Honestly, don’t you just love all the media this summer about our education system, and likening home schooling and distributed learning (technically, what our program is deemed to be) to the worst possible outcomes for children and families?  Ah – one must keep a sense of humour!  I just picked out this quote from an editorial in The Tyee, “More fundamentally, parents have not been given reasonable options even if their kids face higher risks from exposure. It’s either follow the plan, or you’re on your own with home schooling or distributed learning.”  I don’t know about you, but I have never felt alone in distributed learning…

This is a good time to share with you that I don’t think families need worry – everything will get settled.  I don’t know anything more than you do about protocols or rules that will be in place.  When I report to work on September 8th, what is known at that point will be shared with staff, and I will share it all with our families.  We will still proceed as usual, starting with the Student Learning Plan meetings – which will either be virtual or held off site( as parents will not be allowed in the school building).  I’m thinking a nice socially-distanced Home Learners picnic to meet and greet and get the school year started with a positive note?  More on that after September 8th.  In the meantime, don’t stress, enjoy the last vestiges of summer, and be safe.  🙂

As this very peculiar school year wraps up, I would like to take this opportunity to let you know how much I enjoyed a year of learning adventures with your children, and how much I appreciate all the support and involvement of the parents.    What a great  community we have in our program!  After today, the school will be closed and all staff away until Tuesday, September 8th, 2020. 

On September 8th, the mainstream school students convene at 9:00 a.m. for a whole-school assembly in the gym to find out their classroom placements.  Home Learners do not attend that day.  As soon as practically possible on the 9th and 10th, I will be contacting all registered student’s families to book or confirm their Student Learning Plan Meetings.  These are very busy days and I will contact everyone as soon as I possibly can.  The Home Learners’ classroom is closed on the 8th, as all staff have meetings immediately following the classroom placement assembly, for the remainder of the day.  It is important to understand that everyone must attend a Student Learning Plan meeting and their child must complete an Activation Assignment before they are fully registered in the program.  That is a Ministry of Education requirement.

As with the rest of the distributed learning world, for Home Learners’, the first weeks of September consist mainly of planning, preparing, and completing individual Student Learning Plans with the teacher, working on and completing each student’s Activation Assignment, and starting (or continuing) their home learning.

Starting immediately, please click onto the calendar page for September to view available dates and times to book for Student Learning Plan meetings in September.  Please email me with your 1st and 2nd choice of Student Learning Plan meeting dates and times.  I will book people into meeting times on a first-come, first-served basis. Although I will not be accessing my VSB email over the summer, your email will be saved and read upon my return in September.  For newly registered families who do not have my email, I will contact you during the first week of the school year.  For Waitlist families, I will also contact you if and when I am able to provide you a placement. Otherwise, I am not able to contact people regarding “where they are on the list.”

I will do my best to book people into their requested meeting times on a first come, first served basis, and will email you confirmation on, or shortly after September 9th.  

Our students have been reading and viewing a lot using Epic!  Since April, they have:

Starting July 1, all families who signed up for remote student access will be able to enjoy Epic Free, which offers every student 2 hours of free weekly reading in a limited library of high-quality educational books. There is nothing else you need to do! Kids can continue reading at home on Epic throughout the summer and beyond simply by logging in through your account.

If you would like your own account to access the entire library and have unlimited use, please go to: https://www.getepic.com/gift?step=1

This is a friendly reminder that the pick-up time for report cards and student belongings for our program is tomorrow, Tuesday, June 23rd from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Distribution Center which is located at the front of the school, at the door on the North end.

This is the only time for pick-ups.  The rest of the week is booked for other classes for their pick-ups.  Anything not picked up will be here for you in September, safe and sound.  Please also remember to bring a bag with you to take work, art, etc. home.  There is quite a bit of stuff here for me to give out!

I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Starting on Monday, June 1st, all the teachers and some students will be back in the school building.  During all our virtual classes, like Novel Study, Story Time, Show & Tell and Primary Games, students will be able to see that I am in the classroom.  🙂

By now, I hope that everyone has received the letters regarding the health and safety rules regarding coming to school.  Only those students who identified themselves as returning will be allowed to return.  If students show up who did not identify themselves as returning, they will be asked to go home.  Parents will not be able to enter the school building except by previous appointment through the Principal.  I don’t know yet what the plan will be to pick up student work, belongings, and report cards, but once that is determined, I will let everyone know.

