Reflecting On A Year that Can’t Be Beat, 

As We Welcome in the Summer Heat! 

Wow, June was a blink, a blurr, feels like yesterday,  and yet, forever ago. We celebrated birthdays, and almost birthdays, our learning and shared our accomplishments with grown-ups. Reflected on our year, our strengths, our goals, through our digital portfolios. Collaborated through research projects (e.g., Structures, simple machines, materials, continents, etc.), discussions as we ‘Unlearned’ harmful thought patterns and explored new perspectives, and shared the qualities that make each one of us who we are. Friends created beautiful multi-media art, sent their peers on location hunts, explored coding (the communication of technology), took on S.T.E.A.M. challenges (e.g., simple machine parks, buddy lego, purposeful marshmallow structures, etc.), took the “blindfold” off breakfast exposing advertising tricks comparing children’s and adult cereals, and shared strategies for balancing our mental and physical health (e.g., strength exercises, stretching, medicine, listening to music, talking out feelings and challenges, taking a break, understanding differences between what feels normal or like too much, etc.). “Wow”is about all I can say. 

Thank you all for a year that was A-lotl fun!!

Saying “Good-Bye” to May & the Countdown is Underway

This month we celebrated a birthday (Happy Birthday, Aubrey!), had field trips, enjoyed a visit from Ms. Meeussen, sung our hearts out, but didn’t sweat it (okay we sweat a lot) during music Monday, and so much more.

Literacy - Decoding skills with r controlled vowel teams, descriptive sentence writing, and procedural language have been at the centre of our learning, illustrated in part through our personal Newspaper writing. Students identified the parts of Friendly Letters, discussed the pros and cons of Snail Mail, and practiced necessary features when addressing envelopes. We have also begun identifying aspects of Media literacy (e.g., purpose, audience, safety, and responsibility).

Numeracy - We have been focused on communicating and showing our thinking when working through equations, 2-part word problems, as well as identifying Canadian money, adding coins and bills in various amounts, with proper dollar sign and place value notation.

Outdoor Forest School / Inquiry Learning -  We made it to the forest and enjoyed the sound of the water, identified signs of spring, and had a ‘Shake It Off’ mini dance party in an effort to ensure we did not bring any unwanted little guests into the class and out of their home. 

 Social Emotional - As energies continue to climb, a lot quicker than the temperatures, we have been reviewing kindness, collaboration, and problem solving. We have also been revisiting strategies for addressing different types of energy (e.g., sleepy - low, silly - high). Additionally, friends have been reflecting on their strengths, and areas for growth.

Looking ahead… Our last month of school is sure to fly by as we celebrate identity, inclusion, and diversity within Pride month. Students take on Science research projects; grade one’s will teach one another about structure, materials, and purpose. While grade 2’s will continue to explore simple machines. Both classes will read, analyze, and create maps. We will also discuss the types of Media with associated impacts, our responsibilities, and online safety aspects. Additionally we will be celebrating ‘almost birthdays’ for any students that were born in the summer. Stay tuned for information on our upcoming Fun Fair, end of year reporting, and class Celebration of Learning! :) 

April Earth Month Was An Inaaknige-win! 

This month kin certainly made itself known; rain, wind, sun, temperature, the changes were frequent, intense, and… interesting to say the least. The resulting energy was certainly felt. Adding to the excitement were 4 birthdays, the SAIDAT show, intramurals, our personal reflections being read out to the whole school, and so much more. Easter, Passover, Sikh heritage, World Autism Day, and Earth day were also recognized, discussed, and observed throughout the community. Speaking of community, students researched and then  took on the persona of a community helper, sharing information regarding what they do, important tools, and how their work contributes to the community as a whole. A few students were also given the opportunity to share some of the incredible work we have been doing on the concept of Inaaknigewin with our Superintendent, Dev and Adya did an incredible job summarizing what Inaaknigewin means and the ways in which we have been working to apply and share that knowledge. So, So Proud! A special shout out to our parent volunteer Mike Dunlop who graciously volunteered his time and expertise, giving kin on FM Island a beautiful haircut, so that we would have a place to gather when the weather is just a little tricky. Let’s take a closer look at what we have been up to. 

