Saturday, October 29, 2016

IT'S HALLOWEEN!

Please send your child to school already dressed in their costume.  (Dressing 110 children would be too crazy!) 

Also send a separate bag for all costume pieces to be placed into after the parade. (It may be helpful to include a list of the pieces.)  
The parade is a 2 minute walk around the school hallways while all the classes (Gr.1-6) cheer the Kindergarten classes! -- Usually shouting out: "Happy Halloween!"

Please note: Any sort of weapon-looking item is never permitted on school property!

Face masks are discouraged in favour of make-up.  Children have difficulty seeing through the mask and it gets very hot inside.

For the week of November 1-4:
We kindly request that Halloween candy not be sent to school beyond this week!

We are always trying to teach students about healthy life choices --- including both nutrition and dental care --- so we ask that you resume your regular healthy food choices for snacks and lunches no later than November 7.  {We would always encourage you to keep sweets, such as candy, soft drinks, etc.,  at home where parents can supervise quantity, frequency and dental care.}    

Thank you for your support in this regard.

Monday, October 17, 2016

OUR HALLOWEEN PARADE is coming!!


All Kindergarten students are invited 
to WEAR a HALLOWEEN COSTUME!

Please have your child wear their costume to school 
on Monday, October 31st for a Costume Parade.  
Please include a bag for all the pieces of the costume.   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.


What is the "Costume Parade"? 

We line up dressed in our costumes and march around the main hallways of the school & all the other students cheer us on. (Only Kindergarten students are permitted to wear a costume, other grades can wear orange or black to mark the occasion. Your child can wear orange or black if they do not wish to wear their costume. 



POPCORN DAYS
The monthly Popcorn Days start in November; this is an optional School Council fundraiser project.   Please return your order form, even if your childoes not  want any popcorn. This option should be posted online shortly.


FYI: Most students do order.  Each Popcorn Day those children who don't receive any often become upset when their classmates get the treat bag and they do not; to avoid tears, please explain this situation to your child so they are prepared.

Many classes are still awaiting a (4x6FAMILY PHOTO from each child. Please send it in as soon as possible! 

WALK-ATHON this TUESDAY, OCT. 18.

The walk-a-thon is this Tuesday, October 18th.  It is an annual fund-raiser, where School Council and parent volunteers run the event... so thank you to all those who volunteer!

Grades 1-6 will be walking between 9 - 10:30 and the Kindergarten classes will begin walking at 10:30 am.
 (Rain or shine)  
You are welcome to join in the fun, if you are able.

_____________________________________________
    
(Also) For Your Information:


We will also be practicing a school lockdown in the next month.


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.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

OCTOBER NEWS

Dear Parents,

October is the best time of the year to explore and inquire about Fall and naturally discover the changes that this exciting, colourful season brings. Thanksgiving, colours, the cooler weather, and Halloween will be highlighted in our discussions.

French vocabulary will focus on these basic words:

autumn/ L’automne             Thanksgiving/ L’action de Grâce     turkey/ dindon           leaves/ les feuilles        red/ rouge            yellow/ jaune              brown/ brun            orange/ orange
      season/ saison                pumpkin/ la citrouille 
     ghost/ le fantôme              witch/ la sorcière

Please reinforce the connection between letters and sounds by reading with your child on a daily basis. Reading can include stories and any environmental print (i.e. cereal boxes).
In math, we often focus on patterning, counting and numeral recognition, which is reinforced via games. We will be introducing and experimenting with simple surveys and graphs, which means discussions on collecting and tracking information. Science activities will include a fall nature ‘expedition’ and leaf collecting. In religion, we reflect on the effects of God’s magnificent seasonal changes.  This month's gospel value focuses on good "citizenship".

Each month we will be introducing high frequency words (also known as "popcorn" words because they frequently ‘pop up’ in text). Some "popcorn" words could include: I, a, me, see and bus. Look for them in books, magazines and newspapers etc. at home. A magnifying glass can turn this activity into a wonderful hunting adventure!


A Halloween celebration will be held at school on Monday, October 31 st . On that day, the children are invited to wear a simple costume to school for our annual Halloween Costume Parade.  If your child does not wish to wear a costume, he or she could wear black or orange instead. Please avoid masks and remember that any and all weapons (even toys) are forbidden at school. Reinforcing healthy eating habits are ongoing, so we kindly ask that you avoid sending candy for your child’s snack beyond the initial few days following the excitement of Halloween.


We have requested each family make some ‘playdough’ to help replenish our supply on a rotating basis. The schedule and recipe was sent home in September and we thank those who have already sent in their contribution. Thank you so much for your participation.


School Council will be offering an opportunity for each child to receive a monthly treat - POPCORN (starting in November). We encourage every child to participate in this school fundraiser.

Please do not send your child to school if he/she is ill with flu, fever, or a very bad cold and always notify the office if your child ever contracts anything contagious. 

Thank you for a terrific start to our school year!  We wish all our families a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!


Sincerely,


The Kindergarten Teams