Hello everyone,

This has been a very busy week within our classroom and school. The kindness challenge has wrapped up but KE will continue to focus o respecting ourselves and others by demonstrating kindness in many different ways. Assessments are happening and the class has been very helpful in ensuring they are being quiet, calm and helpful to each other while I work with individual students. They are working for rewards such as extra choice time and relaxation time with calm activities like playdough and games. If you have not done so already, please check your communication and clean out all papers. Information has gone home on a new assessment that will be completed within the next week that you need to be aware of. It was a green sheet. If you need a replacement, please let me know. On a final note, arriving at school for the bell is important so that your child can take part in settling in jobs, socializing with peers and getting their brain/body ready to tackle a very busy day. When they arrive late, they miss practicing all of these important skills and interrupt instructional time. This time cannot be made up in the day. Important dates are below.

Fe.14th There will be fun activities, but NO food treats are to come to class. They will be returned to you at the end of the day.

Fe.17th No school

Feb.19 will be the last skate day for Kindergarten. Please let me know by Feb.18th if your child needs skates and/or a helmet.

Crystal

Hello everyone,

Next week we will work on the letters /z/ and /qu/. You can follow along at home with your normal practice and I hope to have an idea sheet of more activities printed for you next week. My apologies it did not go out this week as I had intended. The Sta of the Week is going very well! The children enjoy learning about each other. A friendly reminder that the Kindness Challenge sheets can come back filled out anytime next week and Thursday at the latest. Friday will be a school wide celebration for all our acts of kindness!!! Parent teacher interviews are quickly approaching, and the class will begin assessments next week and continue for the next couple of weeks on outcomes introduced to date. There will be no new outcomes introduced until assessments are completed. A few dates are listed below.

Feb.3rd is a PD day so there is no school for students.

Feb.19 will be the last skate day for Kindergarten. Please let me know by Feb.18th if your child needs skates and/or a helmet.

Have a great weekend!

Crystal

Hello everyone,

WOW time is moving fast! I can’t believe we are in the last week of January. All outcomes from last week will continue for this week. The class is working very hard on hearing beginning and ending sounds in words. You can help at home by encouraging them to listen to you say the word, they repeat the word and then tell you the sound they hear. At this stage it is common for the children to hear only the beginning sound and sometimes the last. He middle sounds I typically give them but have them practice sounding out the word by tapping a finger for each sound. A new Star of the Week will be picked, and their sheet will go home today for you to prepare. KE has started reading little readers and we are very excited! I will not be sending home books at this point but will consider it after our move to the new school. I will send home a sheet filed with activities you can do to encourage reading and phonics practice at home next week.A few dates listed below.

Jan.27th is Family Literacy day! Enjoy literacy at home by snuggling in a reading a favorite book or making a card for someone special.

Feb.19th will be the last skate day for Kindergarten. Please let me know by Feb.18th if your child needs skates and/or a helmet.

Have a great weekend!

Crystal

Hello everyone,

This week we welcomed a new EA in our classroom, Ms.B. She will be with us each morning and we are happy to welcome her to our classroom. In Fundations next week we will introduce the letters v and w. You can follow along at home by having your child practice the letters by printing them, saying the sound, finding them in a book, or finding objects around your home that begin or end with that sound. The directions for the printing order is found under the Fundations tab and then click the Letter Printing tab. Make it a challenge and have your child teach you how to print the letters! In writing we have started saying the word, hearing the first/last sound and then printing the letter. Writing can happen at home by drawing a picture and printing the word. Ex. Draw a cat and spell cat. Card making is also a fun way to do a printing practice! In math all outcomes introduced to date will continue. Extra practice on representing number in two parts for numbers 6-10 and saying the number that comes before/after a given number will be the focus of lessons this coming week. KE is also working on memory by playing memory games and retelling stories. You can help with this important skill at home by reading and retelling stories at home. Memory games can be done with picture, word or numbers cards and are LOTS of fun! On a final note, we will be celebrating Star of the Week beginning next week! Each child will have a turn for a week. On the Friday before their turn a sheet will go home that you will need to read and prepare a few small items for the week. Please send in the item on the day it is requested. Have a great weekend!

Crystal

Hello everyone,

This week we welcomed a new member to our KE/Sherwood community named David! Welcome David and family! A gentle reminder that all children should arrive at school for the first bell at 8:25. During this time the children have little task to practice, welcome their peers and settle their active bodies for the morning ahead. This is an important part of their routine and responsibilities as a student. When they are late, all of these things are missed and it can change the tone of their day. I’d also like to remind people to please send in appropriate winter clothing that fits your child. It is COLD and wet outside, and we go out twice a day. Thank you for your cooperation with this. If you need assistance, please let us know and we can help.

In Fundations, j and p were introduced and next week we’ll learn l, h, and k. In writing we are working on drawing detailed pictures and either labeling or a sentence depending on your child’s ability at the moment. You can help at home by drawing and writing with your children for fun! In math we review all outcomes introduced to date as a warmup most days, and our lesson focus for the next little while will be on representing numbers 6-10, representing numbers in two parts, patterns and as an extra challenge, counting forward/backwards by 1s to 30. On a final note, the next skate day will be Jan.20th. If you need me to find skates, please let me know by the 17th as I will not have time on the morning of the skate. Have a great weekend!

PS Each Friday in January will be Show 'n' Share day!

Crystal

Miss Daun’s Sherwood Physical Education Update:

Welcome back everyone! I am so happy to see all of your children’s faces after a nice, long break!

Before the holiday break we were busy learning how to strike an object with our hands while playing versions of volleyball. Most of our classes in Grades 2-6 learned how to bump, volley and serve. Our higher level classes got into more of a volleyball game whereas our lower grade levels played more of a “keep it up” version with partners. The Kindergarten and Grade 1 classes also learned to move a volleyball but started with balloons.

We had some funs times with our ‘mission Impossible” course right before the holidays. This is a large obstacle course that all the students get to do the last week of school. The students were practicing moving in different directions, going over and under objects and much more! The students really have a fun time trying out the new course each year!

We are adjusting back into our school schedule this week while playing some new and old games. For the rest of the month we hope to go outside some days with the older grades on snowshoes. We will hopefully play some other winter inspired games such as ringette and indoor curling. As we move into February we will start playing badminton with all grades and it will be modified depending on age and ability.

That is all for now but as always if you have a question or need to get in touch please feel free to reach out,

Miss Daun

Hello everyone,

This coming week will be filled with fun activities and finishing up projects. We may even start packing up some supplies/toys that we will not be using in January in preparation for the move to the new school. Our last day of school is December 20th and we return to school on January 6th, 2025. Our next and last skate day is January 20th. A gentle reminder that it is cold and you need to have warm clothing at school each day for outdoor play. Clothing gets wet, please also have extra pants, socks, and mittens ay school each day. Monday is the last day to purchase candy grams if you are interested. There are some fun activities planned for next week including:

Monday, Dec 16 “Dress in Red, Green and White Day”   

Tuesday, Dec 17 “Holidays Around the World Day” and Library trip $2

Wednesday, Dec 18 “Random Acts of Kindness Day” and “Sherwood School Spirit Day”

Thursday, Dec 19“Christmas Socks and/or Christmas Ties day”

Friday, Dec 20 “Onesies/PJ’s Day!”

There will also be an extra recess at 9:45 for K-2 students on December 19th. This is a thank you to students who have been working on spreading kindness at Sherwood by doing small acts like wishing someone a good morning, giving a smile, giving a compliment or helping a peer/adult in need by holding a door, carrying an item or doing a task.

I almost forgot! A sheet will go home today for you to write a joke and practicce it with your child. Return the sheet with their joke and name written on it and they will perform the joke for KF on Thursday.

Have a great weekend!

Crystal 

Hello everyone,

This coming week we will continue to focus on All About Me and Friends! It has been extra busy, so we didn’t get to introduce /e/ and /r/ but will do so next week. I have only received four sheets back with family traditions and pictures, I’ll wait three more days for more come in before we attempt the activity. On a final note, please ensure your child has clothing that is appropriate for the weather. If you need assistance with hats, mittens, etc., please let myself or a member of our Sherwood school team know and we’re happy to help. Have a great weekend!

