We Had A Wonderful Time!

Dear Parent(s),

I am so pleased with the "chore" money that the students generated by the efforts
which enable me to purchase two "Double Connect Four" games, as well as $25
worth of baby items for the Food Bank. I trust that this experience reminded the
students of the many blessings that we often take for granted.

Our activity and lunch with our ESL Buddies was a smashing success! The Gr. 4's
and their buddy collaborated to produce an intricately designed snowflake in varying
shades of blue which was assembled over a 40 minute period. Improving focus, yeah!
Hopefully, they will be up on the bulletin board by the office in the New Year to enjoy.
Three simultaneous games of "Hot Potato" were played with the event ending in a
shared lunch and warm hot chocolate. It was a treat to see smiles on so many faces.

I am pleased to say that we have enough sign-up for a wonderful Thursday lunch.Thanks
for your generosity in a very busy week. There is nothing like sharing a lunch together!

Hope to see many of you on or at the rink on Friday!

Kathe

Just Making Sure!

If you have already read the green notice today, this is a duplicate.


Dear Parent(s),

It’s so hard to believe that we are into the second week of December! I am working hard to keep the busyness of the season in perspective and not loose the wonder associated with our Saviour’s birth. I’m sure many of you are in the same situation. Please note the following Grade 4 activities:

     

1.    Elementary Christmas Concert: Thursday, Dec. 9^th at 7:00 at WRCA.

Grade 4’s are to be dressed in their uniform( including their sweater) that has been recently laundered and meet in their portable no earlier than 6:30, please.

2.    Class Gift Purchases: Please be reminded that the money from chores ($2 - $3) must be in the classroom by Friday the 10^th  so the students have a chance to see the fruit of their efforts.

3.    Gr. 4 and ESL Party (Wed., Dec. 15^th): The ESL Buddies of the Gr. 4 will join them from 10:30 – 12:00 for an activity and to eat their lunches together. Please include a snack for their ESL Buddy in Wednesday’s lunch.

4.    Thursday’s Social Quiz (Dec. 16^th): I’m sorry about the timing, but the class agreed that they would rather have the quiz before Christmas so they can enjoy their vacation. It is a short unit and there will be review time in class as well as their at-home studying. The “Getting Along” unit duotang will not be due until the first week in January, but can be handed in at the time of the quiz for those that are ready.

5.    Class Party(Thursday, Dec. 16^th):  Come in and sign up on the goody sheet on the classroom bulletin board. Hopefully the pooled items will replace the need for a lunch that day. I’ll let you know. Please have all food items in the classroom by recess.

6.    Elementary Family Skate (Friday, Dec., 17^th):   Please take note of the location change at the Centenial  Arena.  Those students not going home with their parents, will return to W.R.C.A. for lunch and the 1:10 dismissal.

Many blessings as you prepare for the amazing celebration of Christ’s birth,

 Mrs. K. Good

Short and Sweet! #2 I'm Back!

Just a few reminders:

1. Both pages of the Snow Form, and both sides of each form, along with the cheque
    must be in by Friday.
2. We have a credit at the symphony, so Mr. MacLeod will determine if the Gr. 4's
     will attend this year.
3. The Science Fair partners are determined by the students with the approval of
    their parents. Please inform me of the pairings as they form. Student and parent
    booklets were sent home today. I do not have second copies.
4. Report cards out on Friday.
5. Leggings for girls are non-uniform.
6. Mohawk hair cuts are non-uniform for boys.
7. Please check for our missing uniform pieces( grey pants:  Kyle, Luc  
                                                                       cardigan:      Kylie is missing two)

8. Those of you sending apples in lunches, need to check with your children if
    they are eating them.
9. Correction: "All About Me" project is due on Friday, Dec. 10th.
10. The Ten Days of Christmas is being accompanied by 10 DOO, which means
      that the Grade 4's will be thinking of others for the next 10 days. Pray for them
      that it becomes meaningful.

Happy December,
Kathe

Chilly Willy Update!

I think that really dates me, doesn't it? Anyway, we are all being reminded that it is far colder than normal but I wanted you to be aware of the following updates:

We are delighted to have the following Grade 4 Moms, who expressed a desire to come to the symphony on Thursday, to be part of our day:  Michelle Biffart, Lori Bryerton, Barbara Hogendoorn, Connie DeJong and Lyndell Richert. Please be at the school by 10:20 Thursday, realizing that we will be returning by 2:30. If your plans have changed in any way, please let me know by Wednesday so that we can make the ticket available to someone else. Please remember to give me a cheque for $6.50, payable to WRCA.

This promises to be an amazing experience, one that I am so glad that you are able to share with your child.


Secondly, our boys are having challenges in the change room and are missing numerous clothing items. Please, please, check the labels on your son's clothing to make sure that they are his. We have parents checking the Lost and Found twice a week in the hopes of finding the missing items and I know that their frustration is mounting.

Thanks so much,
Kathe

PS  I hear the weather is supposed to break. I won't tell you how many prayer requests we've had for blizzards.

Symphonic Hall of Fame

The Grade 4's will be attending the Symphonic Hall of Fame performance on November 25th. We will be leaving the school at 10:45 and returning by 1:45.

At this time, there are no parent tickets, but if you are interested in attending at the cost of $6.50, please send a note by Tuesday, Nov. 9th at 8:30 in the morning and we will see if we can secure tickets. We will keep you posted.

Kathe

Winter Uniform Update

Hello Parents and Elementary Students,

With winter approaching and the weather turning colder and colder, as elementary teachers, we have been discussing student attire. We would like to encourage all parents to purchase a WRCA sweater, if you haven't already. When you do, please write your child's first and last name on the inside tag. These sweaters not only look great, but are very warm and, well, mandatory uniform at WRCA!

A new policy that we are implementing with student footwear is as follows: students are encouraged to keep a pair of shoes in their classroom to wear during class. This inside footwear must meet the uniform guidelines for the boys and the girls.  Boots can be worn to school and during outside break times only. Before going outside for recess or lunch, students will be given the opportunity to change into their boots. This new policy will help keep students' feet warm and will keep our classrooms cleaner.

We also want to ask the parent community for their support in helping keep our children safe at lunch recess. We are in need of more parent supervisors from 12:00 to 12:45. Thank you to many of you who have faithfully shown up and supervised our children.

Sincerely,

The Elementary Staff of WRCA

A Great Time Was Had By All!

What a wonderful learning experience for the Grade 4's and their parents, myself
included, as we were privileged to be able to experience so much of what the Lynn
Canyon Ecology Centre had to offer. To learn under an experienced guide of the
temperate rain forest and then to be taken to explore the suspension bridge, the
many hiking paths and The Falls Bridge, to conclude with the examination of our
collection of forest samples using a projection magnifier, made us all feel like
discovers. We examined so many varieties of beautiful fungi, saw nurse stumps,
and "Oh" so much more, as we recognized a few of the well-known species of
Western Hemlock, Old Growth Cedar and Pine, as we actually experienced walking
under the canopy, among the understory, shrub and herb layers that provided a
beautiful backdrop to our trail. The importance of the forest floor and soil layer
became very clear to us as we realized everything else depended upon it.
Temperature, light, PH and water samples were also gathered, so we felt very scientific.

A very special thanks to seven, brave moms in gum boots who so willingly gave of their
 time to make the day even more of a memory for us. Thanks as well to Mr. Loewen
who was our great driver to and from the event.

God made this a special day with glorious sunshine and we were able to enjoy the
beauty and majesty of his amazing creation while applying what the students had been
learning through their study of "Habitats."

Blessings to all,
Kathe

Happy November 1st!.................A Second Attempt!

It was great to hear about the enjoyable weekend that the Grade 4's had. It sounds
like they will have quite a selection of candy for the next number of days, but
hopefully it will stretch into weeks. As we are still building towards ability to focus
 through lessons and discussions, I would appreciate that all treats be left at home.
Any gummies given out in class are rare, and are used to recognize appropriate
student choices.


Please be reminded that our fieldtrip to Lynn Canyon is tomorrow. Your child needs
 to wear their uniform but needs to be ready to participate outside so a jacket and
boots is a must! Please send snacks and lunch in a brown bag that is labelled
 with your child's name.

Any moms attending the field trip to "Lynn Canyon" tomorrow must be at school at
regular starting time. TO CLARIFY: We are taking the medium bus, so there is room
for all wanting to attend. Please be ready for the outdoor weather and when the guides
are speaking to the children, please refrain from prompting or answering for them.
What a great time for you to be together, but just be aware how visiting voices may be
distracting for already excited children!

Looking forward to an awesome learning experience at Lynn Canyon. So happy to
have all of you along.

Kathe Good

Help Needed!

Please be on the look out for a black "Volcom" backpack and an "Umbro" gym bag
 belonging to Lucas Biffart. Both items were left on the field after school last Thursday.
Cameron returned to look for them on the field at 5:00 but neither were to be found.

If you know of there whereabouts, please contact Michelle or Cameron Biffart.

Thanks on their behalf,
Kathe Good

Habitat Quiz Study Guide

Students should be aware of:

What is a habitat?

Plant Layers in a Forest ----Common forest animals and their behaviours

Wetland Importance ---Common animals and plants in a Wetland Habitat

Features of Desert Plants----Common Desert Animals & How They Survive

Areas of a Mountain Habitat----Common Mountain Animals & How They Survive

The Parts of a Food Chain--------Be able to draw a food chain.

