Monday, 3 December 2012

Nursery Rhymes with a Twist!

We have had so much fun over the last few weeks, looking at classic nursery rhymes and adding our own twist!
We started with....

Children looked at Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night and took notice of the way the buildings and trees looked in his painting. They especially enjoyed the
 "swirly starred sky"!





We talked about what it means to be a STAR and the things we do in our everyday life that make us unique and special.  We talked about how we contribute at home, special skills we have and things that are meaningful to us.





And then came Humpty......










And our own versions "with a twist"!



Working with a partner, many of the children also created get-well cards for Humpty Dumpty, who was healing in the egg hospital. Please check these out when you come in for your Student-Led Conferences, they are worth the read!


We then had a good look at Mary and her Little Lamb. We listened to the entire rhyme, all 10 or so verses, which Sheila apparently had catalouged in her brain! Children were surprised to know there was more to the story than the well-known first few verses. We had a look at several books that had various endings and additions and compared the different versions. Students wrote and illustrated a story map depicting the key elements of the story. Older and younger partners worked together, each making use of their own skills!


A mural was created in each room with each child taking on a different part and then being able to watch the magic as it all came together. What beautiful masterpieces!! Make sure to ask your child about their contribution, big or small.


Monday, 12 November 2012

What a Wonderful World!

Last Thursday Dickens students participated in a beautiful, thoughtful Remembrance Day assembly. Divisions 1-6 sang Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World and sounded truly WONDERFUL! 


They also created the stunning background inspired by Ashley Bryan's illustrations in the children's book by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele.







Camouflage


For our final look at Colours, the children explored Camouflage. They had so much fun exploring texture and varying shades of colour. Their camouflage creatures turned out beautifully. In fact, you may find it difficult to spot the creatures at all! Be sure to check them out next time you are in!







Monday, 29 October 2012

Student Teachers

We would like to extend a very warm welcome to Minji (Div.4) and Danielle (Div.3), our student teachers for this year. They have been visiting every Thursday throughout the Fall and are excited to be starting a two week practicum in our classes as of today! They will be enjoying Halloween with us in our classrooms and have some fun activities planned for your children. Please feel free to send your child in costume on Wednesday.


Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Colours!!


We have been having so much fun experimenting with colour!


Our Recycled Rainbow

Starting with the primary colours.....

Blend a little..... and the wheel is complete.



We had a fantastic afternoon creating primary colour mosaics. The resulting works of art were impressive but when asked to create a title for their project, that's when it all came together! Our children are so descriptive and creative!
Just a handful to share here but be sure to check out our now beautiful closet doors next time you're in.











Coffee filters, dye and droppers....




More to come!

Monday, 15 October 2012

Let's Get Started!

We are so excited to get our blog started! We will be sharing information about our program, upcoming events and highlights of our week. We hope you enjoy!