Math buddies week two

Photo Day Tomorrow

Today ended in a whirlwind with us in the computer lab trying to work out some kinks with computer logins, and setting up drive accounts.  As a result, we did not do agendas at dismissal, but if we had, we would have made note of two things.  First, tomorrow is PHOTO DAY.  Secondly, there are still outstanding Terry Fox forms that need to be returned.  The pledge forms don't need to come back until after the run, but we need the forms in by Wednesday so we know that everyone will be able to make the trip for the run.  

There have been some issues on the playground with Pokemon cards.  Before this becomes a widespread problem I will be urging the students in our class to not bring these to school, or if they do, to remember that they are not for trading, or giving away.  They can look at them, play with them, but each student returns home at day's end with what they came with.  

Finally, please let me know if you are going to be able to come along on our trip to the park for phys ed on Thursday.  We had many parents volunteer on the forms, but last week we almost had to cancel the trip due to volunteers not showing up for the walk to McKellar.  That would have been too bad as the trip was really memorable, and a good team builder (we put on over 6 km with the walking and running according to my phone's tracker!).  

The class is doing very well, and people are working hard to come together as a community.  We are working daily on how to be active listeners during discussion times, but some of us are having troubles with letting others share their thinking.  It is an ongoing project, and we will improve on this daily I am certain.

I hope to see many of you out for the Terry Fox event Friday!  Our class will be leaving early to help set it up, so if you are coming along, please be at the school for 10:40 at the latest, as we will leave right at that time (hopefully).

Regards, Ray

What a day!

The students from Room 211 deserve to be tired tonight I will tell ya!  My phone was in my pocket, and it registered almost 6km during our trip to McKellar park.  That would be total distance, including all of the running back and forth on he field, as well as the 3 km that we travelled to go and come from the park.  It was a beautiful day to get outside and do some running, and everyone showed off their ultimate frisbee skills on one way or another.  

The best part for me was seeing the class bond over the shared activity.  The conversations on the way there and back were well worth listening in on!

We have a couple of pieces of simple artwork on the go, and our afternoon was spent working on those.  The morning was busy with some number talks on using addition to subtract, and exploring some number facts about Terry Fox.

It was a full, and fun day overall.  

Intro to Tchoukball and Math buddies

This week I introduced the class to the international sport of Tchoukball.  After working with the rebounders a bit on Monday, we went over the object of the game today and played a short session.  Everyone is really interested in trying it again.  Check out the overview in this quick tutorial...

Today was our first session with our new math buddies.  We helped them to measure their height with yarn and UNIX cubes, and posted their work in their class.

Dovercourt Dynamos!

Today's trip to Dover court was a hit! We walked the one kilometre there much quicker than the one kilometre back, and I'll put that down to the energy that we expanded while we are running on the grass. After arriving at the park we broke into pairs and did some hand eye manipulation activities with the throwing discs (frisbees).  We then worked in some running and catching activities, and attempted a few Frisbee games. The frisbee flip race worked out fairly well. Frisbee tag, designed to teach some basics of ultimate frisbee, may need a little bit more work before we can try it again. We will be working on learning some of the basic concept of ultimate frisbee in the coming days, so that when we travel to McKeller Park next week we will be able to just get out there on the grass and run run run.

It was a high-energy day, partially because of the excitement that came from our science activity at the park. We discussed some of the basic concepts of how molecules fit into solid liquids and gases.  We then used our understanding of how these molecules behave in the states to launch water rockets in the park in teams of four. It took a little while for the students to fully grasp what the fuel was that powered these rockets (they filled them with water and pumped and air).  Ask your child to tell you what they discovered.

I last block of the day we spent talking about targeting techniques in media literacy, and looking at print ads to determine who they were targeting. Again with the high energy type of day we had it was a very chatty class who was discussing these topics, which meant we had to revisit how to line up for dismissal a couple of times. I am sure thatdidn't put a damper on the day in general, and they will come home with lots to tell you about our trip. For our first field trip I would say it was an overwhelming success sunny skies,sunny attitudes, and lots of smiles.

New classmates...and week 2

I just got home from the school, where I was helping a few of our newest classmates settle into their accommodations in Room 211.  I have had a set of class firebellied toads with me ever since I started at Churchill in 2003 (I used to blame it on Shannon, who I took over for during her Mat leave, as she had promised her class a pet...and then left to have a baby!).  The first two lived on the third floor of Churchill for over 12 years, travelling home with families to spend breaks, and summer vacations, but always coming back.  More were added to the tank, and some left us.  Right now we have three in our tank.  They are fun to watch, and great to listen to during quiet times when they sing.  
Check out some pictures below.  The class will be very excited when the arrive in the morning, as there have been constant questions about when they will be coming in.  They are quite well known in the school I guess.
On a related note, I am looking for a volunteer, or two, who are willing to make a commitment to bringing in 2 dozen crickets each week.  As long as it is consistent, it doesn't matter which day, or what time of the day.  If there is anyone picking up crickets for a pet at home, would you mind getting an extra dozen for us?  I have a cricket cage that could travel home once a week to bring them in if needed.
Let me know if you can help us out with this.

