WWR April 30

Cowabunga!!!!

We had a visit from the dairy farm yesterday. It is a program done by BC Dairy. Gotta love a field trip that comes right to you, teaches you new things and is over in 45 minutes!!!!

Seeing as how we are currently studying the ocean and dolphins, I really wasn't sure how this completely unrelated event would go over. But I am happy to say that the class seemed to really enjoy it and had good questions to ask to boot! (The cuteness of the calf didn't hurt in holding their interest either!!)

Some random facts we learned: 
- there are over 700 kinds of cows
- it takes 20 minutes to milk a cow and they need to be milked 2-3 times a day (hence the invention of the milking machine!)
- cows make up to 8 milk jugs worth of milk a day (the 4 litre ones!)
- a calf can walk as soon as it is born
- the cow they used to milk is named Pearl and she is a twin
- cows like molasses
- calves drink milk until they are 4 months old
- cows have their first babies when they are 2 years old
- milk in Canada can not have any antibiotics or hormones in it
- cows sleep 8 hours a day, eat 8 hours a day and chew their cud 8 hours a day
- cows have 4 stomachs
- cows drink a bathtub full of water each day. Unless it is really hot and then they drink more!
- cows eat the equivalent of something like 1,200 bowls of cereal a day!!!!

And here are some photos of the 2 year old cow (a smallish one at something like 1,400 pounds!) and the 2 week old calf. 

Cheers!

Olwyn

WWR April 23

Happy Easter!

We made Easter baskets with our buddy class last week. They turned out super duper cute!

Then, on Thursday, Cooking Group #2 worked with my Amazing SSSW (the latest acronym for our support workers) to make Chocolate Chow Mein Noodle Nests. These are super easy to make and quick as well!

I found the recipe here but didn't use the peanut butter and substituted jelly beans for chocolate eggs. 

Students were all smiles as they headed out the door on Thursday with a basket full of chocolaty goodness in their hands!

Hope Mr. Easter Bunny was good to you and yours!!!

Cheers!

Olwyn

WWR April 16

Partner Reading

This week we started Partner Reading in Daily 5 (finally!) We went over why we Partner Read (to practice fluency, check comprehension, learn from each other etc...) and how to do it (sit EEKK, read the whole time, each student read book at their just right level etc...)

I hate to say that I was expecting it to not go very smoothly.

I mean, first week back from Spring Break? First week back with their classroom teacher vs. student teacher?

Not the best odds for a whiz bang showing.

But, they surprised me!!!! It went like clockwork.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

They were all beyond excited to get to read with a partner and I hardly had to do any re-teaching at all. Yay!

Check out how the boys above are reading.

Sitting EEKK (elbow to elbow and knee to knee).

Focusing on the other student while s/he is reading.

Book boxes on outside of their bodies.

Practicing "Do you want help or a hint?"

They were so into it. They were practicing "I Read, You Read" where each student reads one page and then the other reads one page.

It. Was. Awesome.

Go readers!!!!!

Cheers!

Olwyn

WWR April 9

So long, farewell,

auf weidersehen, goodbye...

Last week we bid adieu to our student teacher, Ms. Fusco. Her last day was a week ago yesterday. I meant to get this post written last week but best intentions and all that...

It felt a bit like coming back to school after the summer. With the exception of teaching 40 minutes of writing each day, I hadn't had the class to myself in 8 weeks!


And, boy, could I tell!

So, last week was busy, busy, busy with relearning routines and expectations a la Ms. Hughes.


I think they all realized that Ms. Fusco was really gone when her Happy Club turned into the Unhappy Club (otherwise known as the After School Club) and I told them that from now on they stay after school if they have incomplete work or if they make poor behaviour choices. 

Not that I was a complete ogre last week but they needed to get the idea that time is ticking by...


As of tomorrow, there are only 11 weeks left in the school year and a whole lot of learning left to do!!!!


I told them very clearly that I expect them to be buckling down and working during working time. It's one thing to not understand how to do something. It is a whole 'nother thing when they are just being down right lazy!

Anywho, back to the point of this post...we had to bid a fond farewell to Ms. Fusco. So, we threw a surprise party!!!!

And she was surprised!


