Welcome back!  It was wonderful to meet with all the families over the past two weeks.  Thank you for all the hard work that was put into the Student Learning Plans.  It was exciting to see all the ideas everyone has for their child’s learning at home.

One of my favourite things from the meetings was seeing all the students again!  I am looking forward to our year together, and I am excited to start in-class sessions this week.  We also have several new families we want to welcome to our program.  I know our returning students will be great mentors to our new students.

The past few weeks I have also been busy finding opportunities, workshops, and field trips for the year. Both cohorts have a lot to look forward to! I know we are going to have a fabulous time learning and exploring together.

The fun is about to start right away!  We have the Terry Fox Run, photos, and applesauce!

Tuesday is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.  This is a wonderful opportunity to find a local event where we can continue to expand our learning of Indigenous ways of life. Our first couple of days in class we will read books, have rich discussions and broaden our knowledge of this part of Canada’s history. I hope you and your family can take part in a community activity on this special day (see some suggestions below).  I have personally committed to learning as much as I can about Indigenous ways of life and culture with my own family.  This journey has opened my eyes, mind, and heart.  I am deeply moved by the generosity and kindness I have experienced when I am learning from Indigenous people.

LEARNING AT HOME & IN THE COMMUNITY

Various Dates                UBC Botanical Garden            Events & Activities – UBC Botanical Garden
Oct. 22                             Take-Me-Outside Day             Welcome to Take Me Outside – Bringing Learning Outdoors

Various Dates                Science Learning                        https://letstalkscience.ca/all-programming-info#ES

Various Dates                Stanley Park Ecology                 Events from September 24 – October 30 – Stanley Park Ecology (SPE)

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Sept. 27 – National Tree Day – Stanley Park                Tree Canada’s National Tree Day Stewardship Event in Vancouver Tickets, Sat, Sep 27, 2025 at 1:00 PM | Eventbrite

Sept. 28 – World Rivers Day – Burnaby Village          Home | Burnaby Village Museum

Sept. 30 – National Day for Truth & Reconciliation National Truth & Reconciliation Day – Sep 30 or Vancouver Events to Commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | Destination Vancouver

Here is the last blog post for the 2024-25 school year! I can’t believe how fast the year went!  We’ve had some fun and learned a lot!

Last Friday was filled with the “Science of Slime”. Slime is typically made by combining a polymer (glue) with a substance that acts as a “cross-linker” (like borax), causing the polymer molecules to link together and creating a gooey, elastic substance.

Check out how stretchy our slime was!

This week we harvested our garden veggies and made a delicious salad. Thank you everyone for your contributions. Together we create a wonderful meal that we all enjoyed.

Here is the salad dressing we made at Fresh Roots.  It was a big hit with the class and many of you were asking for it. Fresh Roots Salad Dressing Recipe

Have a great summer, everyone! We will return to weekly blogs again in September.

Librarian visit

Last week we had a visit from the Renfrew librarian. He was at Beaconsfield promoting the Summer Reading Club. I hope most of the Home Learners can join this program over the summer break and visit some of the amazing events the public libraries are hosting. Check out their website for more details. https://www.vpl.ca/kids/programs

Fresh Roots Farm

This week we’ve been taking our learning outdoors! We sketched and labelled our plants in the school garden, and we visited Fresh Roots Farm for the last time.

At the Farm, we harvested some of the food we planted this year and made a delicious salad. It was so good that we licked our plates clean!

We played a “Bee Pollinating Game.” This taught us how bees collect pollen and nectar from flowers. This helps the plants produce fruits and vegetables for us to eat.

We also made art by pounding flower petals and stems onto cardstock. Check out how they turned out!

Mason Bees homes 

Our mason bee homes were ready to be hung in our school garden. The intermediate cohort had to figure out how to place these securely in the school garden. Using tape, wire, and a sturdy branch, they were able to place the bee homes in our apple tree. We even put a bit of clay beneath the home, so the bees could build their walls within the tubes we made. Please visit our school garden to see the mason bee homes and our school garden.

This week, both classes picked oregano and chives.  We chopped it, and added melted butter. Then, we spread it over some Terra Bread sourdough and had a mini feast! It was delicious!

Butterflies

All our caterpillars have turned into a chrysalis or butterfly now. The intermediate cohort had to figure out how to carefully transfer the chrysalis into the butterfly habitat. The students worked as a team to hold, problem solve and pin the papers to the net. The chrysalises are now safely hanging from the top. Luckily, we did this in the morning because, to our surprise, a butterfly came out in the afternoon!!!! By the time the primaries were in class, we had several butterflies flying around.

Learning at Home Opportunity – Tomorrow

Sierra Club BC – Online event: “Is a River Alive?”

“Around the world, rivers and other bodies of water are being impacted by pollution, drought, damming, tanker traffic, and more. But a movement is also underway to recognize the rights of rivers and other bodies of water, and to re-imagine our relationships with them.

Join us on Thursday, June 19, at 2:30 PM, for an online event featuring author Robert Macfarlane and the launch of his new book ‘Is a River Alive?’, which explores the idea that rivers are not mere matter for human use, but living beings, who should be recognized as such in both imagination and law.” Registration required, no cost.

Community Events

National Indigenous Peoples Day is coming up on Saturday, June 21. Find out what is happing in your community to celebrate: Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day in Vancouver – YouTube

In-Class Excitement

Just before our portfolio meetings, the Home Learners had the opportunity to join the school in Sports Day. It was a day filled with teamwork, challenging activities, and FUN!!! A huge thank you goes out to Lord Beaconsfield for including us, and to all the Grade 7s who created the games at each station. We are grateful to be part of such an inclusive school!

