ELP Christmas Performance

We hope that you will make plans to attend our ELP Christmas Performance on Wednesday, December 17th at 2:30 PM. The children have been working very hard over the past few weeks to prepare for this seasonal highlight. The performance will be held in the school gymnasium and should last about 20 minutes. We hope to see you there. Parking and seating will be limited, so arrive early if you can. Merry Christmas! 

Red and Green Days

It's time to get into the spirit of the season by supporting our red and green days at school. Students and staff are encouraged to wear red on Tuesday, December 16th and green on Thursday, December 18th. Santa hats and reindeer antlers add a festive touch. So brighten up the holidays by wearing a bit of seasonal colour. 

Teachers to Wear 

Ugly Christmas Sweaters

On Monday, December 15, the hallways of Parnall School may appear a bit 'over dressed' for the holiday season. Teachers from grades K-8 will be wearing their ugliest Christmas sweaters for all to see and admire. Throughout the day, students will be given the opportunity to vote on whose sweater is the ugliest. Get ready for the fun. 

November Super Stars

Congratulations to our Super Stars for the month of November. We are so proud of you for your achievements over these first three months of school. You are such amazing little people! Pictured above are Daphne W. and Tavi R. Two students were not present today to receive their awards. They are Elliott C. and Byron A. Our Kindergarten Superstar Award ceremonies will resume in January.

Again, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Kleenex, Kleenex, Kleenex

We are accepting donations of boxes of Kleenex for our Kindergarten classroom. The cold and flu season is upon us and we need your help to ensure that we have enough tissue for all of the runny noses and sore throats that require Kleenex. Thanks for caring. We appreciate your donation greatly.

Me-to-We Collection Drive

Over the next several weeks, junior students participating in the Me-to-We Club at Parnall School are going to be collecting money from each classroom to support the building of schools in third world countries. Students and their families are encouraged to bring in their donations marked 'Me-to-We' and place them in the classroom collection bin. Each Wednesday, the money will be picked up by the junior students, counted, and sent to the office. Once the drive is over, the money will be forwarded on to the Me-to-We Organization to be used for buying building materials to be used for school construction. We hope that you and your family will participate in this very worthwhile cause. Thank you in advance.

JOY DAY!

On Monday, December 1st, Parnall School will be celebrating JOY DAY! On that day, our kinders will be decorating, singing, cooking and preparing for the joyous holiday season that is ahead. We are encouraging all of our kindergarten students to wear red or green clothing to help get them into the spirit of things. So arrive on Monday ready to 'spread the joy!'

Our 'Adopt a School' Program Needs Your Help

We are once again participating in the 'Adopt a School' Program. Parnall School has been assigned six families from another school in our Board to assist this Christmas in meeting basic needs, as well as providing Christmas presents for the members of each family. Last year, we undertook this initiative and were able to provide enough food and gifts for our 'adopted' families to impact them in a very positive way.  We made their Christmas! We want to continue this tradition by adopting six new families this Christmas season.

Our classroom (K-1) will be collecting gifts and food items for a mother and her two daughters, 3 years old (size 4) and 9 years old (size 8). Gifts are to be sent to the school unwrapped. Food items, grocery store gift cards, clothing, toys and games would be greatly appreciated. As our families do not always have access to transportation, gift cards to stores in the Fairview Mall or the Grantham Plaza are recommended. We are wanting all items to be dropped off at the school no later than December 12th. 

Thank you for considering to support us in this important school-wide undertaking. 

PASTA DAY THIS WEDNESDAY

Our November Pasta Day is on Wednesday, November 26th.  Pasta order forms will be going home with your children on Monday, November 24th. Be on the lookout for them in your child's Zippy Bag/backpack. The short turn around time is a result of my being away ill much of last week. I do apologize. 

Please complete the form and send it back to the school on Tuesday, November 25th. Thanks for your understanding in this matter.

