Boat Carving

Today we had the privilege and good fortune to connect with the PHSS wood working class. My students made sure they were well prepared by reading and watching videos about carving. We also made plans so that students had a vision before starting to carve. Our next step will be to paint and personalize the … [Read more…]

Grass Roots Learning Centre

On October 3rd our class went to Grass Roots Learning Centre along with our Kindergarten buddy class. Students had the opportunity to see a garden during the fall harvest. They harvested tomatoes, berries, onions and planted mushrooms! They also went through a nature trail that was lined with indigenous plants of the North Island. We … [Read more…]

Grit

Do you have grit? Turns out having grit (passion and perseverance) is a significant predictor for school success. Listen to this quick TedTalk by Angela Lee Duckworth to get a better idea of the research around grit and the growth mindset. Carol Dweck has a great follow up video too!

Read to Self and Read to Someone

This week we have been practicing the skills that are required for students to gain the most from our “read to self” and “read to someone” times. We have created criteria for what success looks like during these times. The reason it is so important that we get this routine down is so students can … [Read more…]

Sunflower Exploration

Today was our first day of science and student were not afraid to get their hands dirty! I brought in two of my dead and decomposing sunflowers for students to dissect and observe. We read a book about the life cycle of a sunflower and found the different parts. Students then recorded some of the … [Read more…]

A New Year, A New Perspective

It is the eve before the first day of school and I am as excited as a kid on Christmas eve! It’s silly really and as embarrassed as I felt to write this I was just thinking that I hope when have been teaching for 20+ years that I still feel this way- excited! Today … [Read more…]