We spent the past week honing our skills of observation. We used jewelry loupes to zoom in on cherry blossoms, fireweed, and blue bells. We used our understanding of ratio and proportion to create detailed enlargements of the blossoms. It was as if we were illustrating a science textbook. The challenge was to slow down and accurately record our observations verses simply sketching our impressions of what we saw. The outcomes were gorgeous! Next, we pretended we were spies from another planet on a mission to sneak away with information about the Earth’s oceans. Using paper folded between 2 antique shell buttons, we made miniature books full of miniature drawings of sea creatures from the intertidal zone. It’s not easy to capture the idea of an ocean in a few square centimeters!
In honour of Earth Day on April 22, we have been singing and writing love songs to our planet. I am continually humbled by the depth of care and commitment our children demonstrate toward protecting sensitive environments and helping vulnerable creatures.
There are now so many beautiful craft projects taking shape here at school, that our classroom is starting to look like an art studio! Painted tiles, decoupage bowls, seed paper cards, unicorn horns, engraved stones, wooden roses, wooden jewelry, reuseable shopping bags…We can hardly wait to show off all our utilitarian creativity! Naturally, all these projects have been an authentic springboard into learning how to give clear directions and write instructions as well.
We are still collecting used, clean tank tops and T-Shirts to turn into shopping bags. The Craft Sale will be 2:30 to 3:10 on June 18th and 20th.
We have a few open spots in the Grade 4 to 7 range for September 2024. Interested parents are invited to email the teacher.
Reminders: April 22 is Professional Day. Intermediate Interim assignments are due April 25th.
Upcoming dates: Class photo day is Monday May 13. The Thur/Fri group is welcome to arrive for a group photo at 9:05 and leave right after their photo is taken. On May 2 the district will hold an Earthquake Drill at 2:00pm. This is a good opportunity for all families to refresh their emergency preparedness kits and review their reunification plans.
-By LBaker