The past two weeks have been busy with Portfolio meetings. It was incredible to see how everyone has been getting through the B.C. Curriculum at home. I loved hearing all the creative ways our students are learning. From hands-on projects, workbooks, field studies, online classes, to outings full of discovery! Thank you for your thorough reports and keep up the amazing work!

During the time away from in-person learning, students had the opportunity to go to the Children’s Festival to watch an Indigenous show and explore the Activity Zone. We were gifted these tickets by donors who believe all students deserve the chance to be immersed in art. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to learn more about Indigenous culture, songs, and history. We will be spending this week making thank you cards to everyone who helped make this special day happen.

Our caterpillars have arrived! We are excited to have Painted Lady caterpillars in our classroom. Over the next three weeks, we will watch their life cycle. As we observe them, we will notice how large they grow, how they hang in the letter “J” just before they turn into a chrysalis and wait for them to morph into a beautiful butterfly. We hope to release our butterflies in the last week of school!

This week, we were so surprised to see most of our caterpillars have already turned into a chrysalis! When we took a closer look, we saw one caterpillar, one about to turn into a chrysalis, and all the others starting the process of metamorphosis. In just 7-10 days we hope to have some Painted Lady butterflies in our classroom!

Our school garden is thriving!!! Everything we planted has grown, and we can even start to harvest some of the vegetables soon.

Over the summer, we are looking for volunteers who can help water our school garden. We have purchased hoses, water guns and a new rain barrel. Even if some families can volunteer one to two days over the summer that would really help. It could be a beautiful way for the Home Learners to give back to Lord Beaconsfield School. Perhaps a playdate or picnic at the school while watering the garden would be a great way to see friends and help our school community. Please let Ms. Francis know if you’re able to volunteer.

Volunteer Opportunity in the Community

Sierra Club BC is currently looking for volunteers to help serve at this year’s Sierra Supper Club in Vancouver on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Contact gabrielle@sierraclub.bc.ca

Location: Sole Food Street Farms, Vancouver (299 W 1st Ave)

Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Time: 5:00 PM – 9:30 PM

As a volunteer server, you’ll play an important role in creating a warm, welcoming, and memorable evening for our guests. This family-style, farm-to-table dinner supports Sierra Club BC’s work to protect lands, waters, and climate in BC.

Your role would include:

• Helping set tables and prepare the space
• Serving food and beverages
• Checking in with guests throughout the evening

No formal experience is needed but Serving It Right or Special Event Server Certification is an asset.

Community Events

The VIMFF (Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival) is hosting free Summer Fest on Monday, June 30 starting at 4:30 PM in North Vancouver. Check out their site for more information: https://vimff.org/ “VIMFF connects our global outdoor community with international filmmakers, creators and speakers, so that we can inspire, entertain and bring mountain adventure into the homes of our viewers. We offer mountain film screenings, live multimedia presentations, photography exhibitions, workshops, seminars & other special events.” Registration required. https://vimff.org/summer-fest/

MetroVancouver has several interesting activities happening over the summer. Some are free, and some have a fee. Events happen across the region, from Pacific Spirit Park, to Maple Ridge, to Surrey. If interested, have a look at their offerings and find something that enhances your learning plan. (Note the age restrictions on some activities.) MetroVan

Sphere Art in the Classroom

Last week the intermediate class had another incredible art lesson with one of our Home Learner artistic families. They guided our class through the steps to make a sphere pop out from the page through shading. They taught us how to pay attention to dark spaces, light spaces, and gradients. This takes a lot of practice, patience and perseverance. We were incredibly grateful for their guidance and expertise in this classical art lesson.

Keeping with the art theme, the primary class explored watercolour art via a contemporary artist named Robin Mead. Robin’s art is often a vibrant and colourful depiction of nature. Our focus was to create an explosion of spring flowers to go with our seasonal poems. We used watercolour pencils, paints, and sharpies for these pieces.

Chicks

This week we had the chance to learn about the lifecycle of a chicken. Two students have been watching   eggs for close to one month. Seven days ago, the eggs hatched, and we had the chance to meet the chicks! We were so excited to hold them and to watch their behaviours. They were cuddly and full of energy. The two students also shared what they learned through this process.  What an exciting topic to explore!

Community Events:

• May 26 – June 1, 2025 – Vancouver International Children’s Festival
• May 31, 2025 – Free Swap City of Vancouver

• Makemobile Events https://www.makemobile.ca/events.html

Science World Activities:

Girls & STEAM Sumer Livestream

https://www.scienceworld.ca/event/girls-and-steam-summer-livestream-2/

Sustainability Saturdays

https://www.scienceworld.ca/event/sustainability-saturdays-cloud-forecasting/

Nature Spotting

https://www.scienceworld.ca/event/bioblitz-nature-spotting-at-science-world/

Yesterday we went back to the Fresh Roots Farm for our monthly visit. It was extraordinary to see all the changes that happened in one month! The garlic leaves are so tall, the peas are about 10 cm now, the lettuce is sprouting, and the flowers are starting to poke through the soil. It was such a delight to notice all the changes that come with spring.

This week we have been busy experiencing Spring all around us.  Both cohorts have spent time in the garden every school day.  This gives us a chance to tend to our fruits and vegetables, water our plants, and watch the changes. We have noticed many of our seeds sprouting, and our peas will soon need some poles to cling onto.

We have also started deadheading our daffodils.  We learned this helps the energy go back into the bulbs instead of the dying leaves and stems.  To deadhead, Ms. Bordon taught us her family trick.  We have been braiding the leaves and stems and twisting them into a bun. Later, when they are dried out, we will remove them, and our bulbs will multiply and be ready to grow next year!

