Making connections with littlebits!

This week we have been working with our new littlebits kits which we received through a grant from My Class Needs. I don't think I've ever seen students more engaged in their learning! After learning about the need for a power source, (a 9 volt battery), students worked together in table teams to "make something that does something", the littlebits slogan. Check out this video on youtube to learn more about littlebits or ask one of the students who have worked with them!  

Spring into Reading!

Come to the Book Fair in Room 139!  

Spring is upon us, here on the west coast of Canada, and our PAC is hosting a book fair next week! This is a fundraiser for the library so every book purchased helps our library to buy new books.  Why not hop on down to the book fair and spring into reading?!

Beautiful colour wheel flowers have sprouted in the library learning commons!

Like mice?  Look for the mice stories on display this week.

Be Kind!

Today is anti bullying day! We had a wonderful assembly where many classes presented songs, poems and stories to teach us all to be kind to others. The choir sang beautifully and I was so proud of them!  (Our music teacher, Mrs. McReavy and I practice with the choir every Wednesday at lunch.)   I was amazed at the variety of pink shirts today so I've made a pic collage of some of them.
Here's a link to the video we watched: http://safeshare.tv/w/mevNbNFYmC
Did you participate in Pink Shirt Day?  Tell us what you did in the comments below!

Learning through Play

This week we have been exploring symmetry and being creative with the iPad app,  Geoboard by The Math Learning Center.  Students were challenged to make their name, an object, or a design and just play with the app. There were many "aha" moments as students figured out how to use the many features of the app. You can try out Geoboard on your computer or download the app.  It's free!

Here are some of their creations:

Have you tried Geoboard?  

Library Learning Commons turned into a Makerspace!

This week we are reading Going Places by Peter and Paul Reynolds.  It is one of the Surrey Picture Book of the Year Nominees.  After reading and discussing the story, students worked collaboratively with a partner to build something that moves! We saw cars, planes, spaceships, submarines and even a horse and a pogo stick! Katzie kids are sure a creative bunch! Read the book, watch the book trailer, and get inspired!

That Is NOT a Good Idea!

We are starting off the new year with one of our Surrey Picture Book of the Year nominees, That Is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems.  This book reminds me of a silent movie in its presentation so we have been talking about silent movies, the music used, and the sometimes exaggerated actions of the actors. Here's a fun example of a recently created silent movie called Rapunzel's Rescue. http://safeshare.tv/w/FwVzReXNXf

One of the Surrey Picture Book of the Year nominees.

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!