We are settling into a routine now that we are on Week 2, and our first real Monday has come and gone.  In junior there is much more focus on independence and initiative in learning, so I am trying to set up some consistent activities to help develop these skills in the class.  So far they are responding well to the use of the agenda board, and this is getting most of them pointed in the right direction during transition times.  I have given each student a light grey agenda notebook.  They divide it into three columns where they record the date, the day's activites/agenda (to give you a list of talking points which can be used to engage in the conversation at home about school) and a list of notes for keeping up to date on events and messages from the school.  Please look for this in your child's backpack each afternoon when they come home.

This is a reminder that we are walking to Dovercourt on Thursday, at 10:40, for a Phys Ed session in the park, on the grass, where we can run, and fall, if we need.  I am hoping that we get at least three volunteers for the walk over and back (we will return before 12:40 nutrition break).  Everyone is being reminded daily that they will need running footwear, a water bottle, and weather appropriate clothing.

We are looking for the main idea in stories, fables, videos and songs right now.  Our latest video is one that we viewed last week, and we will view it again to help collect information and develop some statements of the main idea.  The students are really getting the hang of it.  We are trying to ensure that evidence is also something noted when stating the idea (what made you think this is the main idea?).  Here is the most recent video we shared...

Day 2! Milkshakes for everyone!??

Well, it seemed like a long shot. When I was asked what the chances are of everyone bringing in all those forms in one day, I said that it wasn't likely that more than two students would return that many forms.  They challenged me with the idea that everyone would bring them in, so I responded with "if all the forms are in after just one day....it'll be milkshakes for everyone - on me!"  Needless to say that not all the forms came in (whew!), but wow, we did get a slew of them this morning.  If your forms have not all been returned, please try to look at Friday as the date they should be in by.  We don't want the collection of these to drag on much longer than that.

Despite the disappointment at lost milkshakes, today seemed to go quite well.  We dove into number talks, math journals, personal journals, summarizing, and main ideas, as well as our time in French, and with Owen in music.  It was a full day, but their stamina is increasing and there were fewer tired looking faces this afternoon.

  

In language we looked at summarizing in three parts (beginning, middle, and end) and identifying the main idea by looking at a short video clip.  Check the link below.  It is powerful, and I made personal connections afterwards for the class to assure them that this type of thing happens for students around the world.  They had a lot to say, and there were some great statements.  The overall idea that we should 'not judge a book by its cover' was shared by a few students, but others went further to talk about how you should never give up, even when things seem difficult, and the discussion went on.  I would say that the class is finding its voice, and that is really promising at this stage of the first week.

I am sending students home with an agenda/notebook today.  It is a way to connect with what your child is doing in class.  I hope to have them write down what they have done each day in it, so you have some connection to the class.  Any notes/reminders needed will also be recorded in there.  If you have any questions, please use this as a  means to send quick notes in to me each day.

Here comes day 3!

The value of school

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojatpjPOOEQ

Day One Success!?

Well, as I reflect on the first day of class, and I try desperately to catch some breath following the sprint of the past 15 hours (three little children under the age of 6 makes before and after school as much work as during the day...probably more really!), I feel I should take a moment and share some of our adventures with you....
The introductions started in the schoolyard, and continued during our first carpet session in class.  We have a great looking group of learners in Room 211 this year, and it quickly became apparent that they were both able to take things seriously, and to get a bit silly when asked to.  This bodes well for the months ahead.
After some intros, and a stint with Shellie Matthews, the class' French teacher for the year, we spent a lot of time settling into the class, sharing some about ourselves, and sharing some hopes for the classroom atmosphere for the coming months.  We were able to look for some inspiring words, and ideas to help give us inspiration for the days to come.  One video we looked at is below, and we used it to spark some discussion about main ideas, and how to support them.  Students watched most of the quick video, and then stated what they think the main idea of this video is, or why I chose to share it with them.  It started slow, with one student saying that the basic idea is that failure leads to success, and evidence from the video was used to support this idea.  Then slowly hands went up.  Another student said that the idea was that failure might make some people give up, but if you want to really get anywhere in life, you need to keep trying, that will guarantee success in the long run.  A few students worked out the idea that you should never quit...and soon ideas were flowing from all parts of the room.
We finished off by looking for other words and ideas of inspiration.  Students helped us get the Chromebooks dusted off after a long summer, and everyone was able to log in to do a quick google search, and collect their own inspiring words to be used tomorrow.  Overall the day flew by.  I know it is the honeymoon period, but today was a pretty good start I would say.
Please check your child's bag for an endless collection of forms.  Two purple sheets are the newsletter from me (also posted on our blog www.alternativeschooladventure.blogspot.com), and two green sheets are the concussion and permission forms for our first class outing next week! (come on volunteers!).  Then there is a multi coloured package of forms from the office, a calendar, scholastics catalogues, and a chromebook agreement (white form).  The Chromebook form is a users agreement, being filled out by all students who will be using the Chromebooks this year.  It must be filled out before regular use of these can commence.  I will talk more about this in the class meeting (Sept 20, not 19 like printed in your newsletter before they changed dates!) but the Chromebooks will be used intermittently, for specific purposes, so don't worry about drastically increased screen time!
I think that is it.  Check out the video below.  I will try to share these whenever they are used in class, so you have talking points to share with your children.  Here we go for day 2!
Regards, Ray

