OCTOBER 23RD NEWSLETTER

Good morning,
We are having beautiful weather this weekend and I hope that you are enjoying outdoor family walks. Our family has been walking Colliery Dam and Lynley Valley. Recently we discovered the petting zoo in Lantzville at Superior Farms and loved how clean and well cared for the animals are.
This month in the forest the children found a bird's nest and we enjoyed a close-up look at some of the materials birds use to make a nest. This interest grew for some children and is reflected in their stories and play back in the classroom. 
During a sensory activity the children explored nature's loose parts by collecting small bits and mashing them together to create forest perfume.
I introduced the group to one of my favourite math tasks, Which One Does Not Belong. In this routine students are asked to look at all four objects and invited to share their reasoning as to "Which One Doesn't Belong and Why?" The great thing about this routine is that there are no wrong answers, as long as the student's reasoning is true. The focus is not on the answer, but on the student being able to communicate his/her reasoning/justification of their choice.   
I have updated the offsite google calendar to include November. Now that the weather is cooler please ensure that your child has a warm fleece layer under their rain jacket, warm socks, a togue and a robust lunch/snack.
I will be sending home an Show and Tell schedule for November. If you are away or your child misses their day please send the show and tell on the next day and we will ensure he/she is able to share.
I have completed the counting assessment and sent home the Ongoing Communication of Student Learning . Presently I don't have a work sample however will a video of your child counting to Spaces, once the e-portfolio program is available to me.

We have been reading and talking about our big emotions and this week I will introduce a new calming activity Five Finger Breathing.
Fiver finger breathing can be a helpful mindfulness technique for finding calm by focusing on breathing. It can come in handy at home, on the playground, at school, or anywhere! In this social emotional learning activity, your child will learn and teach someone else five finger breathing, and they will also draw a picture of their experience. 
Have a great day,
Liz