Our first full week of school was just what we all needed to get out of Summer mode and into work mode. The new routine had everyone, teachers and students alike, tired and ready for a break by the end of the week. It didn’t help that we were met with 4 straight days of rain and every teachers favorite – indoor recess!

I began our discussion of Terry Fox on Monday. We watched a video performance written by another elementary class and broke into groups to practice as a Reader’s Theater to perform throughout the school.

Our school Open House was held on Tuesday evening. The teachers all treated their guests with a chili supper, perfect for another rainy night. This Open House was a great opportunity to meet with many of my students’ parents and watch their excitement as they shared their classroom and work. It was funny to see that many students were excited to share their ‘bean jar’ (reward system) with their parents and tell them all the good things they have been doing to earn more beans. This system is helpful to reinforce behaviors during the first weeks of school and a wonderful way to encourage a classroom community, where students are working together for a common goal.

Wednesday was my first practice with the junior girls volleyball team. I’m excited to get out and help the Grade 6 and 7 girls as they explore their interest in the new sport. When I was in school, I loved playing volleyball and am happy to help promote what the support of a team can offer to the players this season.

The rest of my week was spent reviewing Good Fit books with my Grade 3 class and preparing for my Health unit on Nutrition. The students know lots about what it means to be healthy, so we will be focusing on the new Canadian Food Guide and what that might look like in our lunches.

Until next week,

Miss Philip