Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week

November 17^th–23^rd was Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week in Ontario. During this week we take an in-depth look at the importance of a positive learning environment as well as the effects that bullying has on student learning and well-being.

Afternoon Kindergarten classes were able to experience a bullying-proofing performance by Soren Bennick’s The Power of One. Through this presentation a clear message was delivered regarding what bullying is, what can be done about it, and how each of us has the power of one, the power to report and deal with bullying when we are a witness to it.

Audience members were alerted to the fact that targets need help and that if we see or hear bullying we have the power to stop it by reporting it to teachers, parents or other adults. Towards the end of the performance a student peered into a box with a mirror inside to find that the solution to stop bullying lay in his own hands.

As we continue this week to discuss bullying, posters with an Anti-bullying Oath are going around to classrooms for students to sign and pledge their commitment to stopping bullying. Posters will eventually be on display in our hallways and here is The Power of One Oath:

I will not bully others
I will not stand by while others are bullied
I will report and deal with bullying whenever I see it
Because I have the Power of One

Please access the links below for more information on Bully Awareness and Prevention Week as well as for details on Soren Bennick’s The Power of One.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/safeschools/prevention.html
http://www.sorenbennick.com/power_of_one.html

Technology

Technology is used at school as a tool for learning. Literacy and numeracy skills can be developed through interactive websites such as those listed below. Later in the year we will have computer buddies to help us explore and navigate various websites.

Dewson Library
Toronto Public Library
Toronto Public Library (Kids Space)
Tumblebooks
TVO Kids
Sesame Street
Starfall
Treehouse

Parent-Teacher Interviews and Paintings by Team Three Artists

Although we have met on a number of occasions now, including drop off and pick up times, it was so nice to meet families on an individual basis during parent-teacher interviews. I think you are raising wonderful children and I feel so lucky to be a part of their lives for a couple of hours each day.

At this time of year I feel like I have so much more to learn about your child/children and so it was quite valuable to me to have you share your thoughts and concerns. We have such a great team again this year in both the morning and afternoon and I am looking forward to engaging in all kinds of learning as we move forward. Thank you again for the time you set aside to speak with me. It really was a pleasure meeting you.

You may have already noticed the colourful paintings outside of Area 3, especially if you were kept waiting for your interview time (so sorry). However, if you were rushing from one interview to another, please take a moment to enjoy the art the next time you are in. I can’t help but smile every time I look outside our door. We will do our best to ensure that each painting makes it to your home in one piece just as soon as new pieces are created. It’s hard to beat the cheerful art of children and if I were you, I would consider framing their self portraits currently on display in our classroom—they are really something!

Scholastic Book Fair

Mme. Gaudreault is running an English Book Fair in the library every day this week. Students will visit the Book Fair during class time and parents are welcome to check out the books for sale during the following times:

• Tuesday & Wednesday 8:00am until 4:30pm
• Thursday 8:00am until 7:30pm
• Friday 8:00am until 12:30pm

Eric Litwin’s series Pete the Cat seems to be a big hit with Team Three and several books from the series are available at the Fair. You may wish to stop by the library before or after your parent/teacher interview.

Letter of the Week

Each week in Area 3 we focus on a different letter of the alphabet. For some students this is only a review however correct formation of the letter is also part of the learning and for others this acts as an introduction to each letter. Although we don’t follow the Jolly Phonics program per say, we have been singing the songs and learning the actions designed for each letter according to the program. Practice work sheets are made available for students who wish to complete them however this is not a requirement.

Instead, what we engage in regularly as a class is “Chalk and Sock” time. During this time, every student is given their own chalk board along with a sock that holds a piece of chalk. Students hold the chalk in their writing hand and place the sock on their other hand, much as they would put on a mitten, and the sock acts as their eraser.

We start by singing the “If You’re Going to Write a Letter” song and then we practise forming the letter using our imaginary pencil (our index finger on our writing hand) to draw the letter in the air. Our song reminds us to always begin forming the letter at the top and then we try using the chalk on the boards that we have resting on our knee or on the floor in front of us. We look at the similarities and differences between capital and lower case letters and are reminded that names always begin with a capital letter.

