First Week of School - SUPERB START-UP!

Dear Families,

We're into our final days of January, can you believe it?!  Time sure flies by, and I hope you've been enjoying the heaps of snow that we've received the past while.

I hear students buzzing about their excitement to go skiing, sledding, building snow structures, etc.  Our class is filled with winter enthusiasts (me included)!  

Below, you will find a collection of photos from Tuesday's snow day.  We went for a nature walk and the kids loved JUMPING INTO THE SNOW!!  I did too (felt like a kid again)!  

I hope your child enjoys their extra day off to run, jump, and play in the glorious snow on this PA Day.  

Spirit Day:

This week, we had a school spirit day - TOQUES & SCARVES!  Lots of staff and students participated with enthusiasm and school pride!  We truly have the BEST students, staff, and families!  Thank you for demonstrating spirit!

Spirit Days:

Speaking of spirit days, please mark your calendars for the following upcoming ones!  At school, we will also remember to write them down into the agenda so no one misses these opportunities :)

• Mon. Feb. 14th:  Red, Pink, Heart Day for Valentine's Day

• Fri. Feb. 18th: Canada Gear Spirit for the Olympics

• Wed. Feb. 23rd:  Pink Shirt Day (ones of my faves)

• Fri. Feb. 25th:  Camo Day

Many thanks in advance for supporting your child in our school wide spirit days!!  It truly brings us together when we have to be apart (class cohorts).  

Bell Let's Talk:

This year’s Bell Let’s Talk Day campaign highlights the ways we can support ourselves, students and those we care about through actions like LISTENING, BEING PRESENT, and TALKING. 

Tessa's older brother Parker whom I taught in 2018-2019 :)

Since 2012, research indicates that more Canadians are comfortable speaking with others about mental health.  Small actions from recognizing stressors, to being there for a student, family or loved one can help support mental health and strengthen our school and larger communities, especially during this difficult time.  

Thank you parents for supporting your child's mental health every day and helping to make a difference.   

 

Let’s all continue to talk in the classroom, on the yard, and at home to help join in the conversation now and every day to create positive change and sustain positive mental health.   

#BellLetsTalk, #SCDSBLetsTalk, #ShareYourStory 

As many know, mental illness is a very common form of human pain and suffering.  Being an attentive listener and asking how you can help or simply just being present for people you care about can be the first step to recovery.

On Wednesday, we had a class discussion about the importance of being educated about the stigmas surrounding mental health.  

This was an excellent opportunity for me to touch upon this meaningful topic and I will most definitely be reinforcing mental health throughout the remainder of our school year.

Talking about mental health can be hard for some people. In this video, learn about safe ways to talk about your own mental health or illness and how to support others sharing their challenges with you.

After carefully watching this video in class, it gave us a clearer understanding about the topic of mental health and we have a greater appreciation for those who are affected by it.

Please ask your child what some of the ways someone who suffers with mental illness can get help!  Taking care of our mental wellness is equally (if not more) as important as tending to our physical well-being.

Tips from Georgian College:

With the transitioning back to in-person learning, many of us might be feeling a range of emotions. Change isn't always easy, but when we learn to embrace it, it can become easier to manage. 

Please click on the image below to learn about some tips to help manage "changes" in your life.

I am delighted to share that many of the suggested tips are things that we've implemented and utilize in class such as practicing mindfulness (being present), learning about overcoming our F.E.A.R. (face everything and RISE), finding opportunities to GROW, and using Dr. Daniel Siegel's hand model of the brain to acknowledge our feelings to help us self-regulate.

Please go over these suggestions to help reinforce them and I am hopeful, they'll be useful for you at home too.

Bell Let's Talk Activity:

To get into the spirit of listening and talking about our thoughts, feelings, and emotions, I had the students think and reflect upon a problem that they've experienced in their life.  

Students filled in a graphic organizer titled "Personal Narrative Problem & Solution."  The purpose this activity was to encourage my students to feel safe and open to sharing issues they've faced in life.  

Through this process, they also learned the value of working through their emotions to come to a solution and that help is out there for them when they need it the most.

I shared about my personal problem growing up, being bullied because of the colour of my skin.  As hurtful as this was for me, it taught me MANY valuable lessons such as regulating my emotions, reaching out to others to get support, and learning that "every problem has a solution," we just have to be willing to be patient and believe.  

I was very moved with reading the students' entries!!  Here are a two below for you to see :)

Social Emotional Learning:

We've done some discussions in class about how people are not always going to get along with everyone and anger and frustration are natural human emotions, so there’s no way to avoid feeling them.

But there are ways to disagree without being disrespectful. In this BrainPOP video about conflict resolution, Tim and Moby will teach us all about this!

Students will find out why it’s a good idea to take a deep breath and collect themselves before they respond to a situation they're not thrilled about.

They'll soon discover different ways to compromise, and how placing themselves in another person’s shoes can change a potential 'flipping of the lid' into a friendly constructive discussion.

This may come in handy at home as I recognize families can and do encounter situations where there's a disagreement of some nature. I hope the solutions provided will be helpful :)

Math:

Earlier this week, I sent home a math review sheet focusing on addition & subtraction with money.  Students will write their assessment on this concept on Monday (Jan. 31st).  

Thank you for your supporting your child in his or her review questions that came home.  I encourage students to practice making change from $10.00 as that will be the focus of the assessment.  See math example below and discuss with your child how he or she solved it.  

Jardine:

Thank you Jardine for bringing in a special crystal to share with our class family.  I was intrigued to learn about this one - a chlorite quartz!  

The class and I researched about its benefits and we were WOWED!!

Did you know, "chlorite quartz balances the chakras (energy centers in your body), aligns and unlocks energy meridians releasing emotional wounds?"  YES!!

This crystal "greatly increases energetic connections and teaches ONENESS through connectivity.  It gets rid of negative energies (yahoo) and emotions and CLEARS the way for manifestation to thrive!"

How amazing!!  Thank you Jardine and Mom for lending us this special quartz for our classroom.  It's placed lovingly by Jardine in our rock collection and salt lamp.  We're excited to reap its benefits :)

Smudging:

After Jardine's sweet and soulful crystal sharing, it led me to sharing a gift that Evelyn (and family) gave me before the winter break (see below).  

I was given a special feather which can be used to smudge which is an ancient spiritual ritual.  Smudging has been well established as an Indigenous cultural and tribal practice.

Prior to the beginning of each school year, I do the process of smudging to help bring an intention, attention, and manifestation for a positive and prosperous year with my students.

It's clearly worked as I have the most gracious grade 3's!  I will most certainly be using my new special feather in my smudging routine.  Thank you Evelyn and Mom for this extraordinary spreader of energy.  I LOVE IT :-)  

Read the list below to learn more about the benefits of burning sage (smudging) and how you can use it to improve your overall well-being :)

Benefits of burning smudge sticks are believed to include:

• Removing bacteria from the air
• Improving intuition
• Purifying specific objects
• Improving mood and reducing stress and anxiety

Mindfulness:

Each year, Bell Let's Talk Day is the last Wednesday in the month of January.  But as many of us know, we must not solely focus on its importance this one day, but EVERYDAY!!

Please watch this 0:30 video to see the powerful thoughts, words, and actions presented.  Let others know, you can be counted on to listen with your eyes, ears, and heart.  You never know the life-changing impact your presence may have :)     

Growth Mindset:

Thank you to Mrs. Johnson for sharing this on our morning announcements.  These are very important and acronyms that we've discussed in class throughout the year :)

Setting positive intentions for 2022!!

Meegwich,

Ms. Gill