“Never look back on your family & friends.”  Wyatt Gr. 4

Dear Families,

Here we are on our last week of school before summer holidays!  It is with mixed emotions that I write this post.  I am happy to have completed this year seeing all my students grow academically, socially, and behaviourally.  But, I am sad that our time together in a classroom is soon done.  I will truly miss each student as they have in their own way brightened my heart and soul with their smiles, enthusiasm, and respect.  Each day I was greeted with warmth, spirit, and positivity.  I truly am the blessed one.  I would like to thank each of you (parents) for all that you have done this school year to continually support your child in each and every thing that they participated in (E.g., paying for field trips, home reading, word study homework, extra math practice homework, speeches, musical instruments, Inquiry project, Healthapalooza, spirit days, Nordic Highland volunteers, and the list goes on).  As a teacher, I can honestly say, I could not have done it without you.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Report Cards:

Your child will be receiving his/her final report card tomorrow evening.  I have talked with my students about how the importance of these reports is on their growth (stars/next steps) not the letter grade.  Each student has stars (areas they excel in) and next steps (areas for further growth or practice).  All year I have encouraged my students to “Put in their level four personal best” and I can say with confidence that your child certainly met this goal.  I was never looking for perfect, only efforts that reflect their highest potential.  I am so very proud of each learner’s academic, social, and behavioural achievements and I know you will too J

Year End Assembly:

On Friday at 9:15am, we will be having an assembly to celebrate the character trait of Responsibility and honouring the students who have demonstrated this trait in their thoughts, words, and actions.  At this assembly, we will also be recognizing students’ academic and learning skills achievements!  If your child received a green or pink slip in their report card, we encourage you to come join us in recognizing these students.   

Gifts:

This week, your child will be bringing home their year-end gift that they made in class.  The message behind it is very meaningful, and I think it’ll be a great tool for families to use during times of sharing and heart-felt celebration.  You will see a note attached to it and understand what I mean J  On this post of gifts, I would like to mention that the greatest gift I could ever receive is having your child in my class!  Some students have made me cards and I will cherish these!

I want to take this last opportunity to wish you all a happy and safe summer holiday!  Enjoy and seize every moment you can with your dear child!  I will miss them greatly!!!  Take care and keep smiling J

“Boys and girls, see you in September ... with a … SMILE!!!”

Namaste,

Miss Gill

“Be put down FREE!”  Grace (Gr. 4)

Dear Families,

I can’t believe this is my second last BLOG POST of the school year!!!  I have thoroughly enjoyed communicating our news and learning with you all (my students’ families).  I thank you for being a regular follower and supporting your child’s learning (E.g., by asking them questions about their week) and reading my thoughts :)  

This weekend, I attended my dear friend Jenn’s wedding at the Craigleith Ski Club in Collingwood.  The weather was perfect as it was an outdoor wedding, lots of sunshine with ‘just right’ temperatures!  I enjoyed the ceremony (beautiful vow exchanges), speeches (very heart-felt), and reception (lots of dancing).  I wish my friend Jenn and her new husband Craig all the very best in their future endeavours as a married couple. 

Father’s Day:

Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful Dads!  I hope you enjoyed quality time together as a family.  Your child was so excited to give you the card, letter, and coupons that they created.  They worked so hard on this for two weeks, I was so proud of their final products.  Thank you to all the families who provided a photograph of Dad to glue on the t-shirt, it turned out adorable J  I was delighted to see that all my students have a special bond with their father, they lit up sharing their favourite memories!    

Play Day:      

Today (Monday), we celebrated PLAY DAY from 11:30-2:45p!  Each student in K-4 participated in various activities that were set up outside.  Please ask your child about his/her favourite station and why?  I have a prediction that a lot of my students enjoyed the ‘soaker’ station where fire-fighters from across the street ‘cooled’ us all off with their giant hose.  It was very much welcomed as the afternoon was quite warm.  So you may see that your child is a wee ‘damp’ this evening J  We had a blast!!!     

Spirit Assembly:

This Friday we are celebrating our final SPIRIT ASSEMBLY for this school year (we’ll resume them in Sept.).  Just a gentle reminder to dress in ‘House Colours’ boys and girls as this contributes to not only points, but more importantly, SCHOOL SPIRIT!  I am meeting with our Gr. 7-8 Leadership Team tomorrow morning to organize the agenda.  I always enjoy this process as it’s ‘student-led’ and it’s their voice that is heard!  Mrs. Bell and I are mere supervisors during these meetings, we are so proud of these students as they lead the assemblies for the whole school – wow!!! 

