Dear Families,

Has spring sprung?!  Sure felt like it earlier in the week!  The warmer temperatures were a welcomed visit and students loved not having to put on all their winter gear ;)  The sunshine and warmth brought many smiles on the faces of students and staff alike :-) But something tells me, these temperatures aren't going to last, but hey, it is winter after all, and we are lucky to live in a place to enjoy all FOUR SEASONS!

Nordic Highlands Trip #2

Our second experience at Nordic Highlands was extraordinary!  We started our morning off with a science lesson about classifying animals into herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores.  We also learned the elements needed for survival such as food, air, water, and space.  Students then took this learning and applied it in a FUN and meaningful game of survival in the forest.  Ask your child about this experience!  

Many of the instructors shared with me that the students improved tremendously in their cross-country and snow shoeing skills from last week.  GREAT!  My face lit up upon hearing this, well done boys and girls, I am so proud of your growth!!!  Just wait until our fourth trip, kids will be flying down the trails on their XC skis and snowshoes!  

I would like to extend a huge thank you to our parent volunteer Mr. Richens (Jack’s Dad) for accompanying us on Tuesday.  His time, efforts, love, and support is appreciated!  You are a valued and cherished member of our school family! Thank you for being with US!

PINK SHIRT DAY:

Wednesday Feb. 22^nd was dedicated to promoting and acknowledging Bullying Prevention!  This is an issue that is near and dear to my heart and as your child's teacher, I am reinforcing the importance of creating, building upon, and maintaining happy hearts in and out of our classroom. 

Our Community of Learners Agreements help guide us every day - Attentive Listening, Mutual Respect, NO PUT DOWNS, Right to Participate, Right to Pass.  We regularly refer to these agreements as a reminder for us all to treat our peers, friends, and family with kindness, dignity, and respect.  I feel this will help in creating a happy, safe, and caring world.  I believe in all my students and their abilities to reach out to do their part in making a positive difference for our today and tomorrows ... together we can help put an END TO BULLYING!!!

Activity:  Happy to Scarred Hearts:

In our class, we did an activity to create an Awareness to how deeply affected one can be when they are put down and bullied.  First, we all drew a large heart on a piece of paper.  Next, we observed the 'Heart' and talked about how it was feeling.  Many replied, “Happy, loved, respected.”  Then, we crumpled the paper and placed it in front of us.  Finally, students opened up their hearts to see what it looked like.  Following this observation, we had a powerful discussion of how once you hurt someone's heart (feelings) you create "wrinkles or scars that remain with that person that are difficult to heal and bring back to its original happy state."  We also discussed the term "Bystander" and what it means.  A bystander(s) is a person or group of people who see bullying happening yet don't do anything to help.  In other words, they witness the bullying and walk away which ultimately continues and promotes this unkind cycle of hatred.

As a class we made a plan and signed "The Pledge to End Bullying" to help do our part!  My class is a beautiful, loving community of learners and it is our hope we will continue to be so and encourage each other as well as other students in our school about the importance of no put downs!  

In addition, I had the students create their own paper heart and write down a message using the following sentence starter:  “I will end bullying by …” Take a moment to ask your child what his or her statement is.

Here are some of the boys and girls responses!  Look at ALL the powerful thoughts!  We talked about the importance of now putting our thoughts into our words, and more importantly into OUR ACTIONS.  It is OUR actions which can ultimately help put a stop to bullying.

"I will end bullying by NOT being a bystander.  I will help out others when they need it."

"I am not a stand by person.  I am a STAND UP person!"

"I will end bullying by talking to the bully and telling them it's wrong."

"I will end bullying by being a do something person, not a bystander.  I won't watch it happen.  I will stop it from happening!"

Character Recognition Assembly:

On Friday, we had a school-wide Character Recognition assembly celebrating February's character trait which is Inclusiveness - "We always include others in our play, we never send people away."  I selected two students for this award, but could have easily picked numerous others as the children in my classroom have been working hard at being inclusive, most have schema (background knowledge) for not being included, so everyone is doing their personal best to ensure others feel welcome!  Congratulations to Jakob and Lola for receiving the Inclusiveness award!  Well done you two J  I know your families are so proud of you too!