The primary cohort is finalizing their Spring Poems this week.  We used our senses and carefully-chosen descriptive language to create poems we are proud of.  We spent a lot of time stretching our sentences, so you could visualize each sentence we wrote. Be prepared to be impressed at the Portfolio Meetings where you see all the work we have accomplished this semester.

The primary group has also been exploring estimation.  We have learned estimation is a calculated mathematical guess. Every morning, students look at the Estimation Jar, and write their estimate.  After, we talk about strategies to help us form calculated guesses. Finally, we empty our jar and count by twos or fives, and we notice how close we were to the actual number. Maybe you could start an estimation jar at home too!

The intermediate cohort has been busy working on their second research project.  Each student looked at the BC  Curriculum at their grade level.  They chose what subject and topic they wanted to learn more about. This time the students were given a lot of choice how they were going to present their work.  They could work in groups, pairs or on their own. We have some students creating Kahoots, while others are making a poster board or a PowerPoint presentation to show all their research.

The intermediate group also had the chance to participate in the District wide earthquake drill last week.  This gave us a chance to remind ourselves what to do in an emergency.  We had a valuable discussion of where to go, what to look for, when to leave a building, knowing our meeting spot and planning to be outside for up to 72 hours. Please ensure you have this discussion with your family, so you are prepared in case of an emergency.

We are coming down to the last few weeks of the school year. There are many events taking place, both in the classroom and out on field trips, so make sure you refer to our calendar and emails frequently. We will be receiving some butterfly larvae during portfolio time, so students will have something exciting to watch grow and change when they return to the classroom. The class will have a butterfly release celebration in our garden near the end of June!

Suggested Activities at Home:

Learn to draw a LYNX with Sierra Club BC. Registration for the one-hour webinar is required, but will be recorded if you want to watch at a later date: Tuesday, May 27 at 1 p.m. 

https://sierraclub.bc.ca/learn-to-draw-lynx/?mkt_tok=Nzg4LVlCRi0yOTYAAAGaB63S0H0QaMwqD227VnAS9N_1l8K-XZTrCc2X0GdaB0vdZ-xfd4zOFga_uB5i5hTsP3TpZZ6MpdFTCdqQ1q0_4Q71L-q9-nnMxJhhhEVN

Community Events:

Hyack Festival New Westminster, May 24.

https://www.hyackfestival.com/hyackparade

City of Vancouver Swap Meet, May 31.

https://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/calendar-of-events.aspx?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D181711673

Museum of Anthropology (UBC)

“Nuxalk Strong” Exhibit on now until January 2026.

https://mpmgarts.com/media/campaigns/moa-nuxalk-strong/

This week, Maria & Growing Chefs taught us the importance of trying new foods.  It helps develop our pallet and expands our exploration of new flavours. We tried fennel as a way to put this into action. Fennel was a new vegetable for many of us. We were surprised the flavour has a licorice taste.

We also discussed cultural foods. We had the chance to share some meals that are special to us, our cultures, and families. It was wonderful to hear the variety of meals we are eating and enjoying. Through our discussion, we discovered several Asian cultures eat noodles on special occasions because it is believed that long noodles equal a long life.

Lastly, we each planted a pea or bean seed for us to continue learning about plants.

This week we extended our learning on transplanting. We transplanted several strawberry plants into our school garden. We also learned blueberries and strawberries are perennials. This means they will grow back every year! We are excited to eat fresh berries at school for years to come.

The primary class have been working together to build mason bee homes. This took a lot of patience, trying and retrying. However, with perseverance, the students are becoming experts in building mini homes for these amazing pollinators.  We can’t wait to hang some of these homes in our school garden!

Community Events:

National Geographic Live: The Untold Story of Sharks (May 8)

https://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/calendar-of-events.aspx?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D182266350

Mother’s Day Traditional Pow Wow at Trout Lake (May 9-11)

https://troutlakecc.com/event/mothers-day-traditional-pow-wow/

Fraser River Discovery Centre (May 10 and other dates)

The Fraser Reach – May 2025☀️

Birding for Beginners (May 10)

https://coquitlam.libnet.info/event/13099920

Cineplex Family Movies (select dates and locations)

https://www.cineplex.com/events/family

Douglas College Urban Institute visit

On Thursday, Naomi visited our class to talk about Mason Bees and the life span and dangers they face. We all know bees are important for our ecosystem and the propagation of plant life in our region. We must do what we can to protect all bees so our environment can be healthy.

After we learned about Mason Bees, we made bee houses with our plastic bottles. We rolled paper into tubes for bees to lay their eggs in. Here is a photo of the bee houses in progress. We plan to install a few of these in the school garden.

Growing Chefs visit

On Friday, Chef Maria visited our class again and taught us how to make a salad and homemade dressing.  We needed an acid (vinegar) and an oil (olive oil) for our dressing.  To mix these two ingredients together, we needed to add an emulsifier.  An emulsifier, in foods, are chemical additives that encourage the suspension of one liquid in another, as in the mixture of oil and water in salad dressings. The emulsifier (honey) enabled us to keep the acid and oil mixed together. For the salad, we chopped several vegetables, cut the radish tops and added in our pickled food from the other week.  Check out how beautiful this delicious meal looked!

School Garden

Our school garden is already starting to sprout carrots, lettuce, radishes, and peas! We’ve been in the garden several times each week tending to the seeds we planted, watering daily and weeding a bit each time.

This past week we also planted something new. Look at the blueberry bushes each cohort planted. We learned about transplanting, root systems and giving each bush enough space to grow.

Lastly, we planted potatoes! We learned that we don’t need seeds to grow potatoes, we just need to plant the whole thing. Each potato plant will give us several potatoes.