Jump Rope for Heart:

Each student was given a gift (skipping rope) upon dismissal, we are encouraging your child to keep this in a special place at home and use it when they so desire.  Skipping is an excellent activity to KEEP FIT & HAVE FUN!  It’s very timely as summer holidays are just around the corner.

Assessments:

Students have worked so hard on the following: Music Project, Inquiry (Ancient Civilizations), Transformational Geometry Test, and Narratives.  Thank you so much for this, I appreciate students determination, drive, and dedication parent support to help meet deadlines, and putting in their personal best!  I will be providing ‘feedback’ for each of these areas.  Stay tuned for these assessments in the agenda!

“Responsibility – We do the right thing even when no one is watching!”

Namaste,

Miss Gill

 

“If you can DREAM IT, you can ACHIEVE IT!”  -- Walt Disney

Dear Families,

YAY!  Another beautiful weekend full of sunshine, how blessed we all are!  On Friday evening, I went to the city to visit my dear friends in Vaughn for dinner and a catch up.  Next, I attended a 1^st birthday party (so adorable) on Saturday morning, and then later that afternoon, I went downtown Toronto to see a TFC soccer game (YAHOO)!  I was so happy because Toronto ended up winning 1-0 vs. San Jose.  I love when we beat the States.  Although I’m competitive by nature in sport, please don’t worry; I encourage my students to always be sportsman-like when competing in sports.  Perhaps some of you are aware, if not, soccer is my favourite sport J  I know that many of my students share my enthusiasm for soccer.  It is great way to get in physical exercise.  Speaking of which, the WORLD CUP begins this Thursday in Rio, Brazil!!!  Ohhhh, I can’t wait to watch the matches J  Finally, I came home Sunday afternoon and enjoyed a yummy BBQ with my neighbour and attended a 91^st (I know!) birthday party in the evening.  It was definitely a fun-filled, BUSY weekend!  Hope yours was eventful too!  Also, I would like to acknowledge the new, dazzling hair-cuts in our class today: Wyatt (gel-ed up), Julia (shortened adorable cut), and Alexander (spiky mohawk)!  You all look wonderful in your ‘new do’s!” 

Character Assembly:

This morning we celebrated last month’s Character Trait Respect.  Congratulations to the following recipients –  Izzy & Eryn!  Thank you girls for always striving to demonstrate respectful behaviour towards your peers, teachers, and family.  We’ve learned in order to get respect we have to give it.  The Golden Rule:  “Treat people the way you want to be treated.”   

Primary Play Day:

On Wednesday (11:30am-3:00pm), students in K-4 will participate in Primary Play Day!  Many have schema for this, so when I share this news with my students tomorrow, I know they’ll be EXCITED!!  It is an opportunity for all to enjoy numerous FUN-FILLED games with their peers J  The Grades 5-8 students will be leading groups around to the various stations, as well as organizing, and conducting the events.  I adore seeing the junior and intermediates partake in this Day, as it’s an opportunity to be a mentor and inspire younger students.  They did an amazing job during our Olympic Day in February and I have every confidence the same will be done this week!  Unfortunately, I will not be in attendance as I will be taking students to SCI (Stayner) for the Area Track & Field Meet.

Track & Field:

As mentioned above, on Wednesday morning, I will be taking various students from Grades 4-8 to Stayner Collegiate to compete in the Area Track & Field meet.  I did this last year, and I can assure you, it’s so fantastic to see students from all over the area come together to compete!  I would like to wish the following students from our class the best of luck as they represent our Grade 4 team: Wyatt, Alexander, Grace, and Eryn!  Good luck you four, I know you’ll do well!  All that matters is putting in your personal best and to have FUN!!!  We are so proud of your accomplishments J         

Inquiry Presentations:

The highly anticipated presentation is finally upon us!  Students have been working so hard to meet this deadline.  This week (Thurs.) and into next week (Wed-Thurs.), students will present their final product for their Ancient Civilization Project to their peers and teacher.  Many students have created plastacine models, PowerPoint’s, dressing up, and poster boards to share.  Ms. Hartley and I are very excited to see their pieces.

