Wednesday

Hi parents,

Today was a great day for our class! It was our Winter Walk day, and also the 100th day of School.

In the morning, we had a sharing circle and talked about things that we wish we could have 100 of. The students had some incredibly creative answers and I felt like I should share some of them, so here you go:

• "I wish I could have 100 tickets to Jojo Siwa so I could see her 100 times in concert."
• "I wish I could go on 100 adventures."
• "I wish I could have 100 fire safety activity books."
• "I wish I could files of math and science."

And that's just a small sample - everyone in the class had a unique idea!

We spent some time this morning painting the clay landscape ornaments that we made at the Leighton Arts Centre. Students who did not attend the field trip got to paint landscapes on paper instead. They all looked quite nice.

We had our school-wide "Winter Walk" this morning, in which the students trudged around the field while also enjoying the beautiful Winter day. I've been thinking it would be fun to try doing a miniature version of the Winter Walk each day, as a sort of 'body break'. I think the fresh air and exercise could be very healthy for the class, especially when energy levels are high.

We did another group-work activity today, to help the students develop skills such as working as a team, assigning roles, supporting their classmates, and communicating clearly. For this activity, I asked the students to draw 100 pineapples, as a group. For most groups, this meant that each student should draw about 25. I felt like this simple activity was actually a huge success for the class because it truly showcased how kind, responsible, and cooperative the students can be. I noticed that students who finished quickly would immediately move to help their group members who were still working. I also heard many words of encouragement being exchanged, and students politely asking group members to take on certain roles within the group.

I'm feeling very optimistic about our upcoming community project! It is going to require a ton of teamwork, but I think the students are up for the challenge.

Have a nice night,

Zac