Category: Social Emotional Learning

Dear families,

I bring up the word joy often in our class. I truly believe we can not only find joy when we look for it, we can take action to cultivate it too on a regular basis. Sometimes, it’s about being mindful and truly present to notice our blessings and to feel grateful for them.

Daily, they are encouraged to thank the people who brought them joy during our Heart Time every morning. We regularly share what brings us joy and different things we feel grateful for during our Community Connection time too. My hope is that with consistent practice at school and with your encouragement at home too, this mindset becomes a habit so in their teenage years and into adulthood, they regularly scan for blessings, feel gratitude, and learn to find and cultivate their own joy. Leaning into gratitude and joy can lead to a much happier life filled with positivity for overall well-being.

We believe in inclusion.

We read the book Love Monster by Rachel Bright. We had a great discussion at the end of the story about the Love Monster and how even though he took initiative to find a friend, in the end, the friend he found looked like him. What we try to teach is to accept others who are different from us, to value diversity, and foster inclusivity.

We are athletes.

We started the week with our exciting skating adventure at Bill Copeland! Thank you so much to the parents of Seb, Evelyn, James, James, Layla, Maissa, Adrian, Dali, Satvika who drove and helped supervise and to Dhruv, Senara, Haruka, and Lydia’s parents offered as well but we just had too many graciously volunteer!

Our skating time is at 9:30 to 10:30 AM. I believe we can all be on the ice at 9:30 am when everyone comes to school on time. I am requesting that everyone arrives at 8:55 AM on Monday, February 26, please, so we can leave right away.

I noticed that some students did not bring gloves or mittens. For added safety, it is highly recommended they bring along to protect their hands when they fall to the ice.

We are communicators.

We had an opportunity to practice our paragraph writing again as we reflected on our skating field trip. Students were reminded to start with an opening sentence, write details that include thoughts and feelings, and end with a closing paragraph. I enjoyed reading their recount of our field trip to the rink.

We are artists.

From Ms. Kapusta: This week students experimented with making Valentine’s Day hearts using white wax crayons and watercolour paint. We talked about the importance of planning beforehand, especially when your “ink” (the white crayon) is invisible. We made rough drafts of designs on scrap paper and then we got to painting. It was fun watching the class experiment with different shades of crayons and pencil crayons and different weights of paint to see what kind of effect they would have. Not every heart showed up, but every student had a fun time painting! Afterwards, we decorated Valentine’s Day themed bingo cards and played bingo together as a class as a special treat.

We are mathematicians.

We explored our understanding of 2-D and 3-D shapes and will dive further next week. Please check out our Math page for the curriculum covered this term.

We are readers.

Since your child will be at home on Friday and Monday, they will have access to Epic books (online library of high interest books) from 7 AM to 3 PM. Our class code is ycr9510. Your child’s passcode is the first four digits of their username. If your child is sick at home, this is a great option on those days too if they are up to reading.

Applied Design, Skills, and Technology

Thank you for your fruit contribution to our Friendship Fruit Salad on Valentine’s Day. We appreciate the time that parents of Maissa, Sonya, Lydia, Jason, and Haruka spent to support us in preparing the fruit salad. Everyone was careful and did well with cutting. We made so much that we enjoyed some more today! May I encourage you to have your child help with food preparation for home meals. I learned too late that I should have encouraged my son to help more with meal preparations when he was younger.

On Wednesday, we also made small Valentine cards for every adult in the school. This was to spread some joy, share appreciation, and to brighten their day! They discovered that in doing so, it actually brightened their own day too! I often have shared this: Kindness to others is like kindness to ourselves. It’s like a boomerang. When you intentionally share kindness, while uplifting others, you are uplifted too.

We have continued to work on our Passion Projects. If your child would like to spend some time at home to work on it, please allow them to work on the slides. You can support them by helping them find facts. One thing we are working on is putting facts into our own words so we are not plagiarizing.

Save the Dates

• Friday, February 16 – District Professional Day. No school for students.
• Monday, February 19 – Family Day. School is closed.
• Monday, March 4 to 8 – Hip Hop lessons
• Monday, March 11 – Whole school performance (AM)
• Thursday, March 14 – Primary Days of Music for all grade 2/3s at Kitchener
• Monday, March 18 to Monday, April 1 – Spring break, school closure, and Easter Monday
• Thursday, April 11 – Student Led Conferences from 3 to 6 PM (Families are invited to celebrate learning. Your child will lead the conversation and show you what they’ve learned so far.)
• Friday, April 12 – Early dismissal at 2 PM
• Monday, April 29 – Pro-D day. No school for students.
• Friday, May 10 – We will be going to the Vancouver Aquarium by school bus with Ms. Santorelli and Ms. Tai’s classes. We will need parent volunteers to help supervise. Thank you!

