Sunday, October 30

Happy Diwali!
Happy Halloween!
Happy November! (Oh my goodness! How did November arrive so quickly?)

I'm excited to see all the costumes tomorrow! For those participating in the dance tomorrow it's during the first block of the day. For those who do not wish to participate, there will be a quiet area for them to go.

We have some fun activities planned for the primary division during the last block of the day, which means we'll miss our library book exchange. I'm in talks with our librarian, Ms. Anderson, to get a make-up visit booked for later in the week pending her availability.

For those who ordered individual pictures of their child, they will be sent home on Monday.

Have a great week!

Tuesday, October 25 - Friday is PJ Day in Our Class!

The jar of awesomeness is full! It's time for a class reward. To celebrate our team effort at filling the jar with beads that represent good behaviour and overall awesomeness, we will be taking it easy in our pajamas on Friday. Each kiddo is also invited to bring along one snuggly friend.

Weekend Update - Sunday, October 23

It's time to get our Halloween on! This week we will be using a Halloween theme to do things like predict, estimate, and count the number of seeds in our class pumpkin. We will look at some literature (poem, picture book, etc.) related to Halloween. From a social standpoint, we will talk about how not everyone celebrates Halloween and touch on the other celebrations that are also going on at this time of year (including Diwali). We will also talk about some Halloween safety tips.

This is the final week for We Scare Hunger. Non-perishable food donations are still being accepted and are very much appreciated.

Photo retakes are tomorrow (Monday).

Take Me Outside Day is also tomorrow. We will be doing a community walk during period 6. Don't forget your walking shoes!

Indoor shoes are a must. Now that the weather is changing, it's imperative that the kiddos have indoor shoes they can keep at school to change into while inside. This becomes a safety concern because wet boots should not be worn in the classroom, and the kiddos can't participate in physical education class while wearing boots.

On Thursday we will have our first visit from Baby Josiah, our Roots of Empathy baby. If you haven't already, please return the permission form allowing us to photograph your child for the Roots of Empathy program.

Wednesday, October 19 - Falgarwood Does Science

Wow! What a great day! We had a wonderful day at the Ontario Science Centre. I saw some amazing things happening. Our kids were looking out for each other—sticking close to their buddies and helping each other. They were engaged in learning during our workshops—sharing, collaborating, taking turns, talking things through, listening attentively, trying new things. They should be so proud of themselves.

Huge thanks to all of our parents who came along to support our kids in their learning. We couldn't have done this without you!

Here are some photos from our Grade 1 Structures workshop:

What is it about this bridge that makes it really strong?

Why does the arch not fall down when we take away the supports?

Here are some photos from our Grade 2 Simple Machines workshop:

Can you sort these simple machines? 

How can ramps help you move the marble slowly from top to bottom?

Weekend Update: Sunday, October 16

It's Science Centre Week! Six buses! Six grades! Falgarwood is going to represent big time!

• What to pack: To make planning for Wednesday easy, we've put together a checklist for students. Check the front pocket of your child's agenda for that on Monday. 
• Outstanding permission forms: Please return these ASAP. Due Monday at the latest, please. 

Waste Reduction Week is also ongoing this week. Are you all ready to pack litterless lunches?  

We Scare Hunger: We are still collecting non-perishable food items for the food bank.

Raz is Ready!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that our Raz-Kids accounts are up and running. I taped the login information into the front of everyone's agendas today. Help for logging in is located in the Helpful Links section on the main page of the blog.

Holiday Weekend Update: Sunday, October 9

Happy Tofurkey Day! I know. Everyone in my family rolls their eyes at me when I say that too. I do hope that everyone in our little community is finding time to be grateful together with those they love the most.

This flock of turkeys appeared in our classroom this week.

Field Trip: The permission form for our field trip to the Science Center was sent home on Thursday. Mark Wednesday, October 19 on your calendars. All the primary and junior classes are going together (grades 1-6), but we will be attending grade/division specific workshops that touch on our science curriculum. More to come on that when the details are ironed out. I've saved a copy of the form for each of our kiddos who were absent on Thursday and will send it along on Tuesday. I also have extras if they are needed.

Switch Day: Thursday this week we will be following a Monday schedule, so we will have our library book exchange that day.

The Big Crunch: Can you imagine what it looks and sounds like when the entire population of a school bites into that many apples at the same time? Well... we will find out on Thursday.

We Scare Hunger: Our annual food drive is up and running this month. We are collecting non-perishable food items in our classrooms for the month of October. All donations are appreciated. There are prizes for the classes in each division who collect the most items. Let's win it!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Weekend Update: Sunday, October 2

Welcome to October! (Wait a minute. Where did September go?)

This month we will be watching the leaves on the trees as they continue to change and fall. We will also be discussing Thanksgiving traditions and celebrations. Later in the month we will be discussing Halloween, including safety and the community helpers who are around to make sure we are safe if we choose to go trick-or-treating. We also have a field trip coming up. More details on that are on the way. Did you know that you can find the Ontario curriculum documents online? Here's the link: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/

Indoor shoes are a must: As the weather changes, it's becoming more and more crucial to ensure that our kiddos have proper indoor shoes at school. Muddy and wet shoes should not be worn in the classroom because mud and water on the floor are not only unpleasant but they can also create safety hazards. On our Phys. Ed. days, Tuesdays and Fridays, the kiddos cannot participate in gym activities without proper indoor shoes.

Extra change of clothes is highly recommended: Since school started, we have had several unexpected circumstances that have caused several of our kiddos to need a change of clothes. Accidents do happen! Please ensure your child has a season appropriate change of clothes available at school in a clearly marked plastic bag.

Raz-Kids: The school board has asked us to be patient while they work on centrally populating our class rosters in Raz. As soon as I have confirmation that it's set up, forwarding that info to our families will be my number one priority.

Wednesday, October 5 is Walk to School Day: Our Eco Club is encouraging everyone to walk or bike to school this Wednesday.

Two Short Weeks!: Because we have a four day long weekend coming up, we have two short weeks ahead of us. This Friday is a PD Day. Monday is Thanksgiving. I hope everyone has a wonderful time with their families. 

Have a wonderful week!