Oct 28 - 31

Monday was cold. cold, cold.  With it being minus 22 with windchill we stayed in side for recess.  We had some fun though & tried to be active. It was a good reminder to come prepared for a drop in temperature - boots, coats, snow pants, mittens & scarves are needed.

In word work we are looking at word families as well as the different sound that short & long vowels make.

We had a visit from Mrs. Watkins, our Indigenous Learning Leader.  She shared the story "The Sharing Circle" by T. Larsen Jonasson. 

When two red foxes have an argument which breaks apart their community, a gentle buffalo decides to take a braid of sweetgrass to a local elder and asks her to help with a sharing circle for all the animals.

In Math we learnt a new game called Addition Wars.  

Ask me to show you how to play it!

I can apply mental math strategies for basic addition facts to 18.

In Science we looked at the different density of liquids & objects.  We used maple syrup, water & oil. Then we predicted which objects would sink, semi-surface or float between a grape, a tiny cork & a piece of lego.

0. I can compare water with one or more other liquids, such as cooking oil, maple syrup, honey or rubbing alcohol. Comparisons may be based on colour, ease of flow, density, tendency of drops to form a ball shape (bead), interactions with other liquids and interactions with solid materials.

On a side note....
Last week I had the pleasure of attending a 1/2 day workshop about learning from the land at Fort Calgary. Mohkinstis - is the Blackfoot name for Calgary & means elbow. It is the name given where the Bow & Elbow Rivers meet. 

As part of the afternoon we saw a new statue called Wolfe & the Sparrow.

The artist Brandon Vickerd called the piece a gateway to Inglewood — the “identifiable landmark” is transformative and doesn’t celebrate a historical figure. “It talks about nature and how this urban centre also is connected with the nature around it — not just with the Bow River here and the parkway but also with the birds and other animals that occupy the city with us,” he said. “At its core, it’s addressing the notion of a monument and how we relate to monuments in our culture and the types of myths that they perpetuate in our culture and what we think about when we walk by them and connect with them,” he said.

Next we saw "The Ripple".

This nearly 10 metre diameter walking circle is designed to be a meaningful way to consider the river. It consists of an east entrance facing the rising sun. Seven walking pathways wind in towards a central meditative space which has a buffalo, eagle, otter and beaver motif, representing the four compass directions and the four seasons: birth (eagle/east), youth (otter/south), middle age (beaver/west) and wisdom age (buffalo/winter). The seven paths also represent the seven teachings of humility, respect, truth, courage, honesty, love and wisdom. The artists spent several days meeting with various members of the Inglewood community, representatives from The City of Calgary, Blackfoot and Cree Elders and local historians. The intention was to better understand the community’s relationship to the river and to create relationships for the extent of the project.

We finished the afternoon at Esker Art Studio. They offer free art programs for children & families.  Check out their site.

Oct 21-25

In Social we have been learning about communities in the past.  Students are learning how stories of the past connect individuals and communities to the present.
Students are exploring:
* What is a community?
* In what ways has our community changed over time (e.g., changes in transportation, land use)?

*What has caused changes in our community?
*How has the population of our community changed over time (e.g. ethnic mix, age, occupations)?
*How have the people who live in the community contributed to change in the community?

In Science we started a new unit - Exploring Liquids.  This week we investigated with our senses - looking, touching, smelling, listening to water. We also talked about how in the real world water can take on different characteristics. Ocean water is salty. Waterfalls create a sound. Muddy water you can't see through. 

Recognize and describe characteristics of liquids: 
*Recognize and describe liquid flow
*Describe the surface of calm water

We have been working on our drawing ability.  Art for Kids Hub on youtube offers great tutorials and step by step instructions in creating a number of different pictures. Our first project was a seasonal pumpkin.

In literacy we brainstormed all our ideas about FALL using our 5 senses in a mind map. We then turned it into an information brochure.

Thanks to all of those that were able to attend the Halloween dance. Just a reminder that on October 31we can wear orange & black (no costumes).

Oct 15 - 18

With the weather getting colder, just a reminder that if you wish to come in early for soft entry you need to be at Door 3 between 8:55 - 9:00am.  If your child chooses to come in the expectation is that they are engaged in a quiet, independent activity.

After the weekend we often centre our first writing activity around what we did with our families, places we may have visited or friends we may have seen. It not only gives us a chance to practice our writing skills, but the students can share with me and their classmates a little more about their family and what they like to do together.

In math we are finishing up patterns. Ask me what ATTRIBUTES means.
  I can describe, extend, compare and draw a repeating pattern.
  I can describe, extend, compare and draw an increasing pattern.
  I can create a new pattern.
  I can talk about a pattern rule.
  I can identify the pattern core.
  I can use 2 attributes (size, shape, colour, design, direction, etc.) to make a pattern.

We read The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires. It taught us the importance of having a plan and sticking with it even if we aren't successful our first time.
We then had an orientation and chance to explore in our new Maker Space. It is housed in our Learning Commons and we got to build with blocks or straws, do some logic puzzles and try out some games. In the future we can plan out a project and bring it to life there.

We started TRY SOMETHING NEW (TSN) this week.  Ask me what group I am in.
October 25 - Halloween Dance 6-7:30pm

Oct 7 - 11

In math we are working on addition and basic facts.  One strategy we explored is adding doubles. number lines, hundreds charts and using manipulatives are other strategies we are using to help us.

In science we are still exploring magnets. We went on a scavenger hunt around our room and looked for things that were magnetic and non magnetic.
Ask me how I did on my quiz.👍

I can tell you where magnets are used in the environment. 
I can tell you what materials are attracted by a magnet from those that are not.
I know that magnets attract materials with iron or steel in them.
I know that magnets have a North / South Pole & that opposites attract.
I can compare and measure the strength of magnets.

With the snow & winter coming we looked at some autumn pictures & admired all the colors of the leaves. We created some tree art pictures with pastels.

....BUT we are ready for winter!

Happy Thanksgiving 🍗

Picture Day - October 16

Sept 30 - Oct 4

September 30 was Orange Shirt Day. We met in the gym as a whole school to mark the day and honor those that were taken from their families & put in a residential school. We also read a few stories to mark the day.

"All that we are is story.

From the moment we are born to the time we continue on our spirit journey,

we are involved in the creation of the story of our time here.

It is what we arrive with.

It is all that we leave behind.

We are not the things we accumulate.

We are not the things we deem important.

We are story.

All of us.

What comes to matter then is the creation of the best possible story we can create while we're here.

You, me, us - - together.

When we can do that and we can take the time to share these stories with each other,

we get bigger inside.

We see each other.

We recognize our kinship.

We change the world, one story at a time."

                      - Richard Wagamese

Together we read What to do with an idea?
The author Kobi Yamada taught us "Always remember, a single idea can change everything."

We have been counting the days we are at school & documenting it in our math books - it's the number of the day. We decide if the number is odd or even, how to write it in words, show it in tally marks and add or subtract 10. As a challenge we try to unscramble familiar words.  It is a warm up activity to start our day.

Jeff Stockton Storytelling Event:
Thank you to all of those that came out & created a family story "artifact" together.

Upcoming:
October 11 - No School - PD for teachers
October 16 - Picture Day