Reminders – OJCS KINDERGARTEN / GAN

SK Measures Up!

Posted on June 18, 2026June 18, 2026 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…

We also had our last meeting with our Reading Buddies earlier this month. Thank you to our friends in Grade 4 for reading with us, being wonderful role models, and giving the SK kids something they truly looked forward to every month.

Tomorrow, Friday, June 19th is our last Dress Down Day of the year! We will be collecting tzedakah for the Ottawa Kosher Food Bank. Don’t forget your loonies and toonies!!

Next Wednesday, June 24th, is our last day of SK. After an all-school assembly, we will be having a special party to wrap up our year together. Drop-off on Wednesday morning will be at the school’s front door between 8:30 and 8:45, regardless of the weather, as the assembly starts at 9:00 am. Pick-up is at 12:00 pm at the front of the school.

As we wrap up our year together in SK, we will be sending home the kids’ work and other things at school between now and next Wednesday. Please check their backpacks daily!! 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 19 – Dress Down Day for the Ottawa Kosher Food Bank

Tuesday, June 23 – BBQ Hot Lunch (for those who ordered)

Wednesday, June 24 – Last Day of School (NOON DISMISSAL)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Yuval who turned 6 on May 17th

and to Annabelle who turns 6 on June 20th!!

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns!!

General Studies, Reminders, STEAM

SK Is Out of This World!

Posted on May 1, 2026 by Andréa Black

Our SK students blasted off into an exciting Space unit, inspired by our visit to the Planetarium right in our school gym! We began by imagining what it’s like to be astronauts traveling to the Moon, then explored how craters are formed through a hands-on experiment… check out the video to see what we discovered!

Along the way, we created gravity-inspired art, learned about the Sun and each planet in our solar system, and built our own sun, moon, and planets using papier mâché. Students proudly shared their learning through mini presentations as seen in the next video!

We wrapped up the unit by exploring stars and constellations, designing their own with marshmallows and toothpicks. With songs, stories, games, and lots of imagination, it was truly an out-of-this-world experience!

Here are our favourite space songs:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Tuesday, May 5 – Lag Ba’Omer

Monday, May 11 – Generations Day

Monday, May 18 – Victoria Day (NO SCHOOL)

Wednesday, May 20 – Field Trip to Canada’s Agriculture and Food Museum

Thursday, May 21 – 2026 Maccabiah

Friday, May 22 – Shavuot (NO SCHOOL)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Saul who turned 6 on April 29th!!

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns!!

General Studies, Math, Reminders

Practicing Patterns!

Posted on March 27, 2026 by Andréa Black

For the past couple of weeks, SK has been exploring patterns. In fact, we’ve have been so busy practicing finding the core of a pattern as well as copying, creating and extending patterns using different materials and manipulatives, that I didn’t manage to get any pictures ;( But you can check out your child’s Pattern Book that was sent home today and ask them to tell you what each pattern is and have them identify different pattern rules (AB, ABC, AAB, etc.) in the world around them. We also did a Pattern Scavenger Hunt, so you may want to encourage your child to find as many patterns as they can at your house or as you are out and about!

Here are some fun pattern videos that the kids enjoyed:

Patterns! Mini Math Movie

The Pattern Practice Song

Banana Banana Meatball

Meow Moo Moo

SK also explored another kinds of pattern, this time with counting! Students were introduced to skip counting by 10s, 5s, and 2s as a way to recognize number patterns and develop more efficient counting strategies. While this concept was new for many, it provided a meaningful challenge as students worked to move beyond counting by ones and begin “shortcut counting.” Through hands-on activities, movement, and repetition, students practiced identifying and continuing these patterns, building both confidence and number sense along the way. To support learning in a fun and engaging way, we also incorporated a variety of interactive videos (provided below), which helped reinforce these concepts through music, visuals, and movement.

