Week #11: Nov. 14th - 18th

Dear Families,

As I write this blog update, my heart's bursting with JOY!!  The highlight of my week was meeting with most of my students' family members!  

Thank you (parents) for taking the time to attend, celebrate, and enjoy all your child's academic, social, and emotional achievements thus far in the school year!  

The conferences are one of my most favourite times of the year as I get to connect with families!!  This year was extra special as we got to meet IN PERSON after two years!!  

You (parents) are making such a significant difference in how and what I teach on a daily basis.  I am in awe of the remarkable child(ren) you're raising who I have every confidence will take care of our future and the planet.

During the student-led conferences, I was extremely proud of all my learners as they clearly, confidently, and calmly led his or her conference by sharing their self-assessment (Progress Report), personal goals, Remembrance Day message, and their gratitude artwork.  It was your child’s chance to shine and they certainly lit up our hearts and minds, didn't they!?!  Absolutely :) 

As you could sense, your child worked exceptionally hard in class to prepare for this special experience.  They practiced with their peers in a mock conference to get diligently prepared :)  

Check us out below practicing for the conferences!!

Throughout the conferences, I experienced some heart-warming moments with parents and I really appreciate and value all your positive and constructive feedback.  

I will use it to continue to provide my best as an educator for your child's academic, social, emotional and behavioural needs.  Meeting the needs of my students is of utmost importance to me and I will always work hard to ensure they receive a compassionate, caring, and safe environment to learn in.  

Again, thank you for your continued support, cooperation, and understanding.  If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the school or via email pgill@scdsb.on.ca

BULLYING PREVENTION WEEK:

Did you know that the third week of November is dedicated to Bullying Prevention?  This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart as your child's teacher because I have faced racism first hand as a youngster, and unfortunately, even as an adult.

To help show my students just how important this cause (bullying prevention) is to me, I shared my personal experiences of being mistreated by my peers because of the colour of my skin.  

Please know, I want to be real and authentic with my students and how important it is to me that we all ACCEPT and EMBRACE others for who they are and never judge others based on their race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc ...  

These are the hands of my friend Lindsay and I hiking up 6th street, we found this heart!
"Love is the key to the world's problems."

MY STORY:

As a youngster, I attended Connaught Public School in the late 1980's and 1990's, many of the students there at the time didn't have experience with children of colour and didn't know how to relate to me.  

Unfortunately, each day in grades 2 and 3, I would come home hurt and crying because I was "different."  I would want to wash away my brown skin so I wouldn't stand out.  I desperately wanted to fit in with the other white kids and take the "brown away."

But then in grade 4, my life changing teacher Mrs. Boucher entered my life!!  She was the first person who made me feel that I MATTERED.  Mrs. Boucher helped me see my differences as my strength (my SUPERPOWER) and that I should never be ashamed of who I was (a Sikh Canadian).

Mrs. Ann Boucher (my champion, my HERO)

From grade 4 onwards, I became proud and confident in my OWN SKIN (see photo below).  Can you see the difference in my smile?  In my grade 2 and 3 portrait, I may have been smiling on the outside, but as a 4th grader, I'm genuinely smiling on the INSIDE TOO!!!  I now stand tall and proud to be an Indo-Canadian.

Thank you Mrs. Boucher for compassionately helping me through the pain and instilling the value of resilience in me!!  Despite the hurt, I never gave up on myself because I had you in my life.  

I knew from a young age of 9 that I wanted to be a change maker like Mrs. Boucher.  My greatest dream has been to help children BE PROUD OF WHO THEY ARE and use their differences as their superpower because EVERY CHILD MATTERS!!  

As a result of my hardship, I have made it my goal/mission to ensure that my students do not go through what I did.  I want to help my students BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE ... EVEN WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING!  In class, we regularly talk about celebrating our differences and IT'S OK TO BE DIFFERENT!!     

I am reinforcing the importance of creating, building upon, and maintaining happy hearts in and out of our classroom.  Your child's caring and compassionate ways are appreciated beyond measure!! 

Our Community of Learners Agreements that are posted at the front of the classroom help guide us every day - Attentive Listening, Mutual Respect, NO PUT DOWNS, Right to Participate, Right to Pass.  

We also regularly refer to these agreements as a reminder for us all to treat our peers, friends, and family with kindness, dignity, and respect.  I feel this will help in creating a happier, safer, and more caring world.

I believe in all my students and their abilities to reach out to do their part in making a positive difference for our today and tomorrows ... together we can help put an END TO BULLYING!!

WRITING:

My passion for bullying prevention connected to our language focus this week too!  In class, I read aloud a story called "The Bully."  

After sharing this book, students worked on using a Venn Diagram to sort and classify the similarities and differences between the main character of the text (the bully) to themselves.

As a whole group, we brainstormed adjectives to help describe a bullied child and how bullying impacts them.  We also wrote a message / letter to a bullied child expressing our feelings and letting them know that THEY MATTER.  

These completed sheets will be coming home in the next little while for you to see up close and personal.  Stay tuned!

BYSTANDER:

Through our anti-bullying discussions that we’ve had in class, we also learned about the term "Bystander" and what it means. 

