Kindergarten Sale

Tomorrow morning, students in all three Kindergarten classes will have the opportunity to purchase a bracelet or other special craft from our Grade 2 students. All items will be available for 50 cents, so please send any money in your child's Note Tote tomorrow morning.

Also, we would like to send home our blankets and extra clothes as we prepare for the end of the school year. Please send your Hummingbird student to school tomorrow with a plastic or reusable grocery bag so that they can carry everything home.

Thank you!

Weather Reminder

With the heat advisory for tomorrow's (June 12) forecast, we want to remind students to dress appropriately for the weather (shorts, t-shirts) and to bring a spill proof water bottle to school to drink throughout the day. We do have a water fountain and sink in our classroom for students to use if they need to refill their bottles.

A reminder that educators are not permitted to apply sunscreen to students. If you wish, you may apply sunscreen in the morning before sending your child to school.

Dance-a-thon!

It's that time of year again - time to break out the leg warmers and your favourite dancing shoes! It's the Georges Vanier Annual Dance-a-thon!

Each year, students in the school's Social Justice Club plan our dance-a-thon as a fundraiser to support global programs through Free the Children. Students in the club spend weeks researching what countries to support through this campaign, and this year have decided to highlight the need for food programs in developing countries, specifically in India.

Today, students gathered for an assembly to learn more about India and why they need our help, and also to find out more information about the Dance-a-thon. Your child will also bring home a pledge sheet later this week. We are asking families to donate to our dance, with money raised going towards Free the Children food programs in India. For more information about Free the Children's work in India, please click here: WE Villages

Our Dance-a-thon will be held on Thursday, June 15. Students will spend one block dancing in the gym, complete with a DJ and dance instructor to lead us in some great dance moves. We hope that you will consider supporting this worthwhile cause!

JK Eye Screening Information

The Ontario Association of Optometrists is encouraging parents of JK students ONLY to book an Eye See...Eye Learn (ESEL) eye exam before the June 30 deadline.

For more information, please watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFG16sHbYqE&feature=youtu.be

Education Week Updates

This week we are celebrating Catholic Education Week in our school. There are a number of activities planned throughout the week that highlight what it means to be a member of a Catholic school community. Please see our schedule of events happening this week at Georges Vanier: Education Week Calendar

Students will also have a chance to preview our Scholastic Book Fair, which is happening this week in our Learning Commons. On Monday or Tuesday, students will have an opportunity to visit the book fair and make a list of some suggested items they might like to purchase. Your child's wish list will be sent home in their note tote. Please note that these are selections made by your child, and you are not obligated to purchase anything. Our purchase day will be on Wednesday, May 3 during the  morning - should you wish for your child to purchase something, please make sure to send money with your child on Wednesday morning. To help us keep track, please ensure the money is in a small, labelled ziplock style baggie and inside your child's note tote (so that it's not missed)! If you are available to help our "shoppers" while they browse the book fair on Wednesday morning, please let us know! We'd love the extra help :)

Thursday, May 4 at 10:00 is our school-wide Mass at St. Isidore Church. Parents are welcome to attend the Mass, but are asked to travel or carpool in their own vehicles, as the buses will be at capacity with all of the students and teachers. Please note - if you have not already completed your child's permission form, please return to the school ASAP. Thank you to those who have already completed and contributed!

Friday morning is our Muffin Breakfast and Open House. Beginning at 8:30, students and their families are invited to join our Muffin Breakfast in the gym. After the Muffin Breakfast has ended, parents and families will be invited to visit their child's classroom. We ask that due to allergies and other health concerns that food and drinks not be brought into our classrooms - you are welcome to finish your snacks in the gym before you visit our class. 

Farm Boy Day!

We've been busy getting our Team Hummingbird location of Farm Boy open and ready, and we're very excited to have some very special visitors from Farm Boy come and "inspect" our newest store!

