Last Post for 2022

 On Monday and Tuesday, we continued investigating sound as the students constructed their own cardboard box guitars and experimented with pitch by changing the thickness or tension of the elastic band strings. Even though they didn’t turn out to be very musically accurate the students were still very proud of their creations and had fun strumming them!

On Tuesday, we joined together with the Grade 1 students to experiment with sound. In the hallway between the two classes we set up 4 small science experiments to demonstrate the properties of sound. One experiment demonstrated how sound is a form of energy and could make grains of salt dance on top of Saran Wrap when music was playing inside a cup. Another showed how sound can travel through water as well as another which showed how sound waves travel through different materials. They also experimented with pitch by creating a pan flute out of straws.

In math, we have been focusing on addition and subtraction skills for the past two weeks. On Monday, the students practiced regrouping tens into ones using manipulatives to help them understand what is happening when they borrow from tens when doing long subtraction. We also learnt different strategies to help us subtract such as how to subtract by adding, or by using empty number lines.

This week things took a festive turn as we began preparing for the Christmas Market. We had Maria, Amalia and Emily’s mothers join us for baking cookies on Wednesday. We were so lucky to have them! We listened to Christmas carols while rolling out the cookie dough and cut out all kinds of Christmas shapes- gingerbread men, trees, snowmen and reindeer, along with a few Halloween bats and more!

The students and moms did a fantastic job following my grandma’s recipes for gingerbread and shortbread cookies. They also did a fantastic job helping clean up the dishes, and make all of the signs for Santa’s Sweets Shop! 

At the Christmas Market today, the students did a nice job of dancing for the parents and then they had the chance to buy some of their cookies and some of the other goodies! We finished off our advent calendar activities with a game of Ho! Ho! Ho! How’s Santa feeling? And some of the students shared some gifts with their friends. 

Oh I almost forgot! On Thursday we had a special visitor! All of the students were happy to get a new book to read over the holidays!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone. I hope you all enjoy some probably not so quiet time with the kids at home! I know my home won’t be quiet! See you back at DSKI on January 10th!

The Class and Blog Must Go On

 Although I wasn’t at school this week, Ms. Renu kept the class going with all the activities that I planned for them and she kept me updated on their progress. 

In unit this week, the students inquired into the properties of sound. They experimented with creating sound effects such as a rainstorm by using their hands and body percussion, and also tried to recreate the bouncing sound of a ball using rulers. 

They also used simple materials (popsicle sticks and rubber bands) to make their own little harmonicas to experiment with how sound is made through vibrations and how they can change the pitch of the sound. 

Next week we will try to make some more stringed instruments on Monday so we ask that all students bring in an empty tissue box, milk carton and, or toilet paper or paper towel rolls. Please bring extra if you have some just in case some students forget. 

On Tuesday, the students celebrated St. Nicholas’ Day and took part in a scavenger hunt to help them track down the missing mikans/ tangerines. They had to find and read the clues which would then give them one letter of the location of the hidden mikans. Once they found and unscrambled all seven of the clues they could then collect their prize!

In math this week, the focus has been on addition and a little bit of subtraction as the students looked at different strategies for adding and subtracting, with a focus on mental math strategies.

In PE we began a new unit on dance and started with some fun Bhangra dance and then some body percussion, making rhythmic patterns of sounds by stopping their feet and tapping their knees, or clapping their hands. This week they thought up and practiced their own short 8 beat routines and taught a partner. Next week we’ll take it a few steps further where they create a small routine with a group to make their own STOMP -style dance.

Finally, this week we had to sadly say goodbye to Isaac as his family prepares for their next adventure! We wish Isaac and his family all the best in the future and know that he will remember DSKI as it has been his second home for the past four plus years!

Sounds and Lights of Christmas

 Despite the title of this week’s blog, it was a bit of a quiet week in Grade 2 as a few students have been away. I also didn’t take quite so many photos this week as we took some time to reflect on unit 2, and began unit 3 with some discussion about the trans disciplinary theme: How We Express Ourselves as well as discovering the central idea and lines of inquiry.

On Tuesday, we had the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in the morning and received our advent calendar from the PTA. Each day the students get to open up one activity and get to take part in a fun Christmas themed game or activity like Pin the Tail on the Reindeer, Christmas Pictionary, Xmas Quiz, or get a small gift.

We also had some fun in our last full week of Karate! Next week we will need to shuffle/ slide/ high step our way into our next PE unit as we find new ways to express ourselves. 

In addition to that, Grade 2 will begin their swimming lessons on Monday, so please remember to pack their swim things.