Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Happy Wednesday Students, Parents, and Carers!

We began our day with sensory diets, play, and the St. Jude's Christmas Concert! Sensory diets are so important for regulation, auditory processing skills, teamwork, social skills, sportsmanship, motor planning, body mapping, sequencing, gross motor skills, proprioception skills, vestibular and bilateral movements, and balance and coordination.Play is great for creativity, language arts and complex communication skills, abstract thinking, problem solving skills,  inquiry and mathematics skills, role-play and drama, fine motor skills, teamwork, and social skills. 

                           Here is Mr. Jordan handing out his Christmas cards to all of our friends! : )

                                                              SJA Christmas Concert

We had a celebrity sighting! The dazzling Ms. Elizabeth was performing a hit song!

"He's a mean one, Mr. Grinch!"

 During recess we had some fun tobogganing with our friends!

In gym class we started off by playing our Ghostbuster Awesomeness game, followed by Stuck In The Mud and Dodgeball! It was so much fun and everyone demonstrated teamwork, social skills, social problem solving skills, sportsmanship, motor planning, body mapping, sequencing, gross motor skills, proprioception skills, vestibular and bilateral movements, and balance and coordination.

In the afternoon we got together as a whole school to participate in our Polar Express themed fiesta! Everyone displayed fine and gross motor skills, creative art skills, bilateral movements, body mapping and awareness, visual spatial skills, turn taking, abstract thinking, symbolic thought, two way communication,  and social skills with varying levels of support.

The Polar Express Drama Story- language arts, creativity, drama and role play, reading, and auditory processing.

Team Train Building- team work, turn taking, oral and complex communication, abstract and symbolic thinking, fine and gross motor skills, visual spatial skills, body mapping and planning, and math skills!

Toss the Coal- hand-eye coordination, team work, sportsmanship, gross motor skills, social skills and math skills.

Hot Chocolate Station- independance and life skills, science and math skills, and deliciousness! 

At the end of the day we engaged in some fun outdoor snow fun! What a tremendous day and a big thank you to Ms. Stephanie for organizing some great activities! 

Have a great evening everyone! : )

TOMORROW IS OUR TEA PARTY AND RED & GREEN DAY. IT BEGINS AT 1:00 P.M. AND GOES UNTIL 3:00 P.M. THIS IS A OAKWOOD ACADEMY FUNDRAISER AND THERE WILL BE EXTRA GOODIES TO PURCHASE TO HELP US RAISE MONEY FOR RESOURCES AND SENSORY EQUIPMENT! THANK YOU KINDLY AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE THERE! : )

                                                                        HOMEWORK: 

I have sent home a package of worksheets relating to Math and Language Arts for students to complete at their own leisure during the holidays. This is not mandatory, nor do they need to be submitted after the Christmas break, but I would like to see some of the work on how their Christmas went! If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Mr. Jacob : )

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Happy Tuesday Students, Parents, and Carers!

We began our day with integration, sensory diets, play, and baking! Play is great for creativity, language arts and complex communication skills, abstract thinking, problem solving skills,  inquiry and mathematics skills, role-play and drama, fine motor skills, teamwork, and social skills. 

Here we are using our life skills, math skills, fine motor sills, problem solving skills, and reading skills to bake for the Tea Party this Thursday. Today we made croissants, biscuits, and chocolate cake. Mmmm

Freeze Dance- auditory processing, body awareness, mapping, and control, gross motor skills, creativity, and fun!

And the baking continues!

In gym class we started off by playing our Ghostbuster Awesomeness game, followed by Scooter Hand Ball. It was so much fun and everyone demonstrated teamwork, social skills, social problem solving skills, sportsmanship, motor planning, body mapping, sequencing, gross motor skills, proprioception skills, vestibular and bilateral movements, and balance and coordination.

In Mindfulness today we went over two calming and deep breathing yoga videos. All of our friends were so attentive, focused, determined, and calm while working on their breathing, body awareness and body mapping and flexibility.

During lunch recess we had some fun adding onto our super cool snow fort!

In the afternoon we got together as a whole school to make decorations for Thursday's Tea party. Everyone displayed fine motor skills, creative art skills, bilateral movements, turn taking, abstract thinking, symbolic thought, and two way communication with varying levels of support.

After our art session we all needed a sensory break. Ms. Andrea's class joined us in the sensory gym for a game of Lava Tag. Friends had to work together, demonstrate turn taking and sportsmanship, and use their gross motor skills, bilateral movements, balance and coordination, body mapping and planning, and auditory processing.

At the end of the day we engaged in some partner play and more art! Play is great for creativity, language arts and complex communication skills, abstract thinking, problem solving skills,  inquiry and mathematics skills, role-play and drama, fine motor skills, teamwork, and social skills. 

Have a great evening everyone! : )

HOMEWORK: 

To go over some of our favourite items/toys/clothes/photos/etc. and take a photo of them, develop the photos (Walmart has instant printing for 10 cents a photo), put them in a scrap book, and then write the date and year you got them, why, from where, from who, what it is, etc. During our Show & Tell all of us are having difficulties putting a specific place and time on our objects. Keeping a scrap book (journal log) of our items, toys, and memories will help us make connections, links, and begin to comprehend time and make the connections between past, present, and future events in our lives. This should be an ongoing project for the remainder of the year and then can continue on throughout the following years as well! Have fun with it and get creative!

 Spend 15 minutes reading a book of your child's choice, a cartoon, instructions, recipe, comic strip, etc. Make reading fun, engaging, an adventure, and not a boring chore. You can also have your child create their own picture story book using the 5-Finger Retell Model.

Work on money and time skills at home and out in the community. Have your child make their own shop, store, etc. at home using real items/foods. Price out items, look online for comparable prices, and then use real money (5 cents to 2 dollar coins) to make specific amounts, for example, have your child show you how to make $1.80 out of nickels, dimes, and quarters.

Mr. Jacob : )