Week 2 - September 4, 2017
Dear Parents,
With the first week completed, I would like to thank you, as parents, for your support during these early days. It has been an extremely successful start to the year and I can already see that students and teachers have settled into their routines and procedures. Classroom teachers will be communicating with you each week so that you are fully informed about what is going on at school. I would also encourage you make an appointment with your child's teacher if you have any particular questions or concerns. I would request that you make an appointment for after school, as teachers are busy in the mornings preparing for class.
Newsletter feedback
Thank you for the positive feedback we have received relating to the newsletter format. We have tried to focus on delivering a user-friendly, multi-device format. We have added a Google translation function that has restricted the selection of languages to those that are registered with our school as being spoken at home by families. However, if you would like us to add an additional language to the translator function, please let us know and we can easily add it for you. We appreciate that the translation will only be as good as the translator app but it at least it provides an opportunity for us to communicate more broadly with everyone in our school community, including friends and family back home in other countries.
Middle School - 'Back to School Night'
The 'Middle School - Back to School Night', will take place on Wednesday September 13 starting at 6.00pm. You will get the opportunity to meet with your child’s teachers and learn about their teaching approaches, as well as gain an insight into the curriculum that we use at NOVA. Specialist teachers will be available for you to to talk to about the programs that they teach.
Elementary School - 'Back to School Night'
The 'Elementary School - Back to School Night', will take place on Thursday September 14 starting at 6.00pm. You will get the opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher and learn about their teaching approaches, as well as gain an insight into the curriculum that we use at NOVA. Specialist teachers will be available for you to to talk to about the programs that they teach.
With growing numbers of students at NOVA, we need to separate the nights due to number of people that need to move around the school. It will also allow specialist teachers to be available to see more parents each night.
TECH NEWS
“Just one hour of coding can improve students’ abilities to learn by themselves. Computer programming builds timeless skills such as checking work for details, how to apply logic and persisting at tasks.
There are some free apps that you can download so that your child can use to get them started with coding.
The Foos (Grades PK-3) – http://thefoos.com/hour-of-code/
Tynker (Grades 2-5) https://www.tynker.com/hour-of-code/”
Student Services News
Classroom Accommodations for Students with Attention Issues
Some students struggle with attention or focus in the classroom. Whether this rises to the level of a clinical diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or not, there are accommodations that teachers can make to help these students with focus, attention, impulsivity, and overactivity issues.
Kindest regards,
Russell O'Neill
Principal
PTA NEWS
A room parent’s main task is to facilitate communication between other parents and the teacher and the school parent group. Grade parents (for Middle School and High School) will differ slightly in tasks only because their involvement will be grade specific. Requests from teachers or Grade coordinators can vary from classroom to classroom, and grade to grade depending on the event. For the most part, as a room parent you’ll solicit donations (paper goods, snacks, decorations, etc.) from parents for classroom parties and events (usually based on a list from the teacher), collect money for teacher gifts during holidays and 'Teacher Appreciation Day' in June, and other tasks as decided by the teacher. Additionally, we ask room and grade parents to act as liaisons for our PTA by attending monthly parent group meetings (For example, room parents can help the PTO promote an event by reminding their parents of an upcoming program or fundraiser.)
We will generate a monthly newsletter that pertains to pta events only. This will be distributed to PTA members, room parents, grade parents and any other parents that wishes to stay involved.
We look forward to answering more questions during our PTA Coffe Meeting coming up this Wednesday in the EMS cafeteria to start at 8:15 a.m.
Your PTA
Dear Parents,
With the first week completed, I would like to thank you, as parents, for your support during these early days. It has been an extremely successful start to the year and I can already see that students and teachers have settled into their routines and procedures. Classroom teachers will be communicating with you each week so that you are fully informed about what is going on at school. I would also encourage you make an appointment with your child's teacher if you have any particular questions or concerns. I would request that you make an appointment for after school, as teachers are busy in the mornings preparing for class.
Newsletter feedback
Thank you for the positive feedback we have received relating to the newsletter format. We have tried to focus on delivering a user-friendly, multi-device format. We have added a Google translation function that has restricted the selection of languages to those that are registered with our school as being spoken at home by families. However, if you would like us to add an additional language to the translator function, please let us know and we can easily add it for you. We appreciate that the translation will only be as good as the translator app but it at least it provides an opportunity for us to communicate more broadly with everyone in our school community, including friends and family back home in other countries.
Middle School - 'Back to School Night'
The 'Middle School - Back to School Night', will take place on Wednesday September 13 starting at 6.00pm. You will get the opportunity to meet with your child’s teachers and learn about their teaching approaches, as well as gain an insight into the curriculum that we use at NOVA. Specialist teachers will be available for you to to talk to about the programs that they teach.
Elementary School - 'Back to School Night'
The 'Elementary School - Back to School Night', will take place on Thursday September 14 starting at 6.00pm. You will get the opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher and learn about their teaching approaches, as well as gain an insight into the curriculum that we use at NOVA. Specialist teachers will be available for you to to talk to about the programs that they teach.
With growing numbers of students at NOVA, we need to separate the nights due to number of people that need to move around the school. It will also allow specialist teachers to be available to see more parents each night.
TECH NEWS
“Just one hour of coding can improve students’ abilities to learn by themselves. Computer programming builds timeless skills such as checking work for details, how to apply logic and persisting at tasks.
There are some free apps that you can download so that your child can use to get them started with coding.
The Foos (Grades PK-3) – http://thefoos.com/hour-of-code/
Tynker (Grades 2-5) https://www.tynker.com/hour-of-code/”
Student Services News
Classroom Accommodations for Students with Attention Issues
Some students struggle with attention or focus in the classroom. Whether this rises to the level of a clinical diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or not, there are accommodations that teachers can make to help these students with focus, attention, impulsivity, and overactivity issues.
- offering preferential seating
- providing seat cushions, resistance bands on chair legs, exercise balls etc. to help with focus and restlessness
- implementing organization tools such as baskets, folders, assignment notebooks, and color-coded task lists
- breaking down assignments, directions, and long-term projects into manageable chunks.
- introducing word processing and keyboarding skills to help with writing issues
- using behavior contracts and positive behavioral supports to help with behavior management
- providing exercise breaks
Kindest regards,
Russell O'Neill
Principal
PTA NEWS
A room parent’s main task is to facilitate communication between other parents and the teacher and the school parent group. Grade parents (for Middle School and High School) will differ slightly in tasks only because their involvement will be grade specific. Requests from teachers or Grade coordinators can vary from classroom to classroom, and grade to grade depending on the event. For the most part, as a room parent you’ll solicit donations (paper goods, snacks, decorations, etc.) from parents for classroom parties and events (usually based on a list from the teacher), collect money for teacher gifts during holidays and 'Teacher Appreciation Day' in June, and other tasks as decided by the teacher. Additionally, we ask room and grade parents to act as liaisons for our PTA by attending monthly parent group meetings (For example, room parents can help the PTO promote an event by reminding their parents of an upcoming program or fundraiser.)
We will generate a monthly newsletter that pertains to pta events only. This will be distributed to PTA members, room parents, grade parents and any other parents that wishes to stay involved.
We look forward to answering more questions during our PTA Coffe Meeting coming up this Wednesday in the EMS cafeteria to start at 8:15 a.m.
Your PTA