STEAM – OJCS KINDERGARTEN / GAN

General Studies, Reminders, Special Events, STEAM

SK’s Been Getting Ready for the Solar Eclipse!

Posted on April 8, 2024 by Andréa Black

The students in SK are so excited about this afternoon’s solar eclipse!! We have spent the last few days learning about why it happens, experimenting and exploring to understand further, and even crafting their own eclipse pictures and models. We’ve read stories and watched videos to learn as much we could!!

Here are some of the stories and videos we have watched in case your child wants to see them again:

Someone is Eating the Sun by Ruth A. Sonneborn

Total Solar Eclipse: A Stellar Friendship Story by Jayme Sandberg

A Few Beautiful Minutes: Experiencing a Solar Eclipse by Kate Allen Fox

The Great North American Solar Eclipse for Kids

Solar Eclipse for Kids – Socratica Kids

Along with the kids’ creations, we have sent home a Solar Eclipse Memory page for you to fill out at home as a record of this special event. It is linked here in case you want to print at home.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Monday, April 8 – NOON DISMISSAL (Solar Eclipse)

Friday, April 19 – Dress Down Day

Monday, April 22 – Tuesday, April 30 – Pesach Holidays (NO SCHOOL)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Layla in SK-A who turned 6 on March 30th

and to Jacob in SK-A who turns 6 on April 10th!!

General Studies, Reminders, Special Events, STEAM

Innovation Day & Important Reminders

Posted on March 22, 2024March 22, 2024 by Andréa Black

Thank you so much to everyone who was able to join us for Innovation Day in KA and KB on Wednesday!! The students worked so hard to create their flying machines and to learn about the 4 forces of flight. They were so proud to share what they had learned and created with you. You can watch and listen to the “What Makes Airplanes Fly?” song here and check out the pictures of the process of creating and testing their bamboo helicopters, hovercrafts, and hoop gliders below…

Yesterday, JK and SK gathered together, just like the older students at OJCS, to join the worldwide Kriyat Shema and to wish for peace for Israel and the whole world. It was so heartwarming to hear their sweet voices singing with pride!

Just a reminder that OJCS Ruach Week starts on Monday!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Monday, March 25th – PURIM CARNIVAL – Wear whatever costume you want!!

Tuesday, March 26th – TACKY TUESDAY

Wednesday, March 27th – WILD WEST WEDNESDAY

Thursday, March 28th – PYJAMA (and Dress Down) DAY

Friday, March 29 – NO SCHOOL (Good Friday)

Monday, April 8 – NOON DISMISSAL (Solar Eclipse)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Frankie in SK-A who turned 6 on March 20th

and to Mika in SK-B who turned 6 on March 21st!!

Today is a bittersweet day as it is Ivri’s last day at the OJCS. We will miss him and are sad to see him go, but we wish Ivri, Be’eri, Batel and Yehonatan the very best as they begin a new chapter in Boston and we hope that they will come visit whenever they come back to Ottawa!

Chag Purim Sameach!!

Chagim, Reminders, Special Events, STEAM

Innovation Day, Purim & Ruach Week….. Oh My!!!

Posted on March 14, 2024 by Andréa Black

There are so many special events coming up in the next two weeks at the OJCS…. Here’s what you need to know!!

Wednesday, March 20th is Innovation Day… The kids in SK have been busy creating, building, and engineering in preparation for your visit. Come and find out what they’ve been working on between 9:00 and 9:45. We will all meet together in KB’s class (room 128) and then we’ll split off into each classroom.

Purim is coming up so soon and we have a few special things happening to celebrate…. On Friday, March 22nd, we will end our day together listening to Rabbi Scher tell the story of Esther and Mordechai as he reads the Megillah. Then on Monday, March 25th, we’re kicking off Ruach Week with the OJCS Purim Carnival!! This is where we need your help… Are you looking to purge some unwanted and/or gently-used toys from your house? We are looking for prizes for the Carnival, so please send any donations to school by the end of next week.

March 25th-28th is Ruach (Spirit) Week at OJCS!! We wanted to ensure that you and your child have lots of time to prepare, so please see the breakdown below for each day’s theme…. We can’t wait to see all of the creative costumes!!

Monday, March 25th – PURIM CARNIVAL – Wear whatever costume you want!!

Tuesday, March 26th – TACKY TUESDAY

Wednesday, March 27th – WILD WEST WEDNESDAY

Thursday, March 28th – PYJAMA (and Dress Down) DAY

Friday, March 29th – NO SCHOOL

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!!

