Friday, November 15
Today during our regular Circle sharing and community building time, some issues arose related to the way students in the class have been treating one another, so we extended our Circle time to give space for students to talk about how they've been feeling and to air any grievances. Students were fantastic during this time, being open and vulnerable in sharing their feelings and experiences, supporting and comforting peers who were upset, and owning up to and apologizing for hurt that they've caused others. A lot of pain and sadness surfaced, some arising from conflicts at school, but some also related to things that have happened at home or in the past. I was really proud of how mature students were during this discussion, and I hope that they will consider more seriously the impact that they have on others as they make choices in the future. This will certainly be an ongoing topic of conversation in class, and I would strongly encourage parents to check in with their children in regards to this as well. It was a very emotionally-charged time, and I hope that students came away from it feeling safer and more comfortable with their classmates.
We also spent time as a school today considering mental health, and working to name and illustrate some different feelings and emotions. We brainstormed different ways that we feel, and then students took turns acting a feeling out, paying particular attention to how their face and body language communicated this feeling. This is important groundwork both for Health class as well as for effectively "showing instead of telling" when it comes to conveying emotions though writing for Language Arts.
We also read further in The Boundless. There was reference to The Last Spike, and we spent time discussing the real historical event and how the author of the story created a fictional story inspired by real history - the genre known as historical fiction.
We also spent time as a school today considering mental health, and working to name and illustrate some different feelings and emotions. We brainstormed different ways that we feel, and then students took turns acting a feeling out, paying particular attention to how their face and body language communicated this feeling. This is important groundwork both for Health class as well as for effectively "showing instead of telling" when it comes to conveying emotions though writing for Language Arts.
We also read further in The Boundless. There was reference to The Last Spike, and we spent time discussing the real historical event and how the author of the story created a fictional story inspired by real history - the genre known as historical fiction.
Overdue Work:
- Wetland Plant and Animal Research
- Cultural Artifact Museum Reflection
- French Number Booklet
- October Quote Reflection
- "Mon Monstre" (for French)
- Diversity Venn Diagram (for Social Studies)
- Metric Monster
- Aurora Borealis Art
Upcoming Due Dates:
- November Quote Writing: *Due Monday, November 18*
- Save the Wetlands Project: *Due Thursday, November 21*
- Mystery Suitcase Story: *Due Monday, November 25*
Important Dates:
- Inline Skating Forms: *Please complete and return ASAP*
- Book Fair Preview: *Monday, November 18*
- Book Fair Buying Time: *Wednesday, November 20*
- Science Fair Form and Trifold money (for interested students only): *Due Wednesday, November 20*
- Student-Led Conferences: *Thursday, November 21 and Friday, November 22* Please be sure to book your time online!
- Early Dismissal (student-led conferences): *Thursday, November 21*
- No School (student-led conferences): *Friday, November 22*