Woodlawn Early Years School

We want to take a moment to thank all of the parents who volunteered to help out during the EA strike. We really appreciate how many parents were so willing to give up their time and come and help us out. Thank you! Just a reminder that you need to have your checks done before you can volunteer. We strongly suggest getting those done just in case you ever want to volunteer. They are good for five years and are valid in all HSD schools. Please come down to the school office with two pieces of ID and the secretaries will help you.

Thank you to everyone who participated in selling chocolates. Together we raised over $9500. Wow! Some of the proceeds will go to cover our Principal field trips. These will start in the new year and this year we will be going to Flippers. Students in grades 1-4 will participate. More information will come out as we get closer to the trips.

Our grade 3 and 4 students are busy preparing for our holiday concert. Please be sure to sign up for tickets as soon as you are able. If you did not receive the email, please contact the office and we will resend it.

We would like to wish all of our students and families a wonderful holiday season. We hope you have fun and enjoy time with family and friends.

Karen Fraser and Tara Reimer

Thank you to the families who were able to donate toys and stuffies to the counselling department. We greatly appreciate your generosity.

The importance of Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship is a way of Thinking, Being, and Acting in a digital world.

Thinking critically by not trusting everything you see and hear on the internet.

Being safe with your information and who you connect with.

Acting in a responsible manner in how you communicate and behave online.

Talk to your child regularly about their favourite websites and apps, and what he or she enjoys doing online. Be supportive and always listen with an open mind. By keeping the lines of communication open, your child will be more likely to come to you if they encounter any problems online in the future.

The students in 3/4M engage with problem solving and number operations using a really engaging learning activity. It is called broken calculator! Miss Lisa puts a target number on the board and lets the class know which "buttons" on the calculator are not working. As a class, they find ways to try and come to the solution. For example, the target number may be 325 and the buttons that they cannot use are 3, 8, and an addition sign. When I walked into the class in the middle of this learning activity, the board was full of work as the class offered up next steps getting closer and closer to the solution. The learning activity required students to be active listeners to each other and they were using rich mathematical dialogue. It requires critical thinking and also mental math as they play out scenarios in their head before sharing. Having "buttons" they couldn't use created an added challenge. This learning experience had an access point for all learners. Students could add suggestions using the operations and quantities they are comfortable with. In school terms, we call that low floor, high ceiling. Having an access point for all learners that adds just the right amount of challenge, gives all learners a chance to progress in their learning.

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. Marlene and Diana will work with our Indigenous leadership groups to provide them with cultural and traditional teachings. The students will participate in cultural activities including such things as crafting and listening to stories.

We are hoping to have the Indigenous Leadership groups meet once a week or every other week over the course of the year. Both Marlene and Dianna have completed all of the necessary HSD checks required of employees and volunteers.

Classroom teachers will also have the opportunity to sign their classes up to spend time with Elders and Knowledge Keepers. The teachers will communicate with families when these visits will take place.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, when we’re all thinking about gifts, for our families or for others. It can be stressful trying to think of the right gifts for your child, one that will be used for more than 5 minutes! I’m here to help. Here is a list of fun gifts that build or practice literacy skills.

Word games: There are so many games that help kids learn about letters and words. Some great ones are Sight Word or Alphabet Bingo, Spot It! Alphabet, Zingo, Kids Boggle, Kids Scrabble, Bananagrams, Memory with letters/words, I Spy (look for things that have a certain beginning sound/letter), Sequence Letters, and Alphabet Go Fish.

Board games: Many great board games involve reading, speaking, storytelling and/or thinking skills. Some great ones are Apples to Apples Junior, Rory’s Story Cubes, Headbanz, Dixit, and Tall Tales: The Game of Infinite Story Telling.

Books: A few places to find a variety of age and interest-based titles are Brightly and Scholastic. Consider books that explore STEM (science, technology, engineering or math). See if you can get your child hooked on a particular author or series, perhaps based on a movie or show you’ve enjoyed. Or ask your child’s teacher what they enjoy reading at school. You can also give books that are based on different interests such as cooking, sports, or the outdoors.

Manipulatives: Magnetic letters, white boards, journals and diaries, and unique pencils, pens and markers can spur on aspiring writers.

If you’re not sure what particular book or game your friend or loved one would like, consider a gift card from a store like Indigo (Canadian) or Janzen’s Paint and Decorating in Steinbach!

Happy holidays!

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.

Everyone is invited to attend the PAC meeting on December 12 at 11:05 at Woodlawn School.

Thank you to all who helped make Christmas better for many families in our community.

Please see the Winter Concert Schedule below -

If your child's teacher asks you to send Christmas treats to school with your child please do not send anything containing peanuts/nuts or peanut/nut products. We have students with severe allergies to peanuts and appreciate your help in keeping all our students safe.

All our items that are in our lost and found area, that are not claimed before Christmas, are going to be donated. Please take a moment to check our lost and found area.

We are so excited to be at Woodlawn School! We are a parent child play-based program that runs Monday mornings from 9:00 to 11:30 and Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 to 3:30. Children will have the opportunity to play, learn, create, sing, and develop skills to prepare them for kindergarten.

All children of all ages (birth to 5 years) are welcome to attend. You do not need to attend this school to attend our program, everyone is welcome. Parents must remain at the program with their child, 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 can hardly wait to meet you!

In the interest of maximizing learning time in the classroom and keeping interruptions to a minimum please make home time arrangements with your child(ren) before they leave for school in the morning.
Send a message on Seesaw if home time arrangements are different from your normal routine, whether your child is going home with someone else or being picked up at the end of the day.

If you must phone the school regarding a change in home time arrangements please call before 2:45.
If you are picking your child up for an appointment during the school day please sign your child out at the office and the secretary will call your child to meet you at the office. It is difficult to locate students on the playground during the activity breaks and we ask that if you must pick up your child during the school day you avoid the activity break times.

All urban bus routes are posted on the HSD website with times and maps. Any urban or rural bus that will be late due to weather or mechanical issues is listed on the HSD website under the bus delay tab.

Go to the drop down menu of Services where you can choose:

1. School Bus Delay Bulletins where any bus that is late is posted with the approximate delay.

2. Steinbach Urban Bus Routes - Scroll down to select Woodlawn School and then select your bus number.

Thank you for checking these options before calling the Hanover School Division Transportation Department with your questions regarding bus delays and Steinbach urban bus routes times and maps. Any questions for transportation please call 204-320-2347.

TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Hanover School Division is actively looking for new Spare Bus Drivers. This is a great casual part time job where you control the amount you want to work. Hanover School Division Transportation Department provides all of the training you need to be a successful bus driver. If you are interested please email rwarkentin@hsd.ca for more information.

As we all know the weather in Manitoba can change from one moment to the next. 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!

Students are encouraged to go out for recess because it is important to get some fresh air during the day. Remember germs, not cold air, cause illness.

Weather and grounds permitting, all students play outdoors until 8:53 in the morning. Our cold weather policy is to keep students inside at recess when the wind chill factor is –30 or greater. Outside recess times will be shortened if the wind chill is between –25 and –29 Celsius.

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 degrees Celsius or colder OR is experiencing a wind chill of -45 degrees Celsius or colder. Click here for more information.

The school is in need of a variety of sizes of clean, used clothing such as pants, sweatpants, socks for girls and boys. Sometimes parents are unable to bring a change of clothes for a child that has had an accident or fallen in a puddle and these items come in very handy. If you are able to donate clothing items please drop them off at the school office.

Kindergarten registration for the 2024-2025 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.

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