Dance Routines:

Last week, Daniel shared a ‘Tap’ dance routine to his peers and I can say with such delight, he helped inspire MANY from this experience for our Dance learning coming up!  I wish I could share the video of him performing, it truly is spectacular!  Daniel has a passion for dance and it shines through his toes to his soul.  Well done!!!

Now that every music group has presented their song with their homemade instruments (which they performed beautifully), students are working in their same groups to come up with a dance routine to their selected song choice.  Today as a whole class, students established a Learning Goal and accompanying Success Criteria for Dance.  Thank you to Grace for recording your peers thinking / ideas on paper! 

Here it is:

Dance Learning Goal:  We will make a dance routine to accompany our group's song choice.

Success Criteria:

1.       We can work cooperatively in our group and stay on task.

2.       We can memorize the dance steps to our routine.

3.       We can perform our dance with enthusiasm.

4.       We can come up with creative dance moves for our song.

5.       We can practice in a safe manner.

6.       We can give feedback to other groups (stars and next steps) to help their achievement.

PLEASE NOTE:  ********* The expectation is that students use the established Success Criteria to help them effectively achieve the Learning Goal J 

“THINK before you speak: Is it true?  Is it helpful?  Is it inspiring?  Is it nice?  Is it kind?”

Namaste,

Miss Gill

    

“It takes more energy to be negative than positive.  Choose wisely.” – Grace

Dear Families,

Happy June everyone!  Yes, you read that correctly, it’s JUNE everyone!  We’ve entered our final month of school.  Where’d the year go?!  I suppose it zips by when you’re surrounded with amazing students every day who make you smile!  I am truly blessed and have enjoyed every moment creating beautiful, lasting memories. 

What a gorgeous, bright, sunny weekend we just all experienced!  I was in awe of the warm temperatures, clear skies, and overall beauty of it all.  I spent some time outside taking care of my grass because as we all know, it tends to get thirsty in this climate.  I also went to a dear friend’s house on Saturday evening for a delicious BBQ and bonfire roasting smores.  As our summer holiday nears, I am getting excited to partake in many more opportunities to be outside with friends and family!

Character Trait of the Month:

This month we are focusing on Responsibility – “We do the right thing even when no one is watching.”  This morning, I had a discussion with my students about the importance of always being accountable for our thoughts, words, and actions.  We must all take responsibility for this as it is vital to ensure the safety and happiness of ourselves and others. 

At the beginning of the school year, I had my students in groups and create Success Criteria for this Learning Skill.  Here are some of their purposeful ideas: 

Responsibility is …

·         “When we do things that we are told to do” (Grace’s group)

·         “Always being responsible for our things” (Alexander’s group)

·         “Finishing your homework and remembering to bring it back to school” (Xavier’s group)

·         “Take initiative to use class time to work on school things” (Trista’s group)

·         “We will always tell the truth” (Eagen’s group)

·         “We will accept others for their differences” (Wyatt’s group)

·         “We will always put in our personal best” (Steven’s group)

Character Assembly:

Due to the Grade 6’s writing EQAO, our first of the month scheduled assembly will be taking place next Monday morning.  We will be honouring recipients for last month’s character trait of Respect. 

At this time, I would like to warmly welcome some of Mrs. Morin’s Grade 5 students who have joined our classroom for this week because of the Grade 6 testing.  Welcome to - Charlotte, Mackenzie, Caleb, and Justin.  I am delighted with their entry thus far; they have already adjusted very well to our routines and expectations.  I look forward to their time with us.

Narratives:

Over the next two weeks, students will have the opportunity to share their Narratives with their peers.  I had the opportunity to look over their rough drafts and I am delighted with their published pieces!  “Boys and girls, you have worked so hard and your efforts are greatly appreciated!”  Today, we enjoyed listening to the following stories:  Steven’s “The Frigid Blizzard,” Daniel’s “Michael Jackson’s Back Up Dancers,” and Owen’s “The Big Ride.”  “Great job today boys, I could tell your peers were fully engaged and enjoyed listening to your Narrative!” 

Health:

Over the next while, in health we will be learning about the harmful effects of smoking and how we can make healthy choices that will help our bodies.

Learning Goal:  We will identify the influences (E.g., the media, peers, family members) affecting the use of tobacco, as well as the effects and legalities of, and healthy alternatives to tobacco use.

