Monthly Archives: April 2019

Family Fun Week:  This Week in Our Room:  April 23-26, 2019

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We will start off by saying thank you to all of our parents for coming out to your child’s Student-Led Conference. The feeling in our classrooms was very lovely indeed, filled with the delight, wonder and joy in learning that is Kindergarten.  It’s always such a special day when our children can show their school accomplishments to their beloved parents. This will be the first of many Student-Led Conferences for you and your child and we hope that you will embrace this wonderful time when we can all be learners.

We had several parents ask about the children’s schoolwork…yes, it is all yours to keep and we will be sending home these precious artifacts between now and the end of the year.  The Alphabet Books we will finish this week with “Z” and then we will take another day to catch up on pages and alphabet stickers which were missed due to holidays and illness.

The scrapbooks, our pride and joy after the children, of course, we will not send home until the last week of school.  We will have a tiny flurry at the end of June to gather up all the last of the children’s bits and pieces to staple and glue in.  As you saw, we’ve organised everything for you by month, and we will make a beautiful laminated cover as well so you will receive a beautifully made scrapbook as a memorable souvenir of your child’s Kindergarten year.  Writing and Math notebooks we’ll send home at the end of the school year.

Well, most of our week was spent recovering from the sugary haze of one too many marshmallow chicks and an obligation to eat up the last of the jelly beans.  There’s nothing better for idle hands than getting for Student-Led Conferences, so we got to work colouring in book covers and finishing art projects (children) and completing the scrapbooks at far as we could go (teachers).  

Thank you to Mrs. Kennedy for squeezing us in for a Library Book Exchange on Thursday.

We were able to make our “y” yo-yo craft and practise our printing.

And we started work on a beautiful project for the special ladies in our lives….

This week our UBC Teacher Candidates (student teachers) concluded teaching their Social Studies “Family” unit of instruction with a lesson on financial literacy.  The children have been learning about needs and wants, their parents’ work outside and inside the home and saving for what they want. Now they will shift gears and our student teachers will start teaching about Plants in Science.  Our student teachers will also wind up their Geometry lessons in the next few days and then start Measurement in Math. Christy and I continue to mentor our Teacher Candidates through teaching and guiding them in their lesson preparations so we know they are meeting BC Ministry of Education guidelines, observing their daily lessons, involving them in the assessment of student work, all the while encouraging them in their personal and professional growth.

Friday was a really terrific day.  We were finally able to write another big book on why we love the Earth to celebrate Earth Day!  We also saw our Big Buddies to make robins, and in the afternoon we had a great time splashing through the creek and playing in the forest.

 

We enjoyed seeing so many of you at the Family Fun Night!  Thank you for coming out to support our PAC. We loved seeing our children in the bouncy castle, watching movies and eating popcorn and grilled cheese sandwiches.  It was a nice way to end a week which was filled with family and community.

Upcoming Events and Reminders:We have a lot coming up for the next month.  Please do not hesitate to ask Christy or myself for clarification.  You can email us or talk to us at school.

The costume for Kindergarten children for “Simba’s Story,” the Primary retelling of “The Lion King” on May 22 and May 23, will be “party best.”  More information will follow but we wanted to give you a heads-up. If you have a crown(s) at home, please ask your child to tell us how many this week.  This will help us to decide if we should wear crowns/borrow crowns from home, make them at school, or do a Dollar Store run.

Monday:  Library Book Exchange for both classes

Tuesday and Thursday – PE for Division 15 (Mrs. Campbell)

Tuesday and Friday – PE for Division 16 (Mrs. Daudlin)

May

Tuesday, May 7, 1 pm:  Kindergarten Vision, Hearing and Dental Screening

Save the Date!  Wednesday, May 22 1:30 pm:  “Simba’s Story” with ALL Kindergarten students performing; Division 16 parents attend (even division parents invited to attend)

Save the Date!  Thursday, May 23 1:30 pm:  “Simba’s Story” with ALL Kindergarten students performing:  Division 15 parents attend (odd division parents invited to attend)

June

Friday, June 7:  Sports Day – Theme and Team Names to be Announced Soon

Division 15 is on the Red Team (you need a red t-shirt; red shorts and socks are optional)

Division 16 is on the Blue Team (you need a blue t-shirt; blue shorts and socks are optional)

 

Our Top 10 Tips for a Successful Student-Led Conference

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The weeks fly by so quickly and here it is time again for our absolutely-best-ever-most-favourite day of the school year, Student-Led Conferences!  We’re reblogging this post from April 2017 with our best suggestions for having a successful Student-Led Conference with your Kindergarten child. You can read the original post here.

