Week of September 15 - 19, 2025

We had a great second week of school! Students have transitioned very well into their new classroom and we are thrilled to be getting to know each other.

Here are a few updates and reminders:

Technology News:

We have received our class set of Chromebooks. Each student in our class has been assigned their own class Chromebook to use. Over the next couple of weeks, the students will practise logging in to their Chromebook using their board-issued email and new password for this year. Once we have practised that a few times, we will learn how to login to the Student Portal to access their Grade 2/3 English Hapara Workspace (coming soon).

In the next week, I will be updating our class Hapara Workspace. In order to login to their Hapara Workspace from home, students must use their school board email account (firstname.lastname@stu.ocsb.ca) and new password which will be issued this week. A copy of your child's login information will be sent home soon. You are also asked to complete our school board's Responsible Use of Technology agreement form for your child/children. Instructions can be found HERE

Reminder to Parents to complete forms on Parent Portal

Every SEPTEMBER Parents MUST complete the following documents.

• Consent for Use and Disclosure of Student information

• OCSB Student Verification form (ONLY if there are changes)

• Responsible use of Technology

Please log into the Parent Portal to access each form.

**IMPORTANT TO DO**

Visit  “Quick Links” on our  SCHOOL WEBSITE  for links or see below.

1. Please sign up for School Messenger to receive important updates.  LINK 

NOTE Please select ‘general' to receive Weekly news from Principal/Office and "teacher to parent messaging" in order to receive emails from teachers. This step must be completed for each child.

2. Please sign up for School Cash online. LINK

3. Please sign up for the Parent Portal with the OCSB. This is where you will access report cards etc. LINK

4. If you would like to volunteer in our school please complete the necessary Vulnerable Sector Check paperwork. LINK

Please review with your child and complete the Accessible Use of Technology online submission. Instructions can be found HERE

Support on using the ocsb parent portal : Parent portal – The Ottawa Catholic School Board

St. Gabriel Meet the Teacher Open House:

Please join us on Thursday September 18 between 4:30pm - 5:30pm for our St. Gabriel Meet the Teacher. You will be able to tour the school, see your child's class, and meet their educators. This will be a ‘drop-in’ format so you can come and leave as you need between the hours of 4:30 and 5:30. We encourage your child(ren) to come and be your tour guide.

Our Topics and Learning This Week:

In Math, we have almost completed our first units on counting. Both the Grade 2s and 3s will have an assessment task this week in order to assess their learning during our skip counting units. Our next unit will be on patterning. To begin, our focus will be on growing (increasing) patterns. In Grade 2, the learning for students is to identify, extend, and describe growing number patterns and represent them in different ways. In Grade 3, students will also learn to find, describe, represent, and create growing number patterns using charts, number lines, and pictures.

Link to Grade 2 Increasing Patterns Parent Summary Letter#1 here

Link to Grade 3 Increasing Patterns Parent Summary Letter #1 here

In Language, we will continue to explore how to write a complete sentence and how to write a paragraph. We will spend some time in the coming weeks learning how to develop interesting opening and closing statements, and detailed sentences in between. We will practise adding adjectives and descriptive words to writing to make it clearer and more interesting.

In Family Life, we have been discussing how we are each unique, with unique names, unique likes and dislikes, and unique family traditions. In Religion, we are working on our Samaritans on a Digital Road unit and learning how to be positive digital citizens who model the gospel values during their online citizenship. This unit is also part of our Media Literacy unit in Language.

**Reminder to please send an email to your child's teacher or call the school to let us know if there are any changes to your child's usual routine (picking up early for an appointment, picking up in person rather than taking the bus, etc.). This will help ensure smoother transitions and allow us to keep your child safe.

Homework:

Occasionally, your child may bring home some of their unfinished classroom work to complete at home, or work in which they need to make their corrections or review concepts with you at home. In the coming weeks, your child will also bring home phonics or grammar homework. Thank you in advance for your support with this and for helping your child return this work to school when finished.

If possible, the recommendation is that Grade 2 students should be reading or reviewing concepts for 20 minutes at home daily. The recommendation for Grade 3 students is that they should be reading or reviewing concepts for 30 minutes daily at home if possible. The students can read aloud to a parent/guardian, or they can be read to by an adult. The focus should be on reading fluency and comprehension. You can help your child develop these skills by reading to them so they can hear what a fluent reader should sound like. You can help develop their reading comprehension by asking them questions before, during, and after the reading (regardless of whether they read to you or you read to them). Some examples of questions you could ask before reading: Look at the front cover. What do you think the story will be about? What is an author/illustrator? During and after reading a fiction book: Who are the main characters? What is the setting in the story? What is the problem? How do you think the character feels? How do you think it will end? Is there a hidden message or moral of the story? Who is your favourite character and why?