Success Criteria:

·         I can identify the major harmful substances found in tobacco and explain the term addiction

·         I can describe the short and long term effects of first and second-hand smoke, and identify the advantages of being smoke-free

·         I can provide skills to make and maintain healthy choices related to tobacco use, and recognize factors that can influence decisions to smoke or to abstain from smoking (E.g., the media, family members, friends)

Reminder:

Just a reminder that this Friday there is no school for students, but staff will be here.  Enjoy your three day weekend with your child! 

“Love not hate.”  --Martin Luther King Jr.

Namaste,

Miss Gill

“You’re most beautiful when you’re happy!”  - Thank you Anjoli :) You're absolutely RIGHT!

Dear Families,

I hope you enjoyed a bright, sunny weekend with your child – it was absolutely beautiful out, wasn’t it?  Unfortunately, I had a sore throat so I spent most of my time inside resting, but I did manage to get outside yesterday (Sunday) and got some much needed Vitamin D J  Today when I arrived to school, I noticed some students were quite rosy and got a lot of sun, your child is encouraged to wear a hat and apply sunscreen as he/she is outside for two 25 minute fitness breaks.  Thank you for your support in this matter.  I also wanted to say a thank you to the parents who regularly check and sign their child's agenda, it is an excellent communication tool between parent, child, and teacher.  I have been enjoying your notes! 

Spirit Assembly:

On Friday our school had our second last Spirit Assembly for the school year.  Students and staff are really getting into the SPIRIT and participating with such enthusiasm and pride!  Everyone really enjoys the “House Challenges,” this time it consisted of musical chairs and pass the hula-hoop.  I was very pleased to see every “House” (which has approximately 60 members in it – wow!) work together cooperatively to successfully complete each challenge - amazing!  We always end our assembly with a dance and this time it was the ever popular “Chicken Dance” which my students have experience with from our in-class Brain Breaks.  Our next Spirit assembly will take place mid-June - stay tuned! 

Track & Field:

Last week all students in Gr. 4-8 participated in various Track events.  Everyone received a purple ribbon at the very beginning which represented active participation.  I was happy to see that my students wore this ribbon with such pride!  Many students stepped outside their comfort zone to participate for the very first time, some of my students even received 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th place ribbons throughout the day – way to go!  We talked about this achievement and in the end we all agreed that the most important ribbon was the purple one as it represents courage and the willingness to participate with a smile!!!  I know my students will take this experience with them and carry their new learnings into Gr. 5 at next year’s Track & Field meet!

Science Experiment:

Today during Science, we did an experiment for How Light Travels.  Please ask your child about this procedure, the materials used and what their findings were.  Here are some examples of questions to ask:

How must the cards be placed so that the light shines through the holes? (HINT: all cards had to be placed such that the holes were in a straight line).

What property of light does this demonstrate?  (HINT:  this demonstrates that light travels in a straight line).

How is a shadow formed?  (HINT:  a shadow is a result of light being blocked). 

What do the following terms mean – transparent, transluscent, and opaque?

Thank you for taking the time to sit with your child to reinforce these learned concepts at home.

Reminder:

Just a friendly reminder that Narratives are due this Friday!  Students continue to work hard during our in-class writing time which has been beneficial.  Thank you to all the families who are supporting their child in this writing task at home, I really appreciate all your time and efforts, it is making a difference and I look forward to their end result!          

“Your best is good enough.”  --German Proverb (Thanks Josie for sharing this with me at the end of our school day).

Namaste,

Miss Gill

“HONOUR yourself and each other.”  -- Grace

Dear Families,

I hope you had a wonderful looong weekend with your family and friends.  What activities did you get up to with your family?  Since the weather cooperated, I spent some of my weekend outside doing much needed yard work such as weeding, cutting the grass, and cleaning outdoor windows.  I felt relieved after this session!  To treat myself from my hard day’s work, I had a yummy BBQ and enjoyed a bonfire with my neighbours.  It was a blast!!! 

Ancient Civilization INQUIRY:

The students are currently working with a partner on their final project for their Inquiry.  Many partners are building models, dioramas, and PowerPoint presentations to represent their Civilization.  Please ask your child what they’ve chosen to do to communicate their information when they present.  There are many keen participants and they’ve been working hard which is a delight to see!  We have been using Day 1’s & 2’s to work on this project. 

The due date for this is June 5^th.