We’ve also been taking the tongs and buckets with us while we are outside. This gives us a chance to take care of our school community by cleaning the school grounds. Thank you, Home Learners, for making a positive difference!

WALK-A-THON

Thank you again for your participation and donations to the Walk-a-Thon. Our contributions to the school community are appreciated.

Learning at Home

Learn to draw a LYNX with Sierra Club BC. Registration for the one-hour webinar is required, but will be recorded if you want to watch at a later date: Tuesday, May 27 at 1 p.m. 

https://sierraclub.bc.ca/learn-to-draw-lynx/?mkt_tok=Nzg4LVlCRi0yOTYAAAGaB63S0H0QaMwqD227VnAS9N_1l8K-XZTrCc2X0GdaB0vdZ-xfd4zOFga_uB5i5hTsP3TpZZ6MpdFTCdqQ1q0_4Q71L-q9-nnMxJhhhEVN

We have had many classroom experiences recently, that we would like to share:

Walk-A-Thon

Yesterday, our Primary group did their Walk-A-Thon. Their goal was to do a “Power 60” walk, but they ended up doing a “Power 86 minutes!” on their walk to and from the Renfrew Ravine. A special thank you to those who have donated funds for the Walk-A-Thon, which will go to the school’s technology fund. We greatly appreciate you contributing to the Beaconsfield community, as they have been so welcoming and gracious to the Home Learners.

The Intermediates will be doing their Walk-A-Thon tomorrow with the rest of the school. Remember to bring your donations in on Thursday or Friday. The Primary group can still bring in donations up to Tuesday, April 29.

Growing Chefs

We have been learning more about growing our own food. Our radishes are thriving, and the radish greens will be made into salad this week.

We’ve also learned how to pickle foods. We cut and jarred various vegetables and fruit and made our own pickling juice. Here is the recipe:

• 1cup vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar (optional, might not need for savoury pickles)

This might be a fun activity to try at home.

Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society

Mikaila returned to discuss the identification of several local birds through their sounds and appearance. We went for a walk through Renfrew Ravine and saw several animals that we had discussed in the classroom: American Crows, American Robins, Anna’s Hummingbird, Bushtit, Chickadees, Gulls, Flickers. We even saw a bushtit nest! Did you know that crows congregate together and when you see a large group of crows, it’s called a “Murder”. Woodpeckers, including the Flicker, have xygodactyl feet – this means their footprints are like an “X” which helps them to cling to branches and tree trunks.

Community Events

With Earth Day being yesterday, there will be an event this coming Saturday to celebrate taking care of our Planet. Fresh Roots is expected to be there, along with many fun and sustainable-themed booths and family-friendly activities. The event is free, from 11 am to 3 pm. See more information in this link: https://champlainheightscc.ca/earth-fest-2025-april-26/

Volunteer Opportunities with Fresh Roots Farms! Earth Day reminds us why we do what we do: helping young people grow food, care for the planet, and connect with community, one schoolyard farm at a time. This is what Earth Day and every other day looks like at Fresh Roots. Do you want to get involved? Come volunteer with us this spring! Whether you’re a seasoned grower or just curious to learn, everyone is welcome to dig in with us.

We’re hosting 2 Big Help volunteer days in the next two months, and we’d love to see you at one (or both!) of them:

Wednesday, May 7 – Register here

4:00–7:00 PM – Vancouver Technical Secondary School Farm

Saturday, June 7 – Register here

10:00 AM–1:00 PM – Vancouver Technical Secondary School Farm

Last week we put squash seeds and snap peas in a wet paper towel and ziplock bag. We taped the bags to the window, so the seeds would get lots of sunlight. This week we checked them and many of our seeds sprouted! We then moved them into our school garden, and we will watch them grow in the coming weeks.

Our daffodils are in full bloom, and we’ve continued our weekly measurements of their growth.

We are also conducting a science expert with our radishes. Another class has radishes in their classroom without music and ours have music playing to them. Will this affect their growth? Do plants like music? Let’s find out in the next few weeks!

On Friday, we had Mikaila from Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society take us on a nature walk around Trout Lake. We learned so much about healthy ecosystems, water quality testing, turbidity, pH, pond insects and birds! We now know Trout Lake is a thriving habitat for a wide variety of plants, birds and insects.  This demonstrates that the environment is well balanced.

Under the Microscope

The pH of the water is around 7.2 (pH means “potential hydrogen”) and the turbidity is medium (around 40 NTU – Nephelometric Turbidity Unit). The temperature of the lake water was 14 degrees Celsius. Another fun fact we learned was that the term “Seagull” is actually incorrect. There are no seagulls, just gulls that live by the sea! What we think of as a seagull is actually a “Glaucous-Winged Gull”. There are several types of gulls that live in our geographical area, but this is the most common.

The next time you are at Trout Lake, have your child tell you about what we learned!

Learning Opportunities in the Community

‘When a Tree Falls’: A Celebration of BC’s Beautiful Nurse Logs by Sierra Club BC.

When: Thursday, May 8, 2025, 6:00 PM

Where: Patagonia Vancouver — 1994 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V6J 1M5

Join us for an all-ages forest story time and craft as we come together to celebrate the launch of an amazing new B.C. book! WHEN A TREE FALLS: Nurse Logs and their Incredible Forest Power is a lyrical, gorgeously illustrated love letter to the fallen giants in coastal forests.

The book’s author, Kirsten Pendreigh, will do a reading and delve into the fascinating science of nurse logs with Sierra Club BC’s education team as we share drinks and snacks and make a forest craft to take home. This is the perfect early evening activity for adults and kids. Copies of the book will be available for purchase, with partial proceeds going to Sierra Club BC. There will also be plenty of great door prizes for both kids and adults, with all proceeds going to Sierra Club BC.

