To get a quick run down of some important items to be aware of in the opening weeks of Room 308’s 2012/13 school year please read the following, or check it all out on our class blog at churchill308.blogspot.com , and contact me if you have any questions.
Class Meeting/Class Placement
We all know that education at Churchill relies heavily on the partnership between the school, the student, and the home so rather than waiting until everyone has settled in and those questions on the tips of your tongues are forgotten we are going ahead with our class meeting on Tuesday, September 18th, 2012 , at 6:00pm . Our room is number 308, on the third floor beside the computer lab. You can get acquainted with our room and the way in which things will run over the course of this year. Items of discussion will be; volunteering in the classroom, field trips, guest speakers, overnights, curriculum topics, homework, and general information. If you have individual concerns regarding your student you can approach me at this time and we can schedule a meeting for a future date . All parents are encouraged to attend this event as it is a great way to bring up ideas/concerns, and get to know the other families that are a part of our Room 308 community. I look forward to meeting you all.
Class Blog – www.churchill308.blogspot.com
Our class blog is one of the most effective ways to stay informed with what is going on in our class (short of stopping in regularly). On it I will post everything from important dates and assignments/handouts, to artwork and pieces of the student’s writing. I will try to send out reminders to check the blog when info has been posted, but you may just want to add it to your “favourites” folder and check from time to time. No photos of the students will be posted there for security reasons. This will take the place of regular newsletters for the most part. Please let me know if you cannot access the site, or if you do not regularly have internet access and I can make alternate arrangements.
Forms
Inevitably the first week or two will be a time to read, sign, and return countless forms. As repetitive as this seems it is a necessary administrative aspect of the start of school, and we need those forms to ensure that proper information is exchanged. Please return these ASAP so that we can get this out of the way and get on with the year.
Agendas
The first line of communication between the class and home is through the use of your student’s agenda (which they will receive in the coming days). All students are expected to bring their agendas to school each day, and to take them home again each evening. We will record all important dates, events, and any other pertinent information during agenda time each day and I will check agendas each day. If you have any messages for me this is a great place to jot them down for me to read. This is great preparation for the years ahead as going into middle school students will be expected to write in an agenda on a daily basis
Nut Restricted
Just a reminder that Churchill continues to be a “Nut Restricted” school, in an effort to create a safe environment for a number of seriously allergic members of our school community. More information is available through the office concerning the details of this policy, but basically the main item to be aware of are that students are asked to not bring food to school that contains nuts (especially peanut butter).
Volunteers and Volunteer Co-ordinator
Yes we still welcome (and need) volunteers in grade 6. It may not always be glamorous work, but it is always a valuable contribution that you make to our learning environment when you can find the time to join us in class. You are all encouraged to help out in class whenever possible. If you have a particular strength or area of expertise (or a great connection) let Ray know so we can make use of it. We are in need of one or two people who are willing to take charge of our volunteer and snack schedule on a month-by-month basis. If you are able to help us out with this please let me know right away so we can start to organize the school year.
We are also looking for a math- strong volunteer who would be able to work with a math group once a week.
Our read aloud program greatly benefits student literacy in our class, and relies heavily on our volunteers. This year we would like to improve on our performance last year, which say each student reading aloud three times a term to a volunteer. If you are able to share some time with us please let Ray know at the class meeting.
Field Fun
We are booked in for the first class trip of the year next Thursday. To compliment our Phys Ed program we are hoping to get in two dates in September, and two in October, when we will walk to Dovercourt, and McKellar Parks
Group Snack As is the custom here at Churchill the students of room 308 will be participating in a group snack program, which will be shared during the first nutrition break. The benefits to this are obvious in that you do not have to provide different snacks each day for your child, you just have to provide snack for the whole class once every 28 school days. However there are some concerns that must be considered with a program such as this. We will discuss diet restrictions in our class, but usually we have to consider that there are likely members of our class who are allergic to certain foods, or are vegetarian, etc. The following dietary concerns were shared in our first circle meeting:
Lactose intolerance (1 student)
Following the “Healthy Snack” policies that the school promotes the students in past years made up some guidelines to keep in mind when choosing snack for the class.