Christy and I have been holding Student-Led Conferences (SLC) for many years; in fact, my first Student-Led Conference as a teacher was here in West Vancouver at Chartwell Elementary School in 1990 when I was teaching Grade 3.  We’ve gradually refined our practises to make it perfect for Kindergarten but the core tenets of the Conferences has always stayed the same:  to provide an opportunity for students to communicate learning to their parents in a meaningful format; self-reflection for students to identify their personal accomplishments, strengths and areas for improvement; give parents an insight into how their children learn; and an inside look at student work, their classroom and school.

We’ve written extensively about Student-Led Conferences at theselfregulatedteacher.com.  You can use the search tool on our website to find our posts.  You can also read about Student Led Conferences in my Grade 3 classroom during my Chartwell days in Evaluating Literacy:  A Perspective for Change(1991) by Robert J. Anthony, Terry D. Johnson, Norma I. Mickelson and Alison Preece.

Our Kindergarten Student-Led Conferences are a twist on the traditional Student-Led Conference.  In the years we were teaching Grades 1-4, each student would welcome their parents to his or desk, where a curated selection of work would be waiting in a file.  A letter of welcome for parents, plus a class created agenda, provide structure for the Conference time.

In Kindergarten, however, we use a Centre approach, in much the same way we use Centres during the morning Activity Time, Math Centres, or our focus afternoon Centre Time.  Parents can expect to see an Alphabet Centre, Math Centre with tasks and participate in the daily Calendar activities as part of our Student-Led Conferences.

Kindergarten is a special grade, the first formal schooling for most children, the first Student-Led Conference for most parents, and it’s important for us to set the tone and expectations for how the Conferences are conducted because you’ll be enjoying them for the next eight years while at Ridgeview.  As one of two informal Communicating Learning opportunities, we want this to be a positive and successful experience for you and your child.  The format will be different as you move through the grades, but its value is always the same:  priceless.  

Here’s our Top 10 tips for a successful Student-Led Conference:

  1. Sign-up for your child’s Student-Led Conference.  In Kindergarten, we havea limited number of families we will host in our classroom for each time slot.  Kindergarten sign-up sheets are posted outside the classrooms; all other Grades are posted in the main hallway near the Library.
  2. Arrange for care for your other children, particularly toddlers and preschoolers, so you can focus on your Kindergarten child.  Older children can wait outside on the playground.
  3. Arrive on time for your Student-Led Conference and remember to bring your child with you.  This Conference is for you and your child.  We’ve had several instances where our students were left at home with a babysitter, on the playground or at the childcare centre.
  4. Give praise and specific, positive comments to your child eg., “I like how you used a variety of colours in your drawing;” recognise that your child might find some tasks difficult so encourage them to keep trying their best.
  5. Be mindful of your Conference duration and gently remind your child when it is time to go; other families are waiting for their turn.
  6. Keep socialising with other parents to a bare minimum.  Your focus is on your child.
  7. Be respectful of the SLC of other students and their parents by keeping your own child close to you at all times.
  8. Refrain from engaging your child’s teacher in a discussion about your child’s progress; the teacher is supporting all students during the SLC process and has many jobs to do.  If you would like an interview, make an appointment on another day for a mutually agreeable day and time.
  9. This goes without saying, but our cell phones are a distraction. Please support us by turning off and putting all electronic devices away.  Please do not take phone calls during your child’s conference:  it’s disrespectful of the preparation we’ve done with your children; the other families; and most importantly, your children who are very, very excited to be the centre of your attention to share their learning with you.
  10. Please do not bring any hot drinks into the classroom. It’s not safe to be carrying a hot drink around with so many small children present, and for the precious schoolwork which we have out on the tables in case of spills.

