Our Kindergarten elves have been very busy the past couple of weeks getting our classrooms ready for Christmas, working on their alphabet and number sense during Mathematics.

We finished our Itchy’s inchworms this week and will be sending them home in the next few days.  We’ve covered letters a-i now, and an easy alphabet game to play at home during your nightly bedtime story would be to identify the words beginning a letter of their choice on a given page.  The children will not be able to read every word, but recognising the initial letter formation and sound is great practise for them.

In Math, we are working on subitizing, which means recognising the number of objects without counting them.  A good example of this is dice patterns, which many of the children are very good at recognising based on their board game experience.  We are now working on subitizing the number of objects, not in the traditional dice patterns, and the children are becoming increasingly adept.  

In Social Studies, we are wrapping up our Personal Identity Unit.  Our last two lessons before Christmas focus on identifying our feelings, and being my best self – how can I contribute to making my classroom a happy place to learn?

We have made some beautiful art, including our Angel Christmas hangers, and our December self-portraits.  We have many more special items to make with our classes in the next two weeks.  We love to teach Art and make crafts with our students so this is a really fun and happy time for everyone.

Upcoming Events and Reminders

It’s going to be a big week.  We can’t say enough about the children having rest and relaxing time afterschool, and adequate sleep in the evenings.

We sent home the following reminder on Friday regarding our Virtual Christmas Concert 

The Kindergarten children are singing “Must Be Santa” and “Dona Nobis (If I Could Have One Wish Come True)” for our Virtual Christmas Concert.

For our costume, we are dressing in the Christmas Best that you have at home.  Please, do not feel you have to go shopping for anything new.  This is a celebration of love, song and being together.

Suggestions for Christmas best:

Girls:  dress (not princess, and no Disney), skirt/leggings and top, dress shoes

Boys:  dark pants, white shirt or shirt with a collar, tie or bow tie, dress shoes or cleaned up runners

We have tried to explain to the children the Christmas Concert is not the same as Jingle Day.  A few have asked about wearing their pyjamas for the Concert, but they should save their pyjamas and fun Christmas hats for Friday, December 18.

Mrs. Campbell’s class films on Tuesday, December 8.   Mrs. Campbell’s Kindergarten children come to school in their Christmas best.

Mrs. Daudlin’s class films on Thursday, December 10.   Mrs. Daudlin’s Kindergarten children come to school in their Christmas best.

If you have any questions about your child’s costume, please ask your classroom teacher.

Friday, December 11:  Return all Library Books for Term One Library Inventory.  We will not take out new books until January.

Thursday, December 17:  Virtual Christmas Concert preview for students in the afternoon.  Please send along a special Christmas snack for your child to enjoy while we watch the Christmas concert in our classrooms.

Friday, December 18:  Ridgeview Spirit Day:  Jingle Day.  The children have been asking about wearing fun Christmas clothing to school and this is the day, at last.  They may wear their Santa hats, elf hats, reindeer ears, Christmas clothes or even come to school in their pyjamas (please dress warmly underneath).  Please note:  Kindergarten Dismissal is at 1:10 pm.

We had a lovely Remembrance Day Assembly on Tuesday and we were so pleased with the children’s self-regulation during this solemn time.  Thank you so much to Mr. Zerbe and Mr. Parslow, our fab admin team, for putting together such a meaningful video for our virtual assembly.

You would have seen some of the Kindergarten art work, including our Canada flags and peace doves, featured in the video.  We are very proud of our students for their artistic contributions of these iconic symbols.

We are coming to the end of our first theme for Sharing and Special Helper.  We were just so delighted with the response!  Thank you to all the families for your support and diligence in helping your child to be prepared.   Being the Special Helper is a real leadership opportunity for the children and they have done so well with their Sharing and speaking aloud.  We’ve noticed an increase in confidence when the children are leading the class during Calendar time, and their understanding of patterns and counting.

We start our new Sharing and Special Helper theme, “All About Me,” this week.  Please check your Reminds from this week for the information chart and calendars for your child’s Special Helper Day.

This week we finished the letter “f” and worked on the formation for “5.”  We’ll be sending home these activities in the next day or so.  We also made our November self-portraits and created ABC patterns around our names.

We have created some beautiful laminated envelopes with the children to bring home their special schoolwork from September and October.  You will be absolutely thrilled with your child’s treasures, and you’ll be able to see their growth over the past number of weeks in their drawing, colour and printing.  The envelopes will need to be returned back to school so we can use them again at the beginning of December.  

Ridgeview School tries to support the local community for those in need as much as possible during the school year.  Due to COVID-19, we’ve been unable to do some of our traditional charitable activities, such as the Hallowe’en Candy Collection to make Candy Gift Bags at Christmas.  However, after much careful thought and planning for health and safety, Mrs. Meldrum’s Grade 4 Class is organising a Glove, Toque and Sock Drive.  They will be collecting NEW Adult size gloves and mitten, toques and socks.  We have a donation bag in our classrooms; donations will be collected by the Grade 4 children.  Kindergarten children wishing to donate will bring their contribution and place it in the bag.  Children who donate will have their name recorded on a paper “sock” which is “hung” on the Sock Drive Clothesline.  We will send a photo along on Remind as the  contributions are made and socks are hung. 

