Lyonsgate Update Feb. 18, 2025
Good Morning Lyonsgate Families,
It was so nice to see so many Lyonsgate students arriving this morning. Between sickness and snowstorms the last couple of weeks have been out of the ordinary, to say the least. We hope you all had a great Family Day long weekend and were able to get out and play in the snow (rather than just shovel it and drive through it). It has been wonderful to have lots of snow on the playground and at the park for the students to play with, and in. The last couple of years have seen a dearth of snow, so while the snow days, freezing temperatures, and shoveling are an annoying inconvenience for grown-ups, a playground and a park full of snow has been joyful for the Lyonsgate students.
Please click the links below for updates from your children’s levels and for recent photos at Lyonsgate:
There is no photo gallery from the Primary campus this week, but please visit the Elementary section to see what they have been up to.
Hello Toddler Families,
This past week, the Toddler students have been working on gross motor skills through both outdoor play and during the work cycle. During outdoor play, the children have worked hard on building with the snow! Some children have shovelled piles for other children to use the snow for their block maker. Some children have made a snow hill to balance on. While other have been running in the snow to see how far they can make it on the playground. During the work cycle, your toddlers have been building gross motor skills by sitting in the middle of the room to see if they can throw a bean bag into the triangle that is taped by the door. They are also enjoying songs like “Hokey Pokey,” “Jump Jump,” and “Shake Your Sillies Out” to get their motor skills working!
Ms.Kubiak.
Click to view and/or sign up for Toddler flower contributions
Greetings from Casa,
We are obviously in full on winter weather and look to be so for some time to come, to the delight of anyone who doesn’t have to make use of a shovel. Children particularly enjoy great piles of snow when they are properly dressed for the cold and sometimes wet conditions. While at school and preparing for outdoor times they find it helpful to have an order to putting on the many layers of necessary clothing: snow pants first, then jackets, followed by hats, mitts and lastly boots. They learn that it is almost impossible to zip their jacket with mitts on, although they will try!
As you can imagine, it takes some time for 24 children to prepare for this transition. We do our best to allow enough time for this to happen as we encourage independence with dressing themselves. Some days take longer than others, but with time and practise they are becoming more adept at preparing for winter in Canada.
Click to book a parent observation in: Casa North | Casa South
Click to view and/or sign up for flower contributions in: Casa North | Casa South
Although the snow day was a highlight of last week for many children, while at school, the students were very busy with a variety of activities! Studies in geography continued, with the story of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, and on-going work with the world map. Explorations of Canadian history saw many groups working together to further understand the impact of Jacques Cartier’s voyages and the emergence of a strong fur trade between North America and Europe. Different groups are now preparing a timeline of Canadian history through the 1600s, a skit about Inuit culture, and advertisements for the best beaver hats to communicate what they have learned with their peers. Some of our younger students have been learning about different biomes, researching the climate, flora, and fauna of distinct habitats. Everyone has been learning more about the Canadian landscape by looking at paintings from the Group of Seven, and taking inspiration from Lawren Harris and Tom Thomson. Join us after school on Monday, March 3, for an exhibition of the students’ artwork!
Karate at United Family Martial Arts: Tuesday, February 18
Students in Years 1-3 will return to the dojo on Tuesday afternoon for karate, and should come prepared with their red Lyonsgate t-shirt and comfortable pants for physical activity.
Kick-Boxing at United Family Martial Arts: Thursday, February 20
Students in Years 4-6 hope to begin their kick-boxing classes on Thursday afternoon, and should come prepared with their red Lyonsgate t-shirt and comfortable pants for physical activity. No snow-day dances on Wednesday night, please!
O.W.L. Workshop 5, Part 2, Gender: Friday, February 21
Students in Years 4-6 will be continuing with the fifth O.W.L. workshop this week, and are reminded to complete the required readings listed at the end of Homelink 4.
Elementary Art Show: Monday, March 3
The students are eager to welcome their family members to view displays of their recent work at the Elementary Art Show. Featured works will include pieces from recent studies of the Group of Seven, as well as art work created in connection with other curriculum areas and independent research. Casa children and parents are also welcome to come by and see the show! Visitors are welcome to arrive anytime between 3:15 and 4:15, with the art show closing at 4:30.