General Studies, STEAM

Tu B’Shevat-inspired Science… Phase 2

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Andréa Black

In case you have not been hearing about the progress of our little bean plants at home, here’s an update on our progress so far… After SK germinated their beans, we began to notice some changes over the last week. At first, the beans cracked open and then the roots began to pop out and grow longer. Over the past week, the kids have been drawing their observations as the plants have changed and we have been learning about the different parts of a plant. Today was planting day!!! Each child took their rooting beans and transferred them into soil… Now we are going to watch and wait to see if they sprout and grow stems, leaves and maybe even flowers!! Stay tuned for the results…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Neta in SK-B who turns 6 on February 5th!!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

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

Thursday, Feb. 1 – NOON DISMISSAL for P/T Conferences

Friday, Feb. 2 – NO SCHOOL for P/T Conferences

Thursday, Feb. 15 – Winter Fun Day

Friday, Feb. 16 – PD Day – NO SCHOOL

Monday, Feb. 19 – Friday, Feb. 23 – NO SCHOOL for Family Day an

General Studies, STEAM

A little Tu B’Shevat-inspired Science…

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Andréa Black

As the SK students are learning about Tu B’Shevat in Jewish studies, we took this cross-curricular opportunity and we’ve been talking about how trees and plants grow in Science. Today, the kids began a seed germination experiment that will allow them to observe what happens to the seeds they “planted” over the period of a week or two and, if the experiment works, what will happen when we transfer the seedlings to soil…. Check out the photos below of the beginning of our experiment and stay tuned for the results in an upcoming blog post….

This, Friday, January 26th, is Dress Down Day. We will be collecting tzedakah in support of JNF. Don’t forget to bring your loonies and toonies!!

As part of their Rabbi Bulka Kindness Project, the Grade 6 students have been making bracelets and will be selling them to raise money for the Magen David Adom. Each bracelet will be sold for $5. Bracelets will be sold during the first and second recesses outside of the chapel.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Tamara in SK-B who turned 6 on January 17th!!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

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

Friday, Jan. 26 – Dress Down Day

Thursday, Feb. 1 – NOON DISMISSAL for P/T Conferences

Friday, Feb. 2 – NO SCHOOL for P/T Conferences

Thursday, Feb. 15 – Winter Fun Day

Friday, Feb. 16 – PD Day – NO SCHOOL

Monday, Feb. 19 – Friday, Feb. 23 – NO SCHOOL for Family Day and Reading Week

Chagim, STEAM

The Miracle of the Oil

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Andréa Black

Our Chanukah celebrations in SK started with a Science spin as both classes experimented and created with one of the symbols of this chag – oil!!

First, we got all the kids together and did an experiment with water, oil and food colouring. Be sure to ask your child if the water and oil mixed together or stayed separate and what happened to the food colouring…. feel free to put their responses in a comment on this post!

Then they had the opportunity to craft a Kad Shemen (oil jug) using liquid watercolours, oil and eyedroppers. Once again, they got to see the magic the oil created. Check out the pictures below for the results!!

We are hoping you will all be able to join us this coming Tuesday Dec. 12th for the OJCS Family Chanukah Celebration at 6:30 pm. There will be class performances, candle lighting, and some sweet treats to enjoy!!

For those attending, please bring your child to the SK classrooms no later than 6:30 pm and then you can go find yourselves seats in the gym. We will bring the kids to the gym for the performance and help them find you afterwards.

We ask that each child pick their favourite colour of the rainbow (please not black, white, grey or brown) and wear entirely that colour for their performance.

If you are not planning to attend, please do let us know so that we are aware of who to expect on Tuesday evening.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

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

Tuesday, Dec. 12 – OJCS Family Chanukah Celebration @ 6:30pm

Friday, Dec. 22 – Dress Down PJ Day (more details coming soon!)

Monday, Dec. 25-Friday, Jan. 5 – WINTER BREAK!!

Monday, Jan. 8 – School Resumes

Wishing you and your families a Chanukah filled with laughter, love and light… Chag Sameach!!

The SK Team

General Studies, STEAM

Let’s Talk Science…. Fat, Fur, and Feathers

Posted on November 7, 2023 by Andréa Black

Yesterday was a very exciting day in Senior Kindergarten!! We had a special guest join us in the Makerspace and lead us in a Let’s Talk Science lab. Farah, a Science student from the University of Ottawa, led us in a discussion about how different animals get ready for winter and the SK students impressed as they showed off what they already knew. They told Farah that many animals adapt to get ready for the cold weather by eating a lot of food or by growing thicker fur or feathers to stay warm. The kids asked great questions and knew a lot of answers to the questions they were asked. Then they experimented with Fat (vegetable shortening in a baggie), Fur (faux, of course!) and Feathers to see which kept their hands the warmest when touching ice. The students were so engaged and enthusiastic as they tried different combinations to see which would keep their hands warm…. the combo of fat and fur was the clear winner. Thanks to Farah for leading this special, super-fun experience! It has certainly sparked some interest in both classes to explore this theme further….

Speaking of getting ready for winter, now that the colder temperatures are upon us, we thought we should clarify our Outdoor Play plan for the winter months. We will continue having our recess and end of day pick-up on the playground, so please ensure that your child comes to school dressed appropriately. However, if it is colder than -15, with or without the windchill, we will not be venturing outdoors (we will be using the Weather Network to determine the temperature). As with rainy days, if there are no kids or teachers on the playground when you arrive to pick-up, please come to the front door to find your child. While we will strive to get outside as much as possible, we will take advantage of the gym or other indoor physical activities when the weather is not cooperating.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

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

Thursday, Nov. 23 – Dress Down Day

Friday, Nov. 24 – PD DAY – NO SCHOOL

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!!

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!!