Week #22: Feb. 12th -16th
Dear Families,
Can you believe we're already entering into the second full week in February!? Time flies when you're consistently learning, soaring, and growing :-)
I would like to take this moment to acknowledge the many students are doing a GREAT job at engaging in their daily at home learning such as Word Study Homework, Knowledgehook Missions, and Projects I assign.
This demonstrates your child's excellent dedication and responsibility for their education beyond the classroom walls which is oh so appreciated!
Please know, this hard work does not go unnoticed and contributes towards your child's learning skills and work habits achievement which is located at the front page of the report card. I feel this is a strong indicator for your child's overall qualities as a student.
I am so proud of my students' efforts they put in and out of the classroom :) Keep up the efforts as we enter the final term of the school year, wowza!
REPORT CARDS:
Speaking of report cards, if your child was not in attendance today, that's a-ok, he or she will receive the report card on Tuesday.
For those who were at school today, your child will have brought home his or her Term 1 report card. I thoroughly enjoy writing these as it gives me the opportunity to mindfully reflect and think about all the amazing achievements your child has attained!
We all have next steps, including ME, and I have stressed to the children that it is important to remember to celebrate ALL their achievements - 'What I know' and 'What I don't know ... YET!'
MID-YEAR SELF ASSESSMENT:
So, I completed my assessment of my students, but I also wanted to give your child the opportunity to share their 'voice' and let you know how they think they're doing.
It was a meaningful process as your child wrote down their own thoughts about what they'd like YOU TO KNOW about their learning thus far this school year :)
Goal setting is such a significant and important aspect of learning.
I hope you enjoy reading through this and offering your feedback to your child.
Can you believe there's only one more term left, I can't believe I'm writing this! Time flies when you're with such passionate, hard working, and a respectful group of children. I truly am the blessed one :)
MATH #1:
We have been working hard on solidifying our skills in multiplication and division. I really appreciate the families who are taking extra time to spend with your child at home going over math concepts, it's making a difference!! Thank you so much :-)
I have posted the multiplication and division games on Google Classroom in the resources section. The children had the opportunity to access this earlier in the week and enjoyed playing with a buddy :)
MATH #2:
Before viewing the video below, please ask your child the following questions :)
What is the MEAN? (The average)
What is the MEDIAN? (The middle value)
What is the MODE? (The most often)
What is the RANGE? (The spread)
We worked on this in class and many diligently wrote down the definitions of all these frequencies in their notebooks and/or daily math sheets so I hope they will be able to articulate this for you :)
If not YET, that's a-ok, everybody's hippocampus is different and retains information at varying levels.
After watching the video, please give your child a data set for them to practice solving the mean, median, mode, and range to help solidify these skills! Thank you as always for your time and support for this math concept.
ART:
What is Zentangle? It is a mindfulness art form which can be utilized during the highs and lows of life. It is a unique tool to help regulate emotions so you're calm, settled, and ready to take on your day :)
The term Zentangle can be broken down into two words: Zen & Tangle.
Zen is a state of mind. Being in the present moment with your thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
Tangles are the mix of dots, lines, shapes, and curves to make a pattern.
Your child has brought home their Zentangle art (see examples below) and their self-assessment.
It is my hope that your child will continue "Zentangling" any time they need a transformation from a fixed mindset to a state of happiness, peace, and comfort :)
Give this adorable video a listen of a song that's one of my favourite's by Bob Marley :) Don't worry, be HAPPY! It'll surely put a smile onto your face ... guaranteed, yay!!
FAMILY DAY:
Wishing you all an enjoyable Family Day LONG Weekend! I hope with having the ‘extra’ day off on Monday you will have the opportunity to spend quality time with all your loved ones.
For me, I do my best to appreciate and value my time with those I admire and love :)
Growing up, I came from a small, but mighty family consisting of my older brother Anil and my Ma Shiva. Ma is a single parent who raised us (bro & I) to be empathetic, respectful, and hardworking.
I am who I am today because of all the sacrifices my Ma made for me so I could pursue and achieve all my dreams!