Starting on Monday, the Intermediates will be doing a new Novel Study.  I have booked Novel Study for Mondays and Fridays to ensure that we will complete the book within the month.

I also have Story Time planned for the Primaries (and any Intermediates who enjoy listening to stories), an open Show & Tell for any student who would like to share something they are learning about, or something they made, and a Primary Games time when we will do fun games together.  Please look at the calendar for the days and times of these online programs.

Those students who are attending will attend on Thursdays. There are 5 students returning.  Please be on time for outside pick up by me at 9:00 a.m. and when I bring the students outside to go home at 3:00 p.m.  Please also remember that snack and lunch wrappers, food, etc., needs to be packed up and taken home, and no toys or stuffies from home.  The cloakroom is closed off, so students will be keeping sweaters, backpacks, etc. at their own assigned desk areas.

So here is something pretty fun!  Chris Hemsworth, Meryl Streep, Ryan Reynolds, Benedict Cumberbatch and many more have come together to read chapters of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach with Taika Waititi.  You can watch and listen to a chapter at a time, or more if you like.  Enjoy this classic Children’s book with these well-known Actors.   https://www.youtube.com/roalddahl

If you would like to supplement the reading with more Roald Dahl information or activities, look here: https://www.roalddahl.com

This week’s independent study packets:

independent-study-packet-1st-grade-week-8

independent-study-packet-2nd-grade-week-8

independent-study-packet-3rd-grade-week-8

independent-study-packet-4th-grade-week-8

independent-study-packet-5th-grade-week-8

independent-study-packet-kindergarten-grade-week-8

Tomorrow, Thursday, May 28, information will be coming from the school about what to expect if your child(ren) is/are returning to school next week.  I have been asked to refrain from sharing information before the information from the school goes out, just so everyone has it at the same time, and receives the same messaging.  I’m sure people will have lots of questions, which I will be more than happy to answer.

In the meantime, I want to thank everyone for their time during Portfolio Week and starting next week again, I will again be hosting weekly Show & Tell, Story Time, and Novel Study for students. 🙂

This Monday, May 25th, our Portfolio Meetings start.  Please ensure you take a look at the calendar and send me your first and second choice of portfolio meeting dates and times.  Now that return to school is slated for June 1st, we need to fit all our meetings into one week.  All meetings will be virtual as we cannot access the school site until June 1st.  Please remember that Portfolio meetings are a mandatory aspect of the program for everyone.

Right now, information, and mis-information, is flying around like the Wicked Witch’s monkeys.  Much of what I hear on the media is speculation rather than information.  As soon as I know anything concrete, any decisions, etc.  I will let you know.  Letters/emails will also be sent directly from the school or the Board.  Please keep in mind that the letters sent from the office are written for the mainstream classroom audience.  As these things unroll, I will clarify how things will look for Home Learners, specifically.

Any questions, concerns, etc., please do not hesitate to contact me.

Here is Week 7 of the Independent Study Packages:

independent-study-packet-kindergarten-week-7

independent-study-packet-1st-grade-week-7

independent-study-packet-2nd-grade-week-7

independent-study-packet-3rd-grade-week-7

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independent-study-packet-5th-grade-week-7

BEACONSFIELD VIRTUAL SPORTS DAY 2020

Beaconsfield’s Sports Day is on Thursday, May 14^th.  This year, we will be having a Virtual Sports Day.  In order to create some Beaconsfield spirit, the staff have put together some ideas for activities that you can do to celebrate our Sports Day in a very different way!  You can complete as many as you like!

It looks like the weather will be changing everyday as it usually does in May, so please feel free to video your sports day event (if you are doing one outdoors) on a nice day and save the poster making etc. for the rainy days this week.

SPORTS DAY IDEAS

1. A Beaconsfield Sports Day mascot
2. A Sports Day cheer, song or poem
3. A Sports Day dance
4. A Sports Day poster
5. A Sports Day event (inside or out) and video yourself performing the event
6. A Sports Day menu that fuels you up for the day. Draw/write down/prepare a Sports Day breakfast, snack and lunch that follows Canada’s food guide.

