It’s that time of year to celebrate everyone’s favourite irrational number: pi!
Check out this video about Pi Day (it’s focused on the US, but gives some background):
Leading up to Pi Day, Friday March 14, students are rotating through various pi-related activities. Pi doesn’t show up in our math curriculum until grade 7, so for us, we’re exploring this math concept just for fun! Our Pi Day activities include team work, games, and art. On Friday we will celebrate Pi Day by having a “Pi Off” to see who can memorize the longest decimal of pi (the official world record is 70 030 digits, set by Suresh Kumar Sharma!) We already have some students who can recite more of pi than I, so I can’t wait to hear what they come up with for “Pi Day Friday!”
We love this song to help us practice!:
(Did you catch that?)
In Division 5, we have been discussing actionable ways to contribute to reconciliation in Canada. The goal of reconciliation is to rebuild and maintain a respectful relationship with Indigenous peoples. It is an ongoing process that requires active awareness and effort from non-Indigenous people across Canada. This week, each student wrote about an act of reconciliation they will pursue on an orange heart. The hearts are posted on the window near out classroom.
As part of our media literacy studies, and in preparation for Earth Day next week, students in Division 5 have been discussing the concept of “greenwashing.”
Working in groups is a significant part of learning and decision making, in school and many career fields. This requires us to be active listeners and contributors in order to build understanding and work towards a common goal. On our first day back from Spring Break, it was time for a desk change. We’ve tried various arrangements throughout the year so far, but this time the students decided on how the desks should be organized.
As a large group, we brainstormed the various arrangements they’ve experienced in the past, and discussed the possible design constraints (shape and size of the room, number of desks, etc). Then students broke into small groups, where each group used tiles to design a possible layout. They had to discuss and negotiate different possibilities before having to reach a consensus on which design they thought best suited our classroom. They recorded their designs on large paper and outlined pros and cons for their design, considering issues 
around use of space, mobility, and “chatter.” Groups presented their ideas to the whole class, and then students voted.