A bystander(s) is a person or group of people who see bullying happening yet don't do anything to help.  In other words, they witness the bullying and walk away which ultimately continues and promotes this unkind cycle.  Please listen to the story below to learn more.

As you all know, our class is a caring and compassionate community of learners and it is our hope we will continue to be so and encourage each other as well as other students in our school about the importance of NO PUT DOWNS!

MATH:

This week, we wrapped up our learning in Geometry & Measurement!  If the students are in class, we will complete an assessment for this unit on Monday.  A math review sheet was sent home earlier with practice questions.   

Below, I have posted a video we watched in class which I would like your child to revisit and share with you what they know about prisms and pyramids.  Try out the activity presented in the video!  

Ask:  What makes a prism a prism?  What makes a pyramid a pyramid?

Our next unit in math will focus on Patterning & Algebra!

Specific Expectations:

• Identify, extend, and create a repeating pattern involving two attributes (e.g., size, colour, orientation, number), using a variety of tools (e.g., pattern blocks, attribute blocks, drawings) (Sample problem: Create a repeating pattern using three colours and two shapes.)

• Identify and describe, through investigation, number patterns involving addition, subtraction, and multiplication, represented on a number line, on a calendar, and on a hundreds chart (e.g., the multiples of 9 appear diagonally in a hundreds chart)

• Extend repeating, growing, and shrinking number patterns (Sample problem: Write the next three terms in the pattern 4, 8, 12, 16)

• Create a number pattern involving addition or subtraction, given a pattern represented on a number line or a pattern rule expressed in words (Sample problem: Make a number pattern that starts at 0 and grows by adding 7 each time.)

• Represent simple geometric patterns using a number sequence, a number line, or a bar graph (e.g., the given growing pattern of toothpick squares can be represented numerically by the sequence 4, 7, 10, …, which represents the number of toothpicks used to make each figure)

• Demonstrate, through investigation, an understanding that a pattern results from repeating an action (e.g., clapping, taking a step forward every second), repeating an operation (e.g., addition, subtraction), using a transformation (e.g., slide, flip, turn), or making some other repeated change to an attribute (e.g., colour, orientation)

The math note with the learning goals will come home next week in your child's agenda bag!  Stay tuned :)

GRAMMAR:

This week, we learned all about NOUNS!  We identified the difference between 2 types - common and proper nouns.  Ask your child the difference between the two.  

We worked on this in class and the children are becoming more clear and confident with this grammar rule. 

When you have time, please review the sheets that came home to help further reinforce this concept.  Many thanks!!

MAGIC OF CHILDREN'S ART:

On Tuesday (if we're back in class learning), we are scheduled to have an artist visit our classroom to do an art lesson with the kids.  

I had the pleasure of having Shandelle (photo below) work with my class virtually last school year so it's exciting that we can have her in person as she's a very soulful, sweet, and sensational person who celebrates the arts each and every day!! 

I have requested that Shandelle leads an art task inspired by an Indigenous artist as this is yet another way that our class family is showing our RECONCILIATION & RESPECT towards our Indigenous Peoples :)

Shandelle will be showcasing Anong Beam and her work!  Can't wait!!!  Stay tuned :)

WATER BOTTLES & BOOMERANG LUNCHES:

A message from our principal Mrs. Mortimer.  As a school, we are requesting that all students please remember to pack and bring their reusable water bottle daily to help reduce the use of plastic water bottles.  The office goes through a significant amount of single use bottles.  This is not sustainable or environmentally friendly. 

Thank you for your support and understanding in this.

Additionally, our school is also encouraging students to pack litter less or to 'Boomerang Lunches.'  If it is feasible and ok to do so, we ask that students please take home all material from their lunches (e.g., wrappers, containers, peels, etc,...).  

The custodial staff is working towards trying to reduce garbage at school.  Again, thank you for your cooperation in this initiative.

MIELLE:

It has been a pleasure welcoming Mielle to our class family!  She is such a kind person and has transitioned very well and has been a wonderful addition.  We are grateful to have you back at Nottawa and hope you're happy too :-)

Looking forward to building and growing with you this school year!  Keep being wonderful YOU, Mielle!

MINDFULNESS:

Here is a speech by famous musician Ed Sheeran who shares his childhood experience to encourage all outsiders to stop being ashamed of their uniqueness, and to embrace their differences instead.

If you listen to his story and how he's overcome challenges in his life, I believe it'll leave you with an appreciation for this wonderful musician. 

As you listen to the video, please think about the following questions:  

What did you learn from Ed’s wise words? How can you incorporate them in your life?

In life, unfortunately more often than not, we will all experience some form of hurt because of who we are.  Don’t let others words get you down.  Easier said than done, but trust me, let’s embrace our quirks and BE OURSELVES!  

There is only one YOU, stand UP, and shout, “I am worthy!  I am happy just the way I am!”  Together, we can make a difference and accept one another as we are!

GROWTH MINDSET:

In class, we often discuss the importance of being in the present moment.  Being in the present moment, or the “here and now,” means that we are aware and mindful of what is happening at this very moment. We are not distracted by ruminations on the past or worries about the future, but centered in the here and now.

Meegwich,

Ms. Gill