Learning More in Grade 3/4!
Ms. Barrington's Weekly Newsletter
Week of February 5th, 2024
The Week Ahead
Monday (Day 4):
- Take Me Outside (Dress for the Weather)
- Leader in Me
- Music
- Grs. 4-6 Guitar Club
Tuesday (Day 5):
- Hot Lunch: Chopped Leaf
- Smencils Orders Due
- Gr. 3 - Who Would You Tell?
- Grs. 4-6 Girls Floor Hockey
Wednesday (Day 1):
- Popcorn Orders Due
- Gr. 3 - Who Would You Tell?
- Music
- Library Leaders
Thursday (Day 2):
- Hot Lunch: Pizza Hut
- Gr. 3 - Who Would You Tell?
- Library (Bring Book Bags and Library Books)
- Phys. Ed.
- Drop-In Science Fair Q&A
Friday (Day 3):
- Popcorn Day
- Global School Play Day
Upcoming Events
- February 6-8th - Who Do You Tell? Program (Gr. 3)
- February 7th - Popcorn Orders Due
- February 7th - Winter Walk Day
- February 9th - Global School Play Day
- February 9th - Popcorn Day
- February 14th - Pink Shirt Day
- February 14th - Classroom Celebration
- February 16th - No School (Staff PLF #9)
- February 19th - No School (Family Day)
- February 20th - Student-Led Conferences (5:00-8:00 pm)
- February 20th - March Hot Lunch Orders Due
- February 21st - Habit #4 Assembly
- February 22nd - Student-Led Conferences (4:00-7:00 pm)
- February 26th-March 1st - No School (Teacher Convention Break)
- March 1st - April Hot Lunch Orders Open
- March 5th - Classroom Science Fair
- March 6th - Christina Gordon School Science Fair
Notes From the Office
CGSF Popcorn Days: We are gearing up for another successful fundraising year with Popcorn Fri-yays. Popcorn is $2.00, and we aim to have popcorn delivered to classrooms before 10:30 am on Friday. Last year popcorn days provided approximately $7 000 to our Fundraising Association. As our student population continues to grow, we know the support is needed more now than ever. We are working with our Hot Lunch ordering platform to hopefully have popcorn orders streamlined through that, for families who wish to do so. If you have any questions: please email Barb (cgsfundraising@gmail.com).
Hot Lunches: Ordering will be open from the 1st to the 20th of each month to order for the following month. Please note that there is no hot lunch ordering for ECDP or Kindergarten students. To open your 2023/24 hot lunch account (the system does not retain information from the previous year), follow the detailed instructions provided in the attached graphic (Digital Take Home Folder). When you log in, you may notice a new button to volunteer for hot lunch. Please consider volunteering to help sort and organize hot lunches from 11:30 am-12:30 pm. If you have any questions you can contact our hot lunch team at: cgshotlunch@outlook.com.
CG Gear: Our online store is back up and running for the year. Check out: https://christinagordon.entripyshops.com/ to order school clothing. There is a wide variety of styles, logos, and colours to choose from!
Who Do You Tell: Grade 3 students at Christina Gordon School will be taking part in the Who Do You Tell? program on February 6-8th as part of their Health & Wellness curriculum. This program will be lead by facilitators from Waypoints. The program focuses on three main messages:
- Every child has the right to say "no" to a touch that doesn't feel okay.
- If a "Not Okay touch" ever happens to a child, it could never be the child's fault.
- The most important thing to do if a touch like this ever happens would be to tell an adult.
This program is meant to facilitate discussions around topics like consent and body ownership and while the course materials are appropriate for students in Grades K-6, students at FMPSD take part of the program during Grade 3. This is a safety program, it does not use frightening or inappropriate imagery, and facilitators take every measure possible to ensure that students will not be frightened. Please make sure that permission forms are signed and returned for this program as quickly as possible. If families have further questions or concerns, or if you would like to personally review the program material, please do not hesitate to contact Waypoints by emailing or phoning Jazzmine John at sap.educator1@waypointswb.ca and at (587) 644-4403.
Global School Play Day: Our school will be celebrating Global School Play Day this upcoming Friday, February 9th. This day is all about play! Students are able to go and play throughout the school, in the designated areas, and other classrooms. This includes other divisions (ie. Div. 1 students can visit Early Learning or Div. 2, etc.). There will also be some "low impact" areas for students who need a quieter space; the gymnasium will have a colouring space, the library will be available for students who want to read or buddy read, etc.). The atrium has been designated as being a space for art/crafts and the Music Room will be used for sensory friendly activities. Some classrooms will have designated themes or activities (eg. our room has been listed as pinecone painting, toilet paper roll art, jenga, and chess). Others will be free play. Students will not be allowed to play in the hallways. As in other years, students are able to bring a favourite game or toy from home. However, please be mindful that as much as we try, sometimes items do get lost, stolen, or broken at school. As such, if students do bring an item from home, they will need to remain in their homeroom classroom when using that item; items from home will not be allowed to be taken to other classrooms.