Literacy -  We have been exploring the elements of a story and applying that knowledge as we share personal narratives, realizing that memories hold emotion and have typically impacted our lives in a meaningful way.  Students have enjoyed sharing their work with peers, noticing areas of strength and encouraging specific ideas regarding areas to develop. Going over our work and editing, making changes, paying close attention to text conventions (e.g., capitals, spelling, tall-small-fall, spacing and punctuation) help make our writing easier to read. Whereas, awesome adjectives and dazzling descriptions that engage our 5 senses and “show” the reader what is happening allow us to connect to what we already know, making meaning, and deepening understanding.

Numeracy - Time and money continued to hold a strong focus this month. Students created flip books identifying Canadian coins, their amounts, ways of substituting for various amounts, and even created their own coin. Next, we will get to practice these skills through various games (e.g., Show Me the Money, Bingo, and I Have, Who Has?).  We also explored congruent shapes, ways to show our thinking, and introduced 4-square math, working our bodies and brains as we practice our ‘mental math’ addition and subtraction facts. 

Outdoor Forest School / Inquiry Learning -  We have added the finishing touches to our community, using the class project as a means of conveying the various ways that we Care, Conserve, and Contribute to all the elements of kin (e.g., land, water, plants, local animals, humans). I can not forget to mention our very exciting impromptu inquiry regarding ticks, as one was found in the class. Students created infographics illustrating what they learned (e.g., Two most common ticks in Ontario, how to prevent tick bites, what to look for, and when to see a doctor).

 Social Emotional - As the year begins to wind down, energies are definitely increasing, giving us an opportunity to focus on self-regulation (e.g., impulse control, strategies to ground us, and problem solving with friends, etc.). Days of significance have allowed us to share personal celebrations and traditions, and we  have also been discussing what it means to have a voice and make change. As such, we continue to explore the Unlearn posters, which encourage us to share our different thoughts and perspectives. Additionally, we have explored quotes as a means of reinforcing a growth mindset, and continue to focus on the importance of connecting to all kin in order to ground us in humility and gratitude.

Looking ahead… 

Both grades will have field trips, we will take on our next Inquiry Learning project - designing parks made from simple machines. We will be celebrating extra-curricular talents with Music Monday and the Arts Cafe. I can hardly believe there are only two months of school left, the year may be winding down, but our learning sure isn’t. 

Thank you all for your continued support, we're almost there!

March Madness: We welcomed Spring, Enjoyed a Little Break, 

& Were Lucky In Learning

This month we celebrated a birthday (Happy Birthday Alex!), learned about Passover, Purim, Ramadan, and Eid al-Fitr. We welcomed spring, had a brief break, created beautiful spring art, and enjoyed a variety of Blue Spruce read alouds with Mr. Cann. We also acknowledged World Down Syndrome Day creating sock ties, decorating them with meaningful symbols (e.g., 1, a barbell, heart, happy face, =, p), the extra sock symbolizes the extra chromosome those with Down Syndrome have, and is a great way to promote conversation. Grade Ones and Twos have started intramurals, choosing to participate in structured games led by our grade 8 student leaders (with Mrs. Baxter supervising).

 Let's take a closer look at what we have been working on this month. 

Literacy - We continue to move through our UFLI units, focusing on diagraphs. Digraphs are two letters that come together to make a sound (e.g., ck, sh, th (voiced), th (unvoiced), ch, etc. Simultaneously working to segment and blend words based on their syllables and sounds. We are using our resources (e.g., word wall, mini dictionaries, anchor charts) to edit our writing correcting spelling. We have continued to explore perspective writing as the water, the birds returning home, etc.   

Numeracy - Time has been a large focus this month. We have been working to identify the time of each class period, including how much time is left in the day (which I am trying not to take personally). Students have also been focused on place value, and expanded form with two and three digit numbers. Additionally, we have introduced Canadian coins and are working to differentiate between dollars and cents (we will write all forms of money in dollars i.e. a nickel is = $o.o5). Do any parents remember this song? Check out the updated version. We have begun identifying coins and their amounts, expressing amounts in a variety of ways, while also ensuring we are properly writing out the numbers using the decimal to reflect place value.

Outdoor Forest School / Inquiry Learning -  We have continued work on our Class community project highlighting aspects that show citizens care, contribute, and conserve. To date our community has bike lanes (along the sidewalk, rather than the street), street signs and traffic lights (ensure safe movements both by foot or wheels), a donation centre, senior’s complex, a water treatment station, various schools (e.g., elementary, high, veterinary, agricultural school), a recreation centre, hospital, fire and police station, a gas station, the houses have rain barrels to water gardens and flowers, recycling bins with lids, compost, and garbage bins. 

 Social Emotional - We have continued to explore perspective, discussing why it is so important and introduced the concept of ‘Two-eyed Seeing’ and ‘Unlearning’, active processes that work to increase knowledge and understanding. Our experiences shape the way we see the world, listening to what others have to say, or trying to understand another viewpoint helps promote respect, acceptance, and inclusion. We have begun examining the Unlearn posters, taking time to notice, share, wonder, and question.

Looking ahead, we will get back to outdoor school regularly with intention, working to include curriculum concepts within the outdoor environment. This time of year weather is tricky, layers are great, and students may also want to keep some extra socks and splash pants in their lockers. We will learn about simple machines and observe plant growth in science, focus on measurement in math, create media autobiographies, and celebrate a birthday. Isaac Murdoch is an Ojibway storyteller, artist and traditional knowledge holder who talks about the importance of connecting to the land, he will introduce the concept of Inaaknigewin. Inaaknigewin is a form of governance that encompasses an unwritten set of principles and guidelines for how we live on the land, and write the daily reflections based on this teaching that will be shared over the announcements, annnnnnnnnd we may even get a little addition to our class to care for.

"Black Excellence, February Friendship, Snow-Much Fun!

This month was definitely the shortest month of the year, with only 20 school days, some taken by PA days, holidays, and even a snow day it sure did fly by. We celebrated a birthday (Happy birthday, Eleanor), enjoyed an extra long family day weekend, discussed black resilience and excellence, and got to give the snowshoes a try (it was tricky but we persevered). 

Let's take a closer look at what we have been working on this month.

Literacy -  We completed our WW Water poems, which has been one of our first writing works that we have edited, and then published. We explored perspective, speaking out as the water, focusing on how over time, water’s emotions could very well mimic a wave (starting calm and inviting, building strength with confusion then anger over pollution and wasteful practices, and then losing power, weakening and begging for change). Additionally, we continue to learn rules that help with decoding text (e.g., the flsz rule, changing vowel sounds, endings, etc.)

Numeracy - We have been taking a closer look at analog time, remembering the hour hand is the smaller hand (word hour is smaller, and less hours in a day), the minute hand is bigger (as there are more minutes in a day and the word minute is bigger). We continue to relate skip counting to multiplication principles, and are exploring word problems as we visualize what the question is asking and work to show our thinking (e.g., words, pictures, etc.).

Inquiry Learning -  We have made some real progress on the mini community we are putting together. As a class we are investigating the aspects of a caring, contributing, conserving community, incorporating these in a variety of ways; for example showers, rain barrels, backyard gardens, shared recreation centers, green spaces, lids on our recycling & garbage bins, ramps rather than stairs, etc. 

Social Emotional - We continue to explore peer conflict resolution, and the importance of changing our thinking and ‘unlearning’ which allows us to :

• learn from past experiences, but also fosters new learning

• Increases creativity & innovation

• Encourages sharing of different ideas & perspectives

• Develops critical thinking skills

Our first Unlearn poster is Open Beats Clenched. Friends were able to share the most beautiful reflections, e.g., "hands are for helping", "more people listen when you are kind..." "we are stronger when we hold hands together", "paper beats rock...", "paper is like rules, rocks are like weapons...", "paper can stop fighting like wars"... The thoughts, discussion, and sharing were truly beautiful!!

Looking ahead… We are excited for the upcoming break, and I hope it is what everyone needs it to be. Our class will be building on and reflecting on Unlearning, and the importance of changing our thinking as we apply this learning to write the morning reflections that will be shared over the announcements. Additionally, we will be celebrating another birthday, welcome Spring, begin reading groups, continue moving through our UFLI lessons, focus on Canadian money and fractions (we even have a cash register to practice making change for our pizza station), and identify and measure signs of Spring. 

I hope you all have an amazing break, 

and that it is everything you need it to be.

