Category: School Work

That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

Please enjoy the stories that Division 7 wrote about their names along with their symmetrical name art:

Can you see the names hidden in the art? See below for a closer look:

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In Division 7, we celebrate diversity. Last week we made our clothespin doll classroom inspired by the novel Molly’s Pilgrim. We made our dolls to look like us to show that our strength as a class lies in our differences. I was so impressed by the creativity that the students showed in making their dolls! See below for a closer look:

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In class, we have started exploring the big question “What is your story? How does it shape your identity?” We have talked a lot about how sharing our stories builds community and understanding.

This week, we are looking at the part of our story that is most often the first thing we share about ourselves… our names! Today we read The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi. It is the story of a little girl who is moving to America from Korea. When she arrives, she realizes that her Korean name is strange to her new friends. She carefully considers whether or not she should choose a new name to use in her new home. If you would like to find out what happens, you can listen to the story here.

I have asked the students to find out about the story of their names. They may have a few questions to ask you! They have a worksheet to fill out to help guide them. If you have any information to share with them that is not included on the sheet, please have them write it on the back. I am asking the class to bring back everything they find out on Thursday, October 15th. Thank you for assisting your child with this activity!

This week we are reading the short novel Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen. The story is about a family who is experiencing their first Thanksgiving in North America. It introduces the concept of immigration and reminds us that diversity is something to be celebrated. As the little girl in the story learns, “it takes all kinds of pilgrims to make a Thanksgiving!”

On Friday, we will celebrate finishing the book by making our own clothespin dolls, just like Molly is asked to do in the story. The students will make the clothespin doll to look like themselves so that we can celebrate the diversity in our own classroom. I will be providing the clothespins and materials but if your child would like to bring anything from home to add to their doll, they should bring it on Friday. Some ideas include: fabric scraps, yarn, or ribbon. They will only need a small amount of each materials because the clothespins are quite small (about 10cm).

Stay tuned to see our clothespin classroom!

Today Division 7 was introduced to Learning in Depth (or “LiD”) for the first time. There was much excitement in the air as they learned that this would be a year-long project where they would get to take the journey from learner to expert to teacher.

What is LiD?

LiD is a dynamic program where each student is assigned a topic that they will explore for the whole year. The idea is that they will have the freedom to explore their topic from any perspective they choose at a pace that suits them. By the end of the year they will have acquired knowledge in great depth and breadth, rather than “learning a little about a lot”. We will be working on our LiD projects on average of an hour each week throughout the year.

Why LiD?

Some of the potential benefits of the LiD program:

• generates a deep understanding of the nature of knowledge
• engages imaginations and emotions in learning
• builds confidence and pride in knowledge
• develops expertise in organizational and research skills

How Can You Get Involved?

Another wonderful result of LiD is that it encourages you to learn along with your child. Parents often enjoy seeing their child’s progress in self-directed learning. While the idea is not to allow your enthusiasm (and perhaps superior research skills) to take over the project, I hope you will find joy in supporting your child explore their topic at home. Your child will occasionally be bringing home tasks that encourage them to reach out to family members, friends, and the community to learn more about their topic.

Where to Start?

Your child brought home a large list of possible LiD topics today. It also shows the criteria for choosing a suitable LiD topic. Students were asked to think carefully about the list and discuss it at home. On Monday, they will be asked to choose their top five topic choices; I will then select a topic for each student based on their interests. Please talk with your child and help them choose some topics that will hold their interest for the year.

I hope you are excited to join us on our LiD journey this year!