Posted in General Studies, Kindergarten, Reading, STEAM

On International Dot Day, SK Made Their Mark

Posted on by Andréa Black
On September 15, 2022, the kids in SK celebrated International Dot Day!!!  If you’re not sure what International Dot Day is all about, here’s a little explanation:

September 15th marks the anniversary of the publication of best-selling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds’ The Dot, a “story book for all ages.”

Starting in 2009, a group of educators began celebrating this date as International Dot Day — a day for classes to explore the story’s powerful themes: bravery, creativity, and self-expression.

The Dot tells the story of a caring teacher who reaches a reluctant student in a remarkably creative way. In Peter’s book, the teacher dares a very resistant Vashti to “make her mark.” Vashti’s breakthrough begins with a simple dot on a piece of paper. Encouraged by her teacher she sets off on a journey of self-discovery, letting her creativity bloom and, ultimately, inspire others.

from The Educator’s Handbook for International Dot Day

To mark this special day yesterday, after reading the book, the kids got to explore their own creativity by making their own unique dot.  They experimented with colour mixing by using markers on coffee filters and then spraying them with water at the Saturation Station.  They also drew their own special masterpieces to make their mark.  We listened to and watched a video of the “The Dot Song” written by Emily Arrow and Peter H. Reynolds…. you can watch the video and do the actions at home here.

The school year may have just begun, but the kids in Senior Kindergarten have already made their mark in a big way!!  Check out the pictures below and then keep scrolling for some important upcoming dates!!!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Wednesday, Sept. 21 – Back to School Night at 7:00 pm (in person!!)

Friday, Sept. 23 – OJCS Terry Fox Run

Monday, Sept. 26 & Tuesday, Sept. 27 – Rosh Hashanah (NO SCHOOL)

Friday, Sept. 30 – Dress Down in an Orange Shirt for National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. All proceeds from loonies and toonies will go to the Orange Shirt Society.

Party Popper Emoji (U+1F389)HAPPY BIRTHDAY Party Popper Emoji (U+1F389)

Belated wishes to Evie who turned 5 on September 2nd

Belated wishes to Aliza who turned 5 on September 5th

and to Mason who turns 5 on September 23rd!!

Posted in Kindergarten, Reminders

End of School Year Information

Posted on by Andréa Black

It is hard to believe that we are actually at the end of the year and I am writing this post…. What a year we have had in SK.  I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to share in a small snippet of your amazing kids’ lives and I look forward to watching them grow as they move up through the grades here at the OJCS!!

There is a lot going on over the next few days, so please read this entire post….

Friday, June 24th – Friday is Dress Down Day and we will be collecting tzedakah for Tewegan Housing for Aboriginal Youth in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day.  Don’t forget to bring a loonie or toonie!!

Callie’s family is graciously providing a Pizza Lunch on Friday as it will be her last day of school and she will be celebrating her birthday in July.  No need to pack a lunch on Friday, but please ensure that your child has plenty of snacks for the day.  Todah Rabah to the Grostern family!!

Friday afternoon is the Staff vs. Grade 8 Softball Game and we will be going to watch at least part of it, weather permitting.  Please make sure your child brings a hat and sunscreen to school.

Monday, June 27th – Monday will be an Under the Sea theme day in SK.  Your child is invited to dress up as their favourite ocean animal or as if they are going to the beach (while still being school-appropriate, of course!).  We will have some special activities throughout the day as well as a special treat in the afternoon.

Tuesday, June 28th – We will be having a full school assembly in the morning, so we ask that you drop your child off at the Front Doors between 8:30 and 8:45 am.  We plan to have a snack picnic with JK, weather permitting, and a few other special activities for our last day together.  Dismissal on Tuesday is at 12:00 pm.

If your child’s last day of school is going to be any day other than June 28th, please let me know as soon as possible.  We have a lot to send home, so knowing in advance will be quite helpful and will save you a trip to school during the summer!