At FM We Thrive as We Welcome 2025! 

I honestly can't believe how quickly the school year is going. We excitedly welcomed 2025, and just like that the first month of the year is over. As we returned from winter break we excitedly welcomed one another back and got right to learning. With the new year, we have new challenges and as such, we collaborated on ‘bumped up’ expectations and increased responsibility. More specifically, at home; we should be involved in packing our lunches and snacks at home, remembering to put our library and brain boosts bags in our backpacks, and dressing ourselves in all of our winter gear to ensure we are comfortable in all of our learning environments. At school, we are remembering to safely store all of our belongings, ensure all items (e.g., gloves, hats, etc.) are accounted for, transitioning quickly and quietly as we enter, exit, and travel throughout the school, and are developing strategies to ensure we are staying focused and productively engaged in tasks/experiences (e.g., moving to a new spot, advocating for self/others, reviewing class co-created success criteria) regardless of the space (i.e., indoor and outdoors). 

Let's take a closer look at what we have been working on this month.

Literacy - Sounds are a huge part of our literacy program. Letters make sounds, and sounds make words. We segment words isolating the sounds, writing the ones we hear as we write. We chunk new words when reading; decomposing and composing, identifying smaller words we recognize, applying known rules (e.g., when 2 vowels go walking…, bossy ‘e’, etc.), blending consonants and stretching out vowels, as we decode words, sentences, passages, etc. We continue to develop our understanding of sensory details, showing, rather than telling, the reader what is happening so that they can make a picture in their mind. Dazzling descriptors help to give vivid pictures as we express ideas and experiences using our five senses. These adjectives paved the way for awesome action words and we explore the feelings behind specific verbs (e.g. creep, stomp, wonder, etc.) that help us to understand them. 

Numeracy - We continue to build numbers sense through a variety of daily activities; skip counting during BBB (body, brain, bathroom break), accessing a variety of manipulatives and utilizing small group instruction as necessary. We have begun a more collaborative approach to math on “Thinking Thursday”, as friends explore time, money, fractions, problem solving, making connections, applying known concepts to new learning, while accessing a variety of tools (e.g., measuring tapes, meter sticks, Canadian coins, mini-analog clocks, etc.) and manipulatives (e.g., base 10 blocks, fraction tiles, etc.) to build skills and confidence as we engage and share in active, authentic learning experiences. We have been introducing fractions, through equal part sharing, utilizing various manipulatives to aid in authentic problem solving.

Outdoor Forest School / Inquiry Learning -  We continue to make our way outside most days, though it can be difficult with rain, ice, sleet, and extreme temperatures. That being said, it has been the perfect way for us to talk about the states of matter (i.e., solid, liquid, gas) and the basic stages of the water cycle (e.g., evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection). We were also able to observe the stages by creating our own mini-cycle in a bag (water evaporated, condensing into droplets, joining one another until they became too heavy, falling down through liquid precipitation, and then collecting together again at the bottom of the bag. Finally, we created “cloud dough” - utilizing a solid (cornstarch) and a liquid (hair conditioner), mixing half the amount of liquid to solid together, persevering as we mixed, kneaded, and problem solved to reach the perfect texture and consistency (a soft moldable solid). We then added blue food colouring excitedly, noticing as the colour created waves and ripples as it blended through the dough.

 Social Emotional - We discussed what it truly means to live safe and healthy, with the equation P (protecting) + N (nourishing)+ C (coping) = Safe and Healthy.  Protecting ourselves means being aware of various risks, following specific safety rules and protocols including appropriate gear, and building upon skills over time. Nourishing all parts of ourselves is more than just surviving, it means thriving. We nourish our bodies with healthy food and exercise, our brains with sleep, and through challenges as we learn and problem solve, while nourishing our hearts means developing a true understanding of ourselves (e.g., likes, dislikes, anxieties, strengths, challenges, etc.). It is important to understand that it  doesn’t matter how thoroughly we plan and prepare, life happens. Coping is active, it means moving through life's ups and downs, developing a variety of strategies that allow us to move through difficult feelings and situations as they inevitably occur. Speaking out for ourselves, others, and all kin, while taking the time to engage in meaningful connections (with ourselves, friends and family, our community, and to the environment as a whole), allow us to positively, and productively, do just that.

