In art last week, we returned to fruit as our subject matter but this time looked at the element of art known as value. In regards to colour, value deals with the brightness or tints of a hue, and the darkness or shades of a colour. When observing the fruit, the students could identify different tints, shades and tones of the colour on the fruit depending on how the light struck it and how it reflected light as a highlight, or as a shadow.
We explored creating our own tints and shades by adding white and black to base colours and then had the option of creating artwork that made use of different values, either as a monochromatic painting (only using one colour - either red, orange or grey) or by creating one using a greyscale for the background, and then the colour red or orange and its varying tones for the fruit to help contrast it with the background.
Last Thursday, February 13th, the Grade 1 and 2 classes went on a field trip to an actual field! To learn more about how food gets from the farm to our tables we took a hands-on approach to learning by visiting the NPO Peace and Nature's Ozo Base. We departed school just after 9am and arrived around 10am. After dropping us off, our bus got stuck in the mud! It wasn't the only one, as a number of students also got themselves stuck in the mud while playing in the ditches and puddles! Luckily, the other bus was able to tow our bus out, just as their classmates and teachers were able to pull the stuck students from the mud!
Bahram Enanloo and some of the other members of the Peace and Nature group were on hand to help us out, including former DSKI student Maciej's mother Beata Andryszko!
After getting some energy from their morning snacks, the students got to work as farmhands for the day. First, we took a short tour of the grounds, and had the chance to touch and smell some of the herbs in the Herb Garden! Some also enjoyed the chance encounter with some wildlife, such as frogs, worms, spiders and the ever so popular ladybugs!
The first job of the day was to help clear a fallow field of rocks and stones. We tried to leave no stone unturned and created a nice little pile of stones in a very short time.
Once done with the rocks, it was time to put some straw down in between the rows of onions! This task demonstrated how the Second Graders have really become problem solvers by coming up with their own system to pass the straw out. Their ability to cooperate on this task was incredible and demonstrated just how much they can accomplish when they put their minds to it!
Next, it was time to get ready for lunch. The Grade Two Students carefully helped chop up some carrots, onions, daikon radishes and cabbage to be added to a nice organic soup that was made right there from fresh veggies grown in the garden.
After eating some soup, genmai rice and their own lunches, we learned about composting and then helped weed the garden by pulling out all the little weeds growing around the daikon, carrots and onion crops.
Finally, the students had the chance to pick and transplant their own onion plant from the garden and into a small planter to take home!
It was a wonderful day with warm weather, sun and fun! Most importantly, lessons were definitely learned as Aita commented, "Mr. Brabant, being a farmer is a lot of work!" This comment was also echoed and reflected on by other students as well. Hopefully, a new found appreciation for where their food comes from was instilled in all the students. Thanks again to Bahram, and all of the other members of Peace and Nature for hosting us for the day!
Thank you to everyone who took part in the 3 Way Conferences last week, it was great to meet with all of you to reflect on what they have done so far and to set personal goals for the remainder of the year.
Whole Day Field Trip this Thursday, February 13th
As part of our inquiry into where our food comes from, we will be visiting Peace and Nature's Farm in Ozo on Thursday, February 13th, together with the Grade 1 class. We will be leaving around 9am and will return just before 3:30. Please have your child dress warmly that day as the farm is up in the mountains and will probably be colder than down here. Please be aware that depending on the weather in the days leading up to the field trip the field may be muddy, please choose appropriate footwear. Also please pack a snack, lunch (school lunch has been cancelled and refunded for that day), water bottle and an empty bag to bring back some vegetables we may pick for your child. In case of rain, the trip will be postponed to Tuesday, February 18th.
Important Reminders
- Dress Warm!! (We will be outside most of the day and up in the mountains)
- snack
- lunch (school lunch has been cancelled)
- water bottle
- bag (to bring back vegetables)
Now that the report cards have been sent out, it is time for us to get together and have a little chat about how the students are progressing. Thanks to doodle.com, reserving conference times has become a very stress-free process; which is exactly what I need as I've been busy writing reports and organizing all of the school club activities for the second term.
