Hello Families! Oh, how I miss seeing all my toothless, smiling friends! I hope that you and your loved ones are staying healthy and well. That is our primary concern at this time. Please continue to do what you need to do to keep yourself and your loved ones sane and healthy.

As you may have heard last week, the Ontario government is telling teachers that we must provide parents with 5 hours of work for children in grade K-3. Here is how I am going to try and accomplish this. Each week, either on Sunday or Monday, I will send out a class email with learning suggestions for the week. It will consist of one or two math and language activities (approx. 4 hours) and Mme Melissa is going to send me her suggestion for the week (approx. 1 hour of French work). Feel free to do all, some or none of the activities. Only you know what you and your family can accomplish…. Please do not stress about it! By being at home with your children (when you can - thank you all essential workers for all you are doing to keep us all safe), you are teaching them the soft skills that are so important - empathy, caring, organization, conflict resolution, etc.! Thank you for all you are doing and trying to do with your children. From one mom to another and one experienced teacher to a new “home school” teacher… what you are doing is more than enough. Continue to do what works for your family.

Reminders

Check your email for weekly “more traditional” academic activities.

Blog - If you access the website version instead of the mobile version of this blog you will have access to language, math, songs, games and websites relevant for your little ones. Some links may need to be updated...I will attempt to do this within the next few weeks.

Non-traditional learning is probably more important at this point in time than “traditional” academic activities. Continue to play with your children and make them feel comfortable, safe and loved!

Here is what my past week looked like and some of the “non-traditional” learning activities that I did with my three children (ages 8, 11 and 13) this week. In brackets is my educational rationalization. 

We continued to watch our indoor and outdoor plants grow (science). My crocuses even bloomed this week! We set up the trampoline (conflict resolution, following procedures, physical education). We went for walks in our neighbourhood and sang as we walked (physical education and music). We continued to figure out how to use Google Classroom, Google Hangouts, Kids Messenger, etc. (technology). We used the technology for language (oral communication, writing - texting family and friends, reading - texts and messages), math (their teachers provided some suggested work) and we played family games (indoors - board games and outdoors - ladder ball, catch). We worked on reading procedural texts and following directions when setting up hamster and gerbil cages, etc.

While we tried to engage in more traditional learning this week (Raz-kids, Zorbits, suggested academic work, etc.). My children prefer, and I feel are often learning more from the non-traditional tasks (they are much more invested, engaged and they do not think they are learning:)!

                                                                    

Please stay healthy, safe and sane. You can only do what you can do.  We are all in this together!