Terry Fox

Hello friends!

Last week we had our annual Terry Fox run. 

It rained.

But, hey, Terry ran in the rain, didn't he? You bet!

So, we went out in the rain and ran.

Thankfully, the decision was made that the primary grades would stay at the school to do the run rather than walking to the park nearby.

The walk to the park and back would have meant over an hour in the rain. And, while I totally respect Terry's stamina and determination to run through anything, coming back to school to spend the rest of the day with a class of wet kids didn't appeal at all! Staying at school kept it under 20 minutes. Phew!

Plus, I can't lie, going to the nearby park is a huge stress for me at this point in the year. I have students who wander off walking from the classroom to the music room. And I am supposed to walk them 8 blocks from school? Without having a panic attack?

Seriously?!?!

Thanks but no thanks!

So, I was quite happy to stay at the school to do the run!

Anywho, the afternoon before the Terry Fox run we did a community activity that tied in to Terry Fox. 

After wandering the shelves in Kidsbooks for over an hour looking for just the right book, I found this book by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanass. (And how nice that it being a book by a First Nations author ties in so nicely with our school goal regarding First Nations education!)

It is not about Terry Fox but I think speaks to the spirit of Terry Fox. It is about doing what one can to change something that is seemingly unchangeable. It is about bravery and courage in the face of adversity. It made me get goosebumps the first time I read it. 

I dare you to watch this and not feel something!

After reading the story and watching the animation made by the author, students wrote and drew a response answering the question "What small action can you do to make a difference?"

Now, this is a pretty deep question for adults much less 5-7 year olds! But by tying it back to our school community, the students were able to come up with lots of great answers. Things like turn the lights off, pick up garbage, help each other, plant more trees, clean up after yourself, recycle, the list went on. 

I was proud of my group for all the great ideas they had. Now to put those ideas into action!

And, on an aside, at last count our school had raised almost $8000 for the Terry Fox Foundation. Now that is generosity! I feel so blessed to work at a school that has such a giving heart.

Cheers!
Ms. Hughes

First Nations Art

Hello friends!

We created Haida art to acknowledge the Truth and Reconciliation talks that took place here in town earlier in the month. We did not talk about residential schools as our students are so young. We did, however, talk about the First Nations peoples and acknowledge their being on this land first. 

Then our K/1 teacher read a beautiful story that showed a picture of an animal on one page with a Haida interpretation of that same animal on the next page. It was fab! And clearly the students were paying some attention (it was hard to know if any of them were really listening in a group of 90 grade 1 and 2's!!!!) because their art turned out so wonderfully! 

The students were given a piece of paper with an ovoid drawn on it. They could choose either side of the paper to use to create an animal (the ovoid on one side was larger) in the Haida style. 

Check them out!

Aren't they great? These are just the first 10 I got hung up. There are more on the walls now. I was so impressed with some of them. There are a few real monkeys in my group who never sit still, never seem to be listening and who talk seemingly all the time and I really wasn't sure what they would produce but they did awesome!

Like the beaver in the second row on the right. Never would I have dreamed that this particular student would get so many details in his drawing! He never seems to be paying attention in class and I was so pleased to have him prove me wrong! I love the teeth and the log in its mouth and the colours and, well, and everything! (And, yes, I am aware that I just wrote a sentence using and too many times!!!!)

Cheers!
Ms. Hughes