Friday 18 December 2015

Art Show Extravaganza!

Our little elves put the final touches on our Fundraising Project Thursday morning. 

They set out the snacks,


And made a cash table to collect donations. 


Sharon and I contributed by making a display for their craft projects. 



The art was put up in the halls, mainly by the children themselves. It might have been a bit crooked (and triggered a bit of my OCD!) but it the children had agency over the display. 


Our parent volunteer Sarah posted our sign and helped with set up too. 


As the guests started to roll in, our lunch buddy helped man the cash table. 


Soon the room was filled with families celebrating. 


The students were so proud to share their work!


Everyone got a little excited, but it's not everyday you have a gallery opening slash Christmas party!


Even the little people joined in the fun and tried out our ongoing Flight Inquiry. It really warmed my heart to see our community engaging, parents sharing holiday wishes with each other, and kids playing with new little friends. It wasn't a series of families visiting their child a school. It was a close community of neighbours sharing some holiday cheer. 


After the guests left, some of our Party Team members sorted the money we collected from art sales. 


Our grand total is....drum roll please.....

FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS!!!!! (And one cent)

Wow! Sharon and I are blown away by the generosity of our community! Thank you for supporting this project in so many ways. 

I can't wait to meet with the children in the new year and decide what other animals we can adopt in addition to the meerkat for $150. 

Thank you and Merry Christmas!










Wednesday 16 December 2015

Teamwork and last minute touches

The idea driving our art show and Christmas party is to teach the children about managing a large project. They learned to plan and to break the project into pieces that teams can do together.

 All along, the party has been a goal that the children worked towards cooperatively. As teachers, we try to keep our agenda off the table, and trust that the children are complex thinkers capable of driving their own development processes. They have proven us right, and will soon pull off a successful project. The children have learned that when they work together, they can move mountains!

The children were involved in every aspect of the planning. Not every child wanted to be a part of every aspect, but each child is represented somewhere in the project. 

Invitations were on the agenda today. After creating the art, writing a paragraph about adopting a meerkat, and photo copying the pages, it was time to fold and stuff. Like all the other parts of the project, they worked together.


The were each counted and quality checked by Jordy and Liam. 


Then into the mailbags they went. 


Meanwhile, across the room, Claire and Violet devised a system for collecting donations. They have made a can to hold money (labeled by Jacob), and Violet created dozens of receipts for the customers. Each one features a portrait of a meerkat, so you will know where your money is going. Claire stowed they away safely in an envelope Isabelle made, until they can be given out at the party. 


Today we worked on snacks, and the team went to the staff room to use the microwave. Haley, Lily, Selana, Ben and Austin cooperated to make some smooth and delicious fudge. 




The ability to work cooperatively in a team is a hallmark of an effective learner. Our class is learning that teamwork can make wonderful things happen. 






Art Factory

We welcomed Austin's talented mother Melissa in to teach us some water colouring techniques. The children were quietly focused on their creations as they explored paint, water, salt, alcohol, and a variety of brushes. 

An old toothbrush gave a speckled effect. 





With our art show tomorrow, the creations spilled out of the art studio and across the room. Everyone put the finishing touches on their bird houses. 




We also finished up some tree ornaments,


And some name tags for the gallery. 

Hope you can make it tomorrow to enjoy their creations!

Tuesday 15 December 2015

Festive Feast

Thanks to Chemong Lodge, the whole school enjoyed a turkey dinner. There's something about sharing a meal that brings people together as a community. 



Deeeeeeelicious!






Merry Christmas!

Getting groceries

We took the party planning team to Valu Mart to get ingredients for party snacks. 



The baker even gave us some cupcakes to enjoy as we shopped. 



Thank you to Sara and Amanda for coming with us!

Monday 14 December 2015

Birdhouse factory

Last week our little elves were hard at work making nesting boxes to sell at our party. They have decided to adopt a meerkat and are trying to raise $150. The children hope to sell their bird houses for a few dollars each. 


The activity was a wonderful introduction to using hammers, nails, and safety equipment. 







We had a *noisy* but productive time. A huge thank you goes out to Lily's parents, for their donation of time, expertise and materials. Thank you!
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