Good evening!

I have written a great deal about the IB Learner Profile in my last few posts, as I want to stress their importance to the IB program and your child's growth and development.  In addition to the IB Learner Profile, there are also 12 IB Attitudes that are very important to the IB program.  You may find the 12 Attitudes listed below.  These Attitudes are yet another way that the IB program aims to help your child develop socially and emotionally, in addition to the academic program it provides.  Important characteristics like being independent, showing creativity and being tolerant of others are all emphasized and encouraged in the IB program.  You will find these attitudes and their definitions displayed in the classrooms at SJA, you will find that your child is studying what these attitudes are, and I hope that you will see and hear your child speaking and showing these traits at home!  Again, if you find your child showing these qualities in their actions at home, please send me an email to cnelson@stjudesacademy.com so they can be nominated for the IB Action Star of the month.

Have a great week,

Mrs. Nelson

Appreciation	appreciating the wonder and beauty of the world and its people
Commitment	being committed to their learning, persevering and showing self-discipline and responsibility
Confidence	feeling confident in their ability as learners, having the courage to take risks, applying what they have learned and making appropriate decisions and choices
Cooperation	cooperating, collaborating and leading or following as the situation demands
Creativity	being creative and imaginative in their thinking and in their approach to problems and dilemmas
Curiosity	being curious about the nature of learning and of the world, its people and cultures
Empathy	imaginatively projecting themselves into another's situation, in order to understand his/her thoughts, reasoning and emotions
Enthusiasm	enjoying learning
Independence	thinking and acting independently, making their own judgements based on reasoned principles and being able to defend their judgements
Integrity	having integrity and a firm sense of fairness and honesty
Respect	respecting themselves, others and the world around them
Tolerance	feeling sensitivity towards differences and diversity in the world and being responsive to the needs of others

Good evening!

I hope that is becoming clear to parents, both returning and new to SJA, how important the Learner Profile is to the IB program.  The Learner Profile helps the children develop into the type of kind, independent, and successful adults we all want for our children.  By focusing on this type of 'long-term education' IB has found a way to teach children important skills they will use the rest of their life.
I know that we do not all share the same type of learning style.  For those of you that are more visual learners, I found a nice slideshow that presents the 10 Learner Profile Attributes and includes a small description of each one.
Please click on the link below to be re-directed to the YouTube video on the IB Learner Profile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NFoxlRTvUs

Have a great week!

Mrs. Nelson

 

Good morning!

It is the start of a new month, which means we are ready to announce the new IB Learner Profile attribute that SJA will be focusing on.  As a reminder, the Learner Profile is an essential aspect of the IB program because it introduces 'a set of ideals that can inspire, motivate and focus the work of schools and teachers, uniting them in a common purpose.' (www.ibo.org).

For the month of December we are going to be looking for students who are 'Knowledgeable'.  Being a Knowledgeable student within the IB program means that students will 'explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance.  In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.' (www.ibo.org) 

Teachers are going to be on the look out for students who at showing these important qualities in their classrooms and in real world situations.  Don't forget, that we are also looking for nominations for the IB Action Star of the month for the school's newsletter.  If you witness your child showing an action that demonstrates them being Knowledgeable send me an email to let me know at cnelson@stjudesacademy.com. 

Have a great week!

Mrs. Nelson

Good afternoon!

Inquiry, or the concept of student-led learning, is one that is very close to the heart of the IB program.  It is a concept that allows both the students and the teacher to have the power, choice and direction over student learning.  This is something that I find to be very uplifting about the PYP program, and one of the reasons many students find such a connection to their education in an IB school.
The idea of inquiry not only puts the needs of the child first, it allows the child to present their own needs and use them to design their learning.  As you might imagine, this type of learning environment is one that is more challenging than simply sitting and learning out of a textbook, but it offers so much more to the children.  IB has recognized that children are inquisitive by nature, and often seek to find answers to questions they have from an early age.  The idea is to use this curiosity and develop it into a way to look at the world.  Don't just accept answers, don't just believe something because you were told to, don't assume that you can't change things.  Take your knowledge, independence, and inquiry skills and put your learning into action!
In the primary years of the PYP program, students are taught how to use their inquiry skills.  Student are shown that being wrong isn't an option, that they should have confidence in their abilities, and that they should take pride in problem solving and asking questions about the world around them.  As student progress through the PYP program into the upper years, they are given a chance to use these skills they have been developing and will start to design their own learning.  Students can find topics they are passionate about and ask their own questions and design their own pathways towards action and learning.  This is an incredible feat for an 12-year-old!  But this is something that is possible with the IB program.

