School Principals' Day was recognized on May 1st. It is a day the Simcoe County District School Board acknowledges the valuable work performed by our principals and vice-principals.
This week over our morning announcements, we acknowledged our very own Mrs. Mortimer for her tremendous care and compassion that she brings to our school community each and every day!
Thank you Mrs. Mortimer for creating inclusive and positive learning environments for our students, staff and families. You truly have been an extraordinary leader for our school community! #wehonouryou
Character Trait: This month's character trait is Respect - "We treat other people the way we want them to treat us."
To get my student's thinking about this trait in their thoughts, words, and actions, here is a public service announcement.
Please watch and discuss its message with your child.
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS:
Did you know the month of May is dedicated to Mental Health Awareness? Yes, it is! As you may have gathered, the topic of nurturing and nourishing our Mental Health has been an ongoing focus and learning in our classroom.
For me, this is VERY important because every day someone somewhere is dealing with a struggle we may know nothing about. So please, BE KIND ALWAYS!!
Each day on the morning announcements, I did my best to post learning material for teachers and students to engage in the conversation about mental health. It's starts with us, talk it out!
This year's theme is ANXIETY Throughout this week (and beyond), our class always does its best to focus on the importance of compassion, understanding and empathyfor ourselves and others as part of our collective responsibility totake care of and support the well-being of ourselves and those around us.
Your thoughts are powerful! The things you tell yourself matter. Positive Affirmations are statements you say to yourself to help you challenge negative thoughts you might be having.
Perhaps your child has already shared this with you, but if not, no worries! At the beginning of each day when students enter the portable, I quietly stand with an affirmation that I hold up for your child to see, feel, and embrace to help ease them into the mindset of POSITIVITY.
Please ask your child what some of the affirmations that I've shared throughout the school year :-)
{HINT: You are LOVED. You are WORTHY. You are ENOUGH. You are VALUED. You have a VOICE. You are ACCEPTED}
Check out the video below to learn more about affirmations and then try it out!
Ever feel that your mind is too busy? Check out the 'Thought Bubbles' video below to blow them away!
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE:
Did you know May 5th isThe National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Peoples?
The REDress Project raises awareness and draws attention to gender- and race-based violence.
It is a time that we honour those who have gone missing, and the lives lost as well as pay tribute to the strength and resilience of families, survivors and communities.
In class, we took a moment of silence to show our respect and reconciliation towards the survivors, the lives lost, and that we stand together as one.
No one should experience gender- and race-based violence EVER. This was NOT and IS NOT ok. #putanendtoviolenceagainstindigenousgirls
This week in our reading and writing, we did a deep dive into the topic of self-esteem. I felt this was a very important discussion to have and a learning opportunity for us all.
Self-esteem is a feeling of self-worth. It is how children "feel inside" about themselves. When children participate in activities that build on their strengths, it helps them to develop a sense of confidence and an appreciation of their abilities.
I shared a very purposeful book called Never Give Up - a story about self-esteem. After listening to the it, students then completed a writing activity where they were asked to "think about a time that you did not give up even when it was tough."
I am so proud of each student's writing piece as it gave them an opportunity to be vulnerable and share about their NEVER GIVE UP MOMENT.
Please note, these pieces will come home soon once we're done with them in class so you too can admire your child's RESILIENCE - adapting well to a challenge!
Recognizing children's efforts and accomplishments is vital as it helps maintain their self-esteem and also encourages them to keep trying :) #tryliketerry
Children who feel good about themselves are more likely to develop positive relationships and less likely to be mistreated in their interactions with others.
TIPS for Parents & Educators to Help Support Their Children/Students to Develop Self-Esteem:
Love them: Show children they are loved and accepted by expressing affection and spending quality time together.
Play with them: Create a safe, secure environment, encouraging children to explore the world around them.
Respect them: Have realistic expectations, fostering positive experiences and success.
Appreciate them: Accept children as individuals, reinforcing their strengths and abilities. Look for opportunities to talk about things that make them feel proud of themselves.
Talk with them: Use positive ways to guide their behaviour, treating all children in the family fairly.
Listen to them: Children need to feel that they are contributing participants to the conversation in order to feel valued and respected; two key ingredients of self-esteem
Below are some accessible and friendly reminders for self-care and boosting your child's mental health and well-being. Try them out, I love it!!
BOWLS FOR BEDS:
Thank you to the Home Horizon Team (Deb Piggott) for helping organize to run this meaningful event for our students. Mrs. Piggott's time, organization, and kind nature is appreciated.
The education from painting the bowls taught us the importance of continuing to think about the feelings of others (EMPATHY) and for this particular cause - youth who are vulnerable and in need.
