Spirit Week!

Press Start the Musical

Dear Parents and Guardians,

On Wednesday December 19th we will be presenting our winter musical, “PRESS START” and we would love to have you join us for either the dress rehearsal at 1:00 PM or the performance at 6:30 PM. Our students, staff and parent council have been working their tails off to put together an extravaganza that’s a feast for the eyes and the ears. Please join us on Wednesday, Dec 19th (1:00 or 6:30) to see what we have put together. The dress rehearsal might be a great option for those that have other concerts to go to that evening or have other commitments.

Press Start is a musical that is based on the “lives” of popular video game characters as they discover their purpose and how we are all heroes at heart. The musical features such toe-tappers as “Press Start”, “Heroes in this World” and the rocking finale, “The Final Level”!

See you all on the 19th!

Student-Led Conferences

Don't Forget: Student-Led Conferences are on December 6th and 7th!

There is still lots of space available!

Thursday December 6th 3:00 - 7:15pm

Friday December 7th 8:00am - 12:00pm

To schedule a conference, please contact Mrs. Pal as soon as possible.:

403-966-0006, or pnwinfield@cbe.ab.ca

Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair is returning to Cambrian Heights School from Tuesday, December 4, to Friday, December 7, 2018. As always, the Fair will be open during Student-Led Conferences on December 6 and 7.

Scholastic Book Fair is like a mini traveling bookstore: it brings the latest and greatest children's books right to the school! Giving children easy access to fun, engaging reading material is one of the best way to develop their love of reading.

On the mornings of Tuesday Dec. 4, Wednesday Dec. 5, and Thursday Dec. 6, the students are welcome to visit and make a list of their favorite things or even buy books and accessories in advance of the interviews. Classroom teachers will be arranging times for classes to tour the Book Fair.

At Student-Led Conferences, on the evening of Thursday Dec. 6 and the morning of Friday Dec. 7, parents and students are welcome to come browse the Fair and purchase items while waiting their interview times. Or, have a quick look and come back after interviews to pick up some amazing gifts ready for Christmas.

For each book sold at the Book Fair, Scholastic Books will give Cambrian Heights School a discount on anything for the school, whether it's new resources for the classrooms or the latest novels for the library. This is a great opportunity to help your school!

Thank you and see you at the Book Fair!

Positive Self Talk

Students in The Class Program have been practicing Positive Self Talk.

Practicing self-talk out loud might seem silly at times, but you have to change your words before you can really change the silent thinking in your head.

Self-talk is the inner voice that goes on inside our heads throughout our waking hours. Positive self-talk is when we talk to ourselves in a reassuring, kind, and more optimistic way. Positive self-talk can have a big impact on how we think and feel. Over time, engaging in more positive self-talk can help reduce stress, improve self-esteem, increase motivation, inspire productivity, and improve overall mental and physical health. 

During our wellness lessons, we have been exploring various texts that help students understand the benefits to positive self-talk. 

Students brainstormed 6 positive affirmations about themselves, and worked on creating their own "Positive Pocket Posies." These little reminders will be folded up, kept in our pockets, and accessed when we are feeling blue. 

Using our Social Filter

Dealing with Worries

Wemberly Worried

Kids don't have to pay bills, cook dinners, or manage carpools. But — just like adults — they have their share of daily demands and things that don't go smoothly. If frustrations and disappointments pile up, kids can get stressed or worried. It's natural for all kids to worry at times, and because of personality and temperament differences, some may worry more than others.

Below: Students compared Wemberley's worries to their own. 

Below: Students spent time brainstorming things that make them happy, and 

things that they worry about.

Can you use breathing to regulate your heartbeat?

Rose Koziel, Occupational Therapist, taught us a lesson today!

Using breathing to regulate our heartbeats.

Above: Students created stethoscopes out of tubing, elastics, and small funnels. 

 

Above: We then played a running game to accelerate our heart beats.

Above: As we breathed deeply, we used our stethoscope to heart our heart rate decrease. 

Friday's Remembrance Day Ceremony

On Friday, The Class and PLP students hosted the Remembrance Day Ceremony at Cambrian Heights School. Our students did a WONDERFUL job honoring the solemn occasion. 

This Week's Character Trait :

Self Control

 Having power and control over one’s own actions

Constable Rich

Constable Rich Valstar's Visit

On Tuesday, Constable Rich Valstar came to visit The Class and PLP students at Cambrian Heights. 

He introduced himself by showing us the "just in case" tools on his belt, and explained that the tools he uses most often are his listening skills and his radio.

Constable Rich also taught us the "emotions scale". 

He explained that when we catch ourselves feeling frustrated it is time to STOP and use 

our strategies - before we get out of control. When we're out of control, we often make poor

 choices that get us into trouble. 

Remembrance Day

Cambrian Heights School is proud to honour the memory of our veterans, on the 100th Anniversary of the end of the First World War. This year we will be holding our Remembrance Day Assembly on Friday, November 9th. The assembly will begin at 10:30 AM and will run approximately 30 minutes in length. Students in each grade have created art and music to mark this solemn occasion of sacrifice and peace. We are privileged to have Master Corporal William Hannaford, of the Canadian Armed Forces as our guest speaker for this assembly.

