Week #10: Nov. 3rd - 7th
Dear Families,
This week at school was yet again full of learning and growth! Students tackled new challenges, supported each other, and continued to develop skills across all subjects.
We always do our best to celebrate our class's achievements in and out of the classroom, and everyone brought wonderful energy to our activities.
As we approach the weekend, please encourage your child to share something they enjoyed or learned this week.
I'm already looking forward to another great week ahead and connecting with you in our cozy comfy portable for your child's student-led conference :)
CLASS PHOTO & RETAKES:
Our class photo and for those students who may have missed or would like a retake, the date for this will be on Wed. Nov. 12th.
Looking forward to seeing all the children with their sensational shiny smiles :-)
PROGRESS REPORTS:
By now, you all received your child's progress report card. It was a joy writing these as it gives me the opportunity to think and reflect upon all the wonderful things your child is contributing in our learning community thus far.
It’s been a remarkable start to the year! I truly feel blessed to teach, learn, and grow with your child each and every day!
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| Progress Report, Self-Assessment, and Success Criteria for Grading |
I have encouraged my students to carefully go over the Learning Skills portion of this report card with you and to not focus solely on the letter grade (E, G, S, N), but to read the star (areas of strength) and arrow (areas for improvement) comments.
It is these comments that provide valuable insight into what will guide your child into continuing and instilling important work habits which will ultimately help them be successful in their academic, social, emotional, and behavioural journey in school.
STUDENT SELF-EVALUATION:
Along with each progress report card, I had students complete a self-assessment to think and reflect upon their skills in the following areas:
- STRENGTH(S): I am very strong at ...
- ACADEMICS: Choose areas where you would like to improve ... (e.g., math, writing)
- BEHAVIOUR: Choose areas where you would like to improve ... (e.g., listening, participation)
This self-assessment (see photo above) also provided students with the opportunity to set goals for themselves moving forward into term 1.
I will be regularly reinforcing these work habits throughout the year to help each child achieve their personal best! Please feel free to do so at home as well using the criteria provided.
HOW AM I DOING?
Below you will find a catchy 'poem' for students/parents to understand how levels (grades) are established. Please ask your child to recite this, most know it by heart :)
SUCCESS CRITERIA FOR LEARNING SKILLS & WORK HABITS:
This week, I had students work in small groups to collaborate as a T.E.A.M. to come up with their own 'Expectations' and 'Criteria' for what each Learning Skill & Work Habit "Looks Like, Sounds Like, and Feels Like."
We started out with blank charts, but soon got our brains thinking, learning, and growing to begin jotting down our ideas!
The purpose of this activity is to explicitly teach my students what each learning skill means and how they can achieve these in their daily life. Students are learning to set their own goals as well to help them reinforce their strengths and improve their achievement in the areas of:
- Responsibility
- Independent Work
- Collaboration
- Initiative
- Organization
- Self-Regulation
We will be referring to their 'Criteria' that they've established throughout the school year! I believe in the importance and value of having my students' input and voices heard.
This process empowers students and they are more apt to apply these skills if it comes collaboratively and directly from them :) Check out the children below working together to get the job done!
I strongly feel this activity will serve as a purposeful tool in helping the kids put effective work habits into place to achieve their personal best in their academic, social, emotional, and mental well-being.
I hope you've been admiring the photographs of the students working collaboratively to come up with 'criteria' for each learning skill! As you can see, all group members were so engaged and working hard :)
We'll have a closer look at these when we meet in person for your child's student-led conference the week of Nov. 10th - 14th. I so look forward to it!
WRITING:
This week's writing task focused on students thinking about and reflecting upon the above mentioned 6 Learning Skills and Work Habits.
What I had the students do is write their own Progress Report Card and self-assess how they think they’re doing in these areas! Their reflections are stellar :)
As a teacher, it's my responsibility to write your child's progress report which I have done, however, I also feel having my students think and reflect upon their own strengths and next steps in these areas is vital too.
For each learning skill, your child wrote a specific star comment (what they think they’re doing well) and an arrow comment (what they believe they need to improve upon).
We all enjoyed being thoughtfully reflective during this process! This task was very meaningful as it provided an opportunity for students to set goals for themselves in various other subject areas as well.
Please note, you will have the opportunity to see these student made progress reports very closely at the student-led conferences next week.
