We have been exploring many aspects of light through exploration centres this past week.

We have each planted a bean and pea seed and are simultaneously learning about the plant life cycle as well as the interaction between plants and light.

We are observing on a daily basis that plants grow towards the sun. We are now able to identify and distinguish between natural and artificial light sources.

By exploring the different light stations we learned about the following:

We learned about REFRACTION: it appears that the pencil in the water is split in half, but is it really? Why does it appear that it is split? What is the light doing?

We are now able to identity what materials are TRANSPARENT, TRANSLUCENT and OPAQUE.

We understand that interactions of light with different objects create images and shadows. Ask your young scientist about the incident ray of light and the reflected ray. What is happening to the light when it reflects off a surface?

We are saying goodbye to our adventures in the Solar System as we embark on a new adventure, investigating plant growth and LIGHT!

Being the curious learners that we are, some investigating questions have already come up during our class discussions:

• What is the relationship between plants and light?
• What is happening in this picture? Is the pencil really cut in half?

• Can light travel through all types of materials?
• What are natural and artificial sources of light?

Tonight was wonderful to witness.

As a teacher it was a great feeling to ‘fade away’ and observe your child become the teacher. They were beaming with pride as they took you through their learning journey. From landform creations, community construction plans, scientific experiments, astronomy discoveries and POW words, you took time, care, patience and interest in your child’s education. I loved overhearing the questions that you asked your young learner. I heard ownership from your child as they explained the activity they were proud of, the purpose of it, why they enjoyed it.

Your presence today not only meant the world to your child, but also to me. It was truly so fulfilling and rewarding to see your child step into the role of a leader (and teacher) over their learning. Thank you for coming and taking part in your child’s learning journey. Our Toodle Wall is currently bursting with love. Thank you for all that you do!

With Spring being in full swing please encourage your child to have a water bottle in class (it is so important to stay hydrated throughout the day!), hats + sunscreen are also encouraged to stay protected from the sun.

In recognition of Earth Day this past Monday, April 22nd, we have been talking and sharing ideas on how we can make even a small difference in our world, i.e., saving water, recycling, walking or biking instead of using a car, picking up litter etc. What can you and your family do to acknowledge and celebrate Earth Week today, and every day?

Tomorrow is our school’s Celebration Of Learning Assembly. We have been working extremely hard on our drama play, The Water Cycle. We have memorized our lines, practiced using a microphone, explored voice expression, as well as making our own costumes. This dramatic play has been fairly student led, from organizing themselves on stage (how they feel best represents themselves and their characters) to the creation of their own costumes such as the sun, a glacier, ocean droplet and snowflake. We are so proud of all the hard work and dedication that we have put into this play that we are showcasing it tomorrow during our school assembly. The assembly begins at 2:00pm, and we will be performing first following the singing the O’Canada. We hope you can join our assembly and enjoy our performance.

As Scientists we have been very busy with our recent discoveries in the Solar System.

We have been learning about the various phases of the Moon. Ask your young scientist how they learned about the moon through PANCAKES!

Do you know the difference between waxing and waning in regards to the different moon phases? Try and look at the moon tonight, what phase is it?

Next up, we have started researching and discovering new facts about the eight different planets in our Solar System.

Can you guess what planet is not named after a mythological Greek god?

What planet is the width of 11 Earths side by side – do you think it is Saturn or Jupiter?

How many Earths are equal to the mass of Jupiter?

Jupiter has a Great Red Spot on it. This spot is a large storm which is so enormous that three Earth’s could fit inside it. Do you have an idea how long this storm has been occurring for?

What is the difference between a Terrestrial planet and a Gas giant?

Why do you think Neptune is the coldest planet?

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Stay tuned as our discoveries continue!