Week #13: Nov. 28th - Dec. 2nd

Dear Families,

Happy December!  It's the "most wonderful time of the year" and I've overheard some of the kids enthusiastically buzzing about their Elf on a shelf, creating their Christmas lists, writing letters to Santa, and all the other joys that this season brings! 

Although it is a magical time for many, we must not lose sight of those who who may be struggling mentally, emotionally, and financially during this time of year.  It looks differently for everyone. 

We regularly talk about the importance of ‘LIVING IS GIVING’ and we want to support those who may need some help this holiday season to make it a little lighter and brighter. 

Our class family is truly thinking about the feelings of others because we will be participating in a variety of activities and initiatives that will support important organizations such as Sick Kids, the elders at Sunset Manor, and My Friends House.

Please read on to find out the specifics on how we are going to graciously give back to those that need our time, attention, and donations the most.  Thank you in advance for your care, compassion, and contributions :)

NOTTAWA'S 12 DAYS OF GIVING:

Our school family is pleased to be supporting our local food banks and My Friends House.  We are hosting a 12 Days of Giving where Nottawa students, staff, and families may wish to bring in items for 12 days in December.  

Thank you to Mrs. Garvan and our school's Leadership Team for organizing the logistics of this.

A note will come home in the agenda on Monday with the wish list of items, but I have also posted an image below for your reference. 

DECEMBER'S CHARACTER TRAIT:

This month's character trait is Empathy.  This is a trait that is close to my heart and one that I want to reinforce and continue to do my part to help instill in my students.

When we are empathetic, we are thinking about the feelings of others.  This helps shift our mindset from a 'ME to a WE' perspective.  When we help others, it often makes us feel good too!  

The video below is informative in helping children (and adults) recognize the importance and value of empathy.  Give it a listen and at the end of it, talk about its message with your child :)

SANTA LEADS THE WAY TO EMPATHY:

Exciting news Nighthawks!  I have be in touch with Santa and he will be visiting our school on Thurs. Dec. 22nd!  YES, you read that correctly :-)  

I've arranged this for Nottawa in the past (prior to Covid-19), and it's great we can finally invite Santa back into our school oh so soon to show him how EMPATHETIC Nottawa's staff, students, and families are because we care about helping others!!  

Donations to My Friends House in Dec. 2019

Who better than Santa to understand the feelings and needs of others?  After all, this month's character trait is Empathy!!!

To help reinforce this trait, we are asking our Nottawa students to think about others, especially the people who may be visiting My Friend’s House (Womens’ Shelter) this holiday season.

To meet Santa, we are encouraging students to bring in 1 canned fruit or vegetable on Dec. 22nd to donate to Santa for My Friends’ House.  

Many thanks in advance for your unwavering support!!  We can all make a positive difference this holiday season :)

GOOGLE CLASSROOM ASSIGNMENT:

In the spirit of expressing our EMPATHY and GRATITUDE, our class family is also thinking about the feelings of our Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).  

The men and women of the CAF have demonstrated time and again that they will rise to ANY challenge to help protect our country.

It is our class' mission to let the armed forces members know that we appreciate their service by sending them a message of love, peace, and hope this holiday season.  

Many CAF members will be away from their families which will be so difficult.  We hope our letters provide these men and women with some comfort and happiness while they continue to serve and protect our country.

This weekend, I encourage your child to please access Google Classroom and continue working on their letter.  We began these earlier in the week so they should have a start on it.  

A printed and decorated copy is due Dec. 14th.  I will be mailing these letters of gratitude over the holidays.  Many thanks for your support in this special writing activity :-)

ACTION OF HAPPINESS:
We sure are on a fantastic roll in showing our empathetic ways!  Perhaps your child came home excited to share our kindness challenge for this month using his or her December Kindness Calendar?!  I hope so!

Enjoy taking the DO GOOD DECEMBER challenge with your family!   

Now more than ever, we NEED EACHOTHER to help uplift our spirits during this holiday season!

Thank you to the students who are already have been actively engaging in the suggested acts of kindness provided in the calendars I've sent home in Sept. - Nov.  I really enjoyed listening to some of the kind gestures you've completed!!