Lastly, on behalf of the SK team, I want to thank all of you for the immense support you have provided to both your children and to us, the morahs, through this wonderful Kindergarten year. It has meant so much to us to watch your children learn and grow through our time together. Thank you for sharing them with us!!

Have a fabulous summer!

Morah Andréa

Posted in Kindergarten, Reminders

OJCS Maccabiah Games this Friday!!

Posted on by Andréa Black
We’re so excited that we’re back to enjoying Maccabiah together and in person! This exciting day is on Friday, JUNE 10th, and is going to be a great day of teamwork, friendship, and sportsmanship.
One of the components of Maccabiah is fundraising – where our students reach out to family members and friends to ask them to support their team! This year we’re hoping that each family (not student) can raise $100 – which goes directly to support OJCS scholarships. As a special incentive, the CLASS that raises the most will win a special FREAKY FRIDAY on June 17! Popsicles? A third recess? PJ day? Movie day? A dance party? It’ll be up to them! We hope the kids will call aunts/uncles/grandparents and others who may want to support their efforts to not only support our school, but to help them win that exciting Freaky Friday prize.
The Maccabiah theme is year is Movies and SK is on TEAM BLUE – Luca…. simply click on that link and share it with friends and family to collect donations in support of OJCS and to help our class win a Freaky Friday!!
Don’t forget to wear BLUE on Friday and get ready for an awesome, ruach-filled day!!!
Posted in Chagim, Kindergarten, Reminders, Shavuot

Shavuot Celebrations tomorrow!!

Posted on by Andréa Black

Just a reminder that we will be celebrating Shavuot tomorrow at school.  As such, we are asking that all students wear their white uniform shirts.

Also, tomorrow will be the last day that we are collecting non-perishable foods and other items for the Ottawa Kosher Food Bank, so please make sure to send in any donations you may have and a big thank you for those that have already.

Don’t forget, there is no school on Monday, June 6.  Chag sameach and have a wonderful long weekend!!

Posted in Kindergarten, Reminders

Tomorrow is Dress Down Day!!

Posted on by Andréa Black

Tomorrow, Friday, May 27th is Dress Down Day.  Grade 5 chose Team Seas as this month’s charity and this ocean-cleaning robot is definitely a worthy cause!! Don’t forget to bring a looonie or toonie for tzedakah tomorrow….

Also, we are still collecting non-perishable items for the Ottawa Kosher Food Bank until June 3rd in honour of Shavuot.  All items donated should have a visible, reliable hechsher (COR, MK, OU, etc) and please make sure to check the expiration date.  In particular, they are requesting donations of canned tuna or salmon, toilet paper, ketchup, mustard, boxes of tissues, paper towels, tomato paste, chickpeas, and brown rice, but all donations are appreciated!!

Posted in Chagim, Jewish Studies

!!אֵשׁ אֵשׁ מְדוּרָה, לָג בָּעֹמֶר הִנֵּה בָּא

Posted on by Andréa Black

Senior Kindergarten has been busy counting (b’Ivrit, of course!!) the Sephirat ha’Omer, or the 49 days between the second night of Pesach and Shavuot. Today, we marked Lag Ba’Omer, the 33rd day, where it is traditional to go on hikes, have picnics and bonfires, and other celebrations.

While we intended to have a special picnic outside, we did not let the rainy weather stop our Ruach!! Along with Junior Kindergarten, we enjoyed a version of pareve “s’mores” while listening to stories from the Torah this afternoon.  We have also talked about ways we can show Ahavat Yisrael, or love, kindness and respect for others, and of course we crafted bonfires in a variety of ways as we got ready for this chag.

 

Here is a song that we have enjoyed singing as we prepared for Lag Ba’Omer.  You may want to add it to your celebrations at home:

We will continue to count the days of the Omer until Shavuot, which is coming up in a few weeks!!  In honour of Shavuot, we are collecting non-perishable items for the Ottawa Kosher Food Bank until June 3rd.  It would be wonderful if you could send any donations between now and then to school!!  All items donated should have a visible, reliable hechsher (COR, MK, OU, etc) and please make sure to check the expiration date.  In particular, they are requesting donations of canned tuna or salmon, toilet paper, ketchup, mustard, boxes of tissues, paper towels, tomato paste, chickpeas, and brown rice, but all donations are appreciated!!

