This morning Katie had a British Columbia numeracy assessment for grade 10 students. As opposed to the US where kids start math and English assessments in the third grade, here there are 3 assessments in total here in Canada: numeracy 10, literacy 10 and literacy 12. You need to do them to be able to graduate high school with a “Dogwood” diploma. Katie worked on this for two hours, then went to science class for a bit and asked to be picked up before lunch.
A “Dogwood” is BC tree (same as in NC!) The Dogwood Diploma, or B.C. Certificate of Graduation, is the official high school diploma in British Columbia, Canada, awarded for completing 80 credits. Actually for most college courses, English 12 is the only one required.
I picked up Bobby at Huband this afternoon. He had a salad bat at lunch today. A “learning moment” for Bobby. One of the cars really boxed me in while I was waiting for him. I told him that it’s important to leave a bit of extra space behind your car the the car behind you. If you don’t, and need to back up, you can get trapped.
Bobby told me that he had an upset stomach today and it appears that it might be a “nervous stomach”. He told me that he read about very accomplished people having ADHD, including Steve Jobs.
The chickens got into a bit of a fight today! (see photo to the left).
My wife submitted paperwork to be a volunteer driver for both Huband and Vanier. Bobby’s teacher asked for help with getting the kids to the curling 🥌 club!
My wife had me get another copy of our Wayfair Insurance Plan on the van. Apparently the copier mangled our original version as she was trying to copy it
.I had a nice long drive with Katie this evening for Daddy/Daughter Day #165. We stopped off at McDonalds where she picked up a cheeseburger “Value Meal” for $5. They sure make the burgers and fries small on this one… 🙂 We drove around “Back Road” and on the top of the hill are some pretty nice houses!
The hospital had some cancellations so it looks like they will be dealing with his teeth this Friday!
We got the following email from Bobby’s teacher today:
Dear Families of Division 13,
I hope you are having a great start to the new year. It has been wonderful to see our students transitioning back into classroom routines and expectations. Overall, the class has done a nice job re-establishing learning habits and settling back into daily school life.
I am writing to share a concern that has come up recently regarding items being brought to school from home. Some students have been bringing toys or objects intended to be used as fidgets. While appropriate fidgets can be helpful tools for some students, many of the items being brought in are proving to be distracting rather than supportive of focus. In several cases, these items have disrupted the student using them, those around them, and the overall learning in class. We have a saying in class – “if we can see it, hear it, and it disrupts focus when you are using it, it is a toy, not a tool.” Many of the items coming in are toys.
Additionally, there have been a few instances of students trading, renting out, or even buying these items from one another. This does not align with our school expectations and can create unnecessary conflict and distraction during the school day.
Today, Ms. Gilmore visited our classroom to speak with the students about appropriate choices and school expectations. As a class, we discussed that items brought from home should support learning and that toys and tradable items are not appropriate for school.
Moving forward, I ask for your support by checking what your child is bringing to school each day. Ensuring that backpacks only contain school-appropriate items will help Glen and I maintain a focused and positive learning environment for everyone.
✅ Great Fidgets for Focus in Class
Small, quiet tools that stay at a desk
- Fidget putty / therapy putty — soft, squeezable, reusable
- Mini stress balls — gentle squeeze without noise
- Tangle toys — twistable but quiet
- Weighted lap pad or wristband — for calming sensory input
- Silicone rings that go around a pencil — can spin without distracting others
❗ Fidgets to Avoid in Class
These often become toys or toys that distract:
- Loud spinners with sound
- Trading‐card related fidgets
- Toys with lights or music
- Anything that rolls around on the floor
- Items that are easily shared/traded
Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Susan