Counting seeds

Look how differently we did this task. 

Scientists in School

The scientists in school are visiting our classroom on Monday, November 17 from approximately 8:20-10:30.  This is a company that comes into schools and provide students with an in-depth look at different aspects of science. This program is called I can be a scientist. There will be four centres for the students to rotate through. They will learn how to be 4 different scientists and what is involved in each job. We will need three parent volunteers. If you are interested, please send a note in your child's iBag. We may not be able to accommodate everyone. Thank you for offering your time. It's much appreciated.

Special visitor today

Here is a little guy the caretaker found in the MacWands.  He is a spotted salamander.  He got swept up with the broom and Mr. Grande (the caretaker) set him aside for us to look at. He was just barely alive and Ms Wand tried to revive him by spritzing him with water. She also tried to gently remove the dirt and dust from his body. We had a talk with the students about how salamanders breathe through their skin and how it's unhealthy for them to be covered with 'people' dirt.  The students offered lots of ideas about where a salamander might like to live. In tunnels, in the forest and in the water. We discussed the fact that they like to hide under logs and rocks in moist dark areas.  The question still remains, how did the salamander get into the classroom in the first place? Ask your child what they think and we will share ideas tomorrow. Sadly the salamander did not survive. He has gone back into the earth.

Forest Tea Party Pictures

Take Me Outside Day - Kindergarten Style

The MacWands (Ms. Wand and Ms. MacDermaid) led us out for an exciting expedition to the forest as part of national Take Me Outside Day.  We committed to an hour outside but ended up spending an hour and a half.  Our timing was perfect as the wind picked up and temperatures were dropping as we were heading back inside.  

The focus of our adventure was to brew some new varieties of forest tea.  Each student was a 'tea artist' and given the task of creating their own special brew using anything they could find that was on the forest floor and not alive.  Their first task was to find the perfect stirring/mashing stick, then they were given a plastic cup with some water in it.  We learned how to safely smell new things and then we were off to brew.  

These new varieties consisted of leaves of all kinds: maple, birch, beech, oak, hemlock; acorns, bark, wood chips, fungus, soil, moss, twigs, etc.  They all had a unique aromatic profile.

After all teas were sufficiently brewed and steeped, we had a toast and then headed back to the school yard to have our tea party.  We shared the names of our new tea flavours with three friends and let them have a 'taste' (smell).  Delicious!

Finally, we lined up our teas and counted how many new flavours!  

Here's the money shot!  

Another successful visit to the forest. 

 Not only is at alive with things to 'explover', 

but it provides one of the best canvases for learning!

Thanks Ms. Wand for the photos and blog.

Sing-A-Long

One day last week, we had quality time with the MacWands sharing poems and songs of the season.  It was a lot of fun.  We shared one of our favourite Halloween stories called Big Pumpkin.  They shared all kinds of spooky poems about skeletons and ghosts.  Ms. Wand led us in the October song (I haven't quite got the tune of it yet-and now it's November!). 

Halloween Hop Fun

We had tons of fun at the Halloween Hop, dancing our socks off.
We Chicken Danced, did the YMCA and the Monster Mash.  All monies raised from pledges go towards materials, equipment and programming for Highview students.  Thank you to everyone who took part.

Halloween Fun on Friday

The Kindergartener's did something crazy on Friday.  We mixed the two classes together.  The Scodouley's and MacWands took part in some fun Halloween activities together.  Students made spider cookies, played with Goop, made bracelets with beads, played with playdough, built sculptures and visited the Spooky Kitchen in the other classroom.  It was so much fun mingling with the MacWands.