As much as we have enjoyed having a quick word with you on the playground, with the dropping temperatures it’s getting chilly outside to be chatting!   We’re going to maintain ourwelcome to each child as he or she enters the classroom, and our good-bye to each one at the end of the day.  Please send us an email if you have any questions or want to let us know something eg., a change in pick-up.  We will try to get to you as soon as we can.

Upcoming Events and Reminders

We’re expecting a serious week of rain this week, so here are some things you can practise at home if your child is not independent with rain wear and rain boots, and a few useful reminders:

-when the teachers ask students to wear a coat, we are doing so to keep them comfortable for the remaining portions of the day; we both have students trying to line up continually without coats and/or boots and this slows the entire class down while we wait for them to change and go outside

-please check-in with your child regularly that their boots still fit; we will try to let you know when they are starting to struggle with putting them on

-practise a working sequence of getting ready:  rain pants, rain boots, coat, zip  or button up your coat, hats, and then gloves and mittens.  When gloves are the first thing to be pulled on, we are inevitably called to help with coats, rain pants and boots. 

-pulling out the sleeves from wet coats, and sleeves and legs of a muddy buddy, after they’ve taken it off to dry for the next playtime.

This week we began talking about Remembrance Day with our children.  We read several books and discussed some of the iconic symbols such as the poppy and peace doves, and the concepts of peace and freedom.  Our emphasis is what does peace mean to each of us on a personal level and how that makes us feel.

We were truly moved by some of the charming thoughts the children had about peace.  This poem by the Kindergarten children is inspired by The Peace Book by Todd Parr.

Peace is my home.

Peace is playing with my friends.

Peace is making a new friend.

Peace is helping others.

Peace is taking a nap.

Peace is being creative with my mom and dad.

Peace is being with my family.

Peace is watching nature.

Peace is growing a garden.

Peace is planting flowers.

Peace is snuggling with my dad.

Peace is speaking kindly.

Peace is playing kindly with my friends.

Peace is helping others.

Peace is spending time with my family.

Peace is sharing a meal.

Peace is a clean ocean for the dolphins.

Peace is my fish.

Peace is playing soccer with my friends.

Peace is swimming in the pool with my friends.

Peace is having good dreams when I sleep.

What a beautiful world we have, and a bright future ahead of us, with these thoughtful and inspirational ideas about peace from our Kindergarten children!

We are having our virtual Remembrance Day assembly in our own classrooms on Tuesday, November 10 at 11 am.  Mr. Zerbe and Mr. Parslow have prepared a special video for us to watch.  We will give the children their poppies to wear for the class ceremony; we are collecting a small donation for the poppies – $2 would be a fine amount.  Please send this next week if you can.  Thank you.

Upcoming Events and Reminders

Wednesday, November 11:  Remembrance Day – school is not in session

Tuesday, November 17:  Kindergarten Physical Literacy assessments – all students need to wear runners to complete their locomotor assessments.

We had a lot of Hallowe’en fun this week with our Kindergarten children!  

We worked hard to keep our activities and crafts in line with COVID-19 restrictions.  The children have been diligently washing their hands before, during and after Centre time.  We were pleased that during Art, and for crafts, all children can use individual paintbrushes and pastels.  And our classroom parents really supported us in providing special Hallowe’en snacks for their own children in the afternoon.  It was a lot of organisation for our parents on Friday (costumes, regular snack and lunch, special snack, library books) and we thank everyone so much for their efforts.  We will get through this together as we are all in it together.

We finished our cute spooky bats which the children brought home with them for the weekend.

We painted beautiful jack-o-lanterns, inspired by Patti Palmer and her amazing website for teachers and parents, Deep Space Sparkle.

We tried a new craft this year, project Candy Corn, which was great fun, using cut tissue squares (developing good fine motor skills as the children had to separate the squares and glue them on individually) and a candy corn template.  We topped the candy corn with Sparkle Mod Podge and crystal glitter for a beautiful finish (more glitter = more fun).

The children dressed up in their best Hallowe’en costumes (oh so cute!) and everyone brought their own special snack for a treat while we watched “Room on the Broom,” from the book Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson.  Did you know that “Room on the Broom” won an International Emmy Award in 2013 for Kids: Animation?  This movie is recommended for children 3-7 years old.  It is absolutely delightful, voiced by a stellar British cast.

The excitement of Hallowe’en is always followed by a more sombre time, as we prepare for Remembrance Day at school.  Our focus will be on peace, and what peace means for each of us on a personal level.  We will also talk about the poppy and its significance, and what it means to be a Canadian.  

Upcoming Events and Reminders

Please return your October Homework Calendar.  November Homework Calendars were sent home last week.

Monday, November 3:  Photo Retakes – please advise your teacher if your child is having a photo retake so we do not miss anyone.