Thank you to all the families who purchased your child’s bowl that they painted. If you did not, that is perfectly O.K. too because by simply participating in this experience, it will make a difference in the lives of youth who need our support!
I spoke with Mrs. Piggott and she mentioned how Nottawa's contributions remain immense and how grateful she is to our school. I am too :-)
For me, education comes full circle when we are able and willing to GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY! That's exactly what we have done and will continue to do. Way to go Nighthawks!!
Check out the students below enjoying painting their bowls - feel their love as they are helping the hearts and minds of homeless youth in our area.
The kids’ designs were creative and unique! All the bowls are being sent away and will be put into a kiln (a furnace or over for burning, baking, or drying, especially one for calcining or firing pottery) which will produce a bright colourful bowl with your child's personalized touch!
The bowls are predicted to arrive back to our school sometime in May/June. Stay tuned :-)
KINDNESS PROJECT PRESENTATIONS:
The students have been working hard in class and hopefully at home too on their Kindness/Passion Projects. All information is posted on Google Classroom so please take a look if you haven't already ;)
Over the weekend, I encourage you to please have your child access his or her project at home and continue working on it because presentations begin next week!
Here's where we need your help! One part of the task is to also create, record, and upload an inspirational 1 minute video message for their peers. Examples of video messages are posted on Google Classroom. Check that out :)
As always, I appreciate your help in this endeavour and I look forward to listening to and seeing your child's inspiring message to help make our world the best it can be!
Projects are due this coming week and students will be given the opportunity to present these to their peers in an oral presentation format. FYI, your child knows his or her presentation date so please ask them.
MATH:
This week's focus in math has been on data. The question I will be posing to students is the following (see photo below).
Students are not only asked to display the data in a graph, but more importantly to interpret their findings. An example is posted below for your reference of what I'm looking for.
Additionally, I introduced the children to the MEAN, MEDIAN, MODE, and RANGE in a data set. Check out the video below for more information.
To help reinforce this concept, have your child figure out the mean, median, mode, and range of their family's age. See my example below for reference.
BRAIN BREAKFAST CONSOLIDATION:
As you've noticed since the beginning of school, at the start of each week, your child brings home his or her 'Brain Breakfast' aka Daily 5 Math to 'consolidate' (show & share) with you.
Thank you to those parents who are consistently taking the time to read and review your child's strategies. It's making a DIFFERENCE!
We spend 100 minutes on math daily and part of this time is completing the 5 math questions that come home in the agenda weekly (see below).
As you can see from the example above, we spend quality time taking up the answers as a class and thinking of ways to 'bump up' our work. Students are asked to utilize and record my feedback to help improve their achievement in mathematics.
Many students are using my feedback well and work so hard to write it down, it's fantastic! We're not only learning grade 3 concepts, but I'm also exposing the children to concepts for the next grade levels that will get them well prepared for the junior division (grades 4-6).
EQAO:
I have shared with my students that this assessment is a celebration of their stars (strengths - what they know) and arrows (next steps - what they don't know YET).
Please note, I will ensure to provide a very calm, supportive, and relaxed environment for the kids during this process so everyone feels a sense of ease and comfort.
I am proud of my grade 3's who have worked hard from the beginning of the school year to improve their reading, writing, and multi-step problem solving skills in mathematics.
Throughout the year, we have been diligent in class to prepare for this assessment so there should not be any surprises for them. I have every confidence each child will put in their personal best and that is all I am looking for :)
I have been asked to encourage all my students for full participation in this testing so please be mindful of the dates and not book any trips or appointments during this time. This is the main reason I'm sending this out in advance.
Please jot the following dates down: EQAO will take place on June 7th, 8th, 9th, 12th, and 13th.We will be submitting all completed student work by June 14th.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this academic endeavour.
In eight half-hour sessions, students will complete a variety of assessment activities designed to allow them to demonstrate their skills and knowledge relating to reading, writing and mathematics as described in The Ontario Curriculum.
The assessment is administered province-wide and is developed by Ontario teachers and assessment experts to reflect curriculum expectations.
EQAO has developed a “Parent’s Guide to EQAO Tests” and “Questions and Answers for Parents” (available in 20 languages) to give you more information about the assessments and an understanding of what to expect.
To access these resources, go to the EQAO Website EQAO
EQAO permits students with special needs to receive specific accommodations to enable them to participate with their peers in all aspects of the Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics.
These accommodations match those recorded on students’ Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and provided during the school year.
Please help us to ensure your child the opportunity to achieve their personal best by having them get plenty of rest, have a nutritious breakfast and come to school with a positive mindset.
In preparation for the assessment you are also able to send in your child’s own set of USB-computer headphones with a microphone. These can be used by your child on this assessment as well as other activities on the chrome books. Headphones can be purchased at most major retailers like Staples and Walmart.
