Mme Moore French K.

November, 2013 Chers parents,

Dear Kindergarten parents,

Important dates to remember:

November 8th Friday: Remembrance Day Assembly This is a formal and solemn assembly. We will discuss expected behaviors for this occasion in class prior to that assembly. However the Staff would greatly appreciate if you could review these at home as well with your child, so that he/she will arrive prepared to attend and behave appropriately. November 11th Monday:Remembrance Day (no classes) November 15th Friday: SD#23 Cultural performance "Expression"

Les nouvelles de notre classe; Davison Orchards Field Trip

Our first field trip was a great success! Thank you to all the parents who helped out; we could not have done it without you! For some of us, this was our first time on a school bus! It was very exciting. We were also very lucky that the weather cooperated! I hope everyone enjoyed carving the pumpkins we got to take home!

Reminder: Snacks * Students are encouraged to bring a nutritious snack daily. Fruit, cut vegetables, cheese and crackers or yogurt are all excellent choices. Please do not include juice with your childs snack! We have a water fountain in our class. Please in order to encourage your childs independence remember to use little hands friendly containers that he/she can open and close on their own. Please clearly label all your childs possessions. E.G. (Shoes, coat, gloves, scarves, lunch kits) Inside shoes * Merci for sending in a pair of inside shoes. They are kept at school should you require your child taking them home please make sure that he/she brings them back the following day. Merci Weekly events reminder: * Library - Tuesday - (except when there is no school in session, in that case we will try for a different time that week) There will be a story time and a book exchange with Mr.Gillet. Please ensure that books are returned to the school on or before Tuesdays.

Gym Thursdays and Fridays - Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately, clothing should be suitable for active play.

Classroom Theme: We will keep working with colours and shapes, continuing with patterns. In math, alongside our calendar related activities (number recognition, predicting what comes next, counting forwards and backwards, associating numbers with quantities) we will also be doing some graphing, estimating, and practise printing our numbers to 5. We will finish the "Letters in my Name" program and start a more formal approach to our alphabet study using "Handwriting without tears program". We will continue to practice rhyming, isolating initial sounds and word syllables in preparation for the upcoming Screener. Color Days: We will send home a more detailed description of Color Days very soon. Mind-Up Program: This is a program that our school has begun to focus on this year. Please see below or go on line at http://thehawnfoundation.org/mindup/ to read more about what this program entails.

MindUP
MindUP teaches social and emotional learning skills that link cognitive neuroscience, positive psychology and mindful awareness training utilizing a brain centric approach. MindUP is a research-based training program for educators and children. This program is composed of 15 lessons based in neuroscience. Students learn to self-regulate behavior and mindfully engage in focused concentration required for academic success. MindUP lessons align with all state standards including Common Core and support improved academic performance while enhancing perspective taking, empathy and kindness as well as fostering complex problem solving skills. Founder Goldie Hawn collaborated with neuroscientists, cognitive psychologists and educators to create MindUP, a program that fosters a classroom learning environment where a childs ability to academically succeed and personally thrive is maximized and directly linked to their overall state of well-being. Rigorously researched and accredited by CASEL, MindUP has been proven to reduce stress, improve academic performance, strengthen abilities for concentration and help children and educators thrive in a setting that becomes a community of learners.

MindUP nurtures optimism and happiness in the classroom, helps eliminate bullying and aggression, increases empathy and compassion, while resolving peer conflicts in schools. MindUP prepares teachers with the instructional shifts needed to achieve maximum academic performance using the Common Core academic standards. MindUP also aligns with the Marzano Framework for dynamic educators. MindUP serves thousands of children globally each year, preparing children to be able to navigate 21st century challenges while maximizing opportunities for success in life. Home Assistance What can you do at home to assist your child in his/ her first year of school? 1) Help your child to print his / her first name using an initial capital letter, followed by lower case letters. E.g.James. 2) Practice tying shoe laces and getting their coats on and zipped up on their own. Come winter time, when everyone has boots and snow gear those skills will save us a lot of time 3) Look through the library books your child chooses from school. Have him/ her tell you about the colours and numbers of objects, or tell a story using the pictures as clues. 4) Continue to read daily with and to your child and practice math skills such as counting. Medical * Some parents may be unaware that for liability reasons, teachers are unable to administer any medication (including non-prescription drugs such as Tylenol or cough syrup) unless the school is provided with a form filled in by your doctor. These forms are available in the school office.

Pick up Dismissal time is 2:30: pm. Promptness in picking up your child is appreciated. If for any reason, you are late in picking up your child, please inform the main office; Rest assured that she/ he will not be left unattended. Parent helpers: Classrooms being painted over the Winter Break: The Blue Pod classrooms will be painted over the winter break. This means that we have to remove everything from our walls and shelves prior to the break, and then be prepared to put everything back on the walls and shelves after the break. This is a huge job for one person to undertake and the K teachers are looking for anyone who would be willing and able to help us make this process as quick and efficient as possible. As soon as we find out the exact dates I will post a sign-up sheet by my door. At this time we are figuring out the logistics as we are teaching until the 21st of December. I was wondering if maybe the last 2/3 days before the winter break I could have parents coming in the class during center time in the afternoon and start taking everything down during that time. I need to figure out a way to store the content of the shelving units while they are being painted as the students will still require usage of their tables during school hours. As you can tell lots to think about! Please stay tuned I will keep you updated as I find out more information. Merci beaucoup in advance for your support regarding this slightly overwhelming endeavor :) Should you have any questions or concerns which I have not addressed in this letter, please feel free to contact me at school (250 762-3209), or pop in after class. Sincerely, Mme. Moore