Category: Classroom News

Hello families,

This is just a reminder to dress your child appropriately for the weather. It is going to be very cold outside for the next week or so. If your child has a toque, snow gloves and snow pants/jacket please have them wear/bring them to school to keep them warm outside at recess and lunch.

Many thanks,

Ms. Quin

 

Hello Kindergarten Families,

A yellow notice come home today with some reminders for Halloween day. I’m posting it here just in case some papers didn’t make it home.

This is a reminder that your child is invited to wear their costume tomorrow on Halloween day. If you child is going to wear a costume, please have them come to school in it and that they can independently go to the bathroom while it’s on.

If your child is planning on handing out treats, please ensure they are nut free.

On Wednesday, we are going to have pajama day! Your child is invited to wear their pajamas to school and bring a small stuffy (one that can fit on their table and in their lap at the carpet).

Happy Halloween!!

Letting Children Choose

Why do we as adults pursue hobbies such as golf, crochet or gardening? We spend time in such an activity because we find it enjoyable, we have some control over the activity and we see it as offering some probability of success. We choose what we will crochet or plant; we decide where, when and with whom we will play golf or tennis.

Children, too, learn best when they have some control over their learning, when activities are meaningful and relevant, and when they can make choices in the materials they will work with and how they will use them.

Children thrive when they have opportunities every day to make choices in their learning. We facilitate children’s choices within a carefully planned environment. We create the environment to allow each child to choose activities that are developmentally appropriate for his or her age. The children choose the peers with whom they will work and play and usually determine how they will use the available materials.

These choices empower children to take control of their own learning. Children use materials and equipment in far more creative and innovative ways than we could ever plan, and they use the materials in ways that meet their own developmental needs.

Research indicates that intrinsic motivation – when we work on a task primarily because we find it satisfying – is the most effective and engaging way to learn. In this program we make an effort to provide materials and activities that provide choice and interest for the children. That’s a key reason that you’ll see busy, involved children when you visit the classroom.

What Did You Do At School Today?

It is difficult for young children to recall and describe what they did during the program day. Children are active and busy for the entire time, but they sometimes lack the words to tell others about their activities – or by the time you pick them up, they have moved on to other things.

Parents, of course, want to know about their child’s day. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when asking your child about his/her activities.

Keep informed of the class’s planned events so you can ask specific questions. For example, “Did you get to walk to Safeway today, or was it too rainy?”

• • With most children, avoid general questions like “What happened at school today?”

• • Avoid questions that produce one-word answers

• • Ask specific questions such as:

• • “Whose special day was it today? Tell me about what s/he shared”

• • “What centre(s) did you go to today?”

• “Tell me about this drawing in your backpack”

Sometimes telling your child a little something about your own day starts the ball rolling. Your child may get the idea of sharing news and feelings about his/her day this way.

And remember – if your child shares something about his/her day that you question or worry about, BE SURE TO BE IN TOUCH WITH ME ABOUT YOUR QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS IMMEDIATELY! Sometimes it is a matter of clarifying an issue, and if something is truly bothering your child (or you), it is best to have the issue dealt with right away. Prevention is certainly the best policy!

The Best Learning Is Active Learning

Active learning takes advantage of children’s natural desire to move and touch. Young children love to manipulate items and explore new ideas. They enjoy the opportunity to see how things work and to test their own theories.

Active learning takes advantage of children’s natural motivations, abilities and interests. Children get lots of opportunities to investigate what interests them – to solve problems, discover relationships and make comparisons.

Children use all their senses to make discoveries: How heavy is it? Does it smell? Can I find another one that feels the same? What does it sound like when I drop it? How is it different from other items? Using their hands, eyes, nose, ears and mouth to explore an item, children gather more information and remember what they learn.

As they interact directly with the environment, children not only gather sensory information, they also refine their senses and motor skills. For example, it takes very refined movement of the hands and fingers to produce the penmanship required for writing. Squeezing playdough, picking up puzzle pieces and using scissors are ways for young children to practice using their hands and fingers.

We organize the classroom environment to promote active learning and we do lots of things to encourage children to think and talk about their discoveries and creations. The next time you want your child to learn about something, provide the materials, space and time. Then step back and watch. You will be surprised at how much more your child will discover through active involvement!

Dynamic Classrooms Are Not Quiet!

Quiet classrooms do not mean that young children are learning. In fact, since oral language is very important during the early years, quiet classrooms may indicate that young children are not learning all that they could be.

Talking gives a child the opportunity to experiment with new words. It provides the vehicle for expressing ideas and testing current knowledge.

Shared experiences are important; they give children something to talk about. Children learn the nuances of communication in groups by trying out their language skills. For example, they learn what a question sounds like and how loud is loud enough.

Using words and talking about how things work, making comparisons and retelling experiences lead to increased intellectual development. When children reconstruct experiences, sequence events and point out similarities or differences, they are engaging in higher-level thinking skills. And when children are encouraged to ask questions, they not only gain information from adults’ responses but also build their competence – and confidence – as active seekers of knowledge and understanding.

The vocabularies children use in reading and writing are based on the words they are familiar with from listening and speaking. But expanded vocabularies and other aspects of language growth occur through using language. Talking in the classroom may be a little noisy, but positive results are easily heard!

 

***Letter borrowed from Tracy Fulton, New Westminister School District***

 

Hello families,

I wanted to take a moment to remind you all of our schedule:

Gym: Wednesday morning

Library: Wednesday afternoon (please send your child’s book back to school on this day so they can take out a new one)

Music: Tuesday/Friday

School Schedule

The bell will ring at 8:50am to indicate the start of the day. Please have your child line up outside the Kindergarten classroom windows by the North Entrance. Students should arrive as close as possible to this time as we are unable to provide supervision before school begins.

We eat our snack at 10:05am and our recess break is at 10:30 a.m. In Kindergarten we start eating our lunch at 11:45 am. Students go outside to play at 12:15 p.m. and return to class at 12:45 p.m. Dismissal is at 2:47 p.m.

Late for School and Early Pick Up

It is really important that parents ensure their children arrive to school on time each day. Lessons begin at 8:50 a.m and those who arrive late not only miss valuable instructional time, but also disturb the learning of their classmates by entering their classrooms after everyone is settled. Any student who arrives late, need to go to the main entrance at the front of the building (Holdom side) and walk to the office to sign in. If you are picking up your child(ren) before dismissal time, please come to the main entrance and go to the office to sign your child(ren) out.