Lion King Jr.
A friendly reminder that we will be taking the students to see the Lion King Jr. production on Tues. next week.  If you haven't already done so, please pay, sign, and return the permission form by Mon. If you wish to pay online, please do so by MIDNIGHT tonight as the school cash online system will close by 12:01am.  Thanks so much!

The production should be an excellent one put on by Admiral students!  I'm excited because the Lion King musical is my absolute favourite!  Please remind your child about behaviour expectations during a performance.  I will also be reinforcing expectations at school and have every confidence that my students will put their best foot forward! 

Growth Mindset:

“Embrace EVERY possibility!” Pierce

With All My Heart & Namaste,
Miss Gill  

Dear Families,

I hope you have an enjoyable Family Weekend!  It will be amazing to have that ‘extra’ day off on Mon. to spend quality time with all your loved ones.  I do my best to appreciate and value my time off with those that I care deeply about.  Here are some of the activities that I hope to get up to with my family and friends - go out for dinner at one of my favourite restaurants in Collingwood, trek through the woods on my cross country skis, drink delicious lattes by the fireplace, and get in as much relaxation as possible.  Wishing you all a tremendous weekend too with your dear child.  

Celebrating Valentine’s Day:

On Tues., we celebrated Valentine’s Day with our class community.  Thank you families who took time, energy, and love to purchase cards, gift bags, and yummy treats for all of US to enjoy!  I was deeply touched by all the gifts I received too, it meant a lot to me!

  

In class, we discussed the importance of demonstrating kindness, caring, and love in our daily actions!  We all agreed that we must celebrate LOVE (not just on Valentine’s Day) all year around, it is what makes the world brighter and beautiful.  I am a fortunate one to be surrounded with such loving students who care and are kind to one another.  It was heart-warming to watch your child give and receive unconditionally.

Grade 3 Bowling:

The Grade 3's had an absolute blast celebrating Valentine's Day at the local bowling alley.  This is an annual tradition which they all enjoy!  Thank you to the primary division for organizing this event for the children, it was a memorable experience.

Grade 4 Field Trip:

As part of our Physical Education (Active Living), Science (Habitats & Communities) and Health (Healthy Living) learning, our class is participating in various activities up in Duntroon at Highlands Nordic.  I am so delighted we are having this experience as it is purposeful, meaningful, and FUN!  Many snow-shoed and cross-country skied for the first time, it was a highlight seeing some of my students stepping outside of their comfort zone and persevering with these challenging activities!  I love sport and the outdoors, but I have to be honest, skiing and snow shoeing are not something that I have a lot of experience with so I found myself having to step outside my comfort zone as well.  I think this was a blessing in disguise as students connected with me, and we all persevered as a team!  Here are a few pictures of our Nordic FUN!

REMINDER: Our next trip to Highlands Nordic is this coming Tues. after the Family Day long weekend!  If you can, please provide your child with extra socks and mitts/gloves as we are outside all day and want to ensure students are warm and dry.

Magic of Children's Art Show:

Visit the Art Show from Mar. 4th - Apr. 28th: 

Bring your family and friends to see the show during regular library hours!!  You can admire your child's art work displayed along with their peers and other children's art from area schools.  It is a spectacular display honouring the magic of childrens' art and one you must check out if you can!!

Library Hours of Operation:

Monday to Thursday: 10:00am to 9:00pm

Friday: 10:00am to 8:00pm

Saturday: 10:00am to 5pm

Sunday: 1:00pm to 4:00pm

Report Cards:

This evening your child will have brought home their Term 1 report card.  I thoroughly enjoy writing these as it gives me the opportunity to intently reflect and think about all the wonderful achievements your child has attained!  We all have next steps, including ME, and I have stressed to the children that it is important to remember to celebrate ALL their achievements and that we always strive to reach our individual potential.  Goal setting is another important aspect of our learning and I had them set goals for the next few months.  Take a moment this weekend to ask them what their individual goal(s) is.  One more term left, I can't believe I'm writing this!!  Time flies when you're having FUN!!

