Week #2: Sept. 9th - 13th

Dear Families,

Wow!  We've already completed our second week of school!  Time flies when you're actively engaged in your learning and having FUN!  

Students continue to feel SEEN, HEARD, and VALUED.  We will use KINDNESS in our thoughts, words, and actions.    

I assure you, this will be an ongoing goal for our class family :)

Thank you to the families who have taken the time to check out my last blog update.  I recognize it was a lengthy one (oh my, haha), but please know the information that I do provide is pertinent to what your child's actively learning and doing at school.

I sincerely hope my blog with serve as an effective tool into your child's weekly experiences with me in grade 4 :-)

With my last post, I received messages of appreciation from some parents which made my day!  I will continue working hard to provide you with updates and highlights each week!  

Transparency and sound, open communication with my students and their parents is very important to me :)  

ATTENTIVE LISTENING & ACCOUNTABLE TALK:

As we get more and more into our daily routines and academics, students will have opportunities to work with their think, pair, and share partner(s).  

When we work together, we can achieve MORE.  The goal is for students to use ACCOUNTABLE TALK (chart below).  

Click on the image below and please ask your child what this LOOKS LIKE!  SOUNDS LIKE!  FEELS LIKE!  

Great start!  We will continue to add more and more ideas as the school year progresses :)

As we've participated in this, students will be adding more and more ideas to our class chart (see above) which will be wonderful!!  Perhaps your child has contributed an idea, please ask them :)  

As a teacher, I'm not looking for a 'silent classroom,' but one in which we are 'buzzing' about the topic and task we're learning about. 

Check out the photo below of Emma & Daxton using accountable talk in action!

I PROMISE:

This week I shared a powerful story by LeBron James called I Promise.  Being a basketball enthusiast and having many others in the class as well, we were all really excited to dive into this book and learn about its message.

The book is rooted in the promises LeBron and students make to themselves, their families, and each other to be the best they can be in everything they do.  They reaffirm this commitment every day as they recite their promises together.

After listening to the story, the students and I thoughtfully wrote down one promise to help make our classroom a better place for all to learn and grow in.

I encourage you to now please listen to the story with your child and discuss what your promise is to help continue making your home the best it can be.

FOUR FINGER AFFIRMATIONS:

As an educator, I strongly believe in supporting my students' mental health & overall well-being.  

As adults, we know the stresses that come with life and with everything that has happened over the past few years with the pandemic, our children have been affected by some of these stresses too.  

Although we may be back to our 'new normal,' it is imperative that we continue to support our children when they do feel big emotions like being anxious, sad, worried, and frustrated.

I truly believe in the POWER OF POSITIVITY, it can transform your life for BETTER, for GOOD!  

After all, our thoughts become our words, our words become our actions, and our actions become our destiny (life)."   So why not train our brain to think and act in positive ways? 

Has your child come home and shared about the Four Finger Affirmations?  We tried this activity in class this week and the affirmations shared were awe-inspiring.  

Affirmations are positive words and phrases that, when used daily and repeatedly, can have a powerful and transformational effect in your life. 

As a teacher, I have been using affirmations and I really do believe in the power of using this practice. 

Each morning when we enter the portable, an affirmation is posted on our door such as "I am WORTHY.  I am LOVED.  I am ACCEPTED.  I am ENOUGH."

As I shared some of my examples, some students keenly started sharing their affirmations to set a positive intention for the day for themselves and their peers!  I love this!

Please take a moment to watch the video below to gain more insight in developing this exercise into your daily routine.  I promise you, it will fill your heart with JOY!

Give it a try!  As a family, share your affirmations with each other and help build each other up :) 

TAPPING TECHNIQUE:

Have you heard about the "Tapping Technique?"  It's a scientifically proven technique that works to rewire the brain by sending calming signals to the amygdala, the stress center of the brain, allowing both the body and brain to release limitations from negative experiences, emotions, thoughts and much more that hold us back from creating the life we want.

Most people don't realize how big of an impact chronic stress has on their life.  It affects their health, their ability to think clearly, and their ability to be happy and to create the life they want.  It doesn't have to be this way though!

Check out the video below which gives you an explanation of tapping on the 9 regions on your body.

I'm optimistic your child can show you where they are prior to watching the video, ask them :-) 

The students and I have been using the tapping technique in our Brain Gym routine and its benefits are almost instantaneous as I noticed their brains and bodies were more calm, alert, and ready to learn.  

