A Symbol of Love: Matchstick Crosses

 "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, 

and of the Holy Spirit, Amen."

We are learning about the Easter Story, and have focused on a very important symbol in our faith; the cross. Jesus suffered and died on the cross for each one of us. The cross is a powerful symbol that reminds us how much God loves us.

With the help of Grandma Theresa, our Linking Generations grandparent, we were able to make beautiful matchstick crosses as a reminder of God's love. Don't worry, the matches we worked with were already lit, cooled and very safe to touch. We patiently helped one another count out matches, glue, and check and re-check the intricate pattern. This took lots of patience and collaboration!

After leaving the crosses to dry, we cut them out. Here are the finished crosses, proudly displayed in our Chapel. 

Have a safe, relaxing and blessed Spring Break!

Grade 1 was a ZOO!

This was an INCREDIBLE week of learning! We had demonstrations, up-close animal encounters, behind the scenes tours, speakers, and so much more! Come see our adventures!

MONDAY

We arrived in our zoo classroom and kicked off the day observing and sketching Phoebe, the eyelash gecko! She has an incredible ability to camouflage to avoid predators, and licks her eyeballs to keep them moist! 

We broke into small groups for our daily animal observations! This group had a blast meeting the meerkats:

The afternoon was busy! We got super up close and personal with the reindeer! They have many adaptations that help them to survive. Did you know they can stay warm in up to -50C weather? Cool!

After an alphabet scavenger hunt around the zoo, we relaxed and met Emelda the ball python. We saw her forked tongue, excellent for smelling, and looked at the skin of a snake that had already been shed. 

Day one exhausted us!

TUESDAY

Mystery animal artifacts got our brains thinking! There was lots of wondering, discussing, observing and sketching. We saw a wallaby fur, a peacock wing, rhino skin and shoes made of sea turtle. 

We were very fortunate to visit Lucy the Asian elephant! She is 46 years old, and loves pedicures, tummy rubs, and popcorn. We asked her keeper so many questions!

We had a discussion about tusks and ivory, how elephants are endangered, and how we can make choices that can help endangered species. Then we examined some unique elephant artifacts ... and we touched poop!

We even squeezed in visits with Zuri the Kenyan Boa and Pepperoni the Blue Tongued Skink:

Today was a beautiful day to learn!

WEDNESDAY

Today we headed to the commissary! This kitchen feeds over 400 animals. We learned about carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, and insectivores, and examined skulls to see the types of teeth each kind of animal would have to eat the foods they enjoy. We were so excited to see all of the foods the zoo uses to feed the animals, including the meat cart and insect room!

Before we could eat our lunch, we got to see river otters Bow and Missi enjoy theirs!

The afternoon was all about comparisons. We had a ball comparing Frodo the tortoise to Scarp the armadillo. We were in awe watching them move and explore. 

The sun shone, we had fun, and we learned so much!

THURSDAY

Today we focused on animals and their senses! 

We made an "enrichment" for the takkins today. Takkins are muscled, hairy mammals that reminded us of musk ox, bison and cows mixed together! We made them a little St. Patrick's Day food puzzle to stimulate their senses. They loved finding their veggies in our decorated boxes!

We headed in to the nocturnal room and learned more about the adaptations of these nighttime animals. We got an awesome peek when we turned on dim lights, and were excited to spot the bats, sloths, and porcupines! 

We welcomed Poppy the hedgehog and discovered this insectivore has excellent sense of both sight and smell. 

We made MANY miles today all over the zoo and had such a wonderful adventure!

FRIDAY

Our last day was fabulous! We learned about why the zoo trains animals to learn behaviours and even did a little target training on one another, with clickers and pompoms on sticks. Then we were off to meet Hula the harbor seal and see some of her trained behaviours. Her keepers have even trained Hula to have her teeth brushed (with fish-flavoured toothpaste!). 

We met two animals who both lay eggs, Vega, the Eurasian eagle owl, and Pumpkin, the bearded dragon. 

Zoo School was truly amazing, and we came home absolutely exhausted every day! Yes, all of the walking was tiring and we also got a tonne of fresh air, but a huge part of WHY we were so tuckered was because of HOW we learned. We explored, wondered, compared, observed, problem solved, predicted, and learned so very much. 

As we prepare to return to our classroom, we are so thankful for the opportunity we had to learn at Zoo School. Thank you to all of the adult helpers to supported our week, Teacher Kay who led our learning, and our students, who rose to the challenge each and every day!

Cookie's Week at Our School!

This past week, we read the story Cookie's Week, all about a cat who causes mischief all over his house!

To practice our ability to retell important parts of a story, we made our own "Cookie" puppets! These puppets helped us practice retelling the main parts of this story. 

Then we jumped at the opportunity to write our own versions of this story! In our own stories about Cookie, we imagined this tricky kitty spent a week at St. Nicholas. What kinds of mischief did this little trickster get into?

After a walk around the building, we brainstormed places he could make a little trouble. 

Then, using sentences frames, we wrote and illustrated our own stories!

These stories will take several days of diligent writing and creative, careful illustrating. 

We're having so much fun imagining the mischief Cookie would cause at our school! 

Watch for these stories, as well as a rubric, coming home soon!

Lent is Upon Us

In the center of our classroom stands a special table. It is our prayer table. As the liturgical year changes, the table changes. 

This was our prayer table last week:

This is our prayer table now:

Why the change? Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Lent is a time when we look at ourselves and try and see what can change and improve so that we can be more like Jesus. We take more time to pray, to ask forgiveness of our sins, and to share with others. For forty days we prepare for the new life of Easter. 

Our Lenten wreath is brown and bare, symbolizing the desert where Jesus prayed for 40 days and also the crown of thorns. Can your child explain the symbols pictured on our wreath (purple ribbon, burlap cloth with a cross)? As we journey through Lent, we will add more symbols to help us better understand this liturgical season. 

Today we participated in Ash Wednesday mass, along with several other schools, via livestream led by OLPH Church. We all received ashes on our foreheads to remind us of Jesus sacrifice for us. 

This week we were introduced to our school-wide Lenten initiative, gathering a gently used, clean clothing item or two. If you are able, check your child's drawers or closet for an item to donate. Clothing will be delivered to the Clothing Nook at OLPH Church. 

Lent is a time of change; a change of mind and heart. May the 40 days of Lent help us prepare for the joy of Easter. 

Fun & Feasting on Shrove Tuesday

Today is Shrove Tuesday. It is the last day before Lent. It is a day of feasting and fun!

We were excited to welcome in Father Jim to help us better understand the season of Lent. His visits are always special!

Boy, did we feast today! Our energetic and generous Parent Council served a hot, delicious pancake & sausage lunch for everyone in the school. Can you tell we loved it?

Sometimes Shrove Tuesday is called Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. On this day, people would traditionally use up the rich foods in their fridge that was often not allowed to be eaten during Lent, such as milk, eggs and butter. Add a little flour, and you have pancakes!

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. It marks the first day of Lent. We will gather as a school community for a virtual mass livestreamed from OLPH Church for mass at 12:15 pm. We will all receive ashes on our foreheads. If your schedule allows, please consider tuning in via www.olph.ca/video.