Growth Mindset:

"Dream B-I-G!" -Tate

Namaste,

Miss Gill

Dear Families,

What an icy week we've had!  How many snow/ice days have we had so far?!  I'm happy that bus companies take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of ALL SCDSB students.  I hope everyone stayed safe on the roads and asphalt.  It is very easy to slip and fall, so please take care.  We are fortunate that our custodians to their best to ensure that our portable steps and surrounding areas are well salted to help prevent a fall.  Enjoy your weekend!

Artist Visit:
Thank you AGAIN Ms. Stewart for your excellent art visit and lesson with my students.  They are so thrilled to have you, and you have provided us all with your knowledge, expertise, and passion for the arts.  You are an inspiration to us!  We appreciate all of the time you took to organize materials and ideas for us to use.  We look forward to seeing you next week for the finishing touches - YAHOO!!

Custodian Appreciation Day:

On Wednesday, it was Custodian Appreciation Day!  It was a snow day so we didn't get to properly acknowledge this celebration, but I wanted to take the time to at least recognize them on here.  We are very lucky to have two very hard working custodians who take the time to ensure our school is clean every day.  I have shared with my students from the very beginning that custodian appreciation day is not one day, it is every day!  In our class, we ensure that we do our part by cleaning up after ourselves and always respecting their efforts.  Mr. Coutts and Mrs. Engel do their best to go above and beyond not only in their line of work, but their interactions and connections with our students is wonderful as well.  Thank you for all that you do, you make our school community a bright and shining ONE!

Grade 4 Social Studies Project:

The Grade 4's have been working hard on learning about Canada's provinces, territories, and the Great Lakes.  They are really enjoying this!  Now each student has chosen a province or territory of choice and is investigating and researching information about it. They are accessing online sources as well as non-fiction text to gather their information. Some students have really taken initiative and are working on this project at home too and recording their findings into their google drive accounts, way to go Tate, Lola, and Jack!  I will be giving lots of class time on this, but it is encouraged to also work on it at home over the weekends.  Thank you for your continued support!

Please note: Grade 3's are working on a Pioneer project with Mrs. O so they too are working on building their inquiry and research skills :)

GoNoodle Home Connection:
On Wed. I sent home a note about connecting the GoNoodle program at home so your child can enjoy it not just at school, but also with family!  Here is a handy link to access the site and connect to our class:  https://app.gonoodle.com/class-code/TE8XCR

Mathletics:
Usually twice a week, students access their mathletics account in class to work on math problems for extra practice on concepts I'm teaching.  It is a very useful tool to help build their confidence in math as well.  Just a friendly reminder to please have your child access the site over the weekends to complete the course work that I've assigned.  We are very lucky that our school has paid for this meaningful program!  To the students and families who regularly utilize this program, I know who you are and I appreciate it!  It is making a difference :)
www.mathletics.ca

Field Trip Reminders:
Next week, we have two different field trips to attend!  YAHOO :)  The Grade 3's will be going to the Bowling Alley on Tues. and the Grade 4's will be going to Highlands Nordic on Wed., YAY!  I remember as a child how excited I used to get for field trips, and I know my students share in my enthusiasm!  It's a great opportunity to engage in FUN new learning outside of school with other peers from different classes.  Parents, thank you for your online payments.  I know it can get expensive with everything you provide for your child.  Please know, I really appreciate your support in providing this experience for them!

Valentine's Day:
Valentines Day is on Tues. and if your child wishes to participate by making a card for his or her peers.  Below I've included our class names, I also sent home a class list with your child yesterday in their agenda.  Hope this is helpful in ensuring everyone is included:)

Riley, Graydon, Lola, Pierce, Kevin, Jakob, Isla, Wesley, Tate, Nathan, Alexis, Hannah N., Brock, Katelyn, Marissa, Jack, Tristan, Hannah W., and Hunter.

Growth Mindset:
Students are now eager to share their own growth mindset quotes with me which is fantastic and warms my heart!  On Fri. afternoon, Isla enthusiastically said, "Miss Gill I have something for our growth mindset, may I share it?"  My reaction was, "Of course Isla, I'd LOVE this!!"  If your child has a quote that he or she would like to share, don't hesitate to have them write it down and we can then post it in our classroom for everyone to benefit from!  I think you all can sense by now, I'm a huge fan of inspirational sayings ...yes, they are words, but if we can put these positive words in our actions we can make this planet even brighter than it already is!

