Swimming

Hi grade 1 families. Next week we will be participating in swimming lessons. Please remember to pack a swim suit, towel and a plastic bad to put the wet suits in. Since we go in the morning it would save time if the girls already had their suits on under their cloths (just remember to pack all clothing for when they get out of the pool!). Please dress warm as it will be cold next week and tights and dresses are tricky to put on after students have been in the pool water. May be a good idea to wear warm, baggy clothing.

Remember no school tomorrow!
Have a nice weekend.

Heritage Park

Room 10 had the opportunity to explore Heritage Park yesterday. Our first stop was looking at buildings and people from the past. We visited two different homes; The Prince House and the Thorpe house. The Thorpe house was home to a Norwegian family that had 8 children and many dogs all named Spot! The students loved hearing how Mr. Thorpe was a jokester and used to dress his do up like himself and train him to answer the door! The students were able to put on white gloves and feel artifacts from this era; we looked at a bed chamber pot, curling iron, a "rug wacker", and a soap holder. We also learned that it was common for women to make art out of their family members hair that fell out during brushing. The afternoon was spent learning about different roles in the community. Many we still have today, but some we did not like the Milk Man. The students were able to try on some of the outfits that they would have worn back then and do some roleplaying. We also had the chance to look at some very interesting old cars and learn how they restore them to how they would have looked. Fun day had by all! Thanks volunteers

Gymnastics

Students at Maple Ridge School have been exploring with gymnastics this month. The students first started on the mats working on balance, different levels and building core strength and control. We then moved onto the gymnastic equipment and climbers. Next week we look forward to "Mission Impossible"!

We are working on:
-strength (arm, leg, core)
-self-control
-balance
-hand-eye coordination
-stability
-perseverance
-moving with purpose

Busy February: Upcoming Field Studies!

Grade 1 has a very busy month next month. We just wanted to send a list of all the activities we are looking forward to.

Jan. 28- Herritage Park (Forms due)
Feb. 4-7- Swimming (Forms due)
Feb. 19- Fort Calgary
Feb. 20- Bow Habitat


We can't participate in all of these experiences without our amazing volunteers so thank you from the bottom of our hearts! If you are interested in volunteering and have your volunteer clearance up and running please send me an e-mail at sdmccaw@cbe.ab.ca.

Snowflakes and Scratch Art!

Some of the students in room 10 were very intrigued by the snowflakes today. We were able to see the fine details when we looked closely. This occurred during the business and excitement of our recess break when two of our students stated "look Mrs. McCaw we can see the snowflakes!" For this moment we stood in awww of the beautifulness of what mother nature can create. We tried our best to capture this moment through photographs but they will not do them justice.

* Remember no school tomorrow for students

Scratch Paper Art: Room 10 created scratch paper today. Many students wanted to know how to do this at home.

Mix black paint with some dish soap.

Colour a piece of paper with oil pastels (fill in all white areas)

Paint a thick coat of the paint and soap mixture over top.

Let dry.

Now it's ready to scratch your image! 

Swimming Forms

Swimming forms went home today. Room 10 will be swimming from February 4-7th, 10:00-11:20 AM. If you are able to volunteer for swimming please contact the office.

This Friday is a PD Day, no school for students.

Gymnastics unit

For the month of January students at Maple Ridge School will be exploring gymnastic skills. With the use of climbing equipment it is very important that students are dressed appropriately and acting in a controlled manner. Our goals for this unit are that students are engaging in the physical education learning targets in a safe manner. Please review the following with your child as well as behavioral expectations (walking, quiet voice, only climbing as high as specified target or as high as your body tells you, if hanging must be able to touch the ground).

Story Workshop

Room 10 has been inspired by the author Barbra Reid this week. We have learned her plasticine techniques that she uses when creating the super cool pictures in her books. We have learned the methods of layering, pushing and creating different shapes such as little balls to make our pictures look three dimensional. We have also been reading many of her books and learning about the different characters she created.

We are learning:
-to look closely
-plasticine techniques
-literacy skills
-character development

Winter Break Memories

Today in room 10 we shared a special memory/experience from over the winter break during sharing circle. Then students then created their memory out of collage materials, captured by drawing and photographing their work and wrote about their memory.

We are learning:
-our communication and language skills
-how to use a variety of materials to represent our ideas
-fine motor skills
-story telling
-literacy skills
-how to share our experiences with others