What is SEL? SEL is the process by which children and adults learn and develop knowledge, attitudes and skills to better understand and manage emotions, better set and achieve goals, better able to feel and show empathy for others, better establish and maintain positive relationships, and better make responsible decisions (CASEL.org).

The SEL focus this week: Relationship Skills This is the ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with people from all walks of life. The skills that are needed for positive interactions include: • being able to communicate clearly and to listen actively • cooperating with one another • negotiating conflicts in a constructive manner • engaging in appropriate social pressure, and • being able to seek as well as to offer help when needed These skills are not all learned in one shot or within a specific time period; relationship skills are something that we work on and develop over our whole life. As well, with each new or familiar person we encounter, the exchange or situation may be different, and we find that we need new strategies and ways to interact with them.

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IMPORTANT DATESJune 25th- Grade 7 Graduation by ZoomJune 29th- Last day of school

Parent InformationSchool Arrival:Students are expected to be at school and line up outside the school in their class meeting spot by 8:40! Being on time is an important life skill for all of us, and learning this begins in Kindergarten. Students who arrive late to class miss out on the social interactions and important teacher information that is given at the start of each day. Your cooperation in getting your children to school on time is very much appreciated. Note: If your child is late, please have him/her “sign in” at the office for attendance and safety.

Class Placement Information:In June the Blair staff will begin the task of organizing students into next year’s classroom settings. They do this by gathering information relevant to placements that can be used when classes are set. The goal in student placement is for our staff to create a positive and balanced classroom – academically and socially. If you, as a parent, have information about your child related to his/her learning, we ask you to write a letter or email to Mrs. Loat. This information can include the child’s temperament, work habits at home, learning style and tolerance of structure. Please note that we cannot accept letters that contain requests for or against specific teachers. If you plan on writing a note, please send it in to the office by Tuesday, June 1st.

Student Leadership Initiative:The Student Leadership Team is starting an initiative to recycle used electronics. They will be collecting batteries, cell phones, electronics and small appliances on Thursday June 10th. If you wish to donate electronics or small appliances, please encourage your child to sign up on the sign-up sheet located in the lower fishbowl.

Welcome to Kindergarten: We were delighted to welcome to our new Kindergarten students and their families to our Blair Welcome to Kindergarten Event on Wednesday, May 27th. It was exciting to meet the students and have them say hello to our Kindergarten teachers and take home their WTK bags.

Learning Highlights

Many of our Primary divisions are studying Life Cycles and are patiently waiting for their Butterflies to emerge from their chrysalis.

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The Painted lady butterfly is one of the most familiar butterflies in the world, found on nearly all continents and climates. They are a favorite subject of study in elementary school classrooms and are a familiar visitor to most landscape gardens. As common as they are, though, painted ladies have some interesting attributes, as these 10 facts demonstrate.

They Are the World's Most Widely Distributed Butterfly Painted lady butterflies inhabit every continent except Australia and Antarctica. You can find painted ladies everywhere from meadows to vacant lots. Although they live only in warmer climates, painted ladies often migrate to colder regions in spring and fall, making them the butterflies with the widest distribution of any species.

They Are Also Called Thistle or Cosmopolitan Butterflies The painted lady is called the thistle butterfly because thistle plants are its favorite nectar plant for food. It is called the cosmopolitan butterfly because of its global distribution.

They Have Unusual Migration Patterns The painted lady is an irruptive migrant, meaning that it migrates independently of any seasonal or geographic patterns. Some evidence suggests that painted lady migrations may be linked to the El Niño climate pattern.1 In Mexico and some other regions, it appears that migration is sometimes related to overpopulation. The migrating populations that move from North Africa to Europe may include millions of butterflies. In spring, painted ladies fly low when migrating, usually only 6 to 12 feet above the ground. This makes them highly visible to butterfly watchers but also makes them susceptible to colliding with cars. At other times, painted ladies migrate at such high altitudes that they are not observed at all, simply appearing in a new region unexpectedly.

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They Can Fly Fast and Far These medium-sized butterflies can cover a lot of ground, up to 100 miles per day during their migrations.2 A painted lady is capable of reaching a speed of nearly 30 miles per hour. Painted ladies reach northern areas well ahead of some of their more famous migrating cousins, like monarch butterflies. And because they get such an early start to their spring travel, migrating painted ladies are able to feed on spring annuals, like fiddlenecks (Amsinckia).They Do Not Overwinter in Cold Regions Unlike many other species of butterflies that migrate to warm climates in winter, painted ladies die once winter hits in colder regions. They are present in cold regions only because of their impressive ability to migrate long distances from their warm-weather breeding areas. Their Caterpillars Eat Thistle Thistle, which can be an invasive weed, is one of the painted lady caterpillar's favorite food plants. The painted lady probably owes its global abundance to the fact that its larvae feed on such common plants. The painted lady also goes by the name thistle butterfly, and its scientific name—Vanessa cardui —means "butterfly of thistle." They Can Damage Soybean Crops When the butterflies are found in large numbers, they can do serious damage to soybean crops. The damage occurs during the larval stages when the caterpillars eat soybean foliage after hatching from eggs.Males Use the Perch-and-Patrol Method to Find Mates Male painted ladies actively patrol their territory for receptive females in the afternoon. Should a male butterfly find a mate, it will usually retreat with its partner to a treetop, where they will mate overnight.Their Caterpillars Weave Silk Tents Unlike other caterpillars in the genus Vanessa, painted lady larvae construct their tents from silk. You'll usually find their fluffy shelters on thistle plants. Similar species, such as the American lady caterpillar, make their tents by stitching leaves together instead.On Overcast Days, They Go to Ground You can find them huddling in small depressions on such days. On sunny days, these butterflies prefer open areas filled with colorful flowers.

The Colours Of Me:

The Primary Students of Div. 9 and 10 continue to learn about colours and how they make them feel. This activity integrates Social Emotional Learning and Art. This activity was inspired by artist Mark Rothko.

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Special Announcement: Mr. Beetstra is RETIRING!

After 24 years of teaching at Blair and 32 years teaching in the Richmond School District, please join us in congratulating him on an extraordinary teaching career! We will miss you Mr. Beetstra!

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