Please ask your child about the tapping technique (therapy) and give it a TRY at home using the Tapping Meditation below. 

May you too benefit from its calming signals sent straight to your brain (prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cerebellum, and cerebrum).

Have a great weekend and KEEP TAPPING!

GYAN MUDRA:

This week, we learned about the benefits of Gyan Mudra a hand gesture commonly used in meditation.  It involves joining the thumb and index finger while extending the other fingers.  

Please see image below of how to sit in Gyan Mudra.

This is my friend Chaz who is a yoga and meditation instructor who is currently teaching in Thailand.

This gesture offers several benefits that can be helpful for various aspects of our well-being:

● Improved Concentration and Focus: By practising this mudra, it can enhance mental clarity and concentration, which is beneficial during meditation or when performing tasks that require focus.

● Reduced Stress: The Gyan Mudra has a calming effect, helping to reduce stress and anxiety levels.

● Enhanced Memory: This hand gesture is believed to improve memory retention and cognitive abilities.

● Relief from Headaches: Some people find this mudra helpful in alleviating tension headaches.

● Better Sleep: It may also contribute to better sleep quality by calming the mind.

Perhaps you're an avid meditator or maybe not, that's a-ok!  Everyone can try this exercise and reap its benefits.  

Check out all my fabulous students mindfully using Gyan Mudra and reaping its benefits to be calm and in the present moment :)  AMAZING! 

I encourage you to please try Gyan Mudra by sitting comfortably in your home using the guided meditation below :) 

I am hopeful it will help you find inner peace, harmony, and the relaxation you're seeking to quiet your mind and just BREATHE :)

LETTER OF INTRODUCTION:

Your child’s first writing assignment is to write a letter or create a slideshow for me so that I can get to know them better 🙂

It is important for a teacher to know about their students and I am VERY excited and interested in finding out more about the kids in my class.  

We are a T.E.A.M →  “Together Everybody Achieves More!”

Please have your child access Google Classroom as this is where they will complete this task.

For this assignment, please introduce yourself to me.  You can include your own details, but if you are unsure of what to write about, here are some ideas:

• Tell me about your family.

• Interesting or funny story about yourself.

• Who inspires you?  How so?  

• What are some of your interests in school and outside of school?

• What was the highlight of school last year?

• What do you like most about Nottawa Elementary?

• What are you looking forward to this school year?

• What is your future career choice?

• What are some qualities of a good teacher?

• What are some qualities of a good student?

• What are some of your goals this year?

• How do you want to be remembered?

• What makes you stand out among your friends?

Choose 1 way to complete this.  Your child may wish to write their letter on lined paper, Google Docs or Google Slides (all links are on Google Classroom).

Students are asked to write their letter using proper letter writing format - paragraph form and remember to extend on each idea in every paragraph.  Please include images to help enhance your introduction.  

You don’t have to comment on all the ideas provided, but I encourage students to choose 3-5 prompts that they’re comfortable with to tell me about.

This will NOT be marked, however, please remember that this is the first piece of writing that I will be looking at 🙂

It will give me important information to help me HELP my students have a meaningful and magnificent school year!

I look forward to learning more about my students :)

DUE DATE:  September 29th

DAILY MATH:

This week, I provided students with math warm-up questions that we call "Brain Breakfast" which links directly to the math expectations.  

When students arrive to class each morning, they quietly get out their 5 assigned math questions.  

This gets their brains alert and ready (like our breakfast foods do for our bodies) for the day's math lesson!  See sample below.  

Please note, when we finish these assigned questions, I always make time to consolidate (think, share, and discuss) the strategies used to check for students' knowledge & understanding.  

Through this consolidation, I gain valuable data to see students' progress with their stars - "what they did well" and arrows - "what they need to improve upon for next time."

During consolidation time, I provide specific feedback for students to write down onto their sheets to help them "bump up" (add details) their answers.  

If you see that your child has written a "w.a." that indicates the question(s) was done "with assistance." 

A useful tool I've provided in class to help the children complete their work to their highest potential is the following poem entitled "How Am I Doing?"  (Refer to photo below).  

A poster for this is hung up in our classroom and I will regularly refer to it to encourage everyone to strive for a level 3 (B) and level 4 (A).  A copy of this will be provided in the agenda in the next while, stay tuned!!

Your child's completed 'Brain Breakfast' math sheets will come home in the agenda after the weekend. 

