Girl Power!

I am most proud to announce that this is my 201st post!  I love sharing what exciting learning is happening in my classroom with the parents of my students.  I think that over the past three decades, we really have changed how we teach and what is important for the students to learn to be part of our new 21st century.  I am not in any way supporting a company by sharing this video, but really listen to the message.  Wouldn't Emily Murphy and the other brave women who brought our status in Canada to 'persons' be so proud to see where we are now??  Enjoy....

Our 50th Day of School was a "Poppin'" Good Time

The students wrote a comparative sentence following a pattern.  Here's what these say:

In the 1950's you put your money  in a jukebox and dance to the music but today you can listen to music on an iPod.

In the 1950's people used jukeboxes to listen [to] music but today we use iPods, iPhones and iPads to listen to music.

I love how the display of their learning turned out!

We worked together to write out the steps to making a root beer float.

They were really good sports about trying them.  There were a few kiddos who said they had never tried pop before.

I want to thank another teacher, Cara Carrol, for her willingness to share her creative ideas for making this day so special for my students!  

How does chewing bubble gum fit into our learning?

If a child has a personal experience, their ability to connect is heightened and through those connections their interactions are better communicated.  The only way to figure out great describing words (adjectives) is to actually chew the gum!

Step by step, the students worked their way to blowing the bubble!

A look of wonder and awe because someone could do something that not all could do!

How exciting when finally a bubble formed...

grew and

grew...

then popped!

Every experience brings another opportunity to create

and write!

Wait until you see what happens on the 100th day!

Goodness Gracious! Great balls of FUN!

I LOVE these specials days!  Celebrating the 50th day of school means that the students enjoy and remember the activities more because of the opportunity to dress up and think that all the learning that they are doing, is really just a 'whole lotta' fun' (which it is but don't tell them!)  A great BIG thank you to all the parents who helped with sending in the root beer, bubblegum, glasses, and ice cream as well as those who came all dressed up and made the root beer floats and danced with us!

In the morning, the first focus was on the number '50'  The students made records that showed numbers that were less than  and greater than fifty.  They are hanging up in the class.  

They were also involved with comparing life in the 1950s to life today and did a fun craftivity that is hanging up outside the classroom door.  I'll share more tomorrow.

In the afternoon, we got together with our buddies in the other Grade Three classroom and learned that each 'era' of history has a different style of dressing, of music and of dancing.  We tried out the hand jive, the twist (Oh how they howled when I told them that the singer was named Chubby Checkers!) and about 3 or 4 versions of the jive. 

They got to change partners each time we tried a new dance.

I loved that they mixed with their friends from the other room, and weren't afraid to dance 'boy-girl'.

Don't you love the outfits?  Poodle skirts, rolled up jeans and ponytails were everywhere.  Isn't the 'car hop' adorable??  She even had a platter for delivering the food at the drive in diner!

Thanks TONS to my grade partner for being so willing to try out this fun and exciting day with us!

Remembering...

The Daily 5™ is a structure that helps students develop the daily habits of reading, writing, and working independently that will lead to a lifetime of literacy independence.

The students have been building their stamina in each of the areas that comprise the Daily Five habits.

One of the areas is 'Word Work' and the two kiddos above are working on strengthening their sight word vocabulary.

'Read to Self' is another part of Daily Five as is

'Work on Writing", and 

"Listen to Reading'.  

Because we have a government defined amount of time for language learning, the 'Read to Others' component is practised nightly through the home reading program.

Our class did an honourable job of bringing the focus of Remembrance Day alive to our schoolmates during the Wednesday morning assembly this week.  Different students offered words from the Bible,  and  individual prayers and the whole class presented an interpretation of 'In Flanders Field'  Sadly, I was too busy leading to be able to take photos to share.  You would have been proud!

Through a watercolour painting, the idea originating from That Artist Woman website, the students also created a display outside of the classroom, remembering those who lay in the grave sites in Europe, having given their lives for our freedom.

Enjoy the fall break!

The 50th Day of School is coming!

Both Grade 3 classess will be joining together o celebrate the 50^th day of school on TUESDAY, November 19^th all day long!

We hope to have all the kids dress up like the guys and gals did back in the fifties!  Poodle skirts, bobby socks, ponytails with scarves tied around, saddle shoes or little canvas runners might be some of the ideas for the girls.  Greased back hair, a white t-shirt, a cool leather jacket (!!) and jeans with the cuffs rolled up might work for the boys.

We’ll spend the morning doing a “whole lot-ta rockin’” with the number 50!  There will be great math activities for all the kids to enjoy!

By the afternoon, we’ll be ready for the bubblegum blowing contest, seeing how many times we can hula hoop, bowling and then dancing and jiving to our favourite records at our own sock hop, complete with a root beer float!

Want to help?  We’ll need a few supplies and some great music!  Want to come and show us your dance moves? You could lead the little ones in the hand jive or ‘the stroll’ Get out that poodle skirt and break out the brylcream!

Can’t wait to ‘rock the day away”!

Busy Week Ahead

The students are going to have an amazing experience with Hands On Science on Tuesday.  If you click on the highlighted words, you can get to their website to learn more about their programming.  It is well worth the money and I love that they come to us!  Thank you to the three parents who volunteered and I am hoping that another one will step up as there are four bridge stations to man.  The expenses for this field trip come out of the fees that you paid earlier in the school year.

On Wednesday the students will be actively involved with our assembly.  We will be focusing on the poem In Flanders Field. It was written by Canadian physician Lieutenant Colonel John MacCrae during the First World War.  Remember that the school would like to show the students through a powerful visual, how many soldiers have touched our own lives.  If you have a family member that served in our military any time in the past or is currently serving, please send in his or her name along with any pertinent information and the child who that soldier is related to and we will put it up on our wall of remembrance.

Friday brings more learning through hands on learning as Clay For Kids works with students in three different Madonna classrooms.  There are four parents already sworn to secrecy because our projects are going to become the students' gifts to their families for Christmas.  The students learn so much through this experience and often find out that they have talent that they did not know about!

I will be spending Monday, November 11 at the cenotaph in front of Edmonton city hall, as I have every year since I married my husband.  We used to go with Grandpa, who was a member of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment and served as honourary colonel a few years back.  Now my sons lay a wreath to honour their Grandfather, and his two brothers who all served so that we can have the freedom we enjoy.  Please help your children learn, through your actions, that two minutes of silence is 'just a pittance of time' 

Halloween was a Howling Success!

 I heard Halloween described this way during the week....it's all about the make-up and the food!  For our little ghouls, it was all about the costumes and the food with a great amount of fun added in!  Look at the wonderful variety of costumes that appeared......

Thank you to the dedicated parents who brought along some delicious treats that fit in with our APPLE school philosophy.  We had bat and ghost rice krispie treats,

grape caterpillars on skewers...

'Candy Corn' fruit cups with pineapple on the bottom, oranges in the centre and whipped cream on top,

and who wouldn't want to eat vegetables when they are served this way?

We went off to the gym where the students played a variety of games, such as Toss the Rings on the Witch's Hat,

and about ten more games that tested accuracy and skill, all managed by our parent helpers.

Our principal even found her 'mini me' at the Costume parade.

Thank you all for dedicating the day to allowing our students to have a spooky fun time!