A Day of Remembrance

A Pictorial Reflection

JK Observation Days Coming Soon

Parents of JK students will have the opportunity, beginning November 17th, to come into the classroom for an hour and observe their child participating in the Full Day Kindergarten Program. During that time, you will observe your child engaging with their peers as they play at a variety of learning centres and play areas. Information concerning this observation opportunity was sent home to you in your child's Zippy Bag this past Friday, November 7th. Following the observation, you will have a chance to step out of the room and have a brief discussion with the teacher regarding what you observed. For those JK parents who may have received an SK Interview form by accident, I do apologize. The upcoming interviews are for our SK parents. Please know that at ANY TIME, if you wish to schedule a meeting with myself and Mrs. O'Neill to discuss your child's progress to date, we are more than happy to accommodate you in whatever way possible. Simply slip a note into your child's Zippy Bag alerting us of your desire to get together and give us a few scheduling options. We will get back with you regarding a time that works for all parties concerned. 

Thank you again for entrusting your children to us. It is an honour and a privilege to journey alongside your child during this exciting time of development and wonder. 

J. Pickett

SK Parent/Teacher Interviews

On Tuesday, November 11th and Wednesday, November 12th, Mr. Pickett and Mrs. O'Neill will be meeting after school with parents of our SK students for a 10 minute interview. These interviews follow the SK Progress Reports having been sent home last week. During these brief interviews, parents and teachers have the opportunity to discuss how children are settling into their classrooms this fall and looking ahead toward setting both academic and social goals for the remainder of the year. To prepare for your interview, consider the following:

• please arrive a few minutes before your scheduled time
• read the progress report prior to coming in to meet the teacher so that the information will be fresh on your mind
• have questions/concerns written down so that       they do not get forgotten
• give thought to a few goals, both social and academic, which you feel are important to focus upon

We are truly looking forward to meeting with you and discussing your child's accomplishments.

P.D. Day, Friday, November 14th

Just a little reminder that this upcoming Friday, schools will be closed for a Professional Development Day for teachers. Classes will resume on Monday, November 17th.

November Scholastic Book Orders

Please accept my apology for not including the due date for our November Scholastic Book order on this month's calendar. In my haste to get the calendar up online, I neglected to include it. I have since added it to the calendar. The due date for November orders is November the 17th. December order forms have already gone home and will be due on December the 1st. This early due date ensures that books which have been ordered as gifts will be in your hands prior to school letting out for the winter holidays. Happy reading!

A Hula Hoop Train

Several students created an amazing linked 'train' using hula hoops. Children are SO IMAGINATIVE!!!

Club Rex is Coming to Kindergarten on November 13

Club Rex is Niagara's resource for everything prehistoric. They bring a natural history museum right into the classroom and they are coming to Parnall School later this month. Club Rex will bring a vast collection of fossils and museum quality dinosaur casts for the children to hold and explore. By giving students a hands-on experience with their pieces, they nurture an interest in science and the natural world pertaining to a subject which is close to many of their hearts. This will be a learning opportunity our kids won't soon forget. Be on the lookout for more information in your child's Zippy Bags in the next several days.

Hallowe'en Day in K-1

Despite the rainy weather and the plummeting temperatures, Hallowe'en Day was a HIT in K-1.
A big 'THANK YOU' to all of the parents and grand parents who donated party food and goodies, assisted with costumes, helped manage the party and then oversaw the cleanup. You are amazing people and we appreciate all that you do for us!

Seasonal Provocations Which Extend the Learning

Over the past two weeks, students have been enjoying a number of spooky centre activities in the classroom which move their learning forward. Take a peek at what we've been doing.

Here's a sensory bin guaranteed to make your skin crawl. Note the centipedes and spiders in the mix.

Our Halloween Letter Grab was a big hit with the children.

What do you get when you cross counting with spiders?  A creepy web of fun and learning!

Glitter pumpkins and toothpicks led to some awesome 3-dimensional creativity.

Hallowe'en Day Checklist

Here are a few things to keep in mind when preparing your child for Hallowe'en Day at school.

