This was done up right with a welcoming atmosphere as you entered, a hospitality room for the speakers and guests, and a day full of activities to show the students that learning happens everywhere.
We are truly blessed to have the REAL Foundation, a non-profit organization who supports Catholic Education in our district, again bring us the talented group known as Face To Face Ministries, out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Through story and song, witnessing and praise, they shared the message that we have 4 purposes in life, which are:
1. to know God
2. to serve God
3. to praise God
4. to get to Heaven
The students sang and danced and shouted their love for God!
The students had chosen earlier in the week, a couple of 'break-out sessions. They could choose from about 10 different activities and were able to participate in two. They had three authors to choose to visit. Here is Darcy Polny, author and illustrator of Butter Bean Books, found at http://www.butterbeanbooks.ca
He shared two of his children's books and one group even got to help him create an original piece of art! Every child got to become a 'jelly bean' too,
So cute!
The students were enthralled with Hector Larrazabal, author of Indian Lemonade, who shared his adventures around the world.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7115551.Hector_Larrazabal
The third author, Alison Neuman, inspired the students to write a mission communication, just like a spy would, in their own spy journals. She recently published her second book.
http://www.alisonneuman.ca/blog/ice-rose/
What better to have in an Apple School, than the opportunity to find out how much sugar is hidden in some of the foods we eat and then work on creating a fruit salad, which is a better sweet alternative?
Students loved the opportunity to get 'hands-on" in this session and they were able to eat up their work!
We were lucky enough to have Nicole Balsdon, a biologist from British Columbia, lead two different groups on a nature walk, using their senses and their powers of observation to really learn more about what is in our world. (Here's a little secret...this beautiful young lady was once a student in my classroom back at Father Kenneth Kearns School...a decade or two ago!)
Twenty three Djembe drums gave many students the opportunity to explore different beats!
In the morning, a master (but I don't know how to spell his official title) taught small groups self defence. In the afternoon, a father/daughter team assisted more students in the fine art of Karate.
This lovely gal was in my class last year but I never got to see her dance so it was a real treat to watch her. Her mother and Grandmother ran a session, teaching a whole group of children how to make bannock, which was so good, they didn't offer to share!
She explained to the students of the school that she was wearing a jingle dress.
The original jingle dress dance is said, by the Ojibwa, to have originated in Ontario.
A medicine man's daughter was very sick and through prayer and meditation, he was given a powerful vision about a sacred healing dress from the Creator.
- See more at: http://www.ammsa.com/publications/windspeaker/healing-gift-jingle-dance#sthash.BqqbPxFw.dpuf
For many, the highight of the day was the concert during the lunch hour by twenty six year old Teddy Anderson, who has travelled the world with his message that "we are all one people."
http://www.hoopdanceproductions.com
After an awe-inspiring message, song, prayer and dance, Teddy asked for some volunteers to try what he does...
...here's Mrs. Littlemore putting her best foot forward!
Each child was willing to try and they learned it was a bit harder than Teddy made it look.
As Professor Ivan Gorborchof said "This is amazing!"
Thank you to all the staff at our school who worked tirelessly to ensure that the students' PD day was a success! It was!
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