For me and many others, the holiday season is an excellent time to stop, think, and reflect upon all the wonderful ways we can spread JOY, PEACE, and KINDNESS for not only our loved ones, but also for those who need us the most who may not have a hot meal or warm place to rest at night.

Together, we can make a positive difference in the lives of others!

HOLIDAY HAPPY MAIL PROGRAM:

Here's another meaningful initiative which I can't wait to participate in with my students!  

Our class will be joining in on the 'Holiday Happy Mail' Program.  What is it?  The mission is to bring joy to the elderly by distributing handmade cards and written letters.  

There is an epidemic of loneliness among our elderly.  Every day, many seniors are spending what are supposed to be their golden years in long-term care homes with little or no connection to the outside world.  

Many leave their rooms for only meals and medical appointments.  Many have little family left, or have families who live hours away and don’t visit often. 

The seniors who move into long-term care facilities have to leave their homes, beloved pets and close friends.  We often forget that seniors are a vibrant, valuable part of our communities with so much knowledge that can be shared with others.  We’re here to remind seniors of that, one kind act at a time.

In this age of screens and instant communication, we often forget the power of a handwritten note. Who wouldn’t love to receive a kind, personalized card complete with original artwork and a handwritten message out of the blue?  

You have the power to brighten a senior’s day with just a few minutes of your time by creating a handmade card that will be hand delivered to a senior in a long-term care facility.

My class is very excited and has already begun their letter and card writing for a senior at Sunset Manor (see photos below) which is located in Collingwood.  Please ask your child about this :)  

This a very meaningful writing activity as students are yet again, demonstrating this month's character trait: EMPATHY!!  We are thinking about the feelings of the elderly :)

Here's something else that's exciting that we will be doing!  I have contacted Sunset Manor and our class is planning/coordinating to set up a very special Google Meet with the elders who will receive our handmade cards. It will be an opportunity for us to also interact and share some songs with them!  

Yes, you read that correctly :-)  I've done this with my classes over the years, and they always enjoy this heartfelt experience!  

See some photos below.  This experience surely brightened the seniors hearts!!  Elders LOVE listening to children perform.  I just had to get my class this year to participate as well!

I will be sure to post all about this experience before our winter holidays so you too can get a glimpse of this special Meet.  Stay tuned everyone :-)

HOLIDAY TEACHER GIFT:

I sent home a note regarding this today (photos below), but I also wanted to address it here on my blog as well :)

As the holidays approach, there may be some families who may be thinking of a gift to give to their child's teacher(s). 

For me, the greatest gift I have received is teaching, learning, and growing with your child this school year.  I truly mean this! 

I LOVE MY STUDENTS!!!  They are the greatest gift for me :)

Since Covid-19 began, everyone has endured so much uncertainty, and throughout it all, students and parents continue to show a tremendous amount of resilience!  I am so proud to be your child’s teacher.

In lieu of buying a gift for me this holiday season, please, please consider donating to SickKids.  It is a cause that is near and dear to my heart and to other Nottawa families.  

Many of us will be blessed to be home with our loved ones this holiday season, however, there are many others who cannot due to illness. It is the season of giving and what better way than to help other families in need.

I believe EMPATHY is one of life’s greatest traits - thinking about the feelings of others :) 

Thank you parents for your time, energy, efforts, and consideration in helping children and their families who need us the most.

If you wish to donate, please visit → https://www.sickkidsfoundation.com/ 

IMPORTANT DECEMBER DRESS UP DATES:

Thank you to our intermediate leadership team who has organized some festive fun events in December! jot these dates down onto your calendars so your child doesn't miss out :-)

I have posted a photo of the school's December calendar :)  Click on the image to enlarge it.

Wed. Dec. 14th:  PRIMARY HOLIDAY CONCERT (your child may dress in his or her fanciest holiday attire of their choice).

Fri. Dec. 16th:  Dress up in HOLIDAY ATTIRE

Wed. Dec. 21st:  BUSINESS FAIR (your child is welcome to bring in a zip lock baggy with money to purchase food, gifts, treats that the grade 8 students have made).  It's sure to be a rockin' time in the gym!!