Looking ahead… Using our knowledge of PNC = Safe and Healthy, our class is creating a model of a community that cares, contributes, and conserves. We will explore the meaning of each of these main themes, applying our background knowledge as we infer what structures, resources, and supports would be necessary as we emphasize the importance of each concept. As an extension, we will be investigating the concept of “unlearning”. Changing our thinking, valuing various perspectives, and deepening our understanding of reciprocal relationships allows a community to not only exist, but to thrive. 

Let's go Term 2, the Baxter Bunch is ready for you!!

Goodbye 2024 and Ms. Meeussen No More!?! 

It’s like we blinked and the year was over, let alone the month! The time seems to go by quicker and quicker and friends seem ready for a breaker sooner and sooner. Let's take a closer look at what we have been working on this month…

 Our last few weeks of the year were jam packed with leading the school in a gratitude/generosity challenge, friends made a school announcement each day (we were able to record a few of them, but unfortunately not all, not to worry, friends did such an amazing job that we will be doing again in March and June). WSe celebrated 3, yup 3 birthdays!! Happy birthday to Malcolm, Toby, and Addison!! We had our holiday concert, which was an avalanche of adorableness (I hope that’s a word), completed and presented our first research projects (local animals and celebrations), continued working through our sounds of the week, UFLI literacy lessons, and sensory learning. We also worked together to solve a 3 digit estimation station question, utilizing Base 10 blocks to represent, and compose numbers adding and substituting applying their number sense. We of course, still made outdoor learning a priority, after working through a few little lessons - applying critical thinking skills, inferring probable outcomes and solutions, developing empathy, making some hard choices to build responsibility and autonomy. 

I wanted to take a moment to say a well overdue thank you for your generosity this holiday season!! I am one very, Very, VERRRRRRY lucky teacher that will be stylishly accessorized, perfectly caffeinated, sweet tooth satiated, and absolutely feeling a-lotl love!! 

A Message From Ms. Meeussen

 Wow! This year has gone by so fast, I can not believe that December is already done, and we are starting a New year, jumping into 2025! I feel so lucky and appreciative to have had the opportunity to learn from and grow with such an amazing educator, Mrs. Baxter and the inquisitive and incredible Baxter Bunch class, whom I will never forget! Over the past weeks, I have had the opportunity of a lifetime to grow as an educator, learn from such an amazing class, and be part of such a vibrant and inclusive school who have made me feel like I am a part of such a strong community. I would not have been able to have this experience, build strong connections, and grow with the best students and educators I have ever met, if it was not for the Baxter Bunch being so welcoming and supportive on my teaching journey. The kindness, love, and support that I received instantly in meeting the Baxter Bunch, is something I will always cherish and I can not wait to continue these relationships throughout my journey. As a class, we explored levels of safety, worked through kindness challenges while the class led the generosity missions for the school, learning more about Kin and our local environment/animals, and learning through students' inquiries from the inquiry wall. As well, meeting all of the wonderful parents that are part of the Baxter Bunch community at student-led conferences and the Winter Concert. To add, learning from such an amazing educator, Mrs. Baxter, has been an experience I will cherish throughout my whole career. I am so grateful that I got to learn from one of the most passionate, honest and supportive educators who truly loves what she does and gives it her all each day so she can provide students with the most inclusive and fun learning environment. I am forever grateful for this experience and words can not express how much I am going to miss being with the Baxter Bunch everyday, but I can not wait to come visit! Have an amazing rest of your year and remember, your zest is what makes each of you so special! 

Looking ahead… As we begin 2025, coming back to the class without Ms. Meeussen will be difficult for all of us - she was, IS, and will be an amazing educator. I feel blessed to have had someone who is as crazy about this job, and these kiddos, as I am… okay, I am crazier, but in the best ways… promise). We are so looking forward to her visits! That being said, this means we will be really focusing on our learning skills (Independence, Responsibility, Initiative, Organization, Collaboration, and Self-regulation) as they are fundamental to our growth & development, while also allowing us to work in a variety of  groups and settings to maximize our learning. Problem solving, self-advocacy, critical thinking, and peer collaboration will continue to drive our programing as we move through the curriculum, - Ontario’s & Life’s. 🙂 There have been a few adjustments to our schedule Our Baxter Bunch Schedule) maximizing learning time and comfort, while minimizing transitions, as we juggle temperatures and all necessary items of clothing. Home reading will begin, including our Learning Skills class books. Our connection and understanding of kin will continue to evolve as we learn about the water cycle, apply differing perspectives, and investigate the effects of water pollution. Cycles will also make their way into numeracy as we explore time. In twenty twenty-five, the Baxter Bunch will surely strive! 