Narratives:

Last week, I sent home a note about a Narrative writing task.  Each student is responsible for writing a story using the Learning Goal & Success Criteria that we co-created as a whole group.  I have had the opportunity to conference/provide feedback with a few students and their progress is wonderful J I have encouraged everyone to take home their Language notebooks to work on their rough copies this week.  Spending 15-20minutes/evening would be very beneficial in meeting the May 30^th due date.  Thank you for your support in this writing endeavour.  Students will have the opportunity to present their final story with their peers … keep those creative minds flowing!

Track & Field Meet:

On Thursday, we will be having our Track & Field event for students in Grades 4-8.  Please have your child wear proper footwear, a hat, sunscreen, and bring plenty of water/healthy snacks to be well-prepared for this all day event.  This is an amazing opportunity for our Grade 4’s as it is their first year of participation.  We have had numerous practices at each event and I think we’re ready for this challenge!  I will be leading the Triple Jump, so I will surely be cheering on my students as they "HOP, SKIP, AND JUMP" their hearts out!  Best of luck boys and girls :)  Have FUN! 

Spirit Assembly:

On Friday, we will be having our School Spirit Assembly at 12:15pm.  If you wish to attend, please note the time change from our regular time of 2:45pm.  Please have your child dress up in their house colour as this contributes greatly to our school spirit!  I’ll have my YELLOW on!

“You can Google answers, but you can’t Google THINKING!”

Namaste,

Miss Gill

“Be the CHANGE you wish to see in OUR WORLD.”  -- Ghandi

Dear Families,

Happy Mother’s Day!  The bond between a mother and her child is truly one of a kind!  I admire, respect, and am inspired by all the mothers out there who consistently demonstrate and share their strength, dedication, and unconditional love for her children.  I have been blessed to have a mother who has been the ultimate role model and who has been there for me always.  Thank you Ma for all that you do, ALL THAT YOU ARE!  You are amazing!!!  For Mother’s Day, I decided to take my Ma to Barrie to visit Chapters, she loves to read!  After that, we went for a walk by the Beach in Wasaga, we took off our shoes and it was wonderful to have the sand between our toes.  The walk was not only refreshing, but one that I will cherish as I had the opportunity to spend my time in my Mother's beautiful energy!  I hope you enjoyed this weekend too with your child spending quality time in the warmth and sunshine!

Integrity & Optimism Recipients:

Congratulations to the following students:  Alexander, Anjoli, Jax, Sammi, and Mikaila for receiving Character awards for the months of March and April.  In March, we focused on Integrity – we always act honourably in our thoughts, words and actions.  In April, our focus was Optimism – we believe we can do it!  Well done boys and girls for displaying these character traits throughout the school year, it has been a pleasure watching you grow.  Continue acting honourably in all that you do!  I am so proud of you J

Alexander & Anjoli

Jax, Sammi, and Mikaila

Track & Field:

As many parents may be aware by now, we have started our Track & Field practices in preparation for our schools track meet in the third week of May.  This is the grade fours first experience with this, and I am delighted with their progress thus far!  My students will be participating in the following events:  high jump, ball throw, triple/long jump, 100m, and 200m run.  I have encouraged and reminded my students that their greatest competitor is themselves, and that all I ever expect from them is their “personal best” and to have fun with this new learning experience!  We are all having a blast and it’s wonderful to be part of their enthusiasm and growing track skills!  We will be resuming our practices this week, please ensure your child has proper foot wear to participate to their highest potential, thank you.

Jump Rope for Heart:

Keep those pledges coming!  Thank you for all your hard work and support in this school-wide endeavour.  The pledge forms are due to our office by this Fri. May 16^th.

Makayla’s Dance Recital:

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to see my former Gr. 6 student Makayla (Izzy's older sister) perform in her dance recital at Meaford Hall.  I felt honoured and privileged to be part of this event, thank you for thinking of and including me in your special day.  I had such a wonderful time J  You did such an amazing dance routine, I am in awe of your talent along with your peers!  Your little sister performed wonderfully too.  I hope you got a lot of rest today as you had three performances yesterday - wowie!  Congratulations on an amazing dance season, you are a gifted dancer Makayla!!  Keep striving to be the best you can be! 

Makayla - dancing extordinaire!

 

“If you can dream it, you can ACHIEVE it!” – Walt Disney

Namaste,

Miss Gill