Every day, I feel truly blessed to be your child’s teacher and to work alongside you as partners. We bring each other much love and joy throughout our day. My heart was warmed today when some students said they were going to miss me because of the extra long weekend. I feel the same way! ❤️

Thank you for your continued support at home. I am grateful for you.

Sincerely, Ms. Chan

Dear families,

Our first full week of February was filled with engaged learners!

Ice Skating on Monday, February 12 and 26 at 9:30 AM

To bring:

• Booster seat – CLICK HERE for ICBC child car seat requirements.
• Gloves or mittens to protect their hands (mandatory)
• Wear long socks (Highly recommend! Sometimes the top of the skates dig in to their legs but the longer socks protect them.)
• Ski or snowboard helmet but the rink will have them to borrow. There is no need to go out to buy unless you plan to use in the future. It’s just nice to have your own.
• Waterproof pants are recommended but this is not necessary so you do not need to go out to buy.
• Dress in layers. While it is cold at the rink, once they start moving around, they get quite warm.

For parent volunteer drivers:

• We have such appreciation for the overwhelming response to help drive us to the rink. We will be leaving right after attendance is taken. When we arrive at Bill Copeland, the rink and skate shop is on the lower floor. There are a set of stairs from the outside that will lead you there.
• BEFORE: Please help children line up to get their skate rentals. The helmets will be in a bin off to the side. For better selection, get the helmets BEFORE they put on skates. Please help children tie skates.
• DURING: Some students may want a break and come off the ice. Please encourage them to take a short break and then ask them to go back onto the ice to maximize their skating time.
• DURING: If you will be on the ice, please support help us support our beginning skaters as much as possible. I will be leading a short lesson at the beginning to teach them a few skills. This is a very large group so everyone’s support during this time will be greatly appreciated.
• AFTER: Help remove skates and wipe down the blade. There should be a towel close to where they return the skates. If you return to school before I do, please bring them to class so they can eat their snacks.

How to prepare your child:

• For most students, this will be their first time skating. Please talk to them about having a growth mindset. Falling, getting back up, and perseverance with a positive and “I can do it” mindset is a part of learning a new skill. “Learning involved patience and time.” – First Peoples Principles of Learning
• Feel free to watch these videos to learn more and share with your child: Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset or this Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset.
• There will NOT be enough bars for all beginning students to use as they learn to skate. In my experience, these are often crutches and those who rely on these tend to learn to skate a lot slower. Please encourage your child to try the skills I will teach them during the lesson. They will make the most progress WITHOUT the bars or seals to hold on to.
• Please arrive at school on time.

Passion Projects

Students are excited to continue working and learning about their topics. What excitement a few students shared right at the door on Monday morning! They told me how they were working on their PowerPoint presentations while at home over the weekend. Thank you so much for your support and for fostering their love of learning at home! They are making good progress!

We are mathematicians.

We learned about the passing of time and also learned how to tell time. Your child should have brought home a clock to teach you how to tell time. Please continue to review.

Make it fun! Take turns asking each other what time it is. In Math, I often provide different levels of difficulty. They love challenging themselves!

Time concepts – Grade 3 Math curriculum

While telling time is not expected, it’s a basic skill to know how to tell time.

Lunar New Year

We learned about Lunar New Year traditions and watched a lion dance along with a cool competition.

They enjoyed making bubble waffles on Wednesday! This was one of my mom’s favourite street snacks when she lived in Hong Kong as a child. She reminisced how she would go down to the streets to buy when she was given some extra spending money. These treats have become locally more popular in the past decade. If you would like to try, there is a stall at the Amazing Brentwood food court called Bubble Waffle Cafe.

Click here for the recipe I used from Pampered Chef.

Click here for the bubble waffle maker I purchased on Amazon.

We are authors.

On Thursday, we invited Ms. Sutton, our District Literacy Enhancement Teacher, to teach us about book making. Unfortunately, I was in the office on Thursday and Friday because Mr. Klarich was away so I did not get to see her presentation but I did see their excitement. As soon as I stepped into the classroom, so many of them wanted to share what they were working on!