-please do not send your child to school in his/her costume in the morning

-plan to pick your child up around noon and take him/her home to dress and get into makeup

-have your child back at school by 1:35

-if you cannot pick your child up to dress at home, pack his/her costume in their backpack in a well-labelled plastic bag

-be sure that masks and head coverings have good sight lines and proper ventilation. Makeup is the best option for safety

-avoid choosing costumes that are overly gory and frightening. Some younger children are easily frightened

-if you are providing snacks for the afternoon party, consider healthy options. Reread the earlier post for suggestions

-make plans to remain at school to watch the costume parade...and don't forget to bring your camera

Clear the Runway

It all began with a folded piece of paper and a desire to make a paper airplane. Several children created (with a little outside help) their version of the ultimate paper airplane. The hallway outside the classroom was made available to the students to test their planes. The children were beside themselves with excitement. By this time, nearly a dozen students had gotten in on the provocation. After many 'test runs,' it was time to see whose plane could fly the greatest distance. A taped line was put down on the floor for the pilots to stand behind as they launched their aircraft. One by one, the planes were tossed into the air. One plane, by far, surpassed all of the others and was declared the winner. But could the distance that the plane flew be measured? Of course! Plastic measuring links were brought out into the hallway and were put together to form a long chain from the taped line to the plane. Then came the task of counting all of those links. Mr. Pickett helped keep us on track with our counting. It was determined that it took 332 links to measure the distance of the flight. But could a comparison be made using another non-standard measuring tool? Certainly! Many students helped bring out longer unit blocks from the Block Centre. The blocks were carefully placed on the floor in a straight line with ends touching ends. Then we counted again. This time it took only 19 long blocks and 2 shorter blocks to span the flight distance. Here are some pictures of the pilot/designer and the measuring outcomes.

We compared the two non-standard units of measure.

The plane is visible in both photographs. It is attached to the red measuring link near the bottom of both pictures.

Counting Happens Throughout Our Day

After having heard a delightful book entitled The Boy Who Cried Big Foot read to the class, one of our JK boys took great interest in trying to find out just how many footprints there were printed on the inside cover of the book. Here he is, counting away.

It was determined that there were 22 footprints in all.

Hallowe'en Stamping Centre

Patterns are popping up all over at the Hallowe'en Stamping Centre. Students are enjoying creating various kinds of ghoulish combinations as they learn and play with the seasonal stamps. Here is one creation done by T. F., a Senior Kindergarten boy.

T. F. proudly displays his ABCD pattern created at the centre.

Upcoming Hallowe'en Festivities

Next Friday, October 31st promises to be a fun-filled, spooky day at Parnall School. As you begin to make plans, here is a bit of information you will want to keep in mind as you prepare for the festivities.

The fun begins in the morning when the Kindergarteners will be invited into the gymnasium for a short Hallowe'en dance. Age-appropriate favourites like The Hokey Pokey, The Chicken Dance and The Monster Mash will be just a few of the songs played to entertain the girls and boys.

Students are encouraged to NOT wear their Hallowe'en costumes to school that morning. If possible, the children should be picked up and taken home during their lunch break (12:55-1:35PM) so that they can get into makeup and costume before returning to school for the Hallowe'en parade which is scheduled to begin at 1:40 PM. Parents are invited to stay at the school and watch the entire student body model their costumes as they parade around the school building. 

Following the parade, a short party will take place in the classroom. Donations of healthy party snacks (sliced cheese, crackers, popcorn, veggies and dip, fresh fruit, etc...) would be greatly appreciated. A donation of a case of apple juice drink boxes has already been generously offered by a classroom parent. If you are able to make a food contribution, please inform Mr. Pickett or Mrs. O'Neill of your intended donation.

Following the Hallowe'en party, all of the Kindergarten students will gather for a viewing of It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown before returning to their classrooms to prepare for dismissal. 

Lots of fun and surprises await our Princesses, Super Heroes, Goblins and Ghouls. 

Young Artist Inspired by 

the Beauty of a Sunset

T. E., a senior kindergartener, felt inspired to render this beautiful sunset (and Jack-o-Lantern) for all to see and enjoy. The sentence reads...

This is a sunset.

Morning Message in K-1

Many mornings provide the Special Helper of the Day with an opportunity to work on a message that gets shared with his/her classmates later on in the afternoon. One-on-one support from the teacher enables the student to experience success with...

