Category: Core-Communication

Today for World Read Aloud Day we had a special presentation of It’s Tough to be Tiny by Author Kim Ryall Woolcock.

During our Zoom call with Ms. Woolcock she shared her book with us, which is all about the superpowers of some of the smallest creatures living on planet Earth. We were all surprised that sometimes authors need to do 10-20 edits before their work is published.  It’s not a short process and in some cases it can take a few years from the time you start writing to get your work published. She reminded students that writing is often a messy process at the start and it takes time and patience to create something great. These are all great tips that will help us as we begin our own narratives in the coming weeks.

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Students from Division 3 and 5 had a fun filled day at the Vancouver Convention Centre as we wrapped up our MineralsEd Rockhounds program. Throughout the day they learned more about geology, minerals, new technologies, and careers in mineral exploration and mining. They learned more about how Canada’s critical Minerals are used and why they are important to the global economy. They also had the opportunity to pan for gold with Yukon Dan and learned how geologist determine the location of mineral resources based on ice movements.

Thanks again #MineralsEd for this opportunity. We had a great time and learned so much.

Students have been learning about the mining process and about different types of mines.  Their work and models of open pit, placer, strip and underground mines along with their oversized visuals outlining the mining process and resources we mine for in Canada will be on display this week at the Vancouver Convention Centre for AME Roundup which is the premier gathering place for thousands of geoscientists, prospectors, financiers, investors, suppliers, governments and Indigenous partners to engage, share knowledge, and look at opportunities and challenges shaping the mining industry.

This term we have also been learning to write our own poetry.  For this lesson students learned about blackout poetry and created their own poems from pages obtained from a novel that was going to be recycled. Blackout poetry is when you take a written piece of text from a book, newspaper, or magazine and redact words, in order to come up with your very own poetry.  Don’t forget to read your child’s blackout poetry in their digital portfolio.

Recently students from Division 5 and 3 had a presentation from ERASE BC about online safety.  They learned about good digital citizenship practises and how to keep themselves safe online.

PRIME & COMPOSITE NUMBERS

In class, we learned how to determine if a number is prime or composite. Prime Numbers have only 2 factors whereas composite numbers have many.  All even numbers are composite except the number 2.  The number 2 is the only even number that is prime because it only has two factors 1 and itself (2).  The number 1 is neither prime or composite where it’s only factor is 1.

To determine if an odd number is prime or composite we learned to apply the divisibility rule for 3.  If the sum of the digits is divisible by 3 then the number is composite.  If the sum is not divisible by 3 the number is prime.

Example:  27 (composite)                          18001 (prime)

2 + 7 = 9 – is divisible by 3         1 + 8 + 0 + 0 + 1 = 10 – is not divisible by 3

LOWEST COMMON MULTIPLE (LCM) & GREATEST COMMON FACTOR (GCF)

In class we’ve also been learning how to identify the Lowest Common Multiple (LCM) and Greatest Common Factor (GCF) of two numbers.

Example:

4 and 36

4: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36

36: 36, 72, 98

LCM = 36

Factors of 4: 1, 2, 4

Factors of 36: 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 18, 36

GCF= 4

It was a wet day but we had so much fun at Britannia Mines today learning more about the rock cycle, types of rocks and minerals and the mining process.

Students, teachers, EA’s and parent volunteers participated in a one hour underground tour where they learned about how copper was mined and extracted from the earth when Britannia was a working mine.

After the underground tour we participated in a lab where we learned how every rock has a story. We learned more about how rocks tell us about the history of our planet, both distant and more recent. We also learned how rocks move through the rock cycle transforming from one type of rock to another.

To wrap up our visit we ended with an international award winning presentation called Boom where we were able to discover the thrilling light, sound, and special effects experience inside the historic mill.  We experienced all 20-storeys coming back to life with a thunderous roar and even saw some Britannia ghosts 👻

Here are some pictures and videos from today. Enjoy!

Video Links:

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In Class this week we’ve been learning about the the different types of rocks, the rock cycle, and the methods scientists use to classify rocks. Towards the end of the week they participated in a series of experiments to test and record the hardness, reactivity, and buoyancy of various rock samples before making predictions about the type of rock (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic) each sample was.  Here are a few photos showing these busy scientists at work:

This week students had the privilege of learning about wild, native, and medicinal plants from Lori Synder, a First Nations Métis herbalist and educator. It was a rich learning experience and we are inspired by her teachings. We are also very excited about transforming our garden/outdoor classroom, making it a more diverse space where students can gather and learn more about native plants and indigenous ways of knowing and doing. As the season change and new plants are added, take time to observe, witness, and listen to what the garden is offering us.

In addition, students wore orange shirts throughout the week and explored age-appropriate lessons and had discussions about the meaning behind wearing orange shirts. This generation of children will have a far greater understanding of the history of residential schools, their negative impact, and the importance of reconciliation as we look critically at our country’s history and strive to do better. Tomorrow could be an opportunity to ask your children about what they have learned from their sessions with Lori and Mme Heardman this week.

After a very successful Business Fair students from Divisions 1, 2, 3 and 5 donated 15% ($607) of their profits to the Canadian Red Cross to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Congratulations everyone on a job well done at this years Business Fair and thank you all for your generous donations.