We’re really into our Hallowe’en groove this week. So this week makes 1.5 weeks of thinking and dreaming about Hallowe’en.

It’s a very exciting time for the children, with Hallowe’en crafts, reading Hallowe’en stories, Hallowe’en classroom decorating and fun school events like the Hallowe’en Family Skate. Everyone is trying super hard to stay calm, relaxed and focused on learning…and that includes the teachers! We’re making sure we’re taking the time everyday with the children to allow our brains to rest as we listen to quiet music, practise our strategy of deep breathing to calm our bodies (will probably need to pull this one out next Tuesday) and checking in with each other about our feelings and emotions throughout the day.

Look at these cute painted bats we made with our Big Buddies! Each one has an individual personality….

We buiding up some anticipation for our painted pumpkins. Last week, we outlined our pumpkins and drew in the ribs with white pastel. This week we did some colour mixing using the pumpkin as our palette, with yellow, orange and red paint. After a shave and a haircut (we cut out our pumpkins), we’re ready to add some spooky features to create a very fun pumpkin patch next week! This great project is from the website Deep Space Sparkle, which is an amazing art resource for teachers.

We love to spread out the steps for making special projects to teach the children that it takes time and patience to create wonderful things, and that that is perfectly fine. In fact, slowing down, taking our time to enjoy the process and concentrating on each step is all part of developing mindfulness. It’s the little things like feeling the difference between crayons and pastels, observing the texture of the paint and the colour mixing or moving your scissors to cut out a large and unwieldy shape that encourage the children to focus on their senses, and enjoy the moment of making art with their classmates in a happy and creative context.

Our Grade 7 Me to We Team is organising the “We Scare Hunger” campaign to collect non-perishable food and some non-food items for the Harvest Project. We are collecting items in large boxes in the front foyer of our school. You can leave your donations in the boxes or your child can bring them to class and we will take them upstairs during the school day. Thank you for your generosity.

The most needed items for the Harvest Project include:
-canned baked beans, canned fruit and fruit cups, canned tomatoes, canned vegetables
-canned meat and canned fish
-canned soup (10 oz and 14 oz)
-pasta sauce – tomato or cream
-peanut butter and spreads such as sunflower or almond butters
-granola bars, cookies and crackers
-coffee (1 lb pack, ground)
-flour, sugar, salt (not more than 1 kg)
-oil, vinegar (500 ml bottles maximum)
-rice (1 lb package only)

-toothbrushes individually packed, toothpaste (small and medium size)
-soap, shampoo, conditioner
-toilet paper
-diapers (size 4, 5, 6)
-grocery gift cards
-men and women’s socks and underwear

Upcoming Events and Reminders
Tuesday, October 31. Hallowe’en Parade and Assembly. We sent home a Hallowe’en notice on with the children today with a few reminders about next week’s Parade and Assembly. We encourage everyone to dress up and show their Ridgeview spirit. The children will change out of their costumes at recess.

After recess, we will have a fun time with Hallowe’en themed centres and crafts, with a cupcake station to make a snack for lunch dessert. We will have quiet time with read aloud stories and a short Hallowe’en video in the afternoon. Hopefully the weather is good so we can get outside for some fresh air. School finishes at 2:55 pm as usual.

Wednesday, November 1 Post Hallowe’en. School will start late on Wednesday, November 1, to allow your little witches, ghosts, monsters and fairies to sleep late after their evening Hallowe’en festivities. We will see everyone at 10:40 am.

Wednesday is also Library Book Exchange.

Thursday, November 9 Remembrance Day Assembly. The Kindergarten will be joining Ridgeview students at our school Remembrance Day Assembly. This is a serious assembly and expected student behaviour should fall in line with the formality of this event. Click here to learn more about the expectations Ridgeview School has for student behaviour during school assemblies.