November, No-fun? Nope, Not True & New friends too!

This month we took a deep-dive into our local environment. Shared our accomplishments, moments of pride, and learning goals with our families. Created learning skills books that will be traveling to friend’s homes. Welcomed Ms. Meeussen (you will learn more about our wonderful student teacher in following the write up). Reviewed bus safety with Buster and began talking about the various aspects of safety inside our bodies (e.g., knowing what we are consuming, never sharing medicines, being allergy aware, etc.) and safety equipment we wear on the outside (e.g., pads, helmets, appropriate clothing and footwear, etc.). The importance of specific feedback was explored, and applied to how we help others, and create our own learning goals. We welcomed a new addition to our class Toby, it feels like he’s been a part of our group right from the start; we wished our friend Peter good luck with his move and continued success at his new school! - Wow, what a month!

Let's take a closer look at what we have been working on…

Literacy - We have been working on experiencing and taking in the world using  our five senses, as an extension we have created a ‘Dazzling Descriptors’ board where we have been listing especially awesome adjectives. Explored the foundations of editing as we review assignment criteria, and go over our work. Continued to build literacy skills as we identify and manipulate letters and their sounds, including identifying vowels, consonants, and diagraps (ch, th, & sh - that last one we practice identifying an awful lot - wink, wink).

Numeracy - We have been working on independence with our Number of the day, and have begun breaking down place value into number sentences, using manipulatives and pictures to match. Estimation station continues to be a class favourite activity as we apply clues to determine amounts, and have begun our Thursday word problem (solving) activities, identifying important information like identifying the type of math problem we will need to use, and how to ‘show’ our thinking.  

Outdoor Forest School / Inquiry Learning -  This month explored and examined the way ‘kin’ changes with the colder weather. This included why the leaves change colour, identifying the differences between hibernation, migration, and adaptation. Students have begun answering their wonders, building introductory researching skills (identifying important information, utilizing concepts of print, putting information in their own words). Additionally, friends are sharing information verbally through class and small group discussions and visually through pictures and a variety of mind maps. 

 Social Emotional - We have continued to explore the importance of having a healthy mind, body, and heart. This includes being honest about our likes and dislikes, our strengths as individuals, areas we want to improve (identifying strategies that might help), the importance of trusting ourselves, and why mistakes are such an important part of the learning process (as it allows us to see the areas and concepts that are challenging, building on what we already know to scaffold new learning). 

Looking ahead… 

Students will be leading a school wide Generosity initiative, sharing daily challenges over the announcements (yup, not big deal - just grade 1’s and 2’s taking on a responsibility typically held by our grade 7 and 8 leaders). We will begin to share mini presentations about our local kin, start Genius Hour extension projects, create line art, continue to build our reading fundamentals (exploring sounds of the week, phonemic awareness, segmenting, and decoding skills, while reviewing and introducing irregular and heart words (those we need to just know by heart).  Celebrations will be a huge focus as we learn about a few that our community celebrate and begin partner projects. Ms. Meeussen will take on a large part of our teaching (with Mrs. Baxter here to help). Continue talking about the concept of safety, celebrate 3, YES 3, birthdays. Have a holly jolly time performing for families, and so much more!

Meeting Ms. Meeussen 

Hello everyone! My name is Ms. Meeussen and I am in my final year of teachers' college at Brock University, completing my second placement opportunity! Being part of the Baxter Bunch community for the last few weeks has been a pleasure and such an amazing learning opportunity! I enjoy outdoor education, including the thought-provoking learning we have done about plants and animals in our community so far! As Mrs. Baxter has mentioned above, I am starting to take on more of the teaching in the class, specifically our health unit about school, home and personal safety. I am very excited to continue to learn and grow alongside your children in the weeks ahead! Thank you for welcoming me into this extraordinary community. If you have any questions or want to connect, my email is up and running and I can be reached at meeussmhdsb2@hdsb.ca. 

