Chasing the Joy

We're going to keep chasing the joy as we approach the end of the school year!

Today we began our "Joyful June" book tournament! Each day we'll read two books and vote. The winning book advances!

E - Electronics

We are becoming independent chrome book users, and had fun playing phonic and word games on Teach Your Monster to Read, enjoying stories on EPIC, and learning about animals on San Diego Wildlife Explorers. 

F - Frisbees and Freeze Dance with Friends

Freeze Dance challenged us and we had a blast tossing frisbees to our friends! We learned how to use the disc golf stands out by Dinosaur Hill. 

G - Games (and Giggles!)

What a great opportunity to play fairly, take turns, and be gracious winners and losers! So much JOY!

H - Hula Hoops & Hats (and boy, was it HOT)

We went out early, found some shade, played a few cooperative games and learned some hula hoop skills!

I - Ink Pen

We were excited to set our pencils aside and use real ink! A word search with each of our names made for an awesome "inky" start! 

See you in June!

ABC: Finding JOY in 1B!

Our ABC Countdown has officially begun! Each day brings a new letter, a little extra fun, and special memories together. 

A - Awesome Authors and Animals

Cuddling a stuffed animal is the best way to enjoy stories!

B - BINGO!

We played our favourite BINGO game, Rhyming Word JINGO!

C - Chalk and Cup Stacking

We enjoyed sharpening our hand-eye coordination as we stacked cups. Our patterning, sequencing, and perseverance were all strengthened!

Team work makes the dream work!

Chalk in the sunshine with friends? Yes, please!

D - Dice and Dinosaur Hill

We tackled a partner adding game using dice IN dice! We each rolled a double die, added our total, and whoever had more took a counter. Gather 10 counters to win!

The sun was shining and a walk to Dinosaur Hill was in order. Can't hustle up a hill and not roll down!

As we step into the last weeks of Grade 1, one thing is certain ... we're squeezing in all of the joy we possibly can! 

Arbor Day Adventure

 Today we spent the morning at Strathcona County's Arbor Day Celebration!

We were in awe of the arborists! We learned that they are "tree doctors". We saw several of their special tools, including the chain saws! We met several arborists who gave us an amazing demonstration!

To keep our energy up, a quick cookie hit the spot! 

Trees have birthdays too! We learned to count the rings on a tree "cookie" and learned how drought and the seasons affect the rings. We even got to practice on our own little "tree cookie":

Our hearts were pumping at the "Nature-cize" obstacle course:

We planted our very own seedling in biodegradable cups, so that the cup can be planted along with the tree. Trees will come home next week. We also met Bertie Beaver, Alberta's fire prevention celebrity and mascot!

We headed towards a treed area to build "fairy houses" with dead material (e.g. sticks on the ground, fallen pine cones). What a collaborative, creative activity!

We learned about the importance of fire safety. We were strongly cautioned that fires are dangerous and never to be played with. We were, however, surprised to learn that forest fires are a natural part of the forest ecosystem and can play a role in maintaining a healthy forest. 

We each received reusable lunch bags filled with snacks and we settled in for an interactive performance by Crescendo Music Studio's musician Laurelle!

Strathcona County put on a fabulous Arbor Day for us and we had so much fun learning about trees! We are called to care for all God created and learned more about being stewards for our big, beautiful earth!