 ‘My smart little sister says that people are wrong when they talk about how you need to be brave to get out of your comfort zone, travel, and see things. The travel and perspective–the escapism, really–are a privilege. The real courage is needed at home, where the ordinary things don’t change unless you work to make them so, where you face old demons and new challenges, and where you can’t just get on a plane to the next destination.’ –The Yellow House
We will be inviting you via email to share an album of all the photos we have taken of the children on Google Photos every month (there will be quite a few). Keeping them sorted by month makes it easier when searching for a specific picture. Once we have downloaded them you will be able to peruse them at your leisure and download, save and/or print all of your favourites to your own computer without altering the album in any way. We will continue to add pictures of special events as well as make videos, which will also be shared with you in Google. Don't forget to share your favourites with family!
 A reminder that BEST is a nut aware school as we have students with severe allergic reactions to peanuts and tree nuts in the school. In order to minimize the chances of those students coming into contact with nuts we respectfully ask that you refrain from sending products with nuts in your child's lunch to school. If your child has eaten peanut butter or other nut products before leaving for school please have them wash their hands thoroughly. Although we encourage young children to share, the students in our class will be discouraged from sharing their food, drinks and eating utensils with others in order to provide all children with safe conditions. We realize that helping us to maintain a nut-free classroom takes a certain amount of effort and diligence on your part, and we thank you in advance for your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe, healthy environment for all of our students. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact either one of us (Amber or Cathy) or the office at the school.
There are a number of spreads that are similar to peanut butter that are acceptable substitutions. SunButter (made of sunflower seeds), NoNuts Golden Peabutter (made of peas) or WOWBUTTER (made of soy) are all safe alternatives although they do not taste exactly like peanut butter. Find more info on how to use the Safe Arrival program and report an absence or late arrival to school here.
We hope all the Team Awesome members went home today with lots of stories to tell of the things we did and the new friends they made. We learned TONS of classroom and school routines today like how and when to tidy up, what whole body listening looks like, how to line up quietly and wash our hands. We will continue to practice our new skills and learn more school expectations for at least the next few weeks. But it wasn't all drudgery! We had some snacks, participated in some movement songs on the smart board, played outside and chose some toys to play with at the end of our class time. Who knew we could do so much in 2.5 hours?
 Your child will come to school for their first time on Friday, Sept. 9 either from 8:30-11:00 or 12:00 to 2:30. Whether they attend in the morning or afternoon, a snack is needed. Balanced, nutritious snacks can help children maintain energy and lengthen their attention span throughout the day as well as provide fuel for growth and development. There are many options for healthy snacks that are low in sugar to provide your child with the zip they need until the next meal. Some suggestions are baby carrots or sliced apples, boiled eggs, whole grain crackers w/ cheese, pretzels, mini meatballs, applesauce, popcorn and drinkable yogurts. These options are all easily eaten by hand, come ready-to-eat and will fill a tummy until lunch time. Having your child choose their own snack makes them more likely to eat it. Happy snacking!
 Yay!! It's finally here! We know you (and the new Ks) have been waiting for what seems like forever to come to school. We hope you and your child enjoyed the summer and that you are ready to embark on an important milestone in your child's life. Kindergarten is a year of growing socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually. Your involvement, interest, and enthusiasm will help make this a wonderful year of growth for you and your child.
Entering kindergarten is an exciting time but moving from the home or from a childcare center to the school environment can be an uncomfortable and overwhelming experience. We would like this transition to be as smooth and pleasant as possible for the children and we will do everything possible to ensure your child feels welcome. We look forward to meeting you all in the next few days and then jumping right into things by the end of the week. See you soon! |
