The weather did not give us full advantage of the eclipse today, that was only going to have the moon cover 28% of the sun’s rays, in this location.  So, we went on a trip with NASA and watched the full eclipse happen in Mexico and Arkansas.  It was an exciting moment when the sun was completely blocked out by the moon.  We turned the lights out in the classroom to pretend we were experiencing the darkness of the eclipse. No retinas were damaged in the experience 🙂

We started our first week back from Spring Break with some April Activities thanks to the Young Actor’s Project. Students learned about the 3 tools that are necessary for acting: Imagination, Voice and Body.  They learned how to use their emotions and realized that acting is pretending with a purpose to tell a story.  They were such good story tellers.

We also took a moment to practice our juggling skills in class for P.E. since the gym was being used for Battle of the Books.  It has been a very active start to the third term.

Division 10 has to quickly capture some March Moments as we won’t be returning until April, after Spring Break.

We are ready for Spring though and have made some Spring Signs to welcome in the new season. 

We will also gather as a grade 2/3 group of classes into the library to celebrate the Spring Equinox and acknowledge the seasonal cycle as we have done for Autumn and Winter.  As in Autumn, we are reaching a time in the year when the amount of daylight will equal the amount of darkness in this part of the world.  That is why we say that we are moving toward the Equinox, which takes place around March 21.  We will continue a journey of longer days until we reach the Summer Solstice in June.

Decade’s Day, today, hosted by our Clinton Leadership team, provided so many opportunities for us to lean into the stories of fashion and the reasons behind some fashion designs for the era they represent.  Fashion is a very important part of the Visual Art subject area and it was lovely to see so many Division 10 students participate in the Spirit Day. 

We also had fun with some our Matter experiments, predicting and observing how solids sink and float. Today we made aluminum foil boats.  Our passengers were marbles.  Check out the results of our Sink or Float your Boat challenge in the classroom window.  Congratulations, Emma.

Tomorrow, we will board a bus with the rest of the Primary Choir and we will sing at the Primary Days Of Music at Confederation Park Elementary School.  It will be a full morning event.  The student voices have sounded so inspiring and uplifting when they have practiced together during 3 lunch times.

Report Cards will be coming home tomorrow.  Please sign the envelopes and return back to the school by Friday.  Students are asked to bring a reusable bag on Thursday so they can hang up all of their desk supplies over the break.  Other items will return home for a washing or size check and then should be returned back to the classroom.  Some students will also be bringing home a supply list of items to be replenished.

At this time, we also want to support those in our community who are celebrating Ramadan.  Happy Ramadan!

As we move toward Spring Break, we wish you all the luck of St. Patrick’s Day and the blessings of the Easter Weekend with family and friends.

Happy Spring!

From a Second Skating Session to a Kindness Quilt, from Pink Shirt support to our Hands Bulletin Board display, we ended February with kindness, care and support for one another. Our Hands presentation was well received at the February Assembly and Finn The Frog was a welcomed character on our Leap Year Day.  Thank you, Ms. Minoza, for sharing, This Book Is Perfect.

We look forward to the final weeks before March break.  Students are invited to participate in a spirit day, DECADE DAY, Tuesday, March 12, that will take them back in time to a different era.  For students that have never even lived a decade, choosing to dress from a previous decade can be a challenge.  So please, parents and families, share your thoughts about your favourite era and help your child participate in this final spirit day before Spring.

The Clinton Leadership Team has created a power point with some suggestions.

https://sd41-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/2099061_edu_burnabyschools_ca/EQl1IydhMfdKqEg_pwNPUUcBxph4NwhwoVYs29027S1yIQ?e=Ko0haE

Students are also looking forward to the Primary Days of Music that will be at Confederation Elementary School on Wednesday, March 13.  They have also been invited to a Movie Afternoon on Friday, March 15, in the gym, sponsored and put on by the Clinton PAC.  We are a busy bunch of bees in Room 15.