The quiz on Monday, Nov. 1st contains the following types of questions:

True/False, completing a Habitat Chart with provided information,

Short Answer & Labeling a Diagram.

A test typically follows this pattern:

1.      I read the quiz over with the students.

2.      I have a volunteer pray before the students start writing.

3.      Students can ask questions at any time through the quiz.

4.      I will attempt to reword a question to promote understanding.

5.      During the marking process, if students are close to
   understanding, I will always do an “Oral Check” with them to
   ensure their mark best reflects their learning.



Happy habitating,

Mrs. Kathe Good

An Unbelievable Effort Leads To Success!

For the past number of weeks, many of the Grade 4’s have been involved in the Tuesday/Thursday Rain or Shine Cross Country training. The consistency of their effort paid off in both the girls and boys placing first in the Grade 4 race at the Christian Elementary Cross Country Meet held today.  Congratulations, Grade 4’s. I am so proud of you all! Their performance was so strong, that they managed to place third in the meet overall even though they were missing both the Grade 6 and 7 teams who are at Moss.

A special thanks to a wonderful team of coaches, headed by Mrs. Lorraine Whitmarsh, who were there every step of the way to support the Grade 4’s in this physical challenge. And last, but not least, a thanks goes to so many of our parents who were involved in the practices, the extra driving and shifting of schedules and those that were able to support through encouragement and cheerleading.

All are welcome to come in and see the trophies.

Mrs. Kathe Good

A New Beginning!

Dear Parent(s),

 How can we not reflect on God's goodness to us as we celebrated Thanksgiving with family and friends as we sat around such abudant tables? I was thrilled to be able to make the family favourites as we spent time with our children and my husband's parents. From the students' journal entries, I see that many of you experienced the same blessings.

Through my time away from the classroom, I have prayerfully decided to address the number of student and parent concerns stemming from verbal exclusion at recess, by revisiting our class agreements and teaching a series of lessons to highlight social awareness.  I will continue to use the Young Peacemaker’s program that was begun last year to provide instruction in conflict resolution.

This is a great opportunity to discuss your child’s recess experiences. Please watch for any lessons materials that may be coming home to reinforce what is going on in the classroom. I would also appreciate your prayers for wisdom as I challenge the class to "be the one that makes the difference."

Thank you in advance for your support in this process,

Kathe Good

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's so hard to believe that we will soon be celebrating Thanksgiving! I wish you the most joyous family time as you celebrate with the abundance of delicious food that is so much a part of our Canadian traditions. We have so much to be thankful for. I know that some of you are traveling to be with loved ones and pray that your journey will be safe. I know that I am looking forward to creating some wonderful memories with my family and pray that through this holiday time you will experience a refreshing of God's love.

Please be reminded that the summer uniform is finished this week and that your child is expected to return to school Tuesday, Oct. 12th in their full winter uniform. I know that many of the students will appreciate the added warmth. As you know, hoodies are not to be worn in the classroom, so please be sure that your child is warm enough during classroom hours which may mean the purchase of the school sweater.


Thanks for all the at-home reading. I just love seeing all those reading sheets. Please be reminded that the Scholastic book orders are due Tues., Oct. 12th.
God Bless You All,

Kathe Good

A Great First Day!

Week of Sept. 7th to 10th:

Cheerful faces, awesome attitudes, eager to share..............what more could a teacher want? It is a privilege to be your child's teacher this year. I look forward to getting to know you both much better.

I am available most days after school, but check above the class bulletin board which is to the right as you come into the Grade 4 portable and you will see some hints as to my location. I might be at my desk, outside on duty, in a meeting or at the photocopier. Hopefully this will make it easier to find me. I can also be reached on my school webmail at: goodk@wrca.bc.ca .

Please note that the cheque for the Grade 4 school supplies is only for $40.00.

Hudson Stobbe is at Children's Hospital in Vancouver recovering from a serious eye infection and will likely
be there until the weekend. I know the Stobbe's would appreciate your prayers.

Needing parent hours? Please consider the following:

a.  wash the covers of pillows that are used during quiet reading (SQUIRT).
b.  cover classroom books to extend their lifespan. The librarians or myself can
     provide the first lesson.
c.  3 reliable parents needed once a month to assist with the Grade 4 Service Project of
    152nd St.Clean-up.This is generally a rain or shine event, but I draw the line at pouring
    rain or snow. Parent focus is needed so sibling involvement is not recommended.
    This does not necessarily need to be a commitment for a year, but I am looking for an
    extended involvement.

This tends to be a long week for these "new Grade 4"s" so routine and early bedtimes will help them in their adjustment.

Drop in to say, "Hello."

Mrs. Kathe Good

Welcome to Grade 4!