Registration link: https://whenatreefallsnurselogs.splashthat.com/?mkt_tok=Nzg4LVlCRi0yOTYAAAGZ2lJF91CVY9SySjCVczlaGIMt0rZBn6-feZ02EhPpQMdxsriJFkbFe09D4rBgRuXwPQ0AIqQNo-e9GW4QL2DkBEQFfvz4BwiLQdOmcDzn

Community Events

https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/events/67ba628eb412794100666d11

https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/events/67ba628eb412794100666d11

https://vancouver.kidsoutandabout.com/event-list/2025-4-18

Our seeds have arrived, so we started preparing the school garden. The intermediate students tilled the soil, weeded the garden, made signs, and built a barrier to protect the seeds. As the weather warms up, we will have both cohorts planting more seeds in the school garden. Stay tuned….

Staying with the gardening theme, our primary class ventured out in the rain yesterday to Fresh Roots farm. Once we were there, we planted cosmos, lettuce, and beets. We also learned how to paint using nature as paintbrushes. We painted with flowers, leaves and petals! Check out the interesting paintings we created.

We also had the chance to see the garlic we planted in the fall.  Our garlic is sprouting tall, and it will hopefully be ready for us to harvest at the end of June!

Lastly, our field trip was a perfect day for us to practice positive self-talk.  We started our day with having an open mindset knowing that we were about to walk in the rain.  As the day went on, many of us were freezing and wet, so we used our positive self-talk to remind ourselves how lucky we are to live in a temperate rain forest, or how fresh the air is when it’s raining, and how we can do this!  As we were walking home, I overheard one student reminding their friend that we have to use our positive self-talk, and that they will be ok.  It was such a wonderful day for us to practice this amazing tool!

In the classroom, we continued our exploration of open and closed circuits. As we build and try new circuits, we are discovering what works and what doesn’t. Each attempt teaches us more about how electricity travels. When something doesn’t work it gives us the opportunity to try something else. This is helping us build an open mindset!

Circuit_Whirl

We have started “Number of the Day” in some of our grade groups. We are using manipulatives to represent and understand the number. We will be doing this every day. Feel free to try this at home too!

Community Events

Watch Fisheries stock Rolley Lake in Maple Ridge with 1600 trout! On Thursday, April 10 (tomorrow) from 10 to 10:30.

Research Projects

The Intermediate students chose a topic of interest from their grade core competencies. They learned how to take notes, organize their notes, form paragraphs, edit, publish and present their work.  The projects were creative and informative! Great job!

Social-Emotional Learning

This term, we will be learning about Zones of Regulation. We will focus on naming our emotions and positive self talk. 

Letter Writing

We are learning how to write letters using the date, greeting, a body, a closing, and signature. We used this format to write letters to Terra Breads to learn more about how they distribute extra bread to our local community. Over spring break, they wrote us back! It was fascinating what we learned!

• Did you know Terra Breads donates 10-15% of all the bread they produce every day?
• Did you know that walnuts turn the bread purple during the sourdough fermention process?

Thank you, Terra Breads, for writing back to us and teaching us more about your products. 

Circuits

One of our students led the class in a lesson on open and closed circuits. They provided the supplies and instructions to build models to demonstrate how circuits work in a fun way. We appreciate the thoughtfulness and leadership shown! (See video clip of the models in action – we hope it works! If not, there is also an image to view.)

Video Clip: Circuit_Fun

Math & Science Contest/Workshop

Elementary Math Contest – Elmacon – May 3rd at UBC – registration until April 18

Elementary Math Contest (ELMACON) ELMACON_School Poster

ELMACON is one of Canada’s most exciting and prestigious math competitions for students in Grades 5, 6, and 7. Each year, hundreds of bright young problem-solvers gather at UBC to take on one of the most challenging—and rewarding—math contests at the elementary level.

Date: May 3, 2025
Location: University of British Columbia
Registration is now open and closes on April 18, 2025.

More information can be found here: https://elmacon.org

Community Events:

Cherry Blossom Festival https://vancouver.kidsoutandabout.com/content/richmond-cherry-blossom-festival-0

Kids First is an opportunity for families of all kinds to create an in-house art project, based on the exhibitions being shown in the Gallery. Kids First takes place on the first Saturday and Sunday of the month. The projects are geared towards children ranging in age from 5 to 12 years old. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Admission is by donation

https://vancouver.kidsoutandabout.com/content/kids-first

Today we celebrated Pi Day with a special treat!

March 14th (3rd Month, 14th day = 3.14).

We had a mini contest to see who could memorize the most digits in Pi. In less than 24 hours our Home Learners memorized up to 70 digits! How many do you know? Way to go, class!!

Arts Umbrella

The Intermediate class was incredibly lucky to spend an entire day at Arts Umbrella. Our instructors were kind, caring, and encouraged us to step outside of our comfort zone and just go for it. We learned drama games called Shark, Mirror, and Play Doh. They taught us how to move like ocean animals, say our name loud, and own who we are through these games. By the end of drama class, we were brave, confident, and laughing with our new friends.

Then we took a lunch break and were treated to delicious macaroons from one of our families. Their kindness and generosity is always appreciated because they are always taking care of the entire class, and not just their own family.  This shows their commitment to community, which is what the Home Learners are all about!

In the afternoon we were split into two fine arts groups. Some of us learned water colour painting and others did oil pastels. It was an extraordinary day of art!

David Suzuki Presentation

Ms. Francis attended Dr. Suzuki’s presentation. His message was that Nature teaches us to slow down, and how to re-evaluate how little we really need. Nature is able to correct environmental problems, but it will take up to 10 million years to recover. Human time is too short for nature time!

