Dear Families,
Week #8 - check!  Thank you boys and girls for yet another successful distance learning week!  Many of you are really getting into the novel study and are excited for chapter #6 and #7.  Your enthusiasm and dedication to your daily tasks is appreciated!!  It makes me even MORE EXCITED TO PLAN AND PREPARE having your interests in mind all the time.

Can you tell it's me!?  HAHA!  My former colleague made this for me.

It's fairly wet and rainy out there now!  But, I see sun and cloud in the forecast for the weekend.  I hope you'll enjoy it and take time for yourselves to rest and relax.  Parents - YOU DESERVE IT!

Responsibility:

Next month's character trait is Responsibility – “We do the right thing even when ... 
NO ONE IS WATCHING!”

Throughout our school year, I've had numerous discussions with my students about the importance of always being accountable for our thoughts, words, and actions.  We must all take responsibility for this as it is vital to ensure the safety, success, and happiness for ourselves and others.

Recognition:

As many have gathered and know, I have always been passionate about character education and helping my students develop a growth mindset.  

I am honoured to be featured in the June issue of Professionally Speaking Magazine.

The link to the article is posted below.  

Great Teaching - CHARACTER DRIVEN!

This article shares my journey to teaching and how much I value helping children not only grow as students, but into the best people they can be!!

The reason I am sharing this with you all is not for a congratulations, but to HIGHLIGHT some of the wonderful things that WE did as a class family this year that I am so proud of!!

Namely:

• Brain Gym (exercising our brain helpers to help us think, focus, and BE OUR BEST)
• Bowls for Beds (raising awareness and supporting homeless youth in our community)
• Empathy Assembly (guiding our school to be empathetic in our thoughts, words, actions)
• Stone Soup (building a community and opening our hearts and minds to being a class family) 
• Gratitude Stones (having an attitude of gratitude each and everyday) 
• Developing a Growth Mindset (F.A.I.L. = first attempt in learning; practice makes progress; F.E.A.R. = face everything and rise; N.O. = next opportunity)

I have and will always cherish my face to face memories that I have with my students, they're sealed in my heart!!  It has been a life-long dream of mine to be a teacher and to have the opportunity to teach your child this year (for some 2 years) has been a true blessing!!

This article has only further inspired me to BE BETTER and to DO MORE for the students of Nottawa and our wider community.  I have some goals in mind and I am excited to share these with you in the coming years!  

Ms. McNichol:
Thank you Ms. McNichol for hosting a virtual lesson on Bees for my students on Monday morning!  It was very informative and interesting for us all :)  I especially LOVED all the purposeful questions that students had for Ms. McNichol.  It shows me how curious you are about the process of making honey and BEES.

Some families were asking so I will write the information below for you.  If you're interested in purchasing this local YUMMY honey made by Ms. McNichol and her partner James, feel free to contact: james@collingwoodhoneyfarms.ca

Please note, FREE local delivery for $15.00 minimum purchase or arrange for a contact less pick up from their driveway!  Trust me when I say, this HONEY IS THE BEST I'VE EVER HAD!!  Made with PURE LOVE and PASSION!

Google Meet:

With having Ms. McNichol on our Google Meet on Monday, it has inspired me to move towards having 'THEME BASED' Meets!  Meaning, each week, I will create a theme or subject matter that will be the focus.  This week was all about Bees!

Monday's Meet Theme:  TELL A JOKE!

I would like for your child to be prepared to share 1 joke with their peers and friends!!  Here's an example to get you thinking:  What kind of bagel flies?  Answer:  A PLAIN bagel.  HAHA!  Get it!? 

In today's optional Meet, I shared this joke with the students who joined and they were excited and enjoyed this!!  Let's start off our Monday (Jun. 1st) with a SMILE & LAUGHTER shall we :-)

Cameron, Felix, Lou, Molly, Orin, Thomas

Georgian Humane Society:

In keeping with a theme and focus, I contacted the Georgian Humane Society to join one of our Google Meets!!  Stay tuned for this!  It will most like take place in mid-June and either on a Tues. or Wed.  I just finished an email exchange with one of the coordinators so she'll get back to me next week with specifics. 

Georgian Humane Society is offering educational programming during school closures.  Their focus will be on children learning about the human-animal bond and how it promotes EMPATHY and COMPASSION for all living things from the comfort of your own homes.  How meaningful!!

Below I have posted a video welcoming everyone to the Humane Education Program at G.T.H.S!  Check it out!

NASA:

On Wednesday afternoon, NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration went LIVE.  They were providing a public watch as history unfolded to launch astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station.

This mission was to mark the first time since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011 that humans would have flown to the space station from U.S. soil.

However, because of "threatening weather conditions in Florida," it was called off.  They will make ANOTHER attempt on Saturday (May 30th) at 3:22 p.m., weather permitting.  Please tune in if you can!!  It should be a wonderful LIVE to be part of :-)

Kali:

Thank you Ms. Pyjor for these pictures of Kali enjoying a SWEET TREAT (YUM)!  I really like how Kali's showing Nighthawk pride with her Nottawa spirit wear (hoodie)!  The gratitude in her smile shines ever so brightly!!  Namaste.

I remember as a child, it was ALWAYS so exciting to get a new bike!!  Here's Kali's!  Isn't the colour of it great!?  I love it!  Spring's here so it's a perfect time to get outside and venture out on two wheels to get in some exercise and seize the fresh air!

I'm sure many of you can relate to Kali cruising around on your bikes.  Please extend your gratitude to your parents for this.  It is because of THEM that we have these fun items to use and explore with!

Liam:
Thank you Mrs. Mckee for sharing this precious photo!  It sure was a steamy week, but definitely welcomed as we had SNOW just a mere few weeks ago!!  Here's Liam chillin' in his siblings kiddie pool :)  Hey, anything to help COOL OFF!  Looks refreshing!

Mindfulness:
Metta Bhavana, or loving-kindness meditation, is a method of developing compassion. Loving-kindness, or metta, as it in called in the Pali language, is unconditional, inclusive love, a love with wisdom. It has no conditions; it does not depend on whether one “deserves” it or not; it is not restricted to friends and family; it extends out from personal categories to include all living beings. How beautiful is that!?

There are no expectations of anything in return. This is the ideal, pure love, which everyone has in potential. We begin with loving ourselves, for unless we have a measure of this unconditional love and acceptance for ourselves, it is difficult to extend it to others. Then we include others who are special to us, and, ultimately, all living things.

Gradually, both the visualization and the meditation phrases blend into the actual experience, the feeling of loving kindness evolves and is abundant. FEEL it. BREATHE it. LIVE it.

Growth Mindset:

Namaste,

Ms. Gill