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
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