Wednesday, November 11:  Remembrance Day:  school is not in session

Now that we have settled into the classroom routines, and falling into a rhythm of our Kindergarten day, it’s time to return to talking about the COVID health and safety protocols.

As your Kindergarten teachers, we are very careful in the classroom with handwashing, hand sanitizing, cleaning the tables, individual Kindergarten school supplies per child and resources and Centres on a 3 day rotation to help reduce the spread of germs.  We usually follow most of these practises, COVID or not.

Today, we want to talk about mask hygiene and etiquette for our Kindergarten classes.  For the protection of the children, and the teachers who come into contact with our students who are wearing masks, please go over the following points with your child:

-ensure the mask fits properly, over the chin and nose – the mask must be worn over the nose, not beneath, to be worn correctly

-reusable masks should be washed daily 

-disposal masks are a one-time use and should be replaced daily – please remember to cut the ear straps before disposal as small animals can get trapped in the straps in the landfill

-do not touch the mask – this is becoming a problem in both classrooms; the children cannot touch their mask.  When we see them do this, they are asked to wash their hands again.

-do not pull down the mask to talk to another student, the teacher, or to cough

-if your child is going to wear a mask, our expectation is that the mask would be worn for the day and taken off only to eat at snack and recess; not on and off whenever they choose

-when the mask is removed for eating, it should be placed in your child’s lunchbox, not on the table.  We have addressed this every day with the children.  The masks cannot be left on the tables while eating.

We are working very hard every day to keep our children, the classroom, hallways and school safe.  It’s important to remember that each of us has a responsibility to keeping our Kindergarten community, and each learning cohort (each Division) safe and healthy.  We are really proud of the Kindergarten children and how they have been flexible, resilient and compliant with the myriad of healthy and safety protocols.  Let’s keep working together because we are all in this together.

Upcoming Events and Reminders

These rainy days are hard when the children have to get themselves ready to go outside to play.  We are helping as much as we can while wearing our masks due to close proximity; but there are a few things you can practise at home to help increase your child’s independence.

-practising the snaps of the raincoats – very tricky because the snaps are stiff

-practising how to zip up your coat

-pulling sleeves out when you take off your coat – makes it easier to get ready for the next playtime recess and allows the raincoat to dry properly

-running shoes for classroom use and rainboots for outside – please do not send your child to school in a hybrid “shoe/boot” and not plan for them to change.  Students must change their shoes on a rain day and have some kind of indoor shoe to wear.

The children notice the number of woodchips accumulating on our classroom carpet when other students do not change their shoes – and no one likes sitting on a dirty carpet.

If you have not yet paid your school fees, please do so.  You’ll need to access School Cash online which was linked within the September school ebulletins.

If you have not yet signed off on the 2020-2021 Policy and Procedures Form, go to our Ridgeview website, then to “Parents” and then “Forms.” It’s located there.  This should be done ASAP.

Sharing and Special Helper begins tomorrow!

Friday, October 23, is a Professional Day.  Students are not in session.

It was a full week with the Kindergarten here all day, everyday  And we’d have to say the Kindergarten was pretty awesome as they persevered through a week filled with activity.

The week started with a long wait to get our photos taken, but the children were very excited to see the gym where the photos were being taken.  They waited quite calmly and were able to see lots of other classes as they were coming through.  The children were pleased to finally walk up the big staircases to the main floor, our classrooms being downstairs.

We usually complete our Alphabet work a letter per week, but we always take a little more time at the beginning of the year.  The children completed their Itchy’s Alphabet A page and “a is an Apple” craft.  The children will complete a craft for each alphabet letter.  These little crafts will look fantastic in a long line in your child’s room, or the kitchen, where the children can see it and say the alphabet names and sounds.

During Math, we’ve been using a variety of concrete materials to explore. We know the children need time to explore and play with the math manipulatives before starting to use them intentionally for patterning, developing number sense and counting.  The children did a great job of using the pattern blocks, wooden blocks, multi-links, beads and connectors. 

The children have enjoyed their Music teacher, Mrs. Soderling, who is teaching them new songs and dances.

This week was our first Library Class Book Exchange with Mrs. Kennedy, our Teacher-Librarian.  The children will get a new book every two weeks and they must bring back their Library Book to get a new one.  We are very strict about that rule, so we recommend bringing back the book well in advance of the due date.

Our Ice-Cream Social was delicious and enjoyed by all!

We sent home the following note today:

Today your child is bringing home two reusable face masks provided for them by the West Vancouver School District.

Please label your child’s mask as each child has exactly the same one.  Students are encouraged to have a mask with them at school during the day and to wear it if they feel comfortable doing so.

Upcoming Events and Reminders:

Early Dismissal on Wednesday, October 7 and Thursday, October 8 next week.  School will dismiss at 12:50 pm.  Grades 1-7 will have their Parent Teacher Conferences.
Thanksgiving Day on Monday, October 12 is a holiday.  All schools will be closed.