The entire Cambrian Heights School community is warmly invited to the assembly. Doors to the gym will open at 10:20 AM for parents and community members to enter.

We will be collecting donations for poppies for those who are interested in making a contribution.

Remembrance Day

Next Friday at 10:30am, Cambrian Heights School is
holding a Remembrance Day Ceremony.

The Class students have a special role in the assembly. 

Parents are welcome to attend. 

Happy Halloween!

Students in The Class really enjoyed dressing up and participating in the annual Cambrian Height's costume parade yesterday morning. Along with our daily mathematics and literacy instruction, students made stress ball pumpkins as we continued our discussion about sensory objects that we can use to self-soothe. While we ate a healthy breakfast, we watched a video that explained the origins of Halloween. Just before the end of the day we discussed Halloween safety. 

Spooky!! Our class was made up of Batman, A Pirate Zombie, Police Officer and a Skeleton! 

Mrs. Pal and Ms. Brand got in on the fun as well!

 School wide 'Monster Mash' in the gymnasium!

During Wellness lessons, students have been exploring sensory strategies to 'self-soothe' when they are dysregulated (out of the 'green zone'). As we continued our discussion, students made jack-o-lantern stress balls for Halloween! Some students chose to take their stress ball home, while others left them at school in our 'sensory bin' to access during times of stress.

Friday Forecast

We are going to continue our exploration of CARING this week.

Monday:

- Photo Retakes!
- Chester the Cat Feels Anxious 

- Body Mapping (where do I feel anxiety?) Click here to learn more

Tuesday:

- Mr. Jordan comes for a visit

Wednesday:

Happy Halloween! Students in The Class are really looking forward to dressing up and participating in the annual Cambrian Height's costume parade on Wednesday morning. Just a reminder that costumes worn at school can not include masks, gore, or weapons.

Along with our daily mathematics and literacy instruction, The Class will be making stress ball pumpkins as we continue our discussion about sensory objects that we can use to self-soothe. We will also enjoy playing a few Halloween themed games together as we practice sportsmanship, cooperation, honesty and other social skills. 

Thursday:

- Continued work on our Stop Motion Animation videos for the Remembrance Day Assembly
- Recycling! The Class students have taken responsibility for collecting the refundable drink containers at Cambrian Heights! Ask your child about what can and cannot go in the yellow refundables bins!

Friday:

- Me in My Zones Lesson: Understanding different perspectives. Students explore the idea that they can impact how others feel.

Building Daily Routines

Community Activity Day

Friday October 19th was 

COMMUNITY ACTIVITY DAY (C.A.D.)

The Class students worked on designing and creating their own rollercoasters!

We showed school spirit by wearing our Cambrian Heights T-Shirts. Oh, What Fun!

We joined students across grades K-6 for this STEM challenge.

We will finish building our rollercoasters during our next Community Activity Day in November

Friday Forecast

Next Week's Character Trait: Caring

Caring is giving love and attention to people and things that matter to you. When you care about people, you help them. When you do a careful job, you give it your best effort. You treat people and things gently and respectfully. 

"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

- Unknown

Monday (Oct. 22)

• Math
• Practice strengthening our basic addition and subtraction fact fluency.
• Addition Strategies
• Estimation (making a thoughtful guess)
• Individualized literacy instruction and assignments
• Learning how to use the iMotion App to create stop motion animations.
• "The Zones in Video" : In this activity, students view video clips and identify zones in the characters who are portrayed. It is intended to help students become more skilled in identifying emotions and zones in other people.
• Review of the key players in the brain's stress response.

Tuesday (Oct. 23)

• Math
• Practice strengthening our basic addition and subtraction fact fluency.
• Subtraction Strategies
• Estimation (making a thoughtful guess)
• Individualized literacy instruction and assignments
• Continued exploration of the iMotion App to create stop motion animations.
• Visit from Mr. Jordan (School Psychologist)
• Differentiating between mindful behavior and it's opposite, unmindful behavior.
• Being mindful for our Earth

Wednesday (Oct. 24)

• Math
• Practice strengthening our basic addition and subtraction fact fluency.
• Addition and Subtraction Strategies
• Estimation (making a thoughtful guess)
• Individualized literacy instruction and assignments
• Our class has been asked to host the Remembrance Day Assembly on Friday November 9th. Last week we read several short stories from the book "What We Remember," which captures the wartime perspectives of children. Using iMotion, students will work to recreate a short story about a child's perspective during the war. 
• Read Aloud: The Three Questions
• Nikolai goes on a quest to find a way to be the best person he can be. By acting mindfully, he discovers the answer. Underscoring what he has learned, a wise old turtle advises him to pay close attention to the moment, his environment, and the needs of others.

Thursday (Oct. 25)

• Math
• Practice strengthening our basic addition and subtraction fact fluency.
• Subtraction Strategies
• Estimation in our World (why learn estimation?)
• Individualized literacy instruction and assignments
• Ongoing: Using iMotion, students will work to recreate a short story about a child's perspective during the war. 
• The Zones in Me: In this activity, students decide what would be the expected zone for a variety of scenarios.With this activity, students explore the concept that all of the zones are expected under different circumstances, and it is okay to experience all of them.

Friday (Oct. 26)

• Professional Learning Day - No School for students

Once a Day

Share with your child an observation about a 
mindful decision you made in a demanding situation.

SodaPop Head

Today our Occupational Therapist, Rose Koziel, taught us a lesson on "controlling our fizz."

His real name is Lester, but everyone calls him Soda Pop Head. Most of the time he is pretty happy, but when things seem to be unfair his ears gets hot, his face turns red and he blows his top! Lesters dad comes to his rescue by teaching him a few techniques to loosen the top and cool down before his fizz takes control.

"There goes Lester. Watch him fester. His ears start to fizz. He gets mad as a griz. His face turns red. He's a Soda Pop Head. You just never know when Lester will blow. His cap will go flying. If it hits you, you'll be crying, so you'd better stay away from Lester today!"

Some of the strategies Lester uses to control his frizz instead
 of "popping his top" are:

- Taking 5 deep breaths
- The Push-Pull-Dangle

Character Trait of the Week

Being RESPONSIBLE means that others can depend on you. When you are RESPONSIBLE, you keep your agreements. It is a sign of growing up.

Today students worked in groups to brainstorm ways they show RESPONSIBILITY at school and at home. Here is what they came up with:

Friday Forecast

Coming up this week...

Monday:

• Character Trait of the Week: Responsibility

Interested in discussing responsibility with your child at home?

 Watch this short video together. After watching, discuss the questions listed below

Adventures From The Book of Virtues reinforces character education in an entertaining, fun way. This story is seen through the eyes of two kids, Zach and Annie, who live in a town called Spring Valley. They deal with the same pressures faced by kids everywhere, but they are able to turn to Plato the Buffalo, who lives in a cave high above Spring Valley. Plato has collected some of the world’s great stories and when Annie or Zach are faced with a difficult situation in their own lives, Plato and his pals know just the right adventure to offer.

After Watching Discussion Questions:
1. What does the word “responsibility” mean?
2. How did Annie fail to live up to her responsibility?
3. What should Annie have done with her assignment?
4. What did Daedelus plan to do with the feather wings?
5. What did he tell his son, Icarus?
6. What are your responsibilities?
7. What was the old lady trying to prove by tricking her children into returning home?

Tuesday:

• Mr. Jordan, our school psychologist, comes for a visit!
  Currently Mr. Jordan is working with our students on:
• "Belly Breathing," and 
• Guided Breathing Meditations (blowing bubbles)

Here are some Breathing / Grounding exercises you can try at home!

Wednesday:

• Library 

Thursday:

• Mrs. Koziel, our Occupational Therapist, to do Soda Pop Head lesson with students.
• Controlling your "Fizz" - Strategies for Anger Management

Friday:

• C.A.D. (Community Activity Day)
• Designing and constructing our own ROLLERCOASTERS!

Upcoming:

• October 18th - School Council Meeting at 6:30pm (has been re-scheduled)
• October 26th - No School - PD Day
• October 29th - Photo Retakes 

One World Drumming Performance

After a 5 day drumming residency at Cambrian Heights School, our students took part in a celebration of learning. Even though there was initially quite a bit of hesitation, Mrs. Pal and Ms. Brand were SO PROUD our students for getting up in front of the school to show what they know.

Happenings in Room 2

Math

Last week we finished up our Place Value investigation.

Today we took a pre-test for addition and subtraction!

A pre-test is helpful in determining what students know about a concept. 

Moving forward, we will explore addition and subtraction through math games, 1:1 instruction with Mrs. Pal, and independent work.

One World Drumming

The One World Drum Co. continues their residency at Cambrian Heights School. 

Our class has had 3 full 45 minute sessions so far. We have one more practice lesson on Wednesday, and then we present to the other groups on Thursday.

Ask your child what to do when they hear "Chocolate Milk and Potato Chips"

Personal Hygiene

Thursday at 9:30am, The Class will be joining our neighbors, The Paced Learning Program, for a Hand-washing lesson from our School Nurse.

Photo Retakes

Students who missed Photo Day in September are encouraged to participate in our Photo Retake day on October 29th! 

Check-in Champs!

Mindfulness is simply… noticing what is happening right now. 

As we continue to work on identifying our emotions, The Class has started "Checking in" periodically.  Mrs. Pal or Ms. Brand will spontaneously hold up the "Check-in" flag, and students stop what they are doing and tune into how they are feeling. It is important to be "in-tune" with your feelings, so that you can catch yourself before an emotion becomes too big.

Being mindful and checking in with ourselves is the first step in being able to self-regulate!