Looking Ahead:

Thursday, Sept. 18 - School Meet the Teacher Open House 4:30 - 5:30

September 24- First Popcorn day - sign up using schoolcash online

Friday, Sept. 26 - School Terry Fox Walk (rain date Oct. 3)

September 30th - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day

  Week of September 8 - 12, 2025

September Topics of Study:

The following are some of our current and upcoming topics:

Math: 

Our focus in Math for the next couple of weeks will be on counting skills. The curriculum expectation for the Grade 2s is to learn to count to 200 in a variety of ways, including by 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s, 20s, 25s, and 50s, using a variety of strategies and tools (for example, whole and partial number lines, 100- and 200-charts). The curriculum expectation for the Grade 3s is to learn to count to 1000 in a variety of ways, including by 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s, 20s, 25s, 50s, 100s, and 200s, using a variety of strategies and tools ((for example, whole and partial number lines, hundreds charts)

See below for the Grade 2 and Grade 3 parent summary letters outlining some key ideas for this week:

Grade 2 Counting Forward Parent Letter linked here

Grade 2 Counting Backward Parent Letter linked here

Grade 3 Counting Forward Parent Letter linked here

Grade 3 Counting Backward Parent Letter linked here

Language:

We will review how to write a complete sentence, including correct uppercase letters at the beginning of each sentence, and punctuation at the end. The Grade 3s will begin to learn how to write a paragraph. We will also begin our UFLI phonics lessons this week.

Religion, Language, and Media Literacy:

This week, the Grade 2s and 3s will begin a unit called "Samaritans on a Digital Road", in which we will learn about how to be good digital citizens and how to be safe and respectful when using technology and the internet.

 

Visual Arts:

We will start to explore primary and secondary colours, including the use and repetition of colour in everyday objects and in works of art.

Health & Phys. Ed.:
      
We are learning the routines and safety rules for physical education. We will also work on our travelling and locomotion skills (e.g., hopping, galloping) and play a few simple cooperative games.

Housekeeping Items:

If you haven't already done so, please consider sending indoor running shoes for your child.

In addition, we will use pencil crayons most often so it would be helpful for your child to have their own pencil crayons at school. It would also be very helpful for your child to have a pencil case (or two) to store pencil crayons, markers, etc. Some of the marker and pencil crayon packages (original packages from the store) are already starting to fall apart in your child's supply storage bin. Please label all of your child's belongings (lunch boxes/bags, containers, backpacks, shoes, rubber boots, winter boots, outdoor clothing, etc.) with their full name. Your child and teachers will thank you!

Parent Questionnaire:

A reminder to parents to please complete a questionnaire for me. This questionnaire is meant to help me get to know your child better. 

Link to parent questionnaire here

School Communication

In order to receive all school communication, please register at: 

 http://ocsb.ca/schoolmessenger/  . 

Agendas

Student agendas are being sent home daily. Please check and initial the agenda every day and ensure that it is sent back to school in your child's mailbag (plastic ziplock bag). It is helpful if it is left open to the page that corresponds to the current week, so that students don't have to find the page each time.

Thank You

Thank you for all the supplies you sent in last week with your child.  

IMPORTANT:  CLASS BLOG

It is very important that you check this class blog every week as there will be important news items as well as information about our topics of study. There will occasionally also be links to suggested websites for your child to visit.

Dates to Remember:

Monday, Sept. 15 - Dot Day: Wear polka dots to school. We

will honour the day with fun dot activities.

Dot Day Website here

Sept. 30 -  Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt) Day

  Welcome to Grade 2/3 - September 2 - 5, 2025

Welcome to Mrs. Maidment's Grade 2/3. I am looking forward to a fun year filled with plenty of learning adventures with my class! This blog will be updated at the beginning of each week and will include news, updates, and learning goals for the school year. Please check it each Monday. 

Parents will receive a hard copy of a beginning of the year newsletter from me. After that, most letters will be sent via School Messenger. All of our OCSB schools use the SchoolMessenger communication platform to send automated phone calls and emails to parents. Therefore, it is very important that you have signed up to receive all school communication electronically. You MUST register and/or update your school messenger account/preferences at ocsb.ca/schoolmessenger. Kindly ensure you have checked off both “General” and “Teacher to Parent”.

Below is a reminder of some suggested items to send in with your child. These supplies don't all need to be purchased for the first day of school. *Please label all personal belongings with your child's name.

If possible, please send the following items with your child: pair of clean gym-appropriate shoes (labelled with your child’s name), 2 boxes of facial tissues, 1-2 pencil cases (to store pencil crayons, pencils, erasers, scissors, etc.), 2 erasers, 2 glue sticks, pre-sharpened pencils, box of sharpened pencil crayons, coloured markers (fine-tipped), black Sharpie markers (one ultra fine and one fine), scissors, 2-3 dry-erase whiteboard markers, scissors, pencil sharpener with shaving case, and personal headphones for Chromebook use (over-the-head style - labelled with your child’s name). These items do not need to be purchased for the first day of school. We will have materials accessible to students to begin the school year.

Students are highly encouraged to also bring in a labelled bag with extra socks and pants in case they get wet on rainy or snowy days.

**Please ensure your child is able to open lunch containers independently. Please practise at home.

Allergies:

When sending your child's lunch and snacks to school, please provide food that does not contain peanut- and nut-free.

Parent Questionnaire:

I would like to invite parents to complete a questionnaire for me. This questionnaire is meant to help me get to know your child better. 

Link to parent questionnaire here

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog. Looking forward to a great first week!