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There is a tradition that takes place at the end of the year at many elementary schools in the lower mainland.  It is called Sport’s Day! In the past, many of the activities have been based on track and field events.  Over time, the stations have turned into fun and game challenges.

The day is usually based on a theme.  This year’s theme is Ancient History with the teams:

Elite Yellow Spartans, Red Raging Romans, Great Green Greeks, Big Blue Barbarians!

The grade 7 students at Clinton are responsible not only for creating the theme of the day but also developing all of the stations.  They have worked really hard to come up with some engaging, competitive and interesting stations this year.  There are a set of primary stations and a set of intermediate stations.

The day begins with classes moving out to the field and gathering in their coloured teams on the hill.  A warm-up and shout-out to the teams gets the day under way.  Students then move back together in their divisions and head to their first station.

Division 10 will begin in the gym with Magnet Fishing In The Nile.  They will follow with Hunting in Ancient Egypt, The Greek Olympics, Libra, Find the Dinosaur Eggs, Race For Gold and the Ancient Water Race.

There is a free play/water-bathroom break station and at one of the stations, Freezies will be handed out as a treat from the PAC (no matter how cold the weather is)!

After station rotations, students then gather once again on the hill to watch a pre-school race and then the Tug-O -War challenges between the intermediate teams.  The final activity is a tug-o-war between the Grade 7 students and adults.

Students then return to their classrooms for lunch and are able to be dismissed anytime between 12 and 12:30 as long as pick-up is arranged.  All students should have left the building by 12:30.

Guests are welcome to watch the events and the PAC is always ready to serve up some sweets, treats and yummy food at the concession stand in the undercover area of the courtyard.

WE NEED THE SUN for this to take place!  Drizzling rain is o.k. but if it is a rainy day, the events are not postponed, Sport’s Day is cancelled and the school day return to it’s normal schedule.  So do a sun dance and bring on the Sport’s Day cheer.

During Library this week, students were introduced to the Progressive Pride Flag.  It is now displayed proudly on the bulletin board at the front entrance of the school. 

Each student at Clinton reflected on their own identity and for many, they created a personal pride flag.  The windows of Clinton are filled with the colours of the rainbow and the beauty of diversity. 

The colours of the Progressive Pride Flag represent:

RED – Life   ORANGE – Healing  YELLOW – New Ideas  GREEN – Prosperity  BLUE – Serenity  VIOLET – Spirit BLACK/BROWN – People of Color  WHITE/BLUE/PINK – Trans Community

Here is our rainbow of colour and personal pride.

Can’t say enough about the amazing experience Division 10, along with Division 9, had yesterday at Byrne Creek.  We were able to release smolt Coho into the ravine with the Burnaby Stream Keepers.  Fisheries and Oceans provided us with 375o hatchery salmon that will eventually make their way to the Pacific Ocean.

Thank you to Joan and Paul for guiding us through the forest and sharing with us information about invasive and native plants while supporting our observation of a Mother Owl and her baby.

We are happy to have learned so much about the salmon cycle and the Byrne Creek Watershed.  Our new Word Collector word is anadromous which represents fish that move from fresh to salt water and back during their life cycle migration.

It was a wonderful experience that was validated by Hope’s words from her reflection writing, “The feeling I had was fun, joy, happiness.”

Here is a video montage of our first field experience in a few years.

https://sd41-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/e13432_burnabyschools_ca/ESf3xGcpJ9hOuHdzqVwEOgwBqxRsDND0oH82X3zBprAdCw?e=FXi6DO

We have also created a bulletin board mural in the hallway for others to enjoy.  Team Salmon, Team Predator and Team Habitat worked together to add all the pieces of the puzzle of the salmon and forest ecosystem.

  Everything is connected so please try to be kind to our natural habitats.

We role played during out math experience and pretended to be taking measurements for new playground equipment, new fencing while also comparing and contrasting tree diameters.  Students enjoyed working as a team.

Try some outdoor measurement at home.  Measuring tape anyone?

Welcome to Mid-Week Wednesday!

Over the past few days we have been exploring our inquiry in math with What Are The Possibilities?  We decided to change up number sentences to the date to look at what are the possibilities of the number 9 when exploring on paper with partners.  We then moved on to what are the possibilities of the number 11 when using manipulatives with partners.  Here’s what we came up with:

We also have maintained our reading stamina and have been able to independently read for 30 minutes.  Students are eager to bring books from home and the library to compliment books they have in their book bags.  They enjoy having choice and they enjoy sharing their love of reading with one another and me.

Happy Mother’s Day weekend to all our wonderful Moms, Grandmas, Aunts and women who have shaped us into who we are today!

Yesterday, we honoured Sadako Sasaki with the making of peace cranes with our buddy class.  Sadako was a strong, young girl who enlightened the world with her hopes of peace and the making of 1000 paper cranes.  She was challenged by leukemia due to the radiation she experienced during the atomic bombing of Japan.

A monument stands in her honour in Hiroshima, Japan and Division 10 and Division 6 were pleased to continue her legacy by making cranes of peace.  Thank you, Ms. Benson, for this opportunity.  As a school community, we are hoping to make 1000 paper cranes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wRabZXQ-hQ

We also shared our thoughts about what Peace means and listened to Susan Verde’s book, I Am Peace!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnR5HDfR3JI

We hope that you all have a peaceful, Mother’s Day weekend.

We have been working in literature circle groups with books written by Mary Pope Osbourne.  The title selections were chosen by the students and groups were made from those choices.  A contract of respectful, responsible goals was created and signed by all members of each group.

Students have been independently reading and working through their booklets, then joining up in reading groups to read, discuss, share and collaborate.

It’s been a magical time and the Tree House theme helps students escape into our classroom inquiry of “What stories do the trees tell us?” 

Have a great weekend in nature!

We have been sharing Earth messages over the P.A., with the library book, Dear Earth by Erin Dealy as our guide.  We have  begun to weed the garden planters in the courtyard as we get ready to plant some lettuce.

We have continued to monitor the progress of the Cherry Trees while they have been going through the transformation from bud to blossom.  Thursday, April 20 was quite the day of excitement as the trees were in full bloom.

We look forward to continuing to be Earth Heroes as the days and weeks move forward this Spring.  We will celebrate Earth Day on Friday, April 22, but as we know, EVERY DAY IS AN EARTH DAY!

HAPPY EARTH DAY CLINTON COMMUNITY FROM DIVISION 10 AND PLANET EARTH!

We got together with our buddy class on a blustery spring day.  Hail, rain and wind didn’t stop us from making rangoli and mandala chalk drawings in the undercover area.  Our hands were cold but our creative spirit was warm with wishes for the spring harvest.  The Mandala is a round form that holds a story.  Each shape, colour, form and pattern is significant in the journey.  Here are some photos of our journey: