Dear Families,

I would like to say a heart-felt thank you to all the Moms of my students who continuously provide their child with the love and nurturing to help them thrive in their Grade 3 and 4 school year.  Your ongoing support for your child and my teachings is cherished.  Thank you for warmly welcoming me this year, it has meant the world to me!     

I hope you enjoy your Mother’s Day with your family!!  The card, letters and poems that students wrote to their Moms came from their heart and I know how excited they are to give you this note of appreciation this weekend!  I think you're going to love it too!  Thank you to those Moms who provided a photograph for the card, it made a difference and helped with the outcome of it!  You all look beautiful :-)

Now, thinking of my own Mom.  The bond between a mother and her child is truly one of a kind!  I admire, respect, and am inspired by all the mothers out there who consistently demonstrate and share their strength, dedication, and unconditional love for their children.  I am fortunate that I have been blessed to have a mother who has been the ultimate role model and who has been there for me always.  Thank you Ma for all that you do, ALL THAT YOU ARE!  I admire and love you!!  Isn't she cute?!

We LOVE Our Mothers:

Mrs. Kitchener:

Thank you to everyone who dressed up in their polka-dots today (see pics below) to show our love for Mrs. Kitchener who will be retiring at the end of June.  She will be missed and we are ever so grateful she has been part of our Nottawa family for so many years dedicating her time as a beloved teacher, coach, and mentor for all those hearts she's touched!  You're truly one of a kind, Mrs. K!!

A special thank you to Carson for providing extra polka dot stickers for his peers!  Your thoughtful ways are appreciated :)

Also, a big thank you Nate for some beautiful flowers!  What an amazing surprise :)  You made my day, buddy!!!

Celebrating Earth Day:

What a beautiful day we had on Wednesday to celebrate and do our part to help Mother Earth!  We had a very fun picnic lunch outside while watching the tree planting ceremony.  We enjoyed some witty tree jokes as well which gave many a chuckle!  Thanks GREEN TEAM!

Dressed in GREEN to support Earth Day at our school

Later in the afternoon, we ventured out to Townley street to do a clean up.  There were even some people who gave us a thumbs up as we cleaned and they said thank you.  This warmed our hearts!  We live in a beautiful community, and together, we can do our part to continue to help keep our neighbourhoods litter free!  Stay GREEN Nottawa!

Poetry:

In writing, our new learning goal will focus on Poetry.  Students will be exposed to and learn about various types of poetry.  I have attached a link below that your child may wish to visit over the weekend! We will be taking a closer look at this site next week as we dive further into our lessons.

http://mrswarnerarlington.weebly.com/poetry.html

Fun Fair:

Have you heard!?  It’s coming oh so soon!  Our annual Nottawa Fun Fair is set for Thursday May 31^st from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.  Did you know you can purchase your Fun Fair Wristbands through our school website (cash online)?  Yes, you can!  Buy your wristband today!!  We're excited for May 31st!

Reminder – the deadline to bring in donations for our Silent Auction Basket is Thursday May 17^th.  Keep bringing in those NEW items for our classroom theme basket.  Thank you in advance for your generosity and efforts!!

Volunteer Appreciation:

Each year, we celebrate the wonderful volunteers we have here at Nottawa School by honouring them at our monthly spirit and character recognition assembly. Maybe you read with our kids on a weekly basis or you help us out on a field trip. Maybe you help coach a team or you help plan a game for the Fun Fair. Maybe you sit on School Council or you’ve driven athletes to an after-school game. Whatever it is that you do for our school, we appreciate the time and care you put into our kids and we’d like to show you JUST HOW MUCH!

Nottawa School Volunteers, please consider this an official invitation to join us at the Volunteer Appreciation/Spirit Assembly for May! The assembly is set for Friday, May 25th Save time to enjoy some refreshments in the Library when the assembly is over and kids are being dismissed. Thanks for all that you do for our school!

Stay Safe in the Sun:

It only takes one bad sunburn in childhood to increase the risk of developing skin cancer later in life. As the weather gets warmer, follow these sun safety tips to keep you and your family safe:

· use a broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher and SPF 15 lip balm

· apply sunscreen 20-30 minutes before going outside (even on cloudy days) and always follow the label instructions

· apply sunscreen to any exposed areas of skin – nose, ears, back of neck, tops of feet, etc.

· re-apply sunscreen every 2-3 hours and after sweating or swimming

· wear loose, long sleeved shirts and pants, a largebrimmed hat and sunglasses

· if possible, avoid being in the sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. when you’re outside, look for shade

For more sun safety tips, visit www.simcoemuskokahealth.org or call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 to speak with a public health nurse. All this information was provided by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health.

Jump Rope for Heart:
Thank you to all the families who collected and made donations for this important cause!  We appreciate your time and efforts for this annual endeavour.  The kids really enjoyed skipping during our gym classes this week.  Their skills are improving in this area.  Way to go boys and girls!

Fire Prevention Presentation:
What a wonderful experience we had with some local firefighters this afternoon who taught us all about hazardous materials and safety.  It is important to take care and caution when handling hazardous household items.  Students learned about the 4 hazard symbols - poisonous, corrosive, explosive, and flammable.  Have a talk at home about this and look for items that have the cautionary symbols on them.

  
We also had the opportunity to go in a big fire truck!  The kids loved it and seeing me dressed up as a firefighter :) Did you spot me in the pics?  The gear is heavy!  I admire and respect all those men and women who serve to keep us safe in case of fire and other emergencies.   

Twinning:
Check out Alex and Zach in their matching t-shirts!  Bryce says he has one too and they're all going to wear it on the same day sometime.  Stay tuned ;)   

Mindfulness:
A little act of kindness can go a long way :) What sorts of things can you do to brighten a family members day?  Discuss and try IT!

Growth Mindset:

"Be the best YOU, where ever YOU ARE!" - Bailey

Namaste,

Miss Gill