Indigenous people have learning stories of elders teaching younger generations about their errors so we can all do better in future generations.

Youth can help by using their voices. Speaking up is making a difference. Build the dream and expand what is possible. All across communities, solutions are happening. At the small scale, community gardens, and planting native species, are examples of solutions. Tell your story. What are you doing to be part of the solution? And are you acting on your solution? Be the change!

Ms. Francis purchased Dr. Suzuki’s book “Bompa’s Insect Expedition” for the classroom, and he signed it for us!

Our classroom has received another book donation from one of our families! They attended a book signing and had the author sign a book for our library! Thank you for thinking of the Home Learning Community! The book is a hit with the students!

Total Lunar Eclipse

Our region will be experiencing a total lunar eclipse tomorrow! The moon will start crossing into Earth’s shadow around 9 p.m. on March 13 and the total eclipse – when the moon is fully obscured – lasts from 11:26 p.m. to half past midnight. The event ends by 3 a.m. on March 14.
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/weatherhood-local/viewing-total-lunar-eclipse-march-vancouver-2025-

March 14 is Pi Day!

https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/pi-day/highlands-school/

Home / Spring Break Learning Opportunities:

A webinar hosted by Sierra Club BC: “Old Growth is Awesome”
Wednesday, March 26, at 6:00 PM

Registration link:  https://sierraclub.bc.ca/old-growth-is-awesome/?mkt_tok=Nzg4LVlCRi0yOTYAAAGZJcRcrkOJi-mIN6CZs6rSHgnO1dXKSMeeellLPGFYs_4-_omfIgZCXdqem4uTz2TRKH9dH0qTFnBmJx0p6S_12BunNtpr9aSju5cJEjS5

PBS has many opportunities to learn at home. Check out their many subjects and lessons online! https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/search/

Visiting Vancouver Island over Spring Break?

Kids & Teens can visit the Malahat Skywalk for free!

https://malahatskywalk.com/plan/spring-break-tickets/

Here are some other ideas for March:

https://letstalkscience.ca/events/program-timetable/stem-storytime-stretch-lab

https://letstalkscience.ca/events/program-timetable/stem-storytime-march-mushrooms

https://champlainheightscc.ca/programs/everett-crowley-park-programs/

https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/events/674504638fc0a328000e4cba

https://kidsmarket.ca/#welcome

Refer to past blog posts for some Spring Break ideas offered at local libraries.

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY SPRING BREAK!

In-Class Art Projects

Our intermediate class had another art lesson, where we learned drawing techniques for Cones & Spheres. Our drawing skills are improving!

Our primary class learned about the art of British Columbian, Emily Carr. Carr’s work is world-renowned, and is characterized by atmospheric movement and vibrancy in nature.

Ramadan

The class read the Book, “Ramadhan and Eid-ul-Fitr” by 8-year-old author, Azra Jessa. This year, Ramadan is from February 28 to March 29. This celebrates the lunar calendar and is marked by the new moon or crescent moon. During Ramadan, people fast during the day, which means they do not eat or drink from sun rise to sun set. During this time, people concentrate on goodness and kindness. Jessa writes: “Our hands should only do good by helping others, our mouths should only be used to say kind words, and our ears should only listen to good things.”

Here is more information about the book and author.

On the last day of fasting, they look for the new moon or crescent mood, to indicate the end of Ramadan and the time for feasting, which is called “Eid-ul-Fitr” or “Eid”. At Eid we celebrate our month of discipline and promise to continue our goodness for the rest of the year.

Work at Home

You might be interested in The Spring Daily Discovery Series from the folks at “Let’s Talk Science”. See the links below:

Join us in learning about biodiversity! Check out our activity instructions as well!

Community Events (Spring Break & any time)

https://fraserriverdiscovery.org/spring-discovery-days/?mc_cid=abdadc28c1

https://fraserriverdiscovery.org/?mc_cid=abdadc28c1&mc_eid=fec1884a32

Classroom Learning

Our daffodils are starting to sprout from the bulbs we planted in the Fall! We were excited to see them sprout out of the ground.  We measured and graphed their growth.  We will continue to do this for the next few weeks.

We are continuing to practice our cartooning skills. This week we learned how to add speaking bubbles to our characters.

On Friday, we went to BC Place for the Rugby 7’s with some other classes from Beaconsfield, and other schools in the area.

While we were there, our region experienced an Earthquake. We didn’t feel it inside the thundering stadium! This is a good opportunity to plan your evacuation plans at home, and create or re-stock your emergency supplies.

The City of Vancouver offers free classes that might be helpful. Or simply view the video linked here: https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/emergency-preparedness-education.aspx

Black History Month

We have been reading several books and having discussions about Black History, Black leaders, Equality, and Diversity.

At Home Learning

• Deep Ocean Ecosystems with Sierra Club BC:

Wednesday, March 5 at 10 am

This one-hour webinar is open to learners of all ages, so we are inviting teachers, students, parents, and caregivers to participate! All you need is paper, pencils, an eraser and pencil crayons.

Not only will we be making art, but we’ll also get to learn a lot about these ecosystems! The diverse marine life that thrives in these ecosystems live their lives amongst unique environments like hot hydrothermal vents or cold-water corals.

Registration Link: https://sierraclub.bc.ca/learn-to-draw-deep-ocean-ecosystems/?mkt_tok=Nzg4LVlCRi0yOTYAAAGY3M9Dm5YAMnEtyzb8KKvFH8dOHM1rxUzlJE7xHmgLPpqCLkwGBd2keOHh-Z9aJIi0BMM6SD7jKXWUNp7KOT0rwxm41PiCClrTOy0YnA9r

• VPL Stop Motion Animation Workshop

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

3:45 pm – 4:45 pm

Marpole Branch

 Description

Bring your love of movies and stories to life on library iPads. This sessions we will be animating with white boards. For Tweens in Grades 4-7. Please contact the branch to register.

