Learning update: Nov 17

This past week we enjoyed some milder weather for our recess times. Recess is a great opportunity for students to continue to work on communication skills, like using full sentences ("I want a push, please"), or non-verbal forms of communication like sign language or pulling an adult's hand to a swing to request a push.

Last week we also did a cool sensory art project that the students really enjoyed. We made winter paintings using shaving cream and blue paint, and the students had the option of mixing the ingredients with either a paint brush or their hands. Then they dipped their papers into the mix to create swirly wintery designs on their paper. We have put our art on display on the bulletin board outside our classroom. I am discovering that many of our students are quite artistically inclined!

Something that our students have been getting really good at is their independent work systems. All of our students are at different levels of independence in their learning, but some of our students are using a work system like the one pictured below in which they perform a certain number of work tasks in a row with minimal adult support. Ryan, for example, is shown here matching the picture of the triangle to the triangle box, which indicates he should take that box to his desk to complete the task inside. He has already matched the shapes on the other 2 boxes, which means he has completed those tasks inside. Teaching the students how to engage in tasks independently is a great skill that can eventually be transferred to the work place. Once our students are in junior high and high school, a lot of the work they engage in is pre-vocational type work to teach them how to do things like roll cutlery, stock shelves, or fold laundry. 

Reminders: 

Friday, Nov 22 there is no school for students.

Dec 6 is our next round of parent conferences. I will be in touch with you all over email soon to schedule meeting times.

Please fill out and send back swimming consent forms if you have yet to do so. Our first swimming field trip is scheduled for Dec 9! And if you are interested in volunteering you have to come into the school office to complete volunteer clearance paperwork to do so. The administrative assistant said the process sometimes takes a few weeks to go through, so the sooner you can come in to start it the better! Thanks!