"Try your best!  Don't give up!" -Isla

Namaste,

Miss Gill

Dear Families,

It’s my first post for February!  Where did those 5 months go?!  I can still vividly remember seeing your child’s bright smile entering the portable on my first day here :) I look forward to our next five months of purposeful, passionate, and peaceful learning together!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend with your loved ones and enjoy fun, interactive ways to enjoy this cool, crisp winter!

Artist Visit:

On Tuesday afternoon, we had the pleasure of having Ms. Stewart visit our classroom to do some art with us.  The students art focus is on celebrating Canada!  We will be entering these art pieces into the Magic of Children's Art at the local library when we've completed them - how exciting!!  We are lucky to have Ms. Stewart coming back on Tues. afternoon to work on the foreground of our paintings :)  Here are the students in art action ...

Groove Dancing:

On Wednesday afternoon, we welcomed a Groove Dance Instructor to our school to put on a dance workshop for students in K-8.  It was wonderful to see everyone engaged, expressive, and excited to partake in dancing to the beat and rhythm of their mind, body, and spirit.  Groove is an amazing program which encourages everyone to - "Step outside your comfort zone, take risks, BE WHO YOU ARE, and remember to BELIEVE IN YOURSELF."   

Thank you to Mrs. Kutcy for organizing this FUN workshop!  We appreciate the time and energy it took to organize this for our whole school.  You're a true rock-star NIGHTHAWK!!  Enjoy some of the groovin' pics!

Daily Physical Activity (D.P.A.):

As many of you are aware, students engage in daily Brain Gym exercises as a strategy to exercise, calm, and rejuvenate the parts of the brain and body so children can effectively use their brain power for meaningful learning.  The Helper of the Day leads brain gym with such poise and pride; it is a joy to see my students enthusiastically engage and benefit from it!

In addition to brain gym, we also participate in daily D.P.A. (daily physical activity) to get our bodies moving.  As a teacher, I strongly believe in creating healthy and active minds and bodies which helps students learn to their potential.  Children (and indeed adults) need to get UP and MOVING so the wigglies, and squigglies get an opportunity to shine and get out of our systems!

We have been using the GoNoodle program which is a fun and engaging site with a variety of exercises, stretching, and calming activities which we all LOVE.  To make it more FUN, we have been keeping track of our minutes (we've attained 451 minutes thus far) and printing off the characters we have achieved. Our goal by the end of the year is to achieve all the characters on GoNoodle.  I know we can do it!  

On Day 5's, we get together with Mrs. Shaw's Gr. 5/6 class to participate in a large group D.P.A. activity which everyone thoroughly enjoys as we get to know and play with our older peer group. Today for D.P.A., we played a big game of stones boys against girls.  Ask your child about this experience!  It was awesome :)

Field Trips:
Thank you to the families who have already signed, returned, and paid for the Gr. 4 trip to Highlands Nordic which is coming up mid-Feb.!  Don't worry Gr. 3's, we have a special trip planned for you too which will take place on Feb. 14th (Valentines Day).  Permission forms will be sent home in the agenda on Mon. so I'll keep you in suspense til then ;)

Yard Behaviour:
Mr. Perry said an important announcement today about keeping out of the puddles, school boundaries, and abiding by our policy of HANDS OFF.  Please speak to your child about the importance of these rules, and if they are not involved in this sort of behaviour (which many aren't :), have them encourage their peers to make good choices.  I have many wonderful leaders in this class who can help others make positive choices.  At Nottawa, it is our goal to ensure ALL children feel safe at all times.  If your child is involved in an issue which involves hands on or put downs, please don't hesitate to let me know via email, a note in the agenda, or a phone call as I don't always see, hear, or know what happens during unstructured times such as recesses.  I will always do my best to follow up to help my students.  Thank you so much for your understanding and support in this matter.

Growth Mindset:

"You are always beautiful even if you don't feel it."  -Jack

Namaste,

Miss Gill