Grade 1/2 Experiences at Rosser Elementary
On February 6th we participated in our JUMP event, during the afternoon, with our Division 2 buddies. We had a lot of fun doing a variety of skipping techniques including partner skipping and the long rope. We decorated our paper hearts and began the heart wall in the gym. Other classes added their hearts to the wall, as well.
Through the generosity of our parent community we have raised a great deal of money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation – over $2800.
Students began by creating a water coloured background. They then created construction paper penguins and placed them on paper icebergs. These penguins were adorned with a variety of decorations, as the students chose. They then used white paint and created a snow blizzard by using Q-tips as paint brushes.
Who says that penguins can’t fly??
Students created penguins with loops of construction paper. They have been flying around our classroom for a few weeks now.
We have been doing research on a variety of (six) penguins with Mrs. Anstee, our librarian. We began as a whole class learning about the Adelie penguin. We then divided into 5 groups of 4 students to work on a different penguin (as a group) each week. These penguins are: the Gentoo, the Galapagos, the Rockhopper, the Little Fairy, and the Chinstrap. We have two weeks left in our research timeline. Each week the students have completed a booklet on one of these penguins.
In addition to this research we have created a height chart (with the penguins and the students recorded on it).
Students have enjoyed doing their research and learning about penguins.
In January we had a delivery from the Antarctica. It was a penguin (named Pringle), the novel Mr. Popper’s Penguins, and a letter from Admiral Drake – a character from the novel. We have been reading this novel over the past few weeks and we will finish it up this week. Pringle has been making home visits with students in the classroom. The students have been making journal entries about their experiences with Pringle. Each morning the students read these journal entries to the class and share their pictures. Pringle has also been adorned with a variety of necklaces, bracelets, and ribbons as a result of these visits.
In early January, the students worked on a poster which described themselves. These have been posted on the bulletin board in the hallway outside of our classroom for a few weeks now.
The last day before Christmas Break we had a full and busy day! We began with our Pancake Breakfast where we enjoyed the wonderful pancakes made by our parent volunteers. We were also lucky to have a visit by Santa and his Elf who gave the students goodie bags.
We had a great time working with clay for our Christmas presents to our families. Students began with the raw clay which they formed around a wooden doweling (forming the hollow centre necessary for the firing process). The grade ones created snow people and the grade twos created gingerbread people, as they had made snow people last year in my class. They created the bodies in three sections and then made the hats. These needed to dry for almost a week before they could be put into the kiln.
After they had been fired the students glazed them and then they were re-fired. Students then decorated their people and they were ready to be wrapped to be given as gifts. I hope you all enjoyed them!!
It is hard to believe that we are only a week away from December 1st and then a short time until our Christmas vacation!!! Here is a bit of an update:
This week we will be finishing up our study of bats. Students have learned a fair bit about these interesting mammals.
Beginning next Monday we will be doing more seasonally themed activities. We have completed the initial stage of our clay projects, which will be the students’ surprise for you for Christmas. They have done a very nice job so far and are looking forward to the next two stages of this fun project. They are supposed to keep the finished product as a secret for you. I hope that you like how they turn out.
Tomorrow I will be sending home the December Scholastic order forms. There is a note attached that gives some information on how you can make some of these books a part of a Christmas present for your child, if you so choose.
Our class is going to the Nutcracker Ballet on Thursday, December 4th. We are going with our buddy class (Division 2) and the grade 7’s. The cost is only $5.00 as part of the cost is being subsidized by our PAC field trip money. We will be travelling via school bus and will be gone for the morning and back by lunchtime.
We are also looking into going to Burnaby Heritage Village Museum during the second week of December. I will let you know shortly once the plans are finalized. The cost for this trip will be $8.50 and includes a trip on the carousel. We will be needing parent drivers for this trip.
Mr. Olson has been working with all classes in preparation for our Christmas Concert. This will be on Wednesday, December 17th with two shows; one at 1 p.m. and the other at 7 p.m. You are asked to bring non-perishable foods, to be donated to the Food Bank, as your entrance fee.
During that last week before the Christmas break Mrs. Anstee will be holding a Scholastic Book Fair in the Library. It will be open at lunch time and after school. It will also be open before the evening concert.
I will be doing Gingerbread House building with my class – probably during that last week of school. A notice will be coming home to let you know what is needed for this fun, and yummy, project.
If you have any questions, please email me or speak to me after class.
Thanks for your continuing support.
Mrs. Temple
