You Are Invited to Attend...

The Parnall Glee Club/Kindergarten Christmas Concert

Wednesday, December 20th at 2:00PM

Parnall School Gymnasium

We hope to see you there.

Just a Reminder...

Label ALL Winter Clothing

Our cubbie area is now overflowing with snowpants, hats, mitts, gloves, scarves and coats. PLEASE label all of your child's outdoor winter wear. We are trying to keep up with literally hundreds of shoes, boots and clothing items. Having EVERYTHING clearly labelled helps in keeping things organized and stored in the correct area. Thank you.

KLEENEX NEEDED

Cold and flu season is upon us and it is at this time of the year that we ask for contributions toward our classroom 'Kleenex stash.' You cannot imagine how much Kleenex we go through in a single day. At times, it is staggering. If you are able, please send in a box or two so that we can keep noses as comfortable as possible throughout the winter months. Many thanks!

PASTA DAY IS TOMORROW,

Tuesday, December 19th

Just a quick reminder to all K-1 families that PASTA DAY will be held tomorrow and NOT on Wednesday of this week with the rest of the school community. Our reasoning for having it a day in advance of the rest of the school has EVERYTHING to do with our Kindergarten Christmas Concert which will be held at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, December 20th. Wednesday is already a 'jam-packed day' for our little people. We felt that 'spreading the joy' out a bit across the week was better for all of us than trying to over pack Wednesday. We certainly hope that this is not an inconvenience for any of you. Thanks for your understanding.

Guess Who Arrived on JOY DAY?

After receiving a 'Special Delivery' letter from Santa Friday morning, the boys and girls went on a long search throughout the classroom to find the elf that Santa had promised he'd sent. Eventually, the elf was discovered...in the pot of geraniums on our window. Sneaky little guy. The children then went to work trying to select a name for the elf. More than 20 names were put forward before we narrowed it down to just three. Those were...Candy, Melvin and Rudolph. Each student cast his/her vote for only one name and the one chosen was...

RUDOLPH!

Welcome aboard, Rudolph. We are glad to have you in K-1 this Christmas season.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Day

this Friday

December 1st

OK, maybe it's not so ugly. The fact is, Christmas sweaters can look pretty cute on a kinder. Have fun planning your child's festive attire for this Friday. This is not meant to stress anyone out, so do not let it. OK? If sweaters are not his/her thing, then a red or green shirt will do nicely. ENJOY!

Some of Our

 MATH DISCOVERIES 

This Past Week

Looking at sorting attributes for our shoes

Buttons come in all colours, shapes and sizes

Sorting wooden shapes by colour

Composing squares using other shapes

Sophisticated patterns

Composing large squares out of smaller squares

Making pictures out of shapes

Going on 'shape hunts'

We Will Remember

The beautiful wreath pictured above was laid atop a white cross for our Kinder Remembrance Day observance on Thursday morning this past week. The wreath was then presented at the school wide service which was held on Friday morning while we were at the Safety Village. The children did a spectacular job making the wreath with guidance from Mrs. P. It will be hung in our classroom for the balance of the school year.

Fun at the Safety Village

Here are just a few of the wonderful moments spent at the Safety Village this past Friday. Many thanks to all of our parent volunteers who made our first field trip of the year a success. A special 'thank you' is extended to Mrs. Wilson who modelled the fire fighter's uniform pictured below. She then pretended to save a child by carrying him from a burning building. So many giggles...! You are a fabulous sport, Mrs. Wilson!

Safety Village Trip

Our trip to Safety Village is tomorrow Friday, November 10th. The buses leave promptly at 9:00AM. Please be sure to be on time. Volunteers for this trip have already been advised. The volunteers must ride the bus to and from the location in order to supervise their group of children. The forecast is for cold weather so we want to be prepared. We are requesting that your child wear his/her winter coat, hat, gloves and boots as we have some outdoor activities.

Your child will be bringing his/her backpack with a lunch inside so please remove extra items from the backpack that are not for the trip. We are asking that you pack a change of clothing including pants, underwear and socks in a bag (in case). It is very important that your child have snacks and a full lunch along as well as a drink.

We are looking forward to this trip! Thank you!

Mr. Pickett
Miss Pietrobon
Mrs. Disher

Progress Reports 

(Communication of Learning)

to arrive home 

Thursday, November 9th

On Thursday, November 9th, your child will bring home his/her 'Communication of Learning' document highlighting progress to this point in the school year. Enclosed in the envelope will be a letter informing you of dates whereby we can come together for 15 minutes and discuss your child's progress and set some goals as we move further toward the end of the first term. Mr. Pickett and Miss Pietrobon look forward to meeting with each family and discussing your child's accomplishments to date. PLEASE send back the form which will accompany the 'Communication of Learning' document listing at least 3 potential times/dates when we might get together. Requests will be honoured on a first come/first serve basis. We will do our very best to honour your requested time. If, for some reason, the times offered DO NOT conveniently work with your schedule, that's okay. We will set up another time which works best for our combined schedules.