Scratch Garden – Counting by 10s

Number Rock – Skip Counting by 10

Scratch Garden – Counting by 5s

Number Rock – Skip Counting by 5

Scratch Garden – Counting by 2s

The Ants Go Marching 2 by 2

COOL COUNTING! (Skip-counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s)

They also practiced patterning and skip-counting on IXL which they can continue to do at home! Once your child is logged in, click on the Teacher Recommendations tab to find the various activities that have been assigned.

SPRING is here – YAY! … but also… this time of year is very tricky as we have puddles, mud, wet grass, wind, sun, and sometimes rain or snow… This means we need the SK kids to have appropriate gear in order to enjoy their time outside.

We ask that you please send your child to school wearing either snow or splash pants, depending on the forecast, and appropriate boots as we will be trying to get outside as much as possible! Even if it is not raining, the playground will likely be wet. This will help us avoid multiple clothing changes throughout the day. We will be sending your child’s spare clothes bag home after the break to update for the warmer weather.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Mar. 16-31 – Rosh Chodesh Nissan Book Drive

Sunday, Mar. 29 – Hot Lunch Order deadline

Tuesday, Mar. 31 – SK Model Seder (please send all required elements to school; students are welcome to dress up, but please send a change of clothes to school; refer to Morah Susan’s email for more details)

Wednesday, Apr. 1 – Friday, Apr. 10 (inclusive) – Passover Break (NO SCHOOL)

Monday, Apr. 13 – School Resumes

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Noah who turned 6 on March 8th

to Daniel who turned 6 on March 13th

to Ray who turned 6 on March 17th

and to Morah Susan who celebrated on March 18th!!

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns!!

General Studies, Math, Reminders, Special Events

SK celebrates 100 Day!!

Posted on February 27, 2026 by Andréa Black

Yesterday was the 100th day of school (well technically it was Day 101, but we were busy tubing on Wednesday) and SK spent the day celebrating in many different ways!! We started by reading a story called “William’s 100th Day of School” and then we did a special 100 Day workout – we warmed up by running on the spot for 100 seconds and then did 10 different exercises 10 times each…. Phew!! It was a great way to work out our bodies and our minds, never mind that it helped us practice counting by 10s! We spent the afternoon counting, measuring and comparing 100 different objects. Did you know that 100 marbles are heavier than 100 cotton balls? Or that 100 chain links are longer than 100 unifix cubes? SK does!! We ended our day with a 100 Day parade, counting 100 steps around the hallways and showing off our 100 Day crowns. What a day!! Check out the pictures below from our celebrations….

Another reminder that next week is Ruach Week at OJCS!! Check out each day’s theme below….

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Monday, Mar. 2-Friday, Mar. 6 – Ruach (Spirit) Week

Tuesday, Mar. 3 – Purim

Friday, Mar. 6 – 3:00 pm Dismissal

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns!!

General Studies, Reminders, STEAM

Snow and the 3 States of Matter

Posted on January 22, 2026 by Andréa Black

It’s been a whirlwind since our return from the Winter Break in SK. We started the new year talking a lot about snow and snowmen (snowpeople?), reading and sequencing stories, and crafting as well. This led to discussions about how snow is really frozen water and these discussions led to our exploring and inquiring, observing and experimenting with the States of Matter. We listed different examples of each state and learned their properties through activities and songs; the kids used their hands and senses to make and play with Oobleck, which has properties of both a solid and a liquid; we did crafts that mixed solids (crayons and salt) and liquids (liquid watercolours) to see how they would interact; we experimented with mixing more solids and liquids to create gases and documented our observations; we even brought snow inside our classroom and then watched to see how water can actually shift from one state of matter to another (snow, water, water vapour) and made a snow volcano. Below are some of the videos and songs we watched in class to enhance our learning and some pictures as well… make sure to ask your child what they observed and learned in Science over the past few weeks!!

Move Like Matter Dance:

Matter Chatter Song:

3 States of Matter Song:

DRESS DOWN DAY IS TOMORROW!!