Classroom Valentine's Celebration: Our classroom will be having a small celebration on Wednesday, February 14th to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Students are invited, but not required, to wear red or pink for February’s Spirit Day, Red/Pink Shirt Spirit Day. Together, we will be learning and playing a game called Caribou Skipping which is an adaptation of an Inuit game. We will also be having a Red/Pink Taste Test. Students and families who wish to contribute a red/pink item can sign up on the provided Google Doc (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oZEJP7sJVbx328ajHWf5Bwv0_hBKHFmT8YZPQgY0VvI/edit?usp=sharing) or send me a message/email about which red/pink fruit or vegetable you will be providing. We appreciate items being pre cut or sliced when possible.
Finally, students in Grade 3/4 B have been learning about biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste and have explored ways that students can manage and reduce waste through activities such as our previous classroom Swap & Shop. As we approach Valentine’s Day, we are continuing to look for ways as a class and as a school that we can minimise our environmental footprint while still finding ways to celebrate and promote the values of kindness and friendship that Valentine’s Day represents. Every year, millions of valentines are exchanged and the unfortunate reality is that most of them end up in the trash. This is also true of goodie bags that contain small trinkets such as: stickers, erasers, etc. To continue our classroom learning surrounding finding ways that we can minimise and reduce waste, our classroom will be providing an alternative to a traditional Valentine’s Day Valentine Exchange. Instead of students purchasing or creating paper valentines to exchange, we will be having a classroom Book Signing. Students are encouraged to bring a favourite book from home - a book that is meaningful to them and that they plan to keep and read throughout the years. Students will be given the opportunity to sign and write Valentine’s Day messages inside the front and back covers of each other’s books. The end result being that students will have a keepsake from their Grade 3/4 B classmates that they can keep, read, and enjoy for years to come. I will have extra books available for students who are unable to provide a book of their own so that all students are able to participate.
While we are encouraging families to refrain from exchanging valentines in the traditional manner, because this is the first year that our classrooms and school will be celebrating in this way, this year we will continue to allow students to exchange valentines with their friends as they have in the past; if this is something that students and families strongly feel the need to do. However, it should be noted that our goal as a school is to move away from this practice altogether in the future, using Valentine’s Day as a way that we can teach students to not only love, respect, and be kind to one another but to love, respect, and be kind to our environment while still finding ways to celebrate and find joy throughout our day. Thank you for your understanding!
Student-Led Conferences: It is the preference at Christina Gordon Public School that students accompany parents to conferences, making them a Three Way Conference or Student Led Conference. We believe that there are benefits to both the parents and students sitting down to discuss a student's learning and progress together, which is why we have conferences involving all parents, students, and teachers, instead of a more traditional Parent-Teacher Interview. Please plan for your student to attend their scheduled conference. Our classroom will be conducting Student Led Conferences. Conferences are scheduled to occur in-person on February 20th and February 22nd. To book a Student Led Conference appointment, please go to the Christina Gordon Public School website or use the following (https://christinagordon.fmpsdschools.ca/bookings). As our classroom will be utilizing a Student Led Conference model, students are encouraged to come into the classroom before or to remain in the classroom after their scheduled appointment with the teacher. During this time, students will be sharing their learning with you by leading you through a variety of centres/stations. These centres/stations will allow families to gain first-hand knowledge of some of our classroom routines and activities. It allows your student to take ownership of their work and to share their classroom experiences with you. I understand that families may have other appointments they need to attend throughout the night (ie. siblings, etc.). Families are welcome to leave and return to the classroom as needed. You will visit the Meet the Teacher station at your appointed time. Please be mindful that these appointments are only 10 minutes in length. There is no grace period between appointments. As such, these appointments are meant to be brief, quick conversation to update you on your student's progress. You will gain more insight into your student's progress from your student, by completing the centres/stations with them. After our Student Led Conference, if you still feel that you require a longer meeting with me, a reminder that families are always able to schedule to meet with me at any time throughout the year and that I would be happy to find time to do so. Families do not need to wait for future Student Led Conferences or Report Cards to address any questions or concerns you may have.