Santa is Coming to Canada

This week we have been reading a book called, "Santa is Coming to Canada," written by Steve Smallman, illustrated by Robert Dunn, and finding the places mentioned in the book on the Google Earth app. Students were excited to find they could go inside the Peace Tower in Ottawa when they used the street view feature. They also discovered that our school, Katzie Elementary was not even built when the map of our neighbourhood was made!

Genius!

Genius hour is happening in the Library Learning Commons! Some of our Grade 6 and 7 students are exploring their questions.  Here's an example of what some students are working on:  sending a rover to Ceres! They are naming it "Dusk" because it will help Dawn (the Nasa orbiter) study and learn about Ceres.   Who knows what we will find!

Deck the Halls!

Our school is beginning to look very festive and the Library Learning Commons is getting in the spirit of the season! Check out one of our Christmas books! Or try making a Christmas tree out of Lego!

Are you getting ready for Christmas? 

The Man with the Violin

This week we are reading "The Man with the Violin", by Kathy Stinson. This book is a story based on a real event and reminds us to stop and listen to the musical moments in life.  Students are enjoying watching and listening to Joshua Bell play the violin and learning about how a violin is made.

My personal treasure:  a violin made by my grandfather, Tom Tourand.

Here are some pictures of some parts of the violin.  It takes many hours of careful work to make a violin.

When I was young, I made my own stringed musical instrument with an empty tissue box, a paper towel roll and some elastics.  See how you can make your own too! You will need help cutting the hole for the neck.  This video will give you some ideas.   http://safeshare.tv/w/eFbrVQEOJM

Here's another example: 

This is an example of a tissue box guitar.  Have you ever made one?  This site from wikiHow has great step by step instructions.   http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Tissue-Box-Guitar

                 

Lost Cat

This week we are reading "Lost Cat" by C. Roger Mader. We have been talking about our pets, including pets we have lost because they have run away, died, or we had to give them up. Students have really enjoyed this story and have been delighted with the ending.

All About Those Books

Look for the poster up in the Library Learning Commons.  It shows you all 10 books we will be reading.

This week we are starting our Surrey Schools' Picture Book of the Year program.  This is a readers' choice award program.  There are ten books nominated.  We will read all ten and students will vote for their favourite in the spring.  Votes from across the district will be collected and the winner will be announced in June!  Read more about the program at http://surreybooks.co.nr/


Here's a great video about reading for you to enjoy!

http://safeshare.tv/w/OqCOBNSWlx

And I love this one by a middle school:

http://safeshare.tv/w/YrwdwezfAD

We also have a readers' choice book program for intermediate students. Look for the poster and books in the library learning commons.

These are the 10 nominated books for the Surrey Schools' Book of the Year.  Read 5 to be eligible to vote!

Our windowsill garden

I was cutting up celery for my lunch last week and decided to try and regrow it. As a child, I loved growing things on the kitchen windowsill. I remember growing carrot tops, avocado, sweet potato and even orange seeds! One orange seed grew into a small bush I had for many years but I never did get any oranges!

Have you ever grown plants on your windowsill? Tell us about it in the comments below. I will add pictures of our windowsill garden as it expands! 

We are going to overwinter this geranium plant on our windowsill.  I wonder how long the bloom will last?

Amazing Mazes!

                                              I made these photo collages with an app called Pic Collage on the ipad.

Remembrance Day

We have a selection of books to read to learn about the wars and Remembrance Day.

Come and pick up a Remembrace Day bookmark which has the same picture as the poster on the door.

Our Grade 1-2 class created a beautiful display in our front hall.  Thank you to all our young artists!

Here are a few of the doves created by each division for our assembly on November 7th.

We learned about the Book of Remembrance located in Ottawa.

Each division worked together to make a wreath for the assembly.  The wreaths will be brought to a local Legion Hall for veterans to enjoy.

Hallowe'en Doodles

This week in the Library Learning Commons we are reading spooky stories and creating spooky pictures with the Doodle Buddy app.

Grade 2 students had fun drawing with the Doodle Buddy app.

Hallowe'en Fun!

Our Library Learning Commons is starting to look spooky! Drop by and see if you can spot these signs that Hallowe'en is getting closer!

We Love Canada!

Some of our Grade 1 students enjoyed piecing together the Canada puzzle today!  Can you spot all the provinces and territories on the map below? Can you find Vancouver? Our school is in Surrey, which is very close to Vancouver.

You can find this map and many more at www.atlas.gc.ca

Fall into a good book!

Fall has arrived with its clear blue sky and crisp morning air. The leaves are turning spectacular shades of yellow, red and orange. Students are rediscovering the joy of finding that "just right" book in the library!  I found a great quote about reading that I want to share with you:

Reading is important, because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything. 
--Tomie dePaola

Do you have a favourite time to read? In the comments below, tell us how you have made reading part of your day.

