Scientists visited our classroom and showed students how to extract the DNA from a banana. It was messy work mushing up the banana with our hands!

Students learned that every living thing has DNA. They also learned the difference between living and non-living things.

Our morning class was able to extract some banana DNA but although they worked hard the afternoon class was unable to get any DNA.

Students learned however that sometimes things don't always work the way we expect them to especially with experiments!

Venn Diagrams

Students have been using venn diagrams to sort various kinds of attributes. In this activity students used the flowers they made and sorted them by colour. They have also been sorting the letters in each others names according to letter shapes (straight or curved, straight and curved lines).

spring tree

Students have worked hard to bring our seasonal tree up to date. Students brainstormed ideas as to what our spring tree should look like and what might live around it. We have bunnies, birds and squirrels as well as nests and butterflies!

How a seed grows

Students have been studying plants and seeds for the last few weeks. In class with our student teacher Heather, they planted watermelon and carrot seeds and have had an opportunity to watch them grow. Through this hands on experience they have become familiar with the life cycle of a plant.

Planting more flowers!

At High park we learned about butterflies and their needs. In order to help the butterflies we planted flowers for them to get nectar from.

We learned that butterflies love yellow flowers and that they like to drink muddy water in order to get minerals to give them energy.

Students even acted out the life cycle of the butterfly!

We have had fun learning about High Park in the different seasons, Fall, Winter and Spring. If you get a chance visit High Park in the Summer too!

Planting flowers at the school

Room 213 planted flowers with the help of two student teachers. We helped make our school grounds beautiful and learned about the needs of living things.

Around the classroom

Spring is in the air!

In our sandbox students can create a variety of farm scenarios. They can use animals, plants and a barn to inspire their play.

At our science centre there are live plants, toy bugs, books and spring words to explore.

More science

Students learned about magnets with our student teacher Ms. Mok.

Ms. Mok created a magnetic treasure hunt in the sandbox and we set up a fishing pond at the water table.

Students explored different magnet strengths, experimented with magnetic forces and discovered what magnets are and are not attracted to.

Ms. Mok introduced and led experiments including magnetic strength through water and how to make a magnet.

"at" Family

April is poetry month. What a perfect opportunity to study word families!

We are currently working on the "at" family.

Senior students collaborated to create an "at" classroom book and juniors are working on their own books.

Soon we will be creating "at" poems!

Can you make an "at" poem?

More art!

Students have had the opportunity again this term to work with some artists from Ontario College of Art and Design.

For one of their projects they created a mosaic collage.

Students traced a piece of fruit onto white paper and then tore or cut small pieces of coloured, textured and shiny paper or felt and glued them onto the paper.

The effect is very dramatic.

Earth Day art

For Earth Day Ms. Collins, had the students colour their world!

The result is a beautiful earth collage in which students used a variety of mediums including tissue paper, wool and crayon.

These colourful pictures truly brighten up our class.

Take a moment to drop in and see them when you bring in your child!

Songs and books

In March and April students learned to sing a song about springtime. They acted out the song and came up with actions to go with it. They also learned to read the song and put the sentences and words in order. Finally the students completed a book in which they wrote the repetitive words and illustrated each section.

Because reading and writing go together the students also had an opportunity to share and read their book with someone.

Spring flowers and math

Spring brings new growth. In this mural that the students completed with Ms. Collins, we see the beautiful bright colours of new flowers and the tender green of the new grass.

From this mural students will gather information to create a graph. They will learn to ask questions about data such as "how many red flowers, how many purple?" and "how many more red flowers than purple?" They will investigate their findings and come up with conclusions and hopefully more questions to ask.

As an art project our Spring mural brightens the hall and creates an atmosphere of beauty!

The Morning Class draws and writes about their experiences at High Park

After their visit to High Park the morning class made a mural depicting their adventures! Science and language go hand in hand.

High Park with the morning class

At High Park the morning class learned about Spring. They were even lucky enough to see a snake! Perhaps it was just waking up from it's long winter nap!

Cheerful Chickadees

Our field trip to high park was a big success!

Students learned how chickadees and other birds adapt to winter. They made bird feeders, hid seeds and fed the chickadees.

Thank you to Mrs. Barbuto, our supply Mr. Ball and all the volunteers who helped make this field trip happen!

On Thursday Jan 28th the afternoon students will be be presenting a short "Teamwork" assembly to the school with their Reading Buddies from Room 303.

To prepare for this the students brainstormed ideas about what teamwork was. Then they worked in groups to illustrate their ideas. On thursday they will present their work to the school.

It will take place in the gym at 1:25 pm.

"Writer's Workshop"

We have started our "Writer's Workshop" program!

Every Wednesday the students sit down for about 20 minutes and write. At this stage they are writing personal narratives (real stories about things that have happened to them).

This activity allows them to work at their own level. It also allows individual attention from the teacher (known as conferences) to help take them to the next level.

Students have been extremely responsive to this activity and it is exciting to see them grow and become more confident and independent writers!

Fall "I see" counting book

Here's a look at our Fall "I see" book.

Thanks Isabella for letting us use your book!

(Sorry it's a bit out of order!)

"I Like"

The students have started an "I Like" list. At carpet time we practise reading the list individually and as a group. Our next step will be to make it into a classroom book. After that the students will make their own "I like" book based on Winter.

The Snowmen have come to town!

There may not be any snow outside but inside is a different story! The hall is a winter wonderland filled with snow, snowflakes and snowmen.

Students first made a blanket of snow using shaving cream and glue mixed together.

Then they created their snowmen using paper, felt and wallpaper.

The snowflakes are being made using coffee filters and some food colouring for added effect.