Dear Families,

It is with an open heart that I wish you all a Happy New Year!!  It was an absolute highlight for me seeing your child's bright, enthusiastic, and warm smile on Monday!  I am delighted to be reunited to continue our journey of learning and growing :) 

I do hope you continue to access my classroom blog weekly as I will continue to provide detailed evidence of what your child is doing at school so that you too can help reinforce these concepts at home. Together we CAN and WILL make a DIFFERENCE in your child's academic progress!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy weekend!  Stay safe on the roads if you have to venture out.  It is quite snowy and icy out there!  

January’s Character Trait:

This month’s character trait is HONESTY – “We will always tell the truth.”  I have encouraged my students to always tell me the truth if they're experiencing any difficulty. Being dishonest only makes a problem / concern escalate and get bigger.  

I look forward to reinforcing honesty is the best policy throughout this month through books, media presentations, and student action!  I am delighted to say, our class is filled with trustworthy students, how blessed we all are :)  Check out the powerful video below of an honest action displayed by a young boy!  I'm sure it'll touch your heart just as much as it did to mine!

Language:

The students are buzzing with excitement with their procedural writing assignment (warms my heart)!!  Thank you to all the families for supporting your child through this process.  It is a technology based task (google slides) so if you require any help related to this, please don't hesitate to email or reach me at the school.  I am happy to walk you through the program.  I actually had fun with Emma and her family who came in for a brief Q & A after school. 

Enjoy baking with your loved one!  I can't wait to see my students presentations and try some of the tasty treats!

Math

We have wrapped up our unit on addition and subtraction using money.  Students will be given an assessment next week (Thurs.) to celebrate their stars (strengths) and arrows (next steps) in this area of mathematics. 

Our next math unit will focus on Data Management (graphing).  Stay tuned for the math note coming home on Monday to review some of the expectations for this. 

Bowls for Beds:
Next week (Wed.), students will be participating in a wonderful initiative to help support the Barbara Weider House.  As shared in a previous post, this foundation offers a place of safety and hope for homeless youth.  Its services address the needs of youth in crisis and provides the support to help them master the tasks of adolescence as well as focus on their education and employment possibilities.

I have shared with my students that we will be helping youth in need from our community!  It is important to think beyond ourselves and to offer help in any way we can.  

As part of the school curriculum, your child will be painting a bowl to be sold at the 10th annual "Bowls for Beds" event in support of Home Horizon Transitional Support Program.  In participating in activity, students will learn about homelessness in our community and how we are supporting Home Horizon enabling us to do our part to transform the lives of homeless youth through support, counselling and housing.  

I am very excited about this opportunity to teach my students about this cause.  To get our minds thinking about those affected by homelessness, I shared a powerful book by a local photographer named Leah Denbok.  I first met Leah in November at the library when she did a talk to promote awareness about homelessness.  She is remarkable young lady! 

I was gifted her Volume One "Nowhere to Call Home" (see picture above) and it shares a series of photographs and stories of the homeless.  Some of the images really intrigued my students and we had a discussion about the importance of knowing that these individuals are just like us - they have a heart, mind, spirit, and soul.  They must be treated with respect just like anybody else.  They have a story just like we all do.  It just may look, sound, and feel ...different.  And, that's OK!  I will continue sharing more stories with my students as the year goes on and it is my hope to get Leah Denbok into our school for a presentation (fingers crossed) one day!! 

Healthy Eating Sessions with Loblaw:

Are you looking for school lunch ideas for your children to eat, that are healthy, quick and easy to make? If so, School Council along with our Wellness Committee would like your family to join us for a healthy eating session hosted by the local Loblaws in-store dietitian.  Lindsay Waymouth will provide information about the benefits of eating healthy, demonstrate healthy lunch options and share some recipes from the PC kitchen. 

When: Wednesday, January 23^rd at 6:30 - 7:30pm

Where:  Nottawa Elementary School gym  

Please click on the attachment below to sign-up for this engaging session. If you are unable to access this online sign-up list, please contact Leslie Beattie in the school office. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VfmHMFhpnrxBuYE0an8KR7kYKsTKrXxHIUrgHcSwcGw/edit

Parker:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Parker and his family for making a generous donation on my behalf to My Friends House. This cause is near and dear to my heart and I am ever so grateful for your contributions!

"MFH is more than just a shelter for women and children fleeing violence. It is a safe haven where families recoup, recover, and restart their lives free from abuse. Your support helps women and children safely reclaim their lives. This gift makes a world of difference in helping to create hope and great plans for their future."

I began this journey to support My Friends House when I arrived at Nottawa in 2016 and it is my hope to continue supporting this cause for many years to come. Thank you to all our Nottawa families who have made donations throughout the past 3 years!

Coleton:
My class is filled with empathetic students and families! Thank you to Coleton and his family for their thoughtful donation to SickKids on my behalf. Through this donation, it provided a holiday meal for a family. For much of the year, mealtime for many families at SickKids happens at the bedside. The holidays however, are meant as a time to break from routine and spend time with loved ones. Some of the sickest of patients and their families are there over the holidays and SickKids wants to ensure families experience the delights of home that many may take for granted.

Because of Coleton and his family, a patient in need was able to enjoy a special holiday meal - giving families a chance to share the occasion together!! Amazing!! Thank you so much for doing this! I am so touched by your generosity and kindness.

Brayden:
It is my pleasure to introduce everyone to Brayden! He has been a wonderful addition to our class family. Brayden has adjusted well to the rules, routines, and expectations. We are so happy you're with us and we look forward to learning and growing with you for the remainder of the school year! Keep shining your bright smile and spirit, kiddo!! We HONOUR you!

Nomination:
I would like to end this post with my utmost gratitude to all the families (Mrs. Proctor, Mrs. Lloyd, Mrs. Robertson, Mrs. Jones), my students, and principal (Mr. Perry) for nominating me for the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence.

I am deeply honoured and my words here cannot fully articulate the amount of gratitude I truly feel. Teaching is my passion and helping children achieve their true potential is something that excites and ignites a fire inside me. I feel blessed to be working with your child and YOU this school year. It has been my greatest gift!! All the time and efforts that it's taken for this nomination is something I'll always hold near and dear to my heart. Thank you. Thank you :)

Mindfulness:
Listen to the song writer's message!  What words and images help you understand what the song is about?  Let's start off the new year right by continuing to think positively in our thoughts, words, and actions!

Growth Mindset:

"Spread love, joy, and PEACE.  Pass it ON!"  -Shasta

Namaste,

Ms. Gill