SAVE THE DATE FOR INNOVATION DAY

Wednesday, February 11th is Innovation Day at OJCS. The kids in SK will be busy exploring and experimenting in preparation and you are invited to come and find out what they’ve been working on and learning about between 9:00 and 9:45 am that morning. Stay tuned for more information and drop-off details coming soon. If you are unable to attend, please let us know so we can plan for your child accordingly.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Friday, Jan. 23 – Dress Down Day for CHEO

Friday, Jan. 23 – 2:00 pm Dismissal

Thursday, Jan. 29 – NOON DISMISSAL for P/T Conferences

Friday, Jan. 30 – NO SCHOOL for P/T Conferences

Fridays (starting on February 6) – 3:00 pm Dismissal

Wednesday, Feb. 11 – Innovation Day (SK class visit from 9:00-9:45 am)

Thursday, Feb. 12 – Field Trip to Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Friday Feb. 13 – PD Day (NO SCHOOL)

Monday, Feb. 16-Friday, Feb. 20 (inclusive) – Reading Week (NO SCHOOL)

Wednesday, Feb. 25 – Winter Fun Day (Field Trip to Domaine de l’Ange-Gardien) **please ensure that you submit BOTH the online permission form and the hard-copy waiver that was sent home**

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns!!

At Home, General Studies, Reading, Reminders

Introducing Amplify/Boost Reading!

Posted on December 1, 2025 by Andréa Black

Over the past few years, we introduced a new reading program at the OJCS and the kids in SK have begun to explore it… It’s called Amplify Reading (or Boost as they know it) and we thought we’d share some important information (thanks to Mrs. Reichstein and Mrs. Thompson for the summary!) about how we are using it at school and how you can use it at home as well…

What is Amplify Reading?

Amplify is the reading platform (the umbrella company) that the OJCS purchased to enhance our current reading programs. We bought two programs for our school through Amplify, each explained below.

1. mClass – DIBELS 8 Assessment

2. Boost Reading

Why did we choose Amplify?

It is the platform that most closely aligns with the evidence-based body of research referred to as the ‘Science of Reading’. The Science of Reading research shows the need for students to have word recognition skills (such as phonemic awareness, decoding skills through phonics, and reading fluency) and language comprehension (including knowledge of vocabulary, morphology, and syntax) in order to read and comprehend text. It also very closely aligns with UFLI, the explicit scope and sequence lessons that we are using in our SK class to learn how to read.

1. mClass is the system that allows us to run the DIBELS 8 Assessment with all of our students in Grades K-3.

What is DIBELS?

DIBELS ® (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) is a set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of literacy skills. They are designed to be short (one minute) fluency measures that can be used to regularly detect risk and monitor the development of early literacy and early reading skills. In SK, the DIBELS 8 assesses different skills such as, Phonemic Awareness, Sound Isolation, Decoding, and Word Reading. These results help us identify who is below, at, or above grade level in each skill and then target instruction (i.e. with small groups, resource support, etc.) accordingly. This is an assessment that is completed in class with the teacher, at least 3 times throughout the year, and it should also be noted that the DIBELS assessments are all timed tasks.

2. Boost Reading is the reading program licence we purchased for our students K-5. Boost Reading is a literacy acceleration and remediation program that uses adaptive technology to deliver personalized learning instruction for K–5 students. The engaging world of Boost Reading adapts to each unique reader. Boost Reading was authored with experts in literacy, cognitive science, learning, and instruction. It builds on well-established principles of effective instructional design and delivery, as well as new and cutting-edge research on how students learn to read. We have just introduced it at school and the kids will have access to it at least once a week in class.

Can my child use this program at home?

Yes, please!!! We will be sending a handout with your child’s log-in information home (in their Note Tote as well as in an email) today!! You can use either the username and password provided or the QR code (the latter is a bit easier for the kids to navigate themselves!). Get your child set up to use Boost Reading at home by making sure they have a set of headphones and a quiet place to play. Boost Reading is personalized to your child’s needs, so you don’t need to and you should NOT assist them with their learning. Once they log in, they’re ready to start using the program. Some students will begin with a placement activity that helps the program match them to the best content. To ensure the most accurate placement, it’s important that students complete each activity independently. It’s always helpful to encourage your student/child to have fun and do their best!