On Friday, April 28, special visitors from Farm Boy will be visiting our classroom and bringing along with them a very special snack of some fresh fruit from their store. To help us celebrate, students will be invited to dress like a farmer on Friday - suggestions include wearing a plaid shirt, jeans, straw hat and a bandanna.

Sens Day Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is Ottawa Senators Day at Georges Vanier. Wear your Sens gear and help us cheer on our hometown team as they battle in the playoffs!

Also, if you wish to order Scholastic for April, the orders are due tomorrow. Payment can be made on the Scholastic website (click on "Carina Quinn" as your child's teacher), or via cheque made payable to Scholastic Canada. Thank you for continuing to support our classroom - orders made through Scholastic helps our class earn points that we can use to put towards classroom materials, such as books for our classroom library and games.

School Cash Online

Please be sure to log into School Cash Online as there are many items available for purchase:

• Next Term Pizza orders
• Next Term Popcorn orders
• Hot Dog lunches (new!)
• G.V. Spirit Wear

Also, we will be attending Mass as a school community at St. Isidore Church on May 4. You will find a permission form on cash online to be completed so your child can ride the bus. 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the school!

Farm Boy Visit Change

Please note: our visit from Farm Boy that was originally scheduled for Tuesday, April 11 has been moved to after Easter instead (actual date will be confirmed later). Students will visit with Farm Boy employees and the store mascot, and also share a special snack of fresh fruit. To help celebrate, students will be invited to come dressed as a farmer (plaid shirt, jeans, straw hat, etc.). We will send another reminder when the new date has been confirmed!

Lenten Collection

During the last two weeks of Lent, as we prepare for Easter, the Georges Vanier school community will be invited to collect toiletry items for the Shepherd's of Good Hope. Our Lenten journey has included celebrating together for liturgies, and in the spirit of alms giving, we will come together to support those in our community who are in need at this time.

Students in the Social Justice Club have been learning about the Shepherd's of Good Hope, and how they support people throughout the greater Ottawa community. Students from kindergarten through grade 6 are invited to donate different toiletry items, which we will collect beginning on April 3 until April 13.

Kindergarten	Men’s socks
Grade 1	deodorant
Grade 2	toothbrushes/toothpaste
Grade 3	toothbrushes/toothpaste
Grade 4	Bars of soap
Grade 5	shampoo
Grade 6	Shaving cream

Welcome back!

We hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing March Break! We're looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, and hearing all about your adventures!

Quiet time blankets were sent home before the break - a reminder to please return them to school tomorrow! Also, Monday is Library Day, so if you haven't already returned your child's library book and book bag, please send them in tomorrow so that your child can take out another book to enjoy.

The Kindergarten Team will be celebrating the third week of Lent with a Liturgy this Tuesday, March 21 at 11:00. Parents and family members are welcome to attend.

Winter Carnival Week

It's Winter Carnival week at Georges Vanier! For details about this week's events, please click here: Winter Carnival 2017.

Monday - Family Day (no school)

Tuesday - Moustache Day and Favourite Jersey Day

Wednesday - Pyjama Day

Thursday - Crazy Hair and Hat Day

Friday - Winter Carnival Day**

**Winter Carnival Day will ONLY be for students in grades 1-6; Kindergarten students will have their own activity day at a later date. We also ask that Kindergarten students NOT bring a board game on that day - we have many games and activities here at the school that the students are welcome to enjoy, and we would hate for pieces from favourite games to go missing. We are planning a special activity for this day - more details to follow.

We will also be celebrating Kindness Week at Georges Vanier. The Social Justice Club has been busy making special kindness pencils and rainbow loom bracelets, and will be visiting classes on Wednesday through Friday. Students are welcome to purchase a pencil and/or bracelet for a $1 donation. All money raised will go towards Free the Children global initiatives we support. In the past, we have raised money for clean water projects in Ecuador, building schools in Kenya, and supporting health care programs in Haiti. Thank you for your continued support!