Clubs in the 2nd Term
Speaking of Clubs...if you or your child has not joined up for one or more of the clubs being offered at DSK in the 2nd term then wait no longer as some clubs might be cancelled in the next couple of days. So please sign up here!
New Unit
Out new unit, "From Farm to Table" began last week. This week we literally focussed on food by taking a close look at some fruit in order to paint some still life paintings. We began by reviewing some colour theory about mixing secondary colours, and also examined a variety of famous still life throughout the ages. Then we passed out some fruit and let the 4 groups arrange their fruit however they wanted. Next, the students sketched the fruit in pencil, and then today they had the chance to add some colour with paint! We have some very talented artists in our class! They also made sure that the real fruit tasted as good as it looked!
Also our Invention Convention last week was a huge success. Check out the previous blog post from earlier this week!
Last Friday, the Grade 2 students were so excited to present the inventions that they created as part of our unit on how "Our needs, interests and curiosity lead us to new discoveries and ideas." Thank you to all the parents, teachers and students who come to our Invention Convention!
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great Winter Holiday and is ready to be back at school, I know I sure am! Looking after two kids 24 hours a day is much more stressful than looking after 14 kids for 6 hours a day!
Invention Convention
Since returning to school, the Grade Twos have been busy finishing up their invention projects from our second unit of the year and will be ready to present them this Friday, January 24th in the Grade 2 Class from 2:00 - 3:15, at The Grade 2 Invention Convention. Everyone is welcomed to come and see what useful and interesting ideas the students have come up with.
3 Way Conferences
An email has been sent to you via the Doodle website, please choose a timeslot for the 3 Way Conference to be held between Monday, February 3rd and Thursday, February 6th. If you or your spouse has not received an email, then please use this link to sign up.
Cold and Flu Season
Being January, cold and flu season has begun and with that in mind, it is time for me to request that each family sends in one tissue box to help us deal with the sniffles and sneezes! Thank you kindly!
Clubs for Term 2
We will have an assembly this Wednesday, January 22nd in the MPR just after Wake Up Shake Up from around 9am to give the different teachers a chance to explain the clubs that they'll be offering this term. Please come check it out! The Online Application Form to sign up for clubs will 'Go Live' on Wednesday.
Carol of the Bells
Looking back at last term, one of our biggest successes was the Grade 2 performance of Carol of the Bells during our DSK Christmas Market on the last day of classes in 2019. The energy and enthusiasm that the students bring to music for both singing and playing instruments is evident in the energetic performance they put on. Well done Grade 2! If you weren't there to see it in person or would like to watch it over and over again, please check it out below!
The holidays are only a day away and the little elves in Grade 2 have been busy getting ready for DSKI's Christmas Market and their musical performance too!
Please come out and support a good cause as all of the profits from our sales will be donated to charity.
The students have been busier than Santa and his elves on Christmas Eve as they worked hard to create cute reindeer crafts to go with some delicious Reindeer Poo!!
The students will be working in shifts at the Grade 2 Booth taking turns to sell our Reindeer Poo and decorations. When they are not scheduled at the booth, they are free to visit other shops together with their parents. Please check the schedule below and make sure that they show up on time for their work shift!
Grade 2 Xmas Market Shift Schedule 2019
10:00 - 10:15
10:15 - 10:30
10:30 - 10:45
10:45 - 11:00
Aita
Ellie
Sophia
Rafael
Lucas
Yoshika
Yeonjae
Simran
Sakura
Kanna O
Junsu Y
Yua
Junsu P
Kanna H
They will also be performing my personal favourite Christmas carol, Carol of the Bells! Despite some issues with synchronizing their tempo early on, as well as overcoming the challenges of learning how to play a new instrument, they are finally ready to perform for an audience!
Then after a visit from a special visitor dressed in red and white, it will be time to pack up and get ready to go home around 1pm.
Please enjoy the market and our performance tomorrow, and of course have a wonderful winter holiday with your family.