Crystal  

Hello everyone,

A calendar for the December classroom activities will go home today. There will also be a sheet for you to fill out with your family traditions. This isn’t just focused on Christmas, but ALL family traditions you celebrate in December. If participation is high, we will continue each month. This goes with our theme of All About Me and Friends! The class will explore and share things that they like/dislike, activities they do at home/community, food, clothing and LOTS of other things. To get things started Friday, Nov.29th I introduced a book called My Map Book and we made a map of our face. It was a fun activity to draw and label our maps! Next week we’ll begin a map of our tummy! In Fundations I will introduce /e/ and /r/, and we will continue to work on printing lowercase letters, rhyming and syllables. In math the class will continue to focus on representing numbers in two parts and AB patterns. I encourage everyone to check the school Newsletter for important school information and dates. Gentle reminder that we have our next skate day on December 4th. Show and Tell will begin on Friday, Dec.6th. For the first time your child can bring in any small object (toy, teddy, game, etc.) of their choice and next week they should follow the calendar suggestion.

I enjoyed speaking with everyone at Parent Teachers Interviews! I always learn so much about your little people and I appreciate you sharing with me. If you are someone who missed your appointment, please contact me to reschedule. Enjoy your weekend!

PS Please dress for cold and wet weather, and have extra socks, pants and mittens at school each day.

Crystal  

Hello everyone,

Next week in Fundations the class will continue to explore syllables, rhyme and the letters Ss and Dd.  In writing we are working on writing rhyme words and three word sentences. You can help at home by practicing both of these. For example, cat/hat, can/van … I like cats. I can run. You can also practice syllables by saying a word and clapping the syllables. Rainbow is two claps and helicopter is four. Try clapping family names, places you visit or Google a word list for more ideas. In math we will have a new practice of representing numbers as a sign in job. This is a quick but important job that allows your child extra practice each day. Please ensure that your child is on time for class as the sign in jobs are finished by 9am. I’ll add a copy of the sheet we will be using to the site and you can practice at home too. White boards and markers are an easy way to cut down on paper use for practice at home. Below are a few important notes:

·        Booking for Parent Teacher Interviews will close Saturday, Nov.16 at 9am

·        Next skate day: December 4th-if you need skates again, please let me know.

·        Book Fair: KE made a wish list that is in their bag. You can send in money and a note on Monday. Be specific in the note on what you want purchased.

• Teddy Bear Clinic: you can wear PJs

Have a great weekend!

Crysta 

Hello everyone,

I’m still having issues with loading activities to support in math to the site. I’ll keep you updated. There were two forms that went home this week. Please have a look for both and follow the directions on how to book your upcoming parent teacher interview. Each time slot is 15 minutes in length, and I encourage you to be on time and to be respectful of time during the interview to help keep to the schedule. If you feel you will need longer than the fifteen minutes, let me know and we’ll book an appropriate time. In math the class continues to work on all outcomes introduced to date. Representing number is a concept that takes LOTS of practice. In class we have learned to represent 0-3 and will begin 4-5 next week. Representing numbers in two parts was also introduced and will be a focus for some time for numbers 0-5. When we play games, we do count forward/backwards higher than 5, but only focus on number 0-5 in the main lesson for the day. Having a solid understanding of these concepts at 0-5 helps make larger numbers easier to manipulate and understand. In writing and Fundations we are focusing on beginning sounds, blending sounds and printing the matching letter to their sound. This is tricky and will take practice, especially when we hear the sound, name it but have not yet learned the matching letter. Drawing is still our first way to represent our thoughts in print in Kindergarten and I encourage you to practice drawing and telling stories through drawing at home to support language development. On a final not, today, Wednesday, Nov.6th I am away from the class due to illness. A gentle reminder to call the school with any changes in schedule for your child. Please have a look at the school newsletter for special dates and upcoming events at Sherwood. Enjoy your weekend.

Crystal

Hello everyone,

On Monday the class will be going skating. A form went home today that must be signed by each child regardless if they are skating or not. All children will be at the rink to either watch or skate and must have a form signed. If your child was absent today, please call to give verbal permission Monday morning and the form will go home to be signed on Tuesday. If you do not have skates/helmet we have a limited number here, but I will need your permission to find some for your child. In Fundations we have started talking about syllables and will introduce the letters a and g. Today was a busy day so we were unable to get all of our activities done which means next week we will enjoy story writing and creating monster drawings. My hope is that I will be able to add activities to the site to help support at home with a math practice and letters a and g by early next week. There has been a weird delay in loading pictures to the site which I hope to resolve over the weekend. On a final note, the class enjoyed learning about Diwali this week! A small gift went home today with your child for you to share at home. Here is a link to a short story to explain the traditions of Diwali. Happy Diwali and Halloween!

