PEERING IN ONTARIO
ONTARIO
PEER HELPERS’ ASSOCIATION
NEWSLETTER:SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
OPHA NEWS!
Another school
year has arrived & we hope you will continue to support our work through
membership fees, hosting workshops & attending our conferences. Please
notify the office by email if there is a change of advisor and I can ensure the
materials get sent to the correct person.
We have
another excellent conference organized for elementary school leaders & peer
helpers. If you can spread the news about this event I can email you the
conference brochure. I will no longer be the conference co-ordinator
but have handed the position over to Sandy Philp,
ably assisted by Joan Macklin. I will still do the work behind the scenes &
the registration so keep in touch with the OPHA office.
Included in this mailing is the new
OPHA calendar celebrating all the events of
the previous school year. ( Maureen Weekes)
OPHA
directors will once more be presenting at the OSCA conference on Sunday,
November 7th 4.15-5.15pm. Our presentation is titled, ‘Teamwork for Success’. Watch the OSCA website ( www.osca.ca) for more
conference details
Activity Idea
Here’s a very fun
primary activity to do at anytime.
Many of you may use ‘Criss Cross Applesauce’ already but here’s a different
take on it which I have adapted from a fellow colleague Doug Goodkin. This would
be a very fun activity to teach to your peers and have them then go into a
primary class to do it with them. The
following sequence, applicable to 3 year olds up to 7 year olds and beyond,
gives one model of what this little verse can do!
Criss Cross Applesauce
Children are sitting cross-legged in a
circle.
1. Describe
the posture of the legs. (Cross)
2. Find
a word that goes well with it. (Criss Cross)
3. Find
a word that rhymes and makes a little phrase. ‘Criss
cross I’m the boss! or Criss Cross, dental floss’ and
hopefully they with a little guidance will settle upon, Criss
Cross applesauce.’
4. Choose
the last suggestion and ask for suggestions about how many times to chant.
5. Follow
group suggestions (3 times, 1 time etc.) until arriving and settling for 3.
6. Discuss
the power of the number 3 - 3 wishes,3 tasks, 3 bears, the Trinity, 3 witches
in MacBeth ( I know that’s a little heavy) etc. Note that 3 leads to 4 for completion - the 3
tasks and the marriage, the 3 bears and Goldilocks. Ask for favourite
foods to complete the chant - ‘spaghetti and meatballs’, ‘peanut butter and
jelly’ etc. ask for favourite
pizzas - ‘cuatro formaggio’,
‘mushroom and anchovies’ etc. Settle on
‘Pepperoni Pizza’
7. Short
discussion about alliteration - Betty Botter, Davy
Dumpling, Lucy Locket, Peter Piper, Tommy Tucker, Wee Willie Winkie, etc. Listen to Inversnaid
by Gerard Manley Hopkins.
8. Recite
whole text: ‘Criss Cross Applesauce (3x), Pepperoni
Pizza!’
9. Discuss
how many times to repeat above (two)
10. Expressive
contrast: ‘Criss Cross’ middle voice, ‘Applesauce’
high voice, ‘Pepperoni Pizza’ low. Match
eyebrows, face and body to different levels.
11. Transfer
to body percussion - clap for middle, snap for high, pat floor for low.
12. Put
into a form. Say twice, Play twice. Say and Play twice and freeze into shape.
13. As
above in two-part canon. In four.
14. Small
groups create new version of last line (Tacos and tamales, sushi and sashimi
etc) and a new way to perform (new body percussion or vocal qualities or clap
pattern with partner, instruments etc.) Share with whole group in rondo form,
group chanting just once
‘Pepperoni Pizza!’ between each
performance.
15. New
criss cross with motions on partner’s back: Criss Cross Applesauce, Spiders crawling up my back, Light
breeze, Tight squeeze, Now I’ve got the shivereez.’
The above are just suggestions but primary students love this and I have
had older children take it down to the younger ones and do it both in class and
at recess time on the yard. Have fun
with it! Submitted by Michelle Robinson, CR Gummow
P. School
Together We Can Climb Mountains to Success
Seventeenth Ontario Elementary Peer Helping & Leadership
Conference
October 27-29 20010
The theme of
this year’s conference is working as a team to achieve success. The workshops
will provide the requirements to climb the mountain to success.