 

Communicating Student Learning: Student-Led Conferences

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This article was originally posted on February 23, 2015. We’re reblogging today with updates to reflect this current school year.

We communicate student learning in a variety of ways: through this website, our Remind texts, our Kindergarten curriculum overview, and the three formal and two informal reporting periods each school year. Our Kindergarten students receive their formal written report cards at the end of each term. Students received their first report card last December, the second report card was given out in March, and the third report will be distributed at the end of June.

The two informal reporting periods are a parent-teacher interview, held last fall, and this Spring’s Student-Led Conference.

There’s a lot of excitement and wonder surrounding Student-Led Conferences, and for good reason. Having your child lead the conference, not the teacher, is a shift in mind-set, particularly if this was not part of your school experience growing up. But we know this will be one of the most delightful learning experiences you will share with your children, as it will be for them to demonstrate their independence and leadership with you.

A Student-Led Conference is exactly that–a conference or interview for you and your child, led by your child. During the Conference, students assume the ownership for reporting and explaining to their parents what they are learning about and how they are doing in school. The teacher, who has supported the students in the selection of student work and practiced the conference with them, stays in the background during the actual Conferences.

During the years we taught from Grades One to Four, our students participated in a teacher-led discussion about the student work they would like to present at the Student-Led Conference. A brainstorming session of possibilities would ensue. There would be suggestions such as a polished piece of writing, the latest math test or a Science notebook; the class would vote on the ideas they liked best and those selections were included in their Student-Led Conference folder.

Depending upon the grade, sometimes we had a combination of “must-have” work and some student choices. A “gallery walk” around the school hallways, the latest digital learning project and a mini music performance were other fun choices to round out a Student-Led Conference.

A week or two before the Conference we had our older students write a letter inviting their parents to attend. The letter would highlight the learning and personal achievements students wanted their parents to particularly notice. This was a wonderful opportunity for student self-reflection of his or her successes.

For our Kindergarten students we organize our Student-Led Conferences by Centres. It’s a system the children are familiar with, and one in which we’ve used successfully with this age group.

In the weeks prior to the Student-Led Conference we review with your children the activities they enjoy most in our day and want to share with you. We also initiate some discussion on the learning we think you would enjoy seeing as their parents.

We typically include a Language Arts Centre which focuses on the children’s Alphabet and Writing Books; a Math Centre to create math patterns and showcase their Math Books; and a Scrapbook Centre to see some of the best work we’ve completed in Kindergarten this year, in the children’s individual scrapbooks. With the children’s help, we form an “Agenda” of the Centres the children will lead you through.

When you arrive with your child at our classrooms, your child will be given a personal copy of the Agenda and he or she will mark each activity with a sticker as it is finished. The Centres do not need to be completed in any particular order, but each one must be visited. We explain to the children that if they see there are many families at one Centre, then they should choose another until it’s less crowded.

During your child’s Conference, parents are able to enjoy looking at their child’s schoolwork and participate in the activities he or she has selected for you. As parents, giving specific praise and support recognises your child’s efforts at school. It is through your comments that you model what you value about your child’s learning.

This is a time for positive comments only to your child.

At the end of the Student-Led Conference we ask our parents to sign the Guest Book. It’s important for us to have a record of parent attendance and receive feedback every year. Over the years parents have always enjoyed the Conferences so it’s very rewarding to have the appreciation of your children’s, and our, efforts.

This year the Kindergarten Student-Led Conferences will be held on Wednesday, April 24.

All Ridgeview students will be dismissed at 2:00 pm, and the Conferences will begin immediately afterwards. You will have a 25 minute time slot with your child. A maximum of five-six Conferences will be held at once so families need to be prepared to speak softly. At the appointed time, we will ring a bell to signal the end of the Conference so that we may prepare for the next group.

Over the years, a few parents have asked why they cannot have an interview with the teacher instead.

