The end of October came quickly with much learning taking place.  We took some adventures outside, making time to learn about air, the changing of the season and the importance of physical activity. The gym became a space for physical activity as well and students were proud of the stretches and poses they practiced during their activity rotations. 

Division 10 enjoyed patterning with Lego and leaves, figuring out repeating patterns, the pattern core and pattern rules.  They also loved dancing to Make A Pattern!  Pumpkin Math took students on a journey with Glyphs and Coding.  Data collection and analysis will continue throughout the year.

Creative cooking recipes highlighted the classroom window.  A Witches Brew, Pumpkin Stew and Ghostly Goo were some of the delicious dishes.  We ended the month with completing our Spider unit even though there are a few more chapters of Charlotte’s Web to read.

We have had a wonderful October and look forward to many more rewarding experiences in November.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

The elements of design have shed some light on line, colour, shape, texture and balance for Division 10 students.  While working on some scientific themes related to changes in the season, plant growth and arachnids, many artistic moments have been experienced!

What are the possibilities of a leaf?  Taking a good look at leaves and then creating some out of play clay gave a real hands-on experience! 

We then moved on to what are the possibilities of a pumpkin patch?

And check out the spiders and their draglines that were created with fingerprints and line designs.

As we approach the Thanksgiving weekend, Division 10 would like to send gratitude and appreciation to teachers, staff, parents and the Clinton community for a great start to the year.

Division 10 has already stored two poems into their hippocampus and would like to share them here with you!  Erik is helping with the video and his voice can be heard in the background.

http://drive.google.com/file/d/1sP4q085OPJa4n_kixGhZTbFwSpfVm5lO/view

Leaves are falling in our classroom as we think about the possibility of a leaf.  Line designs decorate our hallway as spooky spiders send their draglines and webs all over our bulletin board.

We’ve also been cooking up a storm with apple sauce and cranberry sauce from our harvest of the season!

Have a wonderful weekend and take time to appreciate this catchy little tune from the Juicebox Jukebox!

So glad to be back at Clinton Elementary School working with the grade 2 students of Division 10, Room 15.  We have had an enjoyable September, embracing our new learning journey of the 2020/2021 school year with much support from staff, students and the Clinton parent community.

This website will provide opportunities for Division 10 to share their learning, proud moments and engaging experiences with each blog post that is created.  Pages will be added throughout the year that give information and support for families as we stay connected during this social distance time.

The links on the sidebar can be accessed as ways to continue linking educational experiences at school with opportunities for learning at home.

Thanks for taking the time to meet up with us here on our Division 10 blogsite.  Mrs. E.

(Orange Shirt Day – Why I Matter; You Hold Me Up Heart Garden;Curiousi-TREE!)

So here it is:  The last daily blog post for our Division 9 2019/2020 school year.

I wish you all a wonderful summer with your family and hope that the sun shines so we can enjoy many Watermelon Wednesdays.  Did you know that watermelon is packed with water and nutrients, is very refreshing and you can eat all parts of the melon including the rind.  Remember to stay healthy with good eating habits over the summer.

Last week, I encouraged you to write, write, write your memories of the past few months during this unusual time in history.  It certainly has been a different experience for all.  Both Ashlyn and Linnea shared their third term journey with me and I am sharing their words today.  Perhaps, you have had similar experiences.

This is from Ashlyn and it is last word assignment 🙂

last word asshinment

This is from Linnea:

Thank you for sharing your memories.  I look forward to seeing and hearing from all of you in September as you share your summer month memories.  It was really nice to hear all your summer plans when we met yesterday at our final class meeting.

Please continue to listen to the morning messages from Mr. Bortolussi.  Please access the class blog throughout the summer so you can review and practice some of what we have done.   Please pick up your belongings today and tomorrow. Please stay healthy and safe and I’ll see you in September!

Here is my final Video Read-Aloud.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EvcCZm_gGJ-rszC82S61nnHDPEDCWUf5/view

Love, Mrs. E.andWinnie

Today will be our final day together.  I look forward to seeing you at the class meeting.  It will not be a long meeting today.  It will be our chance to say good-bye to our friends and share what our plans for the summer are.

We do have some summer birthdays coming up and being that it is now officially summer, we thought we would share a birthday message from some of our in-class learners.  Jocelyn and Zahra were excited to share their birthday news report with all of you.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1purHCeO6Nsqu93aqoDACGF034XLdE2pT/view

Yesterday, we took pleasure in working with wool and sticks.  We did some yarn bombing.  June 11 was national yarn bomb day in which wool and yarn gave warmth to some natural and non-natural items in communities.  Here are a few examples of what I am talking about.

You, too, can have some fun with yarn and sticks. Here is what we did in class.

Last week, you had a chance to read about the brain.  Here are a few more interesting facts about the brain.

Give your brain a rest.  Your brain never stops thinking, even when you sleep.  In fact, you need sleep so that your brain can process all the information it has collected during the day.  To help your brain do this, you need about 9-10 hours of sleep each night.

Therefore, get plenty of rest over the summer months!

