Monday, October 26th, 2026

Hi Families!

We have a big week ahead! This week, we will be having some Halloween celebrations. On Friday, October 30th we will celebrate Halloween at Glen Stewart. Students can feel free to dress up in costume! We do ask that you please avoid costumes that are very scary! Also, masks and weapons are not permitted.

Please make sure that the costume allows for movement as students will still have recess and gym. On Friday, students will be doing “Spooktacular” activities during their physical education class. In the morning, we will be doing a costume parade where we walk through other classrooms to show our costumes. Other classes will come walk through our classroom to show their costumes too!

Here's what's happening in 1A this week:

Playground: Back
Monday: Day 4 - Music
Tuesday: Day 4 - Music
Wednesday: Day 5 - Library and Phys. Ed
Thursday: Day 6 - Music and Learning Buddies with 2E
Friday: Day 1 - Library and Phys. Ed

Other Information:

Words of the week - you,your,where,there **We will practice reading and writing these words**

Fundations: This week we will finish Unit 3 in Fundations. In this unit, we will be working on consonant digraphs. A consonant digraph is two consonants together that make one sound such as “s” and “h” together make the sound of /sh/. We will be working on learning the following consonant digraphs:

wh - whistle - /w/ ch - chin - /ch/ sh - ship - /sh/

th - thumb - /th/ ck - sock - /ck/

Reading Homework: Your child will have 3 practice books that they can read throughout the week. Please return these books on Friday.

Dates to Remember:

Thursday, Nov. 5th and Friday, Nov. 6th - No School (PEITF Convention)
Wednesday, November 11th - No School (Remembrance Day)
November 9th - 13th - Scholastic Book Fair (more info to come)
Thursday, November 12th - Scholastic Book Fair Shopping Party (6:00 - 6:45)
Friday, November 13th - Picture Retakes
Monday, November 16th - No School (Learning Report Writing Day)

Monday, October 19th, 2026

Hi families!

We had such a fun day at Orwell Corner last week! The weather was not fantastic but we didn't hear a single complaint from the students. We also got a compliment from the staff working that everyone was so respectful - way to go 1A! We had so much fun visiting and feeding lots of farm animals, building a scarecrow, going on a horse and wagon ride, and exploring the historic village!

Here's what's happening in 1A this week:

Playground: Front
Monday: Day 4 - Music
Tuesday: Day 5 - Library and Phys. Ed
Wednesday: Day 6 - Music and Learning Buddies with 2E
Thursday: Day 1 - Library and Phys. Ed
Friday: Day 2 - Music and Phys. Ed

Reminder: The deadline to order school photos with free shipping will be October 22nd.

Social-Emotional Learning Spotlight: Apologize Like a Fox

This month at Glen Stewart Primary, we are helping our students navigate mistakes and build strong friendships through a framework called “Apologize Like a Fox”.

Instead of a quick, automatic "sorry," a brave fox learns to take ownership, show empathy, and make things right using three simple steps:

1."I am sorry for ______." (Naming the specific action clearly, without excuses)

2."It was wrong because ______." (Showing empathy and understanding how the other person felt)

3."Next time I will ______." (Sharing a clear plan to prevent the mistake from happening again)

How You Can Support at Home:

You can reinforce this positive behavior at home! When mix-ups or sibling conflicts happen, guide your child to walk through all three steps. Practicing how to “apologize like a fox” together builds strong accountability and healthy communication skills that carry into the classroom, home, and outside activities. Thank you for partnering with us to keep our school community kind, safe, and supportive!

Other Information:

Words of the week - or/for, down, want, out **We will practice reading and writing these words**

Fundations: We are about halfway through Unit 3 in Fundations. In this unit, we will be working on consonant digraphs. A consonant digraph is two consonants together that make one sound such as “s” and “h” together make the sound of /sh/. We will be working on learning the following consonant digraphs:

wh - whistle - /w/ ch - chin - /ch/ sh - ship - /sh/

th - thumb - /th/ ck - sock - /ck/

In class we will be working on tapping and blending to read and write words containing these consonant digraphs. We will also be working on “qu” which is referred to as the “buddy letter” because “q” always has it’s buddy “u” right beside it in words in the English language.

Reading Homework: Your child will have 3 practice books that they can read throughout the week. Please return these books on Friday.

Dates to Remember:

Thursday, Nov. 5th and Friday, Nov. 6th - No School (PEITF Convention)
Wednesday, November 11th - No School (Remembrance Day)
Friday, November 13th - Picture Retakes
Monday, November 16th - No School (Learning Report Writing Day)

Tuesday, October 13th, 2026

Hi families!