As we move forward to the Spring Break, please note that students will be bringing home their extra clothes and shoes for a freshen up.  Their school supplies will be removed from their desks and put into bags that will hang on their coatroom hooks.  Please send a reusable bag to school next week so that supplies can be stored.  Some students will be bringing home a list of supplies that they will need replenished.

Happy March! Spring is just around the corner!

We have been pleased to have Ms. Minoza work with us on Thursdays.  She has been exploring the Narrative Window of the Entry Point Approach with students.  Visual Art by way of First Nation’s Art has been a focus.  Students have been looking through the lens of story to appreciate, understand and question works of art. The entry point approach gives opportunities for many conversations and discussions related to the visual art pieces.

Students have moved to a focus on stretching, balance, flexibility, strength and mindfulness as they approach their personal practice with yoga poses during P.E. class.  They have been learning that health and wellness can come from independent opportunities rather than just team sports and events.

We reached the 100th day of school in Room 15.  Our eyes were opened to the possibilities of 100 and we worked through a variety of lenses to combine items, numbers and experiences that connected with the number 100. 

We look forward to another skating adventure next Tuesday as well as the Pink Shirt Day events and assembly next Wednesday.  We end our month with a leap into learning on Leap Year Day, February 29. What a full month, for sure!

Thank you to all the families for participating in such a wonderful friendship opportunity for Division 10.  A special appreciation for all the lovely treats that were sent my way.

Students enjoyed wearing the reds, pinks, purples and hearts for House Team points.

They also enjoyed delivering and sharing cards and goodie bags with their classmates.

Cheers to a wonderful afternoon of fun.

The students played well together and will continue to share kindness and care with one another.

Please note that Friday is a Pro-D Day and Monday is Family Day.  We wish you all a wonderful time with family this long weekend.  The 100th Day of School will arrive on Wednesday, February 21 in Room 15.  Students are asked to bring a collection of 100 items such as paper clips or beans or toothpicks or beads or pasta pieces or…  whatever they desire to bring that they can break up into groups of 5 or 10 or 25 for our 100’s day math activities.

The sharing of culture has been such a delight in Room 15 and we certainly couldn’t move forward with February without celebrating the Lunar New Year, based on the lunar calendar.

In the Northeast of China, families come together to eat dumplings and play cards.  Children make red paper cutouts, freeze them outside and hang them as ornaments.  Division 10 used a plastic laminate to ice their red paper cut-outs and hang them in the Clinton Garden.  The colour red is prominently displayed, symbolizing a wish for good fortune and happiness in the year ahead. There are no limits to the design.  The more cuts you make, the more intricate the pattern.  It becomes a partnership between your hands and your imagination.

When at the school, please take a peak at the hanging ornaments in our school garden as well as read the accompany message board information.  We hope you enjoy the ornaments as they pass on a sense of love, kindness and friendship at this time of year.

Division 10 also tried their hand at Chinese Calligraphy, putting effort into creating the characters that represent Spring Blessings.  The newness of the Lunar New Year brings freshness and growth, wealth and prosperity, just as the season of Spring does.  Our diamond decorations hang proudly on the hallway bulletin board, wishing everyone a beautiful year of the Dragon.

Just a reminder that Valentine’s Day is coming up and a notice has gone home related to our Friendship Celebration on Wednesday afternoon.  Please take a moment to read the notice and consider supporting your child as they participate in our afternoon of being together as classmates and friends.

                     Sun Nin Fai Lok          Gong Hay Fat Choy            Gong Shi Fa Cai

Now here is a commentary by Eugene Wang for our Student Participation in our Blog posts:

“Hi, my name is Eugene.  I celebrate Lunar New Year by scaring the beast away.  I wear red because the beast doesn’t like the colour red and it scares him away.  I eat dumplings, long Ramen and bao at this time.  My parents and elder family give me red envelopes full of new money.  I am dressed to celebrate the New Year of the dragon.  My coat is from China.  My hair dress is from my Auntie.  I am dressed up in my new fashion clothes for a fresh start. I am a Horse on the Chinese Zodiac.” 