It is an honour to journey alongside your child in his/her learning. We look forward to coming together and celebrating their successes and planning for continued growth.

J. Pickett
A. Pietrobon

November Calendar

The November Classroom Calendar is uploaded and available to download. Be sure and check it often as occasionally there are changes/additions of which you will want to be aware.

CRAZY HAIR DAY IS COMING

Friday, November 3rd

Photo Retake Day

Thursday, November 2nd

If you are wanting your child to have his/her school picture retaken, PLEASE include a note in their Mr. Zip Bag informing us of your request. Children who do not bring a note from home will not be sent down for retakes. 

Ode to Autumn

You don't need to look much further than our classroom to see the beauty of autumn all around us.

Kindergarten Halloween Parade

Where:  Parnall School (outside along the front sidewalk)

When:  Tuesday, October 31st

9:00 AM

Students are to arrive at school that morning dressed in their Halloween costumes. The Kindergarten Halloween Parade will begin after morning announcements. The children will exit out the Kinder playground gate and parade up to the sidewalk infront of the school. They will reenter the school through the main doors. Parents are asked to line either side of the sidewalk to view the children and take pictures.

Following the parade, children are requested to change out of their costumes and into regular school clothes. Please provide a bag that all of the various costume components can fit into for safe transporting home. We will help your child place his/her costume bag into their backpack so that it can make its way home for trick-or-treating that night.

We will have a brief Halloween Party beginning around 1:35PM. You may wish to contribute a small treat for the party. If so, please be aware that we have children with allergies to peanuts, gluten, eggs and dairy in the room. Thank you for considering the safety of all of our children when planning a treat. There are 29 children in the classroom. 

Many thanks!

Will a Pumpkin

Sink or Float?

Our predictions...

The outcome...

Wearable Patterns

We are really enjoying creating our own bracelet patterns. Here are a few...

Number Patterns

Kindergarten Thanksgiving Luncheon Tasting

This Thursday, October 5th, the Kindergarten Division teachers will host a luncheon tasting for our students in K-1, K-2 and K-3. This is a FREE event for our Kindergarten students. The tasting will consist of modest portions of the following...

-rice with chicken and vegetables

-glazed carrots

-apple crisp

-a dinner roll

-a box of apple juice

Portion sizes will be 'kinder friendly,' so you may wish to pack an extra item or two in your child's lunchbox to 'fill out' the meal. The tasting will occur at our regularly scheduled lunch break. Children who have food sensitivities should have no difficulties as all foods will be gluten-free (with the exception of the dinner roll), nut-free, dairy-free and egg-free.

DRESS LIKE A SUPER HERO DAY

IS COMING...

On Thursday, October 5th, students are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite Super Heros. Join in the fun by wearing a simple t-shirt or an entire costume. 

Terry Fox Walk/Run

TREMENDOUS SUCCESS!!!

On Thursday, September 28th, the staff and students of Parnall School participated in our Terry Fox Walk/Run. This year's event was very successful in  raising money for the Terry Fox Foundation which funds cancer research. Our school goal this year was to raise $650.00. By Friday morning of last week, we had already raised $695.00 and donations were still trickling in. Thank you to all of the families at Parnall School for contributing to this extremely worthy cause. Here are a few highlights from our morning together...

The school community gathered in the gymnasium for a brief assembly at 9:45AM. While there, we watched a short video documentary on the life and legacy of Terry Fox.

Before leaving the gymnasium to begin the walk/run, Mrs. Rhegan Favell, a Parnall parent, motivated us and helped us to warm up our bodies with a few exercises and stretches. She was assisted by her son, who happens to be a K-1 alumni.

We then proceeded outside to begin the walk/run. The weather was slightly overcast and much cooler than in the days leading up to Thursday. Along the route, signs were posted informing participants of facts regarding Terry's life and his 'Walk of Hope.' Thank you to the students in Ms. Watson's grade 8 classroom for creating the signs. They really helped all of us to stay focused and motivated. 

As the walk/run drew to a close, the school community was invited to form a large circle on the primary playground field. 

A few of our Cross-Country team members walked the Canadian flag into the center of the circle while the crowd sang O'Canada.

Huge thanks to all of the many people who made this event a success. Cancer is a disease that touches nearly all of our lives in some way or other. Each of us knows someone who has either lost his/her life to it or is currently living with the disease. It is every person's hope that one day a cure will be found for those living with cancer. Again, many thanks to you all. 

PICTURE DAY IS COMING

Wednesday, October 4th

On Wednesday, October 4th, bring your best smile to school as it is Picture Day at Parnall. Students in our classroom will have their pictures taken mid-day. If your child is absent from school this Wednesday, there will be a 'Retake Day' on November 2nd. 