It was another wonderful week in 1A! Thanks to all who participated in International Walk to School Day. Our pictures were taken on Thursday by Everest Solutions. The cards with a QR code to scan and view pictures are in your child's homework bag. The deadline to order pictures with free shipping is Thursday, October 22nd.

This week, we will be going on our field trip to Orwell Corner! Our class will be going on Thursday, October 15th. This is always a highlight of the year and lots of memories will be made! Please make sure to send a lunch that doesn't require heating, a water bottle, and warm clothes for the day. An extra pair of socks might also be a good idea in case the grass is wet! I'm so excited for our day together.

Here's what's happening in 1A this week:

Playground: Front
Monday: No School
Tuesday: Day 6 - Music and Learning Buddies with 2E
Wednesday: Day 1 - Library and Phys. Ed
Thursday: Day 2 - Music and Phys. Ed (We will be at Orwell Corner!)
Friday: Day 3 - Phys. Ed

Other Information:

Fundations: Last week, we completed Unit 2 of Fundations. We will begin Unit 3 this week. In this unit, we will be working on consonant digraphs. A consonant digraph is two consonants together that make one sound such as “s” and “h” together make the sound of /sh/. We will be working on learning the following consonant digraphs:

wh - whistle - /w/ ch - chin - /ch/ sh - ship - /sh/

th - thumb - /th/ ck - sock - /ck/

Reading Homework: Your child will have 3 practice books that they can read throughout the week. Please return these books on Friday.

Dates to Remember:

Thursday, October 15th - 1A, 1B to Orwell Corner
Thursday, Nov. 5th and Friday, Nov. 6th - No School (PEITF Convention)
Wednesday, November 11th - No School (Remembrance Day)
Friday, November 13th - Picture Retakes
Monday, November 16th - No School (Learning Report Writing Day)

Monday, October 5th, 2026

Hi families!

We had so much fun during our field trip last Friday to Cotton Park. The weather cooperated nicely and the children had so much fun playing and exploring! I added some photos from last week. Click here to see them.

We will be kicking off our homework reading routine this week. Your child will come home with 3 books on Monday. These books may be a variety of levels. Your child will also have a Fundations review sheet that you can use to reinforce the skills that are being taught in class. Our goal in Grade 1 is for homework to be a calm and easy activity each evening. Please see the chart below for some fun reading activities!

Next week, we will be going on our field trip to Orwell Corner! Our class will be going on Thursday, October 15th. This is always a highlight of the year and lots of memories will be made! Please make sure that you do not order hot lunches for our field trip day. Please keep an eye out for the permission slip coming home this week!

Here's what's happening in 1A this week:

Playground: Front
Monday: Day 1 - Library and Phys. Ed
Tuesday: Day 2 - Music and Phys. Ed
Wednesday: Day 3 - Phys. Ed
Thursday: Day 4 - Music
Friday: Day 5 - Library, Phys. Ed

Other Information:

Words of the week - see, little, play, was **We will practice reading and writing these words**

International Walk to School Day: International Walk to School Day is an annual event supported by the Town of Stratford. It is a mass celebration of active transportation and its related issues. To celebrate this day, Glen Stewart will be hosting a walk to school day on Wednesday, October 7th. Families who would like to participate in this event are to meet at the Stratford Town Hall by 7:35 a.m. with departure at 7:45 a.m. sharp. We are asking that a family member accompany their child on the walk to school. Families will gather on the trail adjacent to Shakespeare Dr. across from the Stratford Town Hall prior to the walk. There will be volunteers that will be helping students to cross both Shakespeare Dr. and Glen Stewart Dr. Snacks will be provided to all participants in the gym after the walk.

Dates to Remember:

Thursday, October 8th - Picture Day for Grade 1 English
Thursday, October 15th - 1A, 1B to Orwell Corner

Monday, September 28th, 2026

Hi Families!

We had another great week in grade one! We are settling into our routines and finished our first unit of Fundations, which was a review of consonant sounds, vowel sounds, and letter formation. I will be sending home a permission form on Monday, September 28th for our class to go to Cotton Park on Friday, October 2nd. The grade one English classes will be walking to Robert Cotton Park to participate in some fun and educational activities. We will be leaving the school at 8:45AM. We will be returning to the school by lunchtime (12:00PM).

The trip date will be weather dependent. If the weather isn’t cooperative, we will plan an alternate day to go. I will touch base later this week to confirm the date. Part of our science curriculum is seasonal changes, at Cotton Park, we will engage in a variety of educational activities that will integrate literacy, math, and science curriculum. We will have a picnic snack, use binoculars on the trail to look for signs of fall, complete a fall scavenger hunt, create nature patterns, play games and use our imaginations in the Wild Child play area!

Here's what's happening in 1A this week:

Playground: Back
Monday: Day 2 - Phys. Ed
Tuesday: Day 4 - Music
Wednesday: No School
Thursday: Day 5 - Library, Phys. EdDay 1 - Library, Phys. Ed
Friday: Day 6 - Music, Learning Buddies

Other Information:

Words of the week - come, here, his, of **We will practice reading and writing these words**

Cotton Park Field Trip: Please sign and return the permission form that is going home in your child's homework bag on Monday, September 28th.

Fundations: we are working through Unit 2. In this unit we teach/review how to tap and blend three-sound short vowel words (consonant-vowel-consonant aka CVC; example: sat). We will teach how to read and spell CVC words.

Headphones: If you could please send in a pair of labeled headphones (please no wireless/bluetooth) for your child to use when we work on our technology outcomes on the Chromebooks, it would be greatly appreciated!

Dates to Remember:

Wednesday, September 30th - No classes (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation)
Friday, October 2nd - Field Trip to Cotton Park
Thursday, October 8th - Picture Day

Monday, September 21st, 2026

Hi Families!

It was another great week of learning in 1A! It is always so exciting to see new friendships form and to build a class family. We are off to a great start and I am excited for what this year will bring!

Here's what's happening in 1A this week:

Playground: Front
Monday: Day 4 - Music
Tuesday: Day 5 - Library, Phys. Ed
Wednesday: Day 6 - Music, Learning Buddies
Thursday: Day 1 - Library, Phys. Ed
Friday: Day 2 - Music

Other Information:

Words of the week - my, is, look, and **We will practice reading and writing these words**

Terry Fox Donations: In support of cancer research, you can make a cash donation by sending money in with your child in their homework bag. Please label that it is for Terry Fox Donation. Or, you can make a donation online using the following link: https://schools.terryfox.ca/GlenStewartPrimarySchool

Dates to Remember:

Wednesday, September 30th - No classes (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation)

Monday, September 14th, 2026

Hi Families!

We had a great first four days of grade one! We are learning lots of new routines, building friendships and getting to know each other. We discussed that we are a class family and that we all have an invisible bucket that we carry around every day. We talked about ways we can fill each other’s buckets up by being respectful, kind, responsible and doing our best. To finish the week off, on Friday morning during Free Choice Play, we had an “open house” in our grade one hallway where the kids were able to visit and play with friends from the other classrooms. This was a lot of fun! It was nice for them to connect with each other and see each other’s space.

This week, we will continue to practice routines and establish expectations.

Here's what's happening in 1A this week:

Playground: Back
Monday: Day 5 - Phys. Ed, Library
Tuesday: Day 6 - Music, Learning Buddies
Wednesday: Day 1 - Phys. Ed, Library
Thursday: Day 2 - Music
Friday: Day 3 - Phys. Ed

Other Information:

Words of the week - go, to, went, can **We will practice reading and writing these words**

Learning Goals: Each month I will outline the curriculum outcomes and learning we will be exploring. Click here, or visit the "monthly learning goals" tab at the top of this website.

Forms: Thanks to those who filled out the forms that were sent home on the first day of school. If you haven’t done so already, please send them back as soon as possible.

Photos: I’ll be taking photos of the students engaging and the various activities we do in 1A. I will post these photos under the "Our Classroom" tab at the top of my website.

Meet the Teacher: You're invited to come into our classroom this Wednesday, September 16th from 6:20-6:35pm. This is a great chance to see our classroom and meet other parents. I'll have a quick slideshow to go over some information about grade 1!

Hot Lunches: Our Hot Lunch program will begin Monday, September 14th. To place these orders, you will need to create a new account (even if you had one last year) and place your orders for next week by 9pm on Sundays.

Here is the website to register and order: https://glenstewartprimary.hotlunches.net/admin/?action=register-form

Monday: Cheese Pizza (Domino’s)

Friday: Cheese Pizza (Stratford Pizza Corner)

Microwave: We have a microwave in our classroom to warm up food for lunch! Due to class size and limited time for lunch, each child is limited to 30 seconds for the microwave. Please don't send KD cups or frozen dinners as they take a long time to heat up and then cool down to eat!

Homework: We will begin homework routines later this month - stay tuned for more information!

Breakfast Program: Our breakfast program begins this week and is open for all students! Toast with butter and toast with jam are always available. Additionally there may be other options such as apples, bananas, cheese or yogurt. Breakfast is available between 8:00 and 8:25 daily.

Footwear: Please ensure your child is able to put on their indoor and outdoor footwear independently (ie - tie laces, or pull up zippers). If they have laces, it's expected they can tie their shoes themselves.

Dates to Remember:

Wednesday, September 16th - Meet the Teacher (6:20-6:35pm)
Wednesday, September 30th - No classes (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation)

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