Around the world and back!

Dear parent(s)/guardian(s),
Last Friday, the students were overjoyed to share their family heritage and culture for Show and Tell. The students and I learned about the Mate Herbal Tea from Argentina, the Syrtos dance of Greece, the famous vegetables, fruits, and dishes of Canada the colourful design and clothing of Somalia, Tchad, and Sudan, the tropical fruits of Guyana and Jamaica, the Flower Celebration of the Philippines, the chopsticks of China, the cheese pie of Albania and much more!

Who say's you need to travel in an airplane to learn about different countries.

Many thanks to the parents who went above and beyond by baking/cooking/purchasing food for the class.

Note: Unfortunately, due to the volume and size of the videos, some videos were unable to upload. However, all presentations have been well received and acknowledged by students. 

Together we embrace, respect, and share diversity!

Evanthia - Greece

Victoria - Greece

Jade - Bulgaria

Jeremiah - Guyana

Olivia - Canada

Mia - Argentina

Nikola - Albania

Audrey - Canada

Timothy - Philippines 

Samantha - Ireland

Julia - St. Lucia

Kyra - Hungary & Sri Lanka 

Amin - Sudan 

Cultural Show and Tell After March Break

Since February is Black History month and March is Greek Heritage month, we have decided that the theme for 'Montre et raconte' (Show and Tell) will be to address our cultural heritage. Presentations will take place Friday, March 24th, 2017. Unlike the usual weekly schedule, everyone will present on one day.

The following is an outline of the assignment tied to the Family Social Studies unit.

Montre et raconte 

Students will research their own cultural heritage and share it with the class.

What You Need

• Family members who can help students learn about their ancestry and cultural heritage.

What to Do

1. Students will ask family members about their tradition, symbol, flag, food, clothing, and items found in that cultural heritage. A show and tell form will be sent home to help jot down important information.  
2. Students will prepare a presentation to include examples of items found in their cultural tradition. For example, students may collect and organize personal or magazine photos that show aspects of their heritage, make objects or drawings or come dressed in cultural clothing.
3. NOTE: The objects students will show don't need to be elaborate, but may be quite simple—perhaps a handful of couscous (representative of a Moroccan heritage) or a drawing or photo of an Inuksuk (representative of an Inuit heritage). 
4. We will have a cultural heritage pot luck on  this day. Please be prepared to share a purchased or cooked meal/pastry/sweet of your choice tied to your cultural heritage. Merci!

Bon courage!

MindFULL start to our day

As we approach the middle of the school year, we are encouraged to learn very important life lessons such as, "whatever energy we give off, is the energy we get back". As such, during a class discussion of a healthy, body and mind, we shared many unique ways of starting our day with a positive attitude.

For all those days we wake up on the wrong side of bed and we aren't feeling quite ourselves, let these steps help turn a frown upside down!
Here we go....
Step 1
As you get up from bed, rise slowly and relax your neck, arms, and legs. Shake it all out.

Step 2
Do some stretches, sit-ups, squats or jumping jacks. This will keep you awake and will get you ready for the day.

Step 3
Don't skip the most important meal of the day- breakfast. Try to eat a healthy and balanced meal. Think about what you are eating, what it tastes like, how it feels, and how it will energize you throughout the day.

Step 4
Drink loads of water and bring a water bottle to keep you hydrated throughout the day.

Step 5
Smile on your way to school. Your day will go fine. If you're worried about something, let it go! You can't tell how things are going to happen.

Step 6
Think of all the good things you will be experiencing during the day. Try to organize your day and what is expected of you as you enter the classroom before arrival.

Step 7
Be confident in yourself and be proud of your achievements and talents- big or small.
Step 8
Be nice to everyone. Treat people with respect and you will get the respect you deserve.

Step 9
Have fun! You don't want to be constantly thinking about past negative events or worried about what will happen in the future. Be in the present. Relax and enjoy yourself and you will be happier.

Step 10 
Go to bed early and always get enough sleep so you don't feel irritated in the morning.

We will begin talking about a "Feel Good Box" in our classroom. Please ask your child to bring an item from home that makes him/her feel happy and to explain why.

Feel free to share some of your daily routines for a healthy, mind, and body on the blog. Merci.  

You may want to try some family daily physical activity:



Comment est-ce que le cerveau fonctionne? /How does our brain work? 



The Crayon Box That Talked

I wanted to help the students better understand why they should celebrate differences, especially since it was Black History month and is now Greek Heritage month. Inspired by The Crayon Box That Talked, I used a drawing exercise to help students discover the value of diversity. 

I provided each student with two sheets of drawing paper, then allowed each student to pick out one crayon from a box. Students were then asked to draw a picture with only the single crayon. Later I asked students to draw another picture on the second sheet of paper; they could use as many different colours as they wished. When they finished, I asked the following questions:

Which picture do you like best? Why? Which picture would you like to display in your classroom, the hallway, at home?

Invariably, all of the students preferred the pictures drawn with the whole box of crayons. They were asked to make inferences by putting "themselves in the shoes of the crayons". They declared that it would be a boring world if we were all alike- like the picture drawn with one crayon. The diversity in the world makes it like a wonderful box of crayons with endless colours. 

Each crayon had something special to offer to the picture- green for the grass, blue for the sky, yellow for the sun. The students agreed, and I asked them to brainstorm all of the unique and special things we have to offer to our groups or the class as a whole. 

"We could learn a lot from crayons ... (They) all are different colours, but they all exist very nicely in the same box."