To put it simply, the reason why you’re having a Student-Led Conference is because it’s an incredible opportunity and privilege to share in the learning of your child.

You will hear about your child’s learning from your child’s perspective, and have that deep insight into your child’s thinking, motivations and achievements. You will be engaged in a dialogue rich with the language of a young learner, share the joy of a job well done, and a sense of pride with every printed letter and cut out shape. And you’ll be able to share in the delight of your Kindergarten child as he or she begins the journey as a life-long learner.

Student-Led Conferences are one of our favourite days of the entire school year. From a teacher’s perspective, we couldn’t be any more proud of our students as they beam with pride at leading their mom and dad into their classroom to share the fabulous work they’ve completed at this point in the school year.

Please make arrangements for siblings so that your Kindergarten child can have your full attention during his or her Conference.

You can sign-up for your Student-Led Conference now outside of our child’s classroom.

The Self-Regulated Teacher

photo-5There are three formal and two informal reporting periods each school year.   Our Kindergarten students receive their formal written report cards at the end of each term.  Students received their first report card last December, the second report card will be given out on March 6, and the third report will be distributed at the end of June.

This year, the two informal reporting periods are a parent-teacher interview, held last fall, and the Student-Led Conference.

A Student-Led Conference is exactly that–a conference or interview for you and your child, led by your child.  During the Conference, students assume the ownership for reporting and demonstrating to their parents what they are learning about in school.  The teacher, who has supported the students in the selection of student work and practiced the conference with them, stays in the background during the actual Conferences.

During the years we taught from Grades One…

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This Week in Our Room:  April 8-12, 2019

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As the March Hare said, “I’m late, I’m late, I’m late.  For a very important date!” Sorry we’re late with the newsletter.  It was a very busy week and weekend so we will just look at some of the highlights!

W is a watermelon…the children loved making the adorable watermelons.  Everybody had a story to tell about the seeds (spitting, spitting, and more spitting) and we all agreed it was the best and juiciest part of summer living.  Our Ws looked pretty amazing as well!

During the final term in Kindergarten Social Studies, we spend some good discussion time talking about the differences between Need and Wants.  The children really seem to understand the subtle differences (“I don’t need a puppy but I really, really WANT a puppy!”) and they have a realistic concept of the kinds of things they need to live (a sense of belonging, food, water, shelter, education) and the kinds of things they wish for, or want.  We’re so proud of them for openly sharing their feelings and the strong sense of family we have in our classrooms makes that possible.

We’re learning about geometric shapes during Math and have introduced the concept of two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes.  The children are learning that circles are round and flat but spheres are round with a ball or globe like shape. They are having an opportunity to complete fun “shape hunts” around the classroom and using shapes in their student response activities.

We saw our Buddies on Friday to make our Easter Bunny Baskets in the hopes that the Easter Bunny might make an early appearance in Divisions 15 and 16.

We made these beautiful patterned Easter eggs in anticipation of the Easter Bunny’s arrival  

By far the most exciting activity we did this week was begin our scheduled time for Forest Play on Friday.  Mr. Schofield’s Grade 4 students took the time to go over with us all the safety rules for playing in the forest during Kindergarten when we together.

-rain boots for creek play

-boundaries include the far ends of the creek

-no tree climbing or creek splashing

-leaves, flowers and berries stay on the plants

What a marvellous time the children had exploring up and down the creek, crawling over rocks, tree roots and stumps using sticks to help them.  It’s the best kind of play–free play with time to explore and investigate to one’s heart’s content.

Upcoming Events and Reminders

Friday, April 19-Good Friday (school is not in session)

Monday, April 22-Easter Monday (school is not in session)

Wednesday, April 24–Student Led Conferences (2 pm dismissal)

Our Return to School and the Third Term Begins…This Week in Our Room: April 1-5, 2019

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Well, we blinked and then it was suddenly April.  And in the same way we see the cherry trees, spring bulbs and flowers blooming and growing, so are the Kindergarten children.  We took a good look at our children sitting on the alphabet carpet and noticed they were taking up a lot of space in each square!  There are long legs, big eyes and huge smiles everywhere!  But we’re not letting ourselves get too far ahead to start talking about next year.  We have been working very hard to settle back into class and we have many special activities ahead.