Groundhog Day brought a level of learning to Room 15 with students going to Groundhog Weather School.  They shared their predictions, their desires for an early spring or continued winter weather conditions as well as their knowledge about the rodents that come from the Marmot family.  Groundhogs, also known as Woodchucks, are mammals that hibernate through the winter.  When they are ready to come out of their burrows to feast on plants, as they are herbivores, they give an indication that Spring is on its way.  Farmers used to look out for animals when they would come out of hibernation.  This gave them the indication that they could plant their crops.

Division 10 went out to search for their shadow on this February 2 and did not see it.  Therefore, the forecast is for an early Spring.  Keep in mind that the most famous groundhogs are correct only 1/3 of the time.

We ended January and will continue into February with our floor hockey experiences.  With the NHL all-star weekend here and the amazing year that our local Vancouver Canucks are having, we had to participate in some hockey skills.  We have our new scheduled date for our ice skating session and that will be Tuesday, February 27.  We will keep the skating momentum going with our floor hockey games.

We also have the fortunate opportunity to be learning some American Sign Language in class this term.  We are one of few classes in Burnaby that have been accepted for this experience.  Every Tuesday, we have a 20 minute Zoom meeting with our district ASL staff who have been encouraging our students to learn how to sign words related to the daily calendar experience.  We have worked with days of the week, seasons and weather.

Our literacy week ended with a staff presentation of a Reader’s Theatre performance of The Enormous Turnip.  After watching the stage performance live, the class wanted to give it a go.  Ask them about their acting and narrating debut.

We look forward to the many activities that will present themselves in this month of February that has us experiencing February 29.  It is a leap year.  Please check the calendar of activities that was sent home on pink paper.

Hi, this is Lucas.  I am the writer of the first part of the Division 10 BLOG for today.

It was very fun to have the light show in the gym when we did Reading In The Dark.  It was quiet when we were reading.  It felt like being at home.  I read “Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, Cabin Fever.”  It felt like we were in a Winter Cabin when we were reading.

On Wednesday, we had Cool Fact Day!  One of my facts was, “an octopus has 9 brains and blue blood.”

On that day we also went skating.  I had to use the bar when I first got on the ice but then I got better.  I did fall a lot and I took some breaks to eat my snack.  Next time, I will ask for more help from some of the teachers and intermediate skaters so that I can stay on the ice longer.  Here are some photos of my friends. 

  Thanks for reading my BLOG post.  Lucas.

Division 10, along with all other Clinton students enjoyed being aboard the READING TRAIN.  It was an express train to literacy on Thursday.

Hosting the month end assembly was such a wonderful experience.  The students did an amazing job of being the MC’s, sharing the poem Look In A Book and presenting a Monthly Macarena.  Many staff and students said that they really enjoyed the assembly and we all felt very proud alongside of our buddy class.

What a great way to end January as we move toward February next week.

Please remember to send in your photos of your Family Literacy Day activities; an email from the school and notice from our classroom went home on Friday.

We so enjoyed the book characters that came to life at Clinton School today.  Thank you to those Division 10 students that received points for their house teams.

Our class also recited a poem over the P.A. to kick off our reading week.  We made many announcements today to get in the spirit of literacy activities.

Tomorrow, students will be Reading in the Dark so flashlights and books need to come tomorrow to school.

Cool Fact Wednesday will see many cool fact mittens arrive to school on Wednesday.  We hope to be skating that morning so cool facts can arrive on Tuesday or be shared after lunch, on Wednesday. Our library day is Tuesday this week so please have reading books arrive tomorrow.

Thursday we will board the Reading Train.  Students are asked to bring books for that event as well.

Division 10 along with Division 6 will host the month end assembly with a literacy theme.  The assembly will be at 1:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

We then encourage all of you to participate in reading literacy activities for Family Literacy Day on Saturday, January 27.  It is a Family Party Theme.

Please continue to support literacy at home as we encourage reading, writing, listening and speaking at school.  Our Winter Cinquains are now displayed in the classroom window with a few more 5 line poems waiting to be put up.  Enjoy the Warm Up To Reading poetry.