What a fantastic first full week back to school.  The students in Gr 6 have been working hard this week as they reviewed foundational concepts in Math & Language and were introduced to new and exciting units of study in Science & History.  While some of you are questioning the lack of homework each night, make no mistake- this simply means your child is working diligently and efficiently while at school.  I am beyond proud of their display of personal excellence during week one of the school year.

Please take note of the following information as we approach our second full week of studies at GCS.

Genius Hour Projects:

According to research, employees at Google Inc. were significantly more productive and passionate about their work when provided 1 hour/day to work on a project of their choice.  Based on these findings, students in Gr 4- 6 are being given the opportunity to participate in their own Genius Hour Projects throughout the year.  After successfully completing their assigned classwork, students will independently research the answer to a question they seek to answer, then design a representation of their learning to share with their classmates (poster, essay, PowerPoint, digital storybook, etc.)  Potential questions include- What is it like to work at the Atlantic Vet College?  How does a piano work?  Why did Canada enter World War One?  How do you build a catapult?  The possibilities for learning are endless!

To aid in safe internet research, students must have a parent sign off on the websites they deem safe and age-appropriate.  Search engines such as Google or Yahoo are not acceptable sources.  This form must be complete in order for your child to complete his/her research in class.

I look forward to seeing my students engage in the inquiry process and discover their love of learning!

Hot Lunch Program:
Please keep an eye out for more information about our school’s Hot Lunch Program which will be provided in the near future.  Although lunch forms will be sent home each week to indicate the options available, parents may also wish to check our online school calendar to plan ahead.  This week, students will have the option of purchasing fries and hotdogs on Tuesday.  The cost of each item is $2.00 each.  Please return your child’s order form and payment by Tuesday at 9AM.
Scrip Program:

Scrip is Grace Christian School’s simple fundraising program using gift cards from popular retailers. The school purchases these gift cards at a discount and resells them to parents for the face value of the card. Families will earn back the difference of the purchase (to a specified amount) to be returned to that family in June in the form of their choice of gift cards, tuition bursary, donation to GCS staff, or donation to GCS Plant a Seed Fund.  Please remember to stop by the GCS Armoury just inside the new school atrium to purchase your gift cards.

A Fan Of My Students

One of my professional goals as your child’s teacher is to become one of their greatest fans.  The easy part is to be their cheerleader inside the classroom, however I would love to have the opportunity to cheer them on outside the school environment as well.  If you and your child wish to have me attend one of their special extracurricular events (hockey game, gymnastics competition, soccer tournament, technology camps, etc.), please send me a note with a few possible dates and I will try my best to make it.

Assignments & Assessments:

Friday:  Math Test 1 & Spelling Test 2

Important Dates: 

Sep 28 – Professional Development Day (No Class)
Oct 8 – Thanksgiving (No Class)

Have a blessed weekend,
Mrs. M