September 23rd to September 26th

September is an important month for learning and commemorating the truth of our history with The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th and the CBE Truth and Reconciliation Week. It is a time where we can learn and reflect upon the history of residential schools in our country as well as working to learn, understand and honour Indigenous ways of being, belonging and knowing.

This learning is strongly connected to our social studies curriculum and the learning outcome; recognize how stories of people and events provide multiple perspectives on past events. We used a variety of picture books as a springboard for rich conversations about Alberta's Indigenous people and their experiences. The students learned about the Medicine Wheel and it's importance to Indigenous people. We created our own Medicine Wheels representing our connections to our mind, body, spirit and heart. We then worked on extending our understanding of what a treaty is. Next, we looked at a map of Alberta and identified the Treaties and Regions of our province.

Throughout the week, we explored a variety of Land Acknowledgements and discussed their significance. Students then looked at the significance of the land in their own lives, writing pieces about their favourite place to be on the land and how they can take care of the land. We covered the following I can statements:

I can recognize the influence of diverse Indigenous peoples as inherent to Alberta's culture and identity.

I can write and organize ideas to express myself.

As you explore the images below, have your child share the following:

What is a Treaty?

Why is a Land Acknowledgement important?

What are your personal connections to the land?

What will you do to care for the land?

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March 3rd to March 7th

This week, we were excited to take part in the school's basketball residency. We were so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Coach Dave on a variety of new skills. We learned how to dribble, jab, pivot, guard and shoot. The students were highly engaged as they put the skills into practice. A huge thank you to all the parents who volunteered their time to make this experience possible! Learning Outcomes: I can engage in a variety of physical activities that are enjoyable or rewarding. I can practise offensive and defensive strategies and tactics. I can implement strategies and tactics to improve performace. Questions to ask your child: What was our basketball cheer? What is something new you learned our a skill you worked to improve over the week? Was their a skill that you found challenging?

April 14th to April 17th

In Science, we moved into our next unit of study Earth Systems. We kicked off our unit from an in class learning opportunity. Our guest presenter introduced us to a huge amount of new information as we learned about the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere. We learned all about the Earth’s systems and investigated how their interconnections sustain life on our planet! We discovered how water, sun and air support plants and animals on Earth and the responsibility we share in caring for our resources. We then learned how changes in one system affect or impact the other systems on Earth. The students were excited to create their own three dimensional models showing all four spheres. They cannot wait to bring them home to share with you. A huge thank you to Parent Council for making this presentation possible and to the volunteers who were so generous with their time and energy. We then worked to solidify our learning but taking part in one of the student's favourite activit...

February 3rd to February 7th

In English Language Arts, the students have been engaged in experimenting with words and figurative language as they write a variety of poems. First, we looked at similes and the students wrote poems about themselves. The students showed wonderful creativity in representing themselves with ideas such as: I am as artistic as Vincent Van Gogh, l etting my brush glide across the page. My legs are as long as the tallest tree trunk, still growing to this day. I am as emotional as stormy clouds, crying when someone is mad at me. My imagination is like a tornado, always spinning ideas. Do you recognize your child in any of the similes? Next, we learned about metaphors and wrote poems about our families, capturing the qualities of the people and animals we love. The students had a great time thinking about how they could best represent everyone with a variety of unique ideas such as: My family is a strong tree, w ith roots binding us together. My mom is a wooden spoon, m ixing all kinds o...

Mrs. Pols' Fantastic Fours

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