Community Events

• VSB TREK (Outdoor Education) Program Presents Dr. David Suzuki!

In-person Q & A with Dr. Suzuki
https://www.trekoutdoorprogram.ca/events

• Thursday, March 6, 2025
• 6:00 m.9:00 p.m.
• Prince of Wales Secondary School Auditorium

Topic: Humans are an Invasive Species – Why TREK Matters

Tickets:
https://vsb.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/153264/196/False/True
Students $15; Adults $25

Here are some Spring Break ideas to keep up with learning!

Community Events at the VPL

Kids Writing and Book Clubs    https://www.vpl.ca/program/kids-book-clubs

Make your own book                   https://www.vpl.ca/program/get-your-book-library

STEAM Buddies (Grades 2-4)   https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/events?q=steam%20buddies

Chess Club       https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/events?series=674104a654a602ae2c3abb0f

Events at the North Vancouver Community Library

Sew a Light-Up Button               https://www.nvcl.ca/events/sew-light-button

Make a Birdhouse                        https://www.nvcl.ca/events/make-birdhouse

Build your own Boba Tea            https://www.nvcl.ca/events/build-your-own-boba-tea-1

Teen filmmaking camp               https://www.nvcl.ca/events/teen-filmmaking-camp-9

Make a Tie-Dye Shirt                    https://www.nvcl.ca/events/make-tie-dye-t-shirt

Bicycle Mechanics                      https://www.nvcl.ca/events/beginner-bike-mechanics-0

Make your own Stamps              https://www.nvcl.ca/events/make-your-own-stamps-0

Complete Calendar                    https://www.nvcl.ca/calendar

Classroom Learning

We are enjoying being back in the classroom! The students are enjoying our new reading nook.

At our Mammoth presentation, we learned that Mammoths were herbivores that adapted to the extreme tundra environment of the Ice Age by growing a woolly coat and developing tusks and teeth to help with food foraging through the ice and snow. Scientists surmise that tusks kept growing throughout the Mammoths life, and their teeth were replaced often throughout their lives, possibly molars were replaced 6 times. This makes sense if plants they ate were frozen! They may have eaten up to 600 lbs of food per day. Their coats had long guard hairs on the animals’ back and sides to protect from ice and snow. The underneath hair was more woolly and thick to provide insulation and warmth. They became extinct about 10,000 years ago, at the end of the Ice Age, probably because the climate became too warm and they were unable to adapt. Or, they could have been hunted to extinction by earlier humans. A combination of both factors is also a possibility.

We also had Fresh Roots visit our class.  They taught us about seeds, read us a book and brought in seeds for us to examine. We learned that some seeds are edible and some are not, and compared lima bean seeds that were dried with ones that soaked overnight. We even had the chance to dissect the seed where we discovered the parts of a seed: the seed coat, shoot, roots and cotyledon. Dandelion seeds can travel 160 kms from the parent plant!

Other seeds can travel by spinning, floating in the wind, clinging to animals, or being deposited with scat.

The scientific vocabulary we learned were hypothesis and estimation.

Science Challenge: https://www.chatterblock.com/events/382179/lets-talk-science-challenge/

Community events:

Black history month:https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/history/barbara-howard-trailblazing-black-athlete-vancouver-canada-10239296

BC Wildlife in the Classroom

This week, the primary cohort had the chance to learn so many new facts about BC wildlife.  Please ask your child what they learned about animals that are found in our province.

Mule Deer : Ask about their antlers and why they shed them every year.
Mountain Goats: Ask how their horns and skull grow.
Barn Owls: Ask about their ears.
Wolves: Why do they hunt in packs?
Peregrine Falcons: How fast can they dive?
Mountain Lions: How high can they jump?
Black Bears: What is an omnivore? Describe their teeth.
Bald Eagle: Why do they always look angry? Can they “swim”?
Orca Whales:  Are they a whale or a porpoise?  Tell me about the three type of orcas:  Resident, Transient, Offshore
Sea Otters: Talk about their fur and diet. (It is the densest fur in the animal kingdom!  It helps keep their skin dry and keeps them buoyant.)

What are the top three things we can do to help wildlife?
1. Do not feed wildlife.
2. Put garbage and recycling where it belongs, so no wildlife can get it.
3. Keep your distance from wildlife, so they stay wild.

What is diurnal and nocturnal?

The Secret is Revealed!

While students were away from the classroom during Portfolio week, we created a Reading Nook in our Classroom! Under twinkle lights, students can cozy up and read their favourite books! It’s a magical place!

Mammoth Presentation

Our Mammoth Presentation will take place next Tuesday. We are excited to learn more about Mammoths and the Ice Age.

https://learning.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Meet-the-Mammoth.pdf

Super Seeds Workshop

Next Tuesday, we are also having a workshop about seeds with Fresh Roots Farms. We will be choosing seeds to plant at our next visit to the Farm in April! More from Fresh Roots……

Fresh Roots Farm

A SNEAK PEEK OF WINTER ON THE FARMS

While the fields may be resting under the snow, winter is a busy season on the farm! At Millside Centre in Coquitlam, our team has been hard at work pruning fruit trees in the orchard and tackling a big challenge: removing invasive blackberries. With gloves on and pruners in hand, we cleared a tangled mess of blackberries, freeing up benches and “Carrie’s Corner” to be enjoyed again by youth in the Spring.

Winter may be cold, but the work keeps us warm—and so does the vision of a thriving farm ready for spring!

