Letter of the Week

As mentioned previously, we have been focussing on one letter of the alphabet each week which brings us to a total of fifteen letters to date including; S, A, T, I, P, N, C, K, E, H, R, M, D, G, and O. Our letter for next week will be the letter U. We have considered the similarities and differences between capital and lower case letters, the correct formation of each letter and what sound the letter usually makes.

If your child is just learning the alphabet you might like to play I Spy and challenge your child to find a letter or you could simply see if s/he can identify a letter any time there is print around. Once again, any opportunities to practise printing at home will be most helpful, particularly for those who are still struggling with printing their own name.

Many of the students with a firm grasp of the letters and their sounds have begun using their knowledge to ‘sound out’ simple words and some are even incorporating what they know when writing!

All attempts at reading or writing, whether it is reading from memory or simply writing all kinds of letters on a page, are worth celebrating. Thank you for all of the time you have spent reading to your children and for your encouragement around their reading and writing.

Volunteer Helpers in Kindergarten

Below please find photos of various activities some of the older students have done with their brother, sister or cousin in JK. I think that it has been fun for family members to see each other at school and it has made a real difference on days when it has been a tough morning or afternoon for some of our friends in Area 3. In the first couple of months of school it was especially helpful for many of our youngest learners to be able to look forward to a little visit when everything was so new and they were just getting used to Kindergarten and to being away from their families.

Now that we are in the midst of colder weather, the number of older students wishing to help out has increased dramatically and Kindergarten classrooms have become a little too busy for the help to actually be helpful. In an effort to be equitable (since some students at Dewson do not have siblings), a schedule will be created so that older students who are interested in volunteering will each get a turn. Grade 1-6 teachers will submit a list of student volunteers from their class and from these, two students will be assigned an am recess in a Kindergarten class and another two students will be assigned a pm recess. Depending on the number of volunteers, students may have the opportunity to volunteer multiple times. A copy of the volunteer schedule will be posted in grade 1-6 classrooms as well as on the Kindergarten doors.

Thank you again to the family members and friends who made the transition to school so much easier for Team Three and we hope that they will sign up as volunteers so that we will see them again on their assigned date. Please note, should it appear that a student in Area 3 could really use a visit from a sibling; I will most certainly do what I can to make it happen.

Making Gingerbread Cookies

One of the books we enjoyed before the holidays was The Gingerbread Man and after painting diyas and creating rangoli patterns for Diwali, playing with dreidels and painting menorahs for Hanukkah and singing along with all kinds of holiday music, we had the opportunity to make and decorate gingerbread cookies. Judging from the smiles as students licked the icing and gobbled down the cookies, it seemed as though this special treat was enjoyed by most everyone. Many students were eager to make cookies for siblings and parents but although our intentions were good, I think we couldn’t help ourselves because in the end not many found their way into backpacks. Several people passing by Area 3 came in to tell us how good our gingerbread smelled and to complement us on our classroom decorations. If you haven’t already seen the colourful linked chains we learned how to make, you won’t miss them when you’re in next because we intend to keep them up all year long. They are hanging from corner to corner in our classroom and we think they look quite festive and beautiful!

College/Shaw Public Library Puppet Show

In the weeks prior to the holidays, the Dewson Kindergarten classes were invited to a puppet show version of Little Red Riding Hood at the College/Shaw branch of the Public Library. We read many different versions of this tale, borrowed from our own school library, as well as many other fairy tales. Students were also given opportunities to use the ‘talking stick’ to re-tell a tale or simply tell a story, either fiction or non-fiction. We have very enthusiastic storytellers on Team Three! You may wish to ask your little storyteller to tell you the story of Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs or The Three Billy Goats Gruff to name a few.

Thank you so very much to the parent volunteers who helped supervise our friends along the busy streets of Ossington and College so that we could walk to and from the library safely.

Thank You

Dear families,

Thank you so much for the many gifts before the holidays as well as for all of the donations made to the Canadian Red Cross for the Typhoon Haiyan Disaster Relief Fund. I was touched by your thoughtfulness and truly appreciate your generosity in supporting those in need.

I hope that you had a happy and restful holiday and that things weren’t too difficult if you were without power due to the ice storm. Happy New Year and I wish you and your families only the best for 2014.

Yours, Karen

January Calendar for Area 3

Download January Calendar AM Class
Download January Calendar PM Class

December Calendars for Area 3

Download December Calendar AM Class
Download December Calendar PM Class

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!