- counting

- printing

- fine motor development

- letter/sound correlation

- writing

- five and ten frame representation

- rhyming

- addition and subtraction

- reading

- tracking print

- sight word development

and a host of other concepts and skills. Here are a few students working on their messages.

Name Printing is Fun!

One of the many experiences students have an opportunity to explore while in Kindergarten is learning to print their name. A wide array of materials are regularly made available to them to aid in making this a fun and engaging learning opportunity. Here are a few of our JKs' accomplishments.

They've a lot to be proud of!

Gobble! Gobble!

Some of our Kinders decided to create turkey sculptures to take home and decorate their holiday dinner. Gobble, gobble! Check them out.

Highlights From Our Thanksgiving Feast

Turkey dinner, turkey dinner,

Gather round, gather round.

Who will get the drumstick--

Yummy, yummy yum stick?

All sit down. All sit down.

Cornbread muffin, chestnut stuffing,

Pumpkin pie, one foot high.

We were feeling thinner

Til' we ate our dinner.

Me, oh my! Me, oh my!

Picture Day, October 9th

Bring your best smile to school with you on Thursday, October 9th. School pictures will be taken that day. If your child is ill or planning to be away, 'retakes' will be taken later in the fall. Information regarding the 'retake date' will be sent home as soon as the school is supplied with that information by the photography company.

Thanksgiving Luncheon, 

October 8th

On Wednesday, October the 8th, the Kindergarten students at Parnall School will be treated to a full Thanksgiving meal in the gymnasium. The menu includes:

• turkey
• stuffing
• gravy
• mashed potatoes
• roll
• glazed carrots
• a pumpkin tarte
• milk

The cost for this delicious meal is $6.00. All money is due into the teacher by Monday, October 6th. The event is being catered by an outside company this year. Food will be served at our regularly scheduled lunch time, 12:30 PM. 

Our September Super Star Award Winners

Congratulations to Paul, Naomi, Matthew and Hailey for being our September Super Star Award Winners. We are proud of you!!!

Apples Are Everywhere

All throughout our classroom students are enjoying activities pertaining to our learning about apples. Here are but a few of the centres keeping us busy.

Puddicombe Farm Field Trip a Success

Many thanks to all parents and volunteers who helped in making our trip to Puddicombe Farms last week a huge success. Even though the weather was a bit damp, the Puddicombe staff went out of their way to make our stay with them a wonderful learning experience. Upon our arrival at the farm, students were divided up into their classes and proceeded on to experience a variety of learning opportunities on the farm. The children got to go on a wagon ride through the vineyard and orchard pulled by a tractor. They got to see cherry, peach, apple and pear trees. As well, they saw large fields with both green and purple grapes growing in them. A train ride gave us an opportunity to see the beginnings of autumn colour bursting forth on the escarpment. We also got to meet some of the farm animals and see their living quarters up close. Afterwards, we went back to the main building and had sliced apples for snack. Our morning on the farm wrapped up with a tour through the apple orchard where a gentleman farmer explained the life cycle of an apple. He gave each child an opportunity to pick apples from a wide assortment of dwarf apple trees. They filled two large bags with apples to bring back to the classroom and then made their way back to board the bus for the trip back to Parnall. On the way, we stopped by the petting area where the boys and girls met Myrtle the pig, several emu, peacocks and some dwarf mountain goats. 

In conclusion, a great time was had by all, with fun and memories to last for months to come. Thanks, Puddicombe Farms!

PICTURE DAY IS COMING!

Picture Day is next Thursday, October 9th. Stay tuned for more details. Polish up those beautiful smiles!

We Are Going On A Field Trip

On Tuesday, September 30, the Kindergarten classes of Parnall Public School will venture out on our first field trip of the year. We will be visiting Puddicombe Farms in Winona, Ontario. Buses will depart the school at 9:45AM with an expected arrival time of 10:15AM at the farm. Staff and students will have the opportunity to learn about growing apples in the Niagara Region. While at the farm, children will visit an apple orchard, take a ride on a train, learn about the life cycle of an apple and pick their own piece of fruit to enjoy as a healthy snack. Arrival time back at Parnall School will be approximately 1:00PM. Children will then have an opportunity to eat their lunches.