Discover everything that’s growing for the 2025 season!

https://freshroots.ca/

SUMMER CAMP FRESH ROOTS – EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Camp Fresh Roots is the best place to grow this summer!

Every day will be full of play, learning, good food, great friends, and caring staff to make sure your camper has the best camp experience ever.

2025 camp registration will open soon – on February 14th at 9am! 

Still hesitating? Get a glimpse of a typical camp day, and hear what past campers have enjoyed!

Sierra Club BC

Their first online drawing lesson of 2025 will dive in the deep end to draw one of our most unique ecosystems – deep ocean ecosystems!

Join scientific illustrator Dr. Julius Csotonyi and Sierra Club BC on Wednesday, March 5th at 10 a.m. PST for an art lesson where we will learn how to draw anglerfish and more!

Hydrothermal vents, and underwater reefs are often underappreciated compared to some of our other charismatic ecosystems. Despite this, they are some of the most important and endangered ecosystems on this planet. In B.C., these ecosystems can be found right off the coast of Vancouver Island and are home to unique marine lifeforms who rely on them.

Not only will we be making art, but we’ll also learn about these incredible ecosystems and the beings that call them home, while discussing the effects of human intervention and climate change. This event is open to learners of all ages.

Registration: https://sierraclub.bc.ca/learn-to-draw-deep-ocean-ecosystems/?mkt_tok=Nzg4LVlCRi0yOTYAAAGYlLYdO5ZJlXVck–8UHGoYiLJHjdppwQnLXByY-8Md8rcw9ybw8NFI9uCxXlSZrur7zPwc1j29wkoVRlK3Pc08vSmnZqvnF87tfSKtQwH

CONTEST ALERT! Attention Budding Artists: Great news!

We’re thrilled to invite young artists to share their creativity for Pink Shirt Day 2025!

Thanks to our presenting partner, Fortis BC, we are offering one lucky artist a chance to win a $500 OPUS gift card.

This year’s theme, “Let Kindness Grow” celebrates the power of kindness to bring people together. Your artwork could inspire others across Canada—and perhaps even beyond!

Selected pieces may be featured on our social media channels and website as part of this year’s campaign.

You can check it out here: Submit Your Artwork.  Deadline for submissions is Feb. 26/2025 and draw date is Feb. 27/2025

Thank you for helping us spread kindness and creativity! Good luck!

We are continuing with Portfolio Meetings this week and we are impressed by the work everyone is doing at home.

Hopefully, you are enjoying the snow, which fits in with our theme for the term. We encourage students to draw, write, or create winter art. They can describe the outdoors, write about their favourite snow activities, or complete procedural writing about how to make hot chocolate or a warm meal.

If you have any special work that you’ve completed at home over the Portfolio break, please bring it in to share with the class next week when you return.

As a surprise, we have a new space to reveal to students next week! We hope it is a special and motivating addition to our classroom!

Community Events

Too Cute Pop Up Market

Get ready for a day filled with adorable handmade goodies from local artisans. Join us on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Heritage Hall (Main & 15^th) for a unique shopping experience. Discover one-of-a-kind items that are TOO CUTE to resist! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to support small businesses and find the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one.

Expect to find ART, PINS, STICKERS, APPAREL, TOYS, PLUSHIES, FIGURINES, HOME DECOR, STATIONERY, PLUSHIES, JEWELRY, COOKIES, COFFEE and MORE!

Tickets: $3 | kids 12 and under are free | 50% of ticket proceeds to benefit 2025 charities of choic

https://www.chatterblock.com/events/408596/too-cute-pop-up-market/?utm_source=Main+ChatterBlock+List&utm_campaign=fc8824683e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_01_23_11_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-fc8824683e-304192077

Family Day at the Vancouver Maritime Museum

This event, right in the heart of beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, promises a day filled with excitement that will entertain and educate family members of all ages.

Monday, February 17th All day – from 10am Admission: FREE – Donations welcome.

https://www.chatterblock.com/events/363870/family-day-at-the-vancouver-maritime-museum/

In keeping with our Winter Theme, we will be attending an online workshop by the Royal BC Museum about Woolly Mammoths! “Learn about the Ice Age and the Woolly Mammoths who lived there. Using images, video and objects we will learn about how Woolly Mammoths adapted to survive in the Ice Age. There are lots of opportunities for questions and interaction.”

We had an informative presentation about Coding & STEM last week. Our intermediate class learned that coding is all around us, involves logic and computational thinking. Websites should be thought of as Lego blocks. If you’re interested in Coding, Engineering and Computing Sciences, you should put a lot of emphasis in math.

Here is a useful STEM resource for home: https://letstalkscience.ca/topic/stem-at-home

Let’s Talk Science Challenge! https://letstalkscience.ca/

A free national STEM competition that encourages students in Grades 6-8 to learn about new STEM topics and show what they learned in an exciting, supportive environment.

This free program (available in both English and French) helps kids explore eight different STEM fields through engaging quizzes and hands-on activities.

Families can register their children to participate as individuals—no need for a team or classroom! Dive into exciting STEM topics, learn critical thinking skills, and prepare for the virtual Grand Finale competition all from home.

Community Events:

Granville Island Kids Market has several events for February, including something for the Pro-D Day on Friday, February 14:   https://www.kidsmarket.ca/#welcome

Lunar New Year:

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/events-and-entertainment/lunar-new-year-events-vancouver-2025-10120808?utm_source=Vancouver+Is+Awesome&utm_campaign=d19b27b8e0-VIA+Daily+012925&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-d19b27b8e0-97626118&mc_cid=d19b27b8e0&mc_eid=2735bde3b2

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/events-and-entertainment/lunar-new-year-events-vancouver-2025-10120808