This month the provincial government will start lifting some of the restrictions that have been in place in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. One of these changes is the mask requirement in schools. From what we have heard, starting on March 15 masks will be recommended by Public Health, but they will not be mandatory. Families will decide what option is best for them. This will mean that some staff and students will be wearing masks and some will not.

As a school we are going to do some teaching around perspective. We will help our students understand that it is okay if our friends or classmates believe something different or have a different perspective than we do. We do not all need to share the same opinions, but we do need to be respectful and kind to one another.

One of our beliefs at Woodlawn is; We believe that a school culture which builds strong

RELATIONSHIPS with students and their families creates the conditions to improve student learning outcomes. We welcome, nurture, and encourage positive communication and relationships. As a school staff we have talked about this often throughout the pandemic. We may not have always agreed with each other about Covid-19 and the restrictions, but we did not ever want our different perspectives to negatively impact our relationships with each other. We want this to continue and extend to our students and their families. Starting on March 15 some families will be happy that the mask mandate is over and some may feel apprehensive. Both are okay. Neither are wrong, they are just different. As we move forward we want to help our students learn that they can hold onto what their family believes while understanding that others don't feel the same way and that is okay. Differences coupled with respectful dialogue make us stronger collectively. The most important thing all of us need to remember is that our relationships with each other are more important than anything else so being kind to each other will be especially important and will get us through the upcoming changes together.

Karen Fraser and Tara Reimer

Talking to Kids About Report Cards

This term there have been many unusual disruptions to learning at school. What a weird winter! Soon report cards will be out and it will be more important than ever for us all to remember to focus on areas of progress and where effort has been demonstrated. Because neuroscience has shown that too much stress leads to the shut down of the prefrontal cortex (the thinking part of the brain), we know that what we say and how we say it actually really matters. Comments that may contribute to feelings of guilt, shame or pressure may actually make it harder for children to do well. There are different reasons why you might be disappointed, surprised or concerned with your child's report card. Try to be aware of those reasons, and remember that you have an opportunity to encourage your child and contribute to their joy of learning, which is one of the most helpful things you can do. Here are some suggestions:

• Ask open ended questions about your child’s progress instead of yes or no questions. (Eg: what is easiest / hardest for you? What do you like the most / least?) Remain present and listen to their responses.

• Offer specific praise and encouragement instead of general statements. (Eg: It looks like you worked very hard in math this term.)

• Focus on a goal and come up with a plan together. (Eg: How can I help you? - practice math facts, get to bed earlier, read together, get up earlier, have breakfast)

Report cards are only one way that demonstrates your child’s capabilities / learning; they do not define how smart or capable your child is. There are many, many other ways your child demonstrates skills, capabilities and talents. Remind your child to remember those too.

Our words matter, and when we use positive growth mindset language it encourages learning. If you want to practice using growth mindset language at home with your child check out the link below:

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset

Throughout “I Love to Read” month, students were asked to return a form about books their family loves. The idea behind this activity was to spur conversations about books and to have a source for book recommendations. It wouldn’t make sense to keep this valuable group resource to ourselves, so below I’ll share just some of the many wonderful book titles discovered.

There were a couple of authors that were repeatedly recommended. Many students suggested books written by Mo Willems including The Thank You Book, The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog, I Will Surprise My Friend, and I Really Like Slop. Robert Munsch was another popular author with titles such as Love You Forever, Moose!, Finding Christmas, School Rules, and the collection Munsch More. I think we can now add author Oliver Jeffers to this list after enjoying many of his books during school-wide “I Love to Read” month activities.

It’s always great when you can discover an enjoyable book series so that one book can lead to another. Series that were recommended included Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park, The Trouble at Table 5 by Tom Watson, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, and The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer.

Thank you to all families who participated in recommending books. I hope these suggestions will come in handy the next time you are heading to the library or book store!

Lots of our teachers are using Which One Doesn't Belong (WODB) as a learning experience in math. What is great about this numeracy routine is that it gets students thinking, talking, listening, explaining, and justifying. Students are shown 4 pictures/symbols/equations/etc. and are asked the question: Which one doesn't belong? They share what their answer is and why they believe it doesn't belong. This is what we call an open ended task because there isn't just one right answer. All students have an access point to this learning as they are able to draw on what they already know. Once they share one, they can continue looking to see if another one wouldn't belong for a different reason. When students are listening to their peers, they may learn more about a concept or solidify an understanding they already have.

This website provides many examples, but you don't need to stop there! Teachers and students can create their own Which One Doesn't Belong and share it with their peers.

The Indigenous structures inquiry is catching on at Woodlawn School and a number of other grade 3 and 3/4 classes are also exploring structures. We’ve been using our design minds and hands to wrestle with the shape of the tipi skirt! It’s harder than you might think! We sent a few of our tipi questions off to our friends in Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nation (RRFAN). Did you know that each pole in the tipi holds a teaching? Did you know that you only need 2 or 3 people to pitch an average tipi? And the fastest time for pitching a tipi that Josie from RRFAN knows of is 8 seconds!

Crossing guards are at Hespeler and Barkman in the morning from 8:30-8:55 and in the afternoon until 4:00. The afternoon crossing guard is noticing that some of the Woodlawn students are coming late as they are playing in the snow. Please remind your children that they must go home right away so that they are not crossing Hespeler by themselves.

Also, please remind your children about the staying off the snowbanks. We have had parents and bus drivers report that some children are still walking along the snowbanks instead of the sidewalks. We will continue to remind them, but hearing it from their parents will also be helpful.

We are excited that volunteers are being allowed back into our schools and classrooms. With restrictions opening up, field trips will also be starting. This means our teachers are going to be looking for volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please make sure your volunteer status is up to date with the HSD School Division.

Click HERE to read what will be needed to volunteer.

We have decided to push back report cards by one week to give our teachers and students more time for instruction and assessment. Because we had so many snow days we want to give teachers as much time as possible to provide parents with an accurate representation of their child's learning. Report cards will available on the Parent Portal at 4:00 on Friday, March 25. We will have parent -teacher conferences during the week of March 21-25. These will be virtual or phone appointments. We decided to change to a parent-teacher format instead of student-led conferences so that teachers can discuss the report card with you as well as your child's strengths and challenges. Parents will be able to book an appointment time on the Parent Portal in a couple of weeks.

Thank you to all the families that jumped on board for our new monthly ordering process for hot lunches, it makes things easier in the office and with the restaurants we work with. The order form for April will be sent out by email on March 18th and the deadline for ordering is March 25th. The order form will also be posted on our website.

Please check the lost and found for items that your child may be missing. Unfortunately, we are unable to hold these items indefinitely. Any unclaimed items in the lost and found after March 25th will be donated to the Steinbach MCC Thrift Store during Spring Break.