September 2019

Welcome back!

I hope that your family had a wonderful summer! I am excited about getting to know your child and working with you to make this an enjoyable and educational year. As a team, we will accomplish great things!

Over the next few days, you will receive a lot of paperwork from the school. All of it is important! Please read the information carefully. There are forms to be completed, signed and returned as quickly as possible. We are required to follow up on incomplete forms, so please don't let them accidentally find their way into the recycling. Thank you!

Below is a lot of information about the 2019-2020 school year. Please take some time to read it over.

School Supplies

Below is a list of items that students are encouraged to bring from home. As the year progresses, some items will need to be replenished. If you are unable to provide these items, please let me know; the school will ensure that every child has the basic tools for learning.

  • Indoor shoes (closed toe, securely fastened, sturdy, suitable for gym class)
  • Outdoor footwear (suitable for outdoor Phys. Ed. activities)
  • Pencils
  • Erasers
  • Pencil sharpener
  • Glue sticks
  • Child-sized scissors
  • Pencil crayons or crayons
  • Markers
  • Pencil case(s) for organizing supplies
  • Water bottle (may be left at school for the week, but will be sent home for cleaning on Fridays)
  • Headphones (for use with computers and iPads; to be kept in desk)

If you have any questions or concerns about what your child needs for the school year, please feel free to contact me.​

Staying in Touch

Communication between school and home is very important. Listed below are several ways to stay in touch with me.

  1. Through your child's agenda - checked daily
  2. By contacting the office (519) 836-0080
  3. By e-mail: alice.hartmans@ugdsb.on.ca

Outdoor Learning

Time outdoors is very beneficial to student health and learning. In order for us to explore areas outside our schoolyard, we require a second adult. If you are interested in joining us for outdoor activities (e.g., walks, forest play, science explorations), please contact me with your availability (see contact options above).

Agendas

Your child has been provided with an agenda. This is a very important home-school communication tool. I check the agenda every morning for messages from home. Please check for messages from the school each evening and make sure the agenda is sent to school each day. A recommended donation of $6 is appreciated to offset the cost of the agenda.

Boomerang is back!

Students are encouraged to bring litter-less lunches as often as possible. When this is not possible, students will be asked to place their lunch-time litter in their lunch bag to be sent home (boomeranged). This program helps us fulfill our EcoSchool commitments and contributes to the students' awareness of their environmental footprint.

Planning Teachers

We welcome the following teachers to our classroom:

  • Madame McLeish - teaching Science and Social Studies
  • Madame Burkhart - teaching Dramatic Arts
  • Monsieur Adams - teaching Music

​If you have questions about the above subjects, please contact the planning teachers directly.

Assessment

This year we hope to provide an environment in which motivated, reflective learners flourish. To encourage this type of "growth mindset", we will focus on providing detailed, individual feedback to students while material is being taught. The notion of "grades" will be de-emphasized as frequent grading has been shown to demotivate students and limit the growth mindset of capable learners. Report Cards will provide letter grades as usual, but we look forward to the powerful growth that comes from self-assessment and descriptive feedback from teachers. If you have questions about your child's progress, it would be my pleasure to meet with you at any point during the school year.

Research on assessment: https://www.youcubed.org/evidence/aligning-assessment-brain-science/

Changes to after-school arrangements

To keep your child safe, changes to after-school plans must be communicated either in writing (i.e., agenda) or by phoning the office.

Homework

Home support for elementary students is very important. One of the best ways to help your child succeed at school is to build healthy habits at home: adequate sleep, good nutrition, minimal screen time, time in nature, and lots of exercise.

Your main "homework" assignment this year will be to read with your child as often as possible. Reading together in any language is highly beneficial. For more information on supporting English reading, please visit Reading with your child in English at home.

There will be few formal homework assignments sent home this year. Future newsletters will provide suggestions for math games and activities to support your child's learning. Please look for ways to nurture your child's love of learning and natural curiosity through fun explorations of his/her world (e.g., nature walks, gardening, art projects, listening to music together, music lessons, museum visits, age-appropriate documentaries,...).

During the next few days, our class will be learning routines and getting to know each other. Some students find the first weeks of school very demanding/tiring. Below are a few ideas to support your child.

  • Review your child's agenda each evening for important messages.
  • Help your child prepare his/her backpack (making sure the agenda comes back to school).
  • Allow your child time to "veg out" or wind down after school.
  • Fill your child's lunch with healthy foods; avoid sugary snacks and drinks.

September Curriculum Highlights

Math:

  • Building daily Number Sense routines
  • Reviewing basic facts (e.g., combinations that add up to 10)
  • Skip counting by 2's
  • Reading number words (e.g., "deux")
  • Reading and recording the daily temperature
  • Reading simple graphs
  • Sorting objects

French:

  • Phonetics review: a, e, i, y
  • Getting used to speaking in French all the time in class
  • Building oral language skills (circle sharing)
  • Introduction to "Star Author": Robert Munsch
  • Introduction to Independent Reading

​English:

  • Introduction to "Star Author": Robert Munsch
  • Introduction to Spelling Activities

​Phys Ed. and Health:

  • Gym rules and safety in the gym
  • Cooperative Games, Physical Fitness activities
  • Reflection: Why do I need to be active?