Hello families,

Well, we are into our last week of school before the holidays. I am sure the excitement is mounting at your home, as it is at school! We have a busy week filled with fun activities and are looking forward to a great time of celebration before the break.

See below for this week’s update.

Last week’s highlights include:

• Winter Concert – What a wonderful celebration in music last week! Thank you to so many for coming – we had a full house. The students did a wonderful job and a huge thanks to Ms. Pepperall and the classroom teachers for their preparation
• Holiday crafts/events – There was a continuation of preparation for the holidays. Students were making cards and artwork, as well as their academic studies also included holiday writing.

A few pieces of information/reminders for you:

1. Santa’s Workshop – This Tuesday! Thank you to our parents for organizing this. For a $5 donation, students will be able to shop for 5 gifts to put under the tree for people in their family. See the attached flyer for information. This is an exciting event and we are all looking forward to it!
2. Fun Week! -See the attached flyer for information on the fun things happening this week. Also, you can visit our calendar as a reminder
3. Fun food – Classes may be having parties/celebrations this week and you may wish to send food for the entire class. When sending treats to school for any celebrations, try to be mindful about sending more healthy choices (ie – fruit, popcorn, veggies and dip, protein options such as cheese cubes, hummus, etc), as there will be sweets plentiful in other places in the upcoming weeks.

If you are planning on baking treats, you may find this resource helpful. Bake Better Bites is a recipe book that provides helpful tips and recipes for making baked goods more nutritious and healthier. https://www.bchealthyliving.ca/bake-better-bites-recipes-and-tips-for-healthier-baked-goods/. Please also check with your teacher about any allergies that may be present in the classroom.

4. Lost and Found – We have MANY items in our lost and found! Please come by to have a look to see what is yours. Any items left after the holidays will be donated.
5. PAC minutes – We had a wonderful social meeting last week! The minutes have now been posted to the website: https://southnelson.sd8.bc.ca/pac/southnelson

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

1. Dec. 18-29 – WINTER BREAK
2. Jan. 2 – First day of school

Family learning resources:

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

Enjoy your week and have a wonderful holiday!

Mrs. Snell