Today we are kicking off our Immigration unit in Social Studies.  I am so excited about this area of study since the topic of Immigration is forefront in the news right now and the students are able to make lots of connections to the topic.  We will be focusing on the history of immigration in Canada, but in order to do so, I NEED YOUR HELP!  There are 2 opportunities for volunteering in the next month or two.  Please take a look at the options and see if one or both fit with your schedule.

1)  Did you immigrate to Canada?  I am looking for parents that immigrated to Canada (at any age) to come and speak to the class about their (and/or their families) experience.  I have a few questions that I would love for you to answer and can give them to you beforehand.  This is very casual, so no need to get nervous.  We just want to hear your story of immigrating to Canada.  I know there are a few of you that this applies to, so if you don’t get in touch with me, I’ll be tracking you down. 🙂  I would love it if you could come join us for Social Studies on Monday, January 18th at about 2pm.  You can simply pop in to share your story or you can stay for the whole block (2-3pm) to hear the stories from the other parents as well.

2)  I am going to be setting up centers around the class for small groups of 4-5 students to visit and learn about a specific people group that immigrated to Canada.  I will have artifacts/pictures/video available for each group but need a PARENT VOLUNTEER to sit at each center and help facilitate discussion.  This will be FUN and EASY!!  I will have everything ready to go, I simply need you to assist the students in looking at the information and talking about it.  I need 3-4 parents for one 45 minute block a week, for four weeks.  The centers would take place on the following TUESDAYS:  Jan 26, Feb 2, 9, 16.  I am fairly flexible for what time of day would work.  The only time that DOESN’T work is last block of the day.  Once  I have a few parents available, I will talk with them to discuss a time that works for everyone.

Thank you, in advance, for helping out in the class and enriching the students’ educational experience.  If you have any questions or want to volunteer, please email me at mderksen@highroadacademy.com.

Melanie Derksen