Its That Time Again.... Christmas Concert!!

It is hard to believe but our Christmas Concert is right around the corner! This might sound crazy, but because of our early Christmas break, and our very full December schedule, our Christmas Concert is less than 3 weeks away!!  It is scheduled for early December, with the following show times: 
Dec. 7th
Dress Rehearsal (Marysville students come and watch us)
1pm performance for families
Dec. 8th 
1pm performance for families
6pm performance for families
As usual, we will ask families to limit their attendance to one showtime, as our gym is so small and our seating is always limited. 

This year for our concert, our school will be performing our version of the book and movie, Olive, The Other Reindeer. As has been done in past years, the whole school will sing an introduction and finale song, the Grade 3s will have speaking lines, and each class will sing its own unique song as part of the play.

Our class song is "We're Not So Bad," which is sung by the rebel/ misfit/ blue collar residents of the North Pole. We have started learning our song and your child will be asked to start practising at home soon.

Costumes
The costumes for this song are quite open to interpretation. All of the kids should be either reindeer or elves, who are a bit funky/ different/ rebellious. Think elves or reindeer wearing dark sunglasses, leather jackets, jean jackets, an eye patch, a studded collar, blue jeans,"trucker hats" etc. A reindeer could have a funny coloured nose, a bow tie for a nose, or unusual antlers (maybe only 1 antler or even 3). You may be able to recycle some of our Who costumes from last year!

Please let me know if you have any issues helping your child with a costume or if you need additional ideas. Also, please let me know if you have extra costume materials that another student could potentially borrow.

I would like to start compiling our costumes at school ASAP. Please send your child's completed costume to school by December 1st at the latest. 

Here is a copy of the lyrics of our song.

We’re Not So Bad

Mrs. Pasiechnyk’s Class

We’re not so bad

When you’re this far north,

With no sunlight,

Sometimes tempers fray.

Life’s hard enough,

And now Santa’s flight –

Its been an awful day.

Employment in these latitudes,

Depends on Old Saint Nick…

SO FORGIVE US IF WE ALL HAVE ATTITUDES,

WE’RE UP A FROZEN CRICK!

We’re not so bad,

We’re not so bad!

We’re really sweet and funny.

We’re not so bad,

We’re not so bad

We’re not so bad.

When you walked in,

May I be frank?

Of course, we were suspicious.

It seemed you were playing a nasty prank,

That’s why we got malicious.

But we’re not so bad,

We’re not so fearful.

Once you get to know us,

We’re downright cheerful!

We’re not so bad,

We’re not so bad,

We’re not so bad!

Now that we know you,

If you ever come again,

We promise not to throw you….

We’re not so bad,

We’re not so bad!

We’re not so bad!!! 

Happy Halloween!!

We had a blast at school today  running through our stations all morning. There was truly something for everyone. We had crafts, stories, and games like pirates in the gym. There were some really great costumes too!!

Now it is time to plan for Remembrance Day. For our Assembly on Nov. 10th (11:00am) our class will  be singing a song. I will attach the website here so kids can practice at home if they want to. The song is done as a call and response, and we will all keep the beat by clapping our hands to the rhythm of a heartbeat (clapping on time is the trickiest part, so lots of practice at home should help :) We will repeat the song two times. Families are invited to come and watch if you are able. Click on link below to access the website for our song. 

Freedom Song 

A reminder that tomorrow is PJ Day, and we will also still be trekking. Please make sure that PJs are weather appropriate or send your child a change of clothes to spend time outside, as we will be heading down into Louis Creek for writing in the afternoon.

For those of you who need photo retakes, they are on Thursday

Outdoor Art

One of our first outside projects was inspired by the British artist, Andy Goldsworthy, who makes beautiful temporary art out of objects found in nature. Here is some of Goldsworthy's work:

And here we are with our creations:

Trekking Tuesday!

This Tuesday we went on our first Trek! After discussing safety rules and expectations in the wilderness, we headed down the Lois Creek Trails. We went on a "rainbow walk" which is great for improving mindfulness while outside and helping to get kids to notice things while they walk. It's also an activity that has been recommended through Canada Mental Health as a strategy for reducing anxiety.
We visualized all the colours in the rainbow and then searched for different items in nature as we walked. Once we reached our destination the kids worked in pairs to try and collect small items in each colour. We then put our samples together to create a masterpiece! Check out all the fun we had below!

Word Work

Today your child received their first Word Work words. There are 3 groups this year, yellow, green, and blue. Students copied their words  on the right-hand column in their planners. Our spelling program will either be 1 or 2 weeks long, depending on what else is going on at school. If we have had sufficient practice in class I will quiz them each Friday. We will have a spelling quiz next Friday. You can help your child by having them read and write the words, and also by making little cards and helping them sort them into their appropriate categories. You can also play games with their words, such as hang-man, go fish, and memory. In the case that your child did not write the words neatly enough to read, or if they made a mistake, I have posted copies of them here.

Please contact me if you have any questions! Looking forward to seeing you all on Wednesday for our Open House!

Mrs. Pas

Green Group

Blue Group

Yellow Group

Start of Year Notices

Wow, our first week has already flown by! We have been busy getting to know each other and learning the routines and expectations of a new class. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each of my new students and am looking forward to a great year with really great kids. Please read the following notices below, and as always, do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Outdoor Education

One of my goals this year is to embrace our new curriculum by spending as much learning time outside as I possibly can. According to the David Suzuki foundation, the average North American child spends less than 30 minutes playing outside each day, and more than seven hours in front of a screen. Yet research shows time outside makes children healthier, happier and smarter. I don’t believe that most Lindsay Park students spend that little time outside, but I do believe there is always room for growth. Studies have shown that spending time in nature helps with recall and memory, problem solving, and creativity. Children (and adults) who spend more time outside are physically healthier and less stressed. As part of this initiative, I will continue with my weekly schedule of Trekking Tuesdays (more information and permission forms to come) but we will not be limiting our outside time to Tuesdays. In order to be able to take learning outside, I will need all students to come to school, prepared to go outside each day. Please ensure your child wears outside shoes and clothing that are suitable for adventures in the quickly changing weather.

Composting

This year, our class will be responsible for collecting the school’s compost. Two students each week will be responsible for going to each classroom after lunch and collecting their compost. It is then taken either to Mrs. Driscoll’s house or to Mrs. Fisher’s house to feed her pigs. Mrs. Driscoll brought in a special treat for our class last week as we learned about composting and our important role. She has been taking Lindsay Park’s compost home for over 10 years, and a few years ago she noticed tiny apple tree seedlings growing in her compost pile. She planted these tiny trees, and this year was the first year that those same trees produced fruit! She brought in apples for our class to learn about this very cool life cycle while we enjoyed a nutritious and delicious snack at the same time!

School Supplies Fee

A reminder that the school supply fee of $45 is due to the school as soon as possible. These funds are used to purchase students’ personal school supplies such as pencil crayons, markers, glue, duotangs, etc. You can send cash or write a cheque made payable to Lindsay Park Elementary. If you are unable to pay for your child’s supplies, please contact the office directly.

Toys

As part of a reward system, I give students tickets when they are caught being especially helpful, kind, hardworking, etc. Each Friday, we have a ticket draw where several lucky students get to choose a toy from my treasure box. In past years I have usually bought these toys from the dollar store, but it has never felt quite right, as it is not consistent with the message of reducing and recycling we try to teach our kids at Lindsay Park. I would rather re-use previously loved and forgotten toys rather than buying new ones. If you are doing any house cleaning throughout the year and are ever hoping to get rid of any small toys/ trinkets that might be appropriate treasures for our class winners, please keep our treasure box in mind, and send them with your child to school.

Books

Similarly, I am always looking to expand my class library. Research has found that kids are much more eager and willing to read when there are lots of book choices on a variety of topics readily available to them (and I agree!) If you have used books that might be of interest to our students, please think of us whenever you purge! 

Open House

September 21^st will be our start of year open house. Please join us for a BBQ courtesy of our PAC, and a tour of our class and school.  In addition to a current criminal record check, parents who intend to volunteer are required to take the Child Protection Protocol training each year. This 10-15 minute session will be offered several times throughout the year, as needed. The first opportunity is at 5:15 in the library, right before the BBQ.

Upcoming Dates and Events

September 12^th – Scholastic Book orders sent home (Due Sept. 19^th)

September 21^st – Child Protection Protocol Training, (5:15) BBQ and Open house, Book Fair (5:30-6:30)

September 28^th – Terry Fox Run 11:30

September 29^th – Lockdown Drill

Thanks very much and looking forward to seeing you at our Open House!

Mrs. Pas 

A Little About Me...

Hello!!!

Welcome to my blog, and welcome to our class! I am SO thrilled to be your child's teacher this year. I am getting very excited for the first day of school when I will be able to meet all of you in person. If you are on this blog, chances are you have received my email. Thanks for checking it out!

Throughout the year I will post updates on what's happening in our class, reminders for upcoming special events, and photos of your child and his/her classmates. Please enter your email into the field on the right-hand side of the screen, where it says, "Follow by email." By entering your email address, you will ensure you receive an email notification whenever I update, and that way you will never miss out! 

Anyway, enough administrative talk! Don't worry, I will send out several notices in the coming days giving you all the important information for you and your child to be as successful as possible in our class. For now, I just want to introduce myself, for those of you who don't know me yet. My teaching experience includes teaching Grade 2/3 here at Lindsay Park last year, and Grade 2 at Marysville the year prior. Before that, I was in Calgary and northern BC teaching  Grades 6-9. I was lucky enough last spring to be hired on a permanent continuing contract here at Lindsay Park, so I don't see myself going anywhere else anytime soon!

My former name was Corissa Rees, but I was married over the summer and my new name is Corissa Pasiechnyk - I know, I know, Rees was much simpler! You don't have to know how to spell it - even I am still working on it ;) Getting married took up a big portion of my summer, it was a beautiful day which happened right here in Kimberley. Our ceremony was at my sister-in-law's yard in Meadowbrook and the reception was out at Camp Stone. It was a lot of work but a perfect day!

The rest of my summer was also very busy as I am currently working on my Master's of Education through the University of Victoria. I started my 2-year program in July. My program is in Curriculum and Leadership. I am so looking forward to learning many new ideas and resources and trying them out with our class. BC has a brand new curriculum this year, and it is an exciting time to be studying this topic. Our curriculum has been reduced, with more time allowed for learning "big ideas" and important concepts, more space for problem-based learning, and an increased focus on outdoor education and Aboriginal education. I am very excited to dig into it and see what exciting things we can do!

Outside of school, I love to spend time being active and taking advantage of our beautiful community. I love to run, bike, ski, hike, swim etc. I love playing with my puppy, Ruby, and camping in my 1977 Westfalia named Mildred :) I enjoy going out to eat and cooking at home (although I am in the middle of a renovation so my kitchen leaves much to be desired at the moment!) Most importantly I try to spend as much time as possible with my family and friends. I am so looking forward to the year and can't wait to get to know each of you better.

See you all on Tuesday!!
Mrs. Pasiechnyk


PS Please remember that Tuesday's dismissal is at 11:45 am

Grady and I with our puppy, Ruby in our Westie

Our wedding day at St. Marys Lake