What will I see as a parent on progress/report cards?

For K-5 students, as you saw on the progress reports and will see on their report cards, teachers will share how a student is performing in various strands related to reading, including letter names and sounds, decoding and fluency. With data from the DIBELS assessment, the report cards will indicate whether the student is performing above grade, at grade or below grade level in each specific skill assessed. They will also share next steps to target skills that are still developing.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for an updated progress check-in to see how your child has been doing from when we met for conferences in early November to their latest assessment check. Any questions?? Please feel free to reach out to Morah Andréa.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Fridays (from now until February) – 2:00 pm Dismissal

Tuesday, Dec. 2-Thursday, Dec. 4 – OJCS BOOK FAIR (SK will be visiting as a class on Thursday, Dec. 5; please refer to the email sent for instructions)

Friday, Dec. 5 – Kabbalat Shabbat with Ganon Preschool at the JCC

Monday, Dec. 8 – Gesher-Chai Israeli Student-Teacher Lesson

Tuesday, Dec. 9 – Friendship Call with Israeli students

Tuesday, Dec. 16 – OJCS Family Chanukah Celebration at 6:00 pm

Art, Chagim, General Studies, Jewish Studies, Reminders, Special Events

Two Days to Help Us Be Kinder and Stronger

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Andréa Black

Yesterday, OJCS students participated in Orange Shirt Day in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We recognize that this can be a sensitive topic for young children, so we thought we’d let you know how we dealt with this topic in SK. To explain why we are wearing orange shirts, we talked briefly on Monday about how when Phyllis Webstad was a little girl, she had a new orange shirt that was very important to her, but when she went to a new school they took her shirt away and that made her feel like she didn’t matter. We also talked about how every child matters even though we are all different and like different things and we learned the song “Every Child Matters, An Orange Shirt Song for Young Learners” which reinforces that message. Each child added their touch to a class Orange Shirt mural which we put on display outside of our class. Our activities on September 30 were all about honouring and celebrating Indigenous culture & art… The SK students loved reading Tanna’s Owl by Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley (which is based on her own childhood memories of growing up in the Arctic) and then creating their very own Ukpik (the Inuktitut word for snowy owl) inspired by both the story and the artwork of Inuk artist Kenojuak Ashevak. The children were excited to see how each owl looked unique! We also had so much fun moving, clapping, and trying out different traditional Indigenous dances we learned from this CBC Kids video.

SK has been getting ready for the new year ahead and Yom Kippur by learning about apologizing, doing a lot of thoughtful reflection, and using our words. We read the book The Hardest Word by Jacqueline Jules and found out that saying sorry is a hard thing to do but it is also the right thing to do! We learned that saying sorry is not just about using the word “sorry” – it’s about taking ownership and saying “I am sorry”, letting the other person know what you are sorry for, asking them how you can help make it better, and thinking about what you can do in the future instead.

We also talked about Yom Kippur being a chance to get rid of the negative not-so-good things from the past year by reading Tashlich at Turtle Rock by Susan Schnur and Anna Schnur-Fishman. Just like the family in the book, our SK family had our very own Tashlich ceremony. Instead of using little pieces of bread to symbolize what we are “throwing away”, we took great big deep breaths and blew up some balloons. When we were ready, we let go of the balloons, watched them zoom around the classroom, and said goodbye to the things we let go of. The balloons are in your child’s note tote, for you to discuss further and repeat this activity at home.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Thursday, Oct. 2 – NO SCHOOL for Yom Kippur

Tuesday, Oct. 7 & Wednesday, Oct. 8 – NO SCHOOL for Sukkot

Monday, Oct. 13 – NO SCHOOL for Thanksgiving

Tuesday, Oct. 14 & Wednesday, Oct. 15 – NO SCHOOL for Simchat Torah

Francais, General Studies, Jewish Studies, Math, Reminders, Special Events

All the Fall Things… Apples & Terry Fox

Posted on September 26, 2025 by Andréa Black

Over the last week and a bit, we have been talking 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 favourite; then we put the results in a graph. The favourite in SK was Golden Delicious. With Morah Susan, the kids did an exploration of apple seeds, making predictions about how many and comparing the amount of seeds in each type of apple they tasted. They have also been talking about les pommes en francais and tapuchim in Hebrew and learning about these important Rosh Hashanah symbols.

