General Studies – Page 2 – OJCS KINDERGARTEN / GAN

Chefs, Doctors and Firefighters….. OH MY!!!

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Andréa Black

After last month’s Terry Fox Run led to discussions about real-life heroes and how we can help in our own community, KA & KB have been learning all about different kinds of community helpers over the past few weeks. From police officers to artists, from mail carriers to nurses, we have been talking and learning about all of the ways different people in our community help us every single day. We read books and sang songs, we made books, we crafted, we coloured, we matched, we sorted, and we dreamed about what we want to be when we grow up!! The highlight was of course our visit from the firefighters from Station 23, especially Firefighter Brad (aka Wesley’s dad), driving the truck. Check out the pictures below!!

This Friday, Oct. 27th, is Dress Down Day!! This month, we are collecting tzedakah in support of Magen David Adom. Don’t forget to bring your loonies and toonies!!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Friday, Oct. 27 – Dress Down Day/3:00 PM DISMISSAL begins

Tuesday, Oct. 31 – Photo Retake Day (please let me know if you would like your child to get a retake and have them wear a white collared shirt)

Thursday, Nov. 2 – NOON DISMISSAL and Goal Setting Conferences

Friday, Nov. 3 – NO SCHOOL for Goal Setting Conferences

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Leon in SK-A who turns 5 on October 26th!!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!!

General Studies, STEAM

Global Maker Day 2023

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Andréa Black

October 17, 2023 was #GlobalMakerDay and the Senior Kindergarten kids certainly rose to the challenge!!

We started by reading the story “Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!” by Candace Fleming, in which we met Mr. McGreely who always wanted a garden. When he finally planted one, he encountered 3 bunnies that, every night, ate all of his vegetables. No matter what he tried, he could not keep the bunnies out of his garden!! We stopped reading before the end and posed a challenge to the kids…. their mission was to construct something that would keep the bunnies out of their garden. Using all of the recycled materials that we’ve been collecting (thank you so much for everything you sent in!!!), each child completed the challenge and they were super proud of what they accomplished. The innovation and imagination in our classroom was astounding!!! Make sure to ask your child about their creation!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Friday, Oct. 27 – Dress Down Day/3:00 pm Dismissal begins

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!!

General Studies, Reminders, STEAM

We Need Your Recycled Goods!

Posted on October 12, 2023 by Andréa Black

SK families, we need your recycled goods!

We are collecting items for the OJCS Global Maker Day coming up on October 17th. We are looking for wine bottle corks, popsicle sticks, cereal/cracker boxes, toilet paper tubes, paint stir sticks, and plastic tubs/lids (think yogurt pots, sour cream tubs – clean please!)…. any items to help with our creativity.

Thank you for your help with this excited endeavour!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Tuesday, Oct. 17 – Global Maker Day

Friday, Oct. 27 – Dress Down Day/3:00 pm Dismissal begins

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Laz in SK-B who turns 5 on October 14th

and

to Liana in SK-B who turns 5 on October 18th!!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!!

Chagim, General Studies, Jewish Studies, Reminders

Chag Sukkot Sameach!!

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Andréa Black

This week in the Hebrew and Jewish Studies, the children focused on three themes: Colours, Autumn, and Sukkot. The entire week was dedicated to the colour orange, which is closely associated with Autumn, so they learned words like orange (katom), Autumn (stav), wind (ruach), clouds (ananim), and more.

To celebrate Sukkot, each class took a visit to the OJCS Sukkah, where they performed the traditional shaking of the Lulav with Dr. Mitzmacher, and on Thursday, they got to eat lunch in the Sukkah. For this occasion, the children prepared a delicious and nutritious orange snack made of carrots, clementines, and orange bell peppers. This activity included listening to instructions in Hebrew, practicing skills like peeling clementines, counting carrots in Hebrew, and cutting the bell peppers with plastic knives. Inside the Sukkah, in addition to the regular blessings for the meal, they recited the blessings of Borei Pri Ha’aetz and Borei Pri Ha’Adama.

The children also enthusiastically participated in the activities prepared for the entire school at Tuesday’s OJCS Sukkah Hop. They enjoyed a special story and activity with our librarian, Brigitte, a fun harvest-themed relay race and of course, the sweetest, stickiest, and most enjoyable activities was building an edible Sukkah.

We hope everyone had a Chag Sukkot Sameach, a joyful holiday! Check out the pictures from our Sukkot activities below….

WE NEED YOUR RECYCLED GOODS!

We are beginning to collect items for the OJCS Global Maker Day, on Tuesday, October 17th. We are looking for wine bottle corks, popsicle sticks, cereal/cracker boxes, toilet paper tubes, paint stir sticks, and plastic tubs/lids (think yogurt pots, sour cream tubs – clean please!) items to help with our creativity.

Thank you for your help with this excited endeavour!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Monday, Oct. 9 – Thanksgiving Day (NO SCHOOL)

Tuesday, Oct. 17 – Global Maker Day

Friday, Oct. 27 – Dress Down Day/3:00 pm Dismissal begins

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Belated wishes to Moishe in SK-B who turned 5 on October 3rd!!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!!

