We have been having fun making art with fallen leaves. Ask your kids to show you our most recent effort. And while the fallen leaves have been “Blowing’ in the Wind” the Thurs/Fri group also explored how a song can become a powerful message for peace in the world.
The Mon/Tues group have noticed that some songs tell stories. We learned a very old song called “The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night.” Then we used a Story Board to separate main ideas in the song and notice how they flow from one idea to the next in a logical order. Once we understood how to use a story board, each student used one to plan out a new story about tiny ants that live in little tunnels underground! Some kids got so excited about the writing process they didn’t want to put their pencils down to go for lunch!
Many cultures celebrate the bounty of the Harvest season with a feast of some sort. Our classes will make a savory vegan friendly soup together on Tuesday October 24 and Thursday October 27. I will provide onions, garlic, spices, and vegan friendly stock. Please send your child to school with one or two cups of pre-chopped Fall Vegetable of your choosing. I’m not going to ‘organize a list’ for these vegetables… we’ll just enjoy the surprise of whatever vegetables appear!!
Safety First! VSB schools have recently practiced Fire drills, Earthquake drills and Hold and Secure drills. Some students were not aware if their families had emergency meet up plans if an emergency happened when the kids were not at school. Please take time to review your family’s emergency preparedness plans. Also, several students were not able to spell their surname or recite a parent phone number…. please consider practicing this important information with your kids.
Believe it or not, it is time to start scheduling Portfolio #1. The dates for the meetings are October 30 to November 10. Please email me with THREE date preferences, and if you would prefer a morning or afternoon time slot. The last meeting of the day will start at 2:00pm. I will do my best to book siblings into back to back time slots.
Looking for an authentic and fun family way to forge connection to the SLP? Consider adopting a City of Vancouver Catch Basin. If you adopt one (or more!!!) the city will send you a rake and High Viz vest. Plus, you get to give the Catch Basin a name. It is a bit like having a pet that you don’t have to walk or feed! More information can be found here: adoptacatchbasin@vancouver.ca
Take a look at what @edutopia has to say about the connection between drawing (i.e. Story Boards) and learning:
According to research, sketchnotes and concept maps give students a clearer sense of the big picture. https://t.co/tf2iXjyBmk
(https://x.com/edutopia/status/1714104442172174421?t=12SyrP-5pjYhilEJHkNy2g&s=03)
Please remember that Friday, October 20 is a Pro-D Day.