Welcome Back!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

                Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful summer!  I would like to introduce myself to you as your child’s grade 8 core/homeroom teacher.  My name is Carolynne Waddell and I have been teaching at Erin Public School for 13 years.  I am really looking forward to teaching the grade 8’s – we are going to have an amazing year!

                Over the next few months, our goal is to meet the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum, and of course to make sure the students settle into Erin Public School routines and activities comfortably.  I will be teaching the following subjects to your child/children : Language, Math, Geography, History, Phys-ed and Drama, and Visual Art.

·         The language arts program will consist of  grammar, creative writing and reading, persuasive writing novel studies, media studies, book reports (one per term), and many other language-based activities.  The students will be working in small groups, guided reading groups, and whole-class lessons and discussions.

·         The math program will cover many areas of study – starting off with a geometry unit that focuses on line segments, rays, congruent and similar figures, obtuse, acute and reflex angles.

·         We will be covering history term one and will then move into the geography program in term two. Our first history unit will begin with a look at the Confederation of our country. The focus in social studies this year will be project-based learning. What is PBL?  According to Edutopia : “Project-based learning is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges. With this type of active and engaged learning, students are inspired to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they're studying.”

·         In phys-ed we will begin with team-building games, leadership skills and soccer skills. The culminating task for the team-building/leadership unit will be to design, practice, and carry-out a warm-up activity and a team-builder activity to a Junior or Primary class. Health will focus on healthy body image, and healthy eating.

·         In drama, we will be starting with small comedic skits.

·         In visual arts we will explore cartooning and sketching.

                               

This term, 8D will have the pleasure of hosting a Teacher Candidate from Wilfred Laurier University.  He will be in the classroom on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  We welcome him, and I’m sure you will meet him during our open house.

During our first day of school, the students and I discussed classroom rules and expectations that will be followed over the entire school year.  Please ask your child to go over these with you.  They are posted in the room at all times.  My overall focus for the class is for the students to enjoy a happy, cooperative, and respectful learning environment.

                Each student has been given an agenda, which will be used on a daily basis to record homework.  Please look over the agenda with your child to review the day’s events, and sign in the place provided.  Agendas will be checked on a frequent basis to ensure that they are being taken home and used properly.  I will also be using these books as a means of communication with you. Please feel free to write any notes or concerns in the agenda. Another form of communication is our class blog.  At  www.misswaddell7.blogspot.com  , you can check for up-coming classroom activities and assignments.  The blog will also be updated on a regular basis.

                I look forward to meeting you at our Open House on September 24th!  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at the school or write a note in your child’s agenda.

                            

Take Care,

Miss Waddell