Sprouts: Oct 14-15 (Core)

Our short week consisted of a lot of gratitude, and food!

We started Tuesday with a review of what was learned on our trip to Kustermans. Students completed a journal entry sharing their learning. Many noted pieces of the pumpkin life cycle while other spoke about pumpkin parts and their function. We made time to practice our short a and i sounds with a favourite game: boom clap.

We recalled the meaning of gratitude on Wednesday with a story I read each year on feast day: Bear says, thanks! The characters have a feast as well and we get to remember that everyone has something to ‘bring to the table’ even if it’s not food. After this read aloud, students shared what they are grateful for and we put their shares into our new Gratitude Box. This box will be a classroom tool to use as part of their morning routine if they choose or when they may be feeling a low vibe and need a reminder of something to be grateful for. This is a great lesson in staying present and making the choice to shift energy and focus.

The students worked on their number bonds this week: breaking down numbers to explore the different ways they can be made. This activity supports all learning levels as it can incorporate adding, subtracting, multiplication and even division. Lots of room for exploration and challenge!

To prepare for our feast, the Sprouts got to make the Lime Balm Lemonade. All helped to juice lemons and make a delicious beverage! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the feast. This was a first for our school! The fact that everything was made with food from our garden created a greater appreciation for our meal. We are grateful for the Saplings and Jessica who poured much love and effort into the creation of the whole event. Thank you!! 🫶🏼

We ended the week with some crafting with pressed leaves that had been collected in weeks prior.

We are starting Mystery Bag Monday, on Monday! This activity supports students’ critical thinking skills, their understanding of a question and how to ask one to gather more information. They get to practice using a variety of question words and I guide them through the process by allowing for pauses to reflect on the information gathered and decide if more is needed to make an educated guess. Lola will start us off!