We are hoping to compile the students work in videos and pictures so we can produce a video (like the one the teachers sent out last week) in order to celebrate Sports Day 2020.  If you would like to contribute a piece of your child’s work, please send a short video (20 seconds maximum) or a photo of your child’s work to Mr. Thomas.  His email address is cthomas@vsb.bc.ca.  Also please indicate in the email that you are giving parental permission for your child’s work to be shared.  This will be a private you tube channel. If you want your child included but not their photo or image, feel free to send a picture of their poster, mascot, poems and menus and it will be added to Virtual Sports Day 2020 video.

Any questions, concerns and any submissions are to be sent to Mr. Thomas (cthomas@vsb.bc.ca) as the classroom teachers will be busy continuing their regular education opportunities.

Many of our Home Learners have a keen interest in birds.  Did you know that this Saturday, May 9th is World Migratory Bird Day?  Events for Migratory Bird Day start tomorrow, with story times, movies, bird watching, and a live festival on Saturday.  To find out more, and to participate, go to www.migratorybirdday.org

There are pages of great resources including printable colouring sheets, activities, projects and great information.  Go to the Bird Day Live page for the schedule of story times, movies, and other live events.  Enjoy!

Here are this week’s independent study packets:

independent-study-packet-1st-grade-week-5

independent-study-packet-2nd-grade-week-5

independent-study-packet-3rd-grade-week-5

independent-study-packet-4th-grade-week-5

independent-study-packet-5th-grade-week-5

independent-study-packet-kindergarten-week-5

Finally,  don’t forget to look at the calendar and send me your first and second choices for your Portfolio Meetings this month.

VanDusen Pollinator Days

It is unfortunate that with Covid, our field trip to VanDusen for their Pollinator Days, has been cancelled.  I think that is one of my favourite outings of the school year.  In place of  the field trip, VanDusen has created an online science course, for K – Grade 4 Through their Portal to Nature, students can access the online course Flower to Fruit – an exploration of flowers, seeds, fruit, and the role of pollinators in plant reproduction.  This course uses videos, games, around-the-house activities, and quizzes to keep young learners engaged while also connecting them to nature through a balance of screen time and indoor/outdoor exploration. Many activities are modified from their field trips’ greatest hits, and redesigned for students to do with their families.

As our field trip was already booked and paid for, this online course is, in fact, only available to students from HL, and other schools, who had booked to participate in Pollinator Days.  I have previewed the course and I think it is good.  If you would like this course for your child(ren) please email me and I will send you the sign-in details. A great course to fulfill your child’s Science learning goals!

Engineering and Science Challenges

The Dyson Foundation (yup, the vacuum guy) has created 44 engineering and science activities for children to try at home, from making a balloon-powered car to building a bridge from spaghetti.  The challenges are comprised of 22 science task cards and 22 engineering activities.  All the challenges can be completed by students using common household items.  I’ve been asked about science activities for students by quite a few people, so especially check out the science task cards!

https://www.jamesdysonfoundation.com/resources/challenge-cards.html

Greetings,

I have one resource I would like to share with you today, besides this week’s instalment of the Independent Study Packages.  The resource is from The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.  The Music Teaching & Learning Resources Guide provides a variety of resources such as alphabet songs, learning chants and other fun resources for learning with music.

VSO-Education-Resource-Guide

At our staff meeting this morning, teachers decided that we will be hosting a Virtual Sports Day for everyone!  Braeleen asked me about having a virtual sports day a few days ago – so here it is!  Our regular Sports Day was scheduled for Thursday, May 14th.  The plan is that teachers will be sending all Beaconsfield students our own Virtual Sports Day video (surprise!) and students can send us their own one back!  More details will follow in the days ahead!   😉

independent-study-packet-kindergarten-week-4

independent-study-packet-1st-grade-week-4

independent-study-packet-2nd-grade-week-4

independent-study-packet-3rd-grade-week-4

independent-study-packet-4th-grade-week-4

independent-study-packet-5th-grade-week-4

Welcome to a new week!  I hope everyone is managing to stay well and enjoying your days as much as possible.