Valentine’s Day

CLICK HERE to see the notice that was sent home. Thank you for returning the bottom portion to let me know which fruit(s) your child will be contributing. Thank you for your fruit!

Please also send a plastic bowl and spoon in a bag to be environmentally friendly. Feel free to send a container with a lid instead just in case they don’t finish their portion.

Save the Dates

• Friday, February 16 – District Professional Day. No school for students.
• Monday, February 19 – Family Day. School is closed.
• Monday, March 4 to 8 – Hip Hop lessons
• Monday, March 11 – Whole school performance (AM)
• Monday, March 18 to Monday, April 1 – Spring break, school closure, and Easter Monday
• Thursday, April 11 – Student Led Conferences from 3 to 6 PM (Families are invited to celebrate learning. Your child will lead the conversation and show you what they’ve learned so far.)
• Friday, April 12 – Early dismissal at 2 PM
• Monday, April 29 – Pro-D day. No school for students.
• Friday, May 10 – We will be going to the Vancouver Aquarium by school bus with Ms. Santorelli and Ms. Tai’s classes. We will need parent volunteers to help supervise. Thank you!

I appreciate all of the love and care your children demonstrate to me and each other. I really do love and adore your children very much. They bring me so much joy! Many of them often share in our Community Circle time how grateful they are for their classmates. I always feel so very blessed and grateful to be their teacher and to work alongside you too. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Happy Lunar New Year! May you continue to experience love, joy, peace, prosperity, and good health! Sorry, we forgot to send home the Chinese paper lanterns on Friday.

With much gratitude, Ms. Chan

Dear families,

What a fun-filled week of learning about different literacies!

On Monday, we celebrated reading, writing, and listening literacy. Our whole school listened over the P.A. to the story “I Hope” by Monique Gray Smith, an Indigenous author. Every class projected it for all to follow along. Then we talked about our own hopes and recorded one of our own. Every class was asked to place their response sheets on our classroom doors. It’s been great to walk around to see everyone’s hopes displayed. Click on the image for a closer look!

Also on Monday, we worked on our math literacy by completing our understanding of addition with regrouping. Their assessments went home today. For grade 2s, their goal is to be able to add 2-digit plus 2-digit number with a sum to 100. For grade 3s, they aim to have a proficient understanding of adding 3-digit plus 3-digit numbers with a sum to 1000. Student need to understand the idea of regrouping (or some may say carry over). How to support at home? Continue to practice their addition and subtraction math facts for fluency and accuracy. Using a random numbers chart or a deck of cards to review is fun and a great way to practice together!

On Tuesday, the focus was on social emotional literacy. Over the past number of years, learning about our emotions has become more important. This includes expanding our vocabulary for different emotions. On this day, my uncle also came to read “The Name Jar” to us and shared some stories about names and how our culture values names. They also had an opportunity to develop their artistic literacy by following a directed drawing of a dragon. Can’t wait for you to see it when it’s finished!

On Wednesday, we learned more about physical literacy. Stick to School came for a visit to teach us about the importance of education and lacrosse. During Wondering Wednesday, we walked around the school and then went for a story walk to read “The Snowy Day” which is posted along the fence by the flagpole. This day, we also tried some interesting yoga poses! Ask your child to show you “pretzel” and then give it a try with your child. Mr. Klarich walked in just at that moment so we got him to try it too. Fun times! 🙂 I always love it when kids say, “This is the best day ever!” and I heard a couple of kids express that.

Also on Wednesday, we learned about subtraction with regrouping. Please feel free to review at home to develop their proficiency level. A grade 2 example (2 digits only): 52 – 38 = ___.  You need to regroup the 2 in the ones place. For grade 3s, they will have questions with 3 digit numbers like 521 – 439 = ___.

On Thursday, we welcomed families into our school for a reading time for cultural literacy. It was so heartwarming to see many of you join us and to see different books brought from home. For those who were not available, we will set up another day because they enjoyed it so much!

Also on Thursday, we had an in-class field trip hosted by Science World. We learned about our changing climate and what we can do about it.

We started talking about Passion Projects. Please have a conversation with your child about what it is they are so passionate learning more about. Their first passion project will be working with a partner so they can continue to develop their core competencies of communication, collaboration, and social competencies. Last year, all but one at the end of the year said that their favourite thing in school was working on Passion Projects! I am excited to see their excitement once they get going. One of the trickiest parts is discovering what they are passionate about learning and then coming up with questions that will drive their research. My hope is that they will learn how to learn, learn that developing passions can be a source of joy, and that they can eventually reflect on all of the core competencies and curricular competencies they are learning as a result!

