Monday Memo
Week of October 28th, 2019
In case you missed it.....
We love our ECE's!
Welcome to Garrick!
Mrs. Sampson's Excellent Math Adventure
Important Dates
Monday, October 28th - Day 3
- All day - Head lice checks (will go classroom to classroom )
- 8:00am - Support staff team meeting in the library
- 12:10pm - Peer Awareness program in Mrs. Rees' class with Erin Hentig
- 3:30pm - Holly, Heather and Jenn in a parent meeting
Tuesday, October 29th - Day 4
- 3:30pm - Kelly, Jeanna, Heather and Jenn in a parent meeting
Wednesday, October 30th - Day 5
Thursday, October 31st - Day 1
- 8:30am - Family meeting for Sally, Marsha, Katie and Amanda Hipgrave
- Mrs. Rees' Class to the Outdoor Education Centre
- Halloween - Black and Orange Day
Friday, November 1st - Day 2
- 3:20pm - Progress Reports due to the office (hand in IEP's to Sherry and let her know that she can print for me to read)
Some important information for this week....
The Chill Zone
Thank you to everyone for your support as we’ve gotten the Chill Zone up and running. We have now identified students who have diagnosed needs and would benefit from this proactive time in the Chill Zone. This location is different from the library Calming Corner..... the Chill Zone has stations set up and students rotate through, reinforcing their calming strategies with various tools. So far it’s been very successful! Next week we'll start collecting data so we can ensure this space is making a positive change to each student’s day.
Halloween Assembly
Are we interested in a Halloween assembly? I would be happy to do a Halloween story on the projector - but would there be a few classes who might be able to present a Halloween song, drama, etc.? I can also do a short piece on Halloween Safety. Please email me if you can support with a little something - then I'll let staff know if there is enough interest to go ahead.
Edsby Use
Thank you to all teachers who have been using Edsby regularly to communicate with parents. I see many families when out on duty in the morning and they are constantly letting me know how much they enjoy our school news. If you haven’t posted lately, please consider a picture, a story, an update on a subject area...anything to keep our parents coming back for more. If you need any help in posting, please just let me know.
School Morale
Last week we enjoyed a Potluck Salad Bar. Thanks to everyone who participated! This week is all about Halloween Door Decorating. The Kindergarten classes have come on strong - with two terrific doors already created. I have my door idea....look for it early next week. Please have your door completed by Wednesday at 3:20pm. I’m going to ask each class to select 1 student to be part of the voting committee. On October 31st, I’ll pull the students in small groups and the winner will be crowned at the end of the day. Show your best school/class spooky spirit!
Duty
I know things are really crazy right now, and a few minutes here and then can get lost or stolen. Just a gentle reminder that it's critical to be on time for all duties. If there is an emergency and you can't get to your duty on time, please let the office know and we'll find a way to cover until you can get there. I appreciate your support in keeping our students as safe as can be!
Swing Set
It appears that some students have taken to making our swings "taller off the ground" by swinging them around the top post. If you are asked, or see them attempting to do this on duty, please let them know this is not allowed. I'll also put it on the announcements next week.
Progress Reports
Thank you to everyone who came to our Progress Report cafes this past week. I'm attaching the "tips" I shared for all here. A gentle reminder that Key Learnings and Progress Reports are due by 3:20pm on Friday, November 1st. If by any chance (no pressure) you have finished before then, I'm more than happy to read a little early. It will also give me a bit of breathing room next weekend :)
IEP's
Just a reminder that IEP's and Safety Plans need to go home with Progress Reports. I will take care of printing and signing the Safety Plans for you. For IEP's all you have to do is note "IEP sent home with Progress Report" and the date of November 8th on the consultation page. IEP's must be printed and handed in to Sherry before she can print your drafts for me to read.
Parent/Teacher Interviews
I'm attaching a letter that you can personalize and use to send home to set up interview times. You don't need to use this letter (if you have another one you like) - but keep in mind that many families have multiple children and if we can try to have them only come in once it would be appreciated. Please send home your letter early in the week, and have them returned by Friday. Next week (maybe Tuesday?) we can have a drop in after school in the library for anyone who would like to co-ordinate family times so families aren't coming to the school multiple days. Our goal is to send home the interview times with the Progress Reports on November 8th.
School Improvement Plan
It's hard to believe this is the last week of Geometry and Spatial Sense....get ready to start Measurement on November 4th! A few reflective questions moving forward:
Did you have the Geometry Learning Goal posted for students, and did you refer to it often?
Did you have the Geometry Success Criteria posted for students, and did you refer to them often?
What growth did you observe between the pre-assessment and post-assessment tasks you provided to students?
And last but not least, I've been able to start a few classroom visits this past week during math time. I have so enjoyed spending a bit of quality time with you and your math students..... I can't wait to spend more time in your classes!
Upcoming Dates to Keep in Mind...
November 4th - Staff Meeting
November 6th - Noel and Jenn at Equity training
November 7th - Lockdown practice with Constable McCurdy
November 8th - Progress Reports are sent home
November 11th - Remembrance Day
Just one more thing.....
Jennifer Sampson
Email: jennifer_sampson@kprdsb.ca
Website: https://kawarthaheights.kprdsb.ca/
Location: 11 Kawartha Heights Boulevard, Peterborough, ON, Canada
Phone: 705-742-7521
Twitter: @KawarthaHPS