Wednesday, April 1

Entry for Wednesday, April 1

Indeed, it is that day that teachers dread...April Fool's Day...when the students get to prank the teachers at school.  I've always loved when this day falls on a Saturday or a Sunday!

Did you know that the month of April got its name from the Romans who used the Latin word "aprilis" ?  The verb "aperire" means "to open" which could very well be in  association with the flowers and the trees coming into bloom at this time of the year.

Yes, we should always follow these words of wisdom..."Today...be present in all things and thankful for all things" especially at this very time in our history.

By the time you read this, you will have already received a very important e-mail from Mrs. MacDonald and Mr. Hogg, our school principal and vice-principal outlining the latest information available to parents.  Our school board has set up the following website which will take you to numerous lessons and activities for all subject areas across all grades.  Check it out at:

https://www.ocsb.ca/ocsb-at-home/learning-resources/

Below is the Ministry of Education's "Learn at Home" website which I have shared with you in an earlier e-mail.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/learn-at-home

Both of these sites offer boundless learning resources for you to use with your child.

Note from Mr. Hamer

Please do not feel overwhelmed with the amount of resources and ideas found in these sites.  Over the next number of weekdays, Mr, Hamer will devote our classroom blog as a tool to focus on specific lessons and ideas for learning.  This will help you navigate the immediate future with regard to lessons.

For today, we celebrate Lent.  Then devote your time to "peruse" these resources and have a relaxing day!

Mr. Hamer

Let us remind ourselves of this special season.  We are now in the fifth week of Lent.

We can learn so much from the story of Jesus's meeting with his friends, Mary and Martha.

Jesus' reputation grew with each miracle he performed.  People believed in Him and started following Him.  As he attracted larger and larger crowds of people, the religious leaders began to see Him as a threat.  One day, Jesus visited his friends, Mary and Martha.

The Gospel according to John tells us of this visit.  Martha tells Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God."

Jesus said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out.

The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."  Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in Him.

Think about this story you have just read in the silence of your heart.  Is there a problem or a concern you have that you would like to ask Jesus to help you with today?

We ask God to help us come closer to Him during this holy season.  We ask Him to help us fast from those things that separate us from His love, to give generously to others and to pray for the well-being of all humans during this difficult time for our planet.

Rather than offer up additional ideas across the subject areas today, I would ask you to visit the ministry site and our school board site at your convenience and peruse all that is there for our students to learn from.

Stay inside, stay safe...and enjoy the company of your family!
See you tomorrow!

Mr. Hamer