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.