She immigrated from Punjab, India in 1979 not knowing anyone, the language, culture, etc ...
Through her dedication and determination to give the best life and opportunities for her kids, she did EVERYTHING to provide for us. She's a lady of many hats who has worked in factories, TD Bank, bus driver, PSW, motel business owner for 14 years, yoga & meditation instructor, and probably other lines of work I'm unaware of. Ma's a very versatile lady ;)
I am in awe of her perseverance and resilience - traits that I as an educator try to instill in my students :)
My mother could have given up as she faced many hardships in her personal life, but she carried on gracefully with pride and dignity because she always wanted to provide endlessly for my brother and I (still does to this day). I aspire to be like her!
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| Ma on her 65th birthday in April 2020 |
As dedicated parents, you can surely relate and know what it means to love and nurture your child(ren) unconditionally so that they too can live a fulfilling life and be who they are!
For me, the true essence of Family Day is extending our gratitude to our parent(s) who are the ONES who make our lives bright & beautiful.
I have encouraged all my students to let you (parents) know how much they love and admire you this family day. I hope you'll get to sit back, relax, and hug it out with your child(ren) this long weekend.
Thank you to all the Moms and Dads of my students for everything (and more) you do each and every day! I am blessed to teach, learn, and grow with your child!
YMCA HOSTING FREE OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING FOR KIDS:
The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka invites families with children ages 4 to 12 to try their NEW ESCAPE in the Landscape program at NO COST this Family Day Weekend, Feb. 17th - 19th.
Escape in the Landscape is an eight-week program designed to immerse children in nature through inquiry-based and experiential learning activities, and those who attend this free Family Day showcase session will be the first to experience it.
The program aims to spark curiosity, creativity, build confidence, social skills, and give children the opportunity to make lasting memories and FOSTER A LOVE FOR THE GREAT OUTDOORS!
How amazing is this?! If you're available, give it a try!
Children who try out this new program will have the opportunity to engage all five senses in play, exploring outdoor elements while improving their overall mental and physical health. Fantastic!
VALENTINES DAY:
Thank you to ALL the staff & students who showed school spirit by wearing red, white, purple or pink! It was so nice to see everyone get into our celebration to spread the message of LOVE and KINDNESS.
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| Thank you for dressing up in reds, pinks, flowers, hearts, and more to show your loving spirit! |
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| Wowie, look how creative Kaelynn & Hazel's hair is! |
Thank you families who took the time and energy out of your busy schedules to purchase cards, gift bags, and yummy treats for all of US to enjoy! I was deeply touched by the gifts I received too, it meant a lot to me! I will cherish them!
Kindness is like a BOOMERANG. "No act of kindness however small is wasted." Enjoy this inspiring song and video to get your hearts and minds into the spirit of giving :)
The photos below are of the children lovingly sharing their Valentines/treats with each other and us enjoying the Valentines Dance during period 4.
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| Kieran brought glowsticks so we could wear them at the dance and light up our dance moves ;) |
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| Anna's Valentines were handmade "POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS." I love it :-) |
Thank you to Mrs. Garvan and the Leadership Team for organizing this special event for our school!
I would now like to share a "heart soaring" picture book below. Simple words send a powerful message: When you love yourself and those around you there's nothing you can't do!
Take a moment to listen to the story and ask your child what the author's message is and why :)
Thank you Mrs. Johnson for sharing this with me. She later said to me, "This had YOU written all over it!" I absolutely loved this one!
Throughout the school year, I have been so moved by my students sharing their love and kindness with me each day they arrive with an open heart and open mind, what a gift!
Like many celebrations throughout the year (e.g., Thanksgiving, Earth Day), I have shared with my students that Valentines Day is something that we must acknowledge and celebrate every day! Yes my friends, it is the right time ANYTIME to spread LOVE, JOY, KINDNESS, and PEACE!
KAELYNN:
Speaking of kindness, when the kids were at library on Wednesday, Kaelynn took it upon herself to make me a Valentines card and get everybody in the class to sign it.
She shared, "I wanted to make sure you got a card from your class family and it would be a surprise because we did it in the library."
