Category: Events

On Wednesday we had an amazing field trip to the Vancouver Aquarium!  We have been learning about aquatic animals and this was a great opportunity to see them in real life.

We participated in the “Staying Alive” workshop, where students learned how different animals adapt to their environment.  We examined a “creature” and made hypotheses about his environment.  Then each group went around the aquarium with a knowledgeable guide.  We got to touch a perch, a sea star, an urchin, and a sea otter pelt!

Some of my favourite animals were the jellies and the belugas.  Watching the jellies move is mesmerizing, and the variety of species is quite impressive.  Check them out on the aquarium’s webcam.  My group also spent at least 20 minutes watching the belugas from underwater.  It is amazing to me that such huge animals can move so gracefully.  We saw one jump out of the water and dive down with a big splash!

During the day we also had time to research our big questions, sketch the animals, and write some poetry.  We are going to use this work as inspiration for our art show project.  Stay tuned for more details coming soon!  Thanks to student and parent photographers for these images.

Last week was our Open House and student-led conferences.  It was great to see all the learning that has been going on throughout the school!  Reflecting on it the next day, Division 7 said they were happy, excited, nervous, and proud to share their learning with their families.

To finish our unit on Identity, Family, and Change, we made bread and butter.  Making bread was a lot different from the way we saw on our field trip to Burnaby Village Museum: after we measured the ingredients and plugged in the bread machine, we didn’t need to worry about our bread until it was done.  We did use the old-fashioned method to make butter.  We poured whipping cream into a jar and shook it until the milk fat formed a ball in the middle of the jar.  It was yellower than we expected, it looked just like butter from the store!  Tasting the butter on warm bread was delicious, and several students asked for the recipe, so here it is!

Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/2 cups water

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp molasses

2 Tbsp shortening

1 tsp salt

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp yeast

Put in bread machine in the order listed.  Choose whole wheat setting and let it go!

If you do not have a bread machine, you can still make this recipe.  Combine the ingredients to make the dough, then let it rise for 1-2 hours.  Knead down and place in a loaf pan, let it rise another 1-2 hours.  Bake at 350∘ for 35-40 minutes.  (Method borrowed from King Arthur Flour recipe)

On Thursday, March 28^th, Division 7 will be performing their fairy tale reader’s theatre.  Students have been practicing speaking clearly, reading fluently, and adding expression to their voices.  Since there are four plays, we will be having two sessions, with two plays in the morning and two in the afternoon.  At 9:20 we will be performing “Spiderella” and “The Three Little Elephants”.  At 1:10 we will be performing “Golidlocks and the Three Bullfrogs” and “Little Red Robin”.  If you are unable to attend the performances, they will be filmed and you can email me if you would like a copy of your child’s performance.  Hope to see many of you on Thursday!

This past week we went on a field trip as part of our community unit.  We wrote about our field trip later in the week, using the skills we learned about telling steps in order.  Rather than me telling you about it, I will let you read some of the students’ writing.  I have typed them as the students wrote them, and all the students have been using their Kidwriting (writing the sounds they hear) to write words they don’t know how to spell.  These are all Grade Two students, the Grade One Kidwriting is still a bit tricky for grownups to read 😉

We walkad to Bus.  The Bus took us to the sky train.  The skytrain took us to the seaBus.  we Had Lunch when the seaBus stopt.  We whent to a Market caLd Lonsdale key.  We Bot candy with a tounaey.  I bot a candy cane and four gumaey thay waer gooD. we got home by taking the seaBus and the Bus then we got back to SchooL.  the End  by V.C.

My favourite part is The play area.  We walkd to the Bus.  And then the sky train.  It was fun.  We had lunch.  The candy was great.  We took The seabus and bus back.  by L.M.

on Tuesday our class went on a feld crip we learnt abut traspertashin.  We walked to the bus it took us to the sketrain we tuck two of them it was fun.  then We took the saebus I saw a segll and the woter we got off and at lonsdl quey we had lunch.  We lookd in the markit I got candy.  then I went to the play place I wus sweting.  On the way home we took the seabus and the bus and walked.  by V.W.

We walked to the bus to the skyTrain to the seabus.  It was long.  Next we had lunch.  Then we went to the market.  There was a candy store.  we bouht some candy there.  Then we went in the ball pit.  It was fun.  Then we went back in the sea bus and the bus.  We walked too.  My favorite part is going in the ballpit.  by L.E.

First we walled to the Bus then the Bus tuc us to the skytran the skytran tuc us to the SeaBus.  Next We ate Luch.  then we went to the Markit then we went to the play area.  Last the SeaBus tuc us to the Bus.  then we walled to School  the End!  My favrit part was goging to the candy stor and playing with My frens i Love ms. collins thank you!  by M.M.