On Friday, we celebrated all literacies. We met up with our big buddies to work on our Minecraft designs (digital literacy). Each group was given an opportunity to go in front of the class to present their creations. I was impressed with how they used their core competencies of communication, collaboration, and creativity!

Field trip: Ice Skating at Bill Copeland

I created a new Field Trip page. Here you can see information so it is easier to find, rather than hunting through emails or blog posts. Feel free to save the date for our field trip to the Aquarium. We will be travelling by school bus and will need some parent volunteers.

We apologize for the small error on the field trip form. Since our skating time is at 9:30am, parent volunteer drivers, please arrive at 8:55am with your children. School Cash Online is now open for payment. Thank you to parents who have already indicated you would like to be a volunteer driver. We are not able to have these field trips without your support, which we greatly appreciate!

In-class field trip: Telus Wise will be coming on Monday, January 29 at 1:00pm to teach us about digital footprint.

Family Movie Night

Kitchener School and the PAC will be hosting a family movie night on Friday, February 2 at 6:30pm. For more information, click here to check out the post on the school website. There is no registration necessary.

Thank you for your continued support. It is hard to believe that we are almost halfway through the school year already! Time sure flies when you are having fun! Have a wonderful weekend!

With much appreciation, Ms. Chan

Dear families,

I had the greatest pleasure to present to 250 educators in Nevada over Zoom yesterday morning! I shared about how we can shape our mindsets to see CONNECTIONS as the key to being an effective educator and teach students how to build positive relationships with each other, inspire them to see their own POTENTIAL as we lift them up by believing in them and providing opportunities to grow in their stretch zones, and cultivate leadership skills to EMPOWER them to be the best versions of themselves each day.

Every atomic interaction is a moment of connection that offers an opportunity to intentionally uplift others through our love, kindness, and gratitude. We not only brighten someone’s day but also create lasting imprints on their heart, cultivating joy within them and ourselves. I strive to live by this motto and encourage your children to do so too as we work together to foster a connected community of caring learners and leaders. 

Ways to support at home: Have conversations about how every interaction can be a positive one to build the kind of relationships we want to have. It takes great self-discipline especially when we are in the midst of challenging situations to have grace for others and to speak with love and kindness so that others feel heard and supported. “I can solve problems in peaceful ways.” Getting along with others and effective communication is key to our well-being. It begins with our mindset about how we value relationships.

It’s always interesting to learn what resonated most with participants in my sessions. Today, it seemed that sharing love and joy struck people most. Here are four of the most powerful statements I shared and say to your children regularly:

• I love you.
• I appreciate you.
• I believe in you.
• You bring me joy.

Brushing with Cedar Leaves

Last weekend, I had the greatest pleasure to join our Mentorship Network at Loon Lake in Maple Ridge for an overnight retreat. I have been a part of the organizing committee for five years as a supporter to beginning teachers in our district. One of the sessions was led by Ditta Cross who led us into to the forest to teach us about the Indigenous ways of connecting and respecting our land. One lesson that deeply resonated with me was called brushing. Here’s an explanation found on ChatGPT:

The Coast Salish people have a deep cultural connection with cedar trees, considering them sacred and using them for various purposes, including ceremonial practices and crafting. Cedar leaves, with their aromatic scent, are often used in brushing ceremonies.

Brushing ceremonies involve gently sweeping or brushing a person with cedar leaves to cleanse and purify their spirit, mind, and body. The fragrant essence of the cedar is believed to carry healing properties, removing negative energy and promoting balance and harmony.

This practice is conducted with reverence and respect for the cedar tree, acknowledging its significance in Coast Salish culture. The act of brushing with cedar leaves is considered a form of spiritual cleansing and renewal, often performed as part of traditional rituals or ceremonies within the community.

This practice has really resonated with many of the students too! There is something very calming about this.

We are scientists.

Water is really important to us!

We are grateful to have had a guest speaker, Diana, from Skye Consulting, come to teach us about the water cycle, local watersheds, water conservation, and to answer these questions:

When we turn on the tap, where do you think this water comes from? What are different ways we use water?

We learned that our water in Burnaby comes from the Seymour Watershed.

Then we had an opportunity to draw the water cycle and do a sort to figure out the order with images.

