- PUMPKIN PATCH: First, a big THANK YOU to everyone who was able to drive and help with our fieldtrip. We could not have asked for a better day and I was so proud of how well behaved our students were at the farm. But I do have to say an even bigger THANK YOU to the Tamis family for inviting us and for being so generous. It was my first time to their farm and not only was I impressed with how prepared and organized they were for our students, I had no idea that I was able to purchase their own grown vegetables and eggs. I would sooner have these farm fresh items any day over a large grocery store where produce has sat for days and then I know exactly how they have been grown. Plus, we are able to support a school family as well as our own community of Cloverdale so I know where I will be shopping in the future and I would encourage you to do the same. Thank you, Tamis Family! And thank you to everyone who sent in food items that we will donate in their name to the Surrey Food Bank...what a great lesson for students to see how the generousity of one can become the generousity of many. Truly, thank you!!!
- SAINT PROJECT AND PARENT JOB PROJECT: Please note that these two worksheets are due on Monday. We will be sharing this information this week in our classroom so please ensure your child has brought theirs in so they have something to share (and do not feel left out :o) Thank you for doing this work at home :o)
- SCHOLASTIC: Our Scholastic Book Order for November will be due on Wednesday, October 30th. If you are buying items as Christmas gifts and would like them to be a surprise, please write 'SECRET' at the top of your order and I will keep your order in the classroom until you are able to directly pick it up, rather than sending it with your child. Thank you!
- HALLOWEEN: While we try to focus on the importance of All Saints Day and that the word 'Halloween' really comes from 'All Hallow's (Holy) Eve,' meaning the night before All Saints Day, we know that Halloween is still exciting for many children. I will be sending home a prayer that can be used when you carve a pumpkin as we encourage students to think about a Jack O Lantern as being a reminder that we too are like pumpkins. Sometimes we have yucky things inside us (I tell the students the 'guts' of a pumpkin that we take out are like our sins) but God can clean us out (forgive us our sins) and then His light will shine out of us to others. I also send home a paper that asks them to count all the Halloween treats they receive (why not make use of all that candy and create a math lesson :o) but please note this is optional. They can count their candy either on Thursday or over the weekend and then return their paper by Monday and I have a little treat for them if they do so but please don't feel you have to as I'm sure we will have many tired trick or treaters. Another reminder that we will be collecting non-perishable food and Halloween Candy from Nov. 4th to Nov. 7th. Information about Food Bank Items with our "WE SCARE HUNGER" campaign will come home on Monday but we have been doing this for 3 years, where we invite students to say, "Trick or Treat or Food to Eat" and they can collect some Food Bank items while they collect candy. Again, an optional activity or they can bring items from home. We also collect Halloween Candy (either leftover or from your child's collection) for the Agape Street Ministry so please send any you can spare as they use this candy to supply much of their ministry for the year. Please note that this Friday is a Food Bank Mass, so please do not send items you collected from Halloween on Friday. We are trying to keep the two collections separate as the class with the most items from Halloween will win a Popcorn Party. We hope we are not asking too much and please only send in items you can spare but there is such a great need with our Food Banks, every item helps and we really encourage students to see how important it is to give, especially as we often have so much. Thank you for your help with this!
- ALL SAINTS DAY: This Friday, we invite all of our students to dress up as our Holy Heroes (no need for uniforms, including gym strips, although they might want to wear their PE strip underneath if their costume makes them too warm...which often happens). It is a fun day where we dress up, go to Mass, talk about our special saints, visit with our buddies and then spend the afternoon at a Primary All Saints Day Party. For our party, I am in need of a family who would like to make 2 dozen cupcakes for our "Angel Food Cupcake Walk." This can count towards service hours but please email me if you would like to do this for our class so we don't end up with too many or too few cupcakes. THANK YOU!
- ALL SOULS DAY: I will also send home a little note with a paper cross attached...as Saturday is All Soul's Day, we would invite you the write down the names of anyone in your family that has past away and as a class, we will pray for them and put them up on our wall to remember them. Please write your child's name on the back of the cross we we know who's cross is who's but it is important for us to think about all those souls so we can pray for them, that they are enjoying eternal life in Heaven. Thank you!
- REMEMBRANCE DAY: As we begin November, we will be talking more about Remembrance Day. While we try to focus more on the importance of peace, rather than war, with our young students, we encourage them to take time to think about those people who gave their lives to help make sure we live in a safe place. Poppies will be sold from Nov.4th to 7th at our school so send in a donation and your child can buy one. We would love to see all of our students wear their poppies for our Remembrance Day Assembly on Wednesday, November 6th. There is also a poster contest that our class will do in-class but I will send home a note about it as we need a parent signature to say if we can mail in their posters to the Legion for judging. If chosen, their poster can compete at the provincial level and then even at the national level. If chosen then, they publish the poster in their annual calendar that is sold all over Canada. This is a contest for students from K to 7 but it is a good opportunity for our young students to have the experience of making a poster while thinking about Remembrance Day. Thank you!
- STAR OF THE WEEK: Congratulations to James who was our recent star! Here are a few things his classmates had to say about him...
James loves us all.
He is a good friend.
He likes everyone.
He plays nicely.
He is good at colouring.
What a star, James! We now look forward to celebrating our new star, Derek, this week.
Keep shining, all you Kindergarten stars!
Have a wonderful week and may God bless you all!
