Building Belonging- diversity, Growing Readers Tips, Special Days/Weeks/Months

Black History Month, Growing Readers Tip

February is Black History month! Here are some of the newest books that your kids might enjoy reading related to this theme.

The Hockey Skates

A boy opens a box that has a golden glow. Hockey memorabilia litters his room.

My Name is Henry Bibb

A book cover that shows a drawing of a man wearing a suit in front of a yellow identification card and a green-coloured background. There is brown and red text overlay that is the book's title and author's name.

I Am Big

A book cover that shows a young Black hockey player standing on top of a globe that's made of ice. He is holding a hockey stick and smiling. There is white and orange text overlay that is the book's title and the author's name.

She Persisted: Simone Biles by Kekla Magoon and Chelsea Clinton

There Was a Party for Langston

I Am Be by Jennifer Francis Book Cover

Ron’s Big Mission

A Year of Black Joy: 52 Black Voices Share Their Life Passions

Young, Gifted and Black Too: Meet 52 More Black Icons from Past and Present image number 0

GROWING READERS TIP- KITCHEN TIME

 

Finding time to build literacy skills can be challenging. Capture a little time in the room you spend a lot of time- the kitchen. Try these ideas:

 

Have your child play with magnetic letters on the refrigerator or on a cookie sheet.

 

Create a sensory writing tray using salt and a shallow pan.

 

Send the kids to the pantry shelves for a letter or word hunt using cans and boxes.

 

Listen to your child read a book.

 

TAKE AWAY:  I can use kitchen time as literacy learning time. 

Building Belonging- diversity, Growing Readers Tips, Special Days/Weeks/Months

Orange Shirt Day on Friday

On the left is an orange picture book cover with a woman holding a child. On the right is a photo of the author who has short gray and black hair and is wearing an orange Every child matters shirt.

New Orange Shirt Day Book – CBC

I Am Not a Number

Strongnations.com

You Hold Me Up

Orcabook.com

When I Was Eight

Annickpress.com

HHCS will be observing Orange Shirt Day, the day of Truth and Reconciliation, on Friday, September 29. We look forward to seeing the students dressed in orange! We will have an assembly and will do a school-wide activity based on the book With Our Orange Hearts. Try out one of these books to help explain the significance of the day to your child.

GROWING READERS TIP- WIGGLE WIGGLE

 

Little ones like to move around during read-alouds and that doesn’t mean there is a problem. In fact, it’s pretty normal. Kids are still able to absorb language and vocabulary as they move around the room. Here are a few tips to engage your child with books:

 

Choose books that match your child’s attention span and interest.

Ask engaging questions that invite your child to engage with the story. 

Let your child play with blocks or play dough to help with focus.

 

Take Away:  My child can move AND listen during a story. 

Building Belonging- diversity, Growing Readers Tips, Special Days/Weeks/Months

Black History Month

GROWING READERS TIP- Giving Kids the Language to Succeed

A big vocabulary helps kids read, write, and talk. How do we help kids grow their vocabulary?  

  1. Read, read, read.  Books are filled with rich language that your child will absorb the more he/she interacts with books.
  2. Talk, talk, talk.  Having conversations WITH your child gives him/her a chance to practice the vocabulary read and heard.  

Take away:  I can read and talk with my child to develop vocabulary. 

Growing Book by Book

Recently at school we had an assembly in honour of Black History Month.  Our guest speakers reminded us that Black History is Canada’s History.  We learned about the story of Africville.  Here are some resources to help you to know more about what happened in this little town in Nova Scotia, and to discuss it with your children.

 

Enjoy these book lists for Black History Month as well!

Today’s Parent- Great Black History Month Books

28 great kids' books about Black history

Harper Collins

Reading Rockets

28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World

21 Picture Books for Black History Month

40 Children’s Book Black History Month Biographies

Building Belonging- diversity, Events, Special Days/Weeks/Months

Orange Shirt Day/National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

HHCS will observe Orange Shirt Day again this year on September 30. Orange Shirt Day is observed on Sept. 30 to honor Residential School survivors, those who did not survive and their families. It is an opportunity for First Nations, schools and communities in Canada and beyond to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope. The origin of Orange Shirt Day is based on Phyllis Webstad’s story of entering an Indian Residential School as a 6 year old girl. We wear orange as a symbol of remembrance because on Phyllis’ first day at a Residential School, the shiny new orange shirt her grandmother bought was taken away from her and replaced with a school uniform. We will be wearing orange shirts on Friday in memory of those who attended residential schools. At HHCS we remember that God loves all of us and that Every Child Matters.  It is important to know Canada’s history and to learn more to be able to recognize this day.  School should be a place where students feel celebrated, loved, and safe.  We won’t forget the children who were at residential schools and we stand with the Indigenous community. I hope the online read-alouds, book trailers, and videos below will be helpful.  ‘With Our Orange Hearts’ is the newest book release.

Building Belonging- diversity, Events, Scholastic Book Club, Special Days/Weeks/Months

Asian Heritage Month, Scholastic Digi-Flyers, and Scholastic Book Fair is Here!!

End of the year Scholastic digi-flyers are here! Don’t forget that volunteer hours can be earned by purchasing from Scholastic!

When ordering, use Class code- RC391237.  Orders over $40 are FREE delivery to your home!

 

May June Flyer

Scholastic- English Digi-Flyer for June

Scholastic- French Digi-Flyer for June

Scholastic- Camp Read-a-Lot

The in-person Scholastic book fair also starts this week!!  Students will shop during their class’s regular library period of the week.  (Grade 4-5 and 6a are rescheduled to Friday because of the music assembly on Wednesday.) I will also have the book fair open during morning recess on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  Students who need to come back to shop a second time or who will be away on their class’s scheduled day may come during recess times.  Parents are also welcome to come after the music assembly on Wednesday until 4:00.