General Studies, Jewish Studies, Math, Reading, Reminders

Highlights of the Week in SK

Posted on September 22, 2023September 22, 2023 by Andréa Black

It’s been a wonderfully busy week in SK. Here are some highlights of the week and some important reminders of upcoming events…

Both classes had their first meetings with their Grade 5 Reading Buddies this week!! Each child is paired with one or two Grade 5 students and every few weeks, we will meet in the library to read together, get to know each other, and to participate in some fun, community-building activities. Be sure to ask your child to tell you about their new buddies!!

This week has been all about a favourite fall food, APPLES!!! SK has learned about the Life Cycle of an apple, participated in a variety of apple math activities and we even did an apple taste test, comparing how 3 different kinds of apples look, smell, and taste, and of course choosing which one was our favourites; then we put the results in a graph. The favourite in SK-A was Golden Delicious and the favourite in SK-B was Red Delicious. They have also been talking about les pommes en francais…. Madame Maryse will share more about that later.

Today, JK and SK participated in a special Tashlich ceremony in preparation for Yom Kippur. We gathered in the front yard, read the story “Tashlich at Turtle Rock”, and then each child drew a picture of something they wanted to throw away from this past year. Then they balled up their drawings and threw them into the water to enter the New Year with a clean slate. Thank you to Morah Susan and Morah Jaqui for organizing this meaningful activity.

In case you missed it, the video of our SK Back to School Night presentation and the slideshow are now uploaded to the “Back to School Night Videos” tab at the top of the Blog’s main page (and linked here for easy access now)…. Apologies that Morah Jaqui’s section is not in the video, but you can review the slides provided and send any questions you may have her way. Thanks to everyone who was able to join us. Once again, if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to any of us!!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Monday, Sept. 25 – Yom Kippur (NO SCHOOL)

Tuesday, Sept. 26 – OJCS Terry Fox Run

Friday, Sept. 29 – Orange Shirt (Dress Down) Day

Shabbat Shalom and G’mar Chatima Tovah!

General Studies, Jewish Studies, Math, Reading

SK Summer Review

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Andréa Black

You thought you were done hearing from me, didn’t you?? Here’s one last post before I sign off for the summer…

When you receive your child’s report card, you may notice some suggestions and next steps to ensure your child is prepared for the start of Grade 1 in September. I’ve collected some ideas and resources that you and your child can access through the summer to avoid the “summer slide”. All of these are absolutely optional, but they are here should you wish to use them.

My Summer Workbook – a collection of review worksheets for rainy days.

LITERACY

OJCS Summer Reading Challenge

Brigitte, our wonderful librarian, has created this amazing reading challenge that even SKs can participate in with their families. Please review the document below for all of the information about which books to read and how to win your prize in September.

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Clear the Board – Summer Edition: Uses this fun bingo board to read in a variety of ways throughout the summer.

Teach Your Monster to Read This app is available for purchase on the App store ($6.99), and you can also download a desktop version that is free, though there may be some differences in the program. We used this app in class and the kids absolutely love it!! It covers everything from letters and their sounds to reading full sentences and short stories.

Kids Learn! Sight Words This app is designed for iPads and is available for free on the App store, though there are additions available for purchase. It combines fluency, vocabulary, spelling, and comprehension practice with entertaining, engaging graphics in a fun learning format.

Spelling Games for Kids This app is designed for iPads or iPhones and is available for free in the App store. It helps to hone your child’s spelling skills through a variety of games that feature over 900 words.

MATH

IXL – You can go back to this blog post in case your child has not already been accessing IXL at home. They can continue working through the Teacher Suggested Skills or they can access the Diagnostic Arena to tailor activities to their skill level. As a reminder, here is how to login:

https://ca.ixl.com/signin/ojcs

Username: [firstnamelastname] – all lowercase, no spaces (ie. andreablack)

Password: math123

MathGames.com – This site has a lot of free options without having to sign up (though that could be an option as well) that can be divided up by grade level or by skills.

Check out Mrs. Cleveland’s amazing Mindful Math Resource page for more ideas and activities (please double-check the grade level as this page includes resources for K-8).

SCIENCE

20 Outdoor Science Experiments – Turn your backyard into a Science lab with some of these ideas.

After building bird’s nests with Let’s Talk Science, there may be some budding ornithologists out there…. Your child can document the different birds they find in this printable Bird Book.

Find and draw all of the beautiful plants you find this summer in this Plant Observation Journal.

HEBREW

My Jewish Games.com has some fun free games to practice vocabulary.

Here is a Padlet that has a variety of Hebrew stories that kids can listen to and if you can read Hebrew, there are some activity suggestions under each story as well.

Practice Hebrew vocabulary and listen/watch short stories found at this Learning Channel for Kids playlist.

HAVE THE BEST SUMMER AND HAPPY REVIEWING!!!

General Studies, Math, Reminders

SK Measures Up!

