Week #3: Sept. 18th - 21st

Dear Families,

Another meaningful week for us!  I am very pleased with how my students have smoothly transitioned from summer mode to school mode :-)

I am VERY PROUD and DELIGHTED with the children's efforts and hard work.  It is truly a JOY being back at school and I think I can say for us all, what a gift it is to learn and grow from and with each other :) 

I consider your child my greatest inspiration to be MY BEST SELF as an educator and human being.  

I promise to continue putting my best effort so that I provide the highest standard of education (within and beyond the curriculum) for these wonderful children you see below.    

As you’ve probably gathered from my blog updates, we have been go, Go, GO with our learning in class!  You'll soon read and see how much we’ve accomplished in a mere 3 weeks!

I am looking forward to our continued teaching, learning, and growing as a class family :)

MEET THE TEACHER:

I am really excited to connect and reconnect with my students' parents next week!  

By visiting our classroom, I am confident it will provide you with a clearer vision of what it looks like, sounds like, and feels like in our class community.  It is your child's "home away from home."

I’m very eager to meet all of my students’ families on Thurs. Sept. 28^th from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.  

Pizza may be ordered using school cash online.  Families may order a whole large cheese or pepperoni pizza for $9.00.  It will be available for pick up in the gym the evening of.  Please note, it needed to be ordered by Sept. 20^th on school cash online.

Any further questions about this process, please direct them to Mrs. Naismith jnaismith@scdsb.on.ca and Mrs. Mortimer mmortimer@scdsb.on.ca 

When you’re done dinner, please come join me in our portable!  

Your child will have many things to share with you such as their desk, the mindfulness wall, math wall, and the various charts around our classroom that help us be our best selves!  

I will also have some student work placed on desks so you can celebrate some of your child’s achievements in their language and math activities.

We're excited to share our classroom community with you oh so soon!

LANGUAGE:

We have been learning about what 'Good Writers' do in their writing.  Together, we came up with some effective ideas that we will use when we WRITE!  

Students will be provided with and encouraged to using an editing checklist to proof-read their work prior to handing it in and asking themselves:

Please click the image to enlarge it to see the criteria

This school year, we will be focusing on the 4 Writing Forms (see image below) to help build our skills and purpose in writing.  

Over the next several weeks, your child will be learning about writing a Recount.  This style will help build our skills To Describe an event using details and descriptions.  

Below, I have posted the expectations for this (see anchor chart photo).

This week, students had the opportunity to think and write about a special event from their life.  Please ask your child what he or she chose to write about in their Recount.  You will have the opportunity to see these writing pieces at Meet the Teacher next week :)

I'm learning so much about my students from reading their entries!  I am delighted to see everyone has enjoyed spending quality time with their family making special memories at so many amazing venues like Canada's Wonderful, The R.O.M., Ripley's Aquarium, Cottages, The West Coast, etc ...

MATH:

This week, our problem of the week focused on a task called 'Counters in the Middle.'

For the task:

• The solver has to recreate the row of counters (created by the designer) by asking as few questions as possible.
• Designer designs a row of 6 counters using 2 or 3 different colours. 
• The solver asks questions to find the correct arrangement!

Before beginning this lesson, we watched and listened to two videos below which helped get our MINDSETS ready to take on challenging math problems.  

These videos foster the notion of developing a growth mindset and to take mistakes as learning opportunities.

Mindset Message - Mistakes

This next video (below) is a story of two seeds – both planted on the same day, in the same soil, in the same garden bed.

One has a growth mindset—with a curious desire to grow and reach the outside world—while the other has a fixed mindset—filled with fear and choosing to remain stagnant in its soil. In class, we have explored the characteristics of a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. We are never striving for perfection, instead I am doing my best to teach students to appreciate their mistakes / failures and to learn and grow from them!

Fear is a natural universal emotion, but we must remember that it's the challenges that we face that help us grow! Tune into the video to learn more :-)

Mindset Message - Developing a Growth Mindset

In class, I always do a modelled lesson first, then allow students to collaborate with a peer to give them the opportunity to 'TALK IT OUT' to build upon their math strategies.