Welcome back!

I would like to welcome back all our Katzie Elementary students!  I'm looking forward to another wonderful year of sharing great books and learning along with you.  I hope you read some great books over the summer!  Use the comments section to tell us all what you read.

Summer Reading Club!

Katzie students were treated to a presentation by Surrey Public Library librarian, Leslee Gowthrop, in the gym this afternoon.  Leslie brought her puppets and told two stories (with great sound effects!!), told us all about the Summer Reading Club and got everyone singing and clapping along to "We will, we will read books!" (Sung to the tune of "We will, we will rock you!). Thank you for sharing your talents with us today, Leslie!

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the presentation and students are excited to sign up at a branch of the Surrey Public Library!  Sign up begins June 17th. 

Leslee and her puppet, Mortimer, who couldn't sleep because he was so excited about the Summer Reading Club!

This story featured a cat and a dog and lots of audience participation.   Do you know why dogs chase cats?

Surrey Schools' Picture Book of the Year 2014

This was the favourite among the students at Katzie and is the winner of the Surrey Schools' Picture Book of the Year for 2014.  Students enjoyed reading all ten nominees and we look forward to next year's books.

Students have been anxiously waiting to hear the winner and here it is! Dangerously Ever After is the winning book with 2831 votes!! 

Oceans Day!

June 8th is World Oceans Day.  The City of Surrey is having a special celebration on Sunday and it's free to join in the fun. Parents and children can explore all summer long!  Take a trip to one of our local beaches. Check out the tide chart to see when the tide is lowest and you'll be able to do your own scavenger hunt for crabs, shells, rocks and different kinds of seaweed.  Who knows what you'll find!  Remember to maintain the habitat for any creatures you find.  If you turn over a rock to look for crabs, turn it back when you are finished looking.  If left exposed to the sun, little creatures living on the rocks will die.  And don't take any living creatures home with you.  Their home is the ocean and that's where they need to stay.  Let's all do our part to keep the oceans clean and healthy for the animals that live there.

Check out what Surrey Public Library has on ocean life.
Here's a great site on summer activities for kids to do with their parents.  There are many great book suggestions too!

Welcome Poles for Katzie Elementary

On Friday, May 30, 2014, we were privileged with welcoming the beautiful red cedar logs which will become the Welcome Poles for Katzie Elementary School.  Members of the Katzie First Nation led the poles into the room in the school where the carving will take place. The carver has begun the carving and will complete the poles on site, allowing our students to be witnesses to the creative process.  Here are some pictures from the event.

The poles are Western Redcedar from Chehalis.

The poles are very heavy!  A crane was used to carefully lift them onto the dolly so they could be rolled into the school.

Dean sang and drummed the poles into the room where they will be carved.

Too large to fit through the doorway, the logs had to be carefully turned on their sides to be moved in.

The carver, Rocky LaRock, (on the left), is from Chehalis, where the tree came from.

Our school spirit name is the "Katzie Eagles" and we look forward to having this eagle welcoming us, along with the other pole, every day when we come to school.

For more photos, visit https://www.surreyschools.ca/ProgramsAndServices/ABRG/photo_gallery/Pages/default.aspx

Dinosaurs!

Some of the library classes have begun learning about dinosaurs and I just found a news article about a new dinosaur discovery!  Look at the picture below.  That is the femur, or thigh bone, of the yet to be named dinosaur just discovered in Argentina.  Scientists estimate the dinosaur would have been 40 meters in length and would have weighed 73 tonnes or the equivalent of 14 African elephants!  How much do you know about dinosaurs?  Take this quiz to find out!

MUSEO PALETONTOLÓGICO EGIDIO FERUGLIO VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS

Here is a paleontologist beside the femur of the newly discovered dinosaur.  Do you know what a paleontologist does? 

The Library Learning Commons is covered with dinosaur pictures so pop in and take a look!  You'll be amazed at the creativity of Katzie students!  Here is some dinosaur art for you to enjoy.

To learn more about dinosaurs, check out http://kidsdigdinos.com
If you are on a computer (not an iPad because this site uses Flash), check out http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/scienceforkids/dinosaurs/dinosaurs.htm

Check out the "pocket museum" in the Library Learning Commons.  It has a real dinosaur bone and other fossils on it!

What is your favourite dinosaur?  Tell us in the comments below.

Voting Week!

This week all primary students at Katzie will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite picture book from our Surrey Schools' Picture Book of the Year nominees.  We have read the books over the last few months and it's tough to have to choose a favourite because they are all great books! We'll see how they stack up once all the votes are counted! We are using "Jenga" blocks to vote. Each student is given a block to stack in front of the book they like the best. Then students count up the votes and I record the numbers.  This tally is then counted along with the tallies from all the participating schools in Surrey and only then is the winner determined.  The winning book will be announced in June, so check back!