Pink Shirt Day, Feb. 25th, 2015

Our district home page shares about North Canoe Elementary: 

Students and staff at North Canoe Elementary join others around the school district, province and even country, by wearing a pink shirt to help raise anti-bullying awareness on Wednesday Feb. 25! School District 83 also shares the provincial website called E.R.A.S.E.  They post: E.R.A.S.E Bullying! Every child deserves an education free from discrimination, bullying, harassment, intimidation and violence. The ERASE (Expect Respect and A Safe Education) Bullying website,www.erasebullying.ca, is here to help. This provincial website includes online access for youth to report bullying, as well as, a wealth of information for youth, parents and educators about bullying. ERASE Bullying builds on the Province's Safe, Caring and Orderly Schools Strategy (2004), which focussed on creating schools where students are free from harm, where clear expectations of acceptable behaviour are held for all members of the school community, and where there is a sense of connectedness. ERASE Bullying will help ensure every child feels safe, accepted and respected, regardless of their gender, race, culture, religion or sexual orientation. ERASE Bullying also builds on effective programs already in place and will ensure there are consistent policies and practices across all 60 school districts, backed by strong community partnerships and support. Bullying has a serious effect on children and youth, and must be dealt with. Preventing or dealing with bullying isn't the responsibility of just one person - it takes a whole community approach! -------- Let's all take action in STOPPING bullying!  Great day to you all, Ms. M-A.

Seasons and AV2 Book Series

Spring is knocking at our door in the North Okanagan Shuswap, British Columbia, Canada!  Can you see signs of Spring?  Our seven primary classes today explored the topic of Spring - connecting and sharing stories.


 We looked at Science Kids: Seasons, Spring by AV2 books.  This publisher offers both print and non-print (digital/online) packages.  For example, the internet resources that support the Seasons book includes the following:

• Audio - you can listen to sections of the book
• Video clips of a song about spring and an online book
• embedded weblinks about Spring: "Sheppard Software: Seasons" and "Enchanted Learning" which offers some free links; otherwise, you must be a member
• Printables for a word searche, cross work puzzle, matching activities, etc.

The Bastion Learning Commons has sixteen AV2 titles at the moment.  Try them out!

Also this poem is known as "A Calendar"

January brings the snow,
makes our feet and fingers glow.

February brings the rain,
Thaws the frozen lake again.

March brings breezes loud and shrill,
stirs the dancing daffodil.

April brings the primrose sweet,
Scatters daises at our feet.

May brings flocks of pretty lambs,
Skipping by their fleecy damns.

June brings tulips, lilies, roses,
Fills the children's hand with posies.

Hot july brings cooling showers,
Apricots and gillyflowers.

August brings the sheaves of corn,
Then the harvest home is borne.

Warm september brings the fruit,
Sportsmen then begin to shoot.

Fresh October brings the pheasents,
Then to gather nuts is pleasent.

Dull November brings the blast,
Then the leaves are whirling fast.

Chill December brings the sleet,
Blazing fire, and Christmas treat.

                                                                                   By Sara Coleridge

Happy Valentine`s!

This week we continued learning about the difference between fiction and non-fiction and specifically looked at the history of Valentine's Day through Joyce Kessel's book Valentine's Day

This report by Manchester Today TV (England) sums up Kessel's main historical points well:

Now here is a little origami for you: try making some paper flowers.  The first YouTube is a quick overview.  The second gives you step-by-step instructions.

Here is a little more detail of how to make this paper flower ...

Now let's move onto candy!  How Candied hearts are made by Martha Stewart (3:38)

For some book readings try out Tumblr Books through the Okanagan Regional Library Web site.

Have a great Valentine's Day and weekend.  Joy of reading, family time, and learning to you all, Ms. M-A.

Family literacy Week, Jan. 24th-31st - Unplug and Play!

Goals of Unplug and Play

1. More time with your family
2. Be more active
3. Push your brain to learn even more this week!

Check out the numerous events happening in your community this week and ... unplug and play! 

MONDAY, JAN. 26TH

Tonight were couple of great opportunities.  One was to snow shoe at Little Mountain Park - thank you Laura Paiement and Mr. Caner for organizing this event.  Check out pics and info at Twitter feeds @sd83schools and #83learns

The 2nd was curling at our local curling rink. Send any photos you have to the above twitter accounts to share your experience and share the word about Family Literacy Week.

CHECK YOUR PASSPORTS TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING ALL WEEK AND FOR TOMORROW. Fill in the back page and enter a draw to win books when Unplug and Play week ends (entry forms to the office draw box).

Origami

Check Out the Top Ten Hardest Origami Creations, 2011

Dewey decimal number  736.982 and Bastion search results.  The Okanagan Regional Library (ORL) has 86 results

Now you try some origami!  Let's start with a paper box.  How-to video instructions found here or on the side bar on this blog under the LOVE LEARNING INFO PAGES section.

• Have fun!  
• Take creative risks!  
• Remember - your creations don't have to be perfect!
• Practice begets improvement, and possibly perfection!

Straightening teeth with dental braces: An 18 month time lapse

My son just got braces on yesterday, so we thought we would cruise the internet to learn about the process.  Check this one out:

Alrighty, those heading into the braces experience consider taking before and after pictures and remember to brush and floss daily!

Domino Chain Reactions

This post is for Ewan who made some creative and fascinating domino chain reactions within 30 mins!  Here is the science behind your fun and "sciencey" artwork, Ewan:

"A domino can knock over the next domino at about 1.5x larger (perhaps 2x larger) and this instant video classic from 2009 is a great example of this chain reaction. Watch University of Toronto’s Professor Stephen Morris knock over a 1-meter tall domino that weighs over 100 pounds by starting with a 5mm high by 1mm thick domino. TINY.


There are 13 dominoes in this sequence.  If Professor Morris used 29 dominoes in total, with the next one always being 1.5x larger, the last domino would be the height of the Empire State Building."




"Stephen Morris, professeur de physique à l'université de Toronto, au Canada, fait une démonstration d'une réaction en chaîne avec des dominos de taille croissante disposés les uns derrière les autres. Un domino pouvant entraîner dans sa chute un domino 1,5 fois plus grand, une réaction en chaîne avec 13 dominos parvient à faire chuter un domino de près de 50 kilos en démarrant avec un minuscule domino de 5 mm de hauteur. D'ailleurs, Stephen Morris explique qu'avec une chaîne de 29 dominos, chacun 1,5 fois plus grands que le précédent, il serait tout à fait possible de faire tomber un domino de la taille de l'Empire State Building de New-York, aux États-Unis, le gratte-ciel mesurant la bagatelle de 381 mètres de hauteur (443,2 m avec l’antenne)."






Aug. 10th, 2009 the largest domino chain of the time:

Oct. 18th, 2014

Dewey for Dominoes - 795.3 (Jan. 4th, 2015 none at Bastion)
ORL




Science - physics