September 26th
This Week in Our Class
We had a busy and meaningful week together!
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On Monday, we gathered in the library for our community circle. We learned about Indigenous protocols for circle meetings, including passing a talking stick to take turns, and being mindful not to point our feet toward the centre. We created a web with yarn to show how we are all connected. The children noticed that if one person pulls their yarn, we all feel it - just like in our classroom community, what each of us does (or doesn’t do) affects everyone.
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Throughout the week, we learned about the importance of Orange Shirt Day. We read several books, including With Our Orange Hearts, The Sharing Circle, When We Were Alone, and Phyllis’s Orange Shirt, and discussed their messages. We responded to the following question on paper feathers: What can we do to make sure every child feels safe and cared for? Here are a few of their ideas: Say your friend is lucky or unique. Introduce yourself. Stick up for your friends. Ask kids to join in. Include and love everyone. Help people find what they have lost.
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Students decorated the covers of their visual journals. Some shared stickers and ribbons with friends who had forgotten supplies—showing our caring classroom spirit. We also created and labelled tipi drawings in our journals, learning about the many ways Indigenous peoples used natural materials.
We practiced our dance routine and performed at the showcase on Thursday. The children were a little nervous but did an excellent job! Three Left Feet was a fantastic experience, and we are grateful to our Parent Council for funding this opportunity.
Our art project this week focused on exploring line patterns. We used a wax crayon resist technique and bleeding tissue paper to transfer colour. This gave us both fine motor practice and beautiful results.
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We learned about the Fall Equinox and why the Earth’s tilt causes the seasons. After reading Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall, students reflected on what they’ll miss from summer and what they’re looking forward to in autumn. This also gave us practice writing proper sentences and editing our work.
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We wrote acrostic poems using the words LEAVES, AUTUMN, HALLOWEEN, and FALL. We discovered that poems don’t always have to rhyme!
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In math, we completed our unit on patterns. While the unit is officially finished, we’ll continue to revisit and review patterns throughout the year, since they are the foundation of so many mathematical ideas.
Looking Ahead
There is no school on Monday and Tuesday next week. See you on Wednesday!
On Tuesday, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, you may be looking for ways to honour the day together as a family. Here are some simple, meaningful ideas:
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Wear an orange shirt to remember that Every Child Matters.
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Take a mindful walk on the land - notice plants, animals, water, and sky. Talk about how the land takes care of us, and how Indigenous peoples have cared for it for thousands of years.
The Calgary Public Library also has great interactive displays right now.Create art, writing, or poetry - children might make a list, a drawing, a poem, or simply speak aloud about their gratitude for the land.
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Spend quiet time outdoors together — listening, noticing, or making a small design with natural items (like leaves, rocks, and sticks) as a way of honouring the land.
