If you have seen the October calendar, you know I will be absent Wednesday, Oct. 9 through to Friday, Oct. 11 next week. I have the opportunity to travel with my husband for work and although I at first was adamant I would not accompany him, Mrs. Farber slapped some verbal sense into me by exclaiming, "Go! You will have the children until June but won't always have the opportunity to take this trip!". So I took a deep breath and booked flights for two rather than one. There will be a substitute teacher, Mrs. Manson, whom Team Awesome will love (and so will you), but it means things will run a bit differently and the children might be anxious or discombobulated. I know they will rise to the occasion and give her all the care, kindness and respect they shower on me every day.

• Don't forget to send library books back for exchange by Tuesday. Just take them out of the special library book bag and drop them (with the bag) into the labelled container inside our classroom door.
• Scholastic book orders were due today. You can order a FREE Book (worth $7 or less) when you place an online order of $30 or more. Use the code CLIFFORD.
• Monday, Oct. 7 we will have our first lock down drill and WITS session with Cst. Weidenman. See the previous post for more info.
• Thursday, Oct. 10 we will have our third fire drill. Team Awesome should be pros.
• Friday, Oct. 11 is Rivers Day and all of BEST will be attending presentations down at the river (hopefully). Further info is forthcoming.
• Monday, Oct. 14 is Thanksgiving. Enjoy!!
• Wednesday, Oct. 16 is photo retakes as well as our class photo day. Please note the final date for ordering photos with free shipping. More info in the October BEST newsletter.
• Friday, Oct. 18 is a possible Fresh Air Friday. Mrs. Farber and I will assess the water/ beach situation and make a final decision closer to the date. If we do not go to the river, we will have activities outside at BEST for the afternoon.
• Tuesday, Oct. 22 is our visit to the Sunset Farms pumpkin patch. Permission forms will come home next week.
• Wednesday, Oct. 23 is an early dismissal day with the children needing to be picked up at 12:30 due to parent interviews.
• Friday, Oct. 25 is an NI Day and Team Awesome will get to stay home and rest.
• Please have Team Awesome read any little paper books that come home (approximately 1 per week) multiple times for practice. Thank you.
• The first set of sight words were introduced. They are: I, a, like, the, you, no. Please feel free to practice them at home. We will practice them regularly in class.

• Please send October's Family Projects back as they are finished. They were sent home this week.
• BEST PAC would like to host a Christmas Craft Fair on Sunday, Nov. 12 and is looking for parents who would like to rent a table. They will be giving vendors/crafters who attended the last year first spots then opening up Tuesday October 15 to the public. Register at [email protected] or call Amanda at 778-220-0113 for more information.
• It is chilly when we go out for recess so please remember to send sweaters/ coats.
• Lost sweaters/ coats can be found in the Lost & Found bin by the parking lot doors.

Go forth and Be Awesome!

​The school is required to conduct two lock down practices during the year and our first one will be Monday of next week. During the procedure an announcement will be made over the PA system that just says, "Lock down." Because our classroom doors are locked at all times in case this procedure needs to happen for real, all that needs to be done is closing the doors and keeping the children as quiet as possible (I usually whisper-read a book). I will be explaining to the children that we need to practice in case there is an emergency in the school that requires us to stay inside our classrooms. Because they are four and five year olds who have active imaginations they will inevitably come up with all sorts of situations in which this procedure might happen. Please rest assured that at no time will I be elaborating on reasons for which we might have to activate the lock down procedure. Mostly the children see it as an adventure but sometimes they become anxious or scared, especially when the door is rattled from the outside to see if it is locked. I try to answer any questions and relieve their fears before/during/after the activity but some extra hugs and explanations might be needed at home. If you have any questions please contact Mr. Law at the school.

BEST, and the rest of School District 73, recognized Orange Shirt Day on Monday, Sept 30. Denise McKenzie, our Aboriginal Education Worker at BEST, came to our room and read the book "The Orange Shirt Story" to us. This book tells the story of Phyllis Webstad's orange shirt in a gentle way without being scary for children. This story has been, and will continue to be, a conversation starter. It helps introduce crucial conversations about our shared history and particularly the history of residential schools in Canada. 
More info about the book and Orange Shirt Day:
When Phyllis Webstad (nee Jack) turned six, she was sent to a residential school for the first time. On her first day at school, she wore a shiny orange shirt that her Granny had bought for her. She was incredibly proud of this shirt, but the teachers at the school took her orange shirt away from her and never returned it. The Orange Shirt Story tells this story, embedding it in the larger story about Canada’s residential schools and their lasting impact on First Nation’s children and their families. It also tells the story of Orange Shirt Day—an important day of remembrance for First Nation’s Canadians of all ages.