Happy September to the students and
families of Room 211, class of 2019-20!
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 hold 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 (9, 7, and 4.5 years old) kept me moving from sun up to
sun down every day. We did a lot of day treks in places like the Lusk
Caves, the Luskville falls, Mud Lake, and a few camping trips to Lac
Phillipe. We also kept busy with trips
to Temagami, Niagara Falls, Haliburton, Toronto, and a few other places.
Also, along the way, there were several home renovation projects, and I even
found some time to read a few good books and play guitar from time to time.
I am looking forward to hearing about
all the summer adventures from the students in the coming days. Along
with summer stories, I am sending home some quick homework for students so that
we can all get to know each other a bit more. They will have a paper bag
to fill with 5 items that reflect their personality, interests, family,
etc. Anything they want to share, but
they will have to explain it a bit, and it has to fit in the bag (more or
less). Please help your child fill their bag and bring it back in the
first couple of days (it will take until Friday to have everyone share).
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.
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.
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 17th, 2019, from 6-7pm in
Room 211. 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, curriculum topics, practice work for
home, 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 many of you.
Communication/Agendas
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. They will see me at the start of the day and can
share this with me directly. We will
have our class agendas that we will use each day, and a note in there is a good
place to contact me. Phone calls to the office are a second line of
communication, but know that they will not call up to interrupt class
unless it is an emergency, and this means I might not collect the message
from the office until a break in the day, possibly even the end of the day, but
I will get it. When it comes to emails I am generally able to respond to
most within a couple of days. A mid
morning email asking to have little Sally ready for an early pickup for the
dentist will not be read in time to be of use.
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. We could use 2-4 people who could come in on a weekly,
or bi weekly basis.
Field Fun
We will be sending home permission forms very shortly for our first
field trips of the year. 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. When the forms
come home, 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. (We are planning
to go on Thursdays)
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 Thursday, September 26th at Dovercourt Park. Volunteers are needed
for the walk over and setup. More information will be on the way.
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 should have gone home today,
and are due at the end of next week. 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.
Important Dates to Note
Tuesday, September 17th - 6-7pm - Class
meeting in Room 211
Thursday, September 26th - 10:40-12:40
- Terry Fox Run @ Dovercourt
Monday, September 30th - Orange Shirt
Day (Raising awareness of residential
schools)
Friday, October 11th - PA day
Friday, October 25th - Photo Day at
Churchill
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, 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 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.
Stationary Bicycle - I have modified a stationary bike with a desk
surface, and would like to do the same with another one or two. If you
have one that you are getting rid of, please let me know, as we would make
great use of it in class. Not all
students can sit still for 6.5 hours a day in a classroom!
Regards Ray
Kalynuk
and the students of Room 211