The photo below is a poster which I encourage you to reinforce at home with your child so they become well equipped when working with others :)

After sharing with a peer(s), I provide a guided task, and finally, an independent piece for students to show me what they have consolidated (learned).  

Below, you will find your child working as a T.E.A.M. ("Together Everybody Achieves MORE) to get their brains thinking of ways to solve the math problem :)

Please note, throughout the school year, there will be an emphasis on "multi-step word problems" where students will be required to use the 4-Block Problem Solving Method.  See below!  

Remember boys and girls, it's always important when beginning to solve a word problem to ...

UNDERSTAND (what I know, what needs to be solved) --> MAKE A PLAN (strategies to use) --> SOLVE (use pictures & number sentences) --> EXPLAIN (answer the question in words)

Not to worry, we're working hard on this in class and will continue throughout the school year!

TAPPING TECHNIQUE:

Have you heard about the "Tapping Technique?"  It's a scientifically proven technique that works to rewire the brain by sending calming signals to the amygdala, the stress center of the brain, allowing both the body and brain to release limitations from negative experiences, emotions, thoughts and much more that hold us back from creating the life we want.

Most people don't realize how big of an impact chronic stress has on their life.  It affects their health, their ability to think clearly, and their ability to be happy and to create the life they want.  It doesn't have to be this way though!

Check out the video below which gives you an explanation of tapping and how you can incorporate it into your life too!

My students and I have been using the tapping technique in our Brain Gym routine and its benefits are almost instantaneous as I noticed their brains and bodies were more calm, alert, and ready to learn.  

Please ask your child about the tapping technique (therapy) and give it a TRY at home.  May you too benefit from its calming signals sent straight to your brain (prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cerebellum, and cerebrum).

Have a great weekend and KEEP TAPPING!

GYAN MUDRA:

As you may know by now, in class we regularly meditate twice a day :)  

This week, we learned about the benefits of Gyan Mudra a hand gesture commonly used in meditation.  It involves joining the thumb and index finger while extending the other fingers.  

Please see image below of how to sit in Gyan Mudra.

This is my friend Chaz who is a yoga and meditation instructor who is currently teaching in Thailand.

This gesture offers several benefits that can be helpful for various aspects of our well-being:

● Improved Concentration and Focus: By practising this mudra, it can enhance mental clarity and concentration, which is beneficial during meditation or when performing tasks that require focus.

● Reduced Stress: The Gyan Mudra has a calming effect, helping to reduce stress and anxiety levels.

● Enhanced Memory: This hand gesture is believed to improve memory retention and cognitive abilities.

● Relief from Headaches: Some people find this mudra helpful in alleviating tension headaches.

● Better Sleep: It may also contribute to better sleep quality by calming the mind.

Perhaps you're an avid meditator or maybe not, that's a-ok!  Everyone can try this exercise and reap its benefits.  

Michael using the Gyan Mudra and reaping its benefits :)
He's calm & focused

I encourage you to please try Gyan Mudra by sitting comfortably in your home using the 1 minute meditation provided below. 

I am hopeful it will help you find inner peace, harmony, and the relaxation you're seeking to quiet your mind and just BREATHE :)

ISLA, MOLLY & JONAS:

Thank you Isla, Molly and Jonas their families for providing Kleenex for our classroom.  This is useful as we're bound to have the sniffles throughout the year ;)

Look closely and check out Isla's personalized 'stickers' she taped onto the Kleenex box. 
These messages are oh so important and ones we focus on each and every day!
Every Child Matters, Be the I in kInd, and LOVE'

Thank you, Jonas!

Thank you, Molly!

I also wanted to take a moment to share that here in our class, we consider 'Custodian Appreciation' every day to ensure our portable is always neat and tidy for Mr. Sheffer (morning custodian) and Mr. Brad (afternoon/evening custodian).  

I take this responsibility very seriously and encourage my students to as well!