October Was So Much Fun; 

Wait, Two Months Are Done!?! 

We are two months in and are starting to become familiar with routines and expectations. This month we introduced our BBB- Bodybuilding, brain boosting, break; where we practice our skip counting by 5’s, 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, and 10’s while performing a variety of exercises. We celebrated Wells birthday (Happy Birthday, buddy!), danced our socks off (kidding - P.U. that would not smell great) with Professor Jamz, examined that qualities that make us good friends, met with our Senior Eco Explorer buddies, created beautiful autumn art, observed Rosh Hashanah, Thanksgiving, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Diwali, Halloween, and so much more! Let's take a closer look at what we have been working on this month.

Literacy - We have begun Writer’s Workshop, using text to explore techniques and strategies that writer’s use to “show” the reader what is happening, rather than telling them, so that they can make a picture with their mind. We have discovered that writer’s add details, to help make the picture’s clearer.

Numeracy - We have continued to develop number sense, with Number of the Day activities. ‘Estimation Station’ continues to be one of our favourite activities, as we make connections to our background knowledge and apply critical thinking to decipher clues in order to determine the amount of various items in the jar. 

Outdoor Forest School / Inquiry Learning -  Our local environment has elicited a ton of wonders that we will begin to research in the upcoming weeks. Friends have begun learning about local animal life cycles, have begun identifying local plants, and have begun taking a look at our place in the world as humans and the responsibilities we have. 

 Social Emotional - We are continuing to explore feelings, identifying that all feelings are okay, and they don’t have to make sense. However, all behaviours are not okay; some stop us from being safe, some cause us to become ‘stuck in the muck’, stopping us from moving forward, and some stop us from seeing how amazing we truly are. Special Thank yous got out to Arya, Winsley, and their amazing grown ups for sharing about their families, and a few of October's days of significance. Please contact me if you would like to come in a share about any upcoming celebrations, we would love to have you in.

Looking ahead… We will be welcoming a new teacher in our class, as we are hosting a student teacher and are so excited to show off our program. Ms. Meeussen is finishing her teaching degree at Brock university and gets to do her final placement with us (talk about saving the best for last - wink, wink). We will continue learning about the strategies that authors utilize to make their writing stronger, introduce the concept of editing, and examine the purpose and importance of specific feedback. Additionally, we will begin solving word problems, adding them into our ‘Thinking Thursday’ routine, determining what information is important and working to “show our thinking’. Students will begin to recognize areas of strength, as wells and areas of focus, and begin to identify strategies that they find helpful. Progress reports will also make their way home, and families will make their way back to the class as students lead them through a show off session, I mean conference. ;) I can't believe how quickly time is flying - we must be having fun! 

Brand New Year, Brand New Bunch!

I am so excited to welcome you all to the Baxter Bunch!! We have completed our first two full weeks and been very focused on learning our class routines and expectations. The Baxter Bunch are leaders in the school and therefore have very high expectations, but it’s nothing we can’t handle 🙂. We had our first school assembly, are learning about our Code of Conduct and responsibilities, and developing an understanding around the power of words, they may not hurt our bodies as much as sticks and stones, but they can scar our hearts forever. Students recognized the importance of using kind words, as words (like shaving cream :) are impossible to put back. As an extension, we were introduced to the concept of “getting friends out of trouble”, that means we work to help our friends remember expectations, rather than telling the teacher when they seem to have  forgotten. We are getting comfortable with one another, and helping remind each other with expectations & share messages in a kind way. Oh, and we have already celebrated two birthdays - Happy birthday to Ms. Arya Motie and Brodie Lach!!

Let's take a closer look at what we have been working on this month.

