The school year may be winding down, but Division 7 has been as busy as ever!

Last week we finished our flower prints that were inspired by Canadian artist Jan Corcoran. To make this art we coloured with markers on sheets of plastic. Then we used a spray bottle to turn the marker ink into watercolours. As the colours started to blend with the water and each other, we pressed thick paper onto the plastic to make a watercolour print. After they dried, we added the details of the flowers with marker. It was challenging to adjust our flowers to match what the ink did on the paper.

In science, we learned about a new property of mixtures and solutions. We discovered that the amount of pH that a substance has determines whether it is an acid or base. If something has a pH of 0-6, it is an acid. If something has a pH of 8-14, it is a base. If something has a pH of 7, it is neutral. If a substance has a very low or very high pH, it can burn your skin and should be handled with caution. We used litmus paper to test the pH of different household subtances. We discovered that most of the substances were on the acidic side of the pH scale. Check out our results below:

Finally, it was with heavy hearts that Division 7 learned about the recent tragedy that occurred in BC. Residential schools were a horrific chapter of Canada’s story and they continue to have lasting effects on Indigenous communities today. If you have visited our classroom since last week you will have seen the window display that we made to honour the 215 children that were found at the site of the former Kamloops Residential School. The feather art that you see in the display was designed by Gitxsan artist, Michelle Stoney. The following is a quote from her:

• “…the feather represents so much to our culture. Maybe too much to even explain so I’ll just say what it means to me…To me it means strength and healing…we use it for smudging, and to me that represents cleansing. Inside the feather is the spirit of the 215 children. The face at the bottom…has long flowing hair that they were forced to cut. The hand at the top is also important. But really this can mean something to someone else. I don’t want to force people what to think. I just like it when people connect in their own way. I’d love to hear stories of what this means to you.” 

In Division 7, every child matters and we feel grateful that we have a classroom where we can feel happy, safe and included.