Hi Families,
With the introduction of composting to our school, we took some time this week to analyze our lunch bags and collect data on what kind of waste we had: garbage, refundable, recycling or compost. It was a great way to practice and reinforce which bin each kind of waste goes, and also to recognize that we are already doing a great job at NOT creating waste...our lunches were FILLED with reusable containers! Way to go! One goal we have as a classroom, and school, is to remember to put our papertowels in the compost.
In class, students were given the Spring Scholastic book orders, and a budget of either $25 or $100 to make a wish list of items. This was a great activity to see how students approach a problem like this: some did running addition working up to their total budget, while others did running subtraction working towards $0. It was also insightful to see what materials students used to add or subtract, and which strategies they applied to those materials. Overall, a very insightful activity into where each child is at with their computation skills.
We were treated to another fantastic presentation by Kananaskis in the Classroom about wetlands. As always, the lively production kept students thoroughly entertained. Our class also received a follow-up in-class session where we learned more about beavers:
"Beavers have two eyelids - one like ours and one for swimming underwater" T.H.
"Beavers have orange teeth because of iron" Q.F.
"Beavers have two kinds of fur - one layer to keep them warm, one layer to keep them dry" H.R.M
"Beavers chew trees because their teeth will just keep growing and growing, going through their skull" A.L.
"Beavers have molars for chewing" V.P.
"Beavers store food in summer so that they can survive winter" N.K.
"Beavers have webbed feet to swim faster" E.L.
"Beavers use their tails for slapping mud onto the wood to make walls" A.N.
"Beavers use their tails for slapping to act as an alarm" M.K.
"Beavers use bark for food" W.N
"Muskrats have a rat tail, but the beaver has a flat tail, shaped like the end of a paddle" C.R.
"Beavers have an oil they shoot to mark their territory" G.Z.
"Beavers use their tails for swimming, to steer themselves" K.M.
"Beavers don't eat coniferous trees, they eat deciduous trees like willow" T.S.
With our buddies, we took advantage of what we hoped was our last snowfall, by getting outside to do "snow painting". Students used powdered tempera in salt shakers to sprinkle on their watercolour paper, and wait for snowflakes to hit. The results are so beautiful, and so unique!
We started planning our Canadian Animal Folktales! In the past weeks, we have:
- Explored the difference between folktales and fairytales
- Identified the unique features of our chosen Canadian animal
- Watched and listened to, a variety of folktales from different cultures
- Developed three folktales title ideas
 |
| How did the Peregrine Falcon get its hooked beak? |
 |
| How did the Blue Whale get its blowhole? |
 |
| How did the Grey Wolf get its colour? |
This week, we started to plan our folktale writing by discussing setting, characters, beginning, middle and end. We developed co-created examples using Tinga Tinga Tales "Why the Hummingbird Hums" and Spirit Animals "How the Owl Got it's Big Eyes" which we were already familiar with.
Using a story map, we worked step-by-step, to identify these different components of our story, each day adding an additional step. We did something silly and planned the beginning and end of our story first, with the intention to develop the middle next week. Then, we can get writing, and share the process with you at conferences next Thursday and Friday!
If you have not already done so, please book a conference time using My CBE Account. Please note that these are Student-Led Conferences. Please come to the conferences with your child, as they will be leading you through the conference, and together you will be exploring their work and learning progress. There will be no formal meeting time set aside at Student-led Conferences as there will be more than one family in the room at a time. Teachers are available to work alongside you and your child during your conference time. If you feel the need to talk to your child’s teacher about specific concerns please contact the teacher directly and book an additional appointment time. *Due to the active role parents take during a conference we ask that younger and/or older siblings not accompany you*
Please see the additional blog notes regarding our Love of Literacy Week, Pajama Day, Family Literacy Morning and Book Exchange!
A reminder that this upcoming Thursday, March 22nd is an early dismissal at 11:38am.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Ms. Thomas
Ms. Thomas
