Aurora Borealis, the Kindness Bear

We have a new class mascot, a small white polar bear who watches for kindness through the day. At 3 o'clock we get together on the carpet and tell her what kind things people have done for us that day. She will also be visiting your houses to get to know the children and have some imaginary adventures. She will come to your house sometime in the next few months, with her travel journal. You can take pictures of her adventures, draw and write a short story in her book about her visit to your house. She can stay about 3 days with you and then please send her back to school to tell us about her trip. We are starting at the end of the alphabet with the W last names and working backward to the A last names. The class is very excited about this project. We hope you enjoy it too!

Here is a link to a kindness calendar with ideas of kind things to do each day:

http://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Random-Acts-of-Christmas-Kindness-Printable-Calendar-for-Kids.pdf

What We Do Each Day

If you would like to either prepare your child for the day or find out how his or her day went, here is our schedule:

9:05  Come in, take off boots, put lunch on cart
9:06  Cubbies
9:07  Quiet reading on the carpet/ Attendance
9:15ish O Canada
9:20   Dancing Time
9:30  Circle Time;  Songs, Story, Lessons
10:00  Centres, including snack, blocks, math, printing, art and sensory bin
10:50   Gym
11:30  Washroom 
11:35  Centres/ Library each Friday
12:00   Lunchtime
12:40ish Dressing for Outside Play
1:00  Outside Play
1:30  Relaxation Time
2:00  French (Days 2 and 4)/Quiet Centres
3:00  Tidy Up, Dressing for End of Day
3:30  Go to Dismissal spots

We are on a five day schedule, Days 1 to 5. Here is the link to the corresponding calendar as the days move around a bit if there are PD days or holidays.  
http://www.broadviewps.ocdsb.ca/index.php?id=19

Festivals of Light, Celebrations of the Human Spirit

                             


We have begun our unit on Festivals of Light. We began with learning about why it is getting so dark outside so early. We will talk about the seasons and how the sun makes the seasons. Then we will learn about different celebrations around the world that use light at this time of year. Of course, there is a connection! If you have any books or decorations from your family's celebrations they are very welcome. The children can show the class what they bring in as a little informal Show and Tell. Please make sure their names are on everything that comes in so we can return them! Our unit will include  Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanzaa as well as the native story of how Raven brought the light. It should be a special unit with lots of wonderful stories and some extra spiffy crafts.

Pattern Party

Friday, November 14th is our Pattern Party. The children can wear as many different patterns as they can put on. Mix and match the pattern on shirts, pants and socks; the more patterns the merrier. At school we will be wearing some lovely dot crowns and graphing the number of patterns we are wearing and generally celebrating all our work on patterns.

Putting the Clocks Back

Some parents may notice that the time change is really affecting your child. We are seeing more tired children at school this week for sure! It seems that their inner clocks are still on the old time so they often wake up at the old time. The problem is that they are staying at school for what is to them an extra hour. Also, if they go to bed at the new time they are staying up for an extra hour, which can be a lot when you are so little. So this note is to ask you to consider gradually moving them from the old time to the new time by putting them to bed at their old bedtime for a few days, then gradually adding a few more minutes each night. Just a suggestion if you see they seem extra tired!

Picture Re-Take Day and Class Picture Day Wednesday!!!

Please remember that tomorrow is the class picture day and the day for re-takes. Please let me know if you want a re-take so I can get them done. So far I have just heard from Simon's family. Thanks!!