Under the Sea Musical

Hey families,

We just got back from Westwood! We were there to see the Under the Sea musical! It was like the Disney movie The Little Mermaid, but this show was acted out live. It was starring kids from all different schools in our Divison. From our school, we had Naomi, Charlotte and Kaylee starring in the musical! They played a few diffferent roles. Look for them in the pictures Ms. Burland took.

Here were some of our favourite parts:

Spencer- when Ariel got her voice back and when the King got mad at Ariel
Ilaina- Ariel's costume
Leland- when Sebastian was chased by the chef
Naomi- when Ariel fell in love with Prince Eric
Adrian- all the songs!
Braden- the part where there was the seaweed and the fish and the end
Michael- when they fell off the boat
Katrina- when they did the Under the Sea song and the ending
Brianna- the first song
Ava: when Arial was singing Under the Sea
Will- when they fell off the boat
Noah O. - the evil witch

This was the first year the grade 2/3 classes went. It was exciting and awesome and amazing! Hopefully we can go next year!

~Love Team 24

This week in Theme Studies

As we near the end of our unit, students have explored the topics of absorbing liquids in solids and dissolving solids in liquids.

To their HORROR, I tried to clean up a spill I made with a garbage bag and this discussion led us into a look at how some solids absorb liquids better than others. We also talked about when this would be helpful (ex. cleaning a mess, getting out of the shower) and when it would not be (ex. swimming).

Next we tested various solids to see which would dissolve in liquids and, again, discussed when this would be helpful (powdered detergent in laundry or the dishwasher, instant coffee, jello, baking and KOOL-AID). So yes, we ended the lesson by making some yummy Kool-Aid. Well, we DID work up a thirst with all that learning!

We tested flour, a marker, a cube, hot chocolate mix, sand & Kool-Aid in water 

MMMM… Kool-Aid

Just recently, we looked at solids and materials floating and sinking in a liquid, in this case water. As a challenge during this hands-on group activity, students tried to make floating objects sink and sinking objects float. 

The follow-up discussions led right into our talk about our boat building project and competition! Specicially, we applied our understanding and talked about which materials would be best for boat building, which would get wet and soggy and not support a mass and how to make materials more buoyant. We are all looking forward to that competition next week!

~Ms. Burland

iPad Pictures

Team 24 families,

It has been fun to integrate the 7 classroom iPads into our classroom learning! They are used in multiple ways to enhance students' learning. We have talked about WHY we have and are using the iPads and quickly determined that they were to HELP our learning. Thus, the phrase: "Can I play on the iPads?" has been banned from the classroom! Instead, we say, "Can I LEARN on the iPads?"! All of the apps downloaded to student iPads are educational and purposeful. Here are some of the ways we have used the iPads in our learning (so far):

1) During Daily 4/School-wide Guided Reading, students use the iPads to read books and listen to reading- some are fantastic book apps and others are books we have made and shared through iBooks! In addition, students are welcome to play Spelling City with their spelling words during this time.

2) Students also use Spelling City as one activity to practice their words during our three weekly Word Study lessons. A note did go home detailing the Spelling City app and many are excitedly learning and practicing their words at home!

3) After math lessons and work jobs, or as a brain warm-up, students love playing math games on the iPads, especially Addimals (which is FREE!).  Addimals also you to isolate a mental math strategy, as well as practice quick recall of facts.

4) As a class, we have used SoundCloud and Book Creator to create audio files of our New Year's Resolution writing and to turn our individual goals into a class book. Just as has been done with other class-made books this year, this book will be shared to the student iPads in iBooks for their reading enjoyment!

I am so proud to say that students are treating the iPads with respect, are using them cooperatively with a buddy and are not at all upset if I deny their request to go on them (whether it's not their turn or if I don't want them used at all at the time). Volumes are turned down when asked, classmates are helping others troubleshoot without being asked and students are adapting and following rules we create as we need (for example, when reading a book app, students must read or listen to the reading on each page BEFORE touching and clicking the interactive features within the page- as per our discussions that we are using the iPads to LEARN and in this case, become better readers.)

I could not ask for better behaviour on the iPads! Fantastic job, Team 24!

~Ms. Burland

Overdue Snapshots

Here are some pictures that I have been meaning to upload:

Noah, Will and Michael playing Math Jenga after math journals

 Grade 2s have been developing their understanding and recall of double facts; here they are applying these facts to a game of Slides and Ladders

Spot what's wrong with this picture

 Students are engaged in a lesson about manners with Mrs. Lockhart

She built this puzzle all by herself during indoor recess!

~Ms. Burland