GABRIOLA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
680 North Road, Gabriola, BC VOR lXO Phone: (250) 247-9342 Fax: (250) 247-8639 Mrs. Kathy Gurr September 2016 Welcome to Grade One and Kindergarten at Gabriola Elementary School! It is so nice to have met the Grade One parents during the Kindergarten interviews last September and to have touched base with this year’s Kindergarten parents during the Welcome to Kindergarten event in May, I feel as though we already know each other some. We begin our busy year with 14 grade ones and 5 kindergarten students. As you will soon see, when you come to visit our classroom in action, it is a place full of activity and learning, where self-regulation and positive social skills are taught and encouraged consistently. Our learning space will often move beyond the classroom walls and through many and varied activities the children will be learning through experimentation and play. We will also be embracing the new curriculum while continuing to keep a focus on developing the basic skills of reading, writing and math. Introduction to Mrs. Gurr Personal-We’ve lived on Gabriola Island now for 16 years. My husband and I raised our daughters here and they attended Gabriola Elementary school from K to 7. Gabriola is a great place to learn and a fantastic environment to grow up in. Our daughters now aged 21 and 22, both live in Vancouver. We are very proud of the young women they have become. Professional - I have 30 years of teaching experience and have taught all grades from K to 7 (but mostly at the primary levels of Kindergarten, Grade One and Two) and I have experience with special education, learning support, behaviour support and home learning support. Gradual Entry Our kindergarten friends will do a gradual entry into school from September 12-14, with the 14th being their first full day of school. This is to facilitate a gradual introduction to routines and expectations in the classroom and it allows for a very gentle transition from home to school. Regular Program Information Our daily activities will include calendar; learning centers, story times, outdoor studies, library, music, gym, math, science, social skills, writing, reading, arts and crafts, cooking, sharing time, storytelling, drama, lunch, conversation skills, two snack times and two outdoor recess play times. School starts at 8:40 am. I will pick the children up at the back of the school in their line up at this exact time. Please be punctual as we begin our learning the moment we gather together. The children will be dismissed at 1:32 pm on Mondays and at 2:32 pm Tuesday to Friday, through the specified outer door at the back of the school facing the playground. The front classroom door will only be used for children catching the bus. If you are making other arrangements for drop off and pick up please inform me. Planners / Back & Forth Folders Grade ones will use a daily planner and kindergarten children will have a back and forth folder. These come home daily with important letters and information in them. Please teach your child to give it to you when they get home and return it to me the next day with any notes or communications you may have for the school. The grade one planners will cost $ 3.00 (send this ASAP). Kindergarten folders are part of the $30.00 supplies fee. Healthy Lunch, Snacks and Water Remember to pack a healthy lunch and snacks that your child can manage independently. Always send your child to school with a fresh bottle of water to use throughout the day. Please send water only along with your child’s healthy food choices that do not include lots of sugar, preservatives or salt. Fresh is best. No juice boxes please. Hot Lunch PAC provides a delicious and healthy, hot lunch program twice a month. Notices will come home for you to sign up. Supplies Your child’s school supplies should be labeled and sent to school as soon as possible. Please be sure everything is labeled including indoor Velcro shoes and a backpack including a full change of clothes – all labelled please. Learning Log Our learning in Grade One and Kindergarten will be focused around themes. If you have materials at home that you think would add to our themes please encourage your child to bring them to school (objects, books, games, music…). Please don’t send your child to school with toys; we play best with each other and with the classroom toys while at school. Theme Digest Our theme this month is autumn on Gabriola. We’ll also learn more about each other and how we can best work together in a strong K/1 learning community. Social Skills Synopsis Our social skills focus this month will be listening skills. The steps to reinforce at home and school are as follows:
Gym Journal We will have regular daily indoor gym periods combined with Mrs. Tufnail’s class and we will frequently go outdoors for exercise. We take part in daily physical activity indoors and out. Parent Volunteers I’ll welcome parent volunteers in the classroom in October, after the children have had a good chance to settle in and get used to our routines and expectations. I’ll send home a sign-up calendar and have a daily volunteer task clip board available in the classroom for those who are interested in helping out. Birthday Broadcast We celebrate birthdays in class as they occur with a small gift and sing song. Please do not send invitations or treats to school on your child’s special day. Summer birthdays are celebrated in June. Show and Tell BulletinStarting next week our show and tell activity will be for each child to bring photos and special items from home to tell us more about themselves. You will know it is your child’s turn when the “special me” box comes home in his/her backpack. Instructions will be included with the box. Grade ones will share an all about me profile as well as the special box. Open House On Wednesday September 21, all families are invited to come to Gabriola School from 5:30 – 6:30 pm. I hope to see everyone! (Come to the PAC meeting first if you can.) PAC UpdatePAC meetings are held once a month. The September meeting will be on September 21st at 4:00 pm. We need two volunteers to be our classroom’s Grade One and Kindergarten PAC liaison parents. Please let me know if you are willing to attend the PAC meeting on our behalf. All parents are welcome to attend PAC meetings. Music Notes We’ll have music class twice a week with a music specialist Mr. Bradebrooke. Library Book Exchange When the library is open, we will have an opportunity for library book exchange once a week with Ms. Doak. Learning support at Home K’s -If your child is ready and wants to learn to write his/her name, teach him/her to print each letter as follows: the first letter should be capital and the others in lower case. It is important that children learn to make their letters in this way to ensure good letter form later on. Ones – Begin to encourage your child to write his/her first middle and last name with proper spacing and capital letters. I look forward to working with you and your child. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely yours, Mrs. Kathy Gurr
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AuthorI am a teacher with over 25 years of teaching experience including all grades from kindergarten to grade seven. I am a Primary Specialist with a diverse educational background in Individualization, Learning Support, Behaviour Support and Home-Learning Support. Archives
May 2017
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