of our Kinder classes will be attending the Christmas Concert Rehersal.  [*Parents of Grades 1 - 6 are to attend on Thursday.] However, this means that our routine "Quiet Time" will be either delayed or missed, as the concert rehersal takes place at this time. Expect your little one to be tired that day.

Christmas Gifts of Kindness are Jesus' birthday presents.

Christmas is for Jesus. The most important gifts at Christmas are the "Acts of Kindness" that we show to one another.

 ADVENT ACTIVITY  -  To cherish the true meaning of Christmas

Here is a wonderful family activity that helps prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday, and focuses more on “giving to others” rather than commercial gifts.

Leading up to Jesus' special day, celebrated on Dec. 25th:

1. Find a small box and decorate it. (To hold Jesus’ birthday gifts.)
2. Keep the box in a prominent place in your home where you will see it.
3. Keep some notepaper and a pencil next to the box to mark down any act of kindness witnessed over the Advent season. (Encourage your child too.)
4. As often as possible make a note of an act of kindness in the box to represent a "gift" for Jesus. ("Gifts" - such as sharing, cleaning, helping, visiting, etc. --- an act of kindness they have witnessed or received.)
5. On Christmas Eve place the box under the tree so that in the morning, before you open your own gifts, you can recall all the gifts for Jesus. Read aloud the many acts of kind 'giving' that were witnessed over the Advent season. Share together the good works that were done in preparation for the coming of Jesus, offer thanks to God for all these things.

                          MERRY CHRISTMAS!

ADVENT ACTIVITIES

Dear Parents,                                                     

As we begin the holy season of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, we hope to make the Christmas story come alive in a meaningful way for our students.  In order to help them experience the gift of God coming amongst us, we will unite all classes for weekly Advent celebrations. Christmas discussions will focus on the birth of Jesus and how "acts of kindness" are the best birthday gifts for Jesus. Advent means a time of waiting... awaiting the birth of our Lord.

As an extension of the activities being done at school, we invite you to celebrate at home using your own Advent wreath.  We are sending home a wreath for your child to colour as they count down the Advent candles to Christmas. An accompanying suggestion for your family 'ADVENT'ure include lighting the appropriate candle each week:  
Week 1 - Nov. 30 - Dec. 6   one purple candle
Week 2 - December 7 - 14 two purple candles
Week 3 - December 15 - 21 two purple and one pink candle
Week 4 - December 22 - 25 three purple and one pink candle

CHRISTMAS CRAFT EVENT - Wednesday, December 10

We are expecting a number of parent volunteers to assist us in mixing icing for our special Christmas mini gingerbread house craft.  Afterwards we will sing some classic carols. If you have not returned the yellow RSVP form confirming whether or NOT* you will attend this event, please return it as soon as possible. (*even if you are not coming)

Please remember your child requires a large, flat-bottom paper bag in order to transport the craft home. {available at the LCBO}

French Vocabulary:

^{Advent / L’avent        Christmas / Noël       star / étoile        manger / crèche}       

^{baby / bébé       Jesus  / Jésus        mother / mère        father  / père        donkey  / âne} 

^{angel / ange gift / cadeau help / aider share / partager to wait / attendre   love / amour}

^{Merry Christmas / Joyeux Noel       Happy New Year / Bonne Annee     tree / arbre} 

^{shapes / formes    circle / cercle     square / carré      triangle  / triangle    rectangle  / rectangle}

Christmas Craziness CALMED with ADDitude!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As a teacher, I subscribe to a very insightful magazine called "ADDitude" (http://www.additudemag.com/ ), which provides numerous strategies and support for children with ADD, ADHD (Atttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and LD (Learning Disability). 

I have discovered that the suggestions, tips, ideas, explanations, etc. that are shared in their articles can easily be applied to ALL children - not only those with a diagnosis. Many of the strategies the experts suggest are sound, positive practice and can often be used in any and all parenting (or teaching) situations. 