Students who can identify the letters and can print them neatly using correct formation, are encouraged to use lower case letters except where capital letters are appropriate e.g. at the beginning of a name or sentence. They are also encouraged to think of words that begin with each letter as well as identify where they hear the letter in various words e.g. the beginning, middle or end of a word. Magnetic letters are also available for students to practise making words and word families based on the sounds we have learned.

Students who are just learning to identify and print a letter are given opportunities to feel how to form the letter in trays of salt and to practice tracing the letter using dry erase markers on laminated tracing sheets. As much as possible, one on one instruction is given to guide the correct formation of each letter.

Any opportunities to practise printing at home will be most helpful. Children generally enjoy writing their name as well as the names of their family members so that is a good place to start. Please know that writing from right to left and forming letters upside down and backwards are common mistakes at this age but gentle reminders will draw attention to such details and we will continue to work on this as a class throughout the year.

Words to the song “If You’re Going to Write a Letter”
(sung to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)

If you’re going to write a letter start at the top
If you’re going to write a letter start at the top
If you’re going to write a letter then you’d really, really better
If you’re going to write a letter start at the top

Parent-Teacher Interviews

TDSB Kindergarten Progress Reports will be distributed for Senior Kindergarten students only. Parents of students in both Junior and Senior Kindergarten classes are encouraged to attend a Parent-Teacher Interview. The Toronto District School Board has designated Friday, November 15^th, 2013 for Parent-Teacher Conferences. As a result there is no school for students on this day. Frequent and on-going communication with parents is encouraged to ensure student success. Conferences between parents and teachers are important in terms of discussing how your child is adjusting to being in school. It is also a chance for you to share information about your child and how he/she learns.

To allow time to meet with as many parents/guardians as possible, interviews are scheduled for approximately 15 minutes each. Below please find a schedule which hopefully reflects as close as possible the interview time requested by you. Every effort was made to co-ordinate interview times with teachers of children with brothers and sisters.

If you are unavailable this week then we can always arrange another time. I look forward to having time to talk with families individually and sharing what we have learned about your child.

November Calendars for Area 3

Download November Calendar AM Class
Download November Calendar PM Class

Remembrance Day Assembly

Parents are welcome to join us as we observe Remembrance Day on Monday, November 11^th, 2013. We will assemble in the Gym from 10:45 am -11:15 am. Sharing a retractable wall with area 2, we in area 3, have the pleasure of hearing Mr. Greene’s beautiful music on a daily basis. We have been listening to the choir practising and certainly the music and singing will be something not to miss if it is at all possible for families to attend!

Although we touched on the concepts of remembrance in class, a book that students seemed to connect with in terms of making peace with enemies was Derek Munson’s book entitled Enemy Pie. You can ask your child what s/he remembers about the recipe for turning your best enemy into your best friend.

Pyjama Day

On Friday November 8^th it was Pyjama Day at Dewson. Students and staff were encouraged to bring a loonie or a toonie and to wear their pyjamas at school all day. The funds collected were put towards supplementing the nutritious snack program that is provided for primary students on a daily basis.

"Pajama Day" book cover by Lynn Plourde, illustration by Thor Wickstrom

It was fun to see everyone in their “PJs”, including the office staff and even the Principal and Vice Principal who were dressed in full night wear with their bath robes and slippers! Best of all however were our Kindergarten students who looked even more cute and cuddly in their fuzzy warm pyjamas. Some even thought to bring a special stuffy which was the perfect touch to their already adorable ensemble!

We Scare Away Hunger Food Drive

Dewson’s Me to We club organizes various events throughout the school year to raise awareness about social justice issues affecting others on both a local and global level. During the week prior to Halloween, the annual event involves holding a food drive for the Daily Bread Food Bank. Families are asked to help “scare away” hunger through donations of non-perishable foods. Last year we collected 980 pounds of food and although the total weight for this year ended up being slightly less, it may have been due to the fact that we had more boxes than cans in our donations.

As usual, our Kindergarten students were enthusiastic participants in the event with each class filling up one and in some cases two boxes of food to add to Dewson’s total collection. Thank you for any and all donations you may have made towards this or any of the other causes we have sponsored this year as a school. Actions speak louder than words and we applaud you for being such great role models of the kind and caring citizens that we want our students to become.