May is Asian Heritage month- enjoy these book selections!

Kids’ Books on the Experiences of Asian American Immigrants

The Many Meanings of Meilan

Scholastic- Asian Heritage Month

Alvin Ho series by Lenore Look

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things

Any Day with You by Mae Respicio

Any Day with You

Kudo Kids Series

Kudo Kids: The Mystery in Manhattan

Soul Lanterns by Shaw Kuzki

Soul Lanterns

Building Belonging- diversity, Special Days/Weeks/Months

Easter Books, New Honours Reader Program

Easter weekend is over, but the reading and the learning doesn’t stop!  Here are some great recommendations to continue to help your child learn more about Jesus’ death and resurrection or just to extend the fun of the holiday a little longer. I especially love these diverse book lists.

23 Multicultural Children’s Books about Easter

Darkest Night/Brightest Day

Darkest Night Brightest Day A Family Devotional for the Easter Season Marty Machowski

 

The Best Easter Picture Books About the Gospel for Lent

The Easter Story Books for Kids

Egg-cellent Book Gifts for Your Little Bunny’s Easter Basket

I'm Growing Great

7 Books That Tell the Big Story of Easter

7 Multicultural Easter Books for Kids

I am launching a new version of the HHCS Honours Reader program!  Some of you might remember this program from a few years ago.  The new program will replace the format of the old one. It will have categories to work on such as classics and modern classics, various genres, and diverse books. Students who complete this challenge before they graduate will receive a special HHCS seal. If you like reading, would like to learn more about the world around you, and would like to earn an HHCS seal for your efforts, then go to Google Classroom and click on the plus+ sign button on the top right to add a class and enter this code  qru34nw. You will see all the categories with further instructions there.

Building Belonging- diversity, Scholastic Book Club, Special Days/Weeks/Months

World Autism Awareness and Acceptance Day, and April Digi-Flyers

Scholastic April digi-flyers are here!  School-wide class code is RC391237.

April English Flyer

April French Flyer

April English Flyer

This Monday at HHCS we celebrated World Autism Awareness and Acceptance Day.  We talked to the students about our wonderful neurodiverse brains, about qualities and difficulties of autism, and about accepting and celebrating our similarities and differences.  Enjoy these resources!

Books for Kids with Characters on the Autism Spectrum

Building Belonging- diversity, Events, Genre, Special Days/Weeks/Months

Biographies/Autobiographies/Memoirs for Kids, World Down Syndrome Day, and Battle of the Books

Let’s start with a round-up of biography books for kids and tweens/teens! There are so many great choices these days for kids to learn about interesting people in the world.

who was duke ellington?

whowasbookseries.com

https://www.shepersistedbooks.com/

sp.png

Middle Grade Biographies and Memoirs in Verse

New Biography Books for Elementary and Middle School

World Down Syndrome Day, Online Book Sale Continues, and New Blog Feature- HHCS Reads- Interview with Mrs. Spencer

Last week we celebrated World Down Syndrome Day!  Above is a link to my post from last year with some books to learn more.

I’m excited to be starting a Battle of the Books team!  If your child is interested and missed last week’s introductory meeting, there is still time to join.  We will meet during two recess times each week.  This program is organized and hosted by the Halton Hills Public Library.

Battle of the Books

Halton Hills Public Library Logo

Building Belonging- diversity, Events, Family Literacy, Special Days/Weeks/Months

Black History Month

Recently Mrs. Kroezen, Grade 6B, and I hosted a school assembly on the theme of Black History Month.  This year we decided to go with a Canadian Focus.  Black History is Canadian history! As a school we celebrated the many achievements and contributions of Black Canadians who have done so much for our country. Enjoy some of these Black History month stories below.

Read about the role of Canada as a safe place for slaves to escape to and watch a Heritage Minute about The Underground Railroad:

https://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc2/the-feed/canada-code-name-heaven

The role of Harriet Tubman:

The amazing story of John Ware:

Enjoy the music of Oscar Peterson:

She’s on our $10 bill- Viola Desmond!

He’s the real McCoy- inventor Elijah McCoy!

Hockey fans- it’s Willie O’Ree!

Keep working on your reading for The Reading Olympics Challenge!  Remember that each book you read can only be applied to one category for the Olympics.

Authors, Building Belonging- diversity, Christmas, Events, Vintage

Vintage Author/Illustrator Spotlight- Gyo Fujikawa

Something a little different for you this week!  Last year around this time I posted some pictures of vintage children’s Christmas books that I have at home. I love children’s literature and feel that is so important- and I also love vintage children’s literature!  I have a collection at home of my favourites.  My number one favourite author-illustrator from my childhood is Gyo Fujikawa.  I had forgotten all about her books until one day I saw “Oh What a Busy Day” and I was immediately transported back to childhood.

Source: Goodreads.com

Gyo captured childhood so well in her writing and illustrations and lovingly depicted children from all cultures playing together, at a time when that was not commonly featured.  You can read about her amazing life in this article from The New Yorker.  It includes anecdotes about when her family was in an internment camp and when she worked for Disney.  https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/how-gyo-fujikawa-drew-freedom-in-childrens-books

There is even a fairly new book about Fujikawa’s life, titled “It Began with a Page-How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way.”  You will love reading these books with your children, they are really special!

 

 

 

The awesome thing about these vintage books is you don’t have to hunt them down- they are easy to find as the re-prints are available at Amazon or your local bookstore!

 

 

 

I think it is important to show our own kids the books that we loved when we were young! Such treasures!

Don’t forget our upcoming Book Character Christmas Ornament challenge!  I can’t wait to see what the students come up with!