Forgot My iPhone :(

I have to laugh at myself this morning. 🙂

I forgot my phone at home, and not having it has thrown me off a bit from my morning routines.

Why? It’s just a phone (with a few fancy features).

We adults sometime tease students about their attachments to their phones or other electronic devices. I guess they can now tease me.

The iPhone is not necessary to do my job, but it does make some things easier. I needed to phone a few people this morning, but my contacts list from my phone never properly synched to my computer, so it is not up-to-date. My phone had my most recent phone numbers. Now I need a 12-year-old to teach me how to synch my contacts.

I will have to adapt to a day without an iPhone. I know I can do it. I can handle it.

But after work, I am going home to pick it up.

Take care.

Hearing & Vision Screening

Today all our kindergarten students had their hearing and vision checked by Teresa and Marci, two nurses from Vancouver Coastal Health. Thank you Teresa and Marci.

The students did a great job.

Every year, nurses visit every elementary school across the province to check out the hearing and vision of each kindergarten student. They then let parents (and the school) know which children are recommended for further testing of their hearing and/or vision.

If your child missed today, you can contact Vancouver Coastal Health to book a free appointment for your child. To make an appointment for hearing and vision screening, call: 604-983-6716.

Some tips on hearing and vision that were provided for parents included:

  • Children spend at least 45% of the school day engaged in listening activities. Hearing is the basis of classroom learning.
  • Even mild or temporary hearing loss can affect learning.
  • Children should have their eyes checked even if there is no family history of eye problems.
  • Vision continues to develop until about 8 years of age, after that it cannot be easily corrected.

Visit the BC Health files online for more information about your child’s health.

Take care.

PAC Meeting Tonight

Are you coming?

Tonight the Cleveland PAC is hosting Jesse Milller (as mentioned last week and in a couple of newsletters). I hope to see many of you there.

The focus is on Social media, which has come to play quite a significant part in your children’s lives. Here are a couple of articles about social media, digital media and children.

Facebook: Children Young As Seven “Addicted To Social Networking”

Perceptions mixed on kids and digital media

Please keep talking to your children about their activities online and while texting.

Take care.

Social Media Lessons

Yesterday afternoon all our grade 4 to 7 students met with Jesse Miller from MediatedReality to learn more about social media and responsible, safe behaviours while online.

Earlier in the school year, we consulted with our PAC and together, we came up with a plan to bring Mr. Miller in to talk to our students on the 24th, and then join us at our November 29th PAC. Parents – Please come to the PAC night for this important talk.

Some interesting learning happened for the children and adults alike. We started the afternoon off with all our grade 4’s and 5’s coming down to the small gym, and students were engaged in conversations about Ipod Touches, cell phones, text messaging after midnight, Facebook and other online options.

Our grade 6’s and 7’s came down for the last hour of the day, and the discussions focused on many of the same topics that were reviewed with the younger students. The focus was a bit different, as more children in these grades reported being involved in Facebook, Twitter, online games (including xbox and playstation), taking and posting pictures and text messaging.

Here are some of the snippets that I learned yesterday:

  • We have many students who have Facebook accounts (despite the age restriction of 13 years old or older – Read more in the NY Times).
  • Many students (grades 4 – 7) receive text messages from their friends after midnight.
  • Roughly 75% of the grades 6’s and 7’s reported having Ipod Touches with text messaging capability. A large percentage of students in grades 4 and 5 also reported having these same Ipod Touches.
  • Many students became very uncomfortable when asked about sharing their text messages with their parents or teachers (or principal).

Some key points that Mr. Miller left with the students were:

  • When visiting web sites, pretend that Mom or Dad are looking over your shoulder. Would you still visit that site?
  • Never accept an email (or other communications) from strangers.
  • If you find yourself uncomfortable online, tell a parent.

For more information about social media education and awareness, please visit Mediated Reality. Parents may also want to visit Cybertip.ca to learn more about online safety for children.

For students in grade 6 and 7, a challenge was given – “Go home and write out, by memory, all your Facebook Friends.” Can they do it? How many “friends” can they list? Try this at home with your child. If they don’t know the person, why are they friends?

Mr. Miller will be presenting a lot of very important issues to the PAC on the 29th. I think it is important for parents to attend.

Some questions that I think should be asked:

  • Do you know your child’s online habits?
  • Does your child have a computer in his/her bedroom?
  • Does your child keep his/her phone (or Ipod Touch) in the bedroom over night?
  • Do you talk to your children about online or texting behaviours?
  • Have you ever read their text messages?

The Internet  and the rest of the wired world is a great place. Let’s help children learn how to safely navigate their way through.

Take care.

 

 

 

Playground Games

The playground games are varied here at Cleveland, and there are many stories to share about what goes on at recess and lunch (or big recess). The West playground has been the scene of many fun and exciting stories all year.

I am not sure the exact date of the installation of the west playground, but I must thank the Cleveland PAC and all the parents who contributed to getting this playground installed.

The tire swing is a hit with students, in particular some in grades 4 and 5. When the bell goes to start the break, you will see a group of children sprint across the blacktop to be the first one on the swing. The children get together and take turns pushing, spinning or swinging each other around as fast as they can. Sometimes one person rides, other times three.

Everyday the tire swing area has lots of laughter and occasional screams of joy (reminds me of the screaming on a roller coaster).

Like any playground game, things do not always go smoothly. Kids jump on when it is not their turn, students stay on too long and don’t give others a turn, or someone gets bonked on the head when they are spinning their friends. As with many playground issues, students require some support to help them through the challenges.

We have a number of adults on our playground to help. Generally, most students, once we have listened to their problems and discussed how to make things better, move on and continue to have fun. Sometimes students are asked to take a time out or to move to another part of the playground.

Our playground is home to many positive stories of children getting along, children handling problems in a positive way, and children sometimes needing extra support to be positive. Every playground is filled with the same type of stories.

Take care.