Many people have asked me about assessment and year-end reporting.  I will be preparing year-end reports as usual for all our students.  Nothing has changed in terms of the reporting format, so reports will look the same as you are used to.

I have set up Portfolio Meetings on the calendar (May 25th through June 2). Please take a look at the calendar and send me your first and second choices for meeting dates and times, and I will do my best to accommodate everyone’s request.  If we are back in class at that time, we will hold meetings there, if we are not back yet, I will set up individual virtual meetings with everyone.

Just in case we are back at school, I would like to ask everyone to try to book their meetings within the week of May 25-29, if at all possible.  I’m thinking that with all the time students have missed being together, it would be nice to try to add that Monday and Tuesday to each class.  I know this isn’t usually possible, but worth a try!

Sponsored by The Folger Shakespeare Library and The Royal Shakespeare Company, this virtual birthday event is open to all ages, with every activity including many options for kids and families. Please join us by sharing your creations—from super quick-and-simple ideas to more ambitious ideas—or just get ready to enjoy and revel in others’ contributions. Try any of the following options:

Speak the speech

You may be new to Shakespeare, or you may have a favorite passage. Try a line or a speech and read it aloud. If it means something to you, tell us. Or, with your family or friends, turn a single speech into a group “choral” reading (at home or on Zoom). Check out our short, curated scenes for one or more actors and give it a go.

Strike a pose

Recreate one of our famous Folger Shakespeare bas-reliefs of scenes from the plays—or take a selfie as your favorite Shakespeare character.

Make a picture

Tip your hat to the Bard and his plays with works of art or visual shenanigans, including paintings, drawings, cartoons, photos, dioramas, and more—or put the words of a Shakespeare passage on display in cards, signs, or videos.

Write a sonnet

In keeping with a long-standing Shakespeare’s Birthday Open House tradition at the Folger, write your own 14-line sonnet. We’ve also included other interesting sources about Shakespeare’s sonnets—and the modern-day Pop Sonnets based on pop songs—including episodes from our podcast Shakespeare Unlimited.

Throw a Shakespeare party

Celebrate the Bard’s birthday at home and share some photos! We hope our recipes and other ideas add to the occasion.

Enjoy a virtual event

We’re live on April 23 with talks, #Staxpeditions in our collection, and a Macbeth Watch Party with the cast—on Facebookand YouTube. Tune in!

Still more activities and resources

• Find out where to stream  Shakespeare plays and movies this month
• Enjoy even more #ShareYourShakespeare activities at the Royal Shakespeare Company
• Learn more about Shakespeare’s life and his birthday
• On Shakespeare for Kids, check out 10 Ways to Be a Shakespeare Expert

Here are this week’s Independent Study Guides:

independent-study-packet-1st-grade-week-3

independent-study-packet-2nd-grade-week-3

independent-study-packet-3rd-grade-week-3

independent-study-packet-4th-grade-week-3

independent-study-packet-5th-grade-week-3

independent-study-packet-kindergarten-week-3

Thanks to everyone for joining in on our Skype meeting on Friday. Now that everyone has had a chance to play with the settings and figure it out a bit, I do want to keep it for one-on-one meetings with students and parents.  Skype is supported by the Board and I trust its security much more than I trust zoom.  I have set up the Educator’s account on zoom which is free at this time, and I would like to try that before going ahead and spending any money on it. Speaking of money:  Allotments – I have all the allotment accounts with me.  Tracey is away for awhile. Please don’t phone the office regarding allotments, contact me and I’ll do my best to help you out.

Intermediate Blogs:  I managed to chat with someone at Edublogs, and students should now be able to see everyone else’s blog, and comment.  Please let me know if there are still any glitches.  🙂

Earth Day!