Our First Day Class Newsletter...

Yo! Yo! Yo!  Students and family of Room 211, class of 2016-17!   September is here and it is time to get things rolling on an exciting new year at Churchill Alternative.  There is a busy year ahead of us, and I am ready to start on our adventures in learning.

The summer was a busy one for me, as I taught summer school in July, while Arlo, Otis and Oscar spent their time at parks, museums, and riding bikes with their mom.  In the afternoons Jenny, the boys, and I would typically head out for a hike at mud lake, the beach, or down to the river to catch frogs and crayfish.  Highlights of the summer for the boys were trips to the Aquatarium in Brockville, as well as to Niagara Falls, Canada’s Wonderland, and the Toronto zoo.  A few visits with friends and family kept us busy for the rest of the summer, and now here we are, back and ready for school.

To get a quick run down of some important items to be aware of in the opening weeks of the school year please read the following, or check it all out on our class blog at www.alternativeschooladventure.blogspot.com, and contact me if you have any questions.

Class Meeting

We all know that education at Churchill relies heavily on the partnership between the school, the student, and the home so in order to start the year off on the same page, parents are strongly encouraged to attend the class meeting on Tuesday, September 20th, 2016, in the morning.    This is the same morning at she school wide Family Breakfast, and class meetings will be taking place in all rooms at this time.  Our room is number 211, at the east end of the second floor hallway.  You can get acquainted with our room and the way in which things will run over the course of this year.  Items of discussion will be; volunteering in the classroom, field trips, guest speakers, overnights, curriculum topics, homework, and general information.  All parents are encouraged to attend this event as it is a great way to bring up ideas/concerns, and get to know the other families that are a part of our Room 211 community.  I look forward to meeting you all.

Class Blog – www.alternativeschooladventure.blogspot.com

Our class blog is one of the most effective ways to stay informed with what is going on in our class (short of stopping in regularly).  On it the students and I will post everything from important dates and assignments/handouts, to artwork and pieces of the student’s writing.  I will try to send out reminders to check the blog when info has been posted, but you may just want to add it to your “favourites” folder and check from time to time.    This will take the place of regular newsletters for the most part.  Please let me know if you cannot access the site, or if you do not regularly have internet access and I can make alternate arrangements.

Forms

Inevitably the first week or two will be a time to read, sign, and return countless forms.  As repetitive as this seems it is a necessary administrative aspect of the start of school, and we need those forms to ensure that proper information is exchanged.  Please return these ASAP so that we can get this out of the way and get on with the year.

Nut Restricted

Just a reminder that Churchill continues to be a “Nut Restricted” school, in an effort to create a safe environment for a number of seriously allergic members of our school community.  More information is available through the office concerning the details of this policy, but basically the main item to be aware of are that students are asked to not bring food to school that contains nuts (especially peanut butter).  

Volunteers and Volunteer Co-ordinator

Yes we still welcome (and need) volunteers in grade 4/5.  It may not always be glamorous work, but it is always a valuable contribution that you make to our learning environment when you can find the time to join us in class. You are all encouraged to help out in class whenever possible.   If you have a particular strength or area of expertise (or a great connection) let Ray know so we can make use of it.  We are in need of one or two people who are willing to take charge of our volunteer and snack schedule on a month-by-month basis.  If you are able to help us out with this please let me know right away so we can start to organize the school year.

We are also looking for a math- strong volunteer who would be able to work with a math group once a week.

A read aloud program greatly benefits student literacy, and for many years I have had volunteers drop give time to sit and listen to students read.  Giving students this simple opportunity builds fluency, confidence, and overall literacy.  I will speak about this more at the class meeting, but let me know if you are able to share some time with us to help out with this.