How touching, this made my Valentine's Day! I sure felt the love, but was not at all surprised because of the kind hearts that I'm surrounded with each & every day! Thank you so much boys and girls :)
HARLOW & HAZEL:
Annnnd, the kindness train continues!! Thank you to Harlow, Hazel, and their parents for providing this meaningful activity (see images below) for our class to partake in.
Each student was given a heart and I encouraged them to use one of the following prompts (see image below).
As I listened to and read through the various messages, it filled our classroom community with such JOY!
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| Thank you Lucy for pouring your heart into this activity! |
These hearts will now be posted on our "Love Tree" that is hung proudly in our portable :) Thanks again Colquhoun family!
THE SPIRIT OF UNCONDITIONALLY GIVING:
In the spirit of giving back, I came across this inspirational story about a Muslim man who is making a difference in the lives of those who are in need. It connects well with our 5 Ways for Well-Being :)
Starting in the U.S. literally from scratch ($3.00 in his wallet), Kazi Mannan had to wait for years before finally setting up his own restaurant. Mr. Mannan, a Pakistani has made it his mission to help the hungry & homeless by giving away free food at his restaurant.
Click the video below to have a listen and be amazed at how a generous act of kindness can change someone's life for the BETTER, for GOOD!
MALCOLM:
Malcolm came to school on Monday morning and happily shared the picture book called The Patchwork Path A Quilt Map to Freedom. He said, "Ms. Gill, this connects to Mrs. Naismith's lesson last week about the pattern blocks in the quilts helping the enslaved people get freedom in Canada. I think you will like it."
Awww, I love when my students make connections from school to home back to school :) This is exactly what Malcolm did and continually has been doing, thank you!
We read the story in class and as I was sharing parts of it, I could feel the emotion and empathy the children felt for the main character and her father. Give it a listen below :)
It provided us with good insight into how enslaved people used not only a trusty handy quilt, but also their resilience, bravery, and courage to get to freedom.
MARGOT:
Thank you Margot for ALL your contributions throughout the school year to our Tabs for Kids initiative :)
YOU truly have this authentic and genuine manner about wanting to make a difference in the lives of others, especially to those who may need it the most (e.g., children with accessibility needs).
In addition, Margot knew that she wasn't going to be at school on our pizza day and she quietly asked me, "Ms. Gill, can you give my pizza to someone else?"
You see, she didn't want it to go to waste or to cancel her order because she wanted someone else to enjoy it on her behalf :-) I was sure to give it to someone who doesn't normally get to order pizza and they really appreciated it and said, "Wow, this is the best day ever!"
Aww, thank you Margot for being always thinking about the feelings of others and providing your support!
Have a wonderful Family Day long weekend at your cottage!
BENTON:
One of the greatest gifts I can receive is watching my students genuinely supporting their peers. It is truly heart soaring!
Here is Benton who I saw earlier today gently guiding Kaelynn with her daily math questions. As soon as I saw this I had to take a photo (not staged) of the two collaborating!
Thank you Benton for seeking out opportunities to assist your peers. They admire and look up to your mathematical mindset :-) Keep it up!
The NBA celebrates Black History Month. Please listen and enjoy Doc Rivers thoughts paying tribute to the NBA's first black coach - Bill Russell.
One of the most powerful words from this video for me was: "Red didn't look at him as a black man, but as a man who could coach!"
I believe we have come a long way from the injustices of the past. Today, we see each other not by the colour of our skin, but by the content of our character. May we continue moving forward in this positive direction and ensure we keep it this way!
GROWTH MINDSET:
Thank you Elle for this week's mindset message!
"Be the LIGHT when someone is hurt. Be the REASON why somebody smiles." - Elle
I believe we all have the ability to be the reason someone smiles today :) Wouldn't the world be an emotionally and mentally much happier and healthier place if we all practiced this act of empathy a little more? Absolutely 100%.
When someone smiles at us, I encourage you to smile back and say, “Thank you or Merci or Meegwich.” This simple act of kindness could turn someone's day around to a JOYFUL one!
Ubuntu,
Ms. Gill
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