Ways to support at home: Ask your child to explain the water cycle and tell you about watersheds. Practice water conservation!

Candy cane crystals

Watch a video to learn more about how our Borax crystals formed! If you like, make some more at home following this recipe. I enjoyed seeing the creativity. We didn’t just see candy canes, we saw beautiful crystal stars, snowflakes, and a heart too! Please note that these are made from Borax so if you have young children in the home, it is best to put it out of reach.

OWL (Orphaned Wildlife) in the Classroom

On Thursday, we had an informative session to learn about falcons and owls. We met a barn owl named Alba and a American kestrel, Willa. Check out the videos and more images in SpacesEDU. Students learned:

• The function of the OWL Society
• The basic biology and behaviour of raptors
• Sizes and types of raptors
• Dangers to raptors and other wildlife
• What students can do to help raptors and other wildlife

Ways to support at home: Ask your child to share five facts they know about owls. Be curious! Model curiosity and tell them what you wonder about. Visit the public library to take out books on owls, go online to look for more facts, or watch videos on owls. Anytime you search online, this is a great opportunity to talk about staying safe as they search and to teach them about using key words to type in the search bar. Adding “for kids” is a simple way to narrow your search, for example.

If you’d like to learn more, visit: OWL Rehab. They offer 30-60 minute guided tours on the weekends (by donation). Be sure to make an online reservation before you go.

They are located at 3800 – 72nd Street Unit 3, Delta, BC.

Self-reflections and Goal Setting

Two of our core competencies is reflective and critical thinking:

Critical and Reflective Thinking encompasses a set of abilities that students use to examine their own thinking and that of others. Students apply critical, metacognitive, and reflective thinking in given situations, and relate this thinking to other experiences, using this process to identify ways to improve or adapt their approach to learning. They reflect on and assess their experiences, thinking, learning processes, work, and progress in relation to their purposes. Students give, receive, and act on feedback and set goals individually and collaboratively. They determine the extent to which they have met their goals and can set new ones.

We spent some time reflecting on how we are as learners, what we feel proud of, and set some goals to work on for next term. I also gave them an opportunity to give me feedback on what I am doing well and how I can be a better teacher for them individually and for the class. I want to model reflective thinking and am in constant pursuit of learning and betterment. So, if you have feedback for me, please let me know too. I appreciate your support!

Winter Concert on Tuesday, December 12 (Two Performances)

We have been working hard with our buddies and Mr. Turpin on the songs and actions! Please have your child wear a white top and black bottoms on Tuesday. You should have received two red tickets to attend the evening show on Tuesday, December 12 at 6:30 pm. Please bring your tickets to the evening concert.

6:00 pm (or later) – Bring your child to the Annex – A2 (Strong Start room)
6:00 pm – Gym doors open (The PAC will have a concession stand. Thank you for supporting them!)
6:30 pm – Concert begins
After the performance – Pick up your child from the Music room in the Annex.

*Please let me know if you do not plan to attend so I can expect their absence. Also, we can release your tickets to other families when you return your unused tickets to school.

1:30 pm Concert – An option for families with young children or if you don’t have enough tickets for the evening performance. You do NOT need a ticket for this concert.

To practice the songs at home, check out our Musicians page. Here, you will also find the overview of what was taught this term by Mr. Turpin, which you can refer to when you receive your child’s Learning Update on December 20.

Gingerbread House Making

This Friday, December 15, we will be making gingerbread houses with our big buddies. Please have your child bring small assorted candies (nut free) in a labelled bag to decorate their own houses. They can start bringing them to school anytime next week.

Every student will be provided with a paper plate, royal icing, and graham crackers to build their houses. We are looking forward to this fun community building activity and can’t wait to see the creativity and joy that this activity will bring! Thank you for your ongoing support in making these moments memorable for our students.

Field Trips in the New Year – Save the dates because we will need parent volunteer drivers, please. Thank you for your support!

• Friday, January 12 – South for the Winter at Michael J. Fox Theatre (Collaborative dance performance with four Burnaby secondary schools). The notice will come home early next week.
• Monday, February 12 & Monday, February 26 – Ice skating at Bill Copeland from 9:00 to 11:00 am.

Every time I get to present to educators, I cannot help but feel so appreciative that I am your child’s teacher. Thank you for sharing them with us and for your part in supporting their education with me. I appreciate you!

With love, joy, kindness, and gratitude, Ms. Chan