BSPS Grade 3/4 - 2024/25
A Warm Welcome from Your Teacher
Hello, everyone! My name is Chris Stark, and I'm thrilled to be your child’s Grade Two or Three teacher this year. For those who haven’t met me yet, this marks my thirteenth year at Beatrice Strong P.S., and I’m excited to be part of the 2024-25 team.
A little about me: I graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa with a degree in Aerospace Engineering. After working in the automotive industry for four years, I pursued a new passion—teaching—by studying Education at Medaille College in Buffalo, NY. Over my sixteen years of teaching, I’ve worked in Peterborough, Courtice, Clarington, and now Port Hope. I love sports, especially hockey and baseball, and enjoy watching many others. I live just north of Port Hope with my wonderful wife Allison, our lovely daughter Macey, and our energetic son Maddux. Fun fact: Mrs. Stark, who teaches Grade One here, is my wife! Macey is starting Grade Ten, and Maddux is entering Grade Eleven.
Classroom Materials
Parents often ask what materials their child will need for the school year. While the school provides most supplies, each child will need:
A pair of indoor running shoes
A set of headphones (over-ear headphones are usually better for younger students)
While I don’t ask for much, if you are buying pencils or pencil crayons, please choose quality over low price. We mainly use pencil crayons in Visual Art, and markers are not necessary. Please avoid sending in pencil toppers, erasers, or sharpeners that look like toys and pens or Sharpies; I will ask the children to take these items home. If your child prefers to use their scissors communally, they will be kept in a bin for sharing. Otherwise, I have a class set of scissors available. If your child needs a fidget toy in class, please contact me before sending it to school.
This Month in Grade Four/Five
Literacy: We’ll begin with "The First 10 Days of Independent Reading," a flexible program tailored to our needs. We will do assessments to determine individual levels for reading and phonics.
Mathematics: We’ll focus on Social Emotional Learning, emphasizing the value of mistakes as learning tools. We will review Place Value and Addition and Subtraction. And, there will be a Prodigy Math Placement Test to determine individual levels for many areas in mathematics.
Classroom Routines and Procedures: We’ll spend significant time learning and practicing our school and classroom routines.
Artificial Intelligence in our Classroom
Once again, I'm excited to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into our classroom to enhance your child's learning experience. AI will allow us to personalize educational content, making lessons more interactive and engaging. It provides instant feedback, helps identify and support areas where students may struggle, and encourages critical thinking through new challenges. Additionally, AI streamlines administrative tasks, enabling me to focus more on teaching and interacting with students. My goal is to responsibly use AI to create a dynamic learning environment that supports your child's growth and development.
Communication between Home and School
Your child will receive an agenda for the school year, though the exact distribution date is pending. The agenda will be a key communication tool between school and home.
I will primarily use email (chris_stark@kprdsb.ca) to communicate. Expect a weekly email from me every Monday, detailing classroom and school activities. Please respond to the initial email to confirm receipt. If you have additional email addresses you’d like included (i.e. spouses, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.), please let me know.
Computer Science (Coding and Robotics)
Hard to believe but it has now been a full decade that I've been teaching coding. I will use a curriculum developed by code.org to teach computer science. Starting with the basics, students will build a strong foundation, enabling them to excel. They will create computer programs, develop problem-solving skills, and learn to collaborate. By the end of the course, students will be ready to start coding with our “Dash and Dot” robots.
Notes and Forms Sent in the Agenda
Ensure all notes, forms, or money sent to school have your child's name clearly printed. Money should be in a sealed envelope or plastic bag, also labeled with your child’s name.
Open House
Our tentative Open House date is ?. More details will follow, but please save the date!
Volunteers Needed
We need parent volunteers for field trip supervision. All volunteers must have an annual police records check. If you’re interested in volunteering, please obtain a police check as soon as possible and submit it to the office. If you wish to volunteer in our classroom, contact me at chris_stark@kprdsb.ca.
I look forward to an amazing year with you and your child! By working together, we can all succeed.