Thursday, November 12

 Hi parents,

We had a fantastic day today, probably one of our best this year! Maybe we should consider having no school every Wednesday...

In the morning, we spent some more time talking about Remembrance Day, and watched the music video for "Highway of Heroes" by The Trews. I'm hoping the kids will understand that taking the time to be thankful to veterans is something we can do throughout the year, and not just on Remembrance Day. I've also noticed that our 'social studies' this year has kind of been centring around the idea of being a 'hero' - from Terry Fox, to community helpers, to veterans, we've spent a lot of time talking about the sorts of qualities that make people heroic!

The students drew pictures of guitars in Music class today, and then we watched some videos about the importance of 'play'. First, we learned about how basic physics concepts can be applied to common playground structures, such as swings, see saws, and trampolines (not a common structure but we all wish it was). We watched another short video and learned about how the idea of 'playing' is not just relevant to humans - animals enjoy play too! The students learned that playing helps humans, and animals, learn about socially acceptable behaviour. It also helps children and animals develop movement skills, get exercise, and stay healthy!

The students responded to the writing prompt: "My favourite place to play is...." A lot of students did their best writing of the year with this prompt! I gave out miniature dictionaries to the Grade 2 students so they could edit their own work and fix spelling errors. I couldn't believe how well they used them - I always think of editing as being the biggest hassle, but I guess that's just me...

We practiced spelling in the afternoon, did Daily 5, and finished the Poppy art that we started a couple days ago. They turned out really well!!

Remember that the Spelling Quiz is tomorrow! Have a nice night,

Zac