I encourage you to please sit with your child at some point during the school week and consolidate (go over) their answers and have them explain some strategies or new learning from this work.  This is very helpful as you're reinforcing learned concepts from school to home :-)  

Please stay tuned for this week's sheets coming home on Monday!  Many thanks in advance for your support in our "Brain Breakfast" program!

MATH:

This week in math, our focus has been on learning that when we communicate effectively with each other, we are better able to understand mathematical ideas and concepts.

I will be successful when:

• I work with others on math problems

• I express my thinking

• I listen to the ideas of others

• I use my ideas and the ideas of others to help solve challenging problems

• I ask questions if I want to know more or need help

Below I have posted a math mindset video which talks about The Truth About Your Brain.

Give it a listen and learn about the ways that your child can continue developing a growth mindset not only in mathematics, but in their everyday life too :)

FIRST 20 DAYS OF MATH:

To assist all learning styles (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic), this year students will be provided with digital workbooks via Google Classroom (GC) to learn and grow from.  

Under the math section of CLASSWORK in GC, I have posted Google Slides for the First 20 Days of Math.  On a laptop, please ask your child to show you this over the weekend :)  

The slides that have a green checkmark GIF are the ones that students are responsible to complete in class and to share these at home to help reinforce learned concepts.  

Where applicable, please answer all the questions in the textboxes provided using complete sentences.

Students are encouraged to be responsible, work hard, and follow through on their commitments to get the jobs done!  #growthmindset

MATH RIDDLE:

This week, we tried a math riddle called NEXT DOOR NUMBERS (see image below). 

Students worked collaboratively in pairs to solve the questions.  As I walked around the classroom, I was looking and listening for students engaging in mathematical dialogue to express their ideas, listening attentively to their group member(s), and finally using each others thinking to solve this challenging math task :)   

After all, "Together Everybody Achieves MORE!"  Check us out in math action below!

Over the weekend, give it a try Mom, Dad, and/or older siblings, see if you can solve it ;)  Your child is excited to watch you work on this challenge!

GORDAN & ALEX:

At the end of our math lessons, we always make time to consolidate our thinking (discuss strategies and the solutions).

Thank you to Gordan and Alex who volunteered to show and share their mathematical processes. 

Way to go boys, you not only solved the riddle effectively and efficiently, but you also articulated HOW you got your answer! Keep it up :-)   

MATH DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENTS:

Before I begin teaching a new math unit, I will be providing students with a 'diagnostic assessment' which gives them the opportunity to "show what they know."  

These assessments are designed to evaluate students’ strengths, areas to improve, knowledge and skills before they receive explicit instruction from me in a particular area of mathematics.

This assessment assists me to plan meaningful and efficient instruction and can provide students with an individualized learning experience. 

Independently written by students, the diagnostic assessment is a tool for teachers to better understand what students already know about a topic when submitted before the start of a unit :)

In the next while, your child will write a diagnostic assessment to demonstrate his or her understanding of "Whole Numbers" (see photos below).  

Click on the images below to enlarge them to see how the assessment is structured.

Once assessments are completed, I will be evaluating your child's work to help guide my instruction for our new math unit for 'Number' which I will begin teaching after the first 20 days of school :-)

Learning Goals:

For this unit, we are learning to:

• read, represent, compose, and decompose whole numbers up to and including 10, 000  

• compare and order whole numbers up to and including 10, 000

• round whole numbers to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand 

• represent and solve problems involving the addition and subtraction of whole numbers that add up to no more than 10, 000

WORDS THEIR WAY SPELLING INVENTORY:

This week, your child wrote a diagnostic assessment called Words Their Way, a spelling inventory.

What is it?  

These spelling inventories are used to help group students by their spelling developmental stage.  

The inventory contains a list of words that were chosen to represent a variety of spelling features at increasing levels of difficulty.  These features might include consonants, digraphs, blends, short vowels, and so forth.

What is the purpose?

The Qualitative Spelling Inventory helps teachers to support students in their correct developmental stage of word study.  

Elementary Spelling Inventory (ESI)

In the next while, students will be provided weekly words based on their developmental spelling stage.

Your child will come home with a duo-tang containing a list of WORD STUDY words to practice to support their vocabulary building, comprehension, and spelling abilities.  

As you can see from this student example (above), I’m not looking for ‘perfect,’ these completed inventories will provide me with valuable insight into their spelling developmental stage.

