Southwood School News
January 2023
In this Edition...
- Numeracy Month
- Music Therapy at Southwood
- 2023 - 2024 Kindergarten Registration
- Nutrition News
- Join us on Instagram
- Weather Closures and Outdoor Recess Policies
- Upcoming Events
- Contact Us - Info
Happy New Year - 2023
Celebrating Ukranian Christmas on January 7th!
Ukrainian Christmas
Ukrainian Christmas is celebrated on January 7th and is often celebrated with the singing of Christmas Carols. Houses are sometimes decorated with sheafs of wheat called didukh which symbolizes the families ancestors and is often put by pictures of family members. One Christmas carol to sing is “Carol of the Bells” which was written by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovyc. Christmas Eve is called “Sviata Vecheria” which translates to Holy Night and one Christmas Eve dish is called “Kutia” which is a sweet wheat berry pudding. Merry Christmas!
Lunar New Year -- Sunday January 22nd
Lunar New Year, which is also commonly called Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, celebrates the beginning of the New Year on the traditional Chinese calendar. This year, Lunar New Year falls on Sunday, January 22nd, 2023. Celebrations continue until the Lantern Festival on February 5th, 2023. Lunar New Year marks the transition between zodiac signs, 2023 will be the Year of the Rabbit!
Numeracy Activities to Celebrate Numeracy Month
Southwood School will be celebrating Numeracy Month in January! Every day, we encourage students to develop and practice their math skills in a variety of ways. We want to show students that math is everywhere.
Here are some ways you can help at home:
-count with your child - count by ones, fives, tens, hundreds
-as you're driving have your child find all the numbers on signs and read them
-estimate - guess how many candies or fruit are in a bag, then have your child count them to see how close they were to their estimate
-have your child find different shapes in the house or on a drive
Your child will be coming home with a BINGO sheet that has many other ways of doing math at home. Once your child has completed an activity, you can check it off and keep going. Students can return the sheet at the end of the month to earn house points.
There will be a few dress up days in January, as well. You can take a look at the poster for more information. Reminders will also be posted on the school website next month.
Thank you for your commitment to helping our students care, learn, and grow in their math skills!
Music Therapy in Partnership with Variety the Children’s Charity of Manitoba
Southwood School is proud to have a Music Therapy program funded by Variety the Children’s Charity of Manitoba. The program has been running since the 2019 - 2020 school year and managed to continue virtually through the pandemic.
The accredited music therapist Mrs. Beth Janzen of Musical Roots Therapy leads the sessions. Music Therapy gives the opportunity for some of our students to build upon social, communication and sensory skills in a fun, supportive, musical environment.
Southwood School provides the space and necessary technical equipment for the sessions to run. We are proud and thankful for the financial support of Variety the Children’s Charity of Manitoba and especially lucky to have Beth Janzen within our community to plan and facilitate the sessions for our students.
On January 13th, the Director of Family and Community Supports for Variety, the Children’s Charity of Manitoba will be visiting our school, sitting in on our Music Therapy session and witnessing the success and joy of the students’ involved.
For more information on Variety, the Children’s Charity of Manitoba and the types of services and supports that are available please visit their website.
Kindergarten Registration - 2023 - 2024 School Year
Kindergarten registration for the 2023-2024 school year will open January 5th. The registration process will take place online at HSD.ca If you do not have access to the internet, please visit our school (after registration has opened), and we will assist you in completing the registration form on a school computer.
Parents/Guardians are encouraged to register their children as soon as possible upon the opening of registration. Registering early will assist our school in preparation and planning for the upcoming school year. Early registration also provides parents/guardians with the opportunity to participate in upcoming 2023-2024 orientation activities.
Children must be five years of age on or before December 31, 2023 to be eligible for 2023/24 registration, and are required to attend the school within the catchment area in which they reside.
Please use the link below to register or visit the Southwood website and click on the link there... you will then be asked to complete the registration for you child online. Once this is complete, your child's information will be collected at the school and you will be contacted in spring with details about Kindergarten orientation.
Nutrition News from Southern Health
Join Us On Instagram
Please Click on the Link Below to Review Winter Weather Policies
Upcoming Events
January 10 - Assembly at 12:10 p.m. - Numeracy Month - Parents welcome
January 24 - Assembly at 12:10 p.m. -- I Love to Read Month (Intro for February) - Parents Welcome
February 3 - Admin Day - no School for students
February 7 - Assembly at 12:10 p.m -- Valentine's Day, I love to Read Month update - Parents Welcome
February 20 - Louis Riel Day - no School
February 21 -- Assembly at 12:10 p.m -- Chocolate Sales, I love to Read Month finale. - Parents Welcome
February 22 - Winter Fun Day - special outdoor events for students
February 24 - Teacher Professional Development Day - No school for students
Southwood School
Email: southwood@hsd.ca
Website: southwood.hsd.ca
Location: 155 Barkman Avenue, Steinbach, MB, Canada
Phone: 204-326-3518
Twitter: @SouthwoodHSD