Crystal

Next week although we will not be celebrating Halloween, the class will celebrate our imaginations by dressing in costume on the 31st. That day we will write a story, draw pictures and share in a game. This is not a party, just a normal school day with a fun twist! I ask that no food treats come to school. If you want to share something you can purchase things the class can enjoy together such as stickers, pencils, markers, crafts, etc. We LOVE using our imagination in KE!  In Fundations we will be introduce to the letters C and O. In math we will begin to explore number in two parts and what comes before and after a given number. In writing we are beginning to write words and sentences. You can practice at home creating sentences by storytelling. Not only does it use their imagination, they are also practicing speech patterns and hearing sounds by isolating words. If you want to add printing practice, start with a small sentence. I can _______ . You child can isolate the word run, say it and hear the /r/ sound. I can run. We will also be doing a fun art activity to learn about colors and flexing our imaginations to create our own color monster.

Have a great week everyone!

Crystal

Hello everyone,

The woods walk and park visit were a huge success! KE had a fantastic time searching for maple leaves, or as they say, the Canada leaf. Next week the class will continue to learn about t, b, m, n, f, I and u. In math we will continue with previous outcomes and begin to learn about ways to represent number. Below are a few dates to remember. I encourage you to check the school newsletter to ensure you don’t miss school wide events.

·        Oct.9th Heathy snack Wednesdays begins

·        Oct.25th is the first Lock Down practice (child friendly language is used to explain the procedure)

·        Oct.23rd&24th Nursing students visit

Have a great weekend!

Crystal

Hello everyone,

I apologize for the late post. This week we will be introduced to the letters i and u in Fundations. I have posted the printing directions for all the lowercase letters introduced to date so that you can follow along at home. Click on the Fundations tab then Letter Printing tab and scroll down to find the letter section. There are paper copies that I can send home but I am passionate about reducing paper use. If you would like paper copies, please let me know. When practicing at home I encourage you to use the same language and printing grid so that there is no confusion.  Outcomes in math and writing will continue from last week. 

Field Trip to Victoria Park:  Our class will be going on a field trip to Victoria Park on Friday, October 18th.  We will be traveling by school bus, leaving the school at 9:00 a.m. and returning by 11:15 a.m.  The rain date will be Tuesday, October 22nd.  Kindly ensure that your child is dressed comfortably for the weather on this date, including a sun hat and fall coat and sneakers.  Please also apply unscented sunscreen on them at home.  Kindly also pack your child's water bottle, lunch kit, towel (to sit on) and full change of clothes (in a large Ziploc bag) in their backpack.  We will be eating snack at the park.  Please be sure to pack extra snacks in their lunch kit as they may be hungrier than usual upon our return to the school.  It is sure to be a fun morning for all!

Payment for Field Trips:  Payment for your child's field trips can be made online at Sherwood HotLunches or by cash until the date of the excursion.  If paying by cash, kindly send the exact change in an envelope, clearly labelled with your child’s name on it and the purpose of the payment.  The fee for your child to go to  Wintermoor Orchard and Victoria Park is $7.00 and is due by Friday, October 18th.

A few dates to remember are listed below.

·        Oct.9th Heathy snack Wednesdays begin

·        Oct.17 Bus evacuation (all students participate)

·        Oct.25th is the first Lock Down practice (child friendly language is used to explain the procedure)

Have a great week!

Crystal

Hello everyone,

I have sent home more information on Fundations for you today (Friday, Oct. 4th). On the site you will notice information on Fundations that you can use at home to support your child with their practice. LOTS of information can be overwhelming to receive, especially when you have not had exposure to the program before. The main thing you can do as a parent is to learn the sound cards, the correct sound for each letter and the voice prompts for printing the letters on the grid (sky line, grass line etc.) These three things will help keep the lessons consistent between school and home. In math we continue to make sets, count forward/backward and subitize with numbers 0-5. We have also started to read different representation of number and will eventually move to creating them on our own. Once we have practiced a little more, I will add homework ideas to the site for you to practice at home. For now, counting and creating sets of a number would be a very good practice. When working at home I recommend no more than 10-15 minutes per evening. Extra skills to consider are cutting with scissors and printing their name using the Fundations grid. If you do not want to copy more papers you can place one copy inside a plastic sheet protector and use a dry erase marker. On a final note, please send in permission forms and payment by Monday, Oct.7th. The grass will be wet at the orchard, so I encourage you to send in waterproof footwear. On the day of the park trip, I recommend dressing in layers for both a hot and cold day. Please send in a snack on both trip days that does not requires spoons.

A few dates to remember are listed below.

·        Oct.9th Heathy snack Wednesdays begins

·        Picture retakes (please let me know you want this done, even if you already have.)

·        Food drive items can come in up until the 11th

·        Thanksgiving Assembly is Oct.11th at 12:15

·        Oct.17 Bus evacuation (all students participate)

·        Oct.25th is the first Lock Down practice (child friendly language is used to explain the procedure)

Enjoy your weekend!

 Crystal

Hello everyone,

This week we learned the name/sound of t, b, and f in Fundations. I will be working on adding an example of how to print each letter at home to the site. I am searching for the right lines to ensure that instruction from school and home will be the same. Next week we will begin n and m. In math we will continue to explore numbers 0-5 forward/backwards and subitizing. Scissor skills will also be practiced, and I encourage you to practice this at home too. Remember, keep the thumb up and their other hand turns the paper.

KE will also be making Stone Soup! I will ask that each of you look in the communication bag for a special list of ingredients. Please peel, cut in small pieces and have the ingredient in a plastic bag. This will help your little person when it is their turn to add to the soup. We will do this activity on Friday, October 4th. I will be using vegetable stock as the base. I encourage you to find the story online and share it with your child. There are many versions of Stone Soup, but the message is the same in each version…community and sharing ensures everyone has what they need and the importance of friendships. I read Stone Soup by Ann McGovern.

Below are some dates to remember.

·         Oct.2 – Healthy snack is provided each Wednesday in October

·         Oct.1-9 – Food drive: you’re invited to take in can or box food to donate to the Food Drive

·         Oct.11- Thanksgiving assembly

On a final note, things got a little wet at recess today so you may find wet clothing in your littles bag. Have a great weekend!

Crystal

Hello everyone,

KE has had a busy but successful week learning routines and making friends. We have started a program called Fundations. This program is interactive and phonics based (letter names and sounds). This week we learned how to get our pencil grip ready, the name of the lines we print on and the letter Tt. (Tt top /t/) Each Friday we have Fun Friday! This week we made a nest for Mamma Echo and Baby Echo, puppets that help us learn the letter names and sounds. We also made our own owl puppet! In math we have started counting forward and backwards 0-5, making sets 0-5, and subitizing (seeing numbers at a glance without counting by1s). The beginning stages of writing in K is drawing lines and curves. We have made many pictures with lines and curves while practicing keeping our hands moving slow and in control. We have also started using scissors! When practicing at home, please encourage your child to keep their thumb up to cut and the helper hand moves the paper. A few notes to remember:

·         September 23rd is a PD day (no school)

·         Forks/spoons

·         Fresh water each day

·         Change of clothing in bag

·         Return the purple communication bag daily

Library starts Day 4 (Tuesday is Day 1)

Have a great weekend!

Crystal

Hello everyone,

The first full week of school went very well! Everyone came to school ready to play and learn! KE has been establishing routines and forming friendships. We have also started learning about lines and curves to draw pictures. Lines and curves are important to become comfortable with because that is what we use to print letters. So far, we have drawn Mat People and made self-portraits using only lines and curves! We are having a blast! Next week we will continue to work on lines/curves, getting our bodies ready to write (sitting calm and pencil grasp), counting forward and backwards from 0-5 and spelling our names. Names are extra special words in kindergarten, and we have fun learning how to read and write them!

This update will be to inform you of KE curriculum goals, fun classroom activities and special guests that may join us. I encourage you to follow the school news for events/dates that concern the entire school, such as picture day or lunch ordering deadlines. I will not be giving reminders about school wide events. Below are few reminders from Meet the Teacher.

·        Arrive on time at the bell or call if late or absent

·        Send spoon/fork when you order lunch

·        No nuts of ANY kind

·        No fragrance

·        Write in the communication book and leave the page open. I will NOT look at any closed books.

·        Change of clothing must be in their bag

·        Weather changes quickly, ensure they are dressed for the weather each day

·        Volunteers welcome! You must have a criminal record check completed

·        If someone other than the normal pick up person will be here, even if they are listed as safe, you MUST let me know or we will make a call.

Have a great week! I’ll update you again next Friday.

Crystal