Parent Information Night

I wanted to thank all of you who came to our first ever "Parent Information Night"  last night. 

We received a lot of positive feedback from parents who attended.  As a staff, we learned so much through the process of organizing for the night and then presenting our philosophy.  There were some great questions asked which I find provides the perfect platform for us as teachers to really think about our beliefs and share them aloud.  This is a big part of why I support student teachers and often have them in my class.  It forces me to look critically at what I do and why I do it.  I may not always have the perfect answer at the ready, but it sure makes me think.

Again, thanks so much for those who attended, and for those of you that couldn't make it, please feel free to ask any questions you have about the program. 

Jacquie

Mapping from "A Bird's Eye View"

As part of our unit on mapping, the children have been learning about a bird's eye view.  This afternoon, they mapped out their bedroom using classroom items.  They had a great time!!

 

 

 

 

Today we were inspired by Kate's map she made at home and shared with us.  We may just have to make some treasure maps following the steps she used!!

Sea Crow

In preparation for our field trip to the beach, Mrs. Cultum read, Sea Crow, by Vancouver writer Shannon Stewart.  It shows the unique way one girl confronts her fears by building a Sea Crow at the beach using driftwood and other treasures.  “If you tell her what frightens you,” says Jessica, “She’ll make you feel better.”   After hearing the story, children drew a picture of their sea crow and wrote down their worries.

On Friday at Spanish Banks, the children worked independently or in groups to create a sea crow and then whispered their worries away.  Here are some of their beautiful creations.

 

 

 

 

If the weather is nice, take a stroll to Spanish Banks West.  It's likely that the creations will be there for weeks to come. 

Graphing and Data Analysis

This week the students have been making real graphs using real items.  On Friday we made a shoe graph.  The children sat around the graphing mat with their shoes off and then graphed them according to types of fasteners.  They decided on three categories:  velcro, laces, and slip ons.  Based on the data, the children made several observations about the types of shoes we had in division 1. 

Next, the students drew their shoes. 

 

These pictures were then glued onto a massive sheet of paper to make a picture graph. You can see the graph hanging in the gym.  The final step will be to transfer that information onto a bar graph.   By doing this, they see that data can be displayed in many different ways.

 

Welcome Back!

It seems like just yesterday I was saying good-bye to students and staff members!  Where did the summer go?  It's so much fun seeing the children again and hearing about all of their summer adventures. 

On Wednesday we welcomed new grade 1's to our class.  The grade 2's and 3's have been incredible leaders which is much appreciated during such a busy time.

One activity we did this week began with the children deciding which one of the following statements about me was false:

1.  I have 5 sisters and one brother.
2.  I can do a double back flip.
3.  My favourite colour is red.
4.  I have been teaching at Dickens Annex for 16 years.
5.  I have 2 kids.
6.  My husband is deaf.
7.  My favourite season is summer.
8.  I like holding worms.
9.  I can water ski.
10.  My mom is 80 years old.

Any guesses?  You can ask your child which one is false.  The children completed the same activity and we learned a lot about each other.

I look forward to another fabulous year.  Here we GOOOOOOO!!!!!