-low sugar items -healthy foods high in vitamins -variety -focus on fruits and vegetables
If a relatively “sweet” snack is being provided it should be combined with another item such as carrot sticks, fruit pieces, cheese and crackers, etc.
In the past we have had nearly one hundred percent participation in this program, but this does not mean that all must take part. If you would prefer to send you child with their own snack each day, and not have them take part in the sharing of snack simply let me know and I will make sure that your child’s name is not on the schedule. We will probably set a schedule from the second week of school, and try to arrange following months through the volunteer co-coordinators.
Terry Fox Day
The Terry Fox Run is one of the most exciting, and memorable dates on the Churchill calendar. It is a great community event that families always enjoy participating in. Please look for forms and pledge sheets coming home. Help us reach our goal. This year we will hold our Terry Fox run on the afternoon of Thursday September 27th at Dovercourt Park
Shoes and Gym
Footwear that students use outside on the yard is not to be worn in the classroom, library, or gymnasium. This is particularly an issue during the wet and winter months, but it is a practice that we will try to get used to from the beginning of the year. Many of the students play in the sandy areas of the schoolyard at recess and lunch hour, and they carry in a considerable amount of sand, dirt, and stones on and in their shoes. They all have hooks, and shelf space in our classroom to keep their shoes, and many decide that they want to have separate “gym” shoes and indoor shoes. At no time are students to be walking without footwear in the school. Regarding “gym” shoes, they must be shoes that can be laced up, are not worn for everyday use outside, and have non- marking soles. This is standard practice for school gyms in order to provide a safe environment for participants. If students feel so inclined to change before and after gym they are welcome to (this will be the policy in middle school).
Cross country If you see Churchill students running down the block in the mornings don’t worry. They are not running away from school, they are just out to run with the cross country team. Yes that season is upon us already and forms are available for everyone who expresses interest in taking part in the cross country training. The practices take place from 7:20 to 8 am every day, and team members who participate in at least three runs per week, will be eligible to travel to the regional meet on October 4th. It is not too late to sign up if your child is interested in participating.
Scholastic
Our first Scholastic Book Club order forms went home today, and is due Sept 14th . By participating in the Scholastic program students get fantastic deals on popular books and Scholastic donates books to the classroom. The general practice in our class is that two weeks is given between when the forms go home and when the last ones have to be handed in, and delivery usually takes two to four weeks after that date.
Dates of Importance
Class Meeting September 11th
CASC Barbacue September 20th
CASC Meeting September 18th
Cross Country Meet October 4th
Thanksgiving October 8th
Photo Day October 11th
Report Cards November 8th
PA Day October 5th and Novermber 16st
Wish list
Not everyone can make it in to volunteer for various reasons, but often I am asked if there is anything else that they can do for the class. Here are a few roles that need filling and items that we could benefit from. Let me know if you are able to take care of any of the following “wishes”.
Feed the Frogs - Purchase a dozen crickets from a pet store every week for our class pets.
Class visitors - The next best thing to a field trip is a guest to the classroom. If you are (or know) a musician, author, journalist, known athlete, etc. who would be willing to share with the class please let me know and we can arrange a visit.
Public Library Contact - Go online or in person to the Ottawa Public Library every few weeks and sign out/return books for class use based on the subjects being covered.
Laundry Service- We have towels, cloths, and a sofa cover that needs periodic washing.
Math Group Volunteer- Work with a group every week on math related activities.
Read Aloud Volunteers– Give students in the class a chance to read out loud.
Hand Sanitizer - Our class pump of hand sanitizer sits by the door and gets well used around recess and at other times during the day. Refills are needed two or three times a year.
Magazines - We have a dwindling supply of old magazines for projects. New ones to read, or older ones to cut up, would be appreciated.
Regards Ray Kalynuk
and the students of Room 308
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