Kindergarten Communication of Learning

Today your child came home with their first term Communication of Learning. This document is meant to give you a glimpse into your child's first term in our kindergarten classroom. If your child was in junior kindergarten last year, you might notice that this report looks quite different. Some information about the report can be found on the fourth page of the report itself, as well as in the letter from Mrs. MacPhee, our school principal. We also encourage you to also check out the information provided by the Ministry of Education, which can be found here. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at the school.

Some important information regarding the reports:

• Please sign and return the third page of the report as soon as possible. The envelope should also be signed and returned to the school, as we will use it to send home your child's second report in June. 
• There is information about parent-teacher interviews in the envelope with your child's report. Teachers have indicated on the sheet if an interview is requested at this time. You are welcome to request an interview if you wish; interviews will be held after school on Thursday, February 23. 

Valentine's Day

We will be celebrating Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, February 14. If students would like to bring in Valentine cards, we ask that they bring in enough cards for everyone in the class and that cards only be signed “From (your child’s name)” or “Your friend, (name)” and not addressed to individual students. This makes it easier for the delivery of the valentines.

As some students in our class have allergies and food sensitivities, we also ask that you do not send in candy or treats with your child’s valentines. Though certainly not expected, if you wish to send in a little something extra with your valentines, we suggest stickers, erasers, pencils, etc.

There are 26 students in Team Hummingbird and 3 educators (Ms. Quinn, Mme Brooking and Mrs. S).

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

PD Day - January 30

A reminder that tomorrow, Monday January 30 is a PD Day in all OCSB schools. If your child attends the Extended Day Program, please ensure that you have registered them for the PD Day.

**Scholastic order forms were sent home last week. If you wish to order any books, please return the form no later than February 3. Payment can be made online or by cheque (made payable to Scholastic Canada). All of the money raised through Scholastic orders is used to purchase more books and other materials for our class! Thank you for your continued support.

Have a wonderful weekend - see you on Tuesday!

What math do you see?

In kindergarten, we discover math is all around us during our play. This often leads to lots of talk about the math we see, and sometimes we even have whole group discussions about discoveries we have made. 

Today during learning centres, students were exploring different shapes they could make using elastic bands and geoboards. One JK student came up to me and showed me a picture she had made on the geoboard: 

"Ms. Quinn - look at all the squares!"

Instead of counting them together, I asked her if I could show this to the class and see what they thought. During our community time, we share things we have created during the day, and celebrate the successes of the students. This was a great invitation to have students explore numbers, shapes, and patterns in one simple activity. As a group, we first made some guesses about how many shapes we see (or think we see) in the geoboard. We then discussed how we could check our thinking. 

Students were invited to share any guesses they had - no answer was "wrong" because we didn't know what the "right" answer was yet! 

How many squares do you see? Ask your child how we found the answer today! 

Family Photo

We would like to have a special place in our classroom to display a collection of family photos. This would give the students a chance to see and share their family photos with their classmates. We would like to have a photo of every students family to display. If you have a family pet, you may consider sending in a photo of them as well. Since our hope is to display these photos all year, please do not send in a photo that you need to have returned, as we cannot guarantee it will be returned in perfect condition after being on display!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2017 to all of our Team Hummingbird friends and their families! Hoping the break has allowed you to relax and enjoy the time spent together. We are excited to see you tomorrow, and are looking forward to hearing all about your Christmas vacation!

Some reminders as we head back to school this week:

• Blankets were sent home on the last day of school before the break. Please return tomorrow so that your child can use them during quiet time. 
• Please make sure your child comes to school with all of the winter clothing they will need to play outside - including water-proof mittens, boots, snow pants, hats and a neck warmer. We do go outside everyday (weather permitting), and with the colder weather, we want to make sure the students are dressed warmly. 
• Please label your child's clothing - we'd hate for mittens and hats to end up in the lost and found pile!
• Don't forget to follow us on Twitter for reminders and daily glimpses into our play: @MsCQuinn @MmeBrooking