Welcome Letter

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Welcome to Grade 3 at Khalsa School Calgary! My name is Mandeep Kaur Parhar and I am delighted to be your child's teacher this year. I believe that every child has a spark that needs to be kindled in order to bring the best out of them. My job as an educator is to facilitate learning by allowing students to take the lead and direct their own learning.

The curriculum areas we will focus on this month include:Math: Patterns, Science: Rocks and Minerals, Language Arts: Balanced Literacy program, Social Studies: A unit on Peru.

There are some routines in the grade three classes, which I would like to discuss, so that you may assist me with proactive reinforcement at home.

FIRST DAY

The first day of school is Monday, August 23. We will begin the school year with staggered entry for the first two days of school, which means we will be dividing the students into two groups. The reason for this is because this gives us the opportunity to gradually re-enter school and to review safety protocols thoroughly with students. Furthermore, this will provide reassurance to you and your families that we are doing this safely and with precautions.

Group A will be coming on Monday, August 23rd and Group B will be coming on Tuesday, August 24th. All students will be in attendance on Wednesday, August 25th. Please check your email for further clarification on which group your child is in. Your supplies will be waiting for you here at the school.

Important Reminders and Procedures

THE CLASSROOM WEBSITE WILL BE A VERY IMPORTANT RESOURCE for you throughout the year. We will post daily homework, school events, videos, the curriculum (what we are learning), pictures and important websites. You are required to visit the classroom website EVERY DAY. Please visit www.khalsaschoolcalgary.ca and find the link to our class. We will also be utilizing google classrooms this year. During the first few weeks of school, we will be teaching the students how to use google classrooms and login to their emails.

COVID 19 Protocols

Please take the time to carefully review the attached Khalsa School Calgary COVID - 19 Re-Entry Handbook for 2021 - 2022. It is important to note that we will be resuming near normal in school learning for all students. However, there are some protocols that are still in effect. Please take note of the following protocols:

- Before sending your child to school EACH day, please refer to COVID-19 Self Screening Questionnaire attached to this email. Please ensure you are assessing your child’s symptoms before sending them to school!

- Masks are mandatory at all times except while eating

- Hand sanitizer will be available when entering and exiting classrooms. Students MUST sanitize their hands each time.

- Teachers and students will regularly sanitize their work areas and wipe down any equipment or items after each use

- Students will…

o Eat snack/lunch in their homeroom classrooms

o No sharing of food, drinks, or utensils will occur.

o Proper hand washing or sanitizing will take place before and after eating; this will be monitored closely. Each desk needs to be cleaned after eating.

- Due to COVID-19 health concerns, microwaves will NOT be used. Please bring a lunch that does not require reheating.

- Hand sanitizer (optional) - there will be hand cleaning stations in the classroom and around the school, but it is encouraged that students bring their own as well to have for personal use at their desk.

- Masks are mandatory for all staff and students K-9. Students must come to school on the first day wearing a mask supplied from home.

- Each student will require a set of headphones - stored in a ziploc bag or similar that is LABELED

- Indoor pair of running shoes - LABELED

- Water bottle filled each day from home (MUST be LABELED with your name & class)

AGENDA MESSAGES

Please note that I make use of classroom Website to post agenda messages. Please check agenda message on the Classroom Website daily.

HOMEWORK FOLDER

The Homework Folders are for homework and completed work. Homework will be posted on the classroom website.

HOMEWORK

The following items are required for homework EVERY WEEK:

1. Spelling (assigned every Monday, due every Friday)

Every Monday, the students will copy weekly spelling words in their Homework journals. You will also find a weekly spelling booklet on the classroom website. Please ensure that your child is practicing the spelling booklet activities at home. The students will practice these spelling words at home throughout the week. THERE WILL BE A SPELLING TEST EVERY FRIDAY!

2. Math (assigned every Friday, due every Monday). A Math Makes Sense Homework Book is posted on the classroom website. Students will be assigned specific pages to complete, related to what we have covered in class.

3. Students will be required to visit RAZ Kids and read a book for 20 minutes every day. I will be checking the website to ensure that this is being done regularly.

4. Please visit the Mathletics website twice a week. Complete assigned activities and take time to explore different activities as well. I will be monitoring progress, regularly.

5. On occasion, there may be additional homework. Check the website!

Please note: At times, your child may be requested to submit an assignment through google classrooms. I will notify the students when this is required.

REVIEW

To enhance their learning, the students are encouraged to review the videos and information on the website as much as possible.

SNACK

I try to promote a healthy lifestyle in my classroom, therefore please send a healthy snack along with your child’s lunch. Also, send a labelled water bottle as a drink instead of juice boxes. Considering, the current situation, it is mandatory for all students to bring their own water bottles. Water fountains at the school will be closed. However, students will still be able to refill their water bottles at school. There will be NO birthday celebrations at school. Please send snacks and lunches that are vegetarian, egg – free, and nut free. Also, there will no microwave use for lunches or snacks. Please ensure you are sending a lunch that requires no heating.

INDOOR SHOES

Please make sure your child has indoor running shoes as we participate in daily physical activity. It would be preferable to have Velcro shoes if your child is unable to tie their laces or easily removable shoes as they will be changing from indoor to outdoor shoes regularly.

THINGS TO BRING

- Filled water bottle, labelled with your child’s name and class teacher

- Velcro shoes

- Headphones in a labelled Ziploc bag

- Small bottle of hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes (Optional)

Please note: the hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes will be kept in your child’s backpack at all times. This is for your child’s individual use only!

- On the first day of school, students are required to come to school wearing a face mask. Please wash these face masks on a regular basis! Also please clearly label each face mask with your child’s name. Furthermore, ensure you are sending extra face masks in their backpacks as children tend to loose things easily.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

Please remember that parent involvement is essential to maximize the benefits the child gets from his or her school experience. Regardless of the experience and expertise of the teacher, research shows that the biggest and most important factor in a student’s school success is the involvement of the PARENT in daily school experiences. I urge you to become involved by helping your child with homework, joining our PAC, attending school meetings and conferences, talking with your child about his or her school experiences, and participating in your child’s education daily. If at any time you feel you have something to share, whether it is time or information, feel free to let me know. While there are parent-teacher conferences scheduled throughout the year, we are here to chat and discuss your child’s progress at any time. Please don’t hesitate to call or e-mail me to keep in touch or set up a meeting time.

Together we will make your child’s grade 3 year the best ever!

You can contact me through email mandeep.parhar@khalsaschoolcalgary.ca or call me at school 403-293-7712 ext. 232.

I am anticipating a great and a safe year with much learning as well as growth for each student as we move through our units of inquiry.

Thank you!

Mrs. Parhar