The beginning of a new term is always a good time to review our classroom rules, routines and expectations.  Our children have come to understand that rules and routines keep the classroom predictable so they can feel safe, and so they know what is expected not only of themselves, but their classmates.  As the children this year are only five years old, turning six, there are going to be many instances where they forget the rule, cannot remember the routine or perhaps didn’t realize that touching others without asking is unexpected behaviour.  

As Kindergarten teachers we always take the time to review expected vs. unexpected behaviour and the classroom rules and routines (what is your job?).  Sometimes, we have to ask students to take a break (time to breathe, time to get a drink of water, time to sit away from others) so we can go over with them what happened in the course of their decision-making process.  We’re pleased to note that an overwhelming desire to please their teachers means that most of the time everyone listens carefully, shares and cooperate and tries to be mindful of the feelings of others.  Growing up is a work in progress (Christy and I have young adults entering their 20s, and we keep reminding ourselves daily that brain development continues until their early 30s, so it looks like we’re all in this for the long-haul).  We couldn’t be happier with the beautiful development and maturity of our Kinder cuties!

We are in the countdown now as we completed V is a vine this week!  This is such a simple, but pretty craft, and the children will bring theirs home in the next few days.  Our alphabet wall is almost complete!

We heard that Easter is just around the corner, so that means creating Easter egg themed April Self-Portraits and making sparkle eggs to decorate the classroom.  Our little bunnies did a really amazing job – there was a lot of colouring, cutting and arranging in those self-portraits!

Friday was our last day to complete our Penguin Digital Literacy projects with our Big Buddies.  You are going to have a wonderful treat when you see these amazing digital books we made on the app “Book Creator.”  The children have completed some very fine research, gathered pictures from the internet and completed their voiceovers.  We have a couple of technical things to do next and then you will see them at our Science Centre during Student-Led Conferences (SLC) on Wednesday, April 24.  We will send out more information about what to expect for your child’s SLC in a couple of weeks.

This week’s big project was painting the beautiful platters for the Ridgeview RPAC Family FUNdraiser Auction on Friday, April 26.  You will have a chance to bid and win one if you come to the FUNdraiser!!  You must buy tickets to attend this event.  Please see Thursday’s Ridgeview e-bulletin which provides you with more information.

During Spring Break at Bella Ceramica in West Vancouver, Christy and I prepared these platters by first marking out with an “x” in pencil where the centre of each flower would go; these are each covered with 3 coats of paint which we made with the eraser end of a pencil.

Back at school, the children fingerpainted five petals for their flower, twice, for each platter.  We wrote their names in pencil.  We are so fortunate that Ms. Wilson, our Big Buddy Grade 7 teacher, is also an amazing artist.  She did the calligraphy for each of the children’s names, the vines “to connect all of you together” and the leaves.

These photos show the platters just before firing.  

Special thanks to Abigail and Finlay’s moms in their role as Room Parents for their financial organisation of this project.  We just got to have fun and paint!

Upcoming Events and Reminders

Our classes have been invited to see “Clean-Up Your Act” by DreamRider Productions on Monday morning.  We will be learning how litter, graffiti and vandalism affect our communities and what we can do to help protect our public spaces.

Please return your Library Books on Monday as we have Library in the afternoon.

Division 15 (Mrs. Campbell) has PE on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Division 16 (Mrs. Daudlin) has PE on Tuesdays and Fridays.  Please remember to have runners at school on those days.

Please note these dates for your April/May Calendar:

Monday, April 15 – Earth Rangers presentation for children

Friday, April 19 – Good Friday – school is not in session

Monday, April 22 – Easter Monday – school is not in session

Wednesday, April 24 – Student Led Conferences (2 pm dismissal)

Friday, April 26 – Ridgeview RPAC Family FUNdraiser (6-8:30 pm)

Friday, May 3 – Class Photos/Panorama Photo