Critical Creative Thinking Challenges

We stretched our brains the other day with these challenges.

1) Make the tallest free standing structure you can using masking tape and newspaper.

IMG_3256

2) Make a structure that is at least 46 cm long using 3 pieces of dry spaghetti and an index card. There were some interesting interpretations on what a structure was…

IMG_3257 IMG_3259 IMG_3264 IMG_3265 IMG_3267 IMG_3272 IMG_3273 IMG_3274

Take Me Outside to the Maple Grove Garden!

Gardening

last week our class helped out with the school garden. We helped by building a new compost, picking lettuce, and then cleaning it, cutting down old rasbery cane and planting garlic. I helped out with almost every thing accept building the compost but I helped take out the old one. Ms. G’s parents came and helped out with building the compost and planting galic. Gardening was a lot more fun then I thought it would be. I thougt it would be hard making new beds for the garlic and picking lettuce but it was fun. I really enjoyed gardening and I hope we can do it agin! by RL

Before

IMG_3287

After

IMG_3399

 

And in between…

IMG_3294 IMG_3296 IMG_3300 IMG_3313  IMG_3322 IMG_3335IMG_3333 IMG_3348 IMG_3350 IMG_3352 IMG_3355 IMG_3369 IMG_3368 IMG_3358IMG_3377 IMG_3356

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

IMG_3391 IMG_3392

IMG_3396

 

 

Thankfulness

images (1)

Our virtue this month is THANKFULNESS.

To open our Thankfulness assembly, we had Mr. Henry Charles of the Musqueam First Nation to give us a traditional welcome. He told us a story about how the Musqueam got their name. I encourage you to ask your child about the story. It was a challenge for many of us as he told the story in the Musqueam language. I thought that the language sounded very poetic.

In our classroom, not only do we use our manners and say thank you to each other but we have also been practicing gratitude and saying thank you every week for both the little and big things in life. Many of the students are thankful and appreciate their families, friends and classmates.

Thank you for creating such thoughtful and insightful children.

The Cup Song

This term in music, we are exploring beat and rhythm starting with the “cup song”.

A few grade sevens from Mr. Poole’s class came in and gave us a lesson.

Thank you Ladies!

IMG_3221 IMG_3222

Here are some links to youtube videos that will help us practice.

When I’m Gone (both song and cups at speed)

How to Play Tutorial

Cups only

Lyrics only

Paddles Up!

Our first “going out” experience was to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens and Dragon Boating!

IMG_3150

After a long bus ride* and a short walk, we arrived at the Gardens.

*We learned that the smell of orange can help if you are feeling motion sick!IMG_3154 IMG_3156

IMG_3157 IMG_3159 IMG_3162

Did you know that up to 200 people could live in one home like the one at the gardens?IMG_3169

Here is NM with his three wives, his honorable father and his mother.IMG_3170 IMG_3171 IMG_3174

What type of tree is this? Pink seed pods and white flowers…IMG_3175

Under our feet lay tiny plants that give off a refreshing mint scent when walked upon. IMG_3182  IMG_3185

Time to feed the koi! They call the koi with the vibrations of the gong!

IMG_3184

Our last activity before leaving was to create dragon charms to carry with us on the water. We choose beads of wisdom, peace, luck and virtue.IMG_3190

 

Before we can get in the boats, we get a quick paddle and safety lesson.

IMG_3191 IMG_3192 IMG_3195 IMG_3206 IMG_3209 IMG_3210

Vancouver-20130930-00045 Vancouver-20130930-00054

IMG_3217

The boys enjoyed being able to stand at the front of the train and watch our journey home along the tracks.

 

Are you a Mouse, a Dog or an Alligator?

Last week, we were lucky to have Mr. S come and talk to the class about styles of communication.

We focused on the three basic styles; passive, assertive and aggressive. To help us better understand these types, Mr. S gave us animal examples.

mouse-clipart-1

Passive Mouse

  • talks softly
  • avoids eye contact
  • has trouble saying no
  • does not stand up for their rights

468_dog1

Assertive Dog

  • firm, clear voice
  • makes good eye contact
  • able to express their needs
  • stand up straight
  • respect the opinions of others

images

Aggressive Alligator

  • loud voice
  • stares at people
  • always get their way
  • invades people’s spaces
  • hurts others with their mean words and actions
  • disrespectful
  • can be abusive

To end our session, the students created their own skits to illustrate the three styles of communication. Here are some screen shots.

skit 1 skit 2 skit 3 skit 4 skit 5 skit 6

Courtesy & Courage

The virtues for the month of September were COURAGE and COURTESY.

We were inspired by Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope. Terry Fox demonstrated outstanding amounts of courage in his journey across Canada to raise funds to cure cancer.

In a conversation with some of the students, we discussed the idea that if Terry Fox were alive today with the same type of cancer, he would not lose his leg or die due to cancer.

But more importantly, we thought, where would we be in our fight against cancer if we did not have Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope to motivate us?

IMG_3130