Monday May 15th, 2023

Did you hear the news?  We are hatching ducklings in Grade One!

We have 7 eggs in our incubator that will stay toasty warm for the next few weeks.  We are hoping that we will have 7 little cuties in our classroom by the middle of June!  Ask your child if they can tell you anything they learned from our Duck Facts video today...

We had our whole school photo taken today, and forms went home with students that can be filled out and returned if you would like to order a copy.

Friday May 12, 2023

Our final walk into Fish Creek Park yesterday was absolutely the best one yet.  We sat in a 'sit spot' to observe the landscape and sketch as many living and non-living things in our viewpoint.  Students were excited to see rose hips, buffalo beans and poplar trees (they are becoming great horticulturalists).

Students went home with their pots of newly-planted sunflowers for their Mother's Day gifts...some seeds have proven to be very late to sprout, so we actually put two more seeds into the pots that have no signs of success yet.  Your child knows that plants need water and sunlight once they get home!  Once the plants are well established you can transfer them into a new planter or into the garden if you wish.  Enjoy, and happy mother's day to all!

Wednesday May 10, 2023

Finally the thunder held off long enough for us to venture deeper into Fish Creek Park to complete another page in our Walk Along booklet. Today we used 4 senses (no taste, of course!) to record our observations of plants, animals and the environment.  We managed to survive a bit of rain and look forward to our last walk tomorrow. 

Tuesday May 9, 2023

Well, we made it across the crosswalk to Fish Creek Park before we heard the first rumble of thunder.  We had to make a Plan B quickly, as we didn't want to be caught out in something like yesterday's storm!  We paid a quick visit to our Pet Tree before heading back inside for the last 15 minutes of the day.  Hoping for better weather tomorrow!  Rain is one thing, but lightning is another.

After watching the students let go of umbrellas, poke each other (mostly accidentally), struggle to hold onto umbrellas in the wind, and manage umbrellas that get whipped inside out  (and hold their science clipboards and pencils) we are going to leave umbrellas in the school for our Walk Alongs.  I recommend a rain coat with a hood if you have one instead.  Thank you for understanding.

Monday May 8, 2023

We managed to beat the rain today for the first expedition of our week-long Walk Along to Fish Creek Park!  We spotted many kinds of trees, lots of new growth, some critters and most excitingly, dried up crab apples still dangling from the trees!  We stopped to sketch and label a crab apple tree and enjoyed observing living and non-living things.  Ask your child how the thunder sounded when we heard the first rumble!

We plan to go ahead and venture out each day as planned, unless the rain is really coming down.  Coats with hoods are preferable to umbrellas so we can keep our hands free for writing!

Tuesday May 2, 2023

We have been practicing 'doubles' in math.  Quick computation skills like knowing doubles and the friends of ten are helping us count more proficiently.  A fun, quick way to practice doubles is to roll a die and say it's double as quickly as you can...to make an extra challenge, roll the die, add 1, then double it.  Tricky!

I will be away for the next couple of days on a trip to the Kentucky Derby (!), so Mrs. Madsen, who the kids know well, will be our guest teacher.  There won't be a blog for the next few days.  Don't forget that Friday is a non-instructional day!

Monday May 1, 2023

Ms Stacy, our area physiotherapist, visited our classroom today to show us some activities to strengthen our core, use our muscles, and calm our bodies for those times we need movement breaks.  Ask your child if they can demonstrate the side plank! (it's tricky!)

We are using our workshop time to create examples of homes, clothes and transportation from long ago.  The students are able to articulate their understanding of how these things have changed over time through their creations.  

We could use a boost to our box supply...if you have any empty cereal box-sized cardboard lying around, feel free to send it in for our little builders.

Note:  this Friday is a Professional Development day.  No classes for students!