At the corner of my street someone had used chalk to write this message on the sidewalk. It’s good advice for everyone.
Words of Wisdom
Stay Safe
Lego House – By Andrey, Rio and Nina
During Centre time Andrey, Rio and Nina were working together to build this wonderful Lego house. Is that a big screen tv (green) I see? They worked on their Lego masterpiece for several weeks. Well done.
Spelling Program
After taking a break from our Spelling program, it will resume during the week of April 6th. To find the Spelling words click on the page tab Spelling – Grades 1 and 2 . To all the students in Division 10, keep up the good work.
Hip Hop Dance
This week the students will be participating in a Hip Hop dance program. Instructors will be visiting the school and teaching students during their P.E. classes.
Burnaby Village Museum
The class went on a field trip to Burnaby Village Museum and participated in the Winter Wonder school program. Students rode the vintage carousel, visited a blacksmith, toured historic buildings and spent time in a silent movie theatre. A special thanks to the parents who drove and helped with supervision. Have a relaxing and safe Winter Break.
Engineering – Designing Bridges
This week the students participated in two Science AL!VE workshops. One workshop was titled Engineering Olympics and students used popsicle sticks, straws and masking tape to build their own bridges. The bridges were loaded up with weights until they collapsed and the students became so excited watching how much weight their bridge could hold.
I was also teaching the class about the Tacoma Narrows bridge which opened on July 1, 1940. During its construction, workers noticed the bridge deck began to move vertically during windy conditions, so they nicknamed it ‘Galloping Gertie’. On November 7, 1940 it was a windy day and this caused the bridge to sway violently and the concrete started to crack. Eventually the bridge collapsed due to aereoelastic flutter. There was no loss of human life. A single car was on the bridge and it belonged to Leonard Coatsworth. Inside of his car was his cocker spaniel ‘Tubby’. Professor Farquharson, who was involved in the design of the bridge, tried to rescue ‘Tubby’, but the dog was so terrified that it bit the professor. In university engineering and physics classes the Tacoma Narrows bridge and its design is studied by students.
Beautiful British Columbia
We are fortunate to live in a province with so much natural beauty. Sometimes when I’m out hiking and exploring, I’ll take some video with my drone. A drone is an amazing piece of technology, but it must be used responsibly. Can you see the fishing black bear in the video? What’s your favourite part of the video? Do you like the music? In the lower right hand corner is a button you can click to see the video full screen.
Sphero SPRK+
In class the students have been learning about coding. We use the Sphero SPRK+ robot to foster creativity through discovery and play, all while laying the foundation for computer science. Students learned to program their Sphero SPRK+ to successfully navigate a maze we created using masking tape and the carpet in our classroom. How did you like using the Sphero SPRK+ in class? Did you find it challenging to create the code for your Sphero SPRK+? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
Public Speaking
Congratulations to all the students in Division 13 who presented their speeches in class. It’s clear that students spent a lot of time researching, writing, memorizing and practicing their speeches at home. It takes courage to get up in front of a group of students and deliver a speech. Public speaking is a skill that will serve you well in life.
Four students were chosen to share their speeches during the Public Speaking Festival in the gym. This involved standing on the stage, using the microphone and speaking in front of a larger audience which included judges, teachers, parents and students. Well done.
Grade 3
Megan – The Five Second Rule
Hazel – Why There Is No Such Thing As Girl Things Or Boy Things
Grade 4
Grayson – Firefighters
Amalie – Mohamed Salah
Indoor Rock Climbing
Our class went indoor rock climbing this week. For some students it was their first experience and for others they had tried the activity before. Students wore a seat harness and were belayed as they climbed. This is an activity where students learned about their own limitations. We had a two hour session and many of the students climbed right to the top of a number of different routes. The indoor climbing gym also runs camps for students during the Spring and Summer breaks.
