Wednesday 27 November 2013

Busy Beavers

All our plans are falling into place. 
The decoration committee made some beautiful flowers. 



The banner is in place. 






Our tree is even decorated for the occasion. 




The children reflected on their artwork and wrote captions to help explain their thinking. 

We spent most of today working on the refreshments. Thanks to all our parent helpers!







So what are we learning?
Teamwork and cooperation
Perseverance
Working with a purpose
Measuring and sequencing
Fine motor skills
Writing and communication
Inquiry skills (planning, reflecting)
Problem solving
Celebrating personal accomplishments

We hope all our class families can help us celebrate tomorrow!

Friday 22 November 2013

Planning for our gala

Planning for our arts gala is in full swing. Earlier this week, we brainstormed a plan about what out party will look like. 

Yesterday, our invitation commitee created the invitations:

And Hunter started addressing envelopes. 

Today we went down to the photocopying room to choose some paper and make the copies. The children were startled the paper was warm out of the machine!

Class parents- look for your invitation in the mailbag tonight. If you have any questions about the event, please let Krista or Katy know. 

Our gala is not only a way to share our amazing sculptures and paintings, it's also an opportunity for meaningful project-based learning for our students. Just think of all the planning, problem solving, and communicating  that goes into hosting an event. We hope you can make it!

Tuesday 19 November 2013

Wonder walk

We've been thinking about what good scientists do lately. The children came up with a list of ideas, and the number one characteristic of scientists is that they wonder and ask questions. 


To illustrate how to wonder and observe, we went upstairs to some windows and looked out over the yard. I asked "what do you see?"

It was incredible what they saw in just a few short minutes. Seagulls, trampolines, barbecues, a sign with a P on it, portables, kids in gym class...the list went on. 

Then we moved outside to get a closer look and to do some wondering. The children drew and wrote about their observations and questions. 

We even found a W for wonder! Why was it here? Who left it behind?

Everyone in the wonder walk group was keen to share their ideas. They helped each other spell words, and when Ari's paper blew away, Jackson chased it down for him. 



Our scientists are co-operative and filled with wonder. What a fantastic way to enjoy the world around us!

Making friends with clay

The children started a friendship with clay today. 

They learned it was a piece of the earth- not something that was made in a factory or bought at a store. 

They were invited to explore with their whole bodies. The clay was on an empty tarp and the children dove in. 


Hunter wanted to try standing on the clay and soon a line formed. 




The children interacted viscerally with the clay, leaning in with their whole bodies. 


Many children asked to make sculptures, but I reminded them that artists take their time. We had to make friends with the clay first, learn how it feels and moves and responds. Delaying gratification is a hard but important lesson to learn young. 


Eventually, the once-solid ball was flattened and pounded out. 


Half the class got to play wih the clay today. We rolled it up and stored it so it can meet some new friends tomorrow. 

Friday 15 November 2013

Another thank you for our vets

Some of our students were excited to wish a Merry Christmas to our soldiers overseas. They wrote Christmas cards that said "Thanks" and "Merry Christmas" and "We miss you!"





Filling and pouring

This week our students were exploring measurement, capacity and volume using tiny tea cups and tea pots.

 Manipulating such tiny objects was also great fine motor practice.




"3,2,1, Blast off!"

Space fever has taken hold in Room 132.
 The children are learning so much as they role play as astronauts and space scientists.
 They are learning to get along, to develop empathy for each other, and to share very exciting toys. They are learning about what space scientists do and why they are important.
 Maya's family generously loaned us some space posters, toys, and books. We are also watching space videos by Chris Hadfield on youtube, where he teaches how to do everyday tasks in zero gravity.
 The children came up with a list of things they'd like to learn about space:
What is the hottest planet?
Are there aliens?
What do astronauts do?
Is there a man on the moon?
Do spaceships have garages?
Do spaceships crash?
 Inspired by the photos and books about planets, the children decided to show their learning by making a model of the solar system. The teachers made a sphere out of hula hoops and the children wove ribbons and paper onto it to make it look like the sun.


We covered balloons in paper mache and painted them to look just like the real planets. The children used the books in the class to research, just like real scientists do.
 Naomi worked on her purple model of Saturn for three days, showing amazing perseverance. She worked quietly and with great focus.
 We've hung the planets up in the proper order (Mercury met with an unfortunate accident!).

If you'd like to see our model hanging in person, stop by after school!