Your child will be eager to share all their hard work with you! Stay happily tuned :)
STUDENT-LED CONFERENCE:
Speaking of conferences, I am really looking forward to meeting with YOU ALL IN PERSON next week at your child's scheduled student-led conferences where we will get to celebrate your child's strengths and areas of improvement!
A friendly reminder, if you haven't already done so, please ensure you sign up online for a day and time using the link that was provided via School Messenger to book and confirm your child's conference.
If you have challenges with this, please don't hesitate to contact our office. I know Mrs. Mortimer will be happy to help you with this process.
BOOK FAIR:
Exciting news, the Nottawa Book Fair is coming from Nov. 11th - 14th! You will have the opportunity to check this out with your child next week during the student-led conferences.
Thank you Mrs. Johnson for welcoming families to check out the amazing new books in the library! Please refer to the chart below for her dates / times to visit :)
Scholastic Book Fair Schedule
Tues. Nov. 11th 3:45 – 5:00 PM | Wed. Nov. 12th 3:45 – 5:00 PM | Thurs. Nov. 14th 3:45 – 7:30 PM | Fri. Nov. 15th 9:00 – 11:30 AM |
REMEMBRANCE DAY POSTER CONTEST:
With Halloween past us, it is now time to think about our Veterans. Remembrance Day is a time to honour and remember those who served and sacrificed for our freedom.
It teaches us the value of peace and gratitude, reminding us of the courage and commitment of those who protected our future. Together, our class family will reflect on their legacy and remember their bravery.
Students in my class have begun a very meaningful art project to create a Remembrance Day poster. Through this artwork, they’ll express care and compassion for all those who have served, are serving, and will serve our country.
This is our way of showing gratitude and appreciation for their invaluable contributions to Canada.
Families, you can find all the specific guidelines for this poster contest at the following links:
Thank you to Mrs. Johnson for organizing the Legion Contest for our students, it’s a wonderful opportunity for them to participate in a friendly and creative event!
My former student Finn. He took great pride in his art and I like to share it every year for inspiration for the kids to see what a little effort and heart can create :-)
Paper has been provided so your child can begin their art project. They’re invited to create a Remembrance Day poster in either colour or black and white. Students who wish to, may enter their poster into the Legion’s contest!
IMPORTANT REMINDER: If your child wishes to participate in this contest, please note that all completed black & white or coloured posters with a signed permission form (ask your child to ask me for a form or you can print one on your own from the link above) are due to Mrs. Johnson by Thurs. Nov. 13th. Thank you :)
REMEMBRANCE DAY WRITING:
This week, I had the students think, brainstorm, and write about what Remembrance Day means to them and how we can bring peace to our school community.
The goal of this exercise is to promote love, kindness, and respect towards ourselves and peers, and in doing so, it will help create an environment that emotes peacefulness for all!
Students’ are working hard on their responses and I am confident they will implement these thoughts and words into their daily actions. That is the goal :)
You will have an opportunity to see your child's writing piece up close and personal at the student-led conference next week. For now, they're in class with us for everyone to read and admire.
REMEMBRANCE DAY ASSEMBLY:
We invite all families to join us for our Remembrance Day assembly on Tuesday, November 11th at 2:00PM in the school gym.
This gathering is a meaningful opportunity to honour the bravery and sacrifices our Veterans served for our country. Our class will also perform a very heart felt song that you may want to come and see :)
On Tuesday, please have your child wear red, white, and black with a poppy to show Canadian pride and respect.
Let’s come together as a community to reflect, respect, remember, and show our gratitude for all those who served, are serving and will serve our country.
Check out the images below of my former students to get some ideas for your attire :)
TREATY RECOGNITION WEEK:
Students and staff in Simcoe District School Board are learning about the importance of treaties, treaty rights, treaty relationships, and our obligations in honouring them.
During Treaties Recognition Week from November 2 to 8, 2025, we focus and reflect on the role and history of treaties in establishing agreements between Indigenous communities, governments, and Canadians, and their relevance today.
Treaties Recognition Week in Ontario was first declared by the provincial government in 2016 following the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
It is an opportunity for us to increase our awareness of treaties, build and strengthen relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, and take further meaningful action in our reconciliation efforts.
Information on treaties, videos featuring Indigenous voices, treaty maps, and resources for learning can be found at https://www.ontario.ca/page/treaties.
NATIONAL INDIGENOUS VETERANS DAY NOV. 8TH:
Did you know the First Nations, Inuit and Metis of Canada have a long and proud tradition of military service to our country?
