Archive | June 2014

Summer Wish for my Emily Stowe Family

Jun23

family_summer_holidaysEarlier this year I shared with you the three expectations that students at Emily Stowe Public School are expected to follow throughout the year:

  • Be safe
  • Demonstrate respect (and all positive character traits)
  • We are here to learn.

My hopes for all of you and your families over the summer holidays, do not stray far from our school expectations:

  • I hope you and your family keep safe whether you are travelling or staying close to home.
  • May respect befall you; in the way you are treated and the way you treat others.  Whether you are trying exercise patience navigating busy summer destinations, finding innovative ways to beat mosquitos,  the summer heat or encouraging cooperation amongst siblings and finding humor when things don’t go as planned.
  • Finally I wish that learning finds you no matter where you go or whatever you do.  Summer learning can be some of the most exciting learning of all.  It might be exploring a new destination, revisiting a local favourite destination, learning a new campfire song, inventing a new summer recipe, or reading some literary treasures.

I wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you on September 2, 2014 for another exciting year together. And if you have the time and the inclination, come back here to my blog and tell me about some of your summer adventures. I’d love to hear about them.

Have a fun fill, safe and happy summer!

Here are some fun links you might enjoy looking at:

1. Trails in Southwestern Ontario for hiking, walking and exploring.
2. Galleries and Museums in Ontario
3. Ontario’s Waterways – click on the map of Ontario and explore
4. Norwich Public Library – list of summer activities on their front page
5. Summer Skating Schedule
6. YMCA Summer Schedule – Woodstock
7. And no summer is complete without a trip or two to Ritchies Ice Cream

 

 

 

Citizens CAN change the World!

Jun16

I love keeping track of “firsts” and this week we hosted our first annual Volunteer Tea.  Many volunteers were able to attend so we could recognize their contributions to our school community, but since not everyone was there, I want to extend a sincere THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who have been able to support the ESPS community in any capacity throughout the year. All contributions are valuable, whether you were able to attend a class trip, support the hot lunch program, participate in Parent Council, prepare food for the healthy snack program, or support students with learning in the classroom.   During the tea I shared the following quote about my belief in the impact of volunteers:

 Margaret Mead quote

 

Thank you for all of your support throughout the year.  The “citizens of our community” have certainly changed the world at Emily Stowe. We value all you have done and look forward to a continued partnership in the new school year.

Here is a quick link to a pictorial slide show of our community fund raiser which went towards our play-yard equipment. We raised over $40,000 on this night! Truly world changing for all the students at ESPS!

FundraiserSlideShow

 || click image to see the slide show ||

More Than Just a Field Trip!

Jun9

There are many field trips planned during the month of June, a tradition I recall from my past days as a student in elementary school.  These excursions, whether they are as close as a Harold Bishop Park or as far away as Quebec City, have the potential for providing lifelong memories and valuable learning opportunities that can be enriched both at school and at home.

field_trip copyAt school, well thought out year-end field trips (or any field trips throughout the year) can provide rich applications to the Ontario curriculum.  They can be opportunities to ignite curiosity, build connections to current learning or reinforce past learning in the classroom.  Beyond the academic component, field trips may also provide a chance for team building and provide a final farewell celebration with a ‘classroom family’ that has emerged over the last 10 months.

At home, field trips present a perfect forum for parental engagement in school life. They provide a wealth of conversational ideas to enhance oral language skills in both listening and speaking.  Conversations that involve making predictions about what the trip will be like, asking questions, recalling the events of the day and making connections between the field trip experiences and other parts of life are exceptional ways to enhance comprehension skills, while deepening the connections between school and home.

This week my youngest son is heading off on an overnight trip.  For the past week we have been planning together, making lists of necessary items, talking about what to expect while he is away; what he is most excited about (kayaking) and least excited about (bugs). When he returns, I am already excited to share in his adventures.  To me there is no doubt that a learning task embedded in a real world application is one of the most engaging learning experiences a student can have! What learning adventures have you and your family had? Would love to hear about them!

If you are looking for some ideas for good family field trips, Attractions Ontario has a very useful Ontario’s Field Trip Planner for Educators 2013/2014 On page 8 of this document you’ll find the Attraction Index where the attractions are all listed with related subject and grade level suggestions!  A very useful and practical guide.