Have a great week,

Mrs. Nelson

Good afternoon,

One area of IB that I have a great deal of admiration for is the concept of teaching to the 'whole child'.  In the IB Primary Youth Program (PYP) it has known that a child cannot properly develop when their academic side is the only area that is being challenged.  Instead, the PYP asks students and teachers to challenge themselves emotionally, academically and socially to become the most well-rounded, successful, happy and independent adults they can be.  As we know, life is not only about how well you can score on a test.  To be happy and successful we also must know how to connect with people, understand the world around us and be active in our own learning and success.  These initiatives we have in our daily lives share the vision of the PYP and are the framework used to create their pathway for success.
Students at St. Jude's are now nominating their peers for showing characteristics such as balanced, or principled.  Students at St. Jude's are taking their learning and putting it into real life situations.  Students at St. Jude's are introduced to a topic and creating their own paths towards inquiry.  These steps are possible because of the wonderful students we have the pleasure of working with everyday, the amazing staff at SJA and also because of the visions of the IB PYP.

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Nelson

Good afternoon!

I wanted to remind all parents and families that Remembrance Day falls on Sunday of this weekend.  This is a very special holiday that helps Canadians remember the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace.  Canadians often wear poppies to show their support of veterans and for the sacrifices they have made for our country and its citizens. 

This Sunday please remember to show your support at 11:11am with either a moment of silence at home or at your local cenotaph.

I know that I will be attending a ceremony at John McCrae school.  This is an important landmark in Guelph, as this is the hometown and childhood house of Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, the author of the famous poem 'In Flanders Fields'.

Additionally, any child who participates in Remembrance Day events will be awarded 10,000 house points from their homeroom teacher.

Have a great week,

Mrs. Nelson

Good afternoon!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween!

During the month of October St. Jude's Academy was focusing on the 'Risk-taker' attribute of the Learner Profile.  Congratulations to all the students who showed this important quality!

JKA: Andreas Savva

 

JKB: Jordan McPherson

JKB: Sarah Padovan

SK: Anastasia Callon

SK: Dolapo Kasumu

Gr. 1: Kian Sargood

Gr. 2: Aziz Patrawala

Gr. 3/4: Lukas Vokner

Gr. 5/6: Aaron Sun

Gr. 7/8: Evlyn Sun

French: Ninara Yousif

P.E: Cadance Tan

Drama: Kurtis Warner

 

For the month of November we are going to be looking for students who are 'Principled'.  This means that teachers are looking for students who 'act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.' (ibo.org).

Please help your child by reminding them of the Learner Profile attribute at home, and showing them examples of how one can act as a Principled citizen!

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Good afternoon!

A couple of times last week the teachers at St. Jude's Academy were lucky enough to spend some time at professional development sessions with other teachers from IB schools in Ontario where we learned about important IB initiatives.  These sessions gave us a chance to meet and share ideas with other teachers who are also going through the IB authorization process, have recently completed the process, or have been certified IB schools for years and years.  These events are always great because as a staff, we come back to SJA with new information and new ideas of how to better incorporate the IB framework into every part of the school environment.

One concept that was brought up a great deal at the various events was one that is close to the heart of the IB- International Mindedness.  The IB prides itself in its inclusiveness to all people and cultures around the world.  IB's mindset is that societies should be proud of and respect the differences in people, rather than try to ignore what is unfamiliar or what you don't yet understand.

Students who are a part of an IB school will be encouraged to become global citizens by being aware, educated and appreciative of the various cultures around the world.  As individuals living in or around the GTA, the perspective we have of family, public health, technology, politics and society are very different from an individual living in any other country around the world.  By being Internationally Minded, our students will not only recognize this, but they will start to seek out answers from another perspective or another culture to have a more deeper understanding of an issue.

Martin Luther King famously wrote 'What effects one directly, effects us all'.  International Mindedness shares this view that we must realize we are not alone and that we are only one piece of an enormous puzzle.  It is an exciting challenge to bring this way of thinking to the students at SJA. We cannot wait!


Have a great week,

Mrs. Nelson

Good evening,

One area of the IB program that I personally have a great deal of respect for is the concept of 'Actions'.  IB believes that teaching children is one thing, but to have true understanding of a concept students should be able to put the learning into action.  This is a theory that I have come to strongly agree with myself and since becoming a part of a school working towards its IB certification, I have started to be on the look out for students showing actions based on their learning.

