First an important anniversary…
Today marks the year anniversary of the day our staff found out that our school was going to remote learning. It was for two weeks the government told us. We knew better. It lasted for the rest of the school year. The school exhibition, that my last year’s group of students spent so long preparing for, didn’t happen and we pivoted to learning together from my home office. This school year has been full of restrictions, masks, distance, and figuring it all out. I want to publicly thank my students from both this year and last, for being so amazing and putting a smile on my face every day! You really are special kids and I consider myself lucky everyday to get to spend time with you. Thank you to the parents of my students for their kindness and flexibility. I want to thank my amazing cohort! The team that planned vertical learning together on Zoom for hours in the evening after teaching online all day. The same group of ladies that come to school and have each other’s back. You make me laugh and your support has helped me get through this crazy year. A HUGE thank you to our administration who somehow managed to lead us through all this. I can’t even imagine the stress that you faced this year. I appreciate you all so much!
March 2nd was Dr. Seuss Day. The Super Kids read “The Cat In The Hat” before tackling a rhyming word game and creating our own artwork inspired by the cat character. After reading the book, one Super Kid asked me why they were home alone all day and if their school was closed because of the virus like ours was. I had to explain that the book was written a long time ago and I’m not sure why they were alone. We then brainstormed reasons. Maybe their mom was just running to the store quickly or she had to work and the kids were actually older. 🙂
Doing a direct drawing lesson of the cat together took some patience. The class created their own “Cat In the Hat” inspired characters that they couldn’t wait to take home and show their families.
We took a closer look at the Inuit art form of soapstone carving. One student’s family had some pieces that they were kind enough to let us borrow. I also borrowed some pieces from my parents. I lived in Thompson Manitoba for a few years a child. My dad was a RCMP police officer for 36 years, so I moved around a bit as a kid. My mom got a few of these pieces as gifts from her students and the large polar bear from an artist they knew. The class took a closer look at the pieces and watched a few videos on how soapstone carvings are made. We then took bars of ivory soap and attempted to make our own carvings!
We wrapped up our Arctic unit by finishing our Arctic animal research projects and creating a diorama of their habitat. Each student had to incorporate the animal, the habitat, food source, and a water source. We then learned how to make a stop motion animation video! The kids became directors and videographers. They were so excited!
Check out our video links below!
Reader’s workshop and math workshop are daily activities that our class looks forward to. Students rotate through activities that help practice their skills and work with me in small groups. The Super Kids are working on counting back and subtraction skills. We often stand in a large circle and count back from 100. If you are in a spot that you hit when you count by 5s you have to sit down. The last person standing starts the game the next time we play. This is a big challenge for many of the kids.
We took a closer look at the artistic works of artist Norval Morriseau. He is also known as Copper Thunderhead. He is an Indigenous artist that uses bright colours and layering techniques to depict animals. We were inspired by his piece “Spirit Bear” . We created our own bears using paper and shapes.
Unfortunately, our family members are unable to volunteer in our school this year. To welcome them into our classroom we decided to invite our parents to virtual story time. Any parents that would like to set up a virtual time with us to read a family favourite is welcome. The class is so excited to meet each other’s parents. We’ve had three so far and more scheduled for next week!
March is nutrition month and the class has been learning about the new Canadian Food Guide.
We started our inquiry with our snacks and lunch kits. What food groups do our snacks fall into? Why does it matter what we eat? Why do our parents tell us that we need to eat our vegetables? Each morning at snack time I have been reading a nutrition book. These books have been about our bodies, our digestive system, bones, our heart, and healthy habits. The class had been really expanding their vocabulary and knowledge about our bodies! Thank you to those families that send in a picture of a healthy meal from home. Students have been sharing their meals with the class and explaining what food groups are represented. It also has been so interesting to learn about different foods that many of the students haven’t had before!
Next week is St. Patrick’s Day and the Super Kids will be making leprechaun traps and learning about rainbows! We know that leprechauns can be really tricky. 🙂 Our design and construction day is Tuesday so we can see if we catch one on St. Patrick’s day morning. Students are to bring in their supplies by Tuesday so we can get creating! Stay tuned…:)
Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy the sunshine!