Earth Day is April 22.  I have gathered some good resources for Earth Day.  The link below is a Mystery Science video and activities for Earth day.  I encourage everyone to do at least one of the activities and, if you would like to, take a pic or two and send it to me and I will post it on the blog.  Intermediates can post themselves on their blogs.  A great Science project!

https://mysteryscience.com/mini-lessons/old-earth?code=baf5c15ccece831deb401fde464fa87b

Here are a few more resources for Earth Day:

How Earth Day Began with Music

Greta Thunberg, Music, and the Climate Crisis

Cleaning up the Plastic Beach

biography-of-wangari-maathai

Show & Tell Schedule for the Primary Group

Wednesday, April 22, 1:30p.m.: Henry,  Aprilia

Monday, April 27, 1:30 p.m.:  Gwen, Owen

Wednesday, April 29, 1:30 p.m.:  Sofia, Cole

Monday, May 4, 1:30 p.m.:  Nevaeh, Chloe

Wednesday, May 6, 1:30 p.m.:  Alexandra, Mila

Monday, May 11, 1:30 p.m.:  Audrey, Theo

Wednesday, May 13, 1:30 p.m.: Sophie, Tisa

Wednesday, May 20, 1:30 p.m.:  Daniella, Oren

This information is for all parents and guardians who have a child starting Kindergarten in September. This includes those families who already have older siblings in the program, and those who are reading blog postings in preparation for next year.

Welcome To Kindergarten is being postponed until September 2020.  I will be receiving further information about this later in the school year and will post updates on this blog.  If you miss the next posting, don’t worry, our school office will still be sending invitations out to each family directly to you closer to the date in September.

In the meantime, please check out the VSB StrongStart content, particularly the links on the first paragraph to Strong Start Online and Story Time Videos:  https://www.vsb.bc.ca/Student_Learning/Early-Learners/StrongStart/Pages/default.aspx

The VSB Preparing for Kindergarten Booklet: https://www.vsb.bc.ca/_layouts/vsbwww/arch/default/files/shared/ready-for-K-web-brochure.pdf

The Vancouver Public Library has a live story time every weekday at 10am on their facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/vancouverpubliclibrary/

I have good news on the allotment front:  You can now use your allotment.  The process for now is as follows:

1.  Send me a separate and detailed email of what you would like or order, the vendor information and the price(s).
2.  When I receive your request, I will obtain sign-off from Lani.
3.  I will order your request and wherever possible, have the item/materials shipped directly to your home.  If the order cannot be shipped directly to your home, I will let you know and we will figure it out.
4. Approved vendors only:

Scholastic.ca

Spectrum Nasco

School Specialty

Education Station

ADS Academic

JUMP Mathematics

1. Please remember not to order directly from the vendors yourself.  Send me what you would like to order so I can purchase it through your allotment.  Reimbursements for anything purchased on your own is not allowed.

For those students who are available, I will be hosting a group meeting on Skype tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.  This is for both Intermediate and Primary students.  Since it is the first time we are trying out a group meeting, there is not a specific topic or learning theme, we will simply use the meeting to test out the settings and say “Hi.”  I will send a group meeting invitation tomorrow late morning.  You do not need to set anything up to receive or join this call – it is (supposedly) configured so that you simply click on the invitation link and join in.  I’m excited to try it tomorrow with the students!

Finally, I wanted to share this with everyone.  I think it is particularly apropos right now.

Greetings Everyone!

I am thankful for the beautiful weather we have been having.  I live across the street from a city park, and I love watching people set up picnics, socially responsible gatherings, walk around with their dogs and children, and watch the skateboarders get kicked out by security daily!  Watching groups in the park, I am wondering if the Intermediates would like to meet weekly at the park? We can sit at socially responsible distances, and do our novel study (and other things) together?  If this is something that might interest you, please let me know.  I am not offering to do this with the Primaries because of the simple fact that I think it would be too difficult for them to keep a distance from one another, especially since they haven’t seen one another for awhile.  I envision hugs all around.  If you disagree, let me know.

Below I have linked the Independent Study Packages, Week 2 for each grade.  I had a few parents ask me for multiple grades, so feel free to print up the ones you would like.

independent-study-packet-kindergarten-week-2

independent-study-packet-1st-grade-week-2

independent-study-packet-2nd-grade-week-2

independent-study-packet-3rd-grade-week-2

independent-study-packet-4th-grade-week-2

independent-study-packet-5th-grade-week-2

I have also set up our class on Book Creator.  The account I set up includes 40 books.  For now, let’s start by having students make one book each.  The code to get into our classroom is:  6MJJVP2.  Below is the tutorial to sign on.

Happy Learning!