Sept 23 - 27

We had another story telling session with Jeff Stockton this week.  We will have 2 more sessions with him before our evening family storytelling event on October 3 at 6pm. We revisited the fact that all stories start with an idea.  💬

Sharing our ideas helps to build the story, adding detail, expression, pattern of events or time markers. 👪. Some stories have problems and solutions while others just walk us through a series of events.

Mrs. Watkins, our school's Indigenous Learning Leader came & read "Stolen Words" to us, by Melanie Florence. We talked about the meaning of Orange Shirt day coming Monday,  September 30. We journaled about all the things that we appreciated about our families & lives & what we would miss if we were sent away to school.

In Social we are continuing to learn that community is a place we learn, work & play together. Cooperating with each other, respecting our differences as well as following rules help us to feel safe & happy. We hiked up Thunder Hill to draw our Ranchlands / Calgary community as well as take in the colours of Fall.

In Science we made a prediction about which magnet was the strongest. We then carried out our experiment & documented our results.

Sept 16-20

Thank you to all of you that have returned your information packages (demographic/ technology/ health forms...). It was lovely to meet so many of you at teacher conference this week as well.
If you haven't heard SNACK IS BACK.  We will once again allow for a healthy, spoon-less snack in the morning.

In literacy we are focusing on the beauty of story telling.  We are lucky enough to have Jeff Stockton to help guide us in this process.  Stories all start with an idea. In our session with Jeff this week we learned that the ideas we have, big or small, come to life through sharing them with others. Human beings are unique in their ability to create and share stories together.  On October 3 your family will work together to create a story "treasure" of your own.

As a class we read the book "Courage" by Bernard Weber. We brainstormed ways in which we show courage & then wrote our own personal booklets.  Click on the link to read it.
Courage story

In science we are starting the year learning about magnets.  Many of the kids did this grade 2 topic last year in grade 1 so we have a wealth of prior knowledge built up already.








































In social studies we are learning about reading & labelling map as well as cardinal directions.
Ask me what a compass rose is.

TERRY FOX run will be on Thursday, Sept 26 @ 2pm. Come join us.

Sept 13

Welcome back to Ranchlands School & welcome to grade 2. We have had a busy start up to our year & there are lots of changes to learn about this year.
Here are a few highlights:
- Soft entry will be open from 8:55 - 9am; arriving after that means your child will play outside until the bell at 9:10am.
- We DO NOT have a morning snack.  Please ensure your child has a good breakfast that will last them until lunch time at 12:25pm.
- The whole school has recess together from 2:30-2:45.  They are allowed an afternoon snack at that time. On Fridays recess is from 10:35-10:55am.
- Meet the teacher is coming Thursday, Sept 19 in the evening & Friday Sept 20.  I look forward to meeting you.  Parents can start signing up Sept 13 at 4pm.

Grade 2 Overview (click link see better)

Jeff Stockton is our artist in residence this year.  He is an amazing storyteller & harpest.  We have had one session with him & will see him daily next week.  Save the evening of October 3 for a family story telling celebration here at Ranchlands.
Check out his website!

We are getting to know each other & what makes us all unique.

We were introduced to Beatrice, The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes. Through her we realized that making mistakes is part of life & often a good opportunity to learn.  It's always better to try & be incorrect then not to try at all.

In math we are learning about patterns.  Ask me what the CORE of the following patterns are.

Summer!!

      HAVE A GREAT SUMMER VACATION!       

June 17 - 21

Things Money Can't Buy:

- work-life balance
- respect
- love
- time
- manners
- common sense
- trust
- friendship
- health
- patience
- luck
- natural beauty
- a worry free day
- family
- a good idea
- good karma
- piece of mind
- youth
- class
- perspective
- talent
- quality time
- wisdom
- a good reputation
- happiness
- a second chance
- a positive attitude
- sunshine
- time to relax
- happy memories
- a long life
- an open mind
- a new beginning
- selflessness
- peace
- common sense

June 10 - 14

Self Care

By definition self care is the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being & happiness, particularly during periods of stress. It encompasses physical, emotional, mental & spiritual aspects of our lives.

Awareness:
- identify your own history of stress or trauma
- do you sleep enough?
- do you eat a balanced diet
- do you allow yourself down time?
- do you excrete regularly?

Balance:
- maintain clear personal boundaries at work & in relationships
- develop & use time management skills
- try out new leisure activities
- set realistic goals 
- allow yourself permission to feel all of your emotions (don't bottle them up)
- develop & use positive coping strategies 

Connection:
- listen to feedback with an open mind
- avoid isolating yourself personally or professionally
- create & maintain a support network
- take training / workshops to improve your work skills
- reflect & debrief when difficulties arise 

June 3 - 7

Creating Happiness

"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance.

The wise man grows it under his feet."

~ Oppenheim

Happiness is a choice. Being content is not something that is given to us but rather a result of how we choose to respond to what life hands us. Focusing on what you have and being grateful for even small things builds one's sense of happiness.

"I call gratitude the sweetest way to embrace happiness.

We can cut through all the misery by turning our attention to being grateful."

~Kaufman

Being mindful of the present moment, rather then living in the past or worrying about the future enhances happiness. Taking each moment one at a time, each breath one at a time and noticing what is around us allows us to appreciate everything more fully. What we see in the world depends on the perspective we take and is impacted by our feelings and what we focus on.

"Touch the ground of the present moment deeply, and you will touch real peace and joy."

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

"

"The way we choose to see the world creates the world we see."

~B. Neil

Some times bad things will happen. Problems can arise & what feels like chaos can overwhelm us. Accepting that that's the way it is, but knowing we can handle it is the starting point for overcoming adversity.

"Acceptance is the first law of personal growth. It is not a state of passivity or inaction. If you don't fully accept a situation precisely the way it is, you will have difficulty changing it."

~McWilliams

There is no recipe or magic wand that creates happiness in our lives. Happiness is a result of our beliefs, attitude and how we choose to see the world or what we choose to focus on.