Kindergarten – Page 2 – OJCS KINDERGARTEN / GAN

Let’s Talk Science….. Liquids, Solids and Gases

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Andréa Black

Earlier this week, the Kindergarten classes once again participated in another super fun Let’s Talk Science virtual lab with Nia and Kelvin from the University of Ottawa. This time, we were introduced to everyday liquids and solids to determine their properties. The kids used their hands and senses to explore different liquids and then poured them out to see the differences between them. Kelvin demonstrated the different densities by making a density tower with corn syrup, water and oil. We then did a cool experiment where we mixed solids with water to see whether or not they would dissolve and ended with another experiment where we mixed solids (baking powder and sugar) with water to create a gas….. the kids loved experiencing this neat reaction and it sparked some really interesting questions. A big thank you to Morah Taylor for coordinating this awesome virtual experience for the K students!!

We ended up pivoting our plans for the rest of this week due to the fact that the kids were so intrigued by this virtual lab and ended up spending most of the week inquiring about, observing and experimenting with the States of Matter. We listed different examples of each state and learned their properties through activities and songs; we experimented with mixing more solids and liquids to create gases and documented our observations. Each class built a mini snow (ice) man and then watched to see how water can actually shift from one state of matter to another (ice, water, water vapour). 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 this week!!

Move Like Matter Dance:

Matter Chatter Song:

States of Matter Song:

Of course, it was also Ruach Week which culminated in our Purim celebration. And what a week it was from 100 Day to PJ Day, Tropical Tuesday to Throwback Thursday, there was so much spirit, enthusiasm, fun and imagination – all the things we love to see in Kindergarten!!!

General Studies

Celebrating Inclusion in Kindergarten

Posted on February 12, 2021 by Andréa Black

February is Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). It is a unified effort from Jewish organizations worldwide to raise awareness and foster acceptance and inclusion of peoples with disabilities and mental health conditions. This aligns perfectly with one of the OJCS North Stars: Each person is responsible for the other.

In the spirit of this month, we wanted share how both Kindergarten classes start their mornings. We sing O Canada, of course, but did you know that they have learned how to sing our national anthem using American Sign Language??? Check out the video below to see the kids in action….

We have also spent some time talking about what makes each of us unique and how we should celebrate these differences, but also treat everyone equally with kindness and respect. It was so amazing to have the students share their special talents and abilities during Show & Tell yesterday. Thank you so much for helping your kids to prepare and for sharing videos; we were treated to a variety of skills, from dancing, singing, and playing piano to completing mazes, building Lego creations, and everything in between. We certainly got to see what makes each of these kids shine in their own unique way!!

When we return to school after the break, it is OJCS Ruach Week!! Check out the poster below for all of the theme days and get ready to bring some ruach to our classes…..

Have a restful break and stay safe everyone!!

Uncategorized

Mindful Moments

Posted on January 26, 2021January 26, 2021 by tsmith01

Before the winter break, we launched our Mindful Moments challenge in KB and this will be the focus of my personal growth plan this year. We started this challenge at school and continued to incorporate it every Monday for “Mindful Mondays”. Every Monday, the students pick one rock and put it in the jar. Each rock has a different inspiring word on it. As a class, we discuss what the word itself means, and then the kids sit or lay comfortably and quietly, thinking about what that particular rock means to them.

The first rock we picked had the word “brave”. We discussed how we can be brave at school and at home. We then meditated for 2 minutes thinking about how we can be brave.

Switching to online learning we have continued to do these mindfulness activities! Don’t be shy and come join in with your child.

Why become a mindful classroom?