Please contact the school if you have any questions about the accommodations.
FIELD TRIP:
Exciting news!!! On Thursday May 25th, the Grade 3 students will be traveling to Midhurst to visit the Simcoe County Museum. The purpose of this trip is learning about Early Settlers which is part of the grade 3 Social Studies curriculum.
First, students will depart at 9:30am and return to the school by 3:20pm in time for the busses.
Next, students are asked to bring a peanut and nut free lunch. A litter less lunch is also appreciated. Vending machines are available for snacks, however, it is not encouraged.
Please note that if you have preordered pizza for this day, you can go to your child's Lunchbox account and cancel for this day.
There is a gift shop that the students will have access to if they wish to purchase a souvenir.
Finally, please have your child dress for the weather RAIN or SHINE. Let's be prepared :)
MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU:
Thank you to Jonas and Ivy for sharing your enthusiasm and love for Star Wars!! The costume and props were a lovely added touch ;)
To help celebrate this day, on the morning announcements there was an interactive and fun Jeopardy inspired game that we played! I've shared the link below if you'd like to try it at home with your family this weekend ;) Have FUN!
Welcome back Arie who was away with his family in sunny Florida. Mrs. Vandermeer shared some photos below and we really enjoyed Arie sharing some of his trip highlights!!
Check it out below :)
I'm thrilled the Vandermeer crew had a memorable and lovely experience as a family in Florida. I haven't been there in years, you've inspired me to visit, hopefully I can someday soon!
Lucky Arie, Hans, and Dad who were able to also watch an NHL game! Love the Leafs gear!!
MINDFULNESS:
Please check out the powerful story (video) below. I loved it :-) It is called Preston's Positive Thoughts,it encourages positive thinking for our kids.
This read aloud does a deeper dive into developing a Growth Mindset for children that shows them not to fear failure, and to work hard & not give up because sometimes, we have to try and try again before we get things right.
In this inspiring KidTime StoryTime, we see the things that would NOT exist in a world without failures.
From author Esther Pia Cordova, who loves writing about Growth Mindset to help kids be fearless as they grow and learn!
How do we foster positive thinking in children?
Let children know that it is okay to express their feelings.
Be a role model.
Encourage and motivate your kids.
Give them freedom.
Let your kids be surrounded by positive people.
Encourage them to talk about positive events.
Teach morals and values to them.
As your child's teacher, I promise to use and reinforce these strategies in the classroom to help boost their self-esteem and confidence so they can BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE EVEN WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING :)
Dear Families, Here I am writing my final blog update for our 2022/2023 school year. It is with mixed emotions that I share this post. I am happy to have successfully completed this year seeing all my students diligently grow academically, socially, and behaviourally , however, I do feel emotional that our time together in our learning community has come to an end. I will miss each student as they have in their own way brightened my heart with their smiles, enthusiasm, and respect . Each day, I was greeted with warmth and positive energy . I truly am the blessed one! I would like to take this opportunity now to thank each of you (parents) for all that you have done this school year to continually support your child in each and every aspect of learning that they participated in. Just to name a few - supporting your child in his/her weekly homework , organizing attire for the many spirit days , payi...
Dear Families, We had yet another productive week of learning! We spent quality time thinking about, reflecting upon, and honouring Mother Earth. Many students told me that they've already shared some of our discussions with you at home and you were very intrigued as we've been learning about a very important crisis - CLIMATE CHANGE . As a result of this, we know now more than ever before, our Earth needs us to make wiser more mindful choices . We need to INVEST IN OUR PLANET! Get Inspired . Take Action . Be a part of the G reen Revolution. For Earth Day 2023, we need to act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably). Businesses, governments, and citizens — everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable . A partnership for the planet. For more information, I urge you as a family to get out the following link --> Invest in Our Planet! Below, many of us are dressed in GR...
Dear Families, Wow! We've already completed our second week of school! Time flies when you're actively engaged in your learning and having FUN! The energy of our staff and students continues to be HAPPY , HEALTHY , and SAFE . I assure you, this will be an ongoing goal for our class family :) Thank you to the families who have taken the time to check out my last blog update! I recognize it was a lengthy one (oh my, haha), but please know the information that I do provide is pertinent to what your child's actively learning and doing at school. I sincerely hope my blog with serve as an effective tool into your child's weekly experiences with me in grade 3 :-) With my last post, I received some positive feedback from parents and students which made my day! I will continue working hard to provide you all with updates and highlights each week! Transparent and open communication with my students and their parents is very important to me. BR...
Throughout this week (and beyond), our class always does its best to focus on the importance of compassion, understanding and empathy for ourselves and others as part of our collective responsibility to take care of and support the well-being of ourselves and those around us.
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