Brains can change.  Your brain is more like plastic than cement.  It will change with each experience you have – and it will grow!  That’s called neuroplasticity.

So make sure you have plenty of amazing experiences over the summer so that your brain can change.

How does your brain get smarter?  With practice.  When you learn something new, like the words to a song, you make new connections between the message-carrying cells of your brain, or neurons.  As you practice, the neurons carrying that message grow branch-like structures (dendrites) that act like antennae.  They pick up the message more quickly and clearly each time.  With enough practice, those song-learning neurons help you remember the words without even hearing the music.

Try this out, practice and experience  in order to support your song-learning neurons:

https://app.gonoodle.com/activities/think-like-a-scientist?s=Discover&t=Wo6/22/20-FP-4A-Featured%20on%20GoNoodle&sid=1796&x=1&y=2&mft=simple%20row

So take time to practice and review all that you have learned this year and move from good to better to your personal best with practice!

We will see you at 10 a.m.  Join the team meeting by going to the Division 9 Teams and clicking on the calendar.  Press join.  Arrive with microphone and camera off.  Please be respectful with the chat and remember to use your wonderful attentive listening skills.

Have a terrific Together Tuesday,

Mrs. E.

It is a Marvelous, Memorable, Memory Monday but we are going with Billy Goat Monday as we have a reader’s theatre to share with you today.

On Friday, we watched Mistatim in class as our theatre viewing experience and then we moved to participating in our own Reader’s Theatre.

Selina, Clare and Zahra had an enjoyable time working with the 3 Billy Goats Gruff and wanted to share their story with you.  Their reading of the story should hopefully inspire you to have some fun with drama and the theatre experience.  Movie theatres are soon re-opening and in class we have been listening to some Disney music.

There are many roles that one can take during a theatre presentation.  First, someone has to create the story to act out.  The playwrite/screenwriter must take time to consider characters, actions and speaking roles.  There is a director who must make sure that the scenes are being acted and filmed correctly.  Of course, there are the actors that must project their voices and find ways to show and share their emotions through their actions.

There are also set directors who create the props and backdrops, lighting crew, stage crew and tech crew. Costume designers create the fashion for the characters and there is a team of people who promote the play or movie with advertisements.

Some of you could consider the read aloud you are about to hear and think about how you could build a Billy Goat Gruff set with your Lego.  Some of you may consider using puppets to recreate the story.  Some of you may consider the costume design of the troll and his mother.  Some of you may decide to create a pamphlet to promote the presentation of Billy Goats Gruff.  And some of you may start from scratch and write your very own play or movie script.

Here’s the Reader’s Theatre presentation of the 3 Billy Goats Gruff!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ChCKciLtJas3SHl8EM3OPNt4IqS6P1tw/view

Tomorrow, we will see you at our final TEAM meeting at 10 a.m.  Please be prepared to share your summer plans.  Selina, Clare, Zahra and Jocelyn will all be in-class tomorrow.  It is the last school day for them.  I will be away tomorrow afternoon.  All of your belongings and report cards will be available for pick up on Wednesday morning between 9:30 and 11:30.

The TEAMS class site will be removed on Wednesday.  

Please also remember that Mr. Bortolussi will be sharing a morning message each day this week.  You can go to the Clinton Website, to the side task bar and click on each day of the week to see and hear the message.

Have a Meaningful Monday!  Mrs. E.

Here we are…the Final Friday of the year!

Today we are going on a field trip to the theatre at 11 a.m.  I sent out an email to register for the event that will take place today.  It is called MISTATIM Gallops Across Canada by the Red Sky Performers.

In celebration of NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WEEK, Red Sky Performance in partnership with the Temagami Community Foundation’s Virtual Arts Camp brings a thrilling virtual performance of our award-winning Mistatim

Here is the link to register for the event today.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mistatim-gallops-across-canada-tickets-104247591352?mc_cid=c62c3d053c&mc_eid=5a829e173d

We had a wonderful theatre experience at Granville Island when we went to see Peter Pan.  This will be a different experience but live theatre is always worth being part of.

Next week, there will not be a Shape Of The Week.  There will be daily blog posts on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Mr. Bortolussi has also sent information about his daily morning messages for next week.  He will send a TEAMS link each morning so you and your families can participate in his daily messages.  He will share morning messages for the entire week.  On the side bar of the Clinton Website, there is also a podcast created by Ms. Loukopoulos.  It highlights various Canadian Indigenous Artists.

Sunday, is not only Father’s Day and the first full day of summer but it is also National Indigenous Day.  June is actually national Indigenous month.  In class, we work from a First People’s Perspective and continue to recognize that we acknowledge and thank the Coast Salish Nations of Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish on whose traditional territories we teach, learn and live.