I am passing on an interesting, common-sense article that would benefit all families for the upcoming Christmas season. Although your child, most likely, does not have an ADD diagnosis, these tips are definitely applicable to every child during hectic holiday times, especially where diets and routines (particularly sleep times) are not regular. Check out:
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/900.html?utm_source=eletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=November

MORE NOTES for your Information!

Wednesday is McDonald's fundraiser Night!

If you would like to join in a community event that has the bonus of fundraising for Holy Redeemer School, then take your family to McDonald's on Wednesday.  Present the yellow coupon that was sent home Monday to the cashier and a portion of the sale is given to the school.

November 17 - 20 is "BULLY PREVENTION WEEK" 
with a focus on "Samaritan of the Digital Road". 

(Based on the story where several people pass by an injured man on the road until a "good Samaritan" stops to take care of him. Moral of the story for Kinders would be to care for others in all we do.)
In our discussions on internet safety, we also promote the use of only positive messages; based on directives from the OCSB that we educate all students on the importance of being responsible, respectful, and generally good 'digital' citizens on the internet. Therefore, the lessons for all students in the Board are based on the parable of the Good Samaritan. 
* Below is a video, which teaches three important rules to remember when using the internet.

(YouTube Video: "My Online Neighborhood")

FRIDAY is "Christian Community Day" for all Ottawa Catholic School Board employees.  This means it is a PD day for all students or in other words, there is no school on November 21st.

Spirit Week

Just a reminder that next week is Spirit Week at school! Each day will have a different theme.

Monday - Pyjama Day
      Tuesday - Tacky Tourist Day





Wednesday - Crazy Hair Day          






Thursday - Rockets Spirit Day (Red and Blue - school colours)

    Friday - Sens Spirit Day

Des mots en francais pour Novembre

Novembre:     PRONOUNS:  Je = I ,  Tu / Vous = You,  Nous = we
  
LES PHRASES:
J'ai un / une _____.  /  J'ai deux ____.   /  J'ai cinq / dix _____. 
Le Corps / the body: 

• la tête      /  head                     les cheveux /   hair 
• épaules   /  shoulders              le bras         /   arm
• genoux   /   knees                    le pied         /   foot
• orteilles  /   toes                       la jambe      /   leg
• yeux       /   eyes                      la main        /   hand
• oreilles   /   ears                       le cou         /    neck
• la bouche / mouth                    le dos         /    back
• le nez      /  nose                      les doigts   /    fingers

________________________________________________

LES PHRASES:

J'aime _______. / Je n'aime pas _____.  /  Je mange ___. 
nourrissante / pas nourrissante

Les legumes / Vegetables:

la carrotte   /  carrot
la lettue      /   lettuce
le poivron  /   pepper  (rouge / jaune / vert = red / yellow / green)
la pomme de terre  /  potato
Les fruits:
la tomate  / tomato
la fraise    /  strawberry
la banane  /  banana
les raisins  /  grapes
les cerises  /  cherries

__________________________________________________
LES PHRASES:
Je porte un(e) / des ______  .
[ie. Je porte un manteau rouge.  / Je porte des bottes. ]

Les vetements  /  clothing:
pantalons (de neige)  /  (snow) pants
chapeau  /  hat
manteau  /  coat
bottes  /  boots
mitaines  /  mittens
foulard (écharpe) / scarf
soulier / shoe
chemise / shirt 

'HOUSEKEEPING' ITEMS - For Your Information

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We would like to inform you or remind you of some things that may need your attention:

1. We have discovered that many of the students either do not have their extra set of clothes at school or some things were used and are now missing from the bag.
Extra clothes bag should have:

- one pair of pants
- one top
- one pair of underwear
- one pair of socks

Please send in necessary items as soon as possible.

2. SHOES / BOOTS: 
Please note that we expect your child to use ONE PAIR of outdoor footwear to come to school and ONE PAIR of indoor shoes to stay at school to wear in the classroom. Some children are accumulating several pairs of indoor and outdoor footwear in their cubby or backpacks, so please monitor your child to avoid this situation.  (*Keep in mind that each class has up to 60 pairs of shoes, both coming and going, and only a small cubby area to track them all!)  Please LABEL your child's shoes.

3. MAILBAGS: 
Please do NOT REMOVE MAILBAGS from your child's backpack! We ask students to deliver the "mail" to you by ONLY removing the PAPERWORK from the plastic bag and NOT the bag! We collect these bags every morning for communication purposes between home and school, so please help guide your child in carrying out this responsibility.

4. STAR of the DAY:  Each day we select a child to be the "Star of the Day", which means they can be:
- leader in line
- teacher helper
- delivery person

* NO MORE SHOW & TELL:
We have decided to no longer engage in the classic concept of "Show & Tell" because we have found that this generally turned into a "Bring & Brag" - mostly about commercial toys. So instead we have opted for "Discovery Journals" and "Sharing Time" to allow children to 'teach' their peers about whatever learning occurred throughout the day. This is a time to share their discoveries, or generate questions about their inquiries, or to simply share and be appreciated for their various accomplishments. Therefore, once again, we ask parents to enforce the "NO TOYS at school" policy. Thank you for your support in this regard. 


5. WINTER DRESS:
- snow pants
- boots
- jacket
- hat
- mittens 
are absolutely essential winter items! Please choose items that your child can easily and independently use. We request your child wear MITTENS* instead of gloves for this reason. (*Preferably waterproof too)

We recommend testing out new items WITH your child before buying if possible. For example, if in the store your child can put on and off their new boots by themselves, then they should also be able to do it at school. (This is an example of a common problem we have that often leads to tears of frustration.)

We play outside at least an hour per day (- unless temperatures or weather conditions are too severe). Usually 45 minutes before lunch (11:00  to 11:45 am) and then 20 to 30 minutes at the end of the day (2:15/25 - 2:45 pm).  Taking this part of our daily routine into consideration, please ALWAYS DRESS your child appropriately for outdoor play!

We have been teaching children to dress in the following sequence: 1. Pants  2. Boots  3. Jacket   4. Hat (& scarf or neckwarmer - if you have one)   5. LAST comes mittens!  

The reason we insist mittens go on last is to promote dressing independently! Putting on all these items can be challenging for children 3-5 years old but the fine motor skills do develop with practice, so we expect every child to dress with little to no assistance by January and (eventually) do up their own zipper by February. We ask that you please help them practice these skills at home too. The more often they attempt to do it on their own the more proficient and confident they become!  Thanks so much for all your support!

REMEMBRANCE DAY

There has been some discussion about soldiers in preparation for Remembrance Day. Our focus in Kindergarten is on "peace" and primarily on wearing a poppy as a symbol to thank soldiers for the peace we all enjoy today! 

Abstract concepts of war are very complex for young children, therefore we simplify it by identifying "peace" in a concrete form. We just look outside and appreciate the calm and beauty of the park. We discuss how it is safe to play and walk around and then identify this as an example of 'peace'. We express how we are so lucky, and give credit for peace  to the soldiers, both past and present, who protect us.  

The poppy is identified as a symbol to demonstrate our gratitude and say "Thank you for Peace" to all soldiers.  I encourage all students to both wear a poppy and try to find a soldier to say "Thank you for Peace". If the opportunity arises (or you can make it happen) any time during the month of November, please encourage your child to say "Thank You" to a war veteran or soldier. 

There will be at least one opportunity at school on November 11 to actually thank a soldier, as each class will have a guest soldier visit.


We wish to express our THANKs FOR PEACE  /  MERCI POUR LA PAIX to all those who serve(d) and contribute(d) to the wonderful peace we enjoy in Canada.

THURSDAY, NOV. 6 - PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS

In case you did not notice on the letter, all interviews will be held in the gym. 



Please be aware that interviews are scheduled in 10 minute blocks. 





If you have any other questions or concerns, we will be happy to meet with you (as always) at a later date. 

CHILLY unexpected FIRE DRILL today!

Dear Parents and Guardians,   

If your little one tells you that they went outside without a coat and wearing their indoor shoes, they are telling the truth!