Way to go boys and girls, I am very proud of each of you for putting forth your PERSONAL BEST and working towards YOUR POTENTIAL!

CHARLOTTE & TEGAN: 

At the conclusion of this spelling assessment, Charlotte and Tegan shared with the class that they were doing a 4 Finger Affirmation as they wrote each word to help boost their confidence :)  

Their positive affirmation was “I CAN DO THIS!”  

Way to go girls!  That’s the spirit, let’s keep boosting our self-esteem especially in times of challenge when we need it the most :)

INTERNATIONAL DOT DAY:

This week, we celebrated International Dot Day!  This day is a global celebration of creativity, courage, and collaboration, which began when a teacher introduced his classroom to Peter H. Reynolds' book The Dot on September 15, 2009.  

The Dot is the story of a caring teacher who dares a doubting student (Vashti) to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to "make her mark."   

As a class family, we're ready to MAKE OUR MARK (aka making the world a better place for ourselves, family, friends, and community) in grade 4.

Thank you to all the students who wore polka dots or dressed in bright colours for our friendly spirit day!

What begins with a small dot on a piece of paper becomes a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self-discovery and sharing, which has gone on to inspire countless children and adults around the globe!

Many students and parents are familiar with the story which is great, its' message helps inspire self-expression and remembering to always BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

Click on the video below to listen to the author Peter Reynolds explain the inspiration behind why he wrote this impactful book and how it originated :-)  

We used the book as inspiration to set our own goal(s) and think about the following question:  'HOW WILL YOU MAKE YOUR MARK (a difference in grade 4)?'

As I observed the children start their writing, read through some entries and provided feedback to students' work, my heart soared with JOY because many wrote about ways to help end bullying, accepting people as they are, using resilience when faced with a challenge, never giving up even when it's difficult, using the character traits every day, etc ...

Check us out working hard on marking our mark :) 

When these writing pieces come home, please take a moment to celebrate and honour your child's International Dot Day writing.  

Your child received a certificate today for making their mark on International Dot Day!

Thank you to all my students for bravely joining in celebrating your CREATIVITY, COURAGE, and COLLABORATION :)

Many children are so proud of their goal setting to make a difference and help others and our planet be a better place to live, work, and play in.  As their teacher, I couldn't be more proud :)

DOT DAY ART PROJECT:

This week, we also worked on a Dot Art Project as a wonderful way to celebrate and unleash our creativity! 

By focusing on simple dots, we can explore endless possibilities and express ourselves in unique ways. Whether using watercolor, markers, or crayons, each dot adds to a vibrant and personal masterpiece. 

This project encouraged us to think outside the box, experiment with different techniques, and appreciate the beauty in every individual contribution. 

As we came together to create and share our dot art, we not only celebrate our own creativity, but also build a sense of community and collaboration.  We love this :-) 

Let’s embrace the POWER OF THE DOT and shine brightly!

You will have the opportunity to admire your child's artwork in the coming days, stay tuned!

For a sneak peak, below are some photos of our Dot Day Inspired Art :)  The kids enjoyed letting their CREATIVITY, COURAGE, and COLLABORATION shine, Shine, SHINE!

THE DOT ART ACTIVITY - TRY THIS AT HOME:

Now it's your turn parents to MAKE YOUR MARK with your child!  Before doing so, please check out this great video below and meet Peter Reynolds.  Watch and see him help inspire kids and adults to MAKE THEIR MARK!  

At the conclusion of the video or perhaps even during it, please get out a piece of paper, drawing tools, and create your one of a kind DOT alongside your son or daughter.  

You may wish to get other family members involved too :)  After all, this can be a very MINDFUL (and quiet, haha) activity for a Sunday afternoon as a family ;)

Ready?  Set.  Draw-ish!

If you wish, please take a photo and share your DOT creations with me via email!  I can then show and celebrate it in class to reinforce that creativity, courage, and collaboration happens at all ages!!  

Thank you in advance for your participation in this :)

S.T.E.A.M. CHALLENGES:

As learners in the 21st century, our children need to be problem-solvers to be successful in the world around them.  Our classroom is therefore embarking in a hands-on learning process known as S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math).

This is an inquiry model of learning where the students are given a challenge and are asked to work in groups to solve the problem given certain materials and a specific time frame. The problems will incorporate multiple subjects.

