Welcome parents and a warm hello to all our students in Divisions 36, 38 and 39!
We were very happy to connect with you recently by phone and are relieved to hear that you are all healthy and well. We miss seeing our students in our classrooms and are looking forward to connecting with you and teaching our students in a different way until we are back in our classrooms where we belong.
Look for the Week One post on Tuesday, April 14th. After that, you will see a new post each Tuesday giving you a selection of activities, weekly information, learning opportunities and invitations. Please do not attempt them all! It is like a menu, choose from the list what you think will interest your child and what will work for your family. You do not even have to choose from the activities listed on the weekly blog post. Everything you do with your child is valid. Notice the many learning opportunities that occur naturally throughout the day as you engage with your child at home. Please take a regular peek at our Useful Links section for more resources and our Teaching Tips for hints and suggestions you may find useful.
The school district has focused the expected learning areas while you are doing school work at home – Social Emotional Learning, Literacy and Numeracy are highlighted. Your child is expected to do approximately 60 minutes of school work per day with flexible learning times in those three areas. For example, reading is a must. Each day we would like you to read to your child for at least 15 minutes. Bedtime stories are fun and enjoyable and a lovely way to cuddle! We would also like your child to draw a picture that tells a story every day. This usually takes at least 15 to 20 minutes. Feel free to write on the back, in any language, what your child told you about their drawing. Doing other activities with you, like helping to prepare a meal with the family by measuring and counting, for example, counts towards learning and takes another 15 – 30 minutes. Going for a walk can be a short or long activity. Some days you may do a 30 minute walk (physical education) and while you are walking you may notice and describe nature and neighbourhood pets (science – plants and animals). Now you have so much learning covered!
Remember to enjoy your child and this special time you get to spend with them. Housework can always wait another day!
Please email your classroom teacher at least once a week (more is great!) and share examples of your child’s learning. For example:
- a photo of your child’s drawing
- a short video of your child doing one of the suggested activities
- a photo of something your child created
- a photo of your child’s artwork
- your observations of what you noticed about your child….something you are proud of, surprised by, or just a question you might have
We look forward to supporting you and your children in the coming weeks. Please reach out to us if you have any questions. Email your teacher directly and we will strive to reply to all emails within 24 hours. Thank you and hope to hear from you soon!
Warmest regards,
Mrs. Lee, Ms. Maratovic and Mrs. Nero