Reading buddies fun

We are reading buddies with the students in the bumblebee kinder class.  Ad you can see, It is a highlight of the week for both classes!

Tchoukball skill building ….

Music Class magic happening!

Tchoukball!!

 

Tchoukball is a court defence game, much like volleyball or tennis, where you have to keep the ball from hitting the court, after you throw it off rebounders.  There are no interceptions, and you must pass three times before you throw at the rebounder, so it really encourages inclusive play.  Ask your child what it is all about as we go through the process of learning and playing it in class over the coming weeks.  Today we played our first real games....and there were a lot of smiles.  

For those who want to know more...check out this video...

Here comes Week 2!

 

Well it was a whirlwind, but we made it through the first four days, and here we are looking at a our first full week ahead.  We have gone through the startup procedures, and everyone is pretty settled in, so this week will be a full one with our first looks at the regular schedule of subjects.  I will send home a copy of the weekly schedule in the coming days.  There will also be one posted on the google classroom.  Some students have logged on to the classroom already, for work they needed to do in class, but everyone else will be getting a chance to get on the classroom by the end of the week. 

Most students seem to have indoor shoes.  Just a reminder that these are needed so that we can keep our room clean and safe, and so that we can run and play on the gym floor safely.  Please make sure that your child has a separate pair of indoor shoes available as soon as possible.  We have space above their hooks to keep these at night.

An adjustment to the date I sent about Terry Fox Run is needed.  We had a conflict, so we moved it forward a day to Wednesday (Sept 27 I think?).  More on that will come along soon.

We started in with Uke club this past week, and there was so much interest, and excitement, that we will be performing at the morning breakfast on Wednesday.  Oh yeah...a reminder that the family breakfast is Wednesday morning.  Come and hang out and get the year started off right by having some morning snacks...

Uke club will be Wednesdays, with Guitar club on Tuesdays, starting next week.  Our class has music on Wednesdays.  Students who need to bring instruments fo these events can keep those days in mind.  This week, due to the breakfast performance, we will do Uke club again on Tuesday, and shift guitar club to later in the week (TBA).

Intramural sports will be starting off, as will cross country.  Students will meet to discuss those this week at a nutrition break.

Ask your child about their "Fakebook Page" their "Math about Me" page, or their emoji.  I am looking for leaders in the group, and I have had some nice surprises emerge already.  I am excited about the days and weeks ahead.  We are going to keep the positive momentum going.  

Come on Week 2!

Welcome Back September 2023!!

 Happy September to the students and families of Room 207, class of 2023-24!  You are receiving this email because your child is joining us on our academic adventure, with our class of grade 4/5 students in Room 207 this year.

 This is an exciting time of year for everyone involved in the life of a school aged child, and it is also a busy time, so take a look over the items in this letter, or refer back to it on our blog (see below for info on that) as it is easy to overlook things in the chaos of the first days of school.  This year is shaping up to be one that is filled with learning adventures, and I can’t wait to get going on our journey together.  

The past summer seems like a blur to me as my three young boys (13, 11, and 8.5 years old) kept me moving from sun up to sun down every day.  We did a lot of day treks in local places like the Luskville falls, or Gatineau Park, a camping trip to Tremblant Park, and a trip to Toronto and Niagara Falls for a week.  We also kept ourselves busy with projects around the house, such as a big landscaping project in our yard.  Of course I managed to squeeze in enough time to coach football for one son, and attend games for the other two.  This left me just enough time to read a few books, and play a bit of guitar along the way.

I am looking forward to hearing about all summer adventures from the students in the coming days.  

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 Blog – www.alternativeschooladventure.blogspot.com

Our class blog is one of the ways to stay informed with what is going on in our class (short of stopping in regularly).  On it the students and I will try to post everything from important dates and assignments/handouts, to photos, artwork and pieces of the student’s writing.  You can find a link to this at the bottom of  my emails.   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.

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.  I would typically host one the second week of school, but the past few years have been anything but typical.  I will let you know when the date and time, and format of the meeting will be as soon as I have confirmed details with the rest of the staff.

Communication

If you have information/questions that absolutely must be acted upon in a timely manner, I encourage you to send a note in with your child.   Phone calls to the office are a second line of communication.  When it comes to emails I am generally able to respond to most within a couple of days, and I will not check emails after the start of the school day, during class time,  until recess or after school if I have duty or a club.   If the message is something that must be acted upon in a timely manner (ie regarding dismissal/pickup) please do not rely on email communication.  Call the office and ask for a message to be relayed in those cases.

 

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 is that students are asked to not bring food to school that contains nuts (especially peanut butter).  If your child has a food related allergy, please let me know right away.  

Terry Fox Run Day

The Terry Fox Run is one of the most exciting, and memorable dates on the Churchill calendar.  It is typically a great community event that families always enjoy participating in, but this year we will again be holding it on site, and parents will not be allowed to join due to COVID protocols.  Even still, please look for forms and pledge sheets coming home.  Help us reach our goal.    This year we will hold our Terry Fox run on Thursday, September 28th at Dovercourt, with a rain date for the following Tuesday.  More information will be on the way.

Shoes and Gym  

Students will need to have a pair of indoor shoes to wear in class, and the gym starting from the first days of school.  Proper footwear for running and playing in the gym is needed from a safety perspective, and in class we prefer not to have outdoor shoes tracking sand, and dirt in our working space, so having footwear that they can switch out of for outdoor time is important.  If you can send that along with your child by the end of the first week, it would be appreciated. We have space in our cloakroom area for students to keep their indoor shoes.

Important Dates to Note

Thursday, September 28th - Terry Fox Run @ Dovercourt

Friday, September 29th - Orange Shirt Day (Raising awareness of residential schools)

Tuesday, October 11th - Photo Day

October 6th & November 3rd - PA Days

Wish list

Often I am asked by family members if there is anything 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”. 

Reading Program - Having students read aloud as often as possible is a great way to build literacy skills, and confidence.  I am looking for anyone who can spare some regular time to drop in and have students come out and read aloud to them in the hall.  It is a great way to get to know the class, and it gives the students a chance to build those reading skills.  I will talk more about this in our class meeting, but consider putting your name in to be one of the volunteers who supports our reading goals.  

Class virtual guest visitors - The next best thing to a field trip is a virtual guest to the classroom.  If you are (or know) a musician, author, journalist, known athlete, work in an interesting profession, or have an expertise you would like to share with the class please let me know and we can arrange a virtual visit.

Animal Support - Our class has a pair of firebellied toads who reside in a tank in the room, and a large aquarium that has struggled since the COVID shutdown, but is home to a shrimp, some snails, and some plants currently.  I am looking for some support with one or both of these, particularly some knowledgeable help for the fish tank.

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.

Regards Ray Kalynuk  and the students of Room 207