A collection of moments from our Grade 7 learning community
We have officially finished our first read-aloud, Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper! This is ideal timing, since there is a film adaptation being released this month!
The film version of the story stars Phoebe-Rae Taylor, an actress who also has cerebral palsy (just like Melody does in the novel). Melody’s internal voice is played by Jennifer Aniston. Take a look at the trailer, below, and see what parts of the novel seem to have made it into the film (and what, perhaps, has been changed!):
Hi Grade 7s!
A few important reminders:
-please make sure to hand in your clay permission form to Ms. Ramen ASAP so that you can participate in the sculpting activity!
-we will finish testing our catapults (weather dependent) this week, and then we will post our footage and reflections onto our Teams page
-Ms. Ramen has posted a survey about your year-end Grade 7 events (dinner/dance). Please fill it in at your earliest convenience
-stay on top of your upcoming due dates and overdue assignments! Term 1 is over halfway finished, and you do not want to be scrambling to catch-up!
A special thanks to all our students who represented us at the Remembrance Day assembly last week. Thanks for making us proud!
Best wishes,
-Ms. Ward
As we prepare for our Remembrance Day assembly on Friday, our class has been exploring the ‘hidden heroes’ of Canada’s military in World Ward II. Have you ever heard of the Cree Code Talkers? These were members of the Indigenous community who translated messages from English into Cree as a way to protected confidential information. This way, if anyone else was listening in, they couldn’t crack the code! The Code Talkers were only one example of the thousands of Indigenous people who served in Canada’s military during both World Wars. Yet, once they returned from battle, Indigenous veterans faced racism and prejudiced laws that did not afford them the same supports and rights as other veterans. Even today, we discussed how often these heroes are often still left out of history textbooks, movies, books, and media. As part of our effort to learn more, our class is presenting some information about Indigenous military members on Indigenous Veterans Day (November 8th).
Feel free to watch the video(s) below to learn more about the Code Talkers, and Indigenous military members (both past and present):
Have you ever wondered how animations are made? In Over the Garden Wall, they used many different techniques to create their animation. One scene in particular required many tests and tweaks… the Highwayman’s song! Feel free to check out the video below to watch the process of creating this scene:
As we prepare for Halloween and the ‘spooky season’, our class is exploring the mini-series “Over the Garden Wall”! We have been working to develop our skills in creating detailed summaries (including setting, plot events, characters, etc.) and beginning to craft our abilities in analyzing (noticing symbolism, creating theories, deep-diving into characters). This show is also loaded full of interesting imagery, spooky lore, and nods to fairy tales.
We are currently exploring episodes 3 and episode 4, and watching Wirt, Greg, and Beatrice make their way through The Unknown.
Stay tuned for more information and extra content!
-Ms. Ward
Hey, Grade 7s!
Please do not forget:
-I will be checking your Science duotangs this Friday. Make sure you’ve filled in all of your reflections!
-Your 3 summary/analogy sheets for Over the Garden Wall (orange papers) are due by Friday. If you were away for an episode, we will have a ‘re-watch’ at Recess Thursday/Friday!
-Your digital portfolio due date is coming up soon! Make sure you are working on finishing your artistic design, your write-up, and you have uploaded it to our Teams.
Your name art, core boards, and Math stock projects are now VERY overdue! I will be reaching out to parents/guardians this week if I am missing these assignments from you.
See you tomorrow!
-Ms. Ward
As part of our novel study, we have been learning about cerebral palsy. The protagonist in the book Out of my Mind, Melody Brooks, is a young girl with cerebral palsy. For some people, having cerebral palsy can impact their mobility, muscular function, and speech.
On October 6th, many people observed World Cerebral Palsy Day which aims to raise awareness around this condition. Did you know that it is estimated that over 760,000 people globally have cerebral palsy?
Check out the video below to watch a video where children interview Carolyn, an authour and activist with cerebral palsy:
Please note: while the children in the video have been given permission to ask questions about Carolyn’s medical history, we should always be mindful to not ask people with disabilities about their diagnoses. While some people may feel comfortable sharing, many may not, so we want to be respectful!
Happy October! We marked the beginning of our month-long investigation into all things SPOOKY and SCIENTIFIC!
Right now, we are investigating aspects of microbiology and the invisible world that surrounds us every day.
Click the link below to see what we’ve learned so far!
What do you think are the longest living species on Earth? You might be surprised to learn that humans have much shorter lifespans than many other animals! We began discussing the shortest, and longest, average lifespans for different organisms. We also brainstormed what factors, such as access to food and a safe environment, could influence or change the lifespan of people and animals.
Feel free to click the link below to learn about some of the longest living creatures (that we know about):
We looked at a local example of long-living species… the white sturgeon! These massive fish often swim the Fraser River, and can live to be over 100 years old! However, their species has often been threatened by humans (environmental, overfishing, etc.). Now, many people are working together to try and protect these sturgeon, so that they might live into the next century and beyond!
Hi, Grade 7s!
A few important reminders for this week:
-Band practice continues on Wednesday and Friday every week. Please remember to bring your instrument, and practice at home!
-We have an early dismissal at 2:00PM on Thursday October 3rd
-Welcoming Conversations are continuing tomorrow. I am excited to check in with your parents, guardians, and important adults, and brag about all of your great qualities!
See you tomorrow!
-Ms. Ward