In preparation for our trip, parents are asked to make sure children are dressed appropriately that morning. As we will be visiting a farm, warm, non-precious clothing is suggested. Suitable footwear for walking through an apple orchard would also be a good idea. No sandals or flip-flops, please.
As well, ensure that your child has a substantial breakfast that morning prior to coming to school as we will not be taking backpacks or snack bags with us to the farm. 

Be on the lookout for a permission slip in your child's Zippy Bag. The cost of our trip is $13.00. This fee covers the cost of the farm visit and transportation to and from the destination. 

Parent volunteers are needed, but only 3 will be chosen from our classroom. Mr. Pickett will be notifying parents to confirm whether they are needed to chaperone that day. If you are not selected to attend the trip as a parent volunteer, but wish to join your child on the tour, a cost of $7.50 per person will need to be paid to Puddicombe Farms on the morning of the field trip. Those parents will also need to make their own transportation arrangements to and from the farm as seating on the bus is limited.

Please return your child's permission form to the school by Friday, September 26th as final arrangements need to be made with the farm and the bus company. Thank you and we look forward to a wonderful morning in the orchard.

Super Star Awards Assembly

On Friday, September 26th at 2:25 PM, the Parnall Kindergarten classes will assemble in the gymnasium for our first Super Star Awards Assembly. Each month several students will be recognized for their accomplishments, both social and academic. The assembly will run approximately 20 minutes. If your child is to receive an award, you will be notified by letter in his/her Zippy Bag. All parents are welcome to attend.

Terry Fox Walk / Run

On Wednesday, September 24 at 11:15 AM, the faculty and students of Parnall Public School will be walking/running in support of the Terry Fox Foundation's Fight Against Cancer. Kindergarten students will remain on the school property as they walk in support of cancer research. Students are asked to bring in a 'Toonie for Terry' as a donation which will be made toward this worthy cause. Thank you for your support.

Pizza Days Are Coming

Beginning this Friday, September 19th, students will have the opportunity to purchase pizza for lunch.
A choice of either cheese or cheese and pepperoni will be available for children to order. Simply send your child to school with $1.00 per slice of pizza required. Mr. Pickett and Mrs. O'Neill will place the order in the morning following morning entry. You may wish to send your child some additional items in his/her lunchbox to round out their lunch. Pizza arrives at the school around 12:30 PM and is delivered to the classroom shortly thereafter. It is most helpful if you discuss with your child what s/he wants before they arrive at school. Write their order on a scrap of paper and enclose it with the money in a small Ziploc bag. Pizza will be sold every Friday unless otherwise notified through the office.

Meet the Teacher Barbecue

For those of you who have already placed your order through the office, we look forward to seeing you at our Annual Meet the Teacher Barbecue. Plan on arriving at the school at 5:00 PM, Tuesday evening, September 16th. Enjoy a hamburger or hotdog and a cold beverage. See you there!

This Friday is Early Release Day

This Friday, September 12th, all students at Parnall School will be dismissed at 12:05 PM for the day. Please make plans to pick your child up at that time. There will be NO SCHOOL in the afternoon for our students as teachers will be involved in a professional development activity throughout the afternoon. School will reopen again on Monday, September 15 at 8:50 AM. Have a wonderful weekend!

How Did You Get To School Today?

Authentic, everyday experiences prove to be strong motivators for little people. In order to generate interest in counting, Mrs. O'Neill selected a book titled How Will I Get To School This Year, by Jerry Palotta to read to the class on Tuesday afternoon.

It is a delightfully simple story about a young girl who uses her imagination to dream of various ways she'd rather come to school than 'on the smelly, old school bus.' Imagine coming to school on an elephant...

After reading the book, Mr. Pickett posed the question, How did you come to school today? Answers were offered enthusiastically. Mr. Pickett decided it might be best to record the responses in a way that allowed us to count them and then compare what we learned. The children were given a sticker of their choice and asked to place it on a visual organizer in the space (walk, bus, car / van, elephant) that matched how they'd gotten to school that morning. Here is what it looked like when we were finished.

