OJCS KINDERGARTEN / GAN

In November, we remember…

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Andréa Black

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month…..

SK spent some time over last week learning about Remembrance Day and why it is such an important day. We read stories about being brave and courageous, we talked about the men and women who made sure and continue to ensure that Canada is safe and free, and we learned why we wear poppies as a symbol on this day. Of course, we crafted poppies of all kinds!!

At our Remembrance Day assembly, the kids recited a poem called “Little Poppy” and they did an incredible job both performing and showing respect for their fellow students. Check out the video below:

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

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Joshua in SK-B who turns 5 on November 14th!!

Uncategorized

French Class Work and Activities

Posted on November 9, 2023 by mcohen23

Dear SK Parents,

Just a quick note to let you know that I’m sending home the children’s work and activities related to our theme of l’Automne (the Fall).

I hope you enjoy looking at the children’s work with them… and just a reminder to empty the Note Tote and return to school.

Many thanks,

Madame Maryse

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

Francais, French Studies

Les Couleurs (Learning Colors)

Posted on October 27, 2023December 17, 2023 by mcohen23

Dear SK Parents,

During this first term, we have played with getting to know colors in our French classes:

Red: Rouge

Vert: Green

Blue: Bleu

Orange: Orange

Purple: Violet

Yellow: Jaune

White: Blanc

Pink: Rose

As a way of learning the words for the colors, the children colored objects in a booklet, which I’m sending home with them this week. I invite you to have a look at them. Together, you can go over colors as it will help your child in remembering them.

You could even extend this by playing a little game where you ask your child to bring you something rouge, something bleu or something vert, etc.

Please post any comments or let us know if you have questions.

Wishing you and your family an enjoyable and restful Winter break.

Madame Maryse

General Studies, Reminders

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!!

Francais, French Resources, French Studies

French Kindergarten Songs and More…

Posted on September 29, 2023September 29, 2023 by mcohen23

Hello Everyone,

Here’s a little peek at what we’ve been doing during French in Senior Kindergarten and how you as a parent at home can participate in your child’s learning.

The children have been learning to introduce themselves (je m’appelle __________) and basic daily greetings (bonjour, au revoir).

We sing songs everyday. Listening to them and singing them with your child is a helpful and fun way to expand their learning at home.

Here are three theme songs from our class:

“Luc va à l’école” , a song about a boy who takes his dog to school with him. The children act out the story with puppets they made, which helps them understand what they are singing and learn the vocabulary in a fun way.
“Michaud est monté dans un grand pommier” This was the theme song for our unit on apples (“les pommes”). The children like the action in the song.
“Au revoir, goodbye, sayonara, shalom” a lovely farewell song that we sing at the end of our time together each day.

Once or twice a month, I will post something to keep you up to date and help you participate in your child’s learning of French. As I spoke about at the Parent Night, making it a fun, playful experience will encourage student confidence in their ability to learn and desire to speak the French language. Exposure to simple everyday language and French songs will make the language real and relevant to them.

A few pictures from the unit on “les pommes”

Sharing an apple snack together and learning to say “C’est bon!” (“It’s good”)

Stamping with apples and learning to write “une pomme”

The children balancing apples on their “pommier” (apple tree).

Reminders

Tomorrow is Orange Shirt/Dress Down Day!

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Andréa Black

Tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 29th, is Dress Down Day and Orange Shirt Day!! This month, we are collecting tzedakah in support of The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Don’t forget to bring your loonies and toonies!!