A Week 1 Update

On Monday September 14th, we'll all be together as a class for the first time! Last week, with a staggered start, gave us all an opportunity to settle in and get a feel for what our new normal will look like.  

Thank you to all the boys and girls and their families for your support last week. It was as smooth as one can anticipate at a time like this.  

Thank you also for the supplies you sent in.  The paper towels, soap, hand sanitizer, tissue and even a great story book I can't wait to read the class on Monday are sincerely appreciated.  

I made some notes over the course of our "three first days of school" last week and I want to share them here: 

• Where possible, please have your child wear a mask that they are able to adjust themselves (e.g. please do not tie knots that are too tight on the ear loops) 
• Please send litter-less lunches as this minimizes movement in the classroom to and from the garbage
• If possible, please send your child with their own bottle of hand sanitizer they can keep at their desks. Most children had this and it really made a difference last week. 
• Please do not send juice to school. The boys and girls are allowed to keep their water bottles on their desks, but large bottles of juice or half-filled juice boxes create sticky messes that I would prefer to avoid at this time so that I can focus on instruction and following safety protocols 
• If possible, please send your child with their own small pencil sharpener that also has a case to catch shavings such as the one pictured 
  
  
  
• Please also send markers, pencil crayons/crayons for your child. When each child has their own set of these items, we minimize movement in the classroom.  
• Please remind your child to line up according to our "line order" and to practice "Zombie arms"  (I'm sure they'll be able to show you, but we made a quick video last week!) 

At this time, students do not need the following items:

• erasers, highlighters, rulers, notebooks, glue sticks or binders 
• indoor shoes 
• locker accessories such as shelves, mirrors, etc. as we are not using lockers at this time 

I am very excited to begin our first week together as a class on Monday! I usually read this book on the very first day of school, but tomorrow seems like a more appropriate day! 

Check out the moments from last week! Moving forward, please be sure to follow @meandmythrees on Instagram as that's where I tend to post most of the events from our day.  

 

It's almost time!

We are just about ready for the return to school and even though many things are different, some things haven't changed a bit! Our classroom might not have that big red carpet, gigantic blue armchair and all those stuffies, but what we do have are lots of stories to tell, exciting new things to learn, soooo many books to read and memories to make together, not to mention a teacher who LOVES being a teacher!  Just like a family, we'll have a lot of our own funny stories and jokes before we know it! We are about to begin quite the adventure together and I can't wait to get started! I am so excited to be back in room 208, and I can't wait to meet you all! 

Here is some important information to share with families at this time: 

• students are to enter the school upon arrival each morning and go directly to their classroom (Room 208) 
• please send a baggie or case where students can store their mask while they eat and go out for recess 
• students do not need indoor shoes at this time 
• parents are not permitted on the playground or field during drop off and pick-up 
• if possible, the following items would be very much appreciated:  a box of tissues, a roll of paper towels, hand sanitizer, liquid soap 
• students do not have a lot of room in their desks and should not bring items from home such as binders, notebooks or toys  

I will be using Google Classroom to support my instruction this year and I'll let parents know when that's live. It should be in the next few days. 

Parents, you can reach me via email at: mihalidesp@hcdsb.org 

As promised, here's a quick hello and a tour of our class! 

Still here!

"Mrs. M, are you still doing your blog?" 

It's been a while hasn't it? Room 208 is still here, we're just doing things a little differently these days. Lots of Boom Cards, video making and like everyone else, bread making! 

We are set up quite nicely in our Google Classroom and it's great to see my students in that capacity, but it's nothing like our home away from home at school. 

 

Nothing will ever replace our plants, reading places, stuffies, and most importantly, our little community. This time at home has certainly affirmed that.  What's also been affirmed is that in the classroom is where I belong. 

I'm not sure what day we're on with respect to how long we've all been at home and apart. I do know that it's Thursday, so that's a plus; but it didn't take long to realize how much I value my time spent with my students, in my classroom.  I miss their handshakes in the morning, the little notes left on my desk, laughing together, reading together, watching light-bulbs go off and accidentally being called "Mom".  And the photos! I miss all the photos and videos we'd make as a class! They're always so fun to share with our 208 families and friends! 

While it was fun to drink my coffee while it was still hot for a few days there when we were first ordered to stay home, I would happily take cold coffee forever to go back to Room 208 tomorrow.  

I hope everyone is doing as well as can be expected during this time.  It can be hard to know what to write about in this space when you've moved digital homes, so to speak, but this blog is still here and visitors can be sure that like that big blue chair in my classroom, we're not going anywhere. 

Week 26: Text of the Week Test

Happy Friday boys and girls! 
Here is your TOTW test for this week (click here).  You don't have to print the test out, you can simply answer the questions on a separate piece of paper, but you MUST number the questions and your work must be well organized. Whether the test is printed out or written on a separate piece of paper, your work must be easy for me to read and understand.  

When you have completed your test, please ask you parents to take a photo of it and email it to me at: mihalidesp@hcdsb.org  ←that's the email address I'll use from now on.

Just like we do in class, I'll collect your tests, mark them and return them to you next week!  

Please also visit the blog later today for the second half of our Morning Message from April 1st. I'll have some math work that we'll do together!