One simple example of this would be a student who has learned about capitalization in their SK class.  Over many days this student has heard how important it is to use capitals at the beginning of every sentence, and how it helps readers to better understand their writing.  After a few days of listening about and practicing their capitals while writing, this student goes home and notices her mom hasn't used a capital in her note on the counter and mentions to her mom how important capital letters are in writing.  This is action!  This student has taken her learning and put it into use in the real world.   

This example may seem like just small progress but the concept of action eventually leads to bigger things like a student learning about poverty in Toronto and helping to start a community food drive, or a student hearing about discrimination against another student and organizing a school awareness assembly.  Action can be big or it can be small but either way it helps us to see that the students' learning has 'stuck' and that it is helping to make a difference in their lives and possibly the community.  This is the number one goal of a teacher.

If you witness any actions taking place from your child that you find interesting, exciting or inspiring please let us know.  I am looking to feature students in the monthly newsletter who have shown actions at home or at school.  Please send me an email at cnelson@stjudesacademy.com or speak with your child's teacher.

Have a great week,

Mrs. Nelson

Good afternoon!

It is the start of October today and this means some exciting things are going to be happening at St. Jude's Academy.  Halloween is coming up and on the 31st of October students are encouraged to come to school dressed up for the holiday or wearing fall harvest colours.  This coming Monday is Thanksgiving which is a day for us to spend celebrating with our families.  This coming Friday is SJA's first PD day of the year, which means there is no school for students.

Another exciting part of October is the new Learner Profile Attribute for the month.  For the month of October we are going to focus on Risk-takers.  A Risk-taker will 'approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.' (www.ibo.org).  Teachers and students will be on the look out for individuals who are showing qualities of a Risk-taker and one student from each class will be chosen to win the award for the month.

As a reminder, the Learner Profile is a large part of the IB program.  It is a way for students and teachers to recognize and develop important attributes in our students that fall outside of the' traditional' academic world.  Our philosophy is that by nurturing the emotional, spiritual and academic parts of our students, we will give them tools to become successful in all areas of life.

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Good afternoon!

If it wasn't for the cool nights and mornings it would be hard to believe that the first month of school is already over and fall is now upon us. As I have been popping in and out of the school this year I can see that the first month of school has been as big of a success as I hoped it would be. 

St. Jude's Academy has begun sending out monthly newsletters to all parents and families on the St. Jude's Academy email list.  This newsletter has important updates, reminders and a reflection on what has taken place over the last month at SJA.  If you have not received the newsletter or would like to and are not on the SJA email list please send me an email to receive a copy cnelson@stjudesacademy.com.  As this month is winding down so is the first IB Unit of Inquiry for the school year.  I hope that you have seen the fun, knowledge and life-skills that develop from these units. 

Each of the six IB units taught in every classroom at SJA has two 'key concepts' that are linked to the unit which are skills, questions and thinking patterns that the teachers hope to encourage in their students.  Please take a look at the key concepts that have been highlighted for your child's current Unit of Inquiry on the large board in the front foyer.  We have this information posted there so that parents can join in on the development of their children at home as well.  I have a break-down of the IB Key Concepts listed for you below so that you can see the skills and thought processing your child will be developing throughout this school year through these important key concepts.  These key concepts form questions that you can be asking your child at home as well to give them extra practice with these inquiry based skills.

Enjoy!

 

Form:  What is it like?	Describe, Name, and Tell
Function:  How does it work?	How does it…?    Why do we…?
Causation: Why is it the way it is?	Compare/Contrast How was it formed? How did it arrive at this state? Why did it happen that way?
Change: How does it change?	What if…? How does it adapt? What changes have occurred? Why did it change? In what ways…
Connection: How is it connected to other things?	Compare/Contrast How are these concepts interdependent? How are they the same/different? How are these ideas connected through time, space, people, things, or beliefs?
Perspective: What are the major points of view?	How many different ways…? Feeling, opinions, personification questions, advantages/disadvantages… What are the consequences of this point of view?
Responsibility: What is our/my responsibility?	How should we/I behave? Opinions, feelings, rights. Who should describe this? Ethics questions
Reflection: How do we know?	What did I know?  What do I know now? How did I know that to be true? What resources did I use to help form my opinion? Do you agree with the results?

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Good afternoon!

I have seen a lot of exciting things happening at SJA this year and have had lots of interesting chats with parents which has been great.  One question that seems to come up from time to time when I am speaking with parents it what is really means to be an IB school.  I thought I would take the opportunity to give a quick history of IB and why SJA has decided to become a part of it.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) began in 1968 as a way for the children of international diplomats and other world travelers to secure a standardized education.  IB has now grown to include over 3000 schools in 143 countries.  This shows the success and development of the program.

IB strives to develop each child academically, socially, and emotionally by focusing not only on their academic growth but on the 'whole child'.  This is why the IB attitudes, Learner Profile and the transdisiplinary skills are such a large part of the framework.  IB's Primary Youth Program (PYP) follows 6 standardized units which are the same 6 units that any child anywhere in the world in an IB school will be studying.  Teachers who teach at IB schools around the world use an interface to trade tips and success stories back and forth, which means that achievements at SJA could be heard around the world!

SJA has chosen to be a part of this impressive organization because we want our students to develop these important qualities that will help them to grow into successful and cultured adults that can find prosperity and happiness in any situations for years to come.

For more information about IB or SJA's progress in accreditation please speak to me, or have a look at IB's official website at www.ibo.org.

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Good morning!

The Learner Profile is a large part of the IB Primary Youth Program (PYP) which we are fully implementing at SJA while we work towards full accreditation.  The Learner Profile is a set of morals and ideals that have been created by the IB to help motivate and focus both students and teachers to develop intellectual, personal, emotional and social growth which is the essence of the IB program.

This month at St. Jude's Academy the Learner Profile we are focusing on is Caring.  To be a caring student means students show 'empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others.  They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment' (IBO.org).

If you hear or see any actions that highlight your child being caring in their daily life, please let their teacher know so that they can be recognized for this important quality.  Or please send me an email with their name and action and I can recognize them here on my blog.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Nelson

 

Good afternoon!

I hope that the first week back to school was a success for all students both old and new at St. Jude's Academy. 

I am going to be popping in and out of the school from time to time to check in on the IB accreditation process at SJA.  If you see me please stop to say hello, and also check in with any IB questions you may have as I am always interested in discussing our growth and development.

Have a great weekend!

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Good afternoon!


It has been an absolute pleasure having a class like the one I just had. Our class quickly connected, and spent a happy, insightful and inquiring year together where we learned and grew with each other.  I am truly going to miss each and every one of the unique personalities I had the joy of working with every day.


I also wanted to thank all the students and families who helped organize my wonderful baby shower.  It was such a wonderful surprise!  I have a lot of other fond memories as well that I will take with me on my year off.   I will look forward to returning to SJA for the 2013/14 school year!


All the best to all the students and their families over the summer.


Have a blessed and happy summer,


Mrs. Nelson 

Good afternoon!

We started off the day today with a writing activity.  As a class we all read a scary story about a boy and his friend Devin and a big, scary spider!  We went through the story and discussed all the important elements (who, where, when, problem and solution) and then the children wrote their own scary stories.  A great deal of interesting and creative stories were turned in today!  In language we also focused on sentence structure.  The students had to re-write scrambled sentences so that they would make sense, and also had to correct the endings on various sentences.  The students also finished their novel studies today!  They added in their dedication and created interesting and unique cover pages and then handed in all their hard work to be assessed.  The books and the completed rubrics are coming home with all the children tonight.   During Math today the children worked on subtracting double (and triple!) digit numbers, words problems, sums and differences, and temperature. The students also went to French and P.E classes today.

Homework:  Read for 15 minutes and record in the reading chart, practice spelling words, and finish math worksheet if necessary.

Important information:  
Some important dates are coming up.  Please make a note of the following:

Tonight-  SJA Graduation Night 

Tomorrow- Casual Day.  Students will get extra house points from Mr. Sawatsky if they come dressed in a colour from one of the countries still playing in the Euro Cup!

Tomorrow- Class Picnic.  Our class will be joining Ms. Chang and Ms. Elliot's class on a picnic for the afternoon.  We will be heading to Meadow Green and are having a fun day playing outdoor games and activities.  Children are asked to make sure they wear sun screen and bring hats and extra water bottles, as we will be outside from approximately 12:15 to 3:30.   Children are also asked to bring blankets/towels to sit on (if they choose), an old tie (if they would like to participate in a three-legged race), and old sock (for a tag game), and any other fun outdoor games they would like to bring for this fun filled afternoon!

June 15th- Last day of school (1/2 day).  This is a fun day.  Children are welcome to bring in treats if they would like to help celebrate our learning this school year.  Pick up at this day is 11:30.  After school charges will begin at 11:30 and will only be available until 4pm (not the usual 6pm).  