The SK kids have spent the last few days learning all about Terry Fox and why he is a Canadian hero. We have read books, watched videos, compared superheroes and real-life heroes, and learned why Terry wanted to run across Canada. Today, we participated in the OJCS Terry Fox Run!! Thankfully, the weather cooperated and, just like Terry, they took it one step at a time, they didn’t give up, and they ran for as long as they could!! Kol ha’kavod!!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Tuesday, Sept. 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day – students are welcome to wear orange shirts or their uniform shirts.

Wednesday, Oct. 1 – NOON DISMISSAL for Yom Kippur

Thursday, Oct. 2 – NO SCHOOL for Yom Kippur

Tuesday, Oct. 7 & Wednesday, Oct. 8 – NO SCHOOL for Sukkot

Click on this link to order your Orange shirt before Sunday at noon!

Art, General Studies, Reminders, Special Events

SK is Making Their Mark!

Posted on September 19, 2025 by Andréa Black

On Monday, September 15th, 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, 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 spent some time with Grade 1 in the afternoon creating collaborative 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…. Click the link to watch the video and do the actions at home.

Through the rest of the week, SK continued to be inspired by other books by Peter H. Reynolds. We read “Sky Colour”, a story about a girl who loves art but gets stuck when she is missing the “right” colour to paint the sky. She discovers that the sky can be many different colours, both in the real world and in her imagination. The kids used their imaginations to create their own unique watercolour skies and self-portraits of them flying. Self-expression and creativity has certainly been flowing in SK!!

We had an amazing time visiting Mountain Orchards with Grade 1 and 2 this week and it has inspired apple-themed learning across different subjects and languages… more details to come soon!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Monday, Sept. 22 – OJCS Terry Fox Run (students are invited to wear their Terry Fox shirts and athletic wear)

Monday, Sept. 22 – NOON DISMISSAL for Rosh Hashanah

Tuesday, Sept. 23 & Wednesday, Sept. 24 – NO SCHOOL for Rosh Hashanah

Friday, Sept. 26 – Dress Down Day for the Terry Fox Foundation(no uniforms required; send in your loonies and toonies for Terry!)

Tuesday, Sept. 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (students are welcome to wear orange shirts or their uniform shirts)

Wednesday, Oct. 1 – NOON DISMISSAL for Yom Kippur

Thursday, Oct. 2 – NO SCHOOL for Yom Kippur

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Kal who turns 5 on September 21st!!

The SK team wishes all of our students and families a Shana Tova! May the new year be filled with sweetness, joy, and wonderful learning together.

General Studies, Reminders

Welcome to the SK Blog!!

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Andréa Black

Welcome parents and friends to the Senior Kindergarten Blog!!!

Moving forward, this will be your main source of communication from us at school. It is on this page that we will post important information, special events and dates, updates on what is happening in the classroom and of course, pictures!!!

It is hard to believe that we have nearly finished two weeks at school!! Between all of the fun activities in our class and getting to know each other and our new environment, time certainly has flown by!! One of the highlights from earlier this week was when the Magic Finger (or Pepper Germs) experiment. After sprinkling pepper (germs) over some water in a shallow dish, we investigated what happened to the pepper when we dabbed it first with our finger and then what happened when we put a little bit of soap on our finger…. the results were indeed like magic, so make sure to ask your child all about it!!

We also spent some time learning how to properly wash our hands to make sure we are keeping the germs away…. we even did a special experiment with Glo-Germ Gel and a black light to see if they were scrubbing hard enough!! The kids got to see for themselves how proper hand-washing can make germs disappear and now they are all Germ Busting Super-Soapers (say that 5 times fast)!