Posted on June 21, 2023June 21, 2023 by Andréa Black

Over the last few weeks, SK students have been busy investigating and exploring the concept of measurement!! We started by using non-standard units of measurement to measure and compare the length, height, and width of different objects found around our classroom. We even had a special Measurement Hunt where the kids chose different objects around the room to measure with their chosen unit of measurement (cubes, legos, paperclips, shoes, etc.) and then they documented their findings in a chart. We also had the opportunity to try measuring with rulers and many students were able to find the measurements quite accurately!! We also explored others types of measurement such as weight, capacity and temperature; through sensory and hands-on experiments, the kids compared a variety of objects and determined if they were heavy or light, empty or full, hot or cold, and so on. Check out the photos below….

This Friday, June 23rd is our last Dress Down Day of the year! We will be following the JKs lead and collecting tzedakah for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. Don’t forget your loonies and toonies!! That afternoon, we will be joining the whole school to watch the Grade 8s vs Staff Baseball Game. Please ensure that your child has a hat and is dressed appropriately for the weather as we will spending a good part of the afternoon outside!

Next Tuesday, June 27th, by popular request, SK will be having a special Pyjama Day to celebrate the end of our year together. The kids can come to school in their summer cozies, bring their stuffies, and we will have a special treat!!

As we wrap up our year in SK, we will be sending home the kids’ work and other things at school between now and next Wednesday. If you know that your child will be ending the year a few days early, please let us know so that we can ensure that everything gets where it needs to go!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Friday, June 23 – Dress Down Day for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation

Tuesday, June 27 – SK Pyjama Day

Wednesday, June 28 – Last Day of School (NOON DISMISSAL)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Jacob K who turns 6 on June 21st

and to Morah Dawn who celebrates on June 29th!!

General Studies, STEAM

Let’s Talk Science…. Nifty Nests!

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Andréa Black

This morning, Senior Kindergarten participated in our final Let’s Talk Science lab of the year. This time, Farah and Madalina, students from the University of Ottawa, introduced the topic of nests to the kids and we were astounded by their ideas and observations as they discussed what kinds of animals build nests and what materials they use to build them. Then we played a Guess the Nest game and even though some of the questions were really tricky, these super-smart kids got most of them right!! To wrap-up our learning, the kids were tasked with building their own bird’s nest out of the materials they were provided, but with the extra challenge of using a clothespin (to simulate a bird’s beak) instead of their hands. Check out some pictures of the process:

You may have some blossoming birdwatchers on your hands now as Farah and Madalina challenged the kids to look for birds’ nests around their neighbourhoods or to build an outdoor next and see if any creatures make it their home….. If your child finds or builds any nests, please share the photos in the comments!!

I want to send a huge thank you to Farah and Madalina for all of the amazing sessions this year and for inspiring our little scientists!!

Chagim, General Studies, Jewish Studies, Reminders

Mapping Out Our World….

Posted on May 9, 2023May 9, 2023 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!!! They have also been discovering our place in the world, from the city we live in to our province, country and continent and exploring different kinds of houses around the world as well as their own homes. Last Friday, they put their practice to use as 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!!

Today, we marked Lag Ba’Omer, the 33rd day between Pesach and Shavuot, where it is traditional to go on hikes, have picnics and bonfires, and other celebrations. Along with Junior Kindergarten, this morning we enjoyed a special picnic outside with our own version of pareve “s’mores” while listening to a Lag Ba’Omer story and having a singalong with Moreh Saar on guitar. We have also been talking this week about ways we can show Ahavat Yisrael, or love, kindness and respect for others.

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 May 25th. 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. Check out the poster below to see what items are needed most, but any and all donations are appreciated!!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Monday, May 15 – OJCS Generations Day (please ask guests who will be joining virtually to make sure they have some paper, pencils and markers ready on Monday morning)

Friday, May 19 – Dress Down Day supporting The Cure

Monday, May 22 – Victoria Day (NO SCHOOL)

Friday, May 26 – Shavuot (NO SCHOOL)

General Studies, Reminders, STEAM

Innovation Day is almost here!!!

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Andréa Black

This year’s INNOVATION DAY is less than 2 days away!! It is a day to celebrate STEAM here at OJCS, so make sure to join us on Thursday, March 30th at 8:45 am to see what SK has been busy exploring and learning.…. while the poster below says the day begins at 9:00 am, we are shifting slightly to not overly affect the SK’s schedule and so that anyone with older students has time to visit those classes as well.

Please bring your child to the school’s front door for drop-off (as you would on a rainy day) as close to 8:30 as possible and we ask that you wait outside the school as your child gets settled for the day. Once the 8:45 bell rings, you are welcome to make your way to our classroom and your child will show you their individual experiments as well as the ones we did as a class and fill you in on their learning. We will wrap up with a quick song before we send you on your way (which should be no later than 9:15).

We kindly ask that you limit visitors to no more than 2 people per child as space is limited in our classroom.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Friday, Mar. 31 – Dress Down Day: don’t forget to send in donations for the Ottawa Kosher Food Bank!

Tuesday, April 4 – JK/SK Seder (sorry this event is for the kiddos only, but we will send more info soon!)

Wednesday, April 5 – Friday, April 14 – Passover Break (NO SCHOOL)

Monday, April 17 – Return to School