National Indigenous Veterans Day was founded in Winnipeg in 1994 to honour the fallen who were not formally recognized on Remembrance Day for decades, despite an estimated 12,000 Indigenous veterans serving in three major wars of the 20th century. It is a separate event from Remembrance Day, occurring annually on Nov. 8th.
Many Indigenous veterans were forced to give up their ancestral status, or faced being denied the same benefits as other returning soldiers.In the Global News video below, broadcaster Neetu Garcha spoke with some Indigenous service members to learn what this day means to them.
The rate of Indigenous participation in Canada's military efforts over the years has been impressive! These determined volunteers were often forced to overcome many challenges to serve in uniform, from learning a new language and adapting to cultural differences, to having to travel great distances from their remote communities just to enlist.
Many Indigenous people brought valuable skills with them when they joined the military. Patience and marksmanship were well-honed traits for those who had come from communities where hunting was a cornerstone of daily life.
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| Tommy Prince, an Ojibwa from Manitoba, served with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in Korea. These attributes helped many of these soldiers become successful snipers (military sharpshooters) and reconnaissance scouts (people who gathered information on enemy positions). Indigenous soldiers earned at least 50 decorations for bravery during the war. On November 8th, we as a class family proudly marked Indigenous Veterans Day!
It was our opportunity to commemorate the unique contributions and sacrifices that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples have made serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. Before we went home on Nov. 8th, we had a moment of silence to remember and recognize all the Indigenous peoples who have volunteered their diverse talents and skills, with more than 12,000 Indigenous women and men answering the call of duty to serve Canada with pride and honour.  |
LEARNING BUDDIES:
This week’s Learning Buddies session was so wonderful!
Once a month, our class gets the chance to connect with their little learners, and it is always such a joy to watch these relationships grow.
We started with an Art Hub activity, which was a fantastic opportunity for students to practice giving clear, step-by-step directions while guiding their buddies through the drawing.
After that, we cozied up together to read with our Kindergarten friends. Seeing my students embrace this role with such pride, patience, and sincerity absolutely warmed my heart.
Check us out as we continue to mentor and model what it looks like, sounds like, and feels like to be a caring and compassionate Buddy. These moments matter and my students are shining!
BIG BOXES OF CARDS FUNDRAISER:
Please check out the photo below, click it to enlarge for all the details on this school fundraiser. If you are interested, families can order online through School Cash Online.
As always, we appreciated our generous school community's support, it truly helps not only the initiative, but more importantly the children experience the best out of their education at Nottawa.
Thank you :)
NOTETAKING:
I want to recognize Hyla and Iris for their diligent note-taking during our language and math lessons.
I am in awe of their dedication to their learning and their commitment to building skills that will support them not only in their academics, but far beyond our classroom walls.
Many students in our class have the potential to begin doing this as well. I encourage everyone to get a notebook, make it their own, and start creating notes that will help them remember key concepts from our lessons.
After all, I strongly believe that we are all a combination of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners and note-taking is a powerful tool that supports all three.
Let’s keep growing together boys and girls!
MICAH & KNOWLEDGEHOOK:
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Micah's dedication and hard work with not only completing ALL his weekly assigned Missions, but also going above and beyond with the KnowledgeHook program to achieve a Half Mathalon certificate of achievement.
I am very proud of his efforts and making math a priority in his day to day endeavours.
Way to go Micah - you're a "MATHLETE!"
IRIS:
I want to give a special shout-out to Iris for working so hard with her family to collect tabs for kids.
Your kindness, effort, and commitment are truly appreciated.
Thank you for making a positive difference and showing what it means to help others!
MINDFULNESS:
To get us thinking about Veterans week coming up, please take a moment to watch a heartfelt and powerful video titled: “We Remember.” It brought tears (of gratitude) to my eyes.
The lyrics and images teach us that "Living is Giving" and we must look beyond ourselves and act in ways that support humankind because after all, I do believe we are a 'Human Family.'
"We remember, when we love, when we give.
We remember, when we stop and forgive.
We remember, when so many lives are left to give."
After listening to the song with your child, please discuss the images that you saw and think of ways we can continue to create a more peaceful and harmonious world. Use evidence from the video (be specific) to support your ideas :)
GROWTH MINDSET:
"Instead of I just can’t do this, try thinking, I can TRAIN MY BRAIN.”
With love, grace, and gratitude,
Ms. Gill
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