Great
Workshops:
At Base camp we practice teamwork necessary for a successful climb
The Climb
means
hard work and assisting our team members
To reach
the summit we need time management so we’ll get to the top before darkness or bad weather
hits.
On
our climb we plan to protect the environment by using the outer bag of milk
bags for secret friend bags & for crafts.
Other Conference
Highlights
Co-operative games
Lip Sync/Talent Show
Camp fire
Low Ropes activities
Music activities
Secret Friend Activities
School Planning Time
1 year’s free OPHA membership for advisors
Inspiration & Motivation for Student leaders,
Peer helpers and Advisors Ontario Educational
Leadership Centre, Longford Mills, near Orillia,
Ontario Registration Fee : $160 per student;
$120 per advisor Early Bird Fee: $150 per student (
$120 per advisor) if registered & paid before October 4th (Accommodation, meals & materials
included)
It has
been brought to OPHA's attention that some boards
(such as Simcoe) have a new requirement related to
taking students on overnight excursions namely:
Teachers
need to put in a request to take students to 3 day overnight conferences/field
trips 3 months in
advance or they
will not be approved.
The dates for the
2010/2011 Conferences are as follows:
October 27,28, 29th
2010 Elementary Peer Helping & Leadership Conference.
April 27,28, 29th
2011 Secondary Leadership & Peer support Conference.
If you plan to attend the above conferences
please remember to apply for permission in lots of time.
Consider Creating a School Song
Last year for graduation CR Gummow took Kanaan’s song ‘Wavin Flag’ and rewrote it. Each class wrote one verse as well as the staff. It was a very powerful moment at our ceremony. Everyone was singing and we got a few parents together and students to musically perform their new song ‘Never Forget’! I saw some students throughout the summer and they were asking if we are going to do that again! I said ‘sure’, but let’s think of a different song to rework! ‘Wavin Flag was very timely and perfect for the occasion and was still very much loved by the students. Here’s what the combined efforts of our grade 8s and staff came up with! Submitted by Michelle Robinson, CR Gummow P.S
Chorus
When I get older
I will remember
All the good
times
I’ve had with all
of you
I’ll never forget
I’ll never forget
I’ll never forget
Verse 1
Born in a small
town
That we call
Cobourg
All of the memories
That we will hold
here
Came from JK
Some came partway
Together each day
Apprendre le francais
Started out small
Walking the halls
The anthem sound
The friends we
have found
We didn’t know
What we’d behold
Our futures
unknown
Who knew where
we’d go
And we’re laughin’
As we celebrate
Verse 2
Came from my home
Felt so alone
I didn’t know
How much I would
grow
The people we met
Memories we’ve
made
We’ll never
forget
Forever remain
Had lots of fun
Made lots of
friends
We had some good
times
Right up to the
end
Thanks for the
days
Now we part ways
It’s come to an
end
Say bye to some
friends
And we’re movin’
On to grade nine
And we wonderin’
If we’ll turn out
fine
School has been great
Even grade eight
We’ll all relate
This is our fate
Verse 3 (Staff
and Parents)
For the teachers at Gummow
It’s hard to let
go
We watched you
grow
And build what
you know
JK to grade 8
What will be your
fate?
Learning
integrity
What is your
destiny?
When you first started
Your life paths
uncharted
As teachers we
pledge
To give you
courage
Gummow’s
your home
Where you have
grown
Friends that
you’ve known
You’re never
alone....
So we’re wondering
What you will do
And we’re hoping
Your wishes come
true
As we say goodbye
We’ll try not to
cry
We are so proud
We’ll say it out
loud
PRESIDENT : Sandy Philp CO- PRESIDENT: Maureen Weekes VICE-PRESIDENT: Lorraine Swanson TREASURER: Michelle Robinson SECRETARY :Maureen Weekes DIRECTORS:
TRACY BERRY, JULIE DOWLING, BERT
GIBSON MAXINE LEON, JOAN MACKLIN, PHILIP PALMER, SANDY
PHILP MICHELLE
ROBINSON, LORRAINE SWANSON, CAMERON TATTRIE MAUREEN
WEEKES, CYNTHIA ZANDER
OPHA Office: 357 Major Street., Cobourg. Ontario K9A 4C8
Phone: 905-372-7275
Fax: 905-372-9332
Email: peerhelping@hotmail.com
www.peerhelping.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT OPHA AT peerhelping@hotmail.com
" TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE"
For more information on this program contact O.P.H.A.