When you visit our portable next week for Meet the Teacher, you will notice that your child's 'home away from home' is organized, clutter free, and everything is placed neatly at its appropriate spot.  

Thank you to all the students for helping to keep our classroom the very best it can be all day every day!  Our custodians and I appreciate it :-)  

Now to get the kids to also keep their 'bedrooms' at home organized too, huh (lol)?!  *wink, wink!* 

MALCOLM & FAMILY:

Thank you to Malcolm and his family who are avid supporters of the Terry Fox Foundation by donating and participating annually in our towns run which took place last weekend.

Terry Fox is our Canadian Hero and it warms my heart the connection children make to his life and continue his legacy's work - helping cancer research.  Way to go Hannah, Evie, and Malcolm!

MAE:

Thank you Mae for brightening my heart and our classroom with these beautiful flowers from your babysitter's garden.  They're stunning!!  

Your thoughtfulness and kindness to help make my day is cherished!!  I am delighted we're reunited for another school year to teach, learn, and grow together :-)  I honour you, Mae!  

MINDFULNESS:

In class there is a daily emphasis on having an 'ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.'  What does this mean?  

Gratitude is the feeling of being thankful and appreciating the people and world around you.  It's an emotion or feeling, just like happiness, sadness, and anger.  

You feel gratitude when you're thankful for things like your family, friends, your health, and everything else that makes you happy.  

In fact, when you feel grateful for anything - no matter how big or small --> THAT'S GRATITUDE!

Please watch the video below and learn more about this way of living your life :)

My hope is that it will inspire you and your family to continue noticing and appreciating all the things in your life!  You may wish to discuss it aloud to each other or write it down in your very own gratitude journal :-)  Give it a try!

MINDFUL WALK:

After watching the BrainPop video above, we went for a mindful walk and I encouraged the children to look, listen, smell, and appreciate the scenery around them :)

There were many moments of gratitude that we shared together while walking and stopping to admire caterpillars, grasshoppers, milkweed, cedar bushes, the trees, and so much more!  

We truly live, work, and play in the most beautiful community!!  #Nottawarocks

I captured a few photos for you to see :)  We truly seize and savour our time outdoors!

We love the outdoors :)

Thank you Grace for taking time to pick up garbage along the way.
Keeping Nottawa green & clean :)

Kegan and Kaelynn noticing, wondering, and exploring :)

Ayden, "Guys look, it's the inside of milkweed."

So the next time you're out on a walk with your family, I encourage you to reflect upon and give thanks to what you see, hear, smell, and touch on your adventure.  

There's so much to be thankful for especially in our glorious surroundings from Nottawa, Duntroon, Singhampton, and Collingwood!

CARA:

Speaking of having an "Attitude of Gratitude," I would like to acknowledge Cara for her graciousness towards her beloved family.  

Each month, I provide students with a Kindness Calendar (see below) and I encourage them along with family members to complete as many as they can.

I encourage you to post these calendars in a visible space for accessibility (e.g., fridge, bedroom wall) 

Thank you Cara who has been utilizing this month's acts of kindness suggestions, wowie, amazing and I really appreciate it!  

For example, Sept. 19th was "Write a kind note and leave it on the bathroom mirror."  This is exactly what Cara did for each family member.  I'm so proud of her!!  

To help get others inspired, I have posted her messages of gratitude below :)

For Cara's younger brother :)

As Cara's demonstrated, being kind isn't solely in our thoughts and words, it must also be actively displayed in our actions too in a genuine manner. 

Thank you Cara for being a model and inspirer for KINDNESS.  I am grateful to continue to teach, learn, and grow with YOU this school year :-)

GROWTH MINDSET:

I really like this one!  This quote means that all people are created equal and we must not discriminate towards anyone.  After all, we're all part of the same species, HUMAN. 

We should all be treated with equality and nobody should be treated otherwise.

If someone's 'below' you (like in the photo), please reach down and give them a helping hand :-)

We all have it in us to give, Give, GIVE.

From my heart to yours MEEGWICH,

Ms. Gill