Students will complete various challenges throughout the school year which I am confident they will absolutely love! The purpose of these challenges is to help build our skills in RESILIENCE and GRIT using interactive and engaging S.T.E.A.M. activities :)

LEADERSHIP:

For me, it is a teachers dream come true when we see, hear, and FEEL students authentically and genuinely supporting their classmates because 'it's the right thing to do.'

My former student Molly guiding & supporting William in his writing

One of my very first lessons at the beginning of every school year is about GETTING TO KNOW & LOVE YOUR BRAIN. We're all different, we learn at different rates and capacities and that's OK!

I do my best to empower my students so they truly know and feel like they are TEACHERS IN THIS CLASSROOM too. In doing so, I believe this helps them realize their leadership potential and hone their skills in this area :)

My former student Isla guiding & supporting Cara in her math :)

I cannot fully articulate it in words the immense joy I feel when I see my students trusting in and leaning on each other to get help without judgement. AMAZING :-)

I look forward to celebrating the caring & compassionate leaders in our class who will provide physical, mental, and emotional support to their peers/friends this school year! I will be sure to capture these moments and share them in detail on this blog :)

TERRY FOX SCHOOL RUN & FUNDRAISING:

Our school's Terry Fox Run will be taking place on Thurs. Sept. 26th during periods 5 & 6.  

Each year, I am so touched by all the generous contributions that our families and children provide to our fundraising page.  

If you are willing and able to do so, Mrs. Johnson has set that up yet again (thank you) and I have provided the link below :)  Our school's goal is to raise $6, 280.  I have every confidence we can DO IT!

Click the link below to make your donation :)

Donate Here

Please know we deeply appreciate everyone who has and will donate.  Your contributions are being put forward to helping find a CURE FOR CANCER.

On September 26th, we encourage the children and staff of Nottawa to wear their Terry Fox t-shirts and/or Canada inspired attire proudly to honour our Canadian Hero!  See images below for inspiration :-)

Blessed to have taught ALL 3 Bolton kids :-)

Mr. Bridson & I (Oct. 2022)
We are inspired by Terry Fox each and every day!

LOST & FOUND:

As the school year gets underway, we want to remind you of an important step that can help minimize lost belongings and keep track of your child's items more effectively:  labeling their clothing.

Labeling your child’s clothing can significantly reduce the chances of items going missing.  Whether it's a favourite jacket, lunchbox, or a pair of shoes, putting a label on these items helps us return them to the rightful owner swiftly if they get misplaced.  It also helps us identify and manage clothing that may be left in common areas.

For this purpose, we recommend using either a permanent marker like a Sharpie or pre-made labels such as those from Mabel’s Labels. 

Labeling is a small, but effective step that can save you and your child a lot of time and stress.  It ensures that their items make it back to them if they get misplaced and helps us as teachers to keep track of everything more efficiently.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.  Your support in keeping things organized is greatly appreciated and helps us provide a smoother school experience for everyone.

TEGAN:

Boy o’ boy am I surrounded with the MOST caring and compassionate students.  

On Thursday, Tegan came to school to express her gratitude with a heartfelt message and gifting me a nutritious and delicious apple from her Kennedy Orchards. This made my day :)

Thank you for your thoughtfulness Tegan and taking the time to show your appreciation.  I am grateful to be able to teach, learn, and grow with you this school year!  

MINDFULNESS:

The video below takes you through what being in the PRESENT MOMENT means. #Mindfulness is all about LIVING IN THE MOMENT, and using our BRAIN & BREATHING to help us in wonderous ways!

We live in an age of distraction and spend the better part of our lives planning over the future or ruminating over the past.

"One of life's sharpest paradoxes is that our future hinges on our ability to live in this very moment. We're living in a world that contributes in a major way to mental fragmentation, disintegration, distraction, decoherence," says Buddhist scholar B. Alan Wallace.

Life unfolds in the present, this moment is very powerful! This video's quest is to bring the wonderous "moment" to you so that you can cultivate a sense of awareness in you.

This MOMENT just needs to be STILL and you can feel the SILENCE within. All you need to do is "breathe"...

GROWTH MINDSET:

The phrase “Think Before You Speak” refers to the practice of considering your words before you say something or react to another person's comments. 

When you think before speaking, you take into consideration that our thoughts and words impact others' feelings.

Please remember everyone, "Your THOUGHTS become your WORDS.  Your WORDS become your ACTIONS.  Your ACTIONS become your DESTINY."  Choose wisely :)

From my heart to yours MERCI,

Ms. Gill