Terry Fox Walk/Run

On Thursday, September 28th, Parnall Public School will hold their Terry Fox Walk of Hope. Students will meet in the library at 9:45AM for a brief assembly. At 10:00AM, we will proceed outside and walk or run around the perimeter of the school property. At 10:30, we will all gather as a school community and sing O'Canada before reentering the building for the first nutrition break. Parents who wish to join us are welcome to walk with their children. 

Last Call for HEADPHONES

On Tuesday, September 19th, students will all require a pair of personal headphones as we are having our first computer class of the year. These MUST be brought from home. Please label the headphones with your child's name and place them in a Ziploc bag for safe keeping. We will store the headphones throughout the year in a plastic bin in the library. Thank you.

Patterns, Patterns, Patterns

Here are a few of the patterns we've discovered and created over the past several days in our classroom. 

Meet the Teacher

Thursday, September 21

4:30PM-6:00PM

Parents and family members are invited to drop by the school on the afternoon of September 21st from 4:30PM-6:00PM and meet your children's classroom teachers. Mr. Pickett, Miss Pietrobon and Mrs. Disher look forward to meeting you. Take a look around the classroom and see what we have been up to these past few days. We hope that you will make plans to attend. 

New Learning Provocations

Awaiting You on Monday

Headphones are Needed

Beginning next week, students will have regularly scheduled computer classes in the library. In order for your child to fully benefit from this experience, we would ask that you please send in a pair of headphones for your child, labeled with his/her name. Earbuds are not a particularly good idea as they easily become damaged by over excited little hands and need to be replaced frequently. Some of our SK students have a pair of headphones stored at the school which are still in good working order. Junior Kindergarten students will need to bring in a pair so that they won't miss out on any of the fun. Many thanks!

Some First Week Fun!

Welcome to the K-1 

Kindergarten Class at 

Parnall School

Mr. Pickett, Miss Pietrobon and Mrs. Disher would like to welcome you to our Kindergarten classroom (K-1) at Parnall Public School in St. Catharines, Ontario. We are glad that you have found us on line. We hope that you will come here throughout the week to see what is happening in our room and to stay informed about upcoming classroom and school-wide events. 

Each month, a calendar will be uploaded onto this site for easy downloading. It will have important information on it concerning daily events, special lunch days, assemblies, field trips and many other items of interest. Look to the right of this post and you will see the September Classroom Calendar which will appear under 'Downloads.' On rare occasions, the calendar does change as new events are added to it or corrections need to be made. You may wish to print off a copy to refer to easily or you may want to see the 'most up to the minute' version simply by clicking the September Calendar URL to the right.

Each morning, children are to be dropped off at our Kindergarten Playground area after 8:35AM. There will not be Teacher Supervision until that time. Parents are asked to not arrive at school before 8:35AM unless they plan on staying with their child until a teacher arrives to oversee the children and insure safety.

Children will be dismissed in the afternoon from the front of the school building using the southeasterly front door at 3:15PM. Children will ONLY be released to adults and care providers who have been identified by the custodial parents/guardian on the Trillium Student Verification Form. If students have not been picked up by 3:20PM, they will be taken to the office where Mrs. King will make a phone call to the custodial parent/guardian.

If children arrive at school later than 9:00AM, they must first go to the office and receive a late slip before proceeding on to the classroom. 

Parents are strongly encouraged to label EVERYTHING with your child's name. MANY items of clothing, plastic luncheon containers and other items get misplaced each year as a result of not labeling personal items. We thank you in advance for taking the time to label in order to help us in assisting your child keep track of his/her belongings.

Each child is asked to bring two pairs of shoes to school. Please make sure that you avoid sending shoes that require tying laces or involve complicated straps or buckles. Running shoes that slip on or which have velcro closures are best. One pair of shoes will be worn in the building throughout the day as well as while your child is participating in gym class. That pair of shoes should also not have black soles which often mark and scuff up the gymnasium floor. The other pair of shoes will be worn during outdoor play. For safety concerns, Crocs, flip-flops and loose sandals should be avoided.

Information regarding our Milk Program will be coming home with your child soon. Milk cards can be purchased using Cash-On-Line for $15.00. This card will entitle your child to 20 cartons of either white or chocolate milk. You will receive a reminder from us when your child is nearing the completion of his/her card so that you can purchase another one in its place and your child will continue to receive milk on a daily basis without interruption. 

We are delighted to welcome your child to Parnall School and we look forward to the opportunity of meeting you and getting to know you better. If you have questions, concerns or wish to get in touch with us for any reason, either enclose a note in you child's ZIPPY BAG which will be sent home on the first day of school and should return each morning with your child in his/her backpack or connect with one of us out on the playground prior to school beginning in the morning. We will make every effort to get back in touch with you as soon as we possibly can. 

We consider it an honour and a privilege that you would entrust us with the care of your child. We will do all that we can to maintain that trust and care for your children as if they were our own. Kindergarten is an exciting journey of wonder and learning for your child and we are blessed to accompany him/her on it. Come back here often to see what we are learning.