After all of the stickers were placed on the chart, several students volunteered to count and write the numbers for each of the groups in the spaces below. We noticed that we had just as many people walk to school as those who came in a car or van. Four of our Kinders arrived on the school bus. Unfortunately, no one had the pleasure of coming to school on an elephant. Imagine the traffic jam that would have created on Geneva St., not to mention in our own parking lot.  :-)

We Are Settling In Nicely

As we near the end of our second week together, many of us are finding Kindergarten to be a rather interesting and enjoyable place to spend our day. This week, we introduced some new building blocks at the light table which have coloured water, glitter and beads encased between clear plastic. F.R. had great fun experimenting with all of the shapes that she could create using the blocks in different ways (see below in the upper left corner). 

As mathematics is a primary focus at Parnall School this year, several students created patterned jewellery out of coloured pasta and yarn. T.F. mastered an AABBCC patterned necklace, while M.D. designed a lovely ABB patterned necklace. S.R. created a fashionable ABC bracelet. Check out their work in the picture collage below.

How Many?

Counting for the purpose of determining quantity is a fundamental mathematical skill that we all use every day of our lives. Throughout our year together, the children, Mrs. O'Neill and I will have an infinite number of opportunities to hone our counting skills. On Friday, the S/K's used a simple graphing activity (see below) to practise this critical skill. We then discussed the two quantities and then wondered which was more, 8 or 7? By means of further discussion and comparison, we determined that 8 is one more than 7. 

In wrapping up the activity, one child, PB, asked "How many are 8 and 7?" I opened the question up to the group. Another child, GM, suggested that we "Count all of the clothes pins to find out." So that is what we did. We quickly determined the answer as being 15. As we wrapped up and began getting ready to dismiss for the day, it was quite obvious that the children were pleased with themselves. 

They are all so smart!!! It is going to be a phenomenal year.

Numbers in Our Room

On Friday afternoon, September 5th, the senior kindergarten students took a few moments to 'play number detectives' throughout the classroom. They looked over the walls and the activity centres in search of numbers. Afterward, I took their findings and created an anchor chart which will be hung in our room to refer back to throughout the year. Take a look at what they found...

Scholastic Book Order Forms

This year, our classroom family will be participating in the Scholastic Book Club Reading Program. Each month, two book order forms will be sent home with your son/daughter in their ZIPPY BAG. You will have several days to read through the order form and make your selections. If you wish to purchase any books, complete your order and send it back to school in the ZIPPY BAG, along with a CHEQUE made out to Scholastic Book Club in the amount of the order. NO CASH, PLEASE! A class wide order will be placed following the Scholastic due date indicated on the monthly classroom calendar. After the books have arrived at the school, I will package the orders up and send them home with your child. If you wish to order books as a birthday or Christmas surprise gift, please indicate that in a note when you send me back your order. Include a phone number where you can be reached through the day. I will call you and we can arrange pickup of the books at a time which is convenient to us both. HAPPY READING!!!

***Needing Spare Clothing***

Just as I reminder, please be sure to send a spare pair of pants and underclothing in a Ziploc bag with your child's name clearly written on the front of the bag. Occasionally toileting accidents occur and children need to change out of soiled clothing in order to be comfortable and continue on with their day. These spare items of clothing will be kept in your child's cubby for easy access if the need arises.

If you have an 'over abundance' of underclothing, we would appreciate a few 'donations.' From time to time, spare clothing is required to outfit a child who may not have surplus items in his/her cubby. 
Many thanks in advance!

Zippy Bags Go Home on 

Monday, September 8th

On Monday afternoon, September 8th, your child will arrive home with his/her ZIPPY BAG in their backpack. Please read through the contents of the bag and then place it back into the backpack. Many days out of the school year, Mr. Pickett and Mrs. O'Neill will use the ZIPPY BAG as a way of transporting important messages and papers from the school to your home. It is vitally important that the ZIPPY BAG be returned to school each day so that communication can continue unimpeded. 

We thank you in advance for taking care of this important detail. If you have any concerns or questions, do not hesitate to write them down and place them into the ZIPPY BAG. We will get to them as quickly as possible and then get back to you with a response.