In Social Studies we are examining many aspects of communities, including mapping and landmarks. This past few weeks we've been comparing urban and rural areas! After lots of discussion, brainstorming and research, the children were tasked with creating either an urban or a rural community ... all out of plasticene! We first planned our designs on paper. The criteria for this project was to include at least 3 features of their chosen community, either rural or urban. In this rural design, we see lots of trees, a barn, and farm animals!
In this urban design, we see buildings, paved road, and a vehicle.
Then the students got busy creating their plasticene communities! This project provided many opportunities to problem solve and help one another out. This was challenging at first, but also creative and fun!
We presented our final scenes at Connection Time to a buddy!
Please watch for the plasticene project, planner, and yellow assessment in your child's kanga!
We have many wonderful people caring for us, but we are especially blessed to have our moms in our lives! The children have spent the past two weeks preparing a few very special surprises for Mother's Day! We each took a beautiful photo and then painted a fancy frame!
Aren't these spectacular?!?
We put together very special cards for our lovely ladies, too. We worked for DAYS to get our ideas just right. Several pages of sweet and funny thoughts and pictures fill these little treasure books. Here are a few creative gems from the pages of the students' cards, as well as our fancy photos! (Spoiler alert: If you haven't opened your child's gift yet, be sure to do that first!)
Moms, you are kind. You are patient. You are selfless. You are imperfectly perfect. Thank you for everything you do to support your family. Being a mom is constantly challenging, yet profoundly rewarding. It is a calling from God and He has a plan for you and your kiddos. May God bless you and your families this Mother's Day weekend!
Spring has sprung! Our Science mini-unit on Seasonal Changes in Spring has kept us hopping, and we have been keeping our eyes "peeled" for signs of spring! We've been looking for what people do, how animals change, and what plants and trees are up to come this warmer season! Let's share the signs of Spring we've found! Here is how our photo hunt works. First, give your child a camera (your phone would be excellent!) and have him or her take a picture showing a sign of Spring! Then, to share your photo and/or comment on our "wall": (1) Double-click on our Signs of Spring wall below. (2) A box will appear. Type in a comment. Upload a picture. Ta da! (3) Marvel at all of the signs of Spring our students have found!
Thank you for NOT mentioning first or last names on our blog, as well as any other identifying / sensitive information. What signs of Spring can you and your child find? We'll be checking this "wall" daily for new photos!
And so Friday began, with a classroom full of little Agneses, thrilled to see our fluffy little chicks! (thankfully minus the extra tight "Agnes squeeze")
We wasted zero time and decided these little fluff balls needed some gentle cuddles! The boys and girls learned they needed to sit while holding a chick, and to keep a hand under their feet as well as lightly on their back.
It was such a lovely day to snuggle with our new little miracles.
While some students spent time taking in the new life, others tackled the illustrations for a rhyming booklet called "5 Little Chicks". The chicks in our illustrations are made from torn construction paper. The creative juices were flowing! Chicks are a captive audience, and we jumped at the chance to read our booklets to them! Watch for these sweet booklets to come home next week.
In between cuddles, we welcomed in countless visitors!
Mr. Marshall came to read us one of his favourite stories, Too Many Chickens! It's about a class who is hatching chicks, but the farmer forgets to come pick up the chicks once they have arrived! We had lots of good laughs as he read! Thank you, Mr. Marshall!
Mrs. Beliveau and her brood are keeping careful watch this weekend over the new little life! As a class, we'll be caring for these beautiful chicks until mid-next week.
It has been an AMAZING few weeks filled with loads of valuable science and language arts lessons. More importantly, however, are the lessons we have learned about new life, respect, patience, and compassion. God's work is truly amazing!
Thank you, God, for blessing us with this experience! We are in truly in awe of your amazing work and beautiful creations!
We arrived this morning to over a dozen little chicks who hatched overnight! The incubator was bursting with new life!
We left our new "classmates" and spent the morning making Pysanky, traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs! This took lots of patience and creativity, and we did have lots of fun, despite the fact we couldn't bring our chicks along for the experience! Look at our masterpieces!
The chicks remain in the incubator until their feathers dry and they become fluffy, and then they are transferred to a space with dry shavings, food and water, all beneath a heat source. We were able to move several to their new home today!
So many little babies have joined our class! Tomorrow will certainly be filled with many soft fluffy cuddles! Today was truly EGG-cellent!
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. We created beautiful burned matchstick crosses. Don't worry, the matches we worked with were already lit, cooled and very safe to touch, of course! 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 were able to cut them out. They are up in our chapel and will come home soon!
The symbol of the cross reminds us of Jesus' everlasting, infinite love for us!Be sure to stop by our chapel to see all of the finished crosses!
As Easter approaches, may you have a blessed Holy Week!
Today is day 14 of our hatching journey. Remember when we began? We learned that on the 14th day of growth, a chick has grown claws and is covered in a light feathers. Isn't God amazing?
Earlier this week we met a hen and a rooster, Fuzzy and Freckles, and learned more about the life cycle of a chicken! We were able to pet and feed Fuzzy, and we even heard Freckles' loud COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO! What fun! It was like Old MacDonald's farm in here!
Today we candled a few of the eggs in our incubator. Candling shows us if the egg is developing into a chick. First we made our classroom very dark. Using a bright light, we were able to see if there was a developing chick inside the egg or not. Dark, shadowy egg? Chick! Bright, lit up egg? No chick.
We candled about 5 eggs, and all were dark! In another week, when the eggs have been incubated for 21 days, the little ones growing inside the eggs will hatch. We can hardly wait!
We are learning about the miracle of life and have been exploring the life cycles. Ask your child to explain the life cycle of a chicken!
We are so excited for day 21 to arrive! That is when we will eagerly watch for our eggs to begin hatching! Until then, we will continue to pray for our little ones and marvel at the miracle of new life. God is so good!
