A Pause In The Blog

Due to extenuating circumstances, our blog cannot be updated starting tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Kindergarten Helpers

Miss Kayla is a high school co-op student who is helping in our classrooms every day until the snow comes.  We are very lucky to have her.

We also have a student teacher from York University, Ms. Embrey, coming every Thursday for the year.

Gym Fun

Ms. MacDearmid joined us for gym and had the students hop through hoops and chase the hoop across the gym.  Tons of fun and everyone cheered as students ran to catch it.

Lunch Assistants Needed

If you are interested in helping the kindergarten students with lunch, please let me know or call the school at (905) 727-6642.   It is a paid position.  You won't be able to go on a trip to Aruba with your pay check, but a new pair of boots aren't out of the question.  

Fire Drill Tuesday

School Council Meeting

Monday September 21 at 7pm in the library.  Everyone is welcome. 

Being a member of the council is a good way to get involved with the school and find out (and help decide) on some of the amazing things that go on at Highview.  

Thanks!

Thank you to everyone that has subscribed to the blog. 

Thank you to everyone who is returned all the paperwork.

Ahhhhh

Star of the Day

We will be starting our 'Star of the Day' program shortly.  Each school day a different student will be assigned as 'the Star'.  The 'Star' has special responsibilities.  This student is the leader of the line, gets to help with the morning circle routines, sits in a special chair and is able to bring in something to share with the class.  If your child is away for their 'Star' day, they will have an opportunity the following month.

This time, the 'Star' of the day is asked to bring in something that begins with the same letter as their name.  E.g., Mrs. Scott-sunglasses, Mrs. Mah-Doucette-monkey.

The 'Star' will be posted on the Google Calendar attached to this blog.

Funny Story

Scatter Gather

We went to the gym today.  First time!  We played Scatter Gather and reviewed safety rules for playing in the gym.

Return Classroom and School Information

Return Emergency Information Package (brown envelope)

Return paperwork

Library is Wednesday. Not today. Oops!

Bus Fun

Today we watched a short bus safety video and sat on the bus.  Bus driver Bob reviewed some safety rules and showed the students how to get off the bus if the front door is unusable.  The children had to hold their arms out and be lifted out by 2 grade 8 helpers.

Important Rules:

Sit on the bus.  Face forward.
No food or drinks.
Backpacks go on their laps.
Stay far away from the side and front of the bus.

Library Tuesday

Bus Safety Tuesday

The students watch a short film on bus safety and review bus procedures and rules.  Afterwards, we head out to the bus and practice going out the back door-in case of an emergency.  Please tell your child that the bus is not going anywhere.  We are simply learning how to get off a bus in case the front door is not available.

Some first week pics

Wasps

The wasps are very bad on the schoolyard.  Please do not send juice next week.  They seem to be able to smell it a mile away!

iBags

Almost all of them came back today!!!!  Please continue to send them each and every school day.

So Much Paperwork

Thank you for filling out the endless amounts of paperwork.  The beginning of the year is always like that.  If you haven't yet done so, please fill it out and send it to school on Monday.  I appreciate your promptness with this.

Classroom Activities

All schools in York Region are on a '5 Day Cycle'.

We have music with Mrs. Marchand on Day 1.
We have gym on Day 2 and 4.
We also have library on Day 2.
Mrs. Shaver will be coming into the classroom 3x a week to teach some math.

Check the google calendar in the blog to see which days these activities fall in the week.
I have included a 5 day cycle link below the calendar for you to check what 'day' it is.

Welcome to Kindergarten 2015-2016

If you are reading this, it means you have found Mrs. Scott's Kindergarten blog!!

Please subscribe to this blog.  Add your email address in the box just below the calendar.  A 'Feedburner' message will be sent to you (check your inbox or junk) shortly.  Click on the Feedburner message and agree or accept (I can't remember) and my blog will be sent directly to you.  All you need to do is click on the email and my blog will open.  You only receive emails when I post something new.

There are 2 adults in the classroom this year.  Myself and Mrs. Mah-Doucette is our DECE (designated early childhood educator).  Our classroom name will be The Scodette's (a combination of Scott and Doucette).  Ms. Persons and Ms. MacDearmid are next door again this year.  They also have a class of 29 children.  Ms. Wride and Ms. Ewing are across the hall with an SK/1 class.  Some of our friends are there now.  We will play with them at recess, lunch and activity times.

There are 29 students in the class.  15 JK's and 14 SK's.  We ask that you LABEL EVERYTHING!!!  If something comes to school unlabelled, you may find I have taken a sharpie and written your child's name in the piece of clothing.  58 students times the jackets, shoes, hoodies, snow pants, hats, mittens, lunch containers and drink bottles is just too great number for me to keep track of.  Put the sharpie you were given at the orientation in a convenient spot (a kitchen drawer perhaps) so it's handy or email Mabel at Mabel's Labels a http://www.mabelslabels.com/ to order peel and stick labels.

I have 3 main forms of communication:  this blog, the iBag and email.  This blog is my main form of communication.  Please check it daily to know of upcoming events, the star of the day and classroom information.  The iBag is also an important communication tool.  It must come to school everyday and we will return each day.  You can let us know of dentist appointments, vacations, pick up issues, etc. by writing a note and placing it in the iBag.  We send home work, letters and permission forms in that iBag.  If your child would like to play with a classmate (Kindergarten is where friendships begin), please put a note including your name and contact information in the bag and we will be happy to pass it along.  I cannot share personal phone numbers or email addresses.  I will also send out emails to you individually and in a group as needed.  I do like to send you photos of your child playing and working at school.  Imagine clicking on your "you've got mail" button and seeing your child's sweet little face pop up.  My email is regan.scott@yrdsb.ca if you need to reach me.

Please send indoor shoes and a spare set of clothes in your child's backpack.  Make sure your child has a refillable drink bottle.  With the heat we had this week, many students filled up several times a day.  We can't refill a juice box and do not have a drinking fountain in the classroom.

I am trying to eliminate 'the juice box' this year.  It leaves behind garbage (the straw and wrapper) and often a mess as juice spills out as the students squeeze it.  Please take a second to imagine cleaning up 29 messes twice a day.  This is the mom in me, imploring you to consider how much time it takes to clean up after that many children.  Instead of mopping and wiping, we would rather be teaching, playing and singing.  I strongly recommend only sending water.  It's refreshing, won't spoil and if it happens to spill in a backpack or the lunchbox itself it won't make everything sticky.  It evaporates!  If you do feel the need to send juice, please pour it into a refillable container so the child can refill that container with water if needed.  We do go outside at least twice a day and have gym twice a week.  The students will get thirsty.

Did I mention:  LABEL EVERYTHING!!!!!

My other blogs won't be this long.  I promise!
Have a good night.
RS