Grade 1/2 Experiences at Rosser Elementary
We have been exploring different patterns during our Math sessions this past two weeks. [We also ‘do’ patterns every day during our Calendar time with both the daily picture pattern and the weather graph.]
Today students had fun creating their own patterns using some of our math materials in the classroom. Check them out …
During Art on Friday we reviewed colour theory and discussed the primary colours – red, blue, and yellow. We used plastic coloured palettes to show how by putting two primary colours together that they made an intermediate colour. We put red and yellow together to make orange; blue and red together to make purple; and blue and yellow together to make green.
Students then created a tesselation in black marker on their paper. They filled in all the spaces by using wax crayons. The instructions were to only use the three primary colours, but they were expected to create the intermediate colours from those three primaries.
Students found it quite easy to create green and orange; purple was more challenging. The students worked very well on this project and the end results are very impressive.
On Friday, October 31st students – and staff – arrived at school in a wide variety of costumes. We had our Costume Parade after Recess. This year we did our parade to the accompaniment of Mr. Olson and his musical marching band.
In the afternoon we enjoyed a ‘ghostly’ craft, ate some treats, and played with friends during Centres time.
This morning I heard all about the students’ fun during Hallowe’en evening, and their weekend. I am very happy to hear that all were safe – and dry!! We were very lucky with the weather this year.
On Thursday, October 30th we got together with our big buddies and carved pumpkins in our school-wide event.
It was a great afternoon! We met our new big buddies, had fun with messy vegetables, and then got to eat the seeds – after the parent volunteers cleaned and roasted them, of course.
Last week we began our science theme of bats. We began by brainstorming things that we ‘know’ or ‘think that we know’ about bats. All answers were accepted. We then made a chart of the things that we ‘wonder’ about or want to know. Over the course of our study we will either prove or disprove the things that we thought we knew while we answer our ‘wonders’ or questions.
We read the story “Stellaluna” and leaned some differences between bats and birds. We will be pursuing this further this week.
Stay tuned …
Last Friday we had our first ‘directed drawing’ lesson. We drew bats as we have just begun our study on them.
Students followed my lead as I drew on the white board and they drew on their art paper. We did a step-by-step process while discussing the anatomy of a bat. Students learned that a bat’s wing is actually formed like our arms and hands – with a thumb and four fingers on each side. These wings are covered with a taut skin while the bat’s body is covered with fur. Students showed this fur with the addition of lines. We reviewed the art element of ‘texture’ – how something feels or how it looks like it feels.
We then repeated this drawing process onto light grey construction paper, also initially in pencil. Once they had completed their pencil drawings they went over those drawing lines with oil pastels. They then added a few ‘seasonal’ bits of extra scenery such as pumpkins, grass, stars, and a moon.
If you are by the school, please drop in to see their work. I think they are wonderful!
Even with our school year starting late this year, we still managed to get our learning in about Terry Fox. In our class we discussed his life and what he accomplished in that short life. We had a talk about cancer and how, because of the awareness that Terry brought to this serious disease, more and more people are surviving than did in the past.
As next Spring is the 35th anniversary of when Terry began his Marathon of Hope, we are focusing our major fundraising efforts for then. We will also be doing our big run then, as well. We had planned to do our regular run two weeks ago – and then a more involved one next Spring – but the weather was rather inclement that day. We had a short assembly followed by our (indoor) corn roast instead. With the students we talked about how Terry ran in all sorts of weather (fair or foul) but he was an adult and could make that choice for himself. We didn’t think it was a good choice for our young students.
In our class we did write, on special sticker forms, for whom we were going to be running. We will use these next Spring. Today, as a part of one of our Fin’s Friends (Canucks’ character building programme) we discussed ‘perseverence’. Naturally Terry was again discussed as I cannot think of anyone better suited as a role model for not giving up – no matter how difficult something is. Students seemed to really understand what it means to persevere and will, hopefully, be able to incorporate that trait into their lives.
We had a great visit to the Laity Pumpkin Farm today! Students enjoyed the petting zoo part of the trip.
They then enjoyed playing on the wooden farm structures, ‘milking’ the cows, and making farm fresh ‘pizza’.
We then had a tractor ride and saw some goats and the emus. After washing our hands (from petting the animals) we enjoyed some juice with our snacks in the tent area. Once we were finished we wandered through the forest exhibits. Students really enjoyed checking out the different displays.
Students, and their parent helpers, then explored the corn maze – some of them even did it quickly enough to go through twice and still have time to go and ‘rescue’ some fellow students!
Whilst we were awaiting some of our class to get through the maze a few of our boys were playing ‘follow the leader’ with one of the emus! They had lots of fun doing that.
Students then got to choose their very own pumpkin which they took home this afternoon. I hope you all enjoy carving them with your child.
All in all, it was a great trip – no rain, lots of wonderful parent volunteers, and interesting things to do.
Thank you to all of our parents who came along to help us out today.
This Wednesday we will be hosting our annual Student Led Conferences. Students will be dismissed at 1:45 to allow for these. The conferences will run from 2:00 – 4:30 and then from 5:00 – 6:20 p.m. Most of you have indicated the time slot which works best for you. Confirmations will be going home tomorrow. If you have not yet returned your form, please do so tomorrow.
Typically the conference takes about 20 – 30 minutes to complete. Once you are done you are encouraged to go and check out the Scholastic Book Fair that Mrs. Anstee has arranged for us.
Last Friday we had to say good-bye to Ms. Sue. Earlier in the week I had read the book “The Important Book”, by Margaret Wise Brown, to the class. Students then each made a page for our class book which was titled “The Important Things About Ms. Sue”. Each student used their own unique experience with Ms. Sue to write and draw about what they felt was something that was important about her. This was put together (with photographs of events from her time with us) into a book that I am sure she will treasure forever!
We then presented her with a ‘suitcase’ full of books and other items to start her on her ‘teaching journey’.
Of course, we also had to eat cake!!