Studies show that having a daily mindfulness practice in the classroom has been proven to:

Improve attention
Help with emotional regulation
Increase compassion
Significantly reduce stress and anxiety

https://www.mindfulness-rocks.com/

Morah Taylor

General Studies

Polar Bear Den STEAM Challenge

Posted on January 13, 2021January 13, 2021 by Andréa Black

Over the last week or so, the kids in Kindergarten have been learning all about polar bears….. where they live, what they eat, how they hunt, and how they stay warm in the Arctic temperatures. Unlike most bears, polar bears do not hibernate, but mother polar bears do build dens under the snow to have their babies during the winter months. Together, we discussed what these dens might look and how they would need a hole for air and a tunnel for the bears to get in and out. Then we all crafted a polar bear den design using different materials (white paper, cotton balls, white paint, etc.). Afterwards, the kids were challenged to build their own polar bear den with whatever materials they could find at their houses. Needless to say, we were bear-y impressed with the results…. Check out these paw-some polar bear dens!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Ethan (KA) who turns 6 on January 13th

to Asher C. (KA) who turns 6 on January 20th

and to Judah (KA/B) to turns 6 on January 25th!!

French Studies, General Studies, Jewish Studies

Happy Chanukah from the K team!

Posted on December 17, 2020 by Andréa Black

It’s hard to believe that we are already at the winter break!! How did that happen?!?

Speaking of winter, the weather is getting colder and we thought we should clarify our Outdoor Play plan for the winter months. If it is colder than -20 (with or without the windchill), we will not be playing outdoors. As with rainy days, if we are not on the playground at 8:30, please drop-off at the front door. While we will strive to get outside as much as possible, we will take advantage of the gym when the weather is not cooperating.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Tomorrow (Dec. 18th) is a school-wide Pyjama Day for Dress Down Day and we will be collecting donations for Sit With Me Dog Rescue.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Harry (KA/B) who turns 5 on December 18th

to Nate (KB) who turns 5 on December 24th

to Jackson (KB) who turns 5 on December 30th

to Oliver (KB) who turns 6 on December 30th

and to Miriam (KA) who turns 6 on January 2nd!!

It is has been a great few weeks celebrating Chanukah in Kindergarten!! From singing, dancing, and getting crafty, to practicing the brachot, Dreidel math and learning Chanukah words in French & Hebrew, it has been tons of fun!! In case you missed the Ks performance during Tuesday’s school wide Chanukah Celebration, you can watch it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zP7PfQZt9P5wrhTGKN4vidH6cEWYZEBE/view?usp=sharing.

We hope you all had a fantastic holiday with your families and we just wanted say thank you for the very generous Amazon gift cards we received from both classes!! We wish you all a wonderful winter break and cannot wait to see everyone back at school in 2021!!

Morah Andréa, Morah Shira, Madame Sophie, Morah Taylor & Morah Mushki

French Studies, General Studies, Jewish Studies, Uncategorized

Kindergarten App Recap

Posted on December 9, 2020 by Andréa Black

First things first:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Isaac (KB) who turned 5 on December 8th!!

And now down to business….

During Parent-Teacher conferences last week, we had a lot of questions about the apps and online programs we are using in class as well as the ones that could be used at home. We thought it would be helpful to give you a recap of all of these programs, how your child might be able to use them at home, and how you can support your child as they are using them.

IXL Online Math Forum

IXL is an online forum that provides diagnostics of learning skills, promotes review, mastery and extensions of skills through practice, as well as providing students, teachers, and parents valuable information on student’s progress through grade data points. You should have received a handout that explained how to log in and provided your child’s login and password; if you need a reminder contact Morah Andrea. We use this program at least once a week in class, but practice time at home is also encouraged! For a more in depth tutorial on how to set up the program for your child as well as highlights of the program, check out these blog posts from our Math specialist, Mrs. Cleveland:

IXL: Online Math Forum for Personalized Learning

IXL: Four Highlights to Understand

JiTap

JiTap is a program that can be used on a computer, iPad, or phone. It supports Hebrew language learning and Jewish holidays with games, songs and other activities. Every week, new games are assigned to support what is being learned in class. Use your child’s OJCS account when logging in; the passwords are either kaojcs or kbojcs, depending on your child’s class.

