Category: Social and Emotional

Vancouver Aquarium

What a fun day it was!  The children arrived at the Aquarium with wonder and curiosity about the world of sea animals.  We saw sea lions, frogs, salamanders, turtles, jellyfish, and more.  We saw playful sea otters, jumping dolphins, and African penguins shorter than us.  At the Discover Rays pool, children were able to touch the stingrays who glided just beneath the water’s surface.  Some of the children were shocked by their moving chair and sprays of water during the 4D movie, Coastal Predators.

We are scientists who observed, questioned, analyzed, and discussed what we saw.  The children left the aquarium tired (and many of them napped on the ride home), but inspired to learn and care for our environment.  Over the next few weeks, we will continue to discuss our observations and study about animals that live under the sea.

 Thank you to all the parent volunteers for coming with us!
 
 
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 For more information, visit the Vancouver Aquarium. 

Terry Fox Run & Orange Shirt Day

September 29th was our school’s Terry Fox Run, as well as Orange Shirt Day.  Ms. Price, our Aboriginal Resource Teacher, visited our classroom to tell us the story about Phyllis’ experience at a residential school.

Having Orange Shirt Day on the same day as the Terry Fox Run was a good opportunity to talk about Terry Fox’s Métis ancestry.  Thank you Parents for your donations to the Terry Fox Foundation.  As a school, we surpassed our goal and raised…

More photos from the run:

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Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

 

At the beginning of the year when students are learning how to write their names, we always have fun reading the book, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.  All the letters climb up the coconut tree until the tree bends… “Will there be enough room?”  No, because all the letters fall out!  The book has a great rhythm and there’s even a song that goes with it.  See YouTube video below.

 

 

Students made coconut trees and added the letters of their names.  They learned how to use scissors and managed to cut out tree trunks (any size they wanted) and tree leaves!

The coconut trees are displayed on the hallway bulletin board outside our classroom!  Please come and take a look.

 

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Look who’s in our room!

 

 

Our new Ks are ready to play!

I hope you have all had a wonderful summer!  It’s the second week of school, and our new kindergarten students have completed their fifth day of gradual entry.  Despite a few tears, these new kindies are definitely ready to play!

The first few weeks of school can be a bit daunting for new Ks.  Many are starting school for the first time, and some are missing their preschool teachers and of course, their moms or dads!  There are also a lot of big kids around!  To help the students ease into the daily routine, we usually start the day the same.  We greet each other at the door.  And then, we connect on the carpet with our “morning circle”.  Each day, we learn something new about one another.

And each day, there is time for structured and non-structured play!  These past few days, through play, I witnessed our new Ks working together, solving problems, and creating some amazing things!  Please ask your child to share their school day with you.

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Jump Rope for Heart

We had a fun week learning how to jump rope!  Students had fun learning a variety of skipping activities.  Some grade 6 and 7 students came into our gym classes and helped to teach some of the skipping stations.  We played some skipping games, jumped over ropes (e.g. Snakey Snakey), skipped while hopping on one foot, and some of the students worked on criss-crossing their ropes!  Many students found skipping difficult and it took some perseverance and determination before they were able to skip.  We now have a few very talented skippers in our class!

Thank you to all those who donated and helped to get donations for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

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Yoga for Health and Well-Being

For most kids, this was their first exposure to yoga.  Our instructor, Michelle, focused on breathing exercises and a variety of stretches/poses (E.g. cat, cow, warrior).  Yoga helps kids with focus/concentration, and boosts self-esteem.  Learning about proper breathing techniques can help with tackling anxiety.  I also liked that gratitude seems to be another key focus in the practice of yoga.  And of course, the children get to experience play without the worry of making mistakes.

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