Graduation Night is an event that should be attended by all students and families if possible.  This is an exciting event where the graduating class at SJA will have their graduating ceremony.  All other grades are involved in this exciting event as well.   Each class is called up on stage to shake hands with Mr. Sawatsky and each child will receive their Certificate of Promotion for 'graduating' from one grade to the next.  Each class also has a few students who have been chosen to receive academic awards, which are also handed out that evening.   The event begins at 7pm and will last approximately 1 hour.  A dance will be held afterwards for all students and their families to attend.  I hope that all families and friends are able to attend tonight!

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Good afternoon!


We had an exciting morning here at SJA as we watched all the classes compete in the school-wide Spelling Bee.  All the students did very well, and I was very proud of our competitors!  The competition ended with 1st place going to Adam, 2nd place went to Taha and 3rd place went to Lukas.  Good job!
When we got back to class in the afternoon we read the final chapter of Winnie-the-Pooh.  The children got together with their reading groups for the last time and completed their final chapter summary.  In tomorrow's class they will do a quick review of their chapter to check for errors, complete their cover page and dedication, and then it is time to turn in all that hard work to be assessed using the novel study rubric.  The students also had a chance to work on spelling today.  The grade twos completed the last chapter of their Spelling Workbooks, and the grade ones had some extra spelling practice.  The students also went to French and Music classes today.

Homework:  Read for 15 minutes and record in the reading chart, practice spelling words, and complete spelling if necessary.

Important information:  
Some important dates are coming up.  Please make a note of the following:

June 13th-  SJA Graduation Night 

June 14th- Casual Day.  Students will get extra house points from Mr. Sawatsky if they come dressed in a colour from one of the countries still playing in the Euro Cup!

June 14th- Class Picnic.  Our class will be joining Ms. Chang and Ms. Elliot's class on a picnic for the afternoon.  We will be heading to Meadow Green and are having a fun day playing outdoor games and activities.  Children are asked to make sure they wear sun screen and bring hats and extra water bottles, as we will be outside from approximately 12:15 to 3:30.   Children are also asked to bring blankets/towels to sit on (if they choose), an old tie (if they would like to participate in a three-legged race), and old sock (for a tag game), and any other fun outdoor games they would like to bring for this fun filled afternoon!

June 15th- Last day of school (1/2 day).  This is a fun day.  Children are welcome to bring in treats if they would like to help celebrate our learning this school year.  Pick up at this day is 11:30.  After school charges will begin at 11:30 and will only be available until 4pm (not the usual 6pm).  

Graduation Night is an event that should be attended by all students and families if possible.  This is an exciting event where the graduating class at SJA will have their graduating ceremony.  All other grades are involved in this exciting event as well.   Each class is called up on stage to shake hands with Mr. Sawatsky and each child will receive their Certificate of Promotion for 'graduating' from one grade to the next.  Each class also has a few students who have been chosen to receive academic awards, which are also handed out that evening.   The event begins at 7pm and will last approximately 1 hour.  A dance will be held afterwards for all students and their families to attend.  I hope that all families and friends are able to attend!

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Happy Monday!

We had a different sort of day today, as the children spent the day completing their CAT tests.  I had an opportunity to work with the grade ones, and Ms. Poland got a chance to work with the grade twos.  The children all did a fabulous job staying on track and putting their best effort into these important assessments.

Homework:  Read for 15 minutes and record in the reading chart, and practice spelling words.

Important information:  
Some important dates are coming up.  Please make a note of the following:

June 12th (tomorrow)- SJA Spelling Bee.  This event will take place at 9am.  All families and friends are welcome to attend to watch the competition.  It is expected to run approximately one hour.  Each class will have a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner at the end of the competition.

June 13th-  SJA Graduation Night 

June 14th- Casual Day.  Students will get extra house points from Mr. Sawatsky if they come dressed in a colour from one of the countries still playing in the Euro Cup!

June 14th- Class Picnic.  Our class will be joining Ms. Chang and Ms. Elliot's class on a picnic for the afternoon.  We will be heading to Meadow Green and having a fun day playing outdoor games and activities.  Children are asked to make sure they wear sun screen and bring hats and extra water bottles, as we will be outside from approximately 12:15 to 3:30.   Children are also asked to bring blankets/towels to sit on (if they choose), an old tie (if they would like to participate in a three-legged race), and old sock (for a tag game), and any other fun outdoor games they would like to bring for this fun filled afternoon!

June 15th- Last day of school (1/2 day).  This is a fun day.  Children are welcome to bring in treats if they would like to help celebrate our learning this school year.  Pick up at this day is 11:30.  After school charges will begin at 11:30 and will only be available until 4pm (not the usual 6pm).  