Just a reminder that there is no school on Monday, May 23rd for Victoria Day.  Wishing you all a Chag Sameach and a wonderful long weekend!!

Posted in Chagim, General Studies, Jewish Studies, Kindergarten

Mapping Out Our World….

Posted on by Andréa Black

Over the last little while, Senior Kindergarten has been exploring maps and how we use them to find our way around.  We have compared maps and globes, discovered how symbols can help us to read maps through a variety of in-class activities, and learned about the Cardinal Directions, North, East, South and West.  Many of you may remember using “Never Eat Shredded Wheat” to help recall the different directions, but the SK kids have an updated version, so make sure to ask them about it!!!  To culminate our learning, today they followed a map and directional clues to complete a Scavenger Hunt around the school.  They worked together to find and decipher the 8 clues and received a special sweet treat as their treasure at the end.  Way to go, SK!!

This week, we also celebrated Yom Ha’atzmaut or Israel’s Independence Day.

In Israel, people celebrate all over the country beginning in the evening with a special torch lighting, fireworks, and street parties.  The next day people get together for barbeques on the beach or in parks. Many people dress in blue and white (kachol ve’ lavan), the colours of the flag, and eat special foods like hummus, falafel, pita, kababs, watermelon, Bamba, and Israeli salad. There is folk dancing and lots of music, including special concerts.

Many people think that Israel is a desert, but although it is tiny, the country has many different parts and when you travel through it you see that Israel has everything from busy cities, to beaches, mountains, deserts, and lakes.  In connection with our maps unit, SK spent time collaboratively creating a ripped-paper mosaic map of Israel to show the different landscapes this beautiful country has to offer.

We had so much celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut with the whole school and participating in activities with Grade 1.  From making pita to beading bracelets, singing songs to eating cupcakes, SK loved every second!!

Wishing all of the SK moms a very Happy Mother’s Day on Sunday!!

Don’t forget that Monday, May 9th is Generations Day.  Your child should bring something to school that reminds them of their grandparents/special guest(s) for our special Generations Day Show & Tell!!

Posted in Kindergarten, Reminders

Dress Down Day tomorrow and Generations Day is coming!!!

Posted on by Andréa Black

Tomorrow (Friday, April 29th) is Dress Down Day for Breast Cancer Awareness…. Don’t forget to bring a loonie or toonie for tzedakah!!

Monday, May 9 is Generations Day at OJCS.  Many of your child’s guests have already registered, but anyone that has not can still do so by contacting Staci at events@theojcs.ca.

Our scheduled meet time is at 9:30 am that day.  Guests will be receiving more information soon.  We are asking each child to bring something to school that reminds them of their special guest(s); we will be asking our guests to do the same in order for everyone to participate in a special Generations Day Show & Tell.  Start discussing some ideas with your child as to what they might want to bring to share.  Please reach out to Morah Andréa if you have any questions!!

Posted in Chagim, Jewish Studies, Kindergarten, Passover

Chag Pesach Sameach

Posted on by Andréa Black

שִׂמְחָה רַבָּה, שִׂמְחָה רַבָּה
!אָבִיב הִגִּיעַ, פֶּסַח בָּהּ

SK has had so much fun getting ready for Pesach!! From learning songs and the Mah Nishtana to putting together their very own Haggadot, from reading so many stories and making Seder plates with Miss Tashi, we have been truly blown away by all they have learned about this chag!  This was so evident yesterday during our Model Seder and we hope you’ll see the same at home for the real ones.  Along with JK, we spent yesterday afternoon celebrating with plastic locusts, styrofoam-ball hail, stickers as boils, jumping like frogs, darkness, crossing the Red Sea, and more. Check out the photos below to catch a glimpse of the fun we had…..

Wishing you and your families a Chag Pesach Sameach and a lovely break! We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on April 25!