The final day for in-class students will be Tuesday, June 23.  In-class students will be taking home their supplies and report cards that afternoon.  I will not be at school that Tuesday afternoon as I will be visiting the foot surgeon so I can have my toe looked at, hopefully, for the final time.  You must remember how I began the school year?  Ms. Ta had to come in for a few days and help out as I had to take care of my toe:)

On Wednesday, June 24 from 9:30-11:30, families from Division 9 that have been working at home, will have an opportunity to pick up bagged supplies and report cards from outside of the classroom.  The bags will be labelled and placed along the outside wall of the classroom.  Please remember social distancing if a few of you arrive at the same time.

If for any reason you are unable to make it on that day or  time, I will put the remaining bags outside again on Thursday afternoon, June 25, from 1-2:30.  Any unclaimed bags will then go to the gym and can be picked up there on Friday, June 26.  Gym times for pick up have been emailed to all families through the office.

Have a Fantastic Final Friday and enjoy time with your family this weekend,

Mrs. E.

Good Day to all of you in Division 9:

It is Thoughtful, Thinking Thursday and today I want you to think about any assignments, activities projects that you may have not had a chance to work on or complete.  Now is your time to get to them and hand them in as I will not be receiving or commenting on any hand-in assignments next week.

All of you have worked so hard during this third term, at a time when teaching and learning has been so different for us all.  I appreciate all of your creativity and personal expression.  I am proud of all that you have accomplished.

During the last week of May, I recorded an audio-read but never did share it with you.  Even though there are May references and a connection to plant growth from Seed to Flower, I thought it was a purposeful story to share at this time.

Five Tough And Tiny Seeds reminds me of our journey through the third term.  You just might connect with the seeds in the story as I did.  We were like the tiny seeds, wanting to hold strong to what we knew, which for the seeds was the reed.  We wanted to hold on to our classroom routine, our personal connections and our in-class lessons. As the spring time winds came and gave us a push, we were able to move and grow in ways we never expected.  Just as the spring time winds blew the seeds here, there and everywhere, we as a team of Division 9 students kept moving forward on our learning journeys.  The story helps us make text to text connections as we relate to seeds, plants, insects, trees, birds, ponds, that we shared through out our on-line learning. As you’ll hear and see in the story, the seeds let go of their grip on the reed and began to explore and journey in places and spaces they never expected. They grew into the beautiful flowers of summer.

You are my little springtime tough and tiny seeds that have grown into bright and independent flowers of summer.

When you listen to the story, be thoughtful and think about which seed and flower you might be.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1paRXagN2yHpJYhsheanuOja1r4XLBNdr/view

I have to tell you, that when I was recording this audio-read, I had to stop and start many times as a drone was flying over my backyard and kept hovering way above my head to see what was happening.  The sound of the drone was loud and kept interrupting my audio-read.  That is why it is a bit darker than I wanted it to be as the light of the day was disappearing.  I didn’t give up though and I finally got through the story.  I remembered the O.K. Book and just kept trying!

For this Thoughtful, Thinking Thursday, reflect back on your learning journey from Spring Break to Now.  Take some time to write in a journal.  Write about your feelings, your explorations, your “new normal.”  Share your ups and downs, your connections with your passions and talents and the experiences you have had during this time in history.  This last 3 and 1/2 months have flown by but you have engaged in some amazing moments and I don’t think you’ll want to forget them.  So get out your handy, dandy pencil and a notebook, journal or writing paper and WRITE WRITE WRITE!  Don’t forget to include your appreciation and gratitude for all your amazing moments.

That’s all for now you tough and tiny seeds that have grown into beautiful flowers ready for summer!

Mrs. E.

Hello Division 9:

It was really nice to see so many of you yesterday at the class meeting.   My apologies to Eric for forgetting to pass the Talk About It to him but more apologies to Zahra who was sitting right in the classroom and missed out on her opportunity to share.  We had a good laugh about that after the class meeting ended but I will let her share next Tuesday.

We will have our final class meeting next Tuesday so we can share our summer plans, sing happy birthday to our summer birthday students and say good-bye to one another.  Information about supply and report card pick up times will come closer to the end of this week.  Pick up dates will be Wednesday, June 24 and Thursday, June 25.

Ms. Hossack has shared some amazing books with us and I am going to link you up to her resources.  These are books that may support some of the conversations you are having with your families and in your home at this time.

“Below there is a link to a google slide presentation with book shelves of books that are clickable. Click on the book and it will take you to the read aloud. Some are in our library and some are to come…great reads and resources for this timely topic. I can’t take any credit for it, but many of the titles I can highly recommend.” Ms. H.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18pOK3roiwPQ9WF7D2wA0o7Ktr8KwAJeZfn-o6O8T__Y/mobilepresent?slide=id.p

I would also like to share with you a connection I had with our Frog and Toad classroom story studio.  The pond in my neighbourhood is full of lily pads.  Perhaps, you have a pond near your home full of lily pads!  A recent walk in the rain also had me see so many slugs and snails.  Clare, Cara and Selina will remember our snailariums from last year. The last photo I have is of the baby geese, goslings, now on their way to becoming adults.  They are teenagers at the moment.  So keep taking note of nature in your neighbourhood and appreciate all the Earth has to offer as you continue to be Earth Warriors and protect the natural habitats of your environment.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Mrs. E.