Graduation Night is an event that should be attended by all students and families if possible.  This is an exciting event where the graduating class at SJA will have their graduating ceremony.  All other grades are involved in this exciting event as well.   Each class is called up on stage to shake hands with Mr. Sawatsky and each child will receive their Certificate of Promotion for 'graduating' from one grade to the next.  Each class also has a few students who have been chosen to receive academic awards, which are also handed out that evening.   The event begins at 7pm.  I hope that all families and friends are able to attend!

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Grade One                   Grade Two

1. attract                       1. hole

2. around                      2. whole

3. blend                         3. know

4. clown                        4. no

5. bother                        5. not

6. fruit                            6. knot

7. ghost                         7. ate

8. shiver                         8. eight

9. twist                           9. to

10. worth                       10. too

                                      11. two 
                                      12. right
                                      13. write 
                                      14. one
                                      15. won

Bonjour!

The students started off their day today by working on spelling.  We had our weekly spelling test, and then the children had a chance to work on their final Spelling Workbook chapter which was a workbook review.  The marked spelling tests will be coming home with all the children tonight.  The grade ones are also bringing home their completed Spelling Workbooks with them tonight.  These completed books can now be kept at home for your records.  All the spelling practice they had in the early morning was to get their minds ready for our in-class spelling contest!  We then had the contest and I was really proud of all the hard work that I can tell the students had put in to their studying.  We now have the 5 contestants from our class who will go on to compete in Tuesday's contest.  Congratulations to Zuri, Taha, Lukas, Adam and Aziz!   During language today we read another chapter of Winnie-the-Pooh and the students completed their chapter summaries in their novel study groups.   In math today the students worked on word problems, temperature, telling time and sums and differences.  They also went to French and P.E class today.

Homework:  Read for 15 minutes and record in the reading chart, re-write incorrect spelling words ten times each (including the bonus word), and finish math worksheet if necessary.

Important information:  
Some important dates are coming up.  Please make a note of the following:

June 12th- SJA Spelling Bee.  This event will take place at 9am.  All families and friends are welcome to attend to watch the competition.  It is expected to run approximately one hour.  Each class will have a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner at the end of the competition.

June 13th-  SJA Graduation Night 

June 15th- Last day of school (1/2 day).  This is a fun day.  Children are welcome to bring in treats if they would like to help celebrate our learning this school year.  Pick up at this day is 11:30.  After school charges will begin at 11:30 and will only be available until 4pm (not the usual 6pm).  

Graduation Night is an event that should be attended by all students and families if possible.  This is an exciting event where the graduating class at SJA will have their graduating ceremony.  All other grades are involved in this exciting event as well.   Each class is called up on stage to shake hands with Mr. Sawatsky and each child will receive their Certificate of Promotion for 'graduating' from one grade to the next.  Each class also has a few students who have been chosen to receive academic awards, which are also handed out that evening.   The event begins at 7pm.  I hope that all families and friends are able to attend!

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Nelson

Happy Thursday!


Thank you so much to all the friends and families that came out to take part in Arts Night last night.  The event was a great success, and I think all the children had a great time showing off their artistic talents!

The students started off their day today by working our IB unit of inquiry.  In today's class the students all showed their Reflection skills, as they took a look back through the school year and  reflected on important learning and events that have happened.   We then turned these reflections into the 'student comment' section of the report cards that will be distributed next Friday.  During language today we had a lesson regarding proper sentences, and what it takes to be a proper sentence.  The students also completed their cursive books today which was a big event!  All the children are bringing home their completed cursive books with them tonight.  These books can now stay at home as they have all been successfully completed.  In math today the students worked on word problems, counting money, telling time and sums and differences.  They also went to French and P.E class today (since we missed P.E yesterday).

Homework:  Read for 15 minutes and record in the reading chart, practice weekly spelling words, and finish math worksheet if necessary.

Important information:  
Some important dates are coming up.  Please make a note of the following:

June 8th- In-class Spelling Bee competition.  The children will compete to see which 5 students will be chosen to enter into the June 12th whole-school competition.  

June 8th- Grade 6 Exhibition Presentations  (Grade 6's will be presenting their final PYP assessment from 1 - 3pm.  This is a large assessment piece that all IB students must successfully complete in order to graduate from the PYP program.  Invitations have gone home with every student.  Come and see what it is all about!)

June 12th- SJA Spelling Bee.  This event will take place at 9am.  All families and friends are welcome to attend to watch the competition.  It is expected to run approximately one hour.  Each class will have a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner at the end of the competition.

June 13th-  SJA Graduation Night 

June 15th- Last day of school (1/2 day).  This is a fun day.  Children are welcome to bring in treats if they would like to help celebrate our learning this school year.  Pick up at this day is 11:30.  After school charges will begin at 11:30.


SJA Yearbooks are on sale tomorrow at 1st recess for $6.00.  It is a first come, first serve sale.  Please send your child with $6.00 if you would like them to purchase one.

Graduation Night is an event that should be attended by all students and families if possible.  This is an exciting event where the graduating class at SJA will have their graduating ceremony.  All other grades are involved in this exciting event as well.   Each class is called up on stage to shake hands with Mr. Sawatsky and each child will receive their Certificate of Promotion for 'graduating' from one grade to the next.  Each class also has a few students who have been chosen to receive academic awards, which are also handed out that evening.   The event begins at 7pm.  I hope that all families and friends are able to attend!

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Good afternoon!

The students started off the day today working on math.  As a class we worked on measurement, sums and differences and ordinal numbers.  During our IB unit of inquiry today the children painted illustrations to accompany the environmental poems we have been working on.  We has a discussion about how art can be highlight and develop writing, and they put this theory into use with their paintings today.  The poems and the paintings will be on display at Arts Night tonight.   In the afternoon we read another chapter of Winnie-the-Pooh and the children worked on their chapters in their novel study groups.  This novel study has been a great deal of fun, and we only have two chapters left!   We had whole-school dress rehearsals for tonight's Arts Night concert as well today.  The hard work these children have been putting in has really shown.  We are all very excited for friends and family to see the performance tonight!  They also went to French class today.

Homework:  Read for 15 minutes and record in the reading chart, practice weekly spelling words, and finish math worksheet if necessary.

Important information:  
Some important dates are coming up.  Please make a note of the following:

Tonight- Arts Night 7pm  (All families are friends are welcome to attend.  All classes will be presenting)

June 8th- In-class Spelling Bee competition.  The children will compete to see which 5 students will be chosen to enter into the June 12th whole-school competition.  Please note, this date is a change from the original date that had our in-class competition being tomorrow.  It is now in fact on Friday.

June 8th- Grade 6 Exhibition Presentations  (Grade 6's will be presenting their final PYP assessment from 1 - 3pm.  This is a large assessment piece that all IB students must successfully complete in order to graduate from the PYP program.  Invitations have gone home with every student tonight.  Come and see what it is all about!)
June 12th- SJA Spelling Bee
June 13th-  SJA Graduation Night 
June 15th- Last day of school (1/2 day).  This is a fun day.  Children are welcome to bring in treats if they would like to help celebrate our learning this school year.

Our class' costumes for tonight's performance is 'spring inspired' clothing.  This could mean spring coloured clothing (light pink, blue, yellow, green, purple), spring prints, etc. 

 We are asking that members of the SJA choir come to school wearing 'spring colours' for our performance tonight.  This could mean nice spring colours, flower prints, etc.  

Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Happy Tuesday!

It was nice to be back to school today after a day off with a head cold yesterday.

The students started off the day today with a writing activity.  As a class we read and explored funny stories and broke them down into parts.  We discussed the important parts of a story (characters, setting, problem and solution) and then the children wrote their own funny stories.  A lot of interesting stories were created today which was great to see!  During our IB unit of inquiry today the children took their environmental poems that they created last week and turned their rough copies into good copies.   During tomorrow's IB unit the children are going to create paintings to accompany the message that they are broadcasting with these poems.  In the afternoon we had a whole-school dress rehearsal for tomorrow's Arts Night concert.  The children also worked on posters that they will be displaying during our class' performance.  They also went to French and music classes.

Homework:  Read for 15 minutes and record in the reading chart, practice weekly spelling words, practice Arts Night song, and locate flags for Arts Night.

Important information:  
Some important dates are coming up.  Please make a note of the following:

June 6th- Arts Night 7pm  (All families are friends are welcome to attend.  All classes will be presenting)

June 7th- In-class Spelling Bee competition.  The children will compete to see which 5 students  will be chosen to enter into the June 12th whole-school competition.June 8th- Grade 6 Exhibition Presentations  (Grade 6's will be presenting their final PYP assessment from 1 - 3pm.  This is a large assessment piece that all IB students must successfully complete in order to graduate from the PYP program.  Come and see what it is all about!)
June 12th- SJA Spelling Bee
June 13th-  SJA Graduation Night 
June 15th- Last day of school (1/2 day).  This is a fun day.  Children are welcome to bring in treats if they would like to help celebrate our learning this school year.

