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Division 7 read a really fun book called “Groundhog Weather School”.   The story is all about teaching Groundhogs how to predict the weather.  Folklore says that on February the second, groundhogs come out of their burrows to look for their shadows.  If they don’t see their shadows, it means spring is here.  If they do see their shadows, it means they’ll be six more weeks of winter,  

Our math equations:

Groundhog – shadow = spring

Groundhog + shadow = winter

We decided to make a graph about what we thought Wiarton Willie, Canada’s famous albino groundhog, would predict for weather this year. Then we analyzed our responses:

We watched a video clip that showed that Willie did not see his shadow, and so he predicted that we would have an early spring.

The children of Division 7 created a web using the Kidspiration software in our computer lab. 

A web is a visual map that shows how different categories of information relate to one another. Webs are typically used as brainstorming strategies for developing and connecting ideas.  Webbing helps children organize their thinking before writing sentences. 

The web that the children created is about everything they had learned about bears.  The purpose of the web was to help them write logically connected and sequenced sentences on the topic of bears.   Check out their eportfolios to see how they did.

Division 7 read a wonderful book called Sleepover With Beatrice and Bear by Monica Carnesi.  This is a lovely story about two best friends who do everything together until . . . it is time for Bear to hibernate.  What makes this tale so special is the way in which Beatrice, the bunny, comes up with a creative way to share her winter with Bear while he is sleeping.  Beatrice compiles a portfolio of pictures and words that she calls, “The Great Scrapbook of Winter Delights and Adventures.”  

The children’s ePortfolios are their way of sharing the thinking and learning that they do at school over time.  They are meant to facilitate conversations between child, parent and teacher. This process speaks particular to the Core Competency of Communication which “encompasses the set of abilities that students use to impart and exchange information, experiences and ideas, to explore the world around them, and to understand and effectively engage in the use of digital media.” 

The children were excited to share their ePortfolios with you. They have a lot to be proud of so let’s celebrate all that they have accomplished so far.

The year 2017 holds lots of promise.  We are fortunate to have this opportunity to watch our children learn and grow in the year ahead.  Together we can set realistic goals for them and support them in their endeavors.  We can encourage them and nurture their creativity through their ePortfolios.