Literacy - We have been exploring books, and how to use them!! Together, we reviewed the different ways to read a book (the words, the pictures, and/or retelling a story). We have been discussing how to get our bodies ready to read to increase focus; finding a comfy spot, reading to a friend, and eliminating distractions. Choosing a ‘right fit book’ was introduced by Mrs. Baxter mixing up our shoes and handing them out randomly (oh my, friends were in a panic - some were too big, too small, the same foot, colours they hated, boots and not sneakers…). Right fit books are books that fit us; they are books that are of interest (we like the topic, are curious/want to learn more, we can read most of the words, and are able to recall some background information around the topic knowing we are able to understand the content.  Ms. Baxter LOVES books, and uses books read aloud to spark our learning. Please ask your ‘little’ to share with you the main takeaways:

• “More Than Just Peach” -Bellen Woodard (we are all unique in so many interesting ways, one way is our skin, we all come in a variety of beautiful shades of colour)

• “Walking Together” -Elder Albert D. Marshall & Louise Zimanyi (our walk as humans has come after all the other form of life, what does it mean to walk with all the living elements of the world) 

• “Our Classroom is a Family” -Shannon Olsen (what are the characteristics that are the same - like caring for and problem solving and different - grown ups drive us, tuck us in, etc.)

• “Be a Good Ancestor” -Leona Prince & Gabrielle Prince (how do we ensure there is a world for future generations, as our ancestors made sure there was a world for us)

• What If Everybody Did That?“-Ellen Javernick (It is important to understand there are consequences to our actions, and we must remember that we are only a small part of a much bigger world)

Numeracy - We have been demonstrating our number sense with decomposition, tally marks, ten frames, and base 10 blocks. Authentic problem solving activities will play a huge role in our class. So far we have practiced working on the different ways to make 10, critically thinking about ‘what doesn’t belong’ in a group of pictures, and made connections regarding the importance of skip counting in telling time, multiplication, etc. We will soon be strengthening our bosies as well as our minds, performing various exercise as we practice our skip counting. 

Outdoor Forest School / Inquiry Learning -  We are identifying, and working through, the changes made to our thinking when we refer to the elements around us as our kin/family (credit to Robin Wall Kimmerer). Students met different members of our kin, and developed deeper thinking making connections to the various elements by taking on different perspectives (e.g., sharing stories from rocks, trees, leaves, even the materials in our class  - especially with regard to our foam mats that were damaged by some of our class members). On our first day of ‘Forest School’ we were met with quite the surprise as the path to enter is completely overgrown. The forest and creek are far too valuable as a learning tool and as such our class will be problem solving a way to make this a safe and inviting learning space, while respecting that it is not our home and we are guests.

Social Emotional & Collaborative Learning - Emotions are a part of being human, they don‘t always, nor do they need to make sense. Our feelings should be felt and acknowledged, but they can sometimes feel heavy and make one feel ‘stuck in their muck’. Therefore it is important to develop the skills we need to move through them, so we can keep making progress and growing at our own pace. We also explored the many facets that surround the 1 dish and 1 spoon treaty; taking turns, taking only what we need, and the difference between what's fair in terms of equity & equality. 

Looking ahead… We will continue to explore our changing responsibilities within the school and beyond. Writer’s workshop will begin, as will our structured literacy lessons. Numeracy will be varied depending on the day; Monday -  Math Pictures, Tuesday - Number of the Day, Wednesday - Estimation Station, Thursday - problem solving, Friday - Number games. We will learn to solve problems using our W.I.T.S. (Walk away, ignore, talk it out, and if those strategies have not been successful, or our safety is at risk, we seek help. We will continue to celebrate all the qualities that make us unique, including beliefs and traditions. Ms. Jessica (and Winsley) have graciously offered to share about family's Jewish celebrations. Please send me an email if you would like to share about your own special holidays, heritage, and/or customs. 

Important Dates to be aware of:

Our Terry Fox Run is September 27th, Please dress comfortably so we can work hard to do Terry proud! 

Truth & Reconciliation Day - Monday, September 30th -  Please wear orange to honor every child that has ever felt anything but valued, supported, cared for, and safe at school.

Photo day - Friday, October 4th - I can’t wait to see those smiles. 

PA Day, Friday October 11th - No school for friends (school for teachers) 

Thanksgiving - Monday, October 14th - No school for anyone :)

Our Open House is Thursday, October 17th, At 5:30-7:30 the school will be open for families to come in and visit the classroom, I look forward to meeting many of you! Please note - friends have made a heart & hand pledge in our classroom community; promising to work through peer conflicts, celebrate differences, include others in activities, advocate for themselves, stand up for what's right, build relationships with all of our ancestors (living and non), and so much more.

 It's going to be a fantastic year!!