One of the little JK's decided to do his own "inquiry" today ---- "Hmmm... I wonder what this does?"--- After he pulled the fire alarm and heard the bell, he tried to put it back in the hopes of turning it off.  (No such luck!)  It was near the end of our "Quiet Time" and several children were asleep.  So it was quite exciting! (*especially for the teachers)! 

It was chilly outside but because the law dictates that we must wait for the Fire Dept. to give the "All clear!", we were not able to re-enter the school for several minutes. The most important thing is that everybody is safe and has now experienced one more drill practice before the snow flies.

We only ask that you discuss the importance of staying away from the fire alarm switches to avoid this happening again as next time it might be a freezing snow storm!  

Thank you so much for your ongoing support!


PS. Enjoy the "Family Halloween Dance" tonight!   We look forward to our Halloween Costume Parade in the morning and we wish everyone safe Trick or Treating tomorrow night!

Blankets to be Washed

We will be sending home the children's blankets tomorrow to be washed over the weekend. 

We will send them home on the last Friday of each month for this purpose. 



Please remember to send them back with your child on Monday so they have something to curl up with during Quiet time.

End of October NEWS

PROGRESS REPORTS:
Your child's Kindergarten Checklist 
(- a teacher-created informal (not official) progress report) is being sent home this Friday!  Parent-teacher interview night is scheduled next Thursday, November 6. You will be able to book your own interview online, time slots between 3 to 5 pm or 6 to 8 will be available for those who feel they need to meet with their child's teacher.  This brief checklist summarizes teacher expectations at this point in the program. The online link and instructions are included with your child's Report.

WEAR HALLOWEEN COSTUME!
Please have your child wear their costume to school on October 31st. Include a bag to put the pieces into after the Costume Parade (@ 8:45am). If your child does not want to wear his/her costume then please encourage them to wear Orange and/or Black to mark the occasion. The "Costume Parade" means we line up dressed in our costumes then we march around the main hallways of the school while all the other students cheer us on. 

POPCORN DAYS
The monthly Popcorn Days start November 12th; this is an optional fundraiser project. Please return your order form, even if your child does not want any popcorn. FYI: Most students have ordered it and on Popcorn Day children who don't receive any often become upset. Please explain this situation to your child so they are prepared.

Still awaiting a (4x6) FAMILY PHOTO from each child. Please send it in as soon as possible! 

DES MOTS d'Octobre

LES MOTS D'OCTOBRE

L'Automne: 
- la (les) feuille(s) / tomber
- Il fait froid. / Il vente.
- jaune / rouge / orange 
 rose / vert / brun





le squelette - skeleton
le fantome - ghost
la sociere - witch
la citrouille - pumpkin
le feu-follet - jack-o-lantern
le monstre - monster
l'araignee - spider
la chauve-souris - bat
la lune - moon

Last chance for PHOTO-ORDERS! POPCORN ORDERS due Friday!

LifeTouch school photos were due today - October 20! 


Please note, you can probably still get your order into the school's main order envelope if you get it in no later than Wednesday!  
(However, you may have to pay a late fee.)

Please don't forget about our class REQUEST for a (4x6) FAMILY PHOTO - to be sent in as soon as possible! (No later than the end of the month please.) 

POPCORN ORDERS 
due FRIDAY!

Most children order popcorn and we don't want anyone to miss out on submitting their order in time for these much anticipated Popcorn Days! 



Please send in your order by Oct. 24.

WALK-ATHON Thursday Oct 16!

The walk-athon is an annual fund-raiser.  School Council and parent volunteers run the event... so thank you to all those who volunteered!

Grades 1-6 will be walking between 9 - 10:30 and the 3 Kindergarten classes will begin walking at 10:45 and afterwards go straight to their regular outdoor recess.

_____________________________________________
    
For Your Information:


We will also be practicing a school lockdown on Thursday afternoon.

We do not offer any kind of detailed explanation about why we practice this. 
If asked we say something vague like, "In case a dog came into school and we didn't know whether it was a friendly dog or not, we will hide so the dog will just go away."  We don't want small children becoming afraid, so please play it down.