Boukili

Boukili is a French reading app that allows your kids to read books online or to be read to in French. As they read books, they earn points and rewards like games and outfits for their avatar. This program is mainly for practice at home and is not necessarily assigned by Madame Sophie.

Flipgrid

Flipgrid is a platform where students can record short videos of themselves answering a prompt. It is a great way for them to demonstrate their oral language skills. To log in, use your child’s class code flipgrid.com/kaojcs or flipgrid.com/kbojcs followed by your child’s school email and password. Use of Flipgrid will either be assigned in class or via the distance learning schedule where the code for specific assignments are posted, eg: https://flipgrid.com/688f36cd.

Classkick

Classkick is a site that allows your child to work online while receiving live support from their teacher. You may see it referenced on our distance learning schedule. To login, select “sign in with Google” and ensure that you are using your child’s ojcs email and password.

Teach Your Monster to Read

This app is available for purchase on the App store ($6.99), and we recently learned that you can download a desktop version that is free, though there may be some differences in the program. We use 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.

Any more questions? We are here to help!!

The K Team

General Studies, Uncategorized

Let’s Talk Science….. Playful Machines

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Andréa Black

Yesterday was a very exciting day in Kindergarten. We had special virtual guests join both classes and lead us in a Let’s Talk Science virtual lab. Nia and Kelvin, Science students from the University of Ottawa, taught us about 3 different kinds of simple machines: a wheel & axle, a lever, and an inclined plane. Then they led the kids through the construction of a playground where each structure was one of the machines build out of everyday materials, such as pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks. The students were so engaged and enthusiastic as they built their merry-go-rounds, slides, and teeter-totters. Special thanks to Morah Taylor for organizing this special, super-fun experience!!

General Studies, Uncategorized

Kindergarten Has Gone Nocturnal…..

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Andréa Black

What a wonderful way to spend a day…. To wrap up our Nocturnal Animal theme unit, KA & KB celebrated Pyjama Day at school!! We stayed comfy and cozy and the kids all brought special things that they like to have at bedtime to show and share with their friends. Over the last few weeks, we have learned about bats, flying squirrels, owls and skunks. Today, the kids journaled about which animal was their favourite and compared which had the most votes with the least. We also sang all of our favourite Nocturnal Animal songs and had special Owl cookies as a treat!!

Here are links to the songs so you can listen at home:

Vowel Bat

Flying Squirrel

The Skunk Song

Here are some cute, cozy pictures from Pyjama Day…..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Sari (KB) who turns 5 on November 22nd!!

Since tomorrow is a PD Day, wishing you all a great weekend!!

General Studies

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

Posted on October 9, 2020 by Andréa Black

After last week’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 last week or so. 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 every single day. We read books, took a (virtual) field trip to a fire station, we helped a sheriff turn all the bad guys into good guys by doing yoga, we made mini-books, we crafted, we coloured, we matched, we sorted, and we dreamed about what we want to be when we grow up!! One of the highlights was making Community Helper puppets…. check out some examples below!!

Happy birthday to Ariel P. (KB) who turns 5 on October 11th! We can’t wait to celebrate with you on Tuesday!

Wishing you all a chag sameach and a wonderful long weekend!!

Uncategorized

ICYMI…. Back to School Night

Posted on September 24, 2020 by Andréa Black

In case you missed it, here is the link to the recording of last night’s Back to School presentation…. apologies that the first few minutes weren’t recorded, but everything important is covered. 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!!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fb5FtjxMcv4ujOgDbS7-N2ysKNfuN7mH/view?usp=sharing

Just a reminder, tomorrow is Dress Down Day…. Bring a toonie for Terry!! We will also be learning more about this Canadian hero next week and having our very own Kindergarten Terry Fox Run….. stay tuned for more details!

Wishing you all a G’mar Chatimah Tova…. Have a meaningful fast…..