Our class is performing at Arts Night with all the other classes at SJA.  Our class has been working hard getting ready for this fun event, and I really hope that all friends and families are able to attend.  Our class' costumes for the event are going to be 'spring inspired' clothing.  This could mean spring coloured clothing (light pink, blue, yellow, green, purple), spring prints, etc.  Please encourage your child to practice their Arts Night song at home.  Here is a link for the song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d87N9GIW2I .  All children have a copy of the lyrics in their home folders.

I have asked the students to bring in flags they may have at home to be used during our class' Arts Night performance.  We are looking to wave flags from around the world as we sing our song.  If any families have flags at their homes that they could send in to be used for this purpose, that would be great!  I am going to start collecting flags on Monday and will have them sent back home to you as soon as our class finishes their performance.

The SJA Choir is having our next performance at Arts Night.  I hope that all students have been practising our choir song at home!  We are asking that members of the choir come to school wearing 'spring colours' for our performance.  This could mean nice spring colours, flower prints, etc.  

If your child is part of the SJA choir, please make sure they are practicing the choir song at home.  You can find the song lyrics athttp://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/theparenttrap/doyoubelieveinmagic.htm and play the song for them at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKyGyH9mWHk.  The choir's next performance is going to be at Arts Night on June 6th.


Best regards,

Mrs. Nelson

Good afternoon!

The students started off the day today with their weekly spelling test.  The marked spelling tests will be coming home with all students tonight.  I asked that all incorrectly spelled words be re-written ten times each (including the bonus word).   During our IB unit of inquiry today, we had to have a change of plans, as our sculptures were not dry and therefore were not ready to be painted.  Instead, we moved on to our next project which is a poetry project!  The students were asked to write rough copies of poems about the environment.  As a class we did a brainstorm of everything we have learned in our Sharing the Planet unit so far, and the students were asked to use some of those ideas and turn them into poems.  When we come back next week they are going to do their poem good copies, and then a painting to accompany their poetry.  In the afternoon we had an art lesson.  The students learned all about a famous Russian artist named 'Wassily Kandinsky'.  Kandinsky has a famous style of showcasing trees.  As a class we did our own version of Kandinsky trees which came out very nice!   They also went to French and P.E classes.

Homework:  Read for 15 minutes and record in the reading chart, practice weekly spelling words, practice Arts Night song, finish rough copy of environment poem, and locate flags for Arts Night.

Important information:  
Some important dates are coming up.  Please make a note of the following:

June 6th- Arts Night 7pm  (All families are friends are welcome to attend.  All classes will be presenting)
June 8th- Grade 6 Exhibition Presentations  (Grade 6's will be presenting their final PYP assessment from 1 - 3pm.  This is a large assessment piece that all IB students must successfully complete in order to graduate from the PYP program.  Come and see what it is all about!)
June 12th- SJA Spelling Bee
June 13th-  SJA Graduation Night 
June 15th- Last day of school (1/2 day).  This is a fun day.  Children are welcome to bring in treats if they would like to help celebrate our learning this school year.

Our class is performing at Arts Night with all the other classes at SJA.  Our class has been working hard getting ready for this fun event, and I really hope that all friends and families are able to attend.  Our class' costumes for the event are going to be 'spring inspired' clothing.  This could mean spring coloured clothing (light pink, blue, yellow, green, purple), spring prints, etc.  Please encourage your child to practice their Arts Night song at home.  Here is a link for the song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d87N9GIW2I .  All children have a copy of the lyrics in their home folders.

I haver asked the students to being in flags they may have at home to be used during our class' Arts Night performance.  We are looking to wave flags from around the world as we sing the song.  If any families have flags at their homes that they could send in to be used for this purpose, that would be great!  I am going to start collecting flags on Monday and will have them sent back home to you as soon as our class finishes their performance.

The SJA Choir is having our next performance at Arts Night.  I hope that all students have been practising our choir song at home!  We are asking that members of the choir come to school wearing 'spring colours' for our performance.  This could mean nice spring colours, flower prints, etc.  

Information for SJA Summer Camps are now available.  SJA offers a range of camps over the summer months with a variety of themes ranging from karate camps, to writing camps to traditional summer camps programs.  Please contact the school for more information about these exciting programs.

If your child is part of the SJA choir, please make sure they are practicing the choir song at home.  You can find the song lyrics athttp://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/theparenttrap/doyoubelieveinmagic.htm and play the song for them at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKyGyH9mWHk.  The choir's next performance is going to be at Arts Night on June 6th.


Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Nelson