Thurs. Dec. 22nd:  EMPATHY ASSEMBLY @ 9:30 - 11:00AM (please have your child dress up in a black top and bottoms for this special event. I'll be providing a colourful bandana for finalize the 'look').

Fri. Dec. 23rd:  COZY COMFY DAY  (students are welcome to bring in a stuffy to cuddle with).

Thank you for your continued support in helping your child participate in the various spirit days and events at our school!!  It's an excellent opportunity to UNITE US ALL as a school family :)

CHOGADA DANDIYA STICK DANCE:

Mr. Morin is requesting that the students please practice the Diwali Stick Dance (see video below) as much as they can at home to help build their confidence and coordination for this detailed dance routine which we will proudly be sharing at the Holiday Concert on Dec. 14th.  

Your child may use the ends of 2 wooden spoons for the 'sticks' to practice or markers/pens/pencils/sticks from the ground.  

I'm so excited to see this performance as it honours my background and culture (Sikhism).

Thank you for providing your child with the time to practice his or her singing, dancing, and drumming/sticks at home!  

Please note, I have posted this song and video (along with others that we're working on in class) on Google Classroom so your child may wish to access it there at their leisure to practice in their room :)

HOLIDAY CONCERT REMINDER:
Just a friendly reminder that our primary holiday concert will take place on Wednesday December 14th!  The morning show will be at 11:40 AM and the evening performance will be at 6:00 PM.  My students are asked to meet in the library for 5:45 PM.  Looking forward to seeing this event! 

MATH:

This week, student's worked on a variety of patterning math word problems using the 4-Block Problem Solving Method.  

I have posted a question below for you to discuss with your child.  Ask:  What strategies did you use to solve?

"Mr. Levy's class has its own garden.  The class was given a new seed to plant in the garden.  The students observed that the plant grew 3cm each day.  The plant stopped growing after 10 days.  

How tall was the plant after the 4th day?  How tall will the plant be after the last day?  Explain your thinking using pictures, numbers, and words!"

Below, I have posted a model that was completed with all the necessary parts.  This is what I was looking for in your child's answer as well.  

Your child's completed math sheets will be sent home in the agenda in the coming days for you to see more closely and to help celebrate their achievement in this area of mathematics :)  More problem solving will ensue next week!

GRAMMAR RULE # 6:

This week, we continued learning about plural nouns by adding "S," "ES," or "IES."  The students are getting the hang of this even though there are so many different rules!

Please ask your child about the rule and what letters to use to change the various singular nouns to plural.  We also talked about the various irregular nouns that we have in our language too.

Your child's grammar sheets are in the agenda so I encourage them to finish up the last page independently to show you what they've learned.

To help further consolidate this grammar rule, we may play a KAHOOT next week which will be interactive and fun for the kids!    

SNOWBALL THROWING:

Here is an important message from our principal Mrs. Mortimer who took the time to visit each classroom this week about our ZERO TOLERANCE for snowball throwing.   

Unfortunately, there have been a number of serious injuries to students in the past and we do not want this to recur at our school.  

Students are of course welcome to build structures, snow angels, and have all around fun with the snow that's now arrived :) 

Student wellness and safety is of utmost importance to staff and we appreciate you (parents) to please have a talk with your child(ren) at home to also help reinforce our school's policy of no snowball throwing at any time.  This will benefit everyone, thank you.

MINDFULNESS:

Here's a wonderful act of giving to get us thinking about ways we can make this holiday season better for one and ALL!  Please watch this video below to get inspired!  We all have it in us to give :) 

GROWTH MINDSET:

Thank you to Ivy for providing this week's growth mindset!  I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and words with our class family.

"Even when challenges are tough, face them with RESILIENCE!!" - Ivy

If your child has a growth mindset that they'd like to share, I've encouraged them to write it down on a sticky note and then place it at the front of the class by Our Class Promise chart :-) 

Looking forward to seeing and celebrating other children's mindset messages as the week's go on!

From my heart to yours ... MEEGWICH,

Ms. Gill