Field Fun

We are booked in for the first class trip of the year next Thursday.  To compliment our Phys Ed program we are hoping to get in four dates in Sept/October when we will walk to Dovercourt, and McKellar Parks for field activities and games, including Ultimate Frisbee (best played on grass).  Our plan is to leave after morning recess, and return before second break (10:40 – 12:40).  Weather depending.  Please let Ray know if you can come along for any of these dates, as we need several volunteers for the walk there and back. (Sept 15, 22, 29, Oct 6)

Terry Fox Day

The Terry Fox Run is one of the most exciting, and memorable dates on the Churchill calendar.  It is a great community event that families always enjoy participating in.  Please look for forms and pledge sheets coming home.  Help us reach our goal.    This year we will hold our Terry Fox run on Friday, September 30th at Dovercourt Park.  Volunteers are needed for the walk over and setup.  More information will be on the way.

Group Snack As is the custom here at Churchill the students of room 211 will be participating in a group snack program, which will be shared during the first nutrition break.  The benefits to this are obvious in that you do not have to provide different snacks each day for your child, you just have to provide snack for the whole class once every 25 school days.  However there are some concerns that must be considered with a program such as this.  We will discuss diet restrictions in our class, but usually we have to consider that there are likely members of our class who are allergic to certain foods, or are vegetarian, etc.  The following dietary concerns were shared in our first circle meeting:

Following the “Healthy Snack” policies that the school promotes the students in past years made up some guidelines to keep in mind when choosing snack for the class.

-low sugar items -healthy foods high in vitamins -variety -focus on fruits and vegetables

If a relatively “sweet” snack is being provided it should be combined with another item such as carrot sticks, fruit pieces, cheese and crackers, etc.  

In the past we have had nearly one hundred percent participation in this program, but this does not mean that all must take part.  If you would prefer to send you child with their own snack each day, and not have them take part in the sharing of snack simply let me know and I will make sure that your child’s name is not on the schedule.  We will probably set a schedule from the second week of school, and try to arrange following months through the volunteer co-coordinators.

Shoes and Gym

Footwear that students use outside on the yard is not to be worn in the classroom, library, or gymnasium.  This is particularly an issue during the wet and winter months, but it is a practice that we will try to get used to from the beginning of the year.  Many of the students play in the sandy areas of the schoolyard at recess and lunch hour, and they carry in a considerable amount of sand, dirt, and stones on and in their shoes.  They all have hooks, and shelf space in our classroom to keep their shoes, and many decide that they want to have separate “gym” shoes and indoor shoes.  At no time are students to be walking without footwear in the school.  Regarding “gym” shoes, they must be shoes that can be laced up, are not worn for everyday use outside, and have non- marking soles.  This is standard practice for school gyms in order to provide a safe environment for participants.  If students feel so inclined to change before and after gym they are welcome to (this will be the policy in middle school).

Scholastic

Our first Scholastic Book Club order forms went home today, and is due Sept 16th .  By participating in the Scholastic program students get fantastic deals on popular books and Scholastic donates books to the classroom.  The general practice in our class is that two weeks is given between when the forms go home and when the last ones have to be handed in, and delivery usually takes two to four weeks after that date.

Dates of Importance

CASC Meeting September 13th  

Family Breakfast September 20th

Class Meeting September 20th

First Tree Family September 23rd

Terry Fox Run September 30th

Photo Day September 27th

PD Day October 7th / November 18th

Thanksgiving October 10th

Wish list

Not everyone can make it in to volunteer for various reasons, but often I am asked if there is anything else that they can do for the class.  Here are a few roles that need filling and items that we could benefit from.  Let me know if you are able to take care of any of the following “wishes”.

Feed the Frogs - Purchase a dozen crickets from a pet store every week for our class pets.

Class visitors - The next best thing to a field trip is a guest to the classroom.  If you are (or know) a musician, author, journalist, known athlete, etc. who would be willing to share with the class please let me know and we can arrange a visit.

Public Library Contact - Go online or in person to the Ottawa Public Library every few weeks and sign out/return books for class use based on the subjects being covered.

Laundry Service- We have towels, cloths, and a sofa cover that needs periodic washing.

Math Group Volunteer- Work with a group every week on math related activities.

Read Aloud Volunteers–  Give students in the class a chance to read out loud.

Hand Sanitizer - Our class pump of hand sanitizer sits by the door and gets well used around recess and at other times during the day.  Refills are needed two or three times a year.

Magazines - We have a dwindling supply of old magazines for projects.  New ones to read, or older ones to cut up, would be appreciated.

Regards Ray Kalynuk      

and the students of Room 211