Woodlawn Early Years School

Welcome back! We hope you all had a wonderful break and enjoyed time spent with family and friends. January is always a time when teachers revisit the rules and expectations with their students. The teachers are busy planning engaging and meaningful learning experiences for their students.

As a staff we will be looking at our school goals and working together in professional learning communities (PLCs) on literacy and numeracy.

Our literacy goal is: By June 2024, 90% of students will demonstrate end of year grade level expectations in reading. Several of our teachers are working collaboratively in their PLCs learning about and implementing the Science of Reading into their reading instruction. The Science of Reading offers a balanced approach to reading and includes both word recognition and language comprehension.

Our numeracy goal is: By June 2024, 75% of all students (1-4) will demonstrate grade level expectations in learning outcomes related to subtraction and counting backward. Some of our teachers are working on this goal in a PLC and others are on a school numeracy team to improve our teaching of numeracy.

We are using the Math Up curriculum to help guide our understanding and practice.

As teachers we are always learning and working to improve our practice so we can have the greatest impact on student learning. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's progress in any area, please contact your child's teacher.

Karen Fraser and Tara Reimer

January is known as a time to set your intentions for the year ahead. Here are some possible New Year’s resolutions you could make with your child to develop good habits, improve literacy skills, and increase love of reading and writing.

• Before bed each night, spend some time reading or journaling.

• Go to the library at least once per month.

• Explore new genres of books. Sign out a mystery book to see if you can solve it. Grade 3s and up might enjoy the I Survived historical fiction graphic novels. Check out a biography such as those published by Little Golden Book.

• Try out different authors or series.

• Have a weekly game night with board games such as Apples to Apples Jr, Taboo: Kids vs. Parents, or charades.

• Schedule movie nights and be sure to discuss the movie afterwards. Who was your favourite character and why? What emotions did you experience while watching? Retell or act out scenes from the movie. Rate the film and tell why you gave it that rating. Compare this movie to others that you’ve watched.

Wishing you all good things (including many great reads) in 2024!

As the New Year rings in we would like to wish you all a healthy and peaceful 2024. If you were able to find time to take on some New Year cleaning over the holidays, the school counselling team is looking to add additional play items to enhance our school counselling program. If you happen to have any unwanted or lightly used toys, please let us know and we would be happy to give your toys a much-appreciated home.

Items we are seeking would include :

Play money/ cash register

Shopkins or small mini brands type toys

Dolls

Dress up costumes

Animals/ cars/ trucks/ dirt bikes/ quads

Blocks

Games

Puppets/ holder

Action figures

Superheroes ( batman/spiderman/ TMNT)

Much apprectiated

The grade 1 students in 1S have been learning about Canadian currency this term. They are working with play money in their everyday classroom. Each month they have to pay $5 rent for their desks and $2 taxes for bandaids and ice bags. They get paid $5 a week for their assigned classroom jobs and can participate in the economy store at the end of the month. The kids love it and are learning many life skills. Working with money is a great way to explore and introduce whole numbers as well as decimals.

We are very excited to let you know we have partnered with Marlene Henry and Dianna Henry of Roseau River First Nation for our Elder and Knowledge Keeper program. These visits will start on January 24 for all of our students in our Indigenous leadership groups. Letters will be sent home this week providing parents and guardians with more information.

With the upcoming flu season, please note that over-the-counter medication is not be be sent to school in your child's backpacks or lunch kits. All over-the-counter mediation needs to be administered by a parent/guardian.

In order for prescription medication to be administered by staff, parents need to bring it in the original container/box with the label on. There are forms at the office for parents/guardians to fill out.

The Hanover Parent and Child Community Program invites parents and their preschool children to attend free parent-child programming!

This program is provided to promote school readiness. Children will have the opportunity to play, learn, create, sing, and develop skills to prepare them for kindergarten. Parents will be able to visit with other parents and participate in activities with their children. Programming is free and snacks will be provided. Families can attend once or twice a week or drop by when able.

We will follow the same schedule as the divisional school calendar in regards to school closure days and inclement weather.

Parents please report to the office for check in and park in the church parking lot across from the school.

We will meet on Monday mornings from 9:00 to 11:30 am and Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 - 3:30 pm.

We will meet in Hut 35 at Woodlawn School. Children should bring indoor footwear.

Please contact Stacey Marcoux at 204-326-9829 or email smarcoux@hsd.ca should you have any questions.

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

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The Lunch Club that was hosted by Eastman Immigration Services has been put on hold. We will let families know when it resumes.

Online Registration for Kindergarten

Kindergarten registration for the 2024-25 school year will open on January 8, 2024. To be eligible, Children must be five years of age on or before December 31, 2024. The registration process will take place online at www.HSD.ca.

If you do not have access to the Internet, please visit the school office and we can assist you in completing the registration on a school computer. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to register their children soon after registration opens in January. Early registration will assist us in preparation and planning for the upcoming school year. Registering before March 1, 2024, will ensure there is sufficient time for school appointments and provide parents/guardians with the opportunity to participate in Kindergarten orientation activities. Visit www.HSD.ca for registration instructions.

We are asking for parents help to have each student bring a refillable water bottle each day to school with them.

Please take the time to check your children's lunches to make sure they have the cutlery that is needed. We are not able to hand out cutlery for all the kids that are needing spoons and forks.

If you child is sick and will not be attending school, please let us know before 8:40 am. You can either use our parent portal, email Woodlawn@hsd.ca, or call the school. Your help in letting us know your child will be absent is greatly appreciated!

There are many benefits for our young students to get outdoor breaks during the school day, even in the winter months. Many of us grew up being told that the cold weather makes us sick. That is simply not true! Illnesses like the cold and the flu are caused by viruses, not cold weather. In fact research states that spending time outside in the winter months actually improves our immune systems and gives us an escape from all of the germs and bacteria that are huddled up indoors. Outdoor recess time provides children with a brain break and helps them get their bodies ready for more learning. Spending time outdoors in the winter provides us with vitamin D which is essential for children’s physical well being and also their emotional well being. Vitamin D has been found to change serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a hormone that is important in regulating mood (Dennison, 2008). In other words, spending time outside may help children manage their emotions and improve their self-regulation.

Making sure that your children have the proper clothing for outdoor play will help them enjoy the time they spend outside at recess. Dressing in layers is always a great idea in our Manitoba climate!

In addition, our belief at school is that if children are too sick to go outside, they are also too sick to be at school. We will send all children out for all applicable recesses.

Only in some exceptional circumstances will students be permitted to stay inside. If you feel this is the case for your child, please contact your child's teacher to discuss if staying inside is an appropriate option.

If local conditions indicate that with the wind-chill the temperature is -30 or colder we have indoor recess. When temperatures with wind-chill range between -25 to -29 we normally have a shortened outdoor recess during the activity block.

As we all know the weather in Manitoba can change from one moment to the next. The main reasons students find winter outdoor recesses too cold is that they do not dress warmly enough or they do not get active enough. Please send your children dressed to deal with the elements. Good boots, mittens, and a hat added to ski pants and a parka makes all the difference between a child enjoying the outdoors or tolerating it. Please label all your child's outwear items as our young students often lose or forget items in various places!

When extreme weather or road conditions call for a school closure you will receive a recorded phone call from Superintendent Shelley Amos beginning at 6:45 am. This additional communication effort is to help ensure that all students will be aware of school closures and no students will find themselves in an unsafe situation where they may be facing extreme weather unnecessarily. When school is cancelled due to weather and road conditions there are no staff members at the school. If your phone number has changed since the beginning of the school year please call the office at 204-326-6110 to update your information.

Schools will be closed due to extreme cold when the temperatures in most locations in the division are –35 degree Celsius or colder or –45 degree Celsius or colder wind-chill.

We're excited for the Book Fair!

8:53 am Bell Indicating Student Entry Inside the Building

9:00 am - 9:05 am Homeroom Time or Religious Exercises (in designated area)

9:05 am School Begins: O' Canada and Announcements / Attendance

9:05 am - 11:05 am Learning Block 1

11:05 am - 11:55 am Nutrition/Activity Break

11:55 am - 1:10 pm Attendance / Learning Block 2

1:10 pm - 2:00pm Nutrition/Activity Break

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm Attendance / Learning Block 3

3:30 pm - 3:40 pm Students Proceed to Homeroom

3:45 pm Dismissal of All Students

If you need to pick up your child during the school day please report to the office to sign out your child and the secretaries will call your child to the office. It is very difficult to find students outside during the activity breaks so we ask that if you must pick up your child you do so before or after the activity breaks.

To ensure the safety of our students and due to the congestion of our staff parking lots and bus loop areas, parents are asked not to enter those areas between 8:15 - 4:30. Also note there is no public parking available at Entrance D (Barkman St.) at any time. All parking is reserved for school staff.
If you are dropping off or picking up your child, please park on Henry Street or on the church parking lot across from the school. When using the church parking lot please do not block entrances or exits. For the safety of your child, we request that you escort your child across Henry Street. For students’ safety, please avoid parking along Barkman Street across from the school during 8:30 - 9:00 am and 3:30 - 4:00 pm.
Please do not park in the parking lot of the Envision home on Penner Street. That is a private residence and your vehicle may be towed. Thank you for choosing safety over convenience for the sake of all our children.

Friday - February 2 - PD Day- no classes

Wed-Fri - Feb 7-9 - Book Fair

Friday - Feb 16 - Festival du Voyageur Day

Monday - February 19 - Louis Riel Day - No Classes

Friday - February 23 - HTA PD Day - No Classes

Friday - March 8 - Admin Day - No Classes

Friday - March 15 - Report Cards Issued

Mon-Fri - March 18-22 - Wacky Week

Thursday - March 21- Student Led Conferences

Friday - March 22 - Community Pancake Breakfast

Friday - March 22 - Last Day of School Before Spring Break

Monday - April 1 - First Day Back After Spring Break

Monday - April 15 - PD Day - No Classes

Tuesday - April 30 - Aft/Eve Spring Concert - Grade 1

Thursday - May 2 - Aft/Eve Spring Concert - Grade 1/2 & 2

TBA - TBA - Volunteer Appreciation Event

Monday - May 20 - Victoria Day - No Classes

Thursday- June 27 - School Picnic and Last Day of Classes

Thursday - June 27 - Report Cards released on Parent Portal

Friday - June 28 - Admin Day

Email: woodlawn@hsd.ca
Website: www.woodlawn.hsd.ca
Location: 411 Henry St, Steinbach, MB, Canada R5G 0R1
Phone: 204-326-6110
Twitter: @WoodlawnHSD