Hello families, 

It is hard to believe it is the winter break already! The school year has gone by so quickly, and there has been a lot great learning going on. I know you and your families are ready for a break to enjoy some time together. 

I am so proud of our students this term! They have engaged in their learning and demonstrated a great commitment to growth in so many ways. I am always so encouraged to see their happy smiles each day and their enthusiasm to show me the interesting things they are a learning and producing. They are the joy of our days, and it is such a privilege to be a part of their learning journey. Thank you for sharing them with us. 

A huge thanks goes out to our teachers and support staff who work tirelessly to provide quality educational experiences and a safe and caring environment. They are a dedicated group of educators who work to meet the needs of each student and provide a caring environment every day. Their diligence, steadfastness, and commitment to the success of every student is commendable. It is a great privilege to work with them and see them in action each day. 

We have a very strong community of caring learners and educators in our school! 

Finally, thanks to all of YOU who are so supportive of our school! Having family members on the playground, at classroom and school events, and volunteering in our school contributes in a significant way to the positive school culture we have. Your partnership is so meaningful to us!

As we head into this holiday season, I wish you the very best. I hope you celebrate in a way that is meaningful to you and your family as you build and maintain cherished family traditions. It is a wonderful time to pause and reflect on the things that are most important to us and make plans to move forward intentionally into the new year. Whatever your plans are for the holidays, I hope you have meaningful connections, rest and fun. 

I wish you all the best for the upcoming holiday season. May you find rest and peace and experience the joy of family. 

You can find below a weekly update for all the fun things that happened this week!

With warmest wishes, 

Dawn Snell, 

Principal

See below for this week’s update. 

Last week’s highlights include:

• There were SO many holiday themed learning activities and included:
  
  • Secret Santa gift giving – a demonstration in kindness and inclusivity in classrooms
  • Baking and cookie decorating – math skills in disguise! Lots of measuring and adding of fractions. Decorating and making edible works of art!
  • Crafternoons – more wonderful crafts to make as gifts and decorations! 
  • Buddy class activities – some great reading opportunities, creative play, and art partnerships
  • Outdoor fun! – There has been a lot of outdoor play and sledding on the hill. Mrs. Bonikowsky and Mr. Marsh’s class are celebrating at Cottonwood this week
  • Reader’s Theatre - Students in Mrs. Bonikowsky’s class celebrated their reading accomplishments in a fun and festive way by presenting some fun readers theatre plays
  • Holiday fun days! We had some fun theme days this week! It was great to see all the twins, hats, sparkles and other festive dress this week.
  • Santa’s Workshop – Huge thanks to the PAC for this very successful event! Students were so happy to be able to buy presents for their families.
  • General classroom community fun! Classes have enjoyed generally spending good quality time together and building relationships.

A few pieces of information/reminders for you:

1. The school will be closed over the winter break.

    

Some upcoming dates (you can also find these posted on our calendar: https://southnelson.sd8.bc.ca/events/calendar)

1. Dec. 20-Jan. 5 – WINTER BREAK 
2. Jan. 6 – First day of school

Family learning resources: (Reposted from last week for your reference!)

As we head into the holidays, routines will start to get disrupted, there will be more late nights and sugary treats. This makes for a lot of fun, but also creates an environment where children can get dys-regulated and have a difficult time controlling their emotions and actions.

I have included here a collection of self-regulation information for you, and activities you can do with your children to help them talk about their emotions, and practice calming themselves for the holidays. I hope they are helpful! 

1. Helping Kids Self-regulate during the holidays - https://growingupconfident.com/helping-kids-self-regulate-during-the-holidays/ 

2. 7 Outdoor Activities for Kids to Support Self Regulation: https://growingupconfident.com/helping-kids-self-regulate-during-the-holidays/

Here are some resources to help you support the learning at home this week and for the holidays:

3. Zones of Regulation Holiday Emotions Sorting activity (Teachers Pay Teachers) https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Zones-of-Regulation-Holiday-Emotions-Sorting-Activity-10617599?st=93110ca96ff4e3d1abc3fc983197dad3 

4. Holiday “Colour my Feelings” Colouring pages (Teachers Pay Teachers): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Holiday-Color-My-Feelings-Coloring-Pages-2901355?st=93110ca96ff4e3d1abc3fc983197dad3 

5. Regulation Snowman Activity (Teachers Pay Teachers) https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Regulation-Snowman-Activity-4259792?st=93110ca96ff4e3d1abc3fc983197dad3 

Have a wonderful holiday!

Mrs. Snell