Students and their families had sent in money for me to buy Ms. Fusco a gift. I decided to fill a basket with assorted goodies that I wish I had had when I first started teaching. No one tells you to have a mini sewing kit on hand or that packing tape is a teacher's best friend when it comes to book surgery. 


These are important things to know, people!

So, she opened her big, huge gift basket (the basket being a dish tub since teachers never seem to have enough of these either!)



These are a few of my favourite things: scissors, pens, pencils, duct tape, safety pins, measuring tape, packing tape, hockey tape (great for colour coding stuff!)

This mug just screamed out "Ms. Fusco!" because it totally reminded me of all the Kid President videos we have watched with her and how he always says to find your awesome.

Another one that people don't tell you about...thank you cards!

And you can't go wrong with a personalized clip board. No worries about another teacher taking it because it is OOAK (one of a kind) and made with love (and a lot of duct tape!)

And, last but definitely not least, there was the book we made for her. Each of my lovelies wrote a tip on how to be a good teacher and then drew a picture for her. I put them all in a book and had it published on Blurb. I love that site!!!!



I got an extra copy to keep in the classroom for the lovelies to read.

And the title? Well, it comes from my philosophy which I shared with Ms. Fusco. I do believe that students need to feel loved to learn. When they feel loved, they feel safe and worthwhile. When they feel loved, they can do anything!

Cheers!

Olwyn

p.s. Don't ask me why part of this was highlighted in white. Tried to get it to go away but couldn't figure it out! Oh well!!!!

3D and Wayne Thiebaud

Before Spring Break started we were working on shape and form in art. We used Wayne Thiebaud as inspiration for our 3D art. 

Check out what some of my lovelies did!

Nice, huh? Bet it makes you feel like eating cake!

We are now moving on and working on colour in art class. We'll be starting with primary colours so stay tuned for some art around that concept.

Happy Monday!

Olwyn

That's What I Am Talking About!!!!!

What City Are You?

It is a strange, strange world when I answer a bunch of questions on a quiz and it comes back telling me that the city I am supposed to be living in is Los Angeles! 

I even did the quiz twice AND changed some of my answers and it STILL came back as L.A.!!!

Geez! What is up with that?

I am about the most un-L.A. person I can think of. 

Just goes to show that these quizzes may be fun but they are not exactly accurate!

What city are you supposed to live in?

Check it out and see what you get. I dare you!

Olwyn

Currently...April!

Hard to believe that we are in the final term of the year. Just 12 short weeks until the year is done and, trust me, they will fly by!!!

It is that time again...

I'm linking up with Farley over at Oh Boy Fourth Grade for this month's Currently.

listening...I have iTunes playlists for various things...working out, yoga, faith, travel etc. It's nice ato be able to fit the music to the mood!!!!!

loving...Usually I sleep at my mother's from Sunday through Thursday but this week I got a night off and actually had a mid-week Date Night with my crow! My wonderful 17 year old daughter took the shift at Mum's. Thanks Sweetie!!!!

thinking...I hate allergies! I have them all year due to my allergies to dust BUT add in the seasonal allergies and I feel like one big sneezing, dripping faucet! UGH! Have been researching alternative allergy relief (am worried I am taking WAY too much of the OTC stuff!) so stay tuned. I'll let you know if any of it works!

wanting...having spent my Spring Break at my mother's, I am not exactly feeling like I had a real vacation from all things life. Dreaming of a hammock, a good book and a warm breeze blowing....

needing...it feels a bit like September all over again in my class. Usually we have to do some major review post Spring Break but this year I haven't been with them full time in 2 months! It feels VERY weird to be back in the classroom full time after having a student teacher. I am getting back in the swing and the kids are remembering my expectations....slowly. 

hours...I am paid for 8:45-3:15. Any other hours are at my discretion. A normal workday for me is to arrive around 8 and leave anywhere from 4:30-5:30 (usually closer to the latter!). And I always put in lots of hours over the summer (but those would be unpaid, just because I want to, hours!)

last day...we go right til the end of June. But we don't start until the Tuesday after Labour Day in September. And